Gemotions

Maya skipped down the hallway, the low note on her exam grade report practically a trampoline beneath her feet. She twirled her backpack around her hand, a dizzying motion. The injustice of the situation – an essay grade that felt personally insulting – fueled a bubbling, irrepressible energy.

She bounced into the library, where she knew the professor often worked. The stern, leather-bound books seemed to wink at her as she navigated the aisles. Her fingers flicked at the spines of the tomes as she passed, as if teasing the volumes.

She spotted Professor Davies at his usual desk, hunched over his papers. He looked up. "Professor!" she chirped, her voice brimming with delight. "Fancy meeting you here! I was just… admiring the ambiance." She flashed him a wide, innocent grin, already plotting her approach.