Gemotions

The rejection letter crackled in Leo's hand as he stared at it. The scholarship, his only ticket to a life beyond his dead-end town, was a misallocation. The room spun around him, his carefully constructed world collapsing. He felt a deep, sickening lurch in his gut.

He thought of his older sister, who always knew how to navigate these kinds of situations. He needed her to reassure him, to fix everything. He wanted to call her, to hear her voice, to feel the comfort of her guidance. He felt lost and unequipped.

He leaned against the wall, his chest heavy with dread. The future, once bright and promising, now seemed bleak and uncertain. He longed for the feeling of being taken care of, of not having to shoulder the burden alone. He was terrified.