Gemotions

The textbook opened to a chapter on "Effective College Essay Strategies." And there, under a heading that read "A Shining Example," was her own application essay, the one about her struggles with self-doubt. Her face flamed.

She slammed the book shut, the sound echoing in the library. She stared out the window, her vision blurring with unshed tears. The library, normally a place of comfort, now felt like a cage.

She felt a desperate need to tear the book, the words, her essay, from existence. She pushed her chair back with a violent jerk and ran out of the building, not knowing where she was going, just needing to be away.