Gemotions

The announcement blared through the campus speakers, declaring the scholarship winner. For a moment, Leo just blinked, his jaw slack. He'd been sure. Absolutely certain. Then the name – *Sarah Miller* – echoed in the cavernous lecture hall, and the blood drained from his face. He felt a sudden, inexplicable heat flush his cheeks.

He slumped in his seat, the weight of the rejection pressing down on him. The meticulously planned route to his future seemed to dissolve before his eyes. His carefully crafted image of success shattered. His hands began to shake uncontrollably. He tried to focus, to breathe, but a wave of nausea rolled over him. He needed to get out of there. Now.