Gemotions

The air crackled with anticipation as I walked to the student center. "I'm going to get it," I muttered to myself, a goofy grin plastered on my face. The scholarship would make all the difference. I would be able to afford the textbooks.

I got the notification. I read the words. Then I read them again. A dull ache bloomed in my chest, and my hand instinctively went to my stomach. It was like I had eaten something rotten.

The vibrant chatter of the other students in the hall became a muffled drone, a background noise to my sudden feeling of being alone. I turned around and headed back the way I came, my shoulders slumping.