"Obstacles" by Syd Matters

Chloe Price was on the edge of her seat as she sat atop her truck in the Blackwell Academy parking lot. Her close friend, Rachel Amber, had already headed into the building for class but Chloe was skipping. Today is the day! I hella can't believe it! She's coming home, Chloe thought to herself as she lit up her third cigarette in a row. Taking off her beanie, Chloe ran her fingers through her hair in a feeble attempt to arrange the blue mess of hair somewhat decently for the latest arrival to the school: her childhood best friend, Max Caulfield.

The two girls had parted on bitter terms five years ago, Max's parents deciding to move all the way to Seattle just after Chloe's father William had died. Their separation had been tragic, a mixture of Max's saddened crying and Chloe's angry tears. Chloe did not want to be left alone, especially after her father had just died. There had been an argument, albeit one-sided on Chloe's end, and Max had run out of the Price house a mess. Instantly regretting what she had done, Chloe had biked over shortly thereafter but the Caulfields were already gone; Chloe's last words to Max for five years had been dipped in grief-stricken venom and now there was no chance to take them back. Max had not contacted Chloe for years, leaving the blue-haired anarchist punk to wallow in self-pity and resentment.

One day, after a lot of goading from Rachel, Chloe had opened up her old Facebook account and sent Max a message – "Um, yo? Can we talk, like real talk?" The response had been immediate, with Max replying that she had a Skype account and they could video chat. "I miss your face," Max had messaged back, and the gleeful smile on Chloe's face could not be erased by anything. Rachel leaving the two of them for some privacy, Max and Chloe had talked for hours online through the video chat, discussing both their parting and what they had been up to. Chloe had felt bad how hard their parting had reflected on Max's self-esteem, the brunette barely making any friends at all in her new school. She had even had to take an IEP because her social anxiety made attendance an exhaustive affair. Chloe, in turn, told Max about how her mother had quickly, a little too quickly in Chloe's opinion, met another man. A former soldier, David Madsen was the polar opposite of Chloe's rebellious attitude and lifestyle – a strict disciplinarian with almost zero tolerance for Chloe's behavior, they butted heads constantly.

"I'm so glad we finally talked, so fucking glad," Chloe had said as their conversation came to a close, "Promise me we'll talk again tomorrow."

"About what?" Max had replied with a laugh, "Chloe, we've pretty much described the past four years in a matter of hours-"

"I want to hear about your day, dude! I want to intro you to some music, be there for you if your day's had some wicked shiz in it. Max… I want my best friend back."

"…Wowser," Max had said, at a loss in how honest and vulnerable Chloe had sounded, "Um, okay. I'll call you tomorrow night. Another Skype sesh?"

"Definitely."

Their nightly conversations continued on for months, adding onto that text messages and letters. Having Chloe back in her life, and in an influencing way, had awoke something in Max – a rebellious stage. Starting with a nose ring, which had shocked the hell out of Chloe when Max had popped up online for one of their nightly conversations, the streak of Chloe's influence had continued on to a dye job of bright pink hair and some posters of the band Against Me! in the background of Max's room. Adding an industrial bar through her left ear, Max had let her hair grow down to her shoulders and become more open and forthright.

The true bombshell to their resuscitated friendship, however, had been one night in July when Chloe had tried to ring up Max only to get a text message as a reply. "Guess who's coming to Blackwell…" had been Max's only signal at the events to come and Rachel had barely been able to contain Chloe's ecstasy when the delayed reaction to said text resulted in an overjoyed shriek of delight.

"She's coming here! She's coming home! Ohmygod, what the fuck do I…? Rach, dude, we need to celebrate!" Chloe had insisted as they had sat in their junkyard hideaway, Chloe's laptop left on the table as they had ended up spending the rest of the night high and drunk on beer, weed, and life.

Now, presently sitting on her truck's hood, Chloe could barely contain her excitement. She fidgeted in her spot, hands shakily holding onto the half-smoked cigarette as she impatiently waited for Max's arrival. She'll be coming 'round the hella when she comes…, Chloe thought to herself before her head shot up as the sound of a moped could be heard in the distance. Sliding off the truck, Chloe peered out toward the parking lot entrance just in time to see a banana yellow Vespa roll up into the parking lot followed by an SUV. Is Max riding a Vespa? That is so fucking cool! Waiting until Max parked the Vespa in the bike section of the parking lot, Chloe sauntered over – trying to play it cool – but the smile etched on her face gave away how happy she was to truly have her best friend back.

"A wild Max Caulfield appears…," Chloe teased as Max finished putting her helmet away in the Vespa's side compartment, grinning further at the smirk that took shape on her best friend's face, "…Dude! You're actually here! I hella can't believe it!"

