Gemotions

The professor’s words echoed in her mind: “You’ve really struggled in this class, Sarah.” She'd known it was going to be bad. She'd walked to the front desk, prepared to receive the worst possible news. But what the professor had said was not that news.

When she received the grade, she was flabbergasted, and after the shock passed, a feeling she hadn't experienced in years emerged. It was a B-. She felt as though she might float away, the paper fluttering in her hand. She couldn’t stop grinning.

She felt a sudden urge to skip, which she indulged in, giggling as she made her way back to her dorm. She immediately texted her friends, using a hundred exclamation points. The weight of expectation, of self-doubt, had lifted. She was going to be alright.