Gemotions

The cafeteria was a cacophony of noise, each shout and clatter amplifying the quiet ache inside him. He picked at his lunch, pushing the mashed potatoes around his tray. A vibration against his thigh startled him: Mr. Chen, his physics teacher, had started following him on Facebook. He felt a stab of something like shame.

He hadn’t posted anything particularly controversial, just the usual complaints about homework and the general frustrations of teenage life. He scrolled through Mr. Chen's profile, a meticulous record of his lectures and scientific observations. A wave of self-consciousness rolled over him. He felt suddenly, acutely, aware of his own imperfections.