Wake Me Up When September Ends
Part One – We Are Sex Bob-Omb, from Scott Pilgrim vs The World
This isn't your game's Max Caulfield…
HOLY FUCK! NEXT CHAPTER WILL PUT ME OVER 400,000 WORDS IN TWO MONTHS! JESUS FFFFUUUUUUUU
August 31, 2012
Fuck her! Fuck every goddamn thing about her, I swear to Dog, Max Caulfield said through narrowed eyes as she sped down the highway towards Arcadia Bay. Managing to keep herself under control the majority of the trip, she had finally succumb to her anger at a gas station in Sherdian. Halfway between Portland and her destination, Max had stopped in the gas station's parking lot to catch her breath and wash her face off. What little makeup she had decided to wear coming off, the cosmetics couldn't hide the bruise or the circles under her eye.
"F-Fucking Goddamnit," Max stuttered as she splashed cold water on her face, "I hate her." Breaking into a choking sob, Max fished a joint out of her jacket pocket with shaking hands.
Lighting the joint, Max leaned onto what she figured was the only clean spot on the bathroom wall. She wanted her mind to be anywhere but where she was or had been for the past 24 hours. Max wanted to just be in Arcadia Bay already with her arms around Chloe and sharing food or whatever with her girlfriend and Rachel. Taking a long drag of her dope, she slowly blew out some of the smoke before managing to catch it back in her mouth. Hearing someone gently tap on the locked back door, Max wiped at her eyes again and glared as the knocking was continued.
"Oh, fuck off! Wowsers, just leave me alone! There're two bathrooms!" Max snapped, hearing someone mutter on the other side as she flicked the stub of her joint against the bathroom door before grabbing what she referred to as the "Max Caulfield Survival Kit". Two freshly-rolled joints, Max having smoked the third, light concealer, a lighter, and a battered old MP3 player in a small hard-shell box. Said box then being placed into her old camera bag, Max never went anywhere without her backup. Plugging earbuds into the music player, Max slipped them in and began to play "Goodbye Beautiful Day" as she began to re-apply her makeup. Dog, I'm so thankful I never have to use this crap on a regular basis. Kristen would never let up on me, not after I talk so much shit about the new girl looking like a fucking clown.
Thinking of her friend sent a jolt of pain in her chest as her anxiety flared at Max's most recent memory from Seattle. Local 360 didn't typically open until 11am for the lunch crowd; sometimes, though, the manager of the first shift would let the staff come in for breakfast. Everyone pitching in, Max had been invited by Kristen as the brunette had managed to finagle a four-day reprieve from the busyness of waitressing.
"I have to know how you managed to pull this off, Maximillian," Kristen said, snatching a forkful of pancake off of Max's place as the brunette smiled awkwardly. "Why are you wearing sunglasses indoors, girl? Anxiety giving you headaches?"
"Uh, yeah," Max uttered, picking at a strawberry that had rolled off the stack of pancakes she has been picking at for the past five minutes, "Yeah. Haha, headaches totally suck."
Max knew that Kristen hadn't bought a single thing she had just said but didn't really feel like caring. Looking out from the blinds as they enjoyed a rare opportunity at window seating, Max watched the pedestrians take to the sidewalk and street crossings with no discernable interest until a hand shot out at her face and plucked the shades hiding her eyes.
"Hey! Goddamnit, Kristen!" Max cried out, trying to shield her face with a hand until she heard a gasp from her friend. Sighing, Max dropped her hand and let Kristen look upon her.
"Max…" Kristen tried to reach out to Max's face but the brunette flinching suggested that she didn't feel up for being touched. "…Your mom, again?"
"More like me and my 'smart mouth'," Max said, tentatively putting a couple fingers to her face as she traced the black eye, "Dad tried to stop her but she…she just gets like that sometimes."
"Don't defend her, Max," Kristen's tone turning serious, "God, what is Chloe going to think when she sees you like this?"
"T-That's kinda why I came, Kris," Max said as she brought her hard-shell case out of the camera bag slung over her shoulder. Showing her recently-purchased makeup, Max gave her friend an imploring look. "Will you help me put this crap on?"
Kristen had been kind enough to oblige, but Max knew that her friend had been fuming when she left. I hate letting people find out about this kind of bullshit, but I really needed help. Snickering bitterly as she finished up her work in the gas station bathroom, Max put on some lip balm and secured her things back in the camera bag. Opening the door, Max saw an irritated-looking woman standing at a sports car glare at her. Smiling cheerfully, Max waved at her as she went into the gas station to get something to drink. Yes, hello and fuck you too, Max thought before lowering her waving hand.
"Like I said. Two bathrooms, geez."
Presently, Max was heading down Route 18 towards Arcadia Bay and the girl who was more of a home to her than the actual place she laid her head. Chloe popping into her head was like a security blanket for Max, sending a warmth flooding through her body as the brunette smiled at the picture in her head. Checking her speedometer and the rearview mirror, Max had no desire to get pulled over for breaking the speed limit as much as she was. I also don't feel like taking my damn sweet time, either. Chloe's gonna be so surprised. I told her I was taking the bus, eheh. Biting her lip in anticipation of the reunion with Chloe, Max stifled a squeal as she bounced in her seat. The jeep swerved for a moment, giving Max some clarity as she calmed down from her surge of exuberance.
"Incoming Call from Dad," the hands-free calling system notified Max, her phone plugged into the jeep's console. Huffing, Max took a sip of her Red Bull.
"Why yes, Mom, I know that caffeine can be something of a risk," Max said to herself in a biting tone, "But, Mother, so is your goddamn hand. Boom. Micdrop."
"Incoming Call from-"
"Ugh, yes. I heard you, wowsers. 'Answer call.' Jesus fucking Christ," Max muttered the last bit, eyes rolling before she winced at the pained sound of her dad's voice. "Uh, hi."
"Max," Ryan Caulfield said in a saddened voice, "You…You didn't come home last night. Where are you?"
"Heading home, dad."
"Good. Look, your mother feels really bad about what happened. You know that you can push her sometimes, but that isn't any excuse. It's just…"
"It's just she hit me, Dad."
"I know, Max. I know," Max grimaced at how hurt Ryan sounded. I'm hurt more, Dad. You know that she'll probably just do it again. "How much longer is it going to be?"
