Chapter Eight

“What’s wrong?” Varian asked as he approached Madeline, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Why would you assume that somethings wrong?” she shot back.

“I don’t know… it just seems like it,” he admitted.

She tinkered with some metals. “I’m fine, probably.”

“It’s that probably that I’m a bit worried about.”

She sighed, placing the tools on the table with a clunk. “I’m fine, really. I’m just tired. I stayed up all night trying to put this on the right chain.” She held up a shining black sphere. “I found it in the yard.”

“It’ll look great on you,” he assured her, “no matter the chain.”

“Oh, no,” she said, “it’s not for me,” she said. “It’s… well, it's for you, but I can’t find a chain I think you’ll like, and-” She suddenly burst out sobbing, throwing herself on her modest work table.

He kneeled down next to her. “Maddie, will you tell me what’s wrong? Honestly.”

“I don’t know,” she sobbed, “I want to impress you, but I don’t know why, and-”

He pulled her to her feet. “I know what you mean. It’s the same way with my father, and with Cass.”

She wiped her eyes. “No, it’s not,” she said. “They… well, you aren’t in love with them!”

He grew quiet. “Maddie, I- I didn’t know that’s how you felt.” He sat down, scratching his wrist awkwardly. He let out a laugh. “God, I’m so stupid!”

Madeline giggled in spite of herself. “Not that stupid. You did create a new element, after all.”

He laughed, and then they both started laughing, having no idea why, other than the fact that they were so close that any emotion they had was shared by them both, maybe even closer than friends.