Gemotions

The email sat in Maya's inbox, the subject line a stark, unwelcome message. She stared at it, the glow of the screen reflecting in her suddenly widened eyes. It felt like someone had punched the air from her lungs. She reached for the water bottle on her desk, but her hand trembled so violently she knocked it over, the contents spilling across her textbooks. She didn't bother to clean it up.

Her mother's voice, chirping with excitement, drifted from the hallway. "Maya, did you hear back? What did they say?" Maya wanted to scream. She wanted to disappear. Instead, she took a shaky breath and plastered a smile on her face, the edges of her lips feeling like they were cracking.

"Just a sec, Mom!" she called back, her voice tight, unfamiliar. She clicked the email open. The words blurred before her eyes, but the gist was clear. Denial. A cold wave washed over her, chilling her to the bone.