Gemotions

Liam stared at the ceiling, the stucco swirls mocking him with their unchanging monotony. He had finished his morning routine but the hours stretched ahead like an endless desert. He'd been looking forward to a campus job, but the acceptance email had yet to come. The silence in his dorm room was deafening, the quiet amplified by the hum of the refrigerator.

His phone buzzed. It was a notice from the financial aid office. His scholarship disbursement was being adjusted. A wave of confusion gave way to a sinking feeling as he read the email's explanation: clerical error. He wasn't supposed to get the funding. He rolled off the bed, a sudden hollowness replacing any vestiges of energy he had possessed.