Guiding Light
Still buzzed from the high of killing it during the play, particularly after the totally unexpected improvisation, Rachel and Chloe practically danced down the street. Giddy. The hazel-eyed blonde's jubilation was infectious. Especially when she was talking at a million miles an hour about their plans to run away. Just like that. Leave this hellhole which had taken away so damn much.
As amazing as it all sounded – really, the punk would love to just say fuck it all and leave – she was skeptical.
Was Rachel just getting caught up in the moment?
"Rachel, stop." The shorter girl's joyous circles came to a stop, hands held out in question. It took a moment for Chloe to work up the courage to utter the doubt on the tip of her tongue. "If you don't mean this, it's just making me feel like shit that this life you're describing isn't going to happen."
She had been disappointed and let down too many times before. By people she thought she could trust. Her mom. Her dad. Max... It made it so hard to believe anything anyone said anymore.
Noticing the hesitation, Rachel bounded over and took hold of the punk's hands. "For fuck's sake! I've never been more serious in my life." She proceeded to spin them around, both giggling with delight. When they came to a stop, she locked onto blue eyes. "Chloe! What would it take to convince you?"
What would it take to convince her?
A thought popped into her head, making her suddenly nervous. Not sure whether to say it or not, she shuffled awkwardly. Honestly, she couldn't even look at Rachel for more than a few seconds. Eventually, she decided to just go for it.
"How about… um…" She stopped mid-sentence, trying to find a way of saying it without sounding stupid. Without pushing Rachel away.
Thankfully, she didn't have to. The blonde picked up on the nervousness, putting two and two together. "Oh."
Her expression shifted from realization to mild flickers of desire as she took Chloe's hands in hers. When the punk looked up, she noticed Rachel getting closer. So damn close. Blue eyes widened before closing and meeting the blonde's lips in a kiss.
Time almost seemed to stop as their lips locked, Rachel stood slightly on her tiptoes to reach. They stayed under a streetlight, off in their own little world. This wasn't their first ever kiss, but it made all the others feel like pretend. Not true expressions of… well, whatever this was. Neither of them was quite sure. But they were more than ready to find out.
Thin wisps of ash fluttered around them as Rachel pulled back, leaving the punk breathless. "Is that convincing enough?"
"Ye-" She didn't even get the chance to finish before Rachel went in for another kiss.
Hands clasped onto Chloe's neck and jaw, pulling her closer. Uncertain where to put her own, the punk sheepishly put them around Rachel's torso. Her heart felt like it was about to explode as the seconds ticked by, soft lips against hers. Mind blank, body moving of its own accord.
It lasted around fifteen seconds. Not that either of them was counting, too lost in the moment. At the time, it seemed to last forever. In the aftermath, much too short.
The long-haired blonde smiled, watching Chloe's brain catch up. It was so cute how she was almost freaking out but trying to keep it together. "Holy shit."
Feeling her own heart race, Rachel felt her lips quirk into an even broader smile. "Right?"
Briefly paying attention to ash falling around them like snow, she beckoned Chloe over to her house. She knew nobody would be in. Not today. The strawberry blonde girl took a moment to inspect the impressive exterior. This place was practically a mansion. Much bigger than her own house, fancier too. It radiated wealth and power.
Bordering on the corrupt kind.
Holding out her hand, Rachel took Chloe and dragged her inside the house. Once over the threshold, she let go and gave an enticing smile. "Come on up."
Finding herself smiling again, the punk raced upstairs after her. It felt so surreal to be here. More than she could ever describe. Ever since she met Rachel, from the very first second at the Firewalk concert, her life had gone from boring to crazy. All in the blink of an eye.
And she wouldn't trade it for the world.
The aspiring punk stepped inside Rachel's room, in awe of how… pretty it looked. Star speckled wallpaper designed to mirror the midnight sky. It made sense. Chloe had already seen her fascination with the stars, right from the very beginning. From their very first game, Two Truths and a Lie. She was a Leo. Numerous references to astrology and horoscopes pinned to her walls only re-enforced the theory of such a captivation.
One corner was dedicated to her studies, an almost pristine desk and a rich library of books in the wall to ceiling bookcase which spanned almost half the room. A map displaying the US was positioned close to her bed, L.A. circled in red.
