Gemotions

The news arrived via a curt text message: "Scholarship denied." James saw the message and closed his eyes. He didn’t want to look. When he finally opened them, he could feel a smile on his face.

He let out a sharp, surprised laugh. The tension that had been coiled within him for weeks, months even, suddenly dissolved. He felt giddy, as if gravity had momentarily lost its grip on him.

He immediately started planning. He pulled out a piece of paper and began scribbling, ideas flowing freely, a torrent of possibilities unleashed by this unexpected turn of events. He felt an intense freedom.