"Whoa, Chloe! Slow your roll!" Max cried out, giggling, as Chloe tackle-hugged her, nearly taking the both of them down to the pavement. Laughing as Chloe refused to let her go while the Caulfields parked their SUV, Max gently detached herself from the punk's grip and smiled as she looked into Chloe's eyes, "Nice to see you in person again, too. Wowser, it's been five years, Chloe."

"Too fucking long, my salty summer child," Chloe remarked, hands on Max's shoulders, "Leave it to Max Caulfield to show up for school fashionably late. Your 'rents gonna unload your stuff while you head in for class?"

Max grabbed her camera bag from the side compartment and slung it over her shoulder. Decked out in a pink Bikini Kill t-shirt, grey hoodie, jean shorts, and black Chuck Taylors emblazoned with flaming skulls, she ran her hands through her vibrant pink hair and nodded.

"Did you wait up for me? Aww…," Max teased, gently elbowing Chloe in the ribs.

"Of course I did, Maximus. You need a sidekick to guide you, after all."

Chloe led Max through the front doors and into the mail hallway of the school building, spreading her arms wide as Max took everything in. Ever the show-woman, Chloe smiled widely as she explained where each door led in between the occasional high-five and fist-bump. This was her element, despite how much trouble she had caused the place. For Max, however, it was a new beginning. Having never fit into her old school in Seattle, she was looking for a fresh start and Blackwell was going to be it even if she had to force herself down the private school's proverbial throat. Wowser, everything is so chill here. No wonder Chloe is in this school, never mind how smart she is, Max thought as Chloe continued their tour down the hallway where the main classes were.

"Which class were you supposed to have first?" Chloe asked her best friend, putting an arm around Max's shoulder.

"Um, I think it was supposed to be English. I heard that the teacher is out of commission, though. Something about a severe bout of depression…?" Max said, uncertain as she pulled out a class schedule from her camera bag.

"Oh. Yeah, she got hella depressed after Nathan Asscott raged on her in-class. Very uncool," Chloe said with a slight groan at the end, "That dude needs a serious time-out. Like, a forever-long one. All the does is twitch and rage. What a tweaker."

"Tweaker…?"

"Dude's almost continuously on something. God, didn't they teach you anything in Seattle?" Chloe joked, "What've you got next?"

"…Ms. Grant's science class, I think-"

"Sweet! You've got that with me, young squire Maximus. Once the bell doth ring, I shall be the one to guide you," Chloe said, pulling Max closer to her.

"This is pretty cool, us going to school together again. Though I can't believe you nearly got expelled last year. Bad Chloe."

Max smirked when Chloe chuckled at the feigned reprimand, tut-tutting Max as she led the way with her blue hair tucked into her beanie and her leather jacket warmed from the sun. Max felt comfortable in Chloe's arms, safe. Being back with her best friend made Max feel like she was a tween all over again, the two of them exchanging notes between classes and having lunch together. God, what'll she try to get me into now, all grown up? Wowser, she's so different and yet the same. Good ol' Chloe…

The bell rang and students came out of their respective classrooms as Max pulled aside from Chloe when she found a locker with her name taped on it. Shoving a bottle of water into the locker and taping on a few photos – her parents, Andy Warhol, Jack Kerouac – Max could feel eyes on her. Of course, being the mysterious pink-haired new kid meant attention. Thanking herself mentally for taking her anti-anxiety medication ahead of time, Max closed the locker and spun on her heel to smile at a waiting Chloe. A hand offered out to her, Max took it's blue-nailed fingers and interwove them with her own black-nailed ones as Chloe led her to a face that had become familiar over the past year.

"Hey, Rachel," Max said a little shyly. She looks like a model even more so in person, Max thought, "Nice to finally meet you."

"Same, same," Rachel said with a grin as she pulled Max away from Chloe so as to hug the pink-haired girl, "You've got Grant next, right? I'll miss your first class, but the three of us all have art class at the end of the day and there's an hour break for lunch before that. Chloe, Two Whales?"

"Hella ye, my buddo. We've got the time, and Mom would love to see Max. Also, free eats on account of Max's return to the Bay!" Chloe exclaimed, patting her flat belly, "Hell, even if we're late Mr. Jefferson will only scold us ever so slightly, you've got him wound 'round your finger like that."

"Perks of being one of his 'muses', I guess," Rachel said with a shrug before looking over to see Max's confused expression, "The art teacher totes loves taking pictures of me. It… It can get a little weird at times, but the guy's a genuine photographer and I'm LA-bound once I'm done with this school. College and some modeling work, hopefully."

