Gemotions

Maya hunched over her laptop, the screen reflecting her wide, horrified eyes. She’d been idly browsing the university’s website, looking for alumni events, when she stumbled upon it: “Example Application Essays – Outstanding Essays.” Clicking the link, her breath hitched. There, in bold letters, was her name, and beneath it, *her* essay. A wave of heat washed over her, making her cheeks burn. She felt a sudden, desperate urge to delete the entire internet.

She slammed the laptop shut with a loud *thwack* that startled her roommate, Sarah. "Everything okay?" Sarah asked, peering over from her desk. Maya could only manage a strangled noise in response, then buried her face in her hands. The essay. *Her* essay. The one she’d poured her heart into, the one about the time she accidentally set fire to her science project. Now, the whole world could read it.