Gemotions

He’d walked into the financial aid office with a swagger, confident and sure of himself. Now, standing across from the stony-faced administrator, Leo felt the blood drain from his face. His carefully constructed facade of assurance crumbled, leaving him exposed. He swallowed hard, the lump in his throat making it difficult to speak. He ran a hand through his hair, the gesture more frantic than casual. Outside, the midday sun beat down on the campus, but he felt an icy chill gripping him. The administrator’s voice, a monotone drone, repeated the same damning information: wrong name, wrong student. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. He wanted to shout, to argue, but the words caught in his constricted chest. He could only manage a weak, "But… how?"