"C-Cool," Max said, stuttering a little from being in awe of just how confident Rachel was. The complete opposite of me, sometimes, Max thought as she pulled out her Polaroid camera, "Could I, uh, maybe take some shots of you, too? W-When you're not busy, I mean…"

"'Course! I'll find us a nice locale and Chloe can play assistant to our whims and fancies," Rachel said, teasing Chloe with a wink and nudge before heading off to her next class, "Remember lunch, Chloe! I'll meet you out front at your truck!"

"Cooly-o, dude! Max has her own wheels, so we'll have to show her the way!" Chloe called back before Rachel ducked into her next class as the next bell rang, "Come, Max, and lemme show you the way."

"Isn't it this door right here, y'know, the one marked 'Science Lab' on the sign?" Max indicated with a jerk of her thumb, "You're such a dork."

"That's hella dork to you, missy. C'mon, there're introductions to be made."

Chloe and Max entered the science lab just as the final bell for class to start rang, the door softly closing behind them as everyone who was presently in the classroom looked up to Ms. Grant only to find themselves staring at a classmate holding hands with a complete stranger. This isn't awkward at all, nawww, Max thought as she let go of Chloe's hand and held her arm, biting her lip. Max implored with her eyes for Chloe to stay with her but the blue-haired punk responded with a wink before leaving to take her own seat in the back at an otherwise empty lab table. At least I know where I'll be sitting…

"Oh, hello! You must be the new student I heard about!" Ms. Grant exclaimed as she came from around her desk to give Max a hug. "Everyone, settle… Oh, you're already quiet. Sorry 'bout that. You… You make quite an impression with that hair and piercing, but you sure seem awfully shy. Maxine, right?"

"Max. Never Maxine," Max bashfully corrected Ms. Grant as she looked down at her shoes before glancing up, "Um, hi."

"Well, Max, welcome to Blackwell Academy! I'm sure we'll be more than happy that you're here. If you would just find a place to… Oh, Chloe…," Ms. Grant said, shaking her head with a grin as she looked back to see Chloe standing up and gesturing to the empty seat next to her, "I take it you know our resident genius-troublemaker?"

"Y-Yeah," Max said, her confidence returning as she also spotted Chloe, "We grew up together when we were kids. Total BFFs."

"Ohmygod, is she high or something?" A blond girl asked her friends aloud, the two girls with her giggling. The pixie-haired blonde raised a hand. "Ms. Grant, are we going to have class today or is this Chloe's show-and-tell period?"

"Eat shit, Icky Vicky!" Chloe snapped, slamming her hands down on the lab table only for both girls to be silenced by a stern look of reproach from Ms. Grant.

"I will not put up with you two going at each other's throats every class! This is a place of education and community, not some angsty teenage drama-"

"Vicky knows all about 'teh drama', right?" Chloe replied to a slight giggle from a number of the students, "Fine, fine. An cease-fire on account of my friend being here. Max, come sit with me and let's get this show on the road!"

As quickly as her feet would allow, Max sped across the room and plopped down into the chair beside Chloe as class actually began, ignoring the glare from the girl she only knew as "Icky Vicky" while Ms. Grant discussed chemistry. The class was a little more daunting than she would have liked – science was never Max's strong suit – and while she knew that Chloe would be on top of helping her out, Max did want to try and figure out the formulas and homework on her own. I won't get any better until I try, Max thought as she settled in for the rest of the lecture.

Chloe may be a punk, but she is also a complete nerd when it comes to science and math. Taking extensive notes as Ms. Grant continued on with her lecture, Chloe would steal the occasional glance at Max and worry about how her BFF was handling the course. It's early on. She'll hella get it, Chloe thought as winced a little internally at the look of slight bafflement on Max's face. Pushing her notebook over so that it was between the two of them, Chloe motioned with a jerk of her chin down to the material.

"You know I'll help you out, Maximus," Chloe whispered.

"I know, but I also need to actually learn this shiz as well and now just rely on you for every time I'm completely clueless," Max replied, alleviating Chloe's growing concern somewhat.

Looking up from her notebook, and diverting her attention away from Max, Chloe noticed Warren Graham glancing back at Max every now and then and narrowed her eyes at the boy. Lifting up her left middle finger, Chloe made it look as though she were putting lipstick on while keeping the raised digit aimed squarely at Warren. Seeing his eyes widening as the goofy smile was wiped off his face when the unspoken threat clicked in his head, Chloe winked mischievously at him and set her hand back down on the table so that she could resume her note-taking. Ms. Grant's class was arduous, but in a good way for Chloe. It required her to focus, to scrutinize the material in a way that kept her head out of the proverbial – and sometimes not proverbial – clouds. A rare occasion where she was not mildly high in class, Chloe's hearing and mind were sharp. For Max's sake, I'll need to cut back on my morning wake-and-bake when we have science class in the morning. The things I do for my BFF, I swear.

