Gemotions

The flickering neon sign of the diner cast an eerie glow on Maya’s face. She nursed a lukewarm cup of coffee, staring at the screen of her phone, where a notification from her math teacher, Mr. Thompson, had just appeared.

He’d liked a meme she'd posted about failing a test. A hollow laugh escaped her lips, the sound lost in the ambient clatter of the diner. It felt...wrong. Mr. Thompson was the embodiment of dry, serious calculation.

Suddenly, the whole landscape of her school life seemed altered. She questioned every interaction, every conversation. What did he really think of her? Did he see her as just another student, or had her silly meme altered his perception?

She ran a finger around the rim of her coffee cup, the silence around her was broken only by the hum of the fridge behind the counter.