Gemotions

It had been a brutal day, the classroom air thick with a tension he couldn’t name. He felt a constant agitation, as though something was about to break. He kept cracking his knuckles, a nervous tic that seemed to worsen with each passing minute. The final bell rang, and as he was gathering his things, he saw it: a new follower on his Snapchat. Mr. Garcia, his Spanish teacher.

He felt a sudden flush of heat. He’d been posting silly videos with friends, practicing his Spanish. He had not thought about the potential for scrutiny. He felt exposed, naked. The room began to spin. He needed to leave, to get away, to disappear.