13. Forgiveness

13. FORGIVENESS

Early in the morning, Billy strode through the university hallways with determination etched on his face.

"Where are you off to? Class is the other way," Austin queried, trailing behind.

"I need to see Amy right now," Billy declared firmly, causing Austin to pause momentarily before quickening his pace to catch up.

"Are you out of your mind? You're risking your entire future over a woman?" Austin exclaimed in exasperation.

"Don't worry, I won't mess up this time. I need to make things right," Billy reassured with confidence.

"I'm genuinely worried now! What's gotten into you?" Austin inquired, genuine concern lacing his words.

Without missing a beat, Billy turned away, his determination unwavering. "Nothing. You'll see how I fix things," he replied resolutely, continuing his stride towards the staffroom.

"Ugh, this is frustrating," Austin muttered under his breath as he reluctantly followed Billy.

In the staffroom, Billy greeted the staff as he made his way to Amy's desk, where she was preparing to leave for her lecture.

"Amy, I—" Billy began, but before he could speak further, he suddenly clamped his hand over his mouth and retreated to a corner, delivering a sharp slap to his own cheek in the process.

Watching from a distance, Austin and Amy were both taken aback by Billy's unexpected behavior. "What's going on with him? Why is he so desperate?" Austin wondered aloud, his eyes wide with confusion.

Meanwhile, Amy couldn't help but feel a pang of concern. "Is he really that unstable?" she mused silently to herself.

Moments later, Billy returned, his cheek still tinged with red from the slap. "Sorry about that," he apologized, offering a sheepish smile.

"I just wanted to apologize for everything. I don't want to make you uncomfortable anymore, so I promise I won't do anything like that again," he explained, bowing his head slightly in humility.

"Please, don't ignore me. That's all I wanted to say. Thank you," he concluded before turning to leave, leaving both Austin and Amy to ponder over his unexpected actions.

In the classroom, Evelyn playfully poked Billy's red cheek, eliciting a wince from him. "Stop it, Eve," he pleaded, rubbing his sore cheek.

"Looks like the master got another slap. What did you say this time?" Evelyn teased, her tone light but curious.

"He slapped himself," Austin interjected, surprising both Evelyn and Annie with his revelation.

Concerned, Annie leaned forward from her seat. "Billy, what's going on with you? Are you okay?"

"Billy, maybe you should see a doctor," Evelyn suggested, her concern genuine this time.

"I'm not crazy," Billy insisted. "I just... I don't want to mess things up with her again. I need to set things right."

"Why are you slipping up in front of her? Is it some kind of disorder?" Annie inquired.

"I don't know," Billy admitted. "Whenever I see her, my heart races, and I just... I lose control. It's like something takes over."

"But," he continued, determination shining in his eyes, "I need to be careful. I can't afford to mess this up. I'll win her over, slowly but surely."

Turning to Austin, Evelyn sought answers. "What's going on with him, Austin?"

"Let it go, Eve. It'll pass," Austin reassured her, and as the first class of the day began, they all focused on the lesson at hand.

Over the next few days, Billy made a conscious effort to remain composed around Amy. He greeted her politely each morning, ensuring he didn't let his emotions get the best of him.

Gradually, Amy began to thaw towards him, no longer avoiding him like she had before.

One afternoon, as Amy made her way towards the staffroom after class, she heard Billy calling out to her. Turning, she saw him approaching.

"Oh, Billy, how's your day?" she asked, a hint of warmth in her voice.

"Great, ma'am. I'm off to work now," Billy replied with a smile.

"Good, have a wonderful day," Amy said as she continued walking.

Before she could walk away completely, Billy called out to her once more.

"Have you forgiven me?" he asked tentatively.

Amy smiled at him. "Yes, you've been forgiven, kid," she replied, before continuing on her way. Billy couldn't help but feel elated by her response.

Later that night, as Billy settled in front of his PC for his usual gaming session, he felt a sense of satisfaction knowing that he had made progress with Amy. He decided to share the news with SeraphicSavior, who was online.

Upon seeing that SeraphicSavior was available, Billy wasted no time in sending a message with a wave emoji.

"Hey, Savior," he sent eagerly.

"Hey, Steelsoul! How's it going? Did my suggestions work?" came the swift reply.

"Thanks to you, she forgave me, but it took almost a month," Billy responded, his happiness evident in his words.

"Wow, congrats!" SeraphicSavior replied, followed by another message. "So, what's your next move? Going to ask her out for coffee or something?"

"Well, I think I'll just go with the flow. I don't want to risk messing things up again and losing her trust," Billy explained.

"But I think it's in the flow," SeraphicSavior suggested.

"No, I can't afford to mess up again. I still have two more years to impress her," Billy insisted, putting an end to further suggestions.

Meanwhile, Amy sat at her own PC, feeling a mix of frustration and confusion as she read Billy's message. "What do you mean you still have more time? Do I have to wait until you decide to take things slowly?" she muttered to herself, feeling a pang of annoyance.

"Hey, let's start the game," Billy's message popped up on her screen, interrupting her thoughts. Taking a deep breath, Amy replied with a simple "let's play" before diving into the game.

"I think I should give more hints from now on," she murmured before starting the game.

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Do crazy people fall in love, or do people become crazy after falling in love?