𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐑| Max Mayfield [COMPLETED UNTIL SEASON FIVE]

xxv. the sour prankster come back

Cassidy couldn't help but notice Max stealing glances at her. Turning to meet Max's gaze, Cassidy caught her looking, but Max quickly averted her eyes, her face turning an even deeper shade of red. Max internally grappled with conflicting thoughts, reminding herself of the expectations and norms she was taught.

As they waited, Max found Cassidy lingering in her thoughts, an unexpected distraction. The principal's emergence disrupted her contemplation. "Miss Mayfield, Miss Sinclair. Follow me," he directed, prompting the two girls to follow him to his office.

Cassidy walked past Max, and their hands brushed in the brief exchange. The touch was fleeting, yet it left Max with a mix of warmth and confusion. As they followed the principal, Max couldn't shake the sense of intrigue and uncertainty that Cassidy had ignited within her.

Cassidy, feeling a mix of nervousness and determination, cleared her throat, stood up straight, and directed a sad but sincere smile towards the Mayfield girl. Max, sensing Cassidy's approach, lowered her head, creating a barrier between them, and wore a visible frown, reluctant to make eye contact.

"How are you doing, Maxine?" Cassidy's voice carried a gentle concern, deliberately using Max's full name. A subtle smile played on Max's lips, her attempt to resist breaking into a more genuine expression as she continued to avoid looking directly at Cassidy.

"Max?" Cassidy repeated, a gentle prodding in her tone. She noticed Max's effort to maintain distance. "What do you want?" Max's response carried an unexpected undercurrent of anger as she finally looked up, catching Cassidy off guard. Her eyebrows rose in surprise, the intensity of Max's gaze leaving an unexpected impression on Cassidy.

"What—? Max, you haven't talked to me since Christmas. I'm worried. I was trying to give you space, but it's gotten to the point where this is bad," Cassidy's voice carried a mix of confusion and genuine concern. Max, however, responded with a dismissive eye roll.

"I don't need your pity comfort," Max spat out, her words laced with a hint of bitterness. Cassidy, caught off guard by the sharpness of Max's retort, felt a twinge of hurt, her concern met with unexpected resistance.

Mike observed, realizing that the situation wasn't unfolding as he hoped. He had anticipated a resolution, perhaps an apology, but things took a different turn. Cassidy's eyes shifted, turning cold and orange, her fists clenched in anger by her side. The Sinclair girl's body seemed to pulse with frustration as she laughed sarcastically.

"My pity comfort?! Max, I'm your fucking girlfriend," Cassidy asserted, her words cutting through the tension, revealing the deeper emotions at play.

Max's eye roll and folded arms conveyed a mix of exasperation and detachment. "I thought me not speaking to you for two months would tell you that we're over," she snapped, the weight of her words hanging heavily in the air.

Despite her outward bravado, guilt crept into Max's expression, betraying the emotional turmoil within. Cassidy huffed, frustration and hurt escalating into something more volatile.

Max, perceptive to Cassidy's struggle, observed the battle between her girlfriend's anger and the attempt to control it through this unique ability. "Fine! Fuck you, Maxine Mayfield!" Cassidy's words, laced with hurt and frustration, reverberated through the tense air. A heavy wave of guilt washed over Cassidy as she uttered them.

In response, tears welled up in Max's eyes, a mixture of pain and regret. The emotional turmoil between them reached its peak. Cassidy, unable to bear the weight, turned around in anger and stormed off, leaving Max behind. Mike's calls fell on deaf ears as Cassidy headed outside, seeking refuge in the woods. There, surrounded by nature, she could release the pent-up steam of her emotions in a private struggle against the turmoil within.