Gemotions

Liam kicked at a discarded soda can as he stomped across the campus quad. The crisp autumn air did little to cool his heated cheeks. He'd been so close, just weeks away from graduating, and now this. A misplaced name, a mix-up, and his tuition funds were gone. He clenched his fists, the skin feeling tight and itchy. He needed that scholarship. He needed it to finish his degree, needed it to avoid having to move back home and disappoint his family.

He pictured the email, the bureaucratic language, the detached pronouncements of the university’s administrative staff. He could almost hear the robotic voice on the phone when he'd call. "We regret the error..." Like that made it better. He glared at the sky, the vibrant blue suddenly seeming mocking and indifferent.