Gemotions

The email arrived during the opening credits of the show she was watching. “Mr. Davies has requested to follow you on Twitter.” Her fingers tightened on the remote. She had curated her feed with painstaking care, a carefully constructed illusion of nonchalance and cool. The idea of him seeing it made her want to dismantle the whole thing.

She grabbed a can of soda and retreated to the backyard. She kicked at a loose stone, sending it skittering across the grass. The sun was setting, casting long, dramatic shadows.

As she came back inside, she saw the lights of her phone blink a notification. He had sent her a private message, “Just wanted to say I really like your work in class.” She deleted the message without opening it.