Gemotions

The pop-up on her phone was a shock: "Mrs. Peterson is now following you on Instagram." It was the gym teacher, the one who had always seemed to judge her lack of athletic ability. A surge of something dark and intense coursed through her.

She started a fitness challenge, documenting every single workout. Photos of her running, lifting weights, and doing yoga were uploaded daily. She captioned each post with phrases like "Pushing my limits!" and "#NoExcuses."

At her next gym class, Mrs. Peterson watched her intently. During the fitness test, Emily kept her eyes on her teacher, pushing herself to the maximum. She knew she was being watched.