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Max Caulfield was running out of time. It was something she couldn’t believe she was thinking, but it was true. Out of all the things she could fix with her ability to turn back time, there was a small list of problems she couldn’t avoid. And here, in the now, it was the time she could spend on that dorm room rooftop, with Victoria at her side. She was the heat against her body, the feeling of skin through the fabric of her grey hoodie. She was the person she wanted by her side forever, even if she only came in the form of late nights.
Victoria shifted again, rubbing her shoulder against Max’s as she leaned in closer. She mumbled out a question.
“Are you gonna be here? Tomorrow?”
Max turned her head, flashed her a light smile. “You already missing me? I’m still here, you know?”
“Shut up.” Victoria groaned, turning her head away and out to the horizon. To the starry sky out there, reflected over the sea. She let out a sigh, running two hands up her face like rubbing some feeling out of her mind. “Sorry. I’m moody. Didn’t mean it like that.”
“It’s fine.” Max chuckled. “Something happen?”
“Mom called.” The answer was curt. Victoria was frustrated at the very idea of reliving that memory, but somehow Max always managed to get her to talk about whatever she didn’t.
“You wanna tell ‘bout it?”
“No.” Victoria mumbled. “She got a copy of my grades, somehow.”
“I thought your grades were fine.”
“Fine isn’t enough for her. For how much she’s paying in tuition and… other fees, apparently.” Her frustration came more evident with each word. She pressed a hand back against her face, pinched the bridge of her nose, and shut her eyes in thought.
“That sucks.”
“It more than sucks.” Victoria said. “Can we not talk about it, maybe? I just… I don’t wanna think about it.”
“Agreed. Your mom sucks.”
“She does.” Victoria mumbled, reaching for Max’s hand so nonchalantly, Max almost thought it’d been an accident. But as her fingers aimed to worm their way between Max’s own, she realized it hadn’t been, and she reciprocated the embrace, hands interlacing. Another conduit between them. But nights like this never lasted, not with Victoria. Something always came between. This time, it was Victoria’s phone.
Ring! Ring! Ring!
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Victoria’s hand slipped from Max’s grasp, and she felt the emptiness immediately. Missed it. Lingered on it long enough that by the time she’d adapted, Victoria’d begun to answer the phone.
“Hello? Mom? Is something wrong?” Victoria pushed herself up with a groan, Max watching her pace ahead of her as she continued speaking. “Jesus, I know, I- I didn’t mean it like that! I’m not screaming at you, mom!”
Max was taken aback at how quickly the argument escalated, how quickly Victoria’s voice rose in volume. How her footsteps turned to frustrated stomps, how she balled her hand into a fist, pressing it against her thigh as she continued to pace. The argument quickly came to a boiling point, and Victoria hung up, gripping her phone like she was ready to throw it off the rooftop.
Max rose too, now, slowly approaching Victoria as she continued speaking again.
“Tori? You… you okay?” Max reached out, a hand tentatively inching toward her shoulder. Victoria winced under her touch on instinct, but quickly relaxed and let Max rest her hand on her shoulder. She let out a sigh.
“Yes. I’m… I’m fine. I’m super. I’m great. I’m-” Victoria cut herself off, pinched her eyes shut. She let out a groan, balled her fist up again. After a few seconds, she pulled her eyelids back open and suddenly began walking in the direction of the exit. Max’s hand slipped from her shoulder, and she watched her walk, only able to mutter her name weakly.
“Victoria!”
“I’m sorry, I gotta- I have to go. My mom, she, I-” The door slammed shut behind her, and Max was standing there with her arm left hanging, palm already pointed forward. Ready to rewind. But what would that accomplish? The last thing she wanted was to relive what just happened. No, she’d been running out of time. And she couldn’t get the sand back in that hourglass.