When the class finally let out, Chloe breathed a sigh of relief; the relief was more for Max, however, as Chloe had the impression that her friend was totally clueless or near so. Grabbing her textbook and notebook, Chloe tucked her pencil behind her ear and waited as Max carefully placed everything in her camera bag before sliding out of her seat. She looks totally bewildered. Fuck my life, this is gonna be hard on my lil hippie, Chloe thought before flashing an encouraging smile Max's way.

"Lunch time, my Maximus," Chloe said, taking Max's hand as she led the pink-haired girl out of the classroom and back into the hallway, "Though your brain might be scrambled enough to eat, judging by the look on your face. You okay?"

"Just… Just tired. Combining the ride here with diving straight first into class… I'm just a little beat, is all. And confused. Epically confused."

"Don't worry. I've got your back," Chloe assured her friend before stopping when Victoria Chase and her squad of mean girls cut them off, Victoria's arms crossed over her chest as she glared at Chloe with eyes venomously narrowed, "Icky Vicky, she's so pricky~"

"I told you not to call me that, you blue-haired piece of white trash," Victoria spat, her squad of Courtney Wagner and Taylor Christensen nodding almost autonomically, "Bitch, I am the Vortex Club. You don't want to mess with us."

"Skank, please," Chloe said with a guffaw, "You're hella not 'too cool' for this school. Just piss off. It's lunchtime and my first mate and I need to get our grub on."

Victoria was about to snap something back when their détente was cut off by a ping from Chloe's phone. Pulling out the smartphone, Chloe unlocked it with a swipe of her finger and looked at the new message.

Rachel: Chlo, can't make it to lunch. Something's come up. Sry.

Chloe: What do you mean, "Something"? U Ok?

Rachel: Oh, I'm chill. Just working on some ideas with Jefferson for a shoot. Have fun w/Max, girly! C u 2 in his class ;p

Chloe: NO EMOJI. We've discussed this numerous times. And also, yeah, c u there.

"Rachel's got some shit going on," Chloe told Max as she forced their way through Victoria's little blockade, "Won't make it to lunch. Look like Mom's gonna just be feeding the two of us."

"H-How did you manage to not get expelled from this school, Chloe? The way you acted in class…," Max said as she slid an arm around one of Chloe's and intertwined their fingers together, "I mean, wowser, you are completely lacking in tact."

"Dude, I just don't give a shit about other people's drama unless we're tight, okay? And Victoria is a bitch to anyone who isn't fawning over her for whatever reason. Besides, you being back in my life probably had something to do with me not totally going off the rails in this place," Chloe replied as they headed out the front doors before stopping them at the foot of the steps, "Okay. Serious question."

"Um, okay…?"

"Can I ride with you on your Vespa to Two Whales? I bet that moped is dope."

The ride to Two Whales was a hell of an experience for Chloe. Bikes, skateboards, in-line skates; Chloe had ridden around Arcadia Bay in a number of ways before, but seated behind Max on her yellow Vespa had been a blast. Whooping and hollering the entire ride there as Max just laughed at her reactions, Chloe had been unable to remove the smile from her face as they pulled into the diner's parking lot. With Max bringing the ride to a halt as she dropped the kickstand and switched off the ignition.

"Dude. Dude. That…That was awesome," Chloe said, still seated on the scooter while Max took off first her own helmet and then the one she had given Chloe. Chloe looked over at the amused grin on Max's face and gave her best crooked grin, "Yeah, I'm a noob when it comes to Vespas and mopeds. Whatever. That was sick. You rode the whole way here from Seattle? G'damn, girl."

"It's not that big of a deal, Chloe," Max reassured her friend as she stowed the helmets in one of the side compartments, "I mean, yeah, it's cool. A lot of fun to just cruise down the highway for hours on end. But you kinda get used to it after a while."

"How long have you had this?" Chloe asked as she gestured towards the scooter.

"Oh, I got it for my 16th birthday."

"You've been driving this beauty for two years? Maximus, I only just got my truck a year ago. Lucky fucker."

"Yeah, Delilah is a sweetheart."

"Delilah? You named the Vespa?"

"Hush, you."

