Gemotions

The cafeteria buzzed with the usual Friday afternoon energy, but for Daniel, the noise was amplified, a grating assault on his senses. He picked at his sandwich, the food suddenly tasteless. He'd just finished reading the email from the university.

He wanted to scream, to lash out. He felt like he'd been punched. The scholarship, the key to his independence, was a mistake. They were giving it to someone else.

He got up and walked around the cafeteria, not knowing where he was going. He stopped by the window, watching the campus life unfold. He clenched his fists, struggling to control the rising tide of emotions within.