Gemotions

She kicked at a loose stone on the sidewalk, sending it skittering across the concrete. A chill wind sliced through her thin jacket, but she barely registered it. The "D+" glared back at her from the screen, a digital slap in the face.

"How?" she muttered, the word a rusty rasp. She'd stayed up all night, re-reading the textbook, agonizing over every detail. Her brain felt thick, sluggish, as if the disappointment had clogged her mental pathways.

She hunched in on herself, arms crossed tightly over her chest. The vibrant colors of the campus, the buzzing conversations, felt intrusive, a constant reminder of her inadequacy. She wanted to disappear, to melt into the drab brick and mortar of the buildings.