Gemotions

The rejection email arrived like a slap, but Maya didn't flinch. She reread the terse sentence, a pit forming in her stomach, but her jaw remained locked. The campus cafe buzzed around her, students laughing and chattering, oblivious to the storm brewing inside her. She took a deep breath, the stale air doing little to soothe the tightness in her chest. Picking up her worn backpack, she walked towards the library. Hours of work stretched before her. Every project, every assignment, every late night study session had been for this. Now, she'd find a way to make it work. She would not be deterred.