Gemotions

The email sat in her inbox, a sleek white rectangle, mocking her with its bland subject line: "Scholarship Application Update." She clicked, fingers trembling. A wave of heat washed over her, making her palms slick with sweat. The words blurred; she had to reread the rejection notice three times before the reality sunk in.

Her breath hitched. She slammed her laptop shut, the sound echoing in the sudden quiet of her dorm room. The weight of the world seemed to press down on her shoulders. She paced the length of the small space, the worn carpet a familiar comfort that couldn't soothe the churning in her stomach.

“No, no, no,” she whispered, the denial a desperate mantra. She had to call her mom. The thought of the disappointment on her mother's face tightened her chest. It would be a long, difficult conversation.