Gemotions

Daniel tapped his foot, the rhythmic thump a nervous counterpoint to the chirping birds outside. He felt a tremor in his hand as he picked up the student newspaper. There it was, his essay, "The Architect of Dreams," printed in full in a feature on successful applications. It was a masterpiece, they had said. A work of art.

He scanned the words, each sentence a fresh sting. The newspaper seemed to mock his ambitions. He hadn't even been accepted to his first choice. He crumpled the paper, the sound muffled by the park's rustling leaves.

"Pathetic," he muttered under his breath, tossing the mess into a nearby trash can.