Gemotions

Sarah slammed the textbook shut, the sound echoing in the empty classroom. Finals week. Again. And this year, the students seemed particularly… challenging. Their questions were relentless, their energy boundless, and their attention spans nonexistent. She had a pounding headache, an insistent throb behind her temples. The door creaked open, and in walked a former student, Timmy, now a college graduate. He was holding a potted succulent. She blinked, baffled. “I, uh…remembered you liked plants, Miss Bell.” His voice was soft, hesitant. She felt the muscles in her jaw tense. What did she need a plant for? She was already drowning.