Just another prompt I thought i'd post here too. ENJOY.
When Max's day started off with a 'forest, fort, ASAP' text from Chloe; the photographer should've known things had been too good to be true.
Her 'reunion' with Chloe yesterday had its rough parts, sure. But Chloe had pretty much swept five years of radio silence under the proverbial rug, all within a handful of hours.
Max wasn't stupid. Between the punk's reaction to answering Kate's call, and the interrogation in her truck; Max knew Chloe was angry -no livid about all this. She either stomped it down over being lonely, or for exploit. Maybe even reprieve.
The brunette knew this upcoming 'meeting' at their old tree fort was going to be an earful.
With some hesitation, Max sent a quick reply of 'Okay, I'll be there soon.' and prepared to leave. She made haste to leave Blackwell immediately after Mr. Jefferson's inspiring photography lecture. Luckily Warren had been hanging around the lot again, and with no effort at all, she caught a ride to a random back road a decent ways from Blackwell. When Warren had asked where she was going, Max chose not to reply, and he had been courteous enough to not prod on. Not without a "Miss Serious' joke, of course.
Now, its late afternoon. Max vaguely remembered where their fort actually was, but mostly thanks to that map up by the lighthouse.
'I'm so terrible for not remembering... way to be a shitty BFF Max.'
The walk through the woods hadn't taken much time. The leaves were already beginning to fall thinning out the trees and making the fort that much easier to spot.
This part of the woods sat on a decent incline. Max remembered she and Chloe picked this spot especially because of the panoramic view they got of Arcadia Bay.
One tree in particular suddenly caught her eye. It stood a little taller than the rest, with the remnants of planks nailed to the side. The upper branches were shrouded in a makeshift-looking shack, with pieces missing here and there.
Honestly it looked like it was about to topple over. Max and Chloe hadn't actually built it themselves, rather it used to be used by older kids as a party destination. They abandoned it at some point -so Max and Chloe took 'ownership'.
A speck of blue caught Max's gaze. She turned and looked up, eyes coming in contact with Chloe. Sitting on the outer edge of the fort with her feet dangling off the side.
"Way to take your time Caulfield." Chloe called out in a playful tone. Max knew that wasn't the intent.
"Sorry, Warren's kinda a bad driver."
Chloe stood up, "Well C'mon, get up here!" She called again, raising her arms for emphasis.
The brunette obliged, she paced over to the plank ladder and climbed up, swearing as she was sure to have gotten a splinter. Just as she reached the top, Chloe's hand outstretched and helped her up the last few feet.
"Thanks... again sorry I took-"
"Whatevs, it's fine. Just come over here; have a nostalgia trip with me." The aqua-haired teen grabbed Max's hand again, pulling her over to the same spot she had just been sitting. Max's stomach sank, 'She's being way too nice.'
They both sat on a stray plank, watching over the majority of Arcadia Bay. Max shrugged off her bag and set it on her lap. With hesitancy, she looked to Chloe, who didn't return her gaze, "Just like you remembered, right?"
Max turned to the horizon, "Yeah, it is."
The punk leaned back on her elbows, "This place is a little rundown, but still standing."
Max simply nodded, she wanted to move onto more... pressing matters, "Chloe, why'd you call me out here?"
She raised her posture, "I thought it'd be hella rad if you saw this place again."
'Yeah right...'
Max made a soft sigh, "Chloe I know that's not why you brought me out here."
"You catch on quick." This time Chloe didn't mask her tone. Her words stinging like electricity in the air.
"Chloe... I'm sorry, I know things were fucked up when I left, and-" Max placed her hand on Chloe's shoulder, only to have it viciously shrugged off.
'That crashed fast...'
"You don't have a clue, y'know that?" Chloe spat, "I was so delusional when you left I, came here every day after school. Hoping you'd magically appear, and things would be okay."
Max stayed quiet.
