"I'm sorry, okay. I admit it was wrong of me to read your diary without your permission."
"You don't need my permission because you aren't allowed to read my diary in the first place! Get that through your thick head!"
Max frowned when the pace to her lettuce chopping became relentless, probably venting her anger on the poor green vegetables.
"So, I-assume you're making dinner for yourself?" he asked carefully, because she looked pretty angry.
"I'm not that petty as to deny you dinner Max. Why would I? Just because you messed up my relationship with a boy who has powers like me and probably understood me best?"
"Uh... yes?"
Phoebe glanced sideways, piercing him with a dark glare, before she winced, dropping the knife to the floor with a re-soundable clank!
"That looks painful, want me to take a look at it?" It did look painful, judging by the rush of red blood and the pained expression she sported, Max was certain she cut herself pretty deeply.
"I don't want your help, you'll probably just make it worse." she refused, pursing her lips in pain at the throbs in the now visible diagonal cut across her finger.
"How about I order pizza instead?"
"Ramen noodles and sushi."
"On it."
xXx
"I can't believe you ate the last piece of sushi."
"Not my fault you have sloths for fingers." He concentrated on adjusting the chopsticks in his hand, swiftly avoiding her glare in the process. "Don't give me that look, you know its true."
Phoebe sighed, feeling miserable, knowing she still hadn't heard a word from Link and the wait was eating at her. Their relationship for all she knew was over, at least that's what she thought. She still remembers his betrayed expression, his stern, firm voice when he voiced his displeasure and distrust.
He wordlessly left her stranded in the middle of Splatburger, shocked and mostly heartbroken.
Besides Cherry, Link is the only one friend she has who had knowledge of her powers and her superhero identity, something she wasn't allowed to disclose to anyone else, only difference being that Link was the one she found closure in, and most importantly - love. So the thought of losing him forever shook her.
Another sigh escaped her lips, turning to face the cause that got her tangled in her current predicament. Max, her twin, one individual who greatly troubled her, from her love to her social life. Max intervened, making it his lifelong ambition to bring her great misfortune.
She shook her head. Although he was invasive, immature and annoying, she couldn't find it in herself to stay mad at him, even if she tried, she just couldn't, probably because he was her other half.
"That was a fill."
At his voice, she blinked and acknowledged the 2 chopsticks in the empty bowl before her. Her eyes closed in silent frustration in effort of keeping her emotions in check.
"You finished the noodles."
"I thought you lost your appetite so I took initiative. I couldn't let all that food go to waste now could I."
"Max, you're selfish and inconsiderate of others."
He stood up, levitating a napkin into his awaiting hand to wipe away at his lips, beckoning her stand up.
"All the more reason to eat out."
"What?"
"Allow me to take you out, as a gesture of apology for screwing your relationship with Link." he said with palatable seriousness.
Phoebe sighed. She had no intentions of going out, no intentions of showing her face outside home either, no matter how hungry she was.
"Look, Max, I know you're sorry and-"
"I'm not taking no for an answer. I'll get you out of this house even if it gets to the point of you kicking and screaming in my arms, or simply an icicle."
He wasn't joking, for once the humor in his carefree demeanor was as absent as he stared with such a godly intensity.
"Alright, fine." she relented, accepting his outstretched hand as she rose to full height, levitating her nearby purse into her hands, turning to follow him. "Where exactly?"
He smirked.
"Splatburger."
xXx
"I still don't think this is a good idea Max."
"Well, there's nothing you can do about it because we're already here." He took a seat, frowning when he felt her sit next to him. "You do realise there's an empty seat right across me, right?"
Phoebe glanced around, nervous as her eyes danced across the vicinity. "I know,"
"You'll eventually have to face him Phoebe, whether you like it or not."
"But not today!"
"Well, fate has other plans because here he comes." Max said, flicking his head to the entrance.
Phoebe immediately clung to him, stuffing her panicked face into his arm in efforts to remain unseen.
"I-Is he gone?"
The response was light tremors resonating from his chest, prompting her to release him, eyes dancing around in search of her probable blonde ex.
"Heh, you should've seen your face."
"Jerk!"
"Come on, what do you wanna eat?"
"Fries, and lettuce." she answered hastily, still remaining by his side, hands clutching his arm, watching him fiddle with the table tablet, tapping in her order.
xXx
Dinner wasn't savoury since she had to keep an eye out for Link. She wasn't prepared to meet with him, the prominent fear of being dumped agonisingly chewing at her heart.
But as the night dragged on, she unconsciously managed to forget about Link and all her worries courtesy of her twin who littered her with actual humorous one liners and his recent pranking endeavors which left her a snickering mess and in a surprisingly good mood.
Figuratively pertinent, Phoebe horizontally aligned her legs along the blue couch. "You know, today is probably by far the best day I've enjoyed spending time with you." she mused, more to herself, but enough for him to hear. "We didn't argue or fight, we simply sat like normal siblings and enjoyed a tranquil evening."
Max nodded, eyes trailing the black monitor borders out of sheer boredom, not finding the content on display of any interest.
"Max, how do you live single?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"What I mean is, don't you want to be in a relationship?"
"Actually, I don't."
"Why not?"
"I'll have to worry about the way I smell, the way I dress, the manner in which I hold myself, including my behaviour among others, arriving at school on time, treating our principal with respect, who by the way lives inside said school." he listed in monotone, "I'm not going to make my life miserable just because of some girl, nor do I plan to. Besides, girls are annoying, and worry about fickle things such as their nails and their hair."
"Yet you know so much about them."
"Well duh, I live with you don't I? You're literally the manual on 'reasons why not to get into a relationship'."
"Max... I just don't get you sometimes."
He grumbled, brandishing his phone out of his pocket, scrolling down in search of a specific name.
"What are you doing?"
"Texting Link so we can up meet tomorrow."
She suddenly sat up.
"What?! Why?!"
"Yeah, you and I are going to meet Link so I can explain that this was all a misunderstanding and it was my fault, not yours. You guys will make up and go on dates like you used to before, as if none of this ever happened."
"But-but... you can't just do that!"
"You do want the guy back don't you?" he asked with a risen eyebrow.
She faltered, not meeting his eyes. "Well, yeah... but I don't think I'm ready to face him yet."
"You will be when you face him. Besides, I'll be there to make sure you don't say anything stupid,"
"You're actually willing to help me?"
"Yeah, it is kinda my fault the two of you aren't on speaking terms." he noted, glancing to the side. "You don't deserve this, he doesn't either. That's why I have to make things right, so let me."
Phoebe felt purpose at his words, and something else, something else that caused a perfect diagonal blush to appear across her cheeks as her hand moved to grab his, slowly threading her fingers through his, offering a light squeeze.
"Thanks." she said earnestly.
"Don't mention it."