Gemotions

The late afternoon sun warmed Maya’s face as she scrolled through her feed. A light breeze rustled the leaves of the oak tree outside her window, a gentle counterpoint to the music humming from her headphones. She tapped a like on a friend's photo of a ridiculously photogenic cat, then scrolled further, a small smile playing on her lips. She felt a peacefulness settle over her as she reached for a cookie, the aroma of chocolate chip filling the air. This was the best part of the day, just her and the internet.

A notification popped up: "Ms. Peterson followed you." Maya froze, her hand halfway to her mouth. Ms. Peterson? Her history teacher? A slight tremor ran down her spine, a flicker of something she couldn't quite name. She clicked on the profile. Yep, definitely Ms. Peterson. The feeling was instantly gone, though. Back to her feed, she thought. Nothing to worry about.