"She'll…she'll be moving out in a few days. The separation paperwork came in yesterday."
"So she takes out the impending divorce on the daughter? Mother of the freaking year, that woman…"
"Max, please. When you come home-"
"I'm still headed to Arcadia Bay, Dad. To Chloe."
"Oh."
Sighing, Max told her dad that she would call him when she got situated. Ignoring his question as to why a lot of her stuff was missing from her room, Max quickly told her dad that she loved him before hanging up. I do love you, Dad, but I just can't be there right now. I-I can't. Mom…her and her fucking wine and her bullshit attitude. I have a job, I pay car insurance, a phone bill. I even offer to pay some kind of rent in appeasement after the first tattoo because she was so mad. Ugh! I can't win! Scratching at her chest, Max cursed at herself before resuming control of the steering wheel with both hands.
"I need a little quiet and peaceful," Max said, smirking at the idea of a quiet and peaceful Chloe Price, "Well, a quiet and peaceful environment. Maybe. Yeesh."
Max knew that last night had partially been her fault. Getting permission after pleading with her dad, Max had went and got another tattoo. Part of her surprise for Chloe, Max had winced through the pain. Her ribs had been worse, but the collarbone area across her chest felt both icy and searing with ever move of her neck or arms. After her giddy chat Skype session with Chloe, Max had forgotten to put her hoodie on before heading into the kitchen. Her mom, already looking irritable, saw the slightest hint of the petroleum jelly that Max was using to keep the tattooed skin moisturized and nearly ripped Max's shirt off when she grabbed the brunette's collar.
"Max. Again?" Vanessa Caulfield had said yesterday, shaking her head as Max wrenched herself free of the woman's grip, "Honey, why would you keep doing that to yourself? You know how you are with needles…"
"I'm not five anymore, Mom," Max replied, getting irritated as her mom simply looked at her disapprovingly, "Why can't you ever just be happy for me? My grades are good a-and I'm actually happy. For once, I'm genuinely happy."
"You say that now, but when whatever magic you and Chloe have fizzles out you will know how I am feeling right now. Your father…"
"Dad wants you out because you get drunk and tear into both him and me. Never mind you 'occasionally' smack your daughter around."
Slap!
"M-Max…," Vanessa said, a pained look on her face from the resulting immediate regret of striking her child, "I…I'm…"
"You're an honest-to-Dog bitch."
Max had stormed off to her room, an intense look of focus on her face as she pushed the entire brownstone out of her mind and packed for the trip to Arcadia Bay. Scratching at her new tattoo as she halted in front of her walk-in closet's full-length mirror, Max leaned against the reflective surface and whimpered as she cried while touching the darkening spot above her left eye. Screaming, she beat the mirror with a small fist until a spider-web crack formed from the successive impacts.
Scratching at the tattoo once more, her mind lost in thought as she drove automatically down the road, Max decided to think of the tattoo and not what had followed later with her mother. Honestly, if I'd known…nah, I'd still get it. Chloe's going to squee her throat raw. And I finally get to meet the 'illustrious' Rachel Amber. Texting and Skyping are nothing compared to an in-person meet-up. Avoiding the faces of both her mother and father from better days as they popped up in her mind, Max pushed the accelerator pedal a little more as she shot towards Arcadia bay and further away from Seattle and the source of her misery.
Two Whales was nearly empty as Max entered. Dressed in her usual denim shorts, stockings, and sneakers, Max had opted for a black tank-top and her old Army fatigue shirt. Sleeves rolled up as she plopped onto a stool, Max leaned against the counter and observed Joyce Price as Chloe's mom was busy cooking something up on the griddle. She's so nice, Max thought with a faint smile, Nicer than she actually needs to be. Chloe doesn't give her mom enough due. Joyce has gone through her own hell just as much as Che has. Sighing as she took a salt shaker and began to spin it on the countertop, Max watched Joyce nearly drop the plate of pancakes as the brunette's sudden appearance caught her by surprise.
"Max!" Joyce exclaimed, putting a hand to her chest with a slightly embarrassed look on her face.
"Eheh. Nice to see you, Joyce," Max said with a giggle, brushing a loose strand of her chestnut hair with her nose crinkled as a smile that reminded Joyce of years long past crossed the girl's face, "Uh, 'Boo', I guess?"
"Boo, indeed. Just…just give me a minute, Max. I'll be right back," Joyce said, muttering something Max couldn't make out as the brunette sat in contemplative silence.
Oh, Dog, I hope I didn't piss her off. I mean, she smiled, right? She's happy to see me, isn't she? Her anxiety beginning to rise as old insecurities began to re-emerge, Max clenched her hands and closed her eyes to calm both her nerves and her mind. I'm here and everything is fine. I'm here and everything is fine, Max thought like a mantra as she took in deep breaths.
"So, what can I get for Max Caulfield? Scaring the hell outta me isn't going to win you any free food this time, kiddo," Joyce said with a wry grin.
"What if I tell you that you look exceptionally pretty and that Two Whales has the best food I've ever had?" Max asked, smiling as she leaned against the counter.
"…Decent save, Max, if not obvious. You want something to eat?"
"Still serve breakfast 24/7? You know that I meant every word, Joyce. The truth is the truth."
"Belgian Waffle, right? I swear, you eat only that and you're going to wake up a waffle someday, Max." Giggling at Joyce's words, Max watched her girlfriend's mom call back her order to the cook before coming back with coffee and a water. "Chloe doesn't know you're coming down this early, does she? I called her yesterday; girl's on pins and needles, so excited. Rachel, too. I'm sure you know that she's spending her senior year at the girls' dormitory up at the school."
"Y-Yeah, she told me," Max stammered faintly, trying to push aside how angry Chloe had initially conveyed the information to her two weeks ago, "She…she sounded better about it yesterday. More calmed down. Che hella bit my ear off a couple of weeks ago, she was so mad."
"I just agree with David on this one, Max. She's going to be out of school next spring and she needs to start taking some responsibility for herself. Even if it's a dorm room, she has to keep her space tidy and take care of herself more than she was under the roof of our house."
"Yeah, I can see that," Max said, nodding in agreement over the need for Chloe to take some measure of responsibility, "I can also see why she was so mad. She has a lot of trouble expressing herself without everything coming out as anger."
