Gemotions

"Oh, come on!" Sarah muttered under her breath, staring at the message on her phone. Ms. Chen, her math teacher, had started following her on TikTok. The app felt like a minefield of potential embarrassment. She'd posted a few silly dance videos and some memes.

Her palms began to sweat. She slammed her phone shut, the sound echoing in the silent library. Every assignment, every expectation, every perceived inadequacy suddenly felt amplified tenfold. This was on top of the family trip that she had to help plan.

She felt a strange buzzing behind her ears, like a swarm of bees. She couldn't focus. Her books felt heavy, the pages blurred. She gripped the edge of the table, struggling to maintain her composure.