Every inch exuded the blonde's personality. A physical manifestation of her hopes, dreams and desires. Expectations. The deeper you dug, the more it revealed the real Rachel Amber. A girl very few people had the chance or wish to know.
Chloe did.
Flicking a switch, making the ceiling dance with stars, Rachel turned to her recently gained accomplice. "So, what do you think?"
"It's…" Chloe's sentence stopped mid-flow.
Before she even realized it, she got caught up staring at hazel eyes. They promised her the world and so much more. Her throat went dry, an involuntary shiver coursing through her body. Words failed her. As they often did around Blackwell's celebrity.
"It's what?" the blonde prompted, noticing the obvious hesitation.
Feeling herself blush slightly, thankful it was fairly dark, the punk cleared her throat. "Uh, really beautiful."
"I think so," the blonde replied, voice laced with subtext as she sat down on the bed. "Sometimes I think it could use a little… punk touch. You know."
Swallowing hard, Chloe didn't know how to react to that. How much of Rachel's words could she take at face value… or invitation.
"Well, are you gonna stand there all day?" Rachel smirked, grabbing her wrist and pulling her down before she even had the chance to reply.
Balance lost, Chloe flopped down beside the other girl. They were really close now, close enough to touch… to feel the heat radiate. The only thing Chloe could think about was that kiss. So sweet and tender, yet at the same time igniting a fire in her.
All consuming.
When she felt Rachel shift close, she tensed. A soft chuckle reached her ears, a sound she wanted to capture. A moment to replay over and over. Never growing tired of the genuine happiness it portrayed. That enigmatically enticing light the blonde exuded in abundance.
"You seem tense," Rachel lightly teased.
"Do I?" the punk replied weakly. There was no point in denying it.
Wanting to play around a little, she suppressed her smirk. "Do you not want me close?"
"No, that's not it," she answered much too quickly. "I'm just…" Chloe paused, letting out a soft sigh, "Nervous, I guess."
"Chloe Price. Nervous?" Rachel asked, focusing on the girl laying down beside her. "Never thought I'd see those words put together."
"I get nervous," she blurted out defensively. "Everyone does."
Rachel lightly jabbed her side. "You dork. I'm just teasing. If you don't mind me being close…" Closing the gap, she rested her head on the taller girl's shoulder.
After a moment of tension, Chloe let herself relax and her arms encircled Rachel's petite frame. She could feel the other girl's breath on her skin. Wafts of jasmine filled her nostrils, a soft golden mane occasionally tickling her face. If you had told her a week ago she'd be here, in Rachel Amber's room, she would have laughed. A totally ridiculous notion.
Clearly not as ridiculous as she first thought.
When Rachel shifted slightly, the punk was dragged back to reality. "Am I keeping you up?"
Clearing her throat, she focused up unable to push back the stutter. "Uh… n-no. Just got a little… caught up in thought."
Rachel nodded, letting out a soft sigh. "You and me both, Chloe."
There was something sad about the way she said that. Tugging at the punk's heartstrings. Playing them like a violin. Tunes equally as beautiful as they were melancholic. It was easy to assume that someone like Rachel had a perfect life. No reason to complain.
That couldn't be further from the truth.
Hazel eyes met blue once more. Vulnerable. "Ever since I was a kid, I loved the stars. They were always so bright and beautiful. Something to be sure in… But then I found out that the stars I was seeing, they had been dead for so long. Lies. The world got a lot darker then."
Not wanting to interrupt her, Chloe stayed quiet and simply held Rachel close. Something told her now was not the time to utter even a single word. The hazel-eyed blonde didn't say anything for a while, examining the stars reflected on her ceiling.
How many times had she done this? Watched fake little pinpricks of light representing even faker ones. Too many to count. Even now, she found comfort in it. Or maybe that was because of Chloe.
Eventually, she turned her head to the punk beside her. "And then… I met you. And my world got just a little brighter. Because I know that no matter how many dead stars there were, how many lies I'm force-fed, there's one light I can trust in."
"Like a lighthouse guiding you safely to shore," Chloe replied without much thought. On instinct.
