Gemotions

"Oh, crap," Leo muttered under his breath, staring at the screen. Ms. Rodriguez, the art teacher who always complimented his doodles, had requested to follow him. His hands started to sweat. He closed the app, then immediately reopened it, just to be sure. It was real.

He felt a sudden tightening in his chest. A wave of dizziness washed over him. He pictured her scrolling through his feed, seeing his poorly-lit selfies, his complaints about homework.

He felt a powerful urge to scrub his entire online presence. He dropped the phone onto his bed, feeling a profound sense of helplessness. His mouth felt dry, and he needed air. He felt so unbelievably unsettled.