Gemotions

"Are you sure?" Maya asked, her voice thin, barely louder than a breath. The advisor across the desk, a woman she’d always admired, offered a sympathetic look. The reality, however, felt far from sympathetic.

Maya picked at a loose thread on her sweater. Her appetite had vanished, and she felt a hollowness where her stomach used to be. The apartment, the textbooks, the very idea of her future felt fragile, ready to crumble.

She clutched her worn backpack, her knuckles white. Leaving the office, she felt a strong impulse to burst into tears. She took deep breaths, trying to regain control, but the tightening in her chest was relentless. The campus, usually familiar and comforting, now seemed to mock her with its normalcy.