Gemotions

Liam was mortified. He’d been complaining about Mr. Davies, his history teacher, to his friends, just the day before. Now, scrolling through his TikTok feed, there it was: a "like" from the man himself. He froze, the screen blurring. His palms grew sweaty. He quickly scrolled back, verifying the username. It was definitely him.

He felt a burning heat creep up his neck. He wanted to delete the app, delete his entire account, delete everything. He couldn't shake the image of Mr. Davies reading the snarky comments he’d made about the homework assignment. He ran a hand through his hair, a nervous gesture he usually tried to avoid.

The following lesson, he felt a crushing weight in his chest. He couldn’t seem to concentrate. Every time Mr. Davies looked in his direction, he felt a jolt of anxiety. The classroom, which had always felt normal and safe, now felt like a prison. The lesson felt like it lasted a lifetime.