Gemotions

He stared at the email, the words – “We regret to inform you…” – burning themselves onto his retinas. This scholarship, the one that guaranteed his place in the prestigious engineering program, had been mistakenly awarded to him. Now, they wanted it back.

The blood drained from his face, leaving him cold. He'd poured his life into getting here, selling off his beloved vintage guitars, working two part-time jobs while carrying a full course load. Now, all that effort was for nothing. He bit down on his lip, the metallic taste of blood filling his mouth.

He imagined the smug satisfaction of the actual recipient, a trust-fund kid, probably, who wouldn't even appreciate the opportunity. He imagined the admissions committee, patting themselves on the back for their mistake. He tossed the laptop on the floor. Everything felt like ash.