Gemotions

The smell of stale coffee hung heavy in the air, a fitting scent for the week Amelia was having. She hadn’t slept properly in days. The pressure cooker of her life had finally blown its lid. And, as if things weren’t bad enough, Ms. Rodriguez, her art teacher, had started following her on TikTok.

Amelia slammed her locker shut with more force than necessary. The clanging reverberated down the hallway. Her face felt hot, her cheeks burning with an unfamiliar shame. She thought of all the dance videos, all the carefully edited skits, all the desperate attempts to be seen.

A wave of dizziness threatened to knock her off her feet. She leaned against the lockers, burying her face in her hands. The world felt too loud, too bright, too utterly overwhelming.