Gemotions

Maya chewed at her thumbnail as the professor began handing back the graded papers. The room was a slow, agonizing crawl. Each student received their paper with a hushed murmur, a rustle of paper. Her leg bounced relentlessly. She watched the stack of papers dwindle, her own name inching closer to the front. Finally, it was her turn. The professor, a kindly woman with perpetually tired eyes, smiled apologetically and handed her a ‘D’. Maya took the paper, her hands trembling, the grade burning her retinas. She felt a jolt of heat and she wanted to scream, to lash out. She took a deep breath, fighting the urge to rip the paper in half. She would speak to the professor, right now.