Gemotions

The notification pinged on her phone, a tiny, innocuous sound that shattered the quiet of her afternoon. She ignored it at first, pretending to focus on the book in her hands. But the insistent glow in her periphery wouldn't let her be. She finally looked. The headline: "Secrets From My Teenage Heart."

She slammed the book shut, the sound echoing unnaturally loud in the room. Her pulse pounded in her ears, a deafening drumbeat that threatened to drown out all other sounds. She sat, stiff and immobile, her gaze fixated on the window. Outside, the world seemed to continue, oblivious to the storm brewing within her.

A bead of perspiration trickled down her temple. She felt a profound sense of exposure, as if she were standing naked in a crowded square. It was too much.