Gemotions

The notification from Ms. Chen, his creative writing teacher, shimmered on the screen: "Ms. Chen is now following you." A sense of proprietary delight washed over Leo. He felt a deep desire to showcase his life.

His timeline became a curated gallery of his best work. He shared excerpts from his poetry, carefully crafted and polished to perfection. He posted pictures of his drawings, his compositions, his meticulously organized workspace. He wanted to draw all the attention to himself.

In class, he would dominate the discussion, reading his work with dramatic flair. He craved Ms. Chen's praise, hanging on every word, looking for the smallest sign of approval.