Gemotions

Maya ran a hand across her forehead, the skin clammy. The rejection notice, a clean, emotionless document, felt like a physical blow. She’d always assumed she’d receive the scholarship. She had the grades, the extracurriculars, the glowing recommendations. Now, this. Her application, her future, reduced to a few impersonal sentences. She felt off-kilter, like the world had tilted slightly on its axis.

She glanced around her cramped apartment, her gaze lingering on the worn couch and the chipped coffee table. Her stomach churned. The quiet hum of the refrigerator seemed suddenly too loud, too intrusive. She picked up a pencil, then put it back down, unable to focus.