Walking arm-in-arm together to the diner, Chloe ever-so-graciously opened the door for Max and Max curtsied in reply to a response of a light chuckle from Chloe as they entered the greasy spoon restaurant. Immediately hit with the smell of French fries and all kinds of deliciousness, Chloe felt her stomach rumble and put a hand to it dramatically.

"Max. Food. Stat."

"Dork, we're here because your mom works here."

"Feed me, Seymour. Feed me!" Chloe said with a laugh as she led Max along to her usual booth, the wood and vinyl surface covered with math formulas in one corner. Looking at the mathematics, Chloe scrutinized the numbers and pulled out a pocket knife to further along the equation only to hear a cough from behind her. "Oh, uh, s'up Mom?"

"Chloe, I've told you time and again not to deface the table when you're here. You want to turn your room into some type of visual rebellion, that's on you. But please, please, leave my work out of it," Joyce said with a sigh of resignation as Chloe shrugged and pocketed the knife after folding it back up. Turning to Max, who had seated herself in the opposite booth, Joyce beamed, "Well, well, look who's come back to Arcadia Bay! How're you doin', Max?"

"Hey, Joyce," Max said with a wide, friendly smile as she took the offered menu, "Nice to see not too much has changed."

"You mean my still working at Two Whales?"

"No, I mean that you still look pretty," Max replied, Chloe grinning at how smooth Max was. Max had always known what to say to Joyce to divert any unwanted attention away from Chloe. You are Saint Max, Chloe thought.

"Very good save," Joyce said with a warm smirk before pouring the girls each a cup of coffee, "I tell ya, when Chloe showed me pictures of you from your video calls, I could hardly believe it was you. Piercings, pink hair… What's next, Max, a tattoo? Chloe's caused quite a stir at the house when she came home with it."

"Mom… Though, to be hella honest, the idea of Max getting tatted up is pretty dope," Chloe said between sips of coffee and spoonfuls of sugar, "You ever thought about it?"

"Ehh, I'm still on the fence about whether or not I want to get any ink. A single needle here and there I can do, but repeatedly for an hour or more? Wowser," Max replied, hiding her blushing cheeks from the two Price women with the menu.

"Well, that's a talk for another time. The real question is 'what will you two be eatin'?'" Joyce asked, pulling her notepad and pencil out of her apron's pocket.

"I've been dying for one of your Belgian waffles. The last good one I had was here, so let's make this comeback official," Max replied, in truth not having to even look at the menu to know what she wanted.

"Bacon omelette for me, and can I please have more than one slice of extra bacon today?" Chloe asked, hands folded together in a pleading gesture towards her mother. Watching her mom chuckle, Chloe knew she had won this particular battle.

Taking their orders, Joyce smiled at Max again before heading back behind the diner's countertop. Reclining back against her booth's backrest, Chloe gently kicked Max's foot with her boot to grab the other girl's attention. Seeing Max smile at her warmed Chloe's heart; Max returning to Arcadia Bay was the best thing to happen to Chloe since, well, ever.

"Sooo, tattoo ideas?" Chloe asked, intrigued, with a mischievously crooked grin on her face as she leaned forward.

"Um, I dunno. I mean, I'm 18 now and… O-Oh God, I totally forgot! My parents wanted me to see them off before they left to head back to Seattle! Shit!" Max exclaimed as she whipped her phone out to visibly deflate a little at the slew of messages from her mother, "Guilt trip city, right here. I'm such a dumbass sometimes."

"Maxaroni, you're here and you're chillin' with me. We haven't been in the same town since, well, since you left five years ago. They'll understand, or rather they ought to," Chloe replied, a single line of worry etched on her face, "Gimme dat phone."

"W-What, why?"

"Lemme call your folks, explain the sitch."

"Uh…"

"Max. Give. Me. Your. Phone," Chloe pursued, hand outstretched until Max sighed and handed it over. Dialing up "Mom", Chloe waited barely two dial tones before Vanessa Caulfield picked up.

"Max? Sweetie, where are you? We've been waiting here at-"

"Mrs. Caulfield, it's Chloe."

"Chloe? Oh, um, hey. Have you… Wait, why do you have Max's phone…?"

"I'm explaining the situation, y'see. She's here with me at Two Whales to get some chow before our next class. I kinda swept your daughter off her feet, and she kinda nearly lost mine on 'Delilah'."

"So she's not coming back until it's time for her next class then, right?"

"Exactamundo," Chloe replied, winking at Max in spite of the saddening sigh on the other end of the line, "Look, Mama C, I'll take care of your daughter. If you want to stop by the diner-"

"Oh, you mean like we could have lunch together? That'd be lovely!" Vanessa said to Chloe, her voice audibly brightening as Chloe slumped a little in her seat. Since Rachel bailed, she wanted Max all to herself.

