Gemotions

"Are you sure?" Anya repeated, her voice a thin thread against the buzzing of the phone receiver. The admissions officer on the other end patiently explained again. A donor, specific requirements, a different last name. Anya's name. But not her scholarship.

She chewed on her thumbnail, a habit she thought she'd broken years ago. Her dorm room felt cramped, the posters on her wall suddenly mocking her. She had envisioned graduation, a new apartment, a life finally free from the financial burdens that had always weighed her down.

Now, all those images seemed to shatter, leaving behind a cold emptiness. She needed to tell Liam. He was probably at the library, studying. His reassuring presence would help, she hoped. It was just a feeling of something being terribly amiss.