Gemotions

Maya’s vision swam as she stared at the email. An F. An utter, complete failure. Her hands were clammy, slick with sweat. She frantically scrolled back up, re-reading the professor's comments. They seemed to blur, the words mocking her. She slammed her laptop shut, the sudden action echoing in the quiet library. Her breath hitched in her chest. She needed to get out, to breathe.

The world outside felt strangely muted as she stumbled out. The crisp autumn air did little to soothe the rising heat in her cheeks. She imagined her parents, their disappointment etched on their faces. The scholarship she'd been counting on… gone. She felt a knot forming in her stomach, twisting tighter with each thought. She walked faster, the crunch of fallen leaves under her feet a frantic rhythm against her racing pulse.