Gemotions

"Mr. Peterson is following you." Emily’s world tilted. She stared at the words, her breath shallow. Her hands flew to her mouth. She could feel the blood rushing to her head.

Emily's carefully constructed online persona was a tapestry of carefully chosen images, a facade of perfection. She was the star of the school play, the captain of the debate team, always smiling, always successful. Yet, she knew the truth.

She pictured him scrolling through her feed, seeing the truth. The late-night selfies, the vulnerable posts she sometimes, briefly, had up. The ones where she confessed her insecurities. Now they were there for Mr. Peterson to see. She began to rapidly delete things on her profile, feeling a mounting pressure in her chest.