The morning air felt electric against Elara's skin. She practically skipped to the university’s administrative office, her backpack bouncing against her spine. Today was the day! Scholarship results were posted, and she knew, she just knew, her hard work had paid off. A grin stretched across her face, almost splitting it in two. The anticipation hummed within her chest, a feeling akin to bubbles ready to burst.
Inside, the fluorescent lights seemed to dim, but Elara barely noticed. Her focus was laser-sharp on the list taped to the wall. Her name was there, right at the top! A triumphant whoop nearly escaped her lips. A hand reached out, shaking hers. It was Ms. Davies, the head of the scholarship committee. “Congratulations, Elara! But there's been a mix-up.”
Her smile faltered, but the energy coursing through her didn’t diminish, it shifted. Elara's heart hammered a wild rhythm against her ribs. Ms. Davies explained, her voice softening as she spoke, the scholarship was not hers, but another student's. The mix up was because of the similarity in the student ID numbers. Elara looked up at the head of the committee, then back at the list. A strange feeling settled in her gut; a curious sort of unease, something she had never felt before, not even when she got her braces, or when she was told her dog had to be put down. “So… what happens now?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.