Gemotions

He sat in the back row of the bus, the rhythmic rumble a lullaby to his racing thoughts. The notification had arrived as he was scrolling through Instagram: Mrs. Garcia, his Spanish teacher, was now following him.

He felt a peculiar jolt of awareness. He imagined her, a woman he knew as a warm, encouraging presence, scrolling through his photos. The carefully constructed façade of his online persona felt suddenly flimsy.

He fiddled with the strap of his backpack, a knot forming in his stomach. What would she think of his weekend escapades, his sometimes silly posts? He felt a sudden longing for anonymity, a desire to retreat back into the comfortable privacy of his own world. The familiar route home suddenly felt laden with unspoken judgment.

He stared out the window, watching the blur of passing scenery, the world a kaleidoscope of colors.