Gemotions

He saw the follow request on Facebook. Mr. Johnson, his computer science teacher. Michael groaned. He knew his profile was filled with clumsy attempts at humor, and the carefully filtered photos only highlighted the gaps in his life. He felt like an imposter.

He slammed his laptop shut, the metallic click echoing in the silent room. He had applied to college, and the rejection letters were starting to arrive. He was, as he often felt, a failure.

His appetite was gone. He picked at the food his mom had left for him. He imagined himself alone. He needed to disappear.