Authors Notes:
Whoa there. This is the second part of a series. If you haven't read the first part, this won't make quite as much sense. Actually, it'll probably be really confusing. So I highly suggest you click on my name and check out part 1. Even if you have read it, I suggest you read the last chapter of part 1 again, as it is a journal entry/summary. It'll help you keep up to speed on what's happened before hand without having to read everything all over again. If you're all ready to go however, then enjoy!
It was a combination of both steam and water that was working it's way around Max Caufield's body that was causing her to fully awaken from her early morning haze. The water felt better today than it had in a long time, it was almost as if she could feel every single drop hit her body and loosen her muscles. Like a tiny massage with each droplet. It was both invigorating and relaxing.
Usually, the halls were filled with students when she decided to shower, but not this morning. This morning, Max had decided to get up extra early and enjoy her shower. To truly experience what it must have felt like to enjoy the simplicity of water cascading down on her body, the temperature dancing on her skin as it washed away all of her troubles.
For the entirety of this year, showers were just a thing to Max. In fact, most things this year were just things to Max. Eating, bathing, movies, reading; all of it, just things that she was forced to do to pass the time. It was as if she could no longer find joy in anything she was doing, like someone had drained everything of the small light it once had inside of it that caused Max to glow. But now, as the water washed over every inch of her body, everything was different. Everything was soaring with colors again, as if the saturation in them had been enhanced. Smells had returned to her, food tasted again, television was actually enjoyable once more, as were her showers. It was almost as if the water itself were cleansing her. The droplets cascaded down and removed the aching that she had felt every single day, it cleared the haze that hung in front of her face, it removed the tired feeling that lingered in the back of Max's brain everyday. The gray film that seemed to once cling to her being was now being removed, making the world feel happier once again.
If today was even three days prior to today, then this activity would have been one of the least favorite things about her day. Having to stand in a small box while scrubbing away the smells her body naturally produced. Then having to spend all this time and effort drying off, brushing her hair, and redressing...it was torture to go through. If today had been last month, this would once again be the worst part of her day. But not today, not today.
Today, today was special. Ever since October, there had been one thought ever present on the young photographers mind. Right now, as she showered – as far as she knew – that thing was lying in her bed right now. Still asleep with her mouth hanging slightly open as she snored the smallest, cutest little snore. Her electric blue hair was still draped around her face as if it were placed there as a frame to better accentuate just how beautiful she was. Right now, Chloe Elizabeth Price was asleep in her room; alive, safe, and much to Max's surprise, very much in love with her.
'Wowsers. It's insane to think just how fast everything can change. Chloe and I just...we just became girlfriends. It was like the two of us were supposed to be girlfriends or something. Not that I'm complaining one bit.'
Turning the water off, trying to give other students at least some hot water to wake up to, Max Caufield grabbed her towel and began to dry herself off in the small confines of the stall.
'Ugh. Even though I'm super tiny, this place has always been too small for me to dry off and get changed in. Someone should really look into making these things just a little bit bigger somehow. Say...maybe big enough for a small, awkward photographer and her tall, punk girlfriend. Yeah. Perfect.'
Max dressed herself into her 'Jane Doe' t-shirt and made her way out of the shower, grabbing her toiletries in one hand, and her old clothes shoved under her other arm. As Max came out, she took a few steps over to the mirrors on the parallel wall from the showers and pulled out her hair brush from the plastic tote in her hand.
'I have to look at least semi decent now. These are the things that no one ever tells you about having a girlfriend. You always have to try to look cute for them.'
Max raised her hand to wipe away the small layer of condensation off the mirror to better see herself in, when a more fun idea pinged in her brain. She smiled to herself as she instead extended her index finger and placed it on the warm glass. The small squeak of her finger pressing away the thin layer of water droplets was like music to her ears as she doodled her masterpiece of bathroom art.
A small crown was drawn, leaning to the right on the right side of the mirror with the words 'The Queen of Blackwell' written at the bottom. Max positioned her slightly foggy reflection until the crown sat on the top of her head as she giggled to herself.
'Ruler of All Space and Time of Arcadia Bay would be much more accurate, but also would make no sense to anyone else. So I'll just live with being Queen...for now.'
After walking over to the next mirror – as to not ruin the now hanging masterpiece on the first mirror – Max wiped away the droplets and brushed her hair before collecting the rest of her things and walking out into the hallway.
The once dead silent hallway was now beginning to slightly awaken, with the light sounds of chatter mixing through the air. Taking that as her cue, Max hurriedly walked back toward her room in the hopes that she would not have to be a social butterfly this morning, an awkward one at that.
Sliding her way past the groggy other students, Max began to hear the sounds of quite loud music blaring as she approached her room.
'Mission Take A Shower and Come Back Before Chloe Can Get Up is a failure.'
Her eyes rolled as she reached out and grabbed the doorknob, turning it quickly and sliding herself in before the music styling of...whoever...could piss off anyone in her hallway.
For a brief moment, Max thought to scold Chloe as soon as she walked into the room, telling her that other people exist and may be trying to sleep still, that she still had to deal with her dorm-mates even if Chloe didn't. But that was before she saw what Chloe was doing.
