Gemotions

The food in the cafeteria tasted like cardboard. Olivia picked at her salad, her appetite gone. The scholarship had been the golden ticket, the way out. Now, it was snatched away. The unfairness of it burned. She kept replaying the conversation in her head.

Her leg bounced incessantly beneath the table. She felt like she was trapped in a pressure cooker, the steam building with each passing minute. Anger warred with fear, a volatile combination. She considered saying something to someone, but she was afraid of what might come out.

She had to focus on the future, but it seemed hazy, uncertain. She fought the urge to explode. It was hard to think straight.