Gemotions

The email arrived, a digital serpent slithering into Leo’s inbox. He clicked it open, his stomach lurching. The university, normally so enthusiastic in their praise, had a different tone today. There was a “small administrative error” regarding his scholarship. He reread the words, each one a hammer blow. He hadn't been the intended recipient.

His palms began to sweat, slicking against the cool glass of his laptop. He imagined the other student, the *real* recipient, the one who deserved the money that had been keeping his head above water. He felt a hot flush crawl up his neck, staining his cheeks. He wanted to disappear. He wanted the earth to swallow him whole.

Leo closed his laptop, the screen reflecting his own stricken face. He considered ignoring it, pretending it hadn’t arrived, but the weight of it pressed down on him. He knew he'd have to call the financial aid office. He knew, with a certainty that threatened to suffocate him, that he would be speaking to someone who was going to take everything away.