"Oh, uh, okay. Yeah. Sounds hella good. Um, see you soon, I guess…?" Chloe said before ending the call to hand back Max's phone, "I regret everything."

"So you went from trying to explain that we were eating to inviting my parents to have lunch with us. Strong with the Force, you are not," Max said with a chuckle before reaching across the table to put a hand on one of Chloe's, "It'll be fine. They'll most likely just get some coffee and stay only a few minutes. It is, like, hours of driving to get back to Seattle, after all."

After an abbreviated lunch with her parents and Chloe, Max sat with her BFF and Rachel Amber on the steps of Blackwell Academy that led out to the sidewalk and street. Rachel had a cigarette between her lips and Chloe was nursing a soda from the vending machine inside the school; Max, instead, had her Polaroid camera out and was cradling it in her hands. Lunch had been a little awkward with her folks, but ever since she had "rebelled" – hair dyeing and piercings – things had been that way with her mom. I'm sure she's just worried I'll take it too far, Max thought as she held the camera in her hands, Dad seems fine with it, though. He sees it as me expressing myself. Told me so. Opening up the camera, Max turned it around and leaned over to Chloe; Rachel, catching onto what Max was up to, rested her chin on Chloe's other shoulder and the three of them took a group selfie as Max took the shot.

"One of many, Maxi?" Rachel asked, a wry grin on her face as she offered the cigarette to Max, Max waving it off with a smile, "Y'know, I mean to take you up on us doing a shoot together. I can be your muse~"

"That'd be dope," Chloe said, inserting herself into the mix, "Wanna play photog, Max?"

"I don't play photography, Chloe. You're the one who told me years ago that I am a photographer, remember?" Max replied, her tone serious enough that Chloe's eyebrows raised in mild surprise by how intense Max had suddenly become, "Rachel, I'd love to do a shoot with you. After class, we can discuss locations in the area and we'll ride on my moped to them for light quality checks and overall feel. Yeah?"

"Hells ye," Rachel replied, reaching across Chloe to plant a kiss on Max's cheek, "Gonna be nice!"

The bell rang before Chloe could chime in further, and she watched as Rachel and Max took off together, discussing photography plans and shoot ideas. Still seated on the steps for a moment longer than them, Chloe scrambled to her feet and ran after her friends. Max watched out of the corner of her eye as Chloe ran to catch up and separated a bit from Rachel so that Chloe could sandwich herself in between them. She did not want Chloe to feel left out, but at the same time the idea of "playing" photographer had pissed her off a little. I came to this school specifically for photography, Chloe. I don't need wisecracks when it comes to my biggest passion, y'know, Max thought as she elbowed Chloe in the side.

"What was that for?" Chloe asked, rubbing the spot where Max had landed her blow while Rachel just chuckled as the made their way inside.

"Oh, y'know. Just playing."

"…Message received, Maxaroni. Will not tease about the photo goodness."

"Good. You know I'm taking photography seriously, Chloe. I don't need someone messing with my head. Especially you – I need you to have my back on this," Max said as they went inside the school building.

"I've hella got your back, Maximus. You know it."

Max, Rachel, and Chloe all made it into Mr. Jefferson's class just as the final bell for class finished ringing, the three of them taking the table in the back as their collective desk. Sitting between Rachel and Chloe, Max took out her notebook, pencil case, and Polaroid camera. She wanted to make a good first impression for Mark Jefferson; as a photographer, his work was among her recent favorites. He used to be a decently-sized deal in the 90s, and his style is pretty cool. Grunge meets art-pop, or something like that, Max thought only to have herself poked in the arm by Chloe as she jerked her chin toward the front of the class.

"W-Wha…?" Max said, having spaced out while thinking about how much she had to learn from her art teacher.

"I said, Max, that maybe you'd like to tell us a little about yourself," Mr. Jefferson said, smiling faintly as he leaned back against the front table. Max crumpled a little under the giggles from Vicky and the two girls who seemed to be attached to her.

"Maybe she didn't get her meds filled," Vicky implied, much to the delight of her posse.

"That's enough, Victoria. Let's give Max a warmer Blackwell welcome than some childish teen wit. So, tell us about yourself, Max," Jefferson said, rebuking Victoria while at the same time handing the floor to Max. Slowly, hesitantly, Max got to her feet.

"Um, my name is Max Caulfield. I…uh… I moved here from Seattle, but I actually grew up here in Arcadia Bay. I've wanted to do professional photography since, um, since I was little. My dream is to see the world and take photos of all the places I've been and will be going to. In a professional capacity, of course."

