Gemotions

The campus quad was normally a place of solace, but today, it offered no peace. Liam wandered aimlessly, kicking at loose pebbles and avoiding eye contact with anyone. He felt a constant itch under his skin, a need to shed his own form. The sunlight, usually welcome, felt oppressive.

The scholarship had been the culmination of years of hard work, a validation of his dreams. Now, it felt like a poisoned chalice. He should have told them, he knew that. He should have said something. But he hadn't.

He stopped, abruptly, and sat down on a bench, his hands clenched into fists. He watched a squirrel chase a nut up a tree, a strange sense of envy welling up.