"Except for you. You coming to get her is probably the best thing for her in years, Max." Aww, Max thought at the admission, her face getting hot as she looked away in embarrassment. "All that toughness and city 'tude, but you're still the same girl I made pancakes for with William."
"I'll always be that little girl in some way. There's just a lot more to me now, s'all," Max said, sipping at her coffee as she looked over Joyce's shoulder to see a Belgian waffle appear on the counter separating the kitchen from the front area. "Food's ready."
Smiling, Joyce turned around to get Max's order and return to the brunette with a piping-hot Belgian Waffle. Scooping a few dollops of whipped cream onto the food, Joyce set out a small bottle of maple syrup and offered to refill Max's coffee.
"No thanks. Too much caffeine already." Way too much. I'm going to be fucking bouncing all weekend long. "Um, Joyce?"
"Yeah?" Joyce asked, seeing the nervous look on Max's face. "Max? What is it?"
"A-Are you sure…is it going to be okay, my sleeping at your house during the weekend?" Hey, Joyce? Is your jerk of a husband going to nail me for every single thing I do? Dickhead. "I don't want to cause any trouble…"
"Relax and eat your food, Max. If David gives you any shit, remind him that you're a guest in my house. He'll mind his manners; I'll make sure of that."
Nodding hesitantly as Joyce left to make the rounds with her coffee pot, Max poked at the waffle apprehensively with a fork before letting out a breath she'd been keeping in. Please let this weekend go off without a hitch. I just want my Che. Please? Can I just have that blue-haired dork and be left the fuck in peace? Looking up as though in prayer, Max silently asked for a nice weekend before turning her attention to the plate of food before her.
"Time to nosh," Max said, cutting up a slice of waffle and dunking it in the mound of whipped cream. Her mind placidly calm as she chewed the morsel, Max felt at peace as the world slipped away into just her and thoughts of Chloe.
The Arcadia Bay bus station had an additional function as the point where the commuter trains came through. Oversized for a town of Arcadia Bay's size, the station was used for unloading and loading on one side for buses and the other for trains. Opting to park a couple blocks away, not wanting to give away her already being in town, Max had slapped a dark blue beanie onto her head and tucked all her hair in as she watched an old truck pull up to the curb facing the station. Seeing a long-haired girl slide out of the passenger side before pointing to a parking lot across the street in the direction opposite Max, the brunette giggled. That must be Rachel. Wow, she's so pretty. No wonder Chloe thinks she could be a model. Streaming video doesn't do you justice. Wowsers.
Peeking from around the building she was hiding by, Max watched as a blue-haired girl came walking up to Rachel. Both girls dressed like they had just gotten back from a grunge show, Max smirked as Chloe looked down at her phone.
Chloe: Max! Where u at, nerd? I need my gf time meow.
Max: enough with the super troopers, Che. Bus is almost there, I think. I could use some quality Che Time too
Chloe: Whatcha want to do tonight? Like I said last night, not much aside from all the nothin' in this town.
Max: Is the old movie theater still open?
Chloe: well, yeah
Chloe: they don't play anything new, tho
Max: I looked it up and saw a horror movie marathon is scheduled for tonight.
Max: The Exorcist, Evil Dead 2, Night of the Living Dead.
Max: Classics!
Chloe …
Max: come ON! I watched Jaws with you last week. Yeah, it was on Netflix and we were texting as we watched separately
Max: I still watched it, and you know I get freaked out by that movie
Chloe: dun-dun
Max: Chloe stop it
Chloe: Dun-DUN
Max: I swear I will turn this motherfucking bus right around
Chloe: wehhhhhh FINE
Chloe: UGH
Max: ?
Chloe: Rachel's been reading over my shoulder. She's in.
Max: hahahaha, victory is ours Rachel! Brunettes unite over her blue-haired punk-ass!
Chloe: STFU, Maxine
Max: harsh. No love 4 u
Chloe: Nooooooo I sowwy!
Max: Che?
Chloe: Yeah?
Max: look across the street.
Putting her phone back into the camera bag slung over her shoulder, Max watched as Chloe showed her phone to Rachel before both girls looked down the street. Max laughed as the girls looked the wrong way, Chloe scratching her head in confusion as Rachel put a hand over her eyes to shield her vision from the sun.
"Hey, dork!" Max shouted, putting her hands to her face. "You're facing the wrong way!"
Chloe spun around so fast that Rachel had to catch her before she tripped over her own feet. Leaning against a telephone poll set next to her, Max giggled as she heard a loud "Nerd!" come from Chloe as the bluenette came sprinting across the street. Her mouth split in a large grin, Max felt her heart pound as she saw her girlfriend in the flesh for the first time in two months. She's beautiful. Two months went by too goddamn slow, Chloe. I-I missed you…missed you so much…
"Max!" Chloe exclaimed, opening her arms wide as the misty-eyed brunette came leaping into her arms, "Hey, lady! Oh, Max, don't cry. You fucking cry as much as I do, I swear."
Max put a finger to Chloe's lips. Why do you have to talk so damn much when there's better things to do, Chloe? Max thought as she pulled the brunette down by her jacket collar and pressed their lips together in a forceful kiss. Turning her head as their lips parted and met in repetition, Max slid her tongue into Chloe's mouth quickly and took in the taste of weed and soda. Max didn't want to let her go, pulling Chloe back into her when the bluenette pulled back to catch her breath. Stand still, you! I could literally eat you up right the fuck now, honest. How are you so sexy and so damn cute at the same time, Che?
"So," Chloe said, panting as Max finally let her go, "You…whew, you miss me or somethin', Mad Max?"
"Maybe a little," Max smirked, her cheeks flush from the kissing and realizing how much of a spectacle she had made them. Hearing a cat-call from a little ways down the sidewalk, Max's face reddened further before rolling her eyes in amusement at the approaching Rachel Amber.
"Holy shit, Chloe," Rachel said, punching Max's girlfriend on the shoulder, "No wonder you never shut up about her! Damn, Max, you're a firecracker!"
"Hey, Rachel," Max said, smiling as the tall girl leaned into Max's arms for a hug. She's not that much taller than you, Chloe. You made it sound like she's an Amazon, doofus. "Heh, 'Max go boom'?"
"Max go very boom," Rachel said, kissing Max on the cheek, "You are fucking adorable, both of you are. Let me take a picture at the happy reunion."
