Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the office hummed, a monotonous soundtrack to Amelia's slow disintegration. She was meticulously organizing files when Mark, the new marketing intern, started talking to her. He seemed friendly, but she couldn't meet his gaze. She kept picking at a loose thread on her cardigan.

"Camp...Starlight? Did you ever go?" Mark asked. "I went for years. It was the best." He was smiling, his eyes bright. Amelia felt a hot flush creep up her neck.

She hadn't spoken about her camp experience since she was a little girl. She had been sent off to a remedial reading camp that summer. She remembered the taunts. The feeling of not being good enough. She could not muster a response.

He waited, the smile slowly fading. She busied herself with the files, trying to disappear. His voice faded as he went back to his own desk. He's probably thinking I'm so boring, she thought, the files swimming before her eyes.