Experiment Zero

Epilogue/ Different Character P.O.V.

One step. Then another. Keep going.

I felt  a hand wrap around my wrist and I jolt, immediately knowing that it's her. I tug my hand back, more forcefully then I intended, and I hear her inhale quickly.

"Max...wait." She says and I pause, my back still turned to her.

 I couldn't force myself to look at her, because then my resolve would break and I would be back to being annoying Max who panted at her feet like a puppy.

"I'm....I'm....." She begins to say, pausing for long silences in between. 

"Are you trying to hurt me more?" I whisper, so softly that I'm surprised she hears, but she does and exhales slowly in response. "You can't tell me something like what you did yesterday and expect me to-"

"SORRY!" She suddenly exclaims, shocking me so much with her abruptness that I turn around and face her. 

She's slightly paler than yesterday, and a drop of sweat runs down the side of her face. Her brown eyes are wide and determined, her breaths coming in pants as if what she just said took a lot of effort. Seeing my gaze finally upon her, she starts to turn red, looking off to the side.

"I'm sorry for what I said yesterday." She continues softly, grabbing her upper arm with one hand and shifting on her feet. "I didn't mean to, and it's no excuse, but I was feeling overwhelmed and-"

She breaks off when I take a few steady and thunderous steps towards her, my gaze set in stone on her face. 

"What are you doing?" She asks, taking a few steps back, but I continue forward until I'm less than a foot away, looking down at her small, but fierce frame.

"Did you just apologize?" I breathe of carefully, holding my breath and waiting for her reply.

"Yes?" She says, looking confused.

I can't keep my straight face for a second longer and break out laughing, all the pain and hurt I felt instantly washing away from her words. 

Becky never apologizes. I mean never. The fact that she was apologizing to me fills me with an odd tingling feeling that I feel whenever I'm in her presence. It's the same reason I'm always following her around like a lost puppy. It's honestly addictive.

"Max....um...are you okay?" She asks, seeming confused and a little more than worried.

"I've never been better." I smile, wanting so badly to grab her in my arms and swing her around but knwoing she would punch me.

"Does this mean you've forgiven me?" She asks hesitantly, eyeing me carefully like it's a trap and I will turn on her any second.

"Yes." I chuckle, shaking my head. "I'll always forgive you." I continue softly, and is it just my imagination or does her gaze soften as well?

Deciding that I feel lucky and I might as well try, I hold out my hand, and she stares down at it for a second, her brows scrunched up, before slowly extending her hand.

My heart beats rapidly in my chest as her hand rests in mine. 

Holding my breath, I try to stop myself from internally freaking out like a girl, but it's near impossible because she's holding my hand.

Suddenly she squeezes my hand and shakes it firmly, before releasing it and walking past me down the hallway.

Dumbfounded, I stare after her, my hand still suspended in the air, before scrambling after her.

"Hey! Where are you going?" I breathe, catching up to her and keeping pace by her side. 

"I don't know about you," She smirks, "But I'm in the mood for bananas."