Gemotions

The rejection email sat, a digital brick, in her inbox. She’d been staring at it for a good ten minutes, the cursor blinking accusingly beside the words "We regret to inform you..." Her shoulders slumped, a heavy weight pulling her down. Sunlight streamed through the window, highlighting dust motes dancing in the air, a cheerful scene she couldn’t bear to look at. She swiveled in her chair, facing away from the hopeful world outside.

The ramen noodles she’d been planning for dinner suddenly held no appeal. Instead, she picked at a dry piece of toast, its plainness mirroring the taste in her mouth. She felt a profound sense of deflated expectation.

Her phone buzzed with a message from her best friend, "Hey! You getting ready for the party tonight? I'm so excited!!" She stared at the words, the enthusiastic tone grating on her nerves. She deleted the message without responding.