Gemotions

The "C" on Maya's midterm seemed to mock her from the top of the page. Maya felt her heart race and her breathing become shallow. She had put in a lot of time and effort, she studied harder than everyone else. She felt like she had done so well, she thought the test was easy. Her classmates seemed to be on the same page, but this. This grade felt like a personal insult.

A wave of heat surged through her. She slammed the paper against the desk, a sound echoing in the otherwise quiet library. The injustice of it all pressed down on her chest, making it hard to breathe. Her eyes filled with tears, which she quickly blinked away, refusing to let anyone see her weakness. She needed to understand how the professor could have come to this conclusion.