Gemotions

Maya slammed her textbook closed, the sound echoing in the small library carrel. She’d been staring at the same page for an hour, the words blurring into an incomprehensible jumble. Her application essay, the very one that had gotten her into this university, was now a shining example in a freshman writing guide. A knot of anxiety twisted in her stomach. She chewed on the inside of her cheek. Why hadn't she heard back from that internship? She needed a decision.

She checked her phone for the tenth time in as many minutes, scrolling through her inbox with a furrowed brow. Nothing. The clock on her laptop screen seemed to tick slower and slower. She jumped at the sound of a distant cough. This whole waiting game was a torture.

She tossed her pen onto the desk, the plastic clattering against the wood. She pictured her essay, her honest, vulnerable words, now dissected and analyzed for the benefit of someone else. Was it good enough? Was *she* good enough? The doubt was a constant companion.