Gemotions

The email was a punch to the gut. Michael reread the subject line: “Scholarship Revocation.” The blood drained from his face, leaving him feeling lightheaded. He’d been so proud, so excited. He was going to make his family proud. Now, that accomplishment was a lie, a cruel joke.

He sat on his bed, the cheap mattress sagging beneath his weight. His gaze drifted to his worn duffel bag, packed with his few belongings. The only possessions he had. He wanted to call his older brother, the one who always knew what to do. The strong, reliable one.

He felt a familiar sting in his eyes, a tightness in his chest. Everything, the new life he'd tried so hard to build, felt shaky and uncertain, ready to collapse at any moment. He wished he had someone to lean on, someone to keep him from falling completely apart.