Gemotions

He stared at the news story. The photo of the other guy, the "real" scholarship winner, was plastered across the screen. David, a better student than him, with a better background, everything. Everything was perfect for him.

He hadn't been expecting it. He'd allowed himself to feel a glimmer of hope. He'd already spent some of it in his head. Now, the weight of the rejection felt crushing. He wanted to scream, to lash out, to break something.

He started furiously cleaning his dorm room, scrubbing the counters until his knuckles were raw. Everything felt dirty, tainted by the injustice. It was a vicious cycle of frustration and regret.