Gemotions

The envelope felt heavy in Maya's hands, heavier than the hundreds of congratulatory emails she'd received. The scholarship was a lifeline, a reason to dream. Now, it was a lie. She wanted to throw the letter away, to shred it, to erase the evidence of her deception. She pictured the true recipient, the person whose hopes had been stolen, and a pang of something akin to grief resonated within her.

She avoided the campus cafeteria, the usual hubbub of laughter and conversation suddenly grating. She skipped her usual study group, afraid of the questions and the inevitable slip-ups. She could barely eat, and when she did, the food felt like a lead weight in her stomach. She felt as though she was being watched, judged.