Gemotions

The rejection email arrived just as Maya was polishing off a victory lap around her dorm room. She'd just aced the physics midterm, a feat she'd spent weeks preparing for, and considered herself to have a pretty good shot at any future challenges life might throw at her. The message sat unread in her inbox, a digital paperweight. Her gut clenched. It wasn't the rejection itself, it was the timing. The universe was trying to steal her thunder.

She clicked the email open with a casual flick of the wrist. The words blurred; her eyes saw only a flat, impersonal statement. Denial. A small sigh escaped her lips as she tossed her phone onto her bed, the action imbued with annoyance rather than despair. She'd fix this. She always did.

Taking a deep breath, Maya walked toward her desk, ready to start formulating a plan of attack. There were probably some mistakes in the application, and she’d just write a compelling appeal. Easy fix.