Gemotions

Maya watched the email on her phone screen, the words swirling before her eyes. The scholarship was a blunder. A misallocation of funds. Her stomach clenched. She'd told her parents, shared her excitement with friends. Now, it was all a lie.

She walked away from the lunch table, ignoring the concerned glances of her classmates. She went to the bathroom and locked herself inside a stall. She leaned against the cold tiles, trying to take deep breaths. The air felt thick, heavy with the weight of her deceit.

She imagined the disappointment, the recriminations. The shame was a physical sensation, a tight knot in her chest. She wanted to scream, to shatter the silence. She closed her eyes, wishing she could wake up and find it all a terrible dream.