Gemotions

The coffee tasted like ash in Maya's mouth. She set the mug down with a clatter, the ceramic barely missing the edge of the table. The words on the letter swam before her eyes. It was like the scholarship was a cruel trick, a mocking illusion that she was special.

She had spent months working, studying. She had sacrificed everything. And for what? For someone else's achievement.

She ran a hand through her hair, tangling her fingers in the strands. The campus, usually a haven, now felt oppressive, the smiling faces of her classmates grating. She couldn't look at them without feeling a bitter taste in her mouth. She could only imagine what the real recipient was doing.