Max leaned into Chloe, their arms wrapped around each other's shoulders as they looked at Rachel's camera phone with bright smiles. Hearing a slight click from the phone's speaker, Max was glad that the moment of her and Chloe's reunion would be recorded and looked away from Rachel for a second to get her own Polaroid camera out. Holding it out so that Rachel could take another picture with it, Max saw a look of concern in Rachel's eyes and furrowed her brow in confusion. Chloe's attention diverted by a call from Joyce, Max watched Rachel approach her with some hesitation in the tall brunette's steps.
"What's wrong?" Max asked, her mouth turned up in a smirk as she tilted her head slightly to one side, "Rachel?"
"…Are you okay, Max?" Rachel's voice was low and quiet, Max watching her glance over at Chloe before returning her attention to Max. "My…my phone takes hi-def pictures. I know concealer when I see it."
Oh fuck. No, Max thought as she backpedaled a few steps away from Rachel Amber, the taller girl face twisting downwards in a worried frown. This is not happening. Please just leave it alone, Rachel. I-I don't…I don't want to talk about it. Can't we just laugh and smile and…fuck…, Max thought, tears beginning to well up. Rachel moved closed the distance between herself and Max almost immediately, the little brunette thankful as her friend wrapped her up in a warm hug.
"Fuck, Max. I am so…oh, God. Chloe doesn't know, does she?" Rachel said, patting Max's back while checking to make sure Chloe wasn't paying them any attention. "Thank God that Chloe has fucking tunnel vision when it comes to her parents right now. Hey, how 'bout I ride with you? Chloe can drive back to Blackwell and I'll help you drop your shit off at Joyce's."
"She w-won't be pissed?" Max stuttered, burying her face into Rachel's shirt, "I…I just wanted this weekend to be perfect. I just want her."
"Sweetie, she will fucking manage an hour longer," Rachel said, pulling herself away from Max as she called out to Chloe, "Hey Chlo! I'm going to ride with Max to your mom's and help her unload her stuff. We'll see you back at the dorms, yeah?"
Max peered over Rachel's shoulder to see a perplexed Chloe look at them with a curious expression before nodding and returning to her phone call. I want to tell you, Chloe. I'd just like some time with you before shit hits the damn fan. My crapocalypse can wait at least another hour, okay? Sniffling, Max wiped at her face as she led Rachel hand in hand to her jeep.
"Your wheels are a helluva lot nicer than Chloe's, heh," Rachel said as she climbed into the passenger seat, "Cleaner, too. Except, apparently, for the floorboard. That's a lot of energy drinks, Max. That can't help with your anxiety."
"Thanks, Mom," Max said, wincing at the memory of her mother as she felt her stomach twist. "Just…just fucking kick them out onto the parking lot, if you want. Also, not all of them are from today. So please dial the parenting skills down some, okay?"
Getting a thoughtful nod in reply from Rachel as they buckled their seat belts, Max started her jeep back up and leaned out the window to give Chloe a kiss before taking off for Joyce's.
"See you soon?" Chloe asked, taking the phone away from her face for a moment, "Hey, are you okay Max? You look upset."
"I'm just tired, Chloe." The statement was a half-truth; while Max was tired, her state of mind was the result of many other things aside from road weariness. I'll never get the fuck away from it all. Dog, not ever. "Um, yeah. See you soon, Che."
Max didn't notice the look that Rachel gave Chloe as she leaned back into her seat. The brunette was narrowing her attention down to just getting back onto the street, giving herself small goals that kept her mind occupied. Get it together, Max. Chloe needs you, and you need her. You can't go it alone forever. Your dad, Chloe; these people need you and shutting down isn't going to make the bad things go away.
"Fuck," Max mumbled under her breath, cursing herself more than anything else as she felt truly cursed. I just want to be happy. Can't I just have that, if only for a little while?
Max pulled into the driveway of Joyce's house and shut her jeep off; moving to slide out of the driver's seat, Max felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking over at Rachel, Max was torn between just withdrawing into herself and bawling her eyes out as she told Rachel everything. This wasn't Max's first time crash-diving into a friendship; she had done so with Victoria Chase and the confidence she had placed in the blonde girl had backfired when signals became crossed. And now she's here in Arcadia Bay. Just another fucked up thing in my fucked up life. Huzzah and all that other crap! Insert groan here…
"Max, talk to me," Rachel said, her tone soft as she tried to encourage the conflicted, freckled girl.
"…No," Max finally said, looking over her shoulder at Rachel, the other girl clearly taken aback by Max's refusal. "I…Chloe should be the first person I talk to about this. Nothing personal, Rachel. You're really sweet and I feel like I know you a little better now that I've met you in person and not just online; I just need to tell Chloe first before anyone else. I-Is that okay…?"
"That's fine, Max," Rachel said, a smile on her face as she lightly squeezed Max's shoulder in support, "I just hope you talk to someone about whatever it is you have going on. Keeping shit from Chloe, something that comes with a black eye, that will have consequences. You know a lot more about her situation than you let on; our talks prove that plain as day."
"You told me a lot that first night, when Che and I were at The Skylark. I can't believe that her stepdad tried to hit her."
"He came close, Max. If it weren't for me and Joyce, he probably would have," Rachel said, looking away as she held her arm with her other hand, "He's a fucking jerk, that's for sure. You be careful when you're crashing here, okay? He spied on Chloe so he'll probably try the same thing on you."
"The stepdouche is welcome to try," Max said, narrowing her eyes before giving a snicker Rachel an incredulous look, "What?"
"You and Chlo are just so similar, Max. No wonder you two fit each other so well; you're both dorks." Rachel held back her laughter when Max's face turned a dark red, "I can't tell if that's anger or embarrassment. Chloe said you're hella shy half the time."
"S-Shut the fuck up," Max stuttered before pulling herself free of Rachel's hand and hastily exiting the jeep, groaning when she heard Rachel confirm that it was shyness. "Ugh, Rachel! You want to walk back to Blackwell?"
"Oh, pffft. Like you'd actually do that. You're too nice."
Max just stared at Rachel through the rear window as she paused in unloading her bags. Try. Me.
"You wouldn't dare," Rachel said, clamping her mouth shut when she saw a wicked grin flash across Max's face as a reply. "H-Hey, Max, would you like some help?"
