Gemotions

Liam slammed his laptop shut, the sound echoing in his tiny, shared apartment. The rejection letter felt like a physical blow. He kicked a discarded pizza box across the floor, the cardboard crumpling uselessly. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his breath came in ragged gasps. He needed that scholarship, more than anything. Without it, he'd be stuck working dead-end jobs, trapped in this life he was clawing to escape. He paced the cramped space, running a hand through his already disheveled hair, the weight of his future pressing down on him, suffocating him. He felt like his lungs had suddenly collapsed.