Hey guys! I just wanted to write a fluffy oneshot before all our hearts are broken when Episode 5 comes out. I might extend on this, I'm really not sure yet. So, enjoy!
Over the course of the weekend, the small beachside town of Arcadia Bay had gotten unexpectedly cold. A chill hung in the air, the bleak and cloudy sky leaving no room for any king of warmth provided by the sunlight, signifying the beginning of winter.
Thankfully for Max, she had been prepared for this sudden change of weather, digging out her favourite scarves and sweaters from her wardrobe she had brought with her from Seattle in preparation for the upcoming weather.
As she stood by a corner in the street, waiting patiently for the walk signal to cross the intersection, she was particularly grateful for the sweater and scarf she had brought with her to her breakfast at the Two-Whales Diner. Her classes on Tuesdays didn't start until a few hours, so Max always had time to kill on these mornings.
She was dragged out of her thoughts, however, when a particularly violent wave of air gusted her way, sending a brief chill through Max. The feeling passed almost immediately thanks to her snug choice of attire.
Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for the person standing next to her.
Truth be told, Max hadn't even noticed her until she heard the audible chattering of teeth as the wind began to pick up. Max stole a glance at her in the corner of her eye, immediately surprised at her punk get-up. She was around Max's age, she guessed, with her hair dyed a bright shade of blue and tattoos scattered all the way up her left arm. The type of person Max generally went out of her way to avoid. She certainly wasn't the judgemental type; she'd been through enough of Victoria's snippy comments and Nathan's cruel jeers at her to steer clear of that kind of shallowness. But Max also desperately needed to keep her Blackwell scholarship if she was going to get anywhere in her dream career as a photographer, and that meant staying away of any kind of trouble that came her way. And this girl had trouble written all over her.
Despite this, Max decided her outlandish appearance suiting the stranger, and found it oddly endearing. She wore a thin black jacket, but it was barely enough to battle the ongoing cold. Max could see that the tips of her ears were an alarming shade of red, and she was willing to bet her nose looked exactly the same.
Another violent shiver ripple through the girl's body suddenly, and Max couldn't help but feel a stab of pity for the girl. And so, in that moment, she made a decision.
"Hey." Max called to her, clearing her throat slightly. The girl's head snapped to her direction, obviously not expecting her to speak.
"Hey." She replied, an obvious puff of air tumbling from her lips as she spoke. "What's up?"
Max opened her mouth to reply, but the way her eyes flickered all over her face made her stomach flip and her brain fuzzy in a way no one had ever done to her before. And her smirk, the way one corner of her lips lifted slightly higher than the other had left Max momentarily speechless.
She cleared her throat in a helpless attempt to clear her nerves. She peeled the scarf off her neck, walking a few steps towards her before holding it out before her. The girl seemed momentarily taken aback, obviously not expecting this type of kindness from a stranger. Max smiled reassuringly, nudging the scarf in her direction as a gesture for her to take it.
"Here, please take it. You could use it more than me." Max prompted, attempting to lift her lips in what she hoped looked like a reassuring smile. Unfortunately, her lips felt a little too numb for that, and so she settled on a small encouraging grin. The girl looked like she wanted to refuse to be polite, but it was obvious even she was too miserable in this cold weather to refuse an invitation of potential warmth.
"I- Uh- Thanks, dude." She said, reaching out to take the scarf from Max. Their fingers brushed for the briefest moment, and Max spluttered, surprised. The girl gave her a questioning look, and Max's eyes met an alarming shade of blue that didn't help her ongoing nerves at all. Max felt a flush creep up her neck. It wasn't how cold her fingers were that had startled her, it was how nice their felt against her own. She quickly retreated her hand back to her side, not wanting to look like an awkward idiot in front of this stranger. God, what was with her today?
"It's cool. I'm Max." She replied, clearing her throat and rubbing her gloved hands together as another bitter gust of cool air rushed against them. The girl shivered aswell, but considerably less violently now thanks to the scarf that fit tightly around her neck.
"Chloe." She introduced, sending a grin that made Max's gut flop and make her face feel hot. Well, hotter than before, anyway. "Where're you heading?" The girl- Chloe asked, shifting between her feet.
"Just to Two-Whales for some breakfast. You?" Max replied, noticing how Chloe's eyes immediately brightened at her reply.
"Are you serious? Me too!" Chloe said excitedly. Suddenly, the walk sign above them dinging, and Max instantly started a fast walk across the street, not wanting to be caught in this cold any longer than necessary. She glanced behind her to see if Chloe was behind her, and-
Oh my god.
Had she been staring at her ass?
Chloe instantly lifted her eyes back up to Max's face, giving her a sheepish grin at being caught. To be fair, she didn't even seem all that bothered at being caught. Max knew that her face on fire, and found herself not offended at all- but flattered. She decided to not make the situation anymore awkward than it already was, and simply smiled warmly back to Chloe, slowing her pace as she rushed to catch up to her.
"Hey, listen. Let me treat you to breakfast. You know, as thanks for the scarf." Chloe suggested, sending a glance in Max's direction, and if she didn't know any better, she almost looked… nervous?
Max couldn't help but smile at that. Normally she would make up an excuse to get out of these sorts of situations. She considered herself a pretty hardcore introvert. But the way Chloe smiled at her, with this aura of excitement and energy around her, Max found herself oddly at ease in her presence, and wanting, more than anything, to spend a little more time with her.
"I'd love to, Chloe." She replied, and with that, they fell in step beside one another as they made their way to the diner.
And that is how Max spent the next hour of her morning. They had chosen a booth in the corner of the small diner, away from the noisy commotion of the rest of patrons. Not that it was overly noisy to begin with, but Arcadia Bay was a quiet place. It was pretty easy to forget just what exactly noisy was.
They had hit off to a friendship almost immediately. Although they had barely anything in common, with Chloe's obvious interest in anything punk and Max's love for photography. Despite this, they both listened to each other intently as they talked about their hobbies and lives to one another. Chloe's spunk and outlandish personality was refreshing to Max, making her feel like she'd known Chloe for years, making it easy for her to come out of her usual shell. Chloe had told her that she had lived in Arcadia Bay all her life, staying at home with her Mom and Stepfather (or Step-Douche as Chloe liked to call him) for the time being. Max, in turn, had explained her enrolment into Blackwell Academy as she was trying to take her steps to becoming a famous photographer. Chloe had even introduced Max to her Mom, Joyce, who happened to be a waitress at the diner when she had come around to take their orders.
Max had barely felt the time fly by, and before she knew it, time had crept dangerously close to her first class. Chloe had walked her out to the bus stop, although not before exchanging phone numbers and organising another time to meet up again. When Chloe had started to remove the scarf as they said their goodbyes, Max had insisted that she keep it, despite it being one of her favorites. Chloe had given her a mischievous grin, promising she'd give it to her on their next 'date'. Max couldn't help but blush and splutter at her choice of wording.
And so, when Max waved Chloe goodbye as she stepped onto the awaiting bus, she found herself looking forward to their next meeting more than anything.