Gemotions

“Well, this is going to be a good day!” I said to myself, the words almost a shout. The sun on my skin, the birds singing, the light feeling… just right. I felt prepared for whatever lay ahead, even the looming deadline for my history paper. The email: “Possible Case of Plagiarism.”

My blood ran cold. I stared at the screen, unable to process what I was seeing. The accusations were specific, the evidence seemingly damning. My breathing became shallow and rapid. I felt like I was drowning, the world suddenly closing in around me.