𝙬𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙜 | ben plunkett

004

Listening to NPR is not how kayla would wish to start her morning, but since she didn't really have any control over what played on aux due to mandy being picked up first whenever the girls got a ride from ben to school she really couldn't complain.

"when you sleep better, you live better. which is why sleeping on the wrong mattress is more than just a pain in the neck. take our sleep-better quiz to find out which mattress will —"

"turn that off." mandy said completely interrupting her morning podcast, scaring kayla in the process.

"you always say it's important to support the businesses that support npr." ben said looking over at the girl confused.

"i know. it's harvard. it's updated." mandy said looking at her two best friends, slightly shaking.

"what does it say?" kayla and ben questioned at the same time, the girl poking her head through the middle slot between ben and mandy.

mandy had looked over at the two once again before opening her phone and refreshed the harvard admissions page. suddenly she had dropped her phone and began to curl up into a ball in the passenger seat. kayla instantly gasped and covered her face in shock, saddened for her friend.

"i'm so sorry babes." kayla said once she got over the initial shock of mandy's supposed rejection.

"just leave me here." the asian girl whispered, as soft sobs came from her. "i'll uh, i'll see you in seven hours."

"mandy-" "don't. it's over." ben had started but had been cut off by the crying girl.

"harvard, dr. downs, saving the world, my life. It's all over."

"stop, you were waitlisted. okay?" the boy had continued passing the phone over to kayla.

"wait, what. mandy come on sit up. you haven't been rejected." kayla said trying to pull the girl up from her fetal position.

"it's the same thing. harvard was supposed to be the place. my place. and they don't want me either."

"what am i looking at? who is this sad, little person?" the brunette boy shouted, once again scaring kayla in the process.

"this is not the mandy I know. the mandy I know would get up, march into school in her "future is female" t-shirt, and she would figure out a way to get into harvard! be that mandy." after finishing his speech mandy had reached over, patting the boy on the cheek giving him a small thank you, before rushing out of the car. no doubt on her way to mrs. chen's office to talk to the woman.

ben had reached into the backseat next to kayla no doubt ready to follow the asian girl's path of leaving the car and getting ready to head into the school as well. he had been outside of the car ready to walk past, door already locked when he realized. kayla hadn't gotten out of the car. he turned to face the car and sure enough, the brown skinned girl had been sitting in the backseat. her face straight, staring out of the windshield in-front of her. the boy quickly unlocked the car opening the back door.