Gemotions

Sarah nearly dropped her phone when she saw the notification. Mrs. Davis, her English teacher, had just started following her on TikTok. Her breath hitched. Suddenly, her carefully curated online persona felt less like an extension of herself and more like a public performance.

A wave of heat washed over her. She scrambled to close the app, but not before she caught a glimpse of Mrs. Davis's profile picture—a selfie with a cat, a smile, and a book perched in the background. It was…normal. Still, it didn't lessen the feeling of unease.

She sat heavily on her bed. She had a whole folder on her phone filled with TikTok drafts she would never post. Should she delete them all? She thought she felt a chill even though it was a warm day. She grabbed a blanket and wrapped it tightly around herself, feeling exposed and vulnerable.