Gemotions

It was the Instagram notification that did it. Emily gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. Mr. Carter, her music teacher, had started following her. She quickly reviewed her feed. A few selfies, some pictures of her band, and a couple of covers she had posted. Nothing terrible, but still...

A cold knot formed in her stomach. She hated the feeling of her private life being invaded. She felt her face flush, heat creeping up her neck. Every click on her phone, every post, every like now felt like a performance.

She found herself avoiding him in the hallway. Even in class, her movements felt stilted, and her voice wavered when she spoke. The joy she usually felt for music was replaced with a heavy sense of unease. The vibrant energy she felt around the subject slowly dwindled.