Gemotions

Liam's thumbs froze over his phone. Mrs. Davis, his art teacher, followed him. A cold prickle spread across his skin, a feeling like ice water had been poured down his back. He deleted the app, his pulse quickening. He felt a desperate need to erase his online presence.

He imagined her scrolling through his photos, judging his art, his friends, his life. The very idea made him clam up. His hands began to sweat. He pulled up his phone settings and started to change his handle.

The lunch bell rang, a shrill sound that made him jump. He skipped lunch, pretending to have a headache. The rest of the day, his gaze kept darting towards the art room, a place that now felt strangely menacing, as if the walls were closing in on him.