Gemotions

The campus cafeteria buzzed with lunchtime chatter, but for David, it was just background noise. The news had hit him like a physical blow. The scholarship, the lifeline that had kept him afloat, the one thing that had allowed him to dream – now, snatched away. He picked at his sandwich, the food suddenly tasteless.

He felt a tightness in his chest, making it hard to take a full breath. The future, once so promising, now seemed murky and uncertain. He saw other students laughing, engrossed in their conversations, oblivious to the turmoil inside him. He felt isolated, alone in his predicament. He pushed away his plate, the feeling of emptiness spreading through him.