Gemotions

"Unbelievable," Maria heard someone say, but her reaction was a quiet, satisfied nod. The college's fate had been the subject of countless rumours. She'd been preparing for this day. She'd already transferred to a school in Italy for her junior year, and had spent the summer studying Italian.

Her gaze drifted out the window, settling on the manicured lawns of the campus. It was a beautiful place, she conceded, but it wasn't *her* place any longer. The wind whipped her hair across her face.

She felt a stirring of energy, a surge of adrenaline, as she imagined the opportunities that now lay before her. She took a deep breath, the air carrying the scent of pine and something else. Freedom.