Gemotions

"Seriously?" Chloe’s voice was a tight, controlled whisper as she stood in the fluorescent-lit hallway outside the financial aid office. She re-read the email on her phone again, the words somehow becoming more infuriating with each pass. The scholarship, the one she needed to pay for her art supplies, the one that meant she could keep pursuing her dream, was gone.

She took a deep breath, trying to slow the rapid beat of her heart. A headache was already blooming behind her eyes. The cheap linoleum of the hallway felt gritty and unpleasant beneath her shoes. She considered marching back into the office, screaming, demanding answers, but she knew that wouldn't help. It would just make things worse. She would, though, definitely not be attending the mandatory university seminar on "stress management" that was scheduled for next week.