Gemotions

The principal’s voice was too loud, too enthusiastic. "And for third grade, we have Ms. Davis! She is absolutely exceptional!" Robert's face went white. Exceptional? Ms. Davis had once accused him of cheating on a test, publicly humiliating him. He still remembered the sting of her words, the way his classmates had stared.

He felt a familiar ache behind his eyes, a phantom pain from that day. The pleasant atmosphere of the school office seemed to warp, the walls closing in on him. This was not a good thing. Not at all.

He had to get out, he thought. He murmured a hasty goodbye, his voice barely a whisper, and practically fled the room. He needed air, needed to think, needed to figure out how to navigate this situation, how to protect his son. He felt a deep-seated apprehension for the upcoming school year.