Sending Xs and Os!

CHAPTER 17- They're Friendly, and Thoughtful, and Quite Awfully Pretty

I woke up to see Fan crying while Knife tried to comfort him. I jolted up and faced him.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
He wordlessly pointed to the darkening silhouettes that were Test Tube and Paintbrush. I rolled my eyes.
"What'd they do this time?" I whispered. He muttered, "They made up and apologized. I don't know if I- er, if we should forgive them."
"Fan, you don't have to say it as if it were an "us" decision. I get it. You're your person," I said, shrugging. "I think they need more time to figure out what they did. Just because they apologized doesn't mean they meant it."
He sat there, silent for only a moment. "I guess so..."
"I agree with Lightbulb," Knife chipped in. "From what you've told me, they were kinda acting... like a jerk."
Fan sighed and stared at the ground for a minute. All he could say was a hoarse "Yeah."
Knife and I exchanged glances. He hugged Fan again before taking him in his arms and jumping down.
"Well, why don't we uh... take a romantic moonlit walk? You've always wanted to go on one of those. Now's our chance."
Fan laughed and nudged him. "Come on, I know you hate romantic stuff. You don't have to do this for me."
"I want to." Knife smiled and put Fan down, instead taking his hand. "Please?"
Fan sighed dramatically and returned his handhold. "I guess I will... not like I can say no to you," he added jokingly.
They walked in the opposite direction Test Tube and Paintbrush had, and I watched their dark outlines fade to be part of the trees that surrounded the area.
And I was alone again.
What used to be an empty pit of loneliness that I'd sat through was now a welcome pit of relaxation. It felt good to cry it out on my best friend's shoulder.
It would have been better if we'd given it more time. "Did we do this too fast?" I wondered aloud, angling my head to the stars. "Did I fall too fast?"
"No."
I jolted and looked around. Paintbrush was standing in front of me. I stared at them, my eyes filling with tears. I blinked and looked away. I couldn't bear to glance at them.
"I know I was wrong," Paintbrush started. "But-"
"But what?" I interrupted, my voice shaking. "You hurt Fan, and you hurt Test Tube, and... you hurt me too."
"I'm sorry," they said softly, taking a step closer to me. "I really am. I didn't realize how much my words would hurt you both."
I shook my head. "It's not just about the words, Paintbrush. It's about the actions too. You need to prove that you're sorry, not just say it."
"I know, and I will," they promised. "But I also wanted to apologize to you, personally. I know I messed up our relationship too, and I want to make it right."
I looked up at them, surprised. "You do?"
Paintbrush nodded. "I do. You've always been there for me, and I didn't appreciate it enough. I'm sorry for taking you for granted."
I stared at them warily, then sighed and softly smiled. "I forgive people way too easily."
They smiled back and hopped up onto the stage. "Test Tube is sorry too."
"It's okay," I said, although I knew it wasn't.
We sat in comfortable silence for a moment. I scooted closer to them until I could put my head on their shoulder and hold their hand. They allowed me to do so.
"I do love you, you know," they whispered. I nodded and tears came to my eyes. I wasn't sure why. Maybe it was the overwhelming emotions that had built up over the past few days. Maybe it was the relief that came with finally being able to forgive someone. Or maybe it was just the realization that love, in all its forms, was a powerful force that could bring people together and heal even the deepest wounds.
"I love you too," I whispered back, my voice barely above a whisper.
We sat there for a while longer, watching the stars twinkle above us. The silence was comforting, and for the first time in a while, I felt at peace. It was as if all the weight I'd been carrying on my shoulders had lifted, and I was free to breathe again.
Eventually, we got up and headed back to the cabins, arm in arm. The air was crisp and cool, and I couldn't help but feel grateful for the simple moments of happiness in life. As we approached our cabin, I saw Knife and Fan sitting outside, talking and laughing. They looked up and smiled as we approached, and I felt my heart swell with warmth.
Maybe everything wasn't perfect, but it was a start. We were all still learning, still growing, and still figuring out how to be there for each other. But for now, that was enough.
As we headed inside, I felt a creeping suspicion someone was already in there. Test Tube, maybe?
I shook off my uncomfortable feelings and headed inside after Paintbrush. Who I saw sitting on my bed wasn't who I was expecting.
Paintbrush was the first to speak. "What're you doing in our cabin?"
Silence.
I eventually spoke, my voice barely above a soft whisper, shaking with the uneasy dread that had returned when I saw them.
"MePhone? MePad?"

look at whos back! now that im done with my other series im gonna be uploading more of these more frequently. you're welcome!