Got it figured out the hard way

Don't know if we can come back from this

The studio was quieter than usual.

Only a few dancers had arrived early, music echoing faintly through separate rooms.

In Studio A Olive stood alone stretching slowly beside the mirrors.

Her movements looked controlled.

Precise.

But tired underneath.

She'd barely slept again.

And lately—

dance felt like the only thing keeping her thoughts organised.

The studio door opened softly behind her.

Ariana stepped inside carefully.

Olive's shoulders immediately tensed.

⸻

Talking Head – Ariana

"I know I hurt Olive," Ariana admitted quietly.

"A pause.

"...and now every conversation feels like I'm trying not to lose her completely."

⸻

Ariana approached slowly.

"Hey."

Olive kept adjusting her ankle warmers instead of looking up.

"Hey."

The distance between them felt strange now.

Not angry exactly.

Just fragile.

Ariana swallowed nervously.

"Can we talk?"

Olive finally looked at her briefly.

"I thought we already did."

Ariana's face fell slightly.

Because technically they had.

But nothing felt fixed.

⸻

Ariana stepped closer carefully.

"I know I've been weird lately."

Olive laughed weakly.

"That's one way of putting it."

Ariana looked down.

"I was struggling with stuff in my own head and I handled it badly."

Olive's expression softened for half a second—

then closed off again.

"I can't do this right now."

That immediately worried Ariana.

"What do you mean?"

Olive exhaled shakily.

"I mean I need space."

The sentence landed heavily between them.

⸻

Talking Head – Olive

"When everything else in your life starts feeling overwhelming," Olive admitted softly,

"A pause.

"...sometimes even people you love start feeling emotionally heavy too."

⸻

Ariana's eyes filled instantly.

"Space because you're mad at me?"