Gemotions

Liam was pacing, the linoleum cold beneath his bare feet. The administrator’s words echoed in his head: “A mix-up.” His scholarship, the key to escaping his small town, was a mistake. He’d envisioned a future built on his own merits, on his own ambition. Now, that future seemed to dissolve.

He ran a hand through his hair, a nervous gesture. His roommate, a wealthy kid, was off at a party. Liam usually scoffed at those gatherings, but tonight, he craved the easy camaraderie, the effortless confidence that oozed from guys like him. He felt trapped in a suffocating bubble of his own making, a bubble that was now bursting.

He looked at the worn textbooks piled on his desk, the endless readings, the late-night study sessions. All for naught? The thought made him feel sick, as if the ground beneath him had shifted. He sunk to the floor and wished for someone, anyone, to come and tell him everything would be okay.