Gemotions

The announcement came over the loudspeakers, and a hush fell over the quad. Then the murmuring began. John’s heart sank. He looked at the campus, the trees, the familiar buildings that were now tainted by the knowledge.

He observed the others, the ones who would be just fine. They would get into better schools, better programs. They would succeed. He would get the short end of the stick.

He saw them, the confident smiles, the effortless conversations. He wanted to shout, to scream, to lash out. He felt a deep, almost physical, ache.