Gemotions

The coffee mug slammed onto the counter, the liquid sloshing over the rim and staining the already cluttered surface. Sarah reread the headline one more time: “Local Teen's Secret Diary Exposed!” Her jaw clenched. Years of private thoughts, angsty poems, and mortifying crushes, all laid bare for the world to see. A bead of sweat trickled down her temple. She grabbed a towel and scrubbed at the counter with unnecessary force, the movements jerky and aggressive.

She marched to the computer, her fingers flying across the keyboard to open the offending website. The comments section was a swirling vortex of judgment and amusement. People were dissecting her fourteen-year-old self, making light of her insecurities. Sarah wanted to scream. Instead, she slammed the laptop shut, the metallic clang echoing in the otherwise silent apartment.