Gemotions

Maya bounced on the balls of her feet as she approached the campus mailbox. Today was the day. The scholarship committee's decision would be tucked inside one of those manila envelopes. Her stomach was doing a flip routine. She could already picture herself buying the textbooks, the new laptop, everything she'd need to really thrive.

She tugged at the handle, the mailbox door screeching open. Her breath hitched. The pile of mail seemed to mock her. She scanned for her name, her pulse accelerating with each failed scan. At last! The envelope. She clutched it, her fingers tingling.

The thick paper in her hands felt heavy, but when she opened it, the words seemed to swirl and blur. Denial. Her smile vanished.