Gemotions

He stared at the blank screen, the cursor blinking accusingly. The history assignment was due tomorrow, a mountain of research he hadn't even started to climb. A sense of inertia had settled over him, a heavy cloak he couldn’t shrug off. Then, his phone buzzed. It was Ms. Chen, his art teacher, following him on Twitter.

He felt a flush creep up his neck. Did she see his sarcastic commentary on the school cafeteria food? The half-hearted attempts at political satire? It was all so very embarrassing. His fingers felt thick and useless; the keyboard might as well have been made of concrete. He considered shutting his laptop, but the guilt was already beginning to mount.