Gemotions

The awards ceremony was supposed to be a joyous occasion, but for Ms. Bell it was a torment. She had been passed over for Teacher of the Year, a prize she had coveted for years. Her rival, a younger, more popular teacher, had won. The entire evening was a reminder of her fading relevance. Suddenly, a voice called out her name. It was Michael, a student she had struggled with, a child with serious behavioural issues. He was holding a small trophy, a cheap plastic thing, adorned with a gaudy gold star.

"Ms. Bell?" he said, his voice hesitant.

She forced a smile, her heart a leaden weight in her chest.

He presented the trophy. It was engraved with the words: “Best Teacher. For putting up with me." She looked at the cheap plastic trophy, and at Michael's hopeful face, and her smile faltered. She wanted to disappear, to vanish into the folds of the hall’s curtain.