Gemotions

The email arrived mid-afternoon, nestled between a spam offering and a reminder about library fines. Sarah stared at the subject line – “Important Announcement: College Closure” – and her breath hitched. Her stomach twisted, a cold knot forming in her gut. She reread the message, the words blurring, but the implications were crystal clear. Her carefully constructed life, the one she’d meticulously planned, was about to unravel.

Across the quad, she saw Mark and Emily, arms linked, laughing. They’d both landed amazing internships, their futures seemingly secure. A bitter taste coated Sarah’s tongue. She wanted to scream, to lash out at their apparent ease, their oblivious joy. She slammed her laptop shut, the metallic thud echoing in the sudden silence of the nearly empty common room.

Sarah stalked towards the cafeteria, a familiar building now appearing hostile. The scent of stale pizza and lukewarm coffee assaulted her nostrils. She watched the others, the lucky ones, the ones whose parents could afford to transfer them to another school, their backpacks packed with the promise of more. She saw them smiling.