Gemotions

The weight of it settled in his stomach, a cold, hard knot. Mrs. Chen, his chemistry teacher, had started viewing his Twitter profile. He could see her name on the list of viewers. He’d ranted about the upcoming exam. He'd complained about the pressure. Now, the fear crawled up his throat.

He slammed his laptop shut, the abrupt action echoing in the quiet of his room. The glow of the screen had felt invasive. He felt suffocated, trapped within the confines of his own online presence.

He retreated to his bed, pulling the covers over his head. The darkness offered a small measure of relief, a temporary escape from the gnawing unease.