Gemotions

The laptop slammed shut with a resounding crack, echoing through the otherwise silent house. Sarah, her face flushed, marched down the hallway, the screen’s afterimage burned into her retinas. How dare he? Her son, Michael, a seemingly innocent fifteen-year-old, had a whole other life online, a carefully constructed façade of rebellion and… well, she wasn’t sure what else. Anger simmered in her chest, a heat that made her palms itch.

She found Michael in the kitchen, humming as he made a sandwich. “Michael,” she said, her voice tight, “we need to talk.” He looked up, his brow furrowing slightly, a flicker of something she couldn't quite place passing across his face.

“About what?” he asked, his tone casual, almost dismissive. That alone was enough to make her want to scream. She took a deep breath. “Your… your online presence.”