"Of course," Mr. Jefferson said, taking note of Max's Polaroid camera, "That's…very retro of you, Max."

"Oh! I love analog photography! And the Polaroid instant cameras capture everything in the moment, which is what I like most about photography in general!" Max excitedly stated, garnering another fit of giggles from Victoria and her friends.

"…Well, with that introduction out of the way, why don't we start class. Now, I want you all to open your books to the introductory chapter where we'll be discussing the advent of photography and its origins in other mediums of visual art…," Mr. Jefferson said as he lifted up a copy of his book to signify that it was time for class to actually start.

Max was hypnotized by Mr. Jefferson's words, jotting down every sentence or phrase that she felt was relevant to her learning how to be a better photographer. Barely paying Chloe or Rachel any heed, she did take note that while Rachel was just as focused as she was it seemed that Chloe was almost half-asleep. Science nerd, Max thought with a faint, wry grin before returning her attention to the class lecture. And it was a lecture – Jefferson directed the flow of the class's discourse so that it did not stray from the reading or his additional input. When Victoria would speak up, however, Max found herself instinctively putting the pencil she was using down. Victoria, as she had learned was the girl's name, had done nothing but bite into her with stinging remarks since they had first made contact and Max had no patience or will to endear herself to someone who could be so venomous. I was hoping that Blackwell might be outside the realm of petty teen drama. Guess not.

Max also took note of a pretty blonde girl sitting by herself at one of the tables near the windows. Dressed demurely in a blouse, sweater, and skirt, the girl seemed as focused on the class material as Max was. I wonder if she's into photography too, Max thought as the girl realized she was being watched and visibly blushed, Maybe I should go say hi. I could always use another friend… Setting her pencil down, as if to capture the moment, Max picked up her Polaroid camera and snapped a quick photo of the blonde girl as she sat in her chair, red-faced. I hope she doesn't mind.

"Care to share with the class, Max? Why take Kate's photo?" Mr. Jefferson asked, curious as to the break in his lecture.

"Just capturing the moment, that's all," Max replied, getting up from her desk to hand the instant photo to the girl named Kate, "Um, this is for you. I hope you don't mind."

"Thanks," Kate replied, looking up to smile at Max cheerily, "Oh, this is such a cute shot! With the lighting and… Oh, my face is so red…"

"Sorry if you don't like it-"

"I love it. Thank you, Max."

Taking her seat in the back without any further explanation for the class, Max grabbed her camera again and took another three-person selfie of Chloe, Rachel, and herself as the bell rung to announce the end of school for the day. Slowly gathering her things as Chloe and Rachel headed out the door, likely waiting on her to finish things up, Max was halfway across the room when Mr. Jefferson beckoned her over to his desk. Oh shit, am I in trouble? It's only my first day! Max thought as she sheepishly walked over to the art teacher.

"Max, there's an annual contest called 'Everyday Heroes' to which I submit a student's entry as the winning prize. Would you consider participating? It means exposure and a gallery exhibit to which you would be a part of if you won," Mr. Jefferson said, ignoring Victoria as she impatiently waited to speak her peace.

"Oh, uh, I-I guess. I just don't think I could come up with anything-" Max started to say before Jefferson cut her off.

"Max, your spontaneity today in class proves that you have a passion for photography, and judging by Ms. Marsh's response to the photo you presented her with I find it likely you have talent. This would be the perfect opportunity to mingle with other like-minded, young photographers. Just…Just give it a thought, okay?"

"S-Sure, Mr. Jefferson," Max said, her face nearly as pink as her hair as she hurriedly turned around and left the classroom, leaving Mr. Jefferson to Victoria.

Max bum-rushed the door so hard she actually did not notice that Chloe and Rachel were waiting for her by it and passed them, heading straight to her locker. Praise? From Mark Jefferson? Wowser, Max thought as she quickly opened her locker and shoved what she did not need in her camera bag into it. Closing the locker, nearly slamming it shut because she was so mentally occupied, Max jumped a little when she turned around to find Chloe and Rachel right behind her.

"Yo, Max. Miss us?" Chloe teased, ruffling Max's pink hair.

"What did Mark… I mean, what did Mr. Jefferson want?" Rachel inquired, her face an open page of curiosity.

"He wants me to enter the Everyday Heroes contest," Max said in a single breath, the words so fast she barely formulated them, "OhmyDog, he wants me to enter into a contest!"

"Whoa, slow down there Speed Racer!" Chloe said with a laugh as she reassuringly put her hands on Max's shoulders, "That's hella awesome, Maxaroni. For real. You're a fucking shoe-in to win."

