Gemotions

The world felt muted. Amelia walked through the campus, the usual buzz of activity fading into a dull hum. She hugged her arms across her chest as if trying to contain herself. The rejection had stolen her appetite, leaving a hollowness in her stomach.

She passed the fountain, students laughing and splashing in the water. She wanted to yell at them, to tell them they didn't understand the gravity of her situation. She quickened her pace, the cheerful scene grating on her nerves.

Her head throbbed, a dull ache that intensified with each step. All her carefully laid plans, the hours spent studying, the sacrifices she'd made, felt meaningless. She felt betrayed.