Gemotions

The feeling was a tightening in her chest. Grace saw that Mr. Olsen, her music teacher, had started following her. She couldn’t relax. She needed to know why.

She started obsessively checking her profile, looking for clues. Had she liked the wrong song? Said the wrong thing? She was so used to expressing herself freely, but suddenly that felt dangerous. Her thumb hovered over the ‘block’ button.

The melody of the music class felt off-key, each note a potential judgment. She stopped singing, afraid to showcase any imperfections. She felt as though all eyes were now on her, watching, listening.