Perfect with You

Chapter 8 - Day One

As they walked inside, both quiet, both nervous to the core of their bones, Max was holding the package carefully with the tip of her fingers after a brief mentioning of the possibility of it being a bomb or something to that extent. However, the package was light compared to the size, so the chances of it containing explosives seemed very low. Luckily, Alfred was not sitting in the living room, so they avoided having to either lie or to tell a long and crazy story. When Max took the first step up the stairs, she watched Chloe's anxious face from the corner of her eye. She was looking down, sucking in her lips while keeping her arms close to her body. She wasn't sure what to expect, but Max knew Ethan's willingness for the unknown goal of his. At the final two steps, Max pressed her thumbs onto the sides of the package, regretting that she was now forced to tell Chloe everything when they were both in an anxious state. She was mentally imagining the change of words that was about to come, trying to avoid the scenario of Chloe having another attack. All too soon, they were surrounded by the four walls that made up Chloe's cramped room, her mind had gone blank as she carefully placed the package on the floor next to the table with Chloe's laptop and Max's notebook, before she looked back at the girl with crossed arms, waiting for anything or nothing to happen.

"Should we open it?" Max asked, fishing for a clear feeling of Chloe's current state. Unsure what to do, she was prepared to listen to any suggestion.

For a second, Chloe looked at Max with blue eyes of the past. It was an important cryptic message she showed off with a look of a hopeful beggar as if she was looking at the only thing that mattered in the world.

"I don't know. I want to just throw it out, but you're the only one who might have an idea of what it is. What kind of person Ethan is," Chloe unbuttoned her silk jacket and dragged it off her shoulders.
"And I trust you more than anyone" Her mature tone of voice caught Max off guard, making her recall the recent events, getting a fleeting feeling of luck, realizing that the blue-haired girl before her– with her feminine textures, yet rough layers- had romantic feelings towards someone like Max. An urge to psychically fight to keep everything in order presented itself, but with the options laid out, it was hard to decide what choice would keep it that way.

"Let's see what it's inside," she let out hastily after a conspicuous amount of silence. For all it's worth, Max needed to lay aside her currently tenuous emotions and think rationally.

"Need scissors?" Chloe asked before taking a long breath, showing her struggle to keep calm.

Turning her attention back at the box, Max bend down and placed the nail on her index finger under the edge of the black tape to see if she could simply tear it off before answering. It somehow brought an uncomfortable chill throughout her when the tape began peeling off when she started pulling. The question was answered when to the two layers of taped had been pulled off, leaving the old box ready to be opened.
Max hesitated, wanting to look back at Chloe for confirmation, but her curiosity led her to immediately remove the cardboard on top, revealing the content lying at the bottom.

"There's a piece of paper with words on it," Max stated as she looked closer.
"And something else. Looks like a USB-stick"  

Carefully she began fiddling around, trying to see if she missed anything, but when her hand touched nothing but the paper and the USB flash drive, she felt it was safe to lift the content out; as she grabbed the paper she subconsciously read the words 'read the text first, then this'
Chloe was like a shadow to her as she felt absorbed in her own interest to study the content. She placed the USB drive to the side and began reading at the top of the piece of paper.

Max and Chloe.

The content in this box will contain nothing that may cause physical harm. You can choose to ignore everything- every word written below, but an outcome is bound to happen, whether you chose to participate or not. These are instructions while the USB Flash Drive will provide the visuals and programs needed to start. I would not set up this difficult task if I didn't feel like it was a necessity. Please read everything below, before plugging in the USB on Chloe's laptop. This will be a test of your morality, it may seem stressful, but there is a countdown that started this morning. If you are reading this when you brought the box inside, you will have approximately 30 minutes to finish the task. Instructions below. Good luck.