The acceptance letter felt like lead in Elias’s hand. He crumpled it, then smoothed it out, repeating the action until the paper frayed at the edges. His stomach was a clenched fist. He reread the email: "…due to a clerical error…" Clerical error. That’s what it came down to. A mistake. He’d spent the last year breathing a sigh of relief, knowing the scholarship covered everything. Now, the fear clawed at his throat, making it hard to swallow. He was supposed to be set. Now, he was facing expulsion, not just from the university, but from the life he’d painstakingly built.
He threw his phone across the room, it bounced harmlessly against the wall. He paced his tiny dorm room, the bare floorboards creaking under his frantic steps. The fluorescent lights overhead seemed to pulse, reflecting the frantic beat of his heart. He felt a constant pressure building behind his eyes, a headache that wouldn't cease.
The door to his room opened, and his roommate stood there. "Hey, you okay? Heard you yelling."
Elias couldn’t meet his gaze. “Yeah,” he mumbled, his voice a gravelly whisper. “Just… studying.” He turned away, the weight of the lie settling heavy in his chest.