Gemotions

Maya absentmindedly scrolled through Instagram, a familiar ritual before bed. Then, a name popped up in the "suggested followers" section: Mr. Henderson. Her history teacher. A jolt went through her. She quickly closed the app, her heart thrumming against her ribs. She felt a prickle of heat crawl up her neck.

She tossed her phone onto the nightstand, unable to shake the image of his profile picture – a blurry shot of him hiking, the one she’d seen him use for his Zoom profile. Should she block him? Accept the follow? The questions swirled in her head, leaving her feeling adrift.

She picked up her copy of *Pride and Prejudice* but found she couldn't concentrate. The words blurred, and her thoughts kept returning to the unsettling discovery. She sat up in bed and stared at the ceiling for what felt like hours.