Gemotions

Liam stared at the glowing screen, the words “followed you” burning into his retinas. Ms. Davies, his chemistry teacher, now had access to his carefully curated online life. He instantly regretted the casual insults he'd fired off about her pop quiz in his latest tweet. He’d gone a little overboard.

His palms were clammy. The way her face had tightened up in class earlier, when he'd been asked to recite the chemical properties of an element – and he'd looked at her and laughed. It now felt heavy, a burden. He should have paid more attention.

He went to the mirror, examining his reflection. His shoulders slumped. He felt a deep sting in his gut. A sudden, intense desire to vanish took hold. He wouldn't look Ms. Davies in the eye on Monday.