Rachel offered up a smile, one which seemed to reach not just her lips but her entire body. "Right. Exactly like that. A light like that doesn't come by often." She faltered, curling in on herself slightly. "Most of them… send you crashing straight into the rocks. False hope."
Chloe nodded, her arms instinctively tightening around Rachel. "It makes it hard to trust in any light you see. Worried that they are just going to let you down."
How many pretty lights had she followed only to crash and burn? Too many.
"That you'll be like Icarus," the hazel-eyed blonde muttered, just loud enough to hear.
"That dude who flew too close to the sun, right?" the punk asked, getting a small nod in response.
"Yes," Rachel confirmed softly, almost in a trance. "His wings melted and he drowned in the sea. His downfall was hubris. Ours is trusting too much, I guess. Blindly."
That sentence brought with it a question. One Chloe was curious to know the answer to. "You seem to trust me. Why?"
The long-haired blonde's smile returned once more, warm. "Because you're Chloe Price."
Such an unguarded expression made the punk falter. "That… that's hardly an answer."
The smile didn't falter this time. "Isn't it? When Wells was chewing me out, you took the blame. Even knowing it would be bad for you. You know what it's like to misplace trust. Out of everyone at Blackwell, you don't try to hide behind a million masks. Or pretend to be friends with someone, even if you hate their guts. You're just… you."
Opening her mouth then closing it again, Chloe didn't reply. What could she say to that? Maybe Rachel was just so isolated and lonely at this point that she needed someone to trust. And maybe the punk was the same. Constantly being on guard, filled with bitter resentment, it was… tiring.
So very tiring.
Somehow, Rachel managed to shuffle closer, letting her fingers tangle in short blonde hair. "You know what would look awesome on you?"
Trying to keep her heart under control, wondering if her new… whatever she and Rachel were could hear it, Chloe didn't pull away. "What?"
Idly twirling a blonde strand around her finger, Rachel replied, "Blue hair. Or a blue streak at least."
Painful, bittersweet memories flooded to the forefront of her mind at the suggestion. "I, uh… nearly did that once."
"Oh?" The confession piqued the shorter girl's interest.
Chloe nodded. "Yeah. When… Max was still here. Brought some dye and everything. We… never got to do it."
She couldn't bring herself to use the dye. Or even throw it out. Like everything that reminded her of Max, it just stayed in a weird limbo state. Present but hidden. If she threw them out, what would she have left?
Rachel considered that for a moment, face lighting up. "Well, now we have to do it. Let's go now."
Blue eyes widened at the sudden suggestion. "Now?"
"Yeah." Carefully untangling herself from Chloe, not before giving her a brief kiss, the blonde stood and grabbed a duffel bag from her closet. "All I have to do is gather a few things from my room, ready for when we're gonna leave. Then we can stop off at your house."
Sitting up, still a little stunned by everything, the punk cleared her throat. "Uh… sure. Yeah."
Getting to her feet, she helped Rachel pack up everything she needed. Clothes. The top of her starlight. Some stashed away snacks. One or two photos. A small wad of cash she had lying around and a few other things. The blonde zipped it up, slinging the bag over her shoulder.
Then, she extended her hand. "Let's go."
Sliding her own hand into Rachel's, feeling fingers interlock with hers, Chloe followed her out. They walked along the street, less burdened now their plan was starting to come to life. On the way to Chloe's house, they started adding the details to their plan. For now, they would gather together as much money as possible to ensure a clean getaway.
Between the allowance Rachel got from her parents and the pair perhaps managing to pick up some shifts at the Two Whales, alongside other odd jobs, they might finally be able to leave this place. They would stash away all runaway supplies in their newly discovered junkyard hideout. If something happened in the meantime, they would bail.
"See," Rachel added with a genuine grin. "I am totally serious about this."
"I see," Chloe agreed, almost not wanting to believe it. Just in case. It was hard not to get swept up in Rachel's enthusiasm, though. "Guess we're really doing it, huh."
"You bet. The second we can, we're leaving," Rachel confirmed with a smile. "And, per our previous discussion, we're headed to LA. With a few pitstops, if you like."
The first location that came to mind: Seattle. It lasted a moment before she shook it from her mind. Max had plenty of chance to get in touch. If she wasn't interested, then Chloe wouldn't bother. Not anymore.
