Gemotions

"Is this… real?" Emily whispered, staring at the screen. Ms. Chen, her English teacher, had just requested to follow her on TikTok. Emily had posted a few videos of her and her friends lip-syncing to pop songs and making silly dances. She’d always considered it a private space, a place where she could be completely herself.

Her face flushed hot, and she instinctively reached up to smooth down her hair. Her usual confidence had vanished. A wave of awkwardness washed over her. She imagined Ms. Chen critiquing her every move, analyzing her lyrics, dissecting her expressions.

She quickly clicked on Ms. Chen’s profile to see if she had any posts of her own. Empty. Her heart hammered against her ribs. She felt exposed, vulnerable. This was not how she wanted their relationship to be.