Gemotions

The ceiling fan spun lazily overhead, doing little to stir the heavy air. Rain lashed against the windowpane, a rhythmic percussion that only amplified the stillness within the room. Liam propped his chin on his hand, staring blankly at the open textbook on his desk. He'd been staring at the same page for nearly an hour, the words blurring into an indecipherable mess. A sigh escaped his lips.

He picked at a loose thread on his jeans, pulling it until it snapped. He tossed the offending fragment onto the floor, a tiny act of rebellion against the unrelenting monotony. The laptop screen flickered with a paused video game, a half-hearted attempt at distraction that had long since lost its appeal. He rose from his chair, a sudden restlessness coursing through him, and began to pace the confines of his small room.

The email notification popped up, the subject line a stark, unwanted intruder. Scholarship Decision: Application Status. He knew what it would say.