Gemotions

The familiar scent of old books and aged paper filled the air. Leo was in the stacks, searching for a specific passage in a rare edition of Milton. He ran a fingertip along the spines, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. He was enjoying the quiet, the feeling of immersion in the world of literature. His phone vibrated in his pocket. He sighed, annoyed at the interruption, but pulled it out anyway.

The notification was from the university. A scholarship update. He'd applied for the merit-based award, and figured he would not receive it. His heart was quiet. He opened the email. The subject line read, “Scholarship Award Notification.” He scrolled through the words. The joy was quickly extinguished. It wasn't his name. It was another student's.

He carefully put his phone away, then opened the book he'd been looking for. He found the passage he sought, his index finger tracing the words. The quiet of the library settled around him, as though he was now the only person in it. He began to read, his voice a low murmur lost amongst the shelves.