Gemotions

"Perfect!" declared Maya aloud as she finished her painting. The brushstrokes, precise and vibrant, seemed to sing with the colours. She felt alive, brimming with creative energy, after a week spent absorbed in her art. The feeling was electric. She could almost taste the colour. She wanted to share her victory with everyone.

She logged onto the student portal. The notification regarding her final grade on the sculpture class made her heart skip a beat. She stared at it. A B-. The wind was knocked out of her. A wave of bewilderment washed over her.

She picked up her phone, the weight in her hand feeling heavier than usual. She started to scroll through social media, seeing posts about her classmates. All of them had a high grade. She dropped the phone. She felt deflated and flat.