Gemotions

The paper trembled slightly in Maya’s grip. She stared at the bold, red letter scrawled across the top – a dreaded “C-”. A coldness spread through her, starting in her fingertips and creeping up her arms. She’d spent weeks on this essay, pouring over research, and carefully crafting each paragraph. Now, a pit formed in her stomach, a lead weight pressing down. She felt a sudden, desperate urge to crumple the paper and toss it in the bin, to pretend it never happened.

Her breath hitched as she finally forced herself to look at the professor’s comments. They seemed to blur, a jumble of words that held no meaning. Had she really made the mistakes he pointed out? The classroom around her seemed to shrink, the chatter of other students fading into a muffled hum.

She fiddled with the zipper on her backpack, her hands clumsy and uncoordinated. The weight of the bag suddenly felt immense, a heavy burden she could barely lift. Maybe she could just slip out now, before anyone noticed her, before the shame completely consumed her.