"Why yes, Rachel, that would be lovely." Teasing Rachel, Max felt her spirits lift a bit as she went inside Chloe's childhood with Rachel behind her, heading directly up the stairs and into the room that had once been Chloe's. "Well, at least nothing's changed."
The room looked almost the exact same as Max remembered, the girls walking in before Rachel closed and locked the door. What the butt? Max thought as she shot Rachel a confused look, You expecting a home invasion or something, Rachel?
"Asshole insurance," Rachel said, setting down the duffel bag as she took in everything that Max had brought, "This is a bit more than a person needs for a long weekend, don't you think? What aren't you…whoa. Max, is that a double-fret guitar?"
Max looked over at Rachel with a sly grin and nodded. That's my baby so you better be nice, lady, Max thought as she walked over to the soft case and unzipped the side. She had been overjoyed when her father had given her the guitar as an early birthday present a couple weeks ago. The reasoning behind her receiving the gift early being a distraction from everything going on in the house, her mom slowly moving her belongings out, Max had been relatively indifferent as she had immediately begun to fool around with the electric guitar. I love my acoustic, but this thing is so hardcore, Max thought as she slipped the guitar out, both of its necks a little worn from being second-hand.
"Holy fuck, Max. Can you actually play this?" Rachel asked as she slung the guitar strap over her shoulder. Winking, Max only elicited a larger grin from the taller girl as Rachel strummed randomly at the strings.
"Yes, I can actually play my own damn guitar," Max's sarcasm getting a giggle from Rachel as she pulled a small amp out of the duffel Rachel had been carrying. No bigger than a lunchbox, the small piece of audio equipment's sole light glowed red as Max plugged it in. "See, this I don't mind showing you before Che. Heh, I've been wanting to show someone what I've picked up. You're my first, so be gentle."
"Does Chloe get her dirty humor from you?" Both girls laughed before Max cleared her throat and began to focus on the task at hand.
Motioning for Rachel to take a seat, Max watched the taller girl sit over at Chloe's desk. Running her hands along the worn fretboards before making sure that both sets of strings were in tune. Everything sounds chill, Max thought as she began to strum, This is my second greatest escape, right here. Chloe comes first, but playing music and my photography has been around longer. Popping her knuckles against her neck one hand at a time, Max began to slowly play a simple rhythym. Watching Rachel's head bob as the taller girl swayed in beat with the music, Max giggled before tearing into a faster rythym. Rachel's eyes widened to Max's delight as her perfectly small hands flew across the fretboards, plucking at all the right strings with her guitar pic.
"…Uh…holy shit," Rachel said, eyeing Max as the freckled girl unslung her guitar and began to pack everything back up, "What…what was that, and how do you hide being able to do that?"
"It was a couple tracks from a local Seattle band. La Dispute? No?" Max snickered as a bewildered Rachel shook her head. Eheheheh, I'm full a' surprises. Something Chloe loooooves about me, Max thought. A grin plastered on her face as she spaced out, Max came to when Rachel coughed. "Heh, sorry. Um, a couple guitar pieces from two of their songs, 'Fall Down, Never Get Back Up Again' and 'Damaged Goods'. I've been playing since…since my family moved to Seattle. My dad wanted to keep me distracted from everything that went down here. I was already into photography, so he indulged me in music. Chloe actually got my interest in music started. I just picked it up from there and ran with it."
"You're like a musical ninja. I so did not see that coming, Max. Fucking dope!" Rachel said before getting startled by her phone suddenly vibrating in her back pocket. Cussing, Rachel flipped off Max teasingly with a smirk as she looked at the screen. "L-O-L. Chloe will nag the shit out of me about where you are but I don't think she's hit you up once. Want to have a little fun, Max?"
Max giggled mischievously, walking over to sit on the desk as Rachel leaned on the space next to the diminutive guitarist. Opening the message app up, Rachel and Max bent over the screen before Max pulled out her own phone.
Rachel: u could just txt Max, u kno
Chloe: eheheh…uhh…
Rachel: u awkward fuk
Rachel: don't matter
Chloe: ?
Max: Rach, come back 2 bed
Rachel: Max, I'm…shit, I'm on the phone with Chloe
Max: this is a conference chat? Oh crap
Chloe: bullshit
Rachel: ours is a secret, torrid love
Max: o Rachel
Rachel: o max
Chloe: not
Chloe: even
Chloe: fucking
Chloe: funny
Max: sry baby. We're on our way, okay? Still up for movies?
Chloe: how bout u me and pizza in my room? I haf movies, Maxaroni
Chloe: plus…I get u to myself and not a room of fucking spazmonauts
Rachel: You two have your own fucking language, I swear
Max: slkjfoske, Chloe?
Chloe: oiusodkfw, Max! Hella oiusodkfw! ROFLMFAO
Max: XD
Chloe: NO EMOJI! Get yo booty in gear, dude!
Max joined Rachel in a shared fit of laughter, both girls getting red in the face as Chloe kept asking where they went. Max sent Chloe a final message indicating that they were heading to Blackwell and grabbed some of her things – hygiene bag, guitar, amp - before heading out the door. Closing the door to Chloe's room, temporarily Max's new domain, Rachel spun on her heel to produce a key.
"Joyce gave this to me in secret a couple years ago," Rachel said as she placed it in Max's palm, "You know some of how bad things got for Chlo. It was a pretty dark time back then. Joyce entrusted me with this key for Chloe's room. This is your 'Asshole Insurance', Maxaroni. I don't want David fucking with you like he's fucked with me and Chloe."
Max took the key and felt her lip tremble at how kind the taller girl was being. Kristen and Fernando were equally kind, but Max had come to know them for years; Rachel took her in immediately and Max loved her new friend for it. Kissing Rachel on the cheek in thanks, Max watched with faint amusement as Rachel's face reddened ever so slightly. Giggling, Max nearly fell on her face when the taller girl retaliated by yanking her down the stairs.
"Your lady awaits, ninja rock star," Rachel said, smiling as she looked over her shoulder at Max when they had made it outside, "Come clean. Are you a riot grrrl, Max?"
