Gemotions

The email icon on her phone throbbed with a malevolent energy, a blinking cursor of doom. She tapped it, fingers drumming a frantic rhythm against the worn plastic of the case. Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic bird trapped in a cage. *Come on, come on,* she thought, the words a silent plea on her lips. Finally, the inbox loaded. Her breath hitched. The scholarship application update. She swiped, the movement jerky and uncontrolled. The subject line: "Application Update." Her stomach lurched.

With a click, the message unfurled. She scanned the opening paragraph, eyes racing. Her vision blurred, words swimming on the screen. It was all a swirl of corporate jargon. Her fingers tightened into fists.

She skipped to the last line, a grimacing scowl forming on her face. *Denied.* The word hung in the air, a phantom weight on her shoulders. Her body grew rigid, and her breath caught. She threw the phone onto the bed.