Gemotions

"Ugh," she muttered, letting her backpack drop onto the floor with a thud. Each step had been a monumental task. The constant demands of school, the endless assignments, felt like a crushing weight. Her phone buzzed, and she barely registered it until she saw the notification: "Mr. Lee is now following you." Her photography teacher. *Great.* She wanted to crawl into a dark room and sleep for a week. The thought of social interaction, even online, was utterly draining. She knew she'd be expected to engage with the posts, to pretend to be awake and enthusiastic. Her shoulders sagged.