"Especially if I model for you," Rachel said conspiratorially with a grin and wink.

"Yeah… Um, I need to go to my room and unpack. Set my place up. What are you two gonna do?" Max asked, quickly switching the topic as she found herself getting more and more overwhelmed at the possibility of entering a contest, let alone winning said contest.

"We'll tag along, help you out, sistah," Chloe said, her tone implying that their assistance was obvious.

"Oh, uh, thanks. C'mon."

"The Max Caulfield Photo Memorial Wall, eh?" Chloe asked as she helped Max tape Polaroids to the wall of her dorm room, "I forgot you did shiz like this. Man, you're room as a kid was plastered with pics like these…"

"I remember," Max said with a smile as she stuck one of her recent pics, the trio-selfie of her, Chloe, and Rachel on the steps, on the wall, "And now we can make all-new memories to add to the wall. This is so cool, us going to school together…"

"Yeah, if you hadn't gotten back in touch with her she'd have likely been expelled," Rachel said, inserting herself into the conversation as she hung up the paper lanterns above the photos, "For reals, Maxi, Chloe was this close to getting dropped by the school. Bad grades, mischief, the works. Also, her stepdad being in charge of security here doesn't help…"

"Wait. Your stepdad is the pornstache guy I keep seeing around the hallways, the dude who keeps giving me the stink-eye?" Max asked, whirling around on the bed to face Chloe, "Chloe, that's terrible!"

"Yeah, step-douche is a prick. He's always on my case; about my drinking and my weed, about my music and my tats. The guy is a complete ass-hat, except to my mom. At least he's sweet towards her. After…After dad died, she needed something like that. For all his shittiness, I'm glad she's happy at least. Though I know she'd like for the two of us to get along," Chloe said as she slapped the last photo onto the wall, "There. Done."

The girls climbing down from the bed, all three of them took in the surroundings. Max's bed on one end of the room with the photo wall, the opposite end having a futon and a mixture of art and band posters along with a pennant Max had gotten with her dad at a hockey game. A plant sat by one window with a small cube storage shelf in-between it and the desk, the contents a mixture of film cartridges, DVDs, and books. Flopping down onto the futon sofa, Max took everything in as Chloe joined her while Rachel stood by the door with her hands on her hips. The three girls had enjoyed spending the day together, and now that the last real task of the day was done, Max wanted to do nothing more than relax and take a breath. Today's been such a crazy day, but it is so cool to have Chloe back in my life again. Not to mention Rachel, who is being an absolute sweetie. I wonder what kind of photo shoot we'll wind up doing? Max thought as she pulled out a small prescription bottle from her camera bag.

"Whazzat?" Chloe asked, peering down at the bottle.

"Hydroxyzine. For my anxiety – I have to take it regularly, four times a day," Max explained, popping a single pill into her mouth and dry-swallowing, "You have not seen an anxiety attack until you see me without any of these in my system. Wowser, it gets crazy."

"Dude, you need something else with which to medicate," Chloe said as she reached into the back pocket of her jeans and pulled out a baggie with some joints in it and a Zippo lighter, "Rach, wanna blaze?"

"Chloe, you can't do that here!" Max exclaimed, eyes wide as Chloe stuck a joint between her parted lips, "A-At least not in my room."

"Chicken."

"Am not, Chloe. I just… I don't want to get into any trouble on my first day here at Blackwell."

"Chlobear," Rachel said in a soothing tone as she gently took the joint out from between Chloe's lips, "Give Max a break, and you do know better. Shit, I live here in the dorm too and I don't toke in my room. And I don't let you do it, either, as you are perfectly aware."

"Pfft, fine," Chloe said with a shrug of resignation as she pocketed her weed, Rachel keeping the confiscated joint for herself, "Hey! How about we all head up to the lighthouse and chill? You and Rach could, well, scout the place for your shoot and I can blaze up there. Ye?"

Max and Rachel looked at one another with grins on their faces before they simultaneously looked over to Chloe, who shrank within herself under their amused gazes.

"What?"

Author's Note –

Welcome to Arcadia Bay, where everything is fine and nothing hurts.

No, for real, this is gonna be a cool AU to do. I've always wondered what it would be like if Max and Chloe went to school together, just like Max herself, so I thought I would give it a shot.

Didn't expect to write a 7,000+ worded first chapter, though. That kinda caught me by surprise – didn't think I had lengthy chapters in me anymore.

Hope you all enjoy it! Be kind and leave a review, mebbeh? ;)

Stay hella, Cinnamon Rolls! 3 :*