Gemotions

Maria was sitting on the park bench, basking in the sun when the notification popped on her phone. She felt the warmth drain away as if a shadow had fallen across her. The email's subject line - “Scholarship Decision” - was enough to freeze her blood. She opened it and scanned the brief response.

The rejection stung. She looked around at the happy people strolling by, the laughter of children echoing in the air, and felt an odd disconnection. It seemed they were all living a life she could no longer reach. She hadn't even told her friends about the application. The fear of failure had been too great.

She closed her eyes, the bright sunlight no longer comforting. She felt a familiar knot forming in her stomach. How would she explain this to her family? She bit her lip, holding back the tears.