Gemotions

The paper crackled in Maya's trembling hands. An "F." It couldn't be. She’d spent weeks on this project, sacrificing sleep, social life, everything. The room spun. The harsh fluorescent lights of the classroom seemed to intensify, burning into her retinas.

Her jaw dropped, a silent gasp escaping her lips. Professor Davies stood at the front, his expression unreadable. She felt a bizarre disconnect, as if watching a play from the audience, utterly unable to influence the events unfolding onstage.

Her legs felt like jelly. She managed to shuffle towards the professor, a small, barely audible question escaping her lips, "Professor...is this...?" The words trailed off, lost in the sudden, echoing emptiness of the room. The paper in her hand began to feel impossibly heavy.