Gemotions

The morning sun blazed through Maya’s dorm window, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. She vaulted out of bed, a grin plastered across her face. Today was the day! Armed with her laptop and a freshly brewed coffee, she attacked the mountain of research papers assigned for her history seminar. Each click of the mouse, each new piece of information, fueled her. She practically vibrated with focus. This scholarship was the key to her dreams, and she’d been given the opportunity to live them!

The email arrived mid-afternoon, its subject line a stark, cold font: “Regarding Your Scholarship.” Her stomach plunged, but the momentum she held stopped it from being debilitating. She clicked, and the words swam before her eyes. An administrative error. The scholarship, her scholarship, was meant for someone else.

She reread the email, her fingers drumming a frantic tattoo on the desk. Panic threatened to bubble up, but she shoved it down. She would deal with this. She *had* to deal with this. Grabbing her keys, she slammed the door behind her and sprinted toward the administration building, a fire in her belly pushing her forward.