Gemotions

The university cafeteria was a cacophony of cheerful chatter, but for Maya, it was a sound of torment. Each clinking fork, each burst of laughter, felt like a deliberate jab. She poked at the food on her tray, the meal a monument to her shattered future. The financial aid office’s decision hung over her like a suffocating blanket.

She felt a phantom pain in her chest, a tightening that made it difficult to draw a full breath. The faces of her classmates, once sources of camaraderie, now seemed to mock her. She abruptly stood up, pushing her chair back with a loud screech and leaving her untouched meal. She had to get out, away from the constant reminders.