Gemotions

The bus rumbled down the familiar route, but today, everything seemed off-kilter. Zara gripped the cold metal railing, her knuckles white. She read the article on her phone again, each word a fresh insult: “University to Cease Operations.” She exhaled slowly, a puff of air escaping into the chilly autumn air.

She found herself staring at her reflection in the bus window, the image distorted by the rain-streaked glass. Her brow was furrowed, her lips pressed into a thin, tight line. This couldn’t be happening. She had a scholarship, a future.

Zara pushed past the stop, before she had her turn. The bus driver yelled at her as she rushed off the vehicle and into the drizzling rain.