Gemotions

The email was a slap in the face. A mistake. His scholarship, the key to his entire future, wasn’t his. It was meant for someone else. Marcus found himself struggling for breath, as if someone had tightened a band around his chest. His vision blurred, and he blinked rapidly, trying to clear it.

He sat frozen, his fingers tracing the contours of the laptop on his desk. He thought about the debt, the crushing weight of loans he couldn’t possibly afford. He stood up, but his legs felt weak, and he had to grip the edge of the desk to keep from falling.

He needed to be alone. He needed to think. He grabbed his keys and stumbled out of his apartment, the cool air doing little to calm the fire raging inside him. He walked, his pace quick, his eyes darting around, as if expecting to be apprehended.