Never the same - Manifest

Chapter 4: mixed feelings

Olive
Olive was in her room sitting on the carpet when she heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," Olive said, sitting on her bed.

"Hey," Mick said after she opened her door, and sat on her bed. "What's going on?"

"I just can't believe it."

"I know me too." Mick put her hand on her shoulder. "Let's try not to worry about it too much, alright."

"I guess."

Mick took her hand off her shoulder. "Well, I have to go, but I'll see you soon." She said, standing up.

"Okay."
---
A couple of days later.
Saanvi
Saanvi was in her lab, but she wasn't expecting a visitor when she heard a knock.

"Hello- Ben!" She said after she opened the door. "what are you doing?"

"Paying you a visit."

"No Cal?"

"Nope. Whatcha working on?"

"Uh, you know... science stuff." She said putting her hair behind her ear.

"That's uh great!"

"Yeah..." Saanvi nodded her head.

There was an awkward moment of silence. Saanvi didn't know what to say and the tension in the room was obvious. She felt uncomfortable and didn't know how to break the silence.

"How was your weekend?"

"Saanvi, you don't have to be awkward with me. We've been friends for awhile."

"Uh, yeah friends," Saanvi said scratching her hair slightly.

Ben notices a slight shift in Saanvi. Her body language changes and she shifts her weight from one side to the other, and her eyes move away from Ben's.

"You okay?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" Saanvi said, still looking at the ground.

"Saanvi, you're not even looking at me."

"Oh," she laughs slightly. "Right." She looks up at Ben.

"Why are you acting weird?"

"I'm not!"

"Okay.. my bad."

"Ben this is like really awkward for some reason, and I don't know why you even came to see me, I don't really understand the point, so I think you should go." She said all in one breath.

"Saanvi," He said. "who upset you?"

Saanvi felt like Ben really knew her deeply, but she didn't want to admit it.

"A- It's nothing! I actually have to get back to my work so... if you don't mind."

"Okay," Ben said. "I'll leave you to it."

Saanvi nodded her head, and Ben left her lab. As soon as the door shut she instantly felt regret towards the way she acted towards Ben.

Ben
"Hey," Ben said, shutting the door behind him.

"Hey uh, where were you?" Grace asked.

"Hospi- ahh umm... I was taking a nice long drive."

"Mhm. Okay. Sure."

"What you don't believe me?"

"No, I do." Grace lied.

"Really, because I get the vibe that you don-"