"First rule of riot grrrl club is to not talk about riot grrrl club," Max said, sticking her tongue out at Rachel as the other girl laughed in response with a sarcastic "Okay, Max Durden" causing the freckled brunette to join in on the laughter. Opening their respective doors, both girls climbed into Max's jeep with Max starting the engine up before Rachel could even get her seatbelt on. Backing out of the driveway with a squeal of her tires, Max wiggled her eyebrows at an excited Rachel Amber before looking in the rearview mirror. Max sighed at the concealer having worn off, That's just great. My first quality time with Chloe in two months and I'm barreling in with a shiner, her tears and sweat having gotten into the powder. Muttering to herself about how shitty the weekend was starting, Max went for her sunglasses only to have Rachel block her grasping hand.
"Don't hide it, Max. Let her see. It'll be better if you're upfront with someone who loves you like Chloe does," Rachel said, her words encouraging as she gave Max an earnest look, "Have faith in your girlfriend. I know that things are still new, but she's really trying."
"Okay," Max said with a sigh, slumping her shoulders as she began to head in the direction of Blackwell Academy, "You're right. I owe it to her as much as I owe it to myself. Maybe. I already told her some things. She probably came to her own conclusions in Seattle, not seeing how my home life is when the 'rents are around. Wowsers, this is probably gonna suck."
Max couldn't help but feel a little disappointed when there was no sign of her blue-haired girlfriend in the parking lot of Blackwell Academy. The area mostly vacant, Max had spun through the small lot before backing into the space next to Chloe's truck. Rolling up the windows, Max switched off the engine and snatched her sunglasses before Rachel could stop her. Putting up a hand before Rachel could speak, Max gave the other girl her best set of puppy eyes and was rewarded with her new friend's sigh of resignation.
"You're going to have to tell her eventually, dude." Rachel's statement felt more like an ultimatum to Max, though they both knew that wasn't the case. "Do you really want her to figure it out on her own or from somebody else? It would kill her, Max. She needs to know that you trust her."
"I do trust her, Rachel. I gave her my heart, for crying out loud!" Max snapped, wincing at the wounded look on Rachel's face. "Ugh, I'm sorry, Rachel. I…I just need to blaze, nosh, and unwind. I slept in my damn jeep last night and I've only had Two Whales, water, and a couple Red Bulls."
Rachel came over and gave Max a hug, both girls latching onto one another for a moment. Rachel soothing, Max sighing, the girls detached as Rachel grabbed a small suitcase that Max had kept out of the unloading at Joyce's house. Clothes, my stash, laptop, et ceter-fucking-a. The Max Attack Strikes Back! Smirking at her own pun, Max followed Rachel across the courtyard of Blackwell's main building.
"I'm assuming it's desolate because school's out," Max said, watching the slight breeze play with the trees, "Otherwise I'm going to have to ask how I got to Silent Hill."
"Ooh, have you played Silent Hill: Downpour yet?" Rachel asked excitedly as they turned into the breezeway leading to the girls' dormitory.
"I think it looks a little like Alan Wake, but I'm excited to try it out," Max said, "I thought all you played was Left 4 Dead, Rachel."
"You can call me 'Rach', Max. Ease the hell up, pint-size," Rachel said, wrapping her free arm around Max as she slowed her pace to catch the freckled girl unawares, "Blazing definitely sounds like a good idea. Fair warning, though – Chloe's deterrent to getting caught toking up in her room is pretty fucking awful, Max. Like, people have complained awful."
Frowning as she tried to imagine what Chloe could do to get people to complain, Max let out a barking laugh to Rachel's amusement. What the hell doesn't Chloe do to get complaints? She might as well come with a comment box nailed to her ass. Giving Rachel a mocking curtsey as the taller girl held the door open for her, both girls stuck their tongues out at each other before heading up the stairs to the second floor.
"This is where we part for now, Max Caulfield," Rachel said at the door leading to her and Chloe's floor, "My room is the first on the left, Chloe's is the last door on the right. You two, well, I don't feel like being in the midst of Chloe en flagrante. I need you to do something for me, though."
"Hmm?" Max asked, smirking with a curious look on her face as Rachel placed both of her hands on Max's shoulders.
"Chill…the fuck…out. You're here for days, Max. Enjoy it, and enjoy your girlfriend. Two months, even with Skyping and texting, is a long fucking time. You're only 12, after all."
"I'll be 17 in a couple weeks, ass."
"Like I said, you'll be 5. Later, Maxaroni!"
With Rachel ducking into her room, Max was left to her own devices as the taller girl's door closed with a quiet click of the lock. Shit, shit, shiiiiiit, Max thought as she stood right in front of the stairway door. Her feet wouldn't budge, and her chest was pounding something fierce. Not now, Max thought as she dragged herself inch by inch down the hall. The freckled girl felt terrified, but of what Max did not necessarily know or understand. I should feel ecstatic about finally being with Chloe again, but I'm not. I'm dreading it. Did I set my expectations too high? Is there something wrong with me? Am I going to mess all of this weekend up? Wowsers, I'm a fucking nut-bar.
"You can do this, Max," Max muttered to herself, trying to talk herself up, "Just knock on the door and let yourself get swept up in being here with Chloe. Your girlfriend." The thought of Chloe as her girlfriend turning the corners of her lips up in a faint smile, blue hair and eyes piercing her surge of depression, Max took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
"Max!" Chloe said, her face lighting up with a huge smile when she opened the door, "You're here! Get your ass in here, nerd!"
Feeling suddenly very shy, Max looked down at her feet for a moment before she felt Chloe's hand on her shoulder. Looking back up slowly, Max saw Chloe's warm smile and felt part of what had been bothering her up to that point fizzle out. Dropping some of her bags, Max stood on her tip-toes and wrapped her arms around Chloe. Both girls leaning in, their foreheads touched for a moment before Chloe brought her lips to Max's. Not the hungry, greedy kiss from a half-hour ago, their lips moved more slowly, their tongues lapping inside of each other's mouths as Chloe placed a hand on the small of Max's back. Feeling a moan writhe up her throat, Max shuddered as what felt like electricity shot through her. Feeling Max tremble, Chloe let her girlfriend go and stood back with an accomplished smile on her face.
"Dude, why are you wearing sunglasses inside? Despite reports to the contrary, that shit is hella stupid," Chloe said, chuckling as she reached out for Max's shades only backpedal when Max batted the blue-nailed fingers away, "Ow, Max! What the fuck?"
