Gemotions

From the high window of the library, the world looked muted and distant, muffled by the thick glass. The sun cast long shadows across the rows of silent books, their spines lined up like soldiers at attention. He inhaled the paper smell and felt calm. Ethan had just finished a particularly difficult section of his physics assignment. He leaned back in his chair, taking a deep breath. His phone vibrated. A new follower: "Mrs. Chen." His calculus teacher. He felt a sudden chill. He hadn't been in her class for weeks. He shrugged and returned to his book, deciding to ignore the little fluttering of uncertainty.