"Fuck, I couldn't even go home anymore. Mom was still getting over Dad, and you left, I felt-"
"Abandoned." Max finished the sentence, "I just-"
Chloe hushed Max again, "It wasn't the fact that we didn't talk... I just thought you gave up on me. All the emotional bullshit... that stuff."
"Chloe, that's not true. I never gave up on you."
Max saw Chloe's head dip forward, "T-Then, why didn't you s-say anything!?" The punk's resolve broke, she croaked out those words. Tears pooling, but fists clenched.
The photographer paused. She honestly didn't know what to say. Seeing Chloe on the verge of tears yanked at her heart, she had no legitimate reason for those five years of silence.
"Life really t-took a shit on me Max, I needed you there..." Chloe sniffed, "Y-You weren't there w-when I needed you most."
Max shrank a bit, "Why'd you act fine yesterday then?"
Chloe shot her a soul-tearing glare, "O-Oh I don't know, my Dad dies, my best friend leaves, I get Sargent Pepper, and then Rachel disappears." She gave a nearby branch a good slap, "I'm grasping at straws for someone to give a fuck."
"But what about Rachel?" Max said, really not knowing what else to say.
"Hah, please." Chloe shuffled over a bit, "Pretty sure if it wasn't for her I'd be even more fucked up than I already am."
Max cautiously reached over, "You're not, Chloe."
"The hell would you know?" This time Chloe gave Max a good shove, forcing the brunette onto her back.
Max tensed at the action, she righted herself and glared back, "Why'd you call me out here then? Hm? Force me to hear how shitty a friend I was? I'm pretty sure that sank in over five years!" She shot up, looming over Chloe's still sitting form, "That's all you ever wanted to do, was fight and make people feel sorry for you."
Chloe stood up too, "Shut. Up." She backed Max up against the rundown fort.
The brunette tensed even more, she shoved Chloe back. Forcing the blue-haired girl onto a railing lining the edge of the fort.
"Don't touch me." She spat. Max passed by Chloe and reached for her camera bag, only to have it snatched away. She gritted her teeth as Chloe dangled it over the edge.
"Stop acting so immature!" The photographer yelled, "Gimme my bag!" She fought against Chloe's arm forcing her back.
"Make me." Chloe released two fingers, the strap being help up only by her index.
"Urgh! Give it Chloe."
"Fine." She released her last finger, as well as the hold she had on Max. What hadn't been apparent to her was the built up inertia the brunette had. Max jerked around her, one arm out to reach for her bag.
'SNAP'
The rotten wood railing snapped under the force. Max tried to save herself but it was too late. "Whoa!" She screamed, her body slipping off the edge.
"Max!" Chloe twisted around to help, but the heart-stopping 'thud' of Max hitting the ground made everything feel cold for a second. She practically leapt down the ladder and rushed over to Max's side.
"Shit, are you okay?"
Max rolled over in the leaves, clutching the arm she landed on, "Ow, I-I think it's broken." She moaned in pain.
"Oh no, C'mon let's get you outta here." Without hesitation, Chloe scooped Max and her bag, up in her arms.
"I'm fine, I can-"
"No." Chloe tried not to sob, "Max I'm sorry." She trekked the same way she came. Coming to a dirt outcropping where her truck was parked. She hoisted Max into the passenger seat and climbed in seconds later.
She threw the vehicle in reverse and tore down the dirt road, following it until it conjoined with one of the main roads.
She slowed the vehicle a bit, turning her gaze from the road to Max every few seconds.
"M-Max I didn't mean to, I-"
"I know, it's okay, I could've just-"
"No time travel. We needed to sort shit out."
Max composed a small smile, "Stupid fort..."
"I'm sorry..."
"Stop it. Stop saying sorry. We're both idiots okay?"
Chloe took a deep breath, "Okay..."
"Just..."
"What?"
"Just... let me be there for you. Again."
Chloe softened, "As long as I can be there for you too."
"Deal."