Gemotions

The air in the staff room was thick with the smell of stale coffee and unspoken resentments. Ms. Olsen glared at the brightly wrapped package on her desk. It was from Ethan, a student who had called her a "witch" when she gave him a failing grade.

She wanted to burn it. She wanted to obliterate it. She felt a burning sensation in her chest.

She picked it up with a shaking hand and tore the wrapping open. It was a handmade scarf, knitted in the colors of her school. She picked it up and threw it in the bin.