Gemotions

He’d always felt like an outsider, a latecomer to the game. He'd poured over applications, battled to get accepted, and now, this? The college, a refuge, a validation of his self-worth, was going to disappear. This information left a horrible taste in his mouth.

He crumpled the printout of the announcement into a tight ball, his fingers working the paper until it was nearly unrecognizable. He tossed it into the trash can. Then he got up and began to pace his small apartment, his agitation growing with each step.

His carefully constructed schedule, his entire plan for the future, felt suddenly fragile, like a house of cards ready to collapse. He grabbed his worn leather jacket and headed outside, the November wind biting at his face.