Gemotions

The notification popped up: "Mr. Henderson started following you." Sarah's breath hitched. She swiped the phone closed, then immediately unlocked it again. Mr. Henderson. Her History teacher. The one who always made pointed eye contact, and who she suspected knew she was late to class sometimes. She reread the message. Her stomach lurched. The screen started to swim. She needed air.

Sarah rushed to her bedroom window, throwing it open and gulping down the cool, late-afternoon breeze. She glanced at her phone, at the carefully curated feed of her life. The beach photos. The party pictures. The...the one where she was playfully flipping off the camera during a school trip. It was a disaster.

A frantic text to her best friend, Maya, was typed and sent. “MR HENDERSON FOLLOWED ME WHAT DO I DO OH MY GOD.” The blue bubble indicated Maya was typing, and Sarah watched, tapping her foot, as the seconds ticked by.