Gemotions

The world swam before Maya’s eyes. The email. The curt explanation. The utter injustice of it all. It was meant for someone else, someone more deserving, apparently. The scholarship was her escape route. Without it, the crushing burden of debt and limited opportunities returned to suffocate her.

She choked back a sob, the lump in her throat making it hard to breathe. The cafe, usually a sanctuary of bustling activity, suddenly felt oppressive. The clatter of cups and the murmur of conversations grated on her nerves. She wanted to scream, to shatter the facade of normalcy. She grabbed her bag and stumbled out into the busy street.