She was done with people letting her down.
Fuck. Max.
When they got to the punk's house, they helped each other up to her bedroom window. Chloe always left it open a little when she went out. Never knew when she'd need to sneak inside. David would probably be hanging around like a bad smell. Her mom might be at work. Or maybe not. She couldn't remember.
Gently placing the duffel bag on the floor, Rachel followed the punk to the bathroom. Grabbing some clothes on the way, Chloe pulled out the plastic basket holding her old pirate accessories. A slight frown formed as she recalled her and Max's pirate games…
Yeah, they'd only been games. Pretend. So had their plans of traveling the world in search of adventure.
It was then she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning, she was met with expressive hazel eyes. "You okay?"
Letting out a deep breath, Chloe grabbed the dye and shrugged. "Better once I have a cool blue streak."
"Damn right," Rachel stated, taking the tube and getting everything set up.
She got Chloe to sit on the edge of the bath-shower, finding a pair of mostly unstained gloves. The dried on blonde specks suggested Joyce had used them first. Checking the instructions, getting an exaggerated sigh from the punk for taking too long, she applied the dye.
"This is going to look so badass," she commented as she carefully ran her fingers through the hair strand in question, trying not to get the blue dye everywhere.
"You… think?" Chloe asked, feeling a little nervous.
This whole situation was pretty… intimate. Rachel was hella close to her. As she worked, the modelesque blonde hummed. Chloe recognized the song almost immediately. 'Are You Ready For Me' by Firewalk. The song they danced to at the concert. Where they first met.
The blonde paused, letting a smile tug at her lips. "I do. And hella hot, too."
Chloe could feel her cheeks heat up, unable to turn away while Rachel was at work. Once applied, they waited around for a while further discussing their escape plans. It almost seemed too good to be true. For them both to a degree.
When she had done, Rachel made sure to wipe away any excess dye so Chloe didn't end up looking like a smurf. Once cleaned up, she gave Chloe some privacy as tempting as it was not to, waiting in her room. Hazel eyes examined the space the punk considered hers. It felt very much like her – chaotic, in a good way. The total opposite of her room. Despite that, Rachel felt safe.
While waiting, she checked out a few of the pictures dotted around Chloe's room. One stuck out more than the rest. A picture of who she could only assume was a young Chloe. Next to her were a freckled brunette and a blond man. If she had to guess, she would say Max and William. Two people Chloe had looked up to and loved. Two people she found it difficult talking about now.
Two people who had ultimately let her down.
When she heard the shower come to a halt, she moved away from the picture and waited. When Chloe returned she was dressed in her Hawt Dawg man shirt, a towel covering her hair.
"You tease," Rachel chuckled, eager to see the result.
Chloe smirked, very slowly revealing her new azure blue streak. "So, what do you think?"
Rachel got to her feet, taking the strand in between her fingers. "Just as I thought. Badass and hot."
The praise made the punk grin from ear to ear, until her cheeks began to hurt. "Thanks. Maybe we'll have to do yours sometime."
That seemed to amuse Rachel, eyes dancing with delight. "Oh? And what color would you suggest?"
Chloe hadn't thought that far ahead, shrugging. "Maybe red, pink or purple."
Her indecision made the hazel-eyed blonde smirk. "Way to make a choice, Price. Well, once you've decided, I'll do it. Deal?" She held out her hand, ready to seal it.
"Deal." Chloe reached out for Rachel's now outstretched hand for a handshake.
The second their fingers touched, the punk was pulled in for a brief kiss. It all happened so quickly, left her stunned. Seeming to revel in the chaos, Rachel giggled and gave a twirl. Her blonde hair unfurled around her, like a halo or a planetary ring.
"Oh, you are just too easy to trick."
"Well, if the tricks are like that, maybe I don't mind," Chloe admitted sheepishly, watching her delighted spinning.
Coming to a stop, the blonde gave her an entirely different smile. Enticing. "Maybe I'll keep that in mind."
It sent shivers down the punk's spine. Having Rachel around certainly made her world more than a little brighter.
Her guiding light.
Might pick this one up again for another chapter later. Maybe more. We'll see, lol.