"I-I'm sorry," Max said, looking away in embarrassment. Stepping into the doorway, Chloe having moved deeper into her room, Max sighed. "I'm sorry, Che. There's something…c-can you help me move my stuff inside? I-I'd rather not leave my belongings in the hallway." I can't speak the words I need to, what with all this foot in my damn mouth. Ugh, just tell her already! Rachel's right – she needs to hear it from me.
Max and Chloe becoming awkward after the rejection of Chloe's touch on the part of her girlfriend, they carried the few bags that Max had on her. Eyeing Max's guitar case and amplifier with a muted interested, Chloe turned looked over her shoulder to where Max stood near the mirror. Max looked at herself in the mirror, sunglasses in her hands as she hid her black eye with chestnut hair. Why am I so terrified? She's my girlfriend. Chloe loves me. She wouldn't do anything to hurt me. Would she…? Max's mind shot back to screamed words and angry tears from a little over four years ago. Argh! That was a different situation. Stop living in the past, Caulfield!
"Chloe, I-I need…I need to show you something," Max said, slumping against Chloe's door before she leaning against as she sat on the floor.
"Max, you are hella confusing right now. You kiss me at the station, fucking epic-level kiss, you tease me over the phone, kiss me here, and then you shut down and slap my hand away," Chloe said, moving to sit across from Max in a cross-legged fashion, "Are you on a bad trip? Did you blaze with a shit batch or something?"
"What? No, nothing like that," Max said, looking down at her fidgeting hands, "Here. I'll show you."
With a shaking hand and reddening eyes, Max pulled back the hair she had only moments ago used to cover her black eye. Not able to look Chloe in the face as her injury was suddenly out in the open, Max winced as she heard a sharp intake of breath from her girlfriend. Please don't freak, please don't freak. I'm freaking out enough for both of us, Chloe. Honest to Dog, I really am. Chloe's fingers brushed against the cheek below Max's injured eye and she tensed up for a moment before leaning her head forward so Chloe could get a better look.
"Max…," Chloe said, her voice quiet and somber as she gently probed at the dark bruise around Max's eye, "What happened?"
"…My mother…"
"W-What? Your mom…no, no fucking way-"
"I-I wouldn't lie about this, Chloe! I have no reason to…" Max began to sob as she felt Chloe's other hand come forward so that the bluenette was cupping her girlfriend's face.
"…How long has it been like this? Your place…I mean, there's nothing to suggest…Max, why didn't you tell me about this before?"
"Because I-I didn't want to burden you with it, Chloe. I know you've been dealing with David's fuckery for years, I know about a lot more than you think. Rachel…she's kinda filled me in on things…"
"…Things?" It was Chloe's turn to tense up, her fingers beginning to pull away from Max's face before two smaller hands grasped onto them.
"No, please! Please, Chloe. I'm the one who has fucked up here. I should have told you sooner, but I just wanted to be happy," Max said, leaning forward so that the top of her head was pressed lightly against Chloe's chest as the bluenette scooted forward. "I-It started…a-a couple years ago. Mom's job in Seattle fell through and Dad was pulling double-duty in the Marshal's office. She drank. A lot."
"Hey," Chloe said, putting a hand to Max's chin and raising her head up so that the girls were looking into each other's eyes, "You don't have to spill it all right now, Max. I just want you to know that you can trust me with this type of stuff. I love you, dude. What were you worried about, me flipping out?"
Yeah, Max thought. Only a nod was able to escape her as her body was shaking from the emotional impact of letting her most private life out for someone to know. You're the only one I'd tell everything to, Che. I want you so bad, want to tell you everything. It's just that there's so much, and I always seem to just be too tired to get into it.
"I-I…," Max stammered, Chloe trying to calm her down only for her voice to pick back up with a stronger edge, "I was just working on my homework the first night. I had been on the balcony, taking a smoke break from studying for my finals. She wanted a hit. It wasn't that big of a deal, but she wouldn't give it back. She said she needed it more than me, at the time, that she was between jobs and that nobody seemed to care. I-I cried and told her that wasn't true, and then I tried to take my joint from her. I…I think it was an accident, but the back of her hand came across my temple and the next thing I knew I-I was on the floor with her looking at me with such a sad face…"
"Hey, Max," Chloe said, sliding over so that she was sitting next to a crying Max. Pulling Max's head into her lap, Chloe felt Max grasp at her jeans and stroked her girlfriend's hair. "Hey, I'm right here. I'm here for you, babe. I'm not going anywhere, okay? Do you need your meds? Do you need to blaze up?"
Shaking her head, Max buried her face into the leg of Chloe's jeans and felt the denim become wet from her tears. I-I'm just so tired, always tired. Tired of my home, tired of my life, tired of…of everything. I don't cut anymore because I've got my stash and medication, but it's just replacing one means of escape and relief for another. They can't take away the pain – they can only help me bury it further. Sniffling, Max wiped her eyes and nose with a shirt sleeve before taking the olive drab shirt off. Hearing Chloe whistle, Max looked up from her position and turned around so that she was lying down in Chloe's lap with her face looking up at the smiling bluenette.
"What?" Max asked, her voice meek and soft.
"I spy some new ink on ya, Max," Chloe said, pointing down at Max's collarbone and chest, "Eheheh, sorry. I'm…I'm getting awkward. Not used to being someone's shoulder to cry on, Max."
"S'okay," Max said, reaching up to caress Chloe's cheek, "You're actually not that bad at it for a first-timer, dork."
"Nerd."
"Your nerd."
"Hella yes!" Chloe said, grinning as she kissed the palm of Max's outstretched hand. "Can we…can we talk about this-"
"Later?" Max couldn't help but feel a little hurt. I get that it is a lot to take in, Che. You probably thought my life was fucking perfect, or whatever. Perfection is a lie, and we're all just liars-in-progress. Still, you listened. Wowsers. Yeah, we can talk later. "Sure."
"Dude. Lemme see the new ink," Chloe said, sitting Max up so that she could get to her feet. Holding her hands up, Max helped as the bluenette pulled her to her feet.
"Heh, I got them with you in mind. I think you'll know what I mean," Max said as she began to pull her shirt off.
"Uh," Chloe uttered, awkward and blushing as Max paused with the tank-top halfway off. "S-So. This new ink my name? Did you finally admit you belong to me, Max Caulfield?"
