"You and your cheesy jokes," Cindy said, looping her arm through Abby's as they walked down the hallway together.
She smiled. "Anyway, Max seems more relaxed around us these days. Maybe things will go back to normal between you two."
"Yeah," Abby replied, her smile bright but thoughtful. "It still doesn't feel the same. Like… Max has changed. But he still feels warm. I realized maybe we don't need to go back to how things used to be. Maybe a new kind of relationship between us would be even better."
Just as her words settled, a hand shot out and slapped Abby's lunchbox from her hands.
It hit the floor with a metallic clang, the lid cracking open and scattering its contents.
Students down the hall stopped mid-conversation and turned their heads at the noise.
