Gemotions

The air in the music hall felt thick with anticipation, and for Leo, each note of the string quartet felt like a nail in his coffin. The financial aid office had called him in that morning to break the news. The scholarship he had fought so hard for, gone.

His stomach clenched. He could barely focus on the music. The dream of studying abroad, of immersing himself in new cultures and musical traditions, was now nothing more than a distant echo. He felt the sting of tears in his eyes. The weight of his bow in his hand felt heavy, burdensome. He laid it down and ran his hand through his hair. He felt trapped.