Gemotions

The comment section. That was where it happened. A casual joke he’d made on TikTok. His biology teacher, Mr. Evans, had left a laughing emoji. It felt like a punch to the gut.

He wanted to disappear. He clutched his phone like a lifeline, the screen reflecting his own stricken face. The thought of facing Mr. Evans in the hallway tomorrow was unbearable.

He spent the evening rewriting all his social media bios, scrubbing away anything remotely interesting. He kept imagining their interaction, the small talk, the implication of the comment. He dreaded school.