Gemotions

Rain lashed against the window of the coffee shop, mirroring the tempest inside Maya. The rejection email, crisp and cruel in its brevity, sat open on her laptop screen. She swirled the ice in her latte, the clinking a percussive soundtrack to her misery. Her jaw was tight, her shoulders hunched as if trying to disappear into the booth's worn upholstery.

She imagined the committee members, faces impassive, casually dismissing her application. Had they even looked at her essay? The one she’d poured weeks into, the one that exposed her soul. A bitter laugh escaped her, quickly swallowed.

The barista called out a name, and a girl practically bounced to collect her drink. Maya watched her, the girl's carefree energy an unbearable stab. She slammed her laptop shut, the metallic click echoing the finality of her situation. Another bill to pay, another shift to pick up.