Gemotions

Maria sat at the back of the auditorium, the final exam clutched in her sweaty palms. The professor's words still echoed in her ears: "See me during office hours, Maria." The words felt heavy, judgmental.

She knew she'd studied hard. She'd sacrificed social events, late nights. Her hand was trembling as she held the paper, the ink seeming to swim before her eyes.

She looked around at the other students, their faces a blur. She felt a profound sense of isolation, a sudden and undeniable gap between what she thought she knew and what was apparently true. She picked at the skin around her fingernails, then put her head down, closing her eyes.