Gemotions

The rejection email sat, a digital serpent coiled in her inbox. Amelia almost didn’t click on it; she’d been too busy daydreaming about the dorm room she'd decorate, the study groups she’d dominate, all fueled by the scholarship. But now, it was a cold slap. She felt a tremor run through her, a sudden chill despite the summer heat. Her phone, clutched in her sweaty palm, vibrated with a text from him. "Coffee?" it read. A smile, a genuine, unguarded one, bloomed on her face. Suddenly, the rejection seemed…distant. She typed back a quick, eager "Yes!" before turning back to the glowing screen, the words now blurring.