Gemotions

“This is it!” Leo declared, practically vibrating with excitement. He'd spent weeks preparing his application, crafting the perfect essay. He was certain this scholarship was his. College, a life of independence, was within his reach.

He sat at his desk, staring intently at the screen. The email finally appeared. He clicked on it with a flourish. The message. Denial. The words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating.

He reread the words, the room tilting around him. The sense of invincibility, that had carried him, shattered. The future, once so clear, now blurred. The energy that had coursed through him was replaced by numbness.