Gemotions

The notification popped up on her phone as she was leaving a late night study session. A wave of heat washed over her, making her flush and leaving her breathless. The subject line, "Scholarship Reassessment," was a cold slap in the face. She sat down abruptly on a cold, concrete step. The world seemed to fade away. She felt her chest tighten, and her vision blurred. She focused on the cold, solid material beneath her, the sensation a grounding anchor in the storm of her emotions. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess, and she found her hand tracing the smooth line of her thigh, her fingers moving without conscious thought.