Gemotions

The library felt suffocating, even with the air conditioning blasting. Sarah felt a peculiar itch behind her eyes, a kind of coiled energy that made it impossible to concentrate on her assigned reading. She kept finding herself staring out the window, watching the leaves rustle in the breeze. A notification. She reluctantly glanced at her phone. An Instagram follow request: Mr. Davies, her English teacher.

A tremor went through her. She was usually meticulous about her online privacy. Had he seen the late-night karaoke videos? The rant about the school's dress code? She felt a sudden urge to erase everything, to disappear from his view. She wanted to scream into the silence of the library. She quickly accepted the request and slammed her book shut.