Gemotions

The lecture hall seemed to shrink, the voices of other students fading into a dull hum. Mark sat rigid in his seat, the professor’s words about academic honesty echoing in his ears. He knew, with a certainty that chilled him to the core, what was coming. The identical wording. The suspicious similarities.

He gripped the edge of the desk, his knuckles white. The air felt thin, difficult to draw into his lungs. He felt a lightheadedness. He could almost feel the judging eyes of the department. He had worked so hard for this, for his future.

He wanted to bolt, to disappear. Instead, he forced himself to meet the professor’s gaze, a small part of him, an ember of determination, still burning.