It’s from the Hulston, Powers, and Dwyer, the law firm I interviewed with this summer for that insanely competitive internship.
My heart races. This is it. I’m finally going to find out if I got it or not.
My hands turn clammy as my nerves go haywire. I force myself to take a slow, deep breath. Then another, then another. I close my eyes for a few seconds, leaning my head back against the couch in my living room, grateful that I’m seeing this email when I’m at home and not at the Writing Center, in front of a bunch of people.
I take another breath and click on the email.
Anticipation sparks in my belly. I think about how my parents will react if I tell them that I got this scholarship. My mom will probably cry. My dad will give me one of his rare smiles.
I bite back a smile, buzzing with excitement. They’ll besoproud of me.
When I scan the letter, my smile drops instantly.
Dear Ms. Wylder,
Thank you for interviewing for our internship. We were very impressed by your 4.0 GPA, your involvement in extracurricular activities, and your test scores. You were also stellar in your interview.
However, we decided to go with a different candidate whose experience and interests better align with the objectives of our internship program.
We wish you the best of luck with your future endeavors.
I blink at the words on the screen. It feels like I’ve been sucker punched.
I didn’t get the internship.
I knew this was a possibility. But that doesn’t make the sting of rejection hurt any less.
My shoulders sink with the weak breath I let out. A minute later, my phone rings. When I see it’s Anna, I answer right away.
“Hey,” I say, not bothering to hide the sadness in my voice.
“Whoa. What’s wrong?” she asks.
“I just heard back from the law firm. I didn’t get the internship.”
“Crap. I’m sorry, Poppy.”
“I really thought I had a shot at it,” I say weakly as the embarrassment of rejection kicks in. “I shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up. That was so stupid.”
“Hey. Don’t say that,” Anna says. “Of course you had a shot at it. You’re brilliant, Poppy. Your grades and accomplishments are more impressive than any student at Hollis.”
Despite my best friend’s sweet words, I can’t help but feel like a failure.
I let out a heavy breath. “This really sucks.” I tuck my feet under my legs. “How’d the study group go?” I ask, eager to change the subject.
“My brain feels numb. I need ice cream. That’s why I was calling you, to see if you wanted to grab some with me.”
“I don’t know if I’m in the mood to leave my apartment. Sorry.”
“It’s okay. I’ll bring over a few pints to your place. Then we can go leave nasty Google reviews for that law firm that turned you down.”
I start to smile. “We’re absolutely not doing that.”
“Just one bad Google review.”
I let out a weak chuckle. “I’ll think about it. Will you get me a pint of chocolate chip cookie dough?”
“You got it. Be at your place in twenty minutes.”
