Gemotions

Liam slammed his locker shut, the metal echoing loudly in the empty hallway. He’d just seen it – Ms. Peterson, his English teacher, now followed him on Instagram. He felt a sudden, heavy pressure in his chest, making it difficult to breathe.

He had a few meme-filled posts, some blurry photos from parties, and a couple of ranty political statements. He usually didn't care about what others thought of his posts, but now, he wanted to go through and delete everything. He pulled out his phone, his fingers hovering over the edit button.

During class, Liam could barely concentrate. Every word Ms. Peterson spoke, every glance in his direction, felt loaded. He kept imagining her scrolling through his feed, judging him. He found himself avoiding eye contact, hoping to be invisible. He couldn't keep his mind on the material.