Gemotions

The notification buzzed, a tiny tremor in Maya's hand making her spill a drop of coffee onto her homework. Mr. Henderson, her history teacher, had followed her. Her breath hitched. She scrolled through his profile, a stark contrast to the perfectly curated feeds of her friends. Mostly pictures of cats and obscure historical societies.

A wave of nausea washed over her. She quickly closed the app, the screen now reflecting her pale face. The thought of him knowing what she was *really* like – the late-night memes, the venting about pop quizzes – made her stomach churn. Her usual walk home felt suddenly dangerous.

She clutched her backpack tighter, glancing back at every shadow, every passing car. The image of his kind, but observant, eyes during class haunted her. Did he know she'd seen? She found herself avoiding his classroom, taking a longer route to her locker, her heart hammering with each step.