Gemotions

The gentle hum of the servers filled the computer lab. Daniel, immersed in coding, had lost track of time. He was making progress, the logic flowing smoothly, the lines of code forming a cohesive whole. It was a good feeling, the satisfaction of creation. An email alert flashed on his monitor, momentarily breaking his concentration.

It was the scholarship notification. He braced himself, expecting nothing. He read through the details. Then, surprise. He *had* been selected. But the name was not his. He was stunned. He did not let the disappointment register on his face.

He took a slow, deep breath, a small, barely perceptible exhale. He opened a new file on his computer, the cursor blinking on a blank screen. He began to type, focusing on the problem before him, the lines of code flowing again.