"I belong to myself first, Chloe Elizabeth Price," Max enunciated every word of Chloe's full name, emphasizing that she wasn't anybody's property, "And you're beyond dorky if you think I'd ever get anyone's name tattooed on me. That's right there with getting a heart with my dad's name on it only to find they misspelled 'Ryan'."
"Ouch, Max. So hurtful, and from the kids' meal of girlfriends, too." Chloe laughed as Max flipped her off, the brunette giggling from inside the tank top as she finished raising it over her head. Tossing it on Chloe's bed, Max put her hands on her hips.
"Well?"
"That…that is fucking amazeballs, Max. Like, holy crap." Chloe's stunned reaction satisfied Max. Heh, pick your jaw up. You really are a dork.
Three blue butterflies traced along Max's collarbone, small wisps of blue and black lines trailing between them to simulate air. The blue of the wings almost seemed to glow as Chloe looked on, Max crossing her arms over her chest as she began to feel awkward at getting her girlfriend's undivided attention. Feast your eyes, Chloe. Don't fucking devour me whole, though? Okay? Geez. Feeling Chloe's fingertips trace along the tattoo, Max winced at how fresh the newest addition to her ink still was.
"How recent is this?" Chloe asked, examining the tattoos with greater detail. "The coloring is so vivid, Max."
"Heh, yesterday. I got them yesterday," Max said, motioning that she wanted her tank-top back. Catching the tossed shirt, Max quickly pulled it over her head and down until she was covered once more. "Still stings. I haven't had a chance to moisturize it yet today."
"Heh, want me to slick that up for you?" Chloe's mischievous look became a pout as Max responded with a rolling of her eyes and shaking of her head.
"Dude, you are the worst when it comes to cheesy innuendo. Where do you come up with this crap?" Max asked, giggling as she began to look around Chloe's room. "Are you sure this is a dorm room and not a dank alleyway that was just plugged into a dorm?"
"Shaddup! I just want it to feel like home, yo. Welcome, to casa de Chloe, Max. We hope you hella enjoy your stay."
The walls covered in doubles of her posters back at Joyce's, Chloe had forgone the sharpie graffiti in exchange for sheets of notebook paper scattered along the walls with lyrics from songs and doodles. A blurb in sharpie here, a string of profanity there. You really have been marking your turf, Chlo. Seeing something peeking out from behind the wall Chloe's bed was set alongside, Max knelt on the mattress and began to take a closer look. You have this whole damn wall covered. Why is this wall covered? Seeing the gleam of several pieces of tape, Max realized that all the posters on the wall she was facing were not only taped to the wall but also to each other.
"What will I find behind door number one, Chloe Price?" Max said, looking over at Chloe as her girlfriend stood rooted in place, looking away with her cheeks flush in contrast to her blue hair. Not getting an answer, Max peeled a corner off the wall and bent down to try and get a better look. "This a mural or something?"
"…Or something. Can you just…can you just leave it?" Chloe asked, her voice surprising Max in how earnest the pleading was.
"I'm not prying that much, Chloe. Here, I'll put it back." Max set the corner of taped posters back along the wall and smoothed it so that it stuck once more. "I would like to see it while I'm here, though. If that's okay. Knew you couldn't live here without defacing something…"
"You should have seen the back of the gym. The caretaker guy was rolling paint for two days. I'm a Picasso with a spray can, Mad Max."
Lying down on the bed, Max giggled as Chloe leaped from where she stood to land next to the brunette. Chloe nuzzling her neck, Max giggled and winced as the slight tickling sensation and pain of her new tattoo blended together. Junior sadomasochist? Ugh, no fucking way. Though I hope that Chloe doesn't stop; she can always move up, y'know. Tilting her head down, Max met Chloe's lips halfway before the taller girl slid up the bed so that they were lying parallel to one another. Atta girl, Che. Smiling between kisses, Max placed a hand on Chloe's hip and pressed it down so that she was able to straddle her girlfriend. Leaning over a smiling Chloe, Max gave Chloe a smile of her own and felt the heat coming from her cheeks.
"What?" Max said, her tone bashful and wanting at the same time.
"Y'know, you can be pretty sexy when you want, Max," Chloe said, holding the small hands that had been placed on her shoulders as Max began to lower herself incrementally, "To me, though, you'll always be beautiful."
"Hella beautiful?" Max asked, a giggle beginning only to stop just as suddenly. The serious look on Chloe's face seemed to erase all the mirth that had been building in the small dorm room. "Hey, I was just joking around. I think it's wonderful-"
"I love you, Max. I think you're amazing and beautiful. You're so much stronger than I could have imagined the little girl I knew might become," Chloe said, somewhere between blurting and a pre-prepared speech, "I know that I am a smartass sometimes, and that I don't always take serious things seriously. I just want you to know I will always take your heart into account with anything that comes our way. You are my rock, Max, my shelter and my home."
…Wowsers, Max thought, tears falling onto Chloe's cheeks as they spilled from Max's eyes. How are you able to say such amazing things, Chloe, when you've been fucked with for so long? How can you shine so bright in a place so dark? Lowering herself the rest of the way down, resituating her seated position, Max tilted Chloe's chin up as she met the bluenette with breathy kisses and the slight wetness of her tongue. I can't really describe what you mean to me, Chloe Price. All I can do for now is be here to show you. Someday soon, I'll be able to put it into words. Until then…
"I love you."
Author's Note –
1-800-4-A-CHILD – Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline
If you are or have been the victim of physical, verbal, or psychological abuse at the hands of a parent or guardian do not hesitate to take a stand for yourself.
You are not alone.
You are not the first, but you are as of equal importance as anyone and everyone else.
Call the number listed above and help yourself.
Well, that's the first of the four-part follow-up to Teenage Dirtbag. A different perspective, a different tone.
Dark, Riot Grrl Max is dark and riot-y…
I know that Max is the default for a lot of people's stories, and I know from people telling me that I write Chloe better than I do Max. I think I write Max just fucking fine, but I felt challenged to try a starkly new approach. Whereas with my previous fics, I abandon a type of dichotomy I realize have been using in regards to Max and give her a unique personality that is both shy and rebellious.
How 'bout that Rachel Amber, eh? Squad goals, level "Trifecta."
More soon to come, and I mean soon. I won't DONTNOD you.
Read, review, and I will see you for Chapter 2 - Keep On Livin'
Stay Hella, Cinnamon Rolls! ^_^V
