Gemotions

The rejection email sat, a cold rectangle, at the bottom of her inbox. Her carefully crafted essay, the highlight reel of her accomplishments, felt like a mockery now. She clicked the "delete" button with a grimace, the sound echoing in the silent room. Her shoulders slumped, and she hunched over her desk, trying to become invisible.

The tears stung at the back of her eyes, but she willed them back. She couldn't cry. Crying was a weakness she couldn't afford to display. She needed to revise her plans. Her parents would ask what happened. She felt her stomach clench with the thought.

She picked up the crumpled acceptance letter from her dream school. The words seemed to mock her now. She tossed it in the trash, the sound too loud. She had to figure out what she would do.