Her back was to the door in the middle of the room, air guitar-ing as hard as she could. Blue strands of hair bounced as the taller girl bobbed her head up and down to the beat of the song, she was leaning forward slightly, her back barely hunched over, and moving her arms up and down as if she were thrashing her 'guitar' around.
'How does she manage to look totally bad ass, and yet completely adorable all at once? Only Chloe.'
Max smiled to herself as she admired the bluenette rocking out in front of her for a few moments before she got an idea.
'I could totally get an amazing shot right now.'
After bringing Chloe back into her room two days ago, Max had not taken a single step outside of the room except to shower. So – thankfully for her – her messenger bag with her camera in it was still lying right next to the door where Max had left it. With ninja stealth, she knelt down on one knee and gently opened the bag. Her hands worked quickly and silently, trying not to disturb nor alert the punk girl rocking out in her bedroom. As she dug around delicately, the lyrics of the song on her Hi-Fi system finally seeped their way into her ears.
That doesn't matter anyway,
Cause I've got a brand new friend, okay?
Me and her, we'll kick your ass!
We'll wait with knives after class!
'Wow...I wonder who Chloe thought about when she would listen to this...probably me...I guess that wound would still be a little fresh, it has only been a week for her.'
Those thoughts would have to wait, as Chloe was now standing in the perfect pose, like the natural model she was. One arm was bent, perfectly as if she were holding the neck of a guitar, locked in place; the other was raised above her head as if she were playing to a gigantic crowd and trying to show off as the chord of the music rung through the amps. The morning light was glowing down perfectly in front of her, beaming through her windows and bathing everything in a golden splendor. Chloe was standing perfectly in the center of her room, causing the beams of golden sun to cascade off her limbs and figure, creating a slight shadow around her, yet still letting the bright blue colors of her hair come through the lens. Acting quickly, Max stood up and framed the Chloe directly in the center, with her head just entering the top third, her left arm in the first third, and her right fist in the top right corner, before pressing the shutter button. The all too familiar flash quickly enveloped the room, followed by the slight hum and ejection of newly processed film.
Chloe quickly darted around and stared Max directly in the face with a gigantic grin, as if she weren't the least bit surprised to see her, but more along the lines of thrilled she was here.
"We don't like Becky anymore!" Chloe chanted loudly along with the song before flashing Max her devil horns and leaping up on her bed. Her body began to dance with a kind of elegance, as if she were an embodiment of the music."We don't like Becky anymore! We don't like Becky anymore!" As soon as the song finished it's chant, Chloe jumped up into the air and strummed her air guitar before landing on her knees and throwing her head back, letting her hair fall down behind her as she raised her invisible instrument into the air.
'She is the nerdiest thing. But she's my nerd.'
Max walked over to her Hi-Fi system and turned the volume down to a human level before turning around and smiling at her girlfriend.
"How did that look Max?" Chloe said smiling at her Max, still on her knees.
"Better question, how do your knees feel?" she replied with a smirk.
"They hurt like a biznitch, but it was worth it to look cool for my girlfriend."
Giggling to herself, Max replied "don't you mean a small Price to pay?"
Rolling her eyes and standing slowly, Chloe laughed. "You just couldn't resist, could you?"
"No" the photographer replied as she closed the distance between the two of them and placed a light kiss on her girlfriends lips. "Just like I couldn't resist that."
"Max, I swear. You are the most adorkable thing I have ever seen." Chloe was now running her hand up and down Max's exposed skin on her arm, just trying to feel Max, reassuring herself that this was all real. "But, I suppose I love you anyway."
"You suppose?!" As hard as she tried, Max couldn't hide the smile on her face as she swatted Chloe in the arm. "Well, then I suppose that you won't be getting anymore kisses for the rest of time."
"Oh come on Max, you know I didn't mean it."
"Never again."
"Max."
"Nope."
"Max!"
"No."
"Baby." Chloe said, giving her the biggest puppy dog eyes she could muster and making her voice as pathetically sad as she could.
"Oh my dog. Fine." Max said with a smile and an eye roll as she kissed her pouting girlfriend tenderly. "You better be thankful you're so cute."
"I always am, Maxi-pad!" Chloe said as she walked over to her jeans lying on the floor before effortlessly slipping them on.
Watching Chloe for a moment, Max sat down on her couch and crossed her legs. "Why are you getting dressed? I'm the only one that's gonna be in here. Don't need pants for an all day movie marathon!"
"Nope. Not today Maxironi. You gotta get to class today."
"But Chloe-" Max began with pleading in her voice.
"Max" Chloe spoke matter of fact-ly, "I would love to turn you into a little rebel that totally ditches school and smokes weed and shit, but you have to go. You didn't get this scholarship to waste it away with me."
"No." Max spoke as she stood back up. Her feet were planted firmly on the ground, trying to help make her point. "I just want to spend the day with you. Just one more day."
Chloe smiled at this as she walked over to her girlfriend and kissed her forehead. "Look, I have things I have to do today."
"Like what?"
"Like shower. Before long now and not even you will want to be around me. I smell when I go without showers dude. Like rank."
"Well why not shower here? Just wait until everyone here is in class and it's all yours. Just please don't make me go."
"Max...I can't be clean and wear these old smelly clothes. Besides...I...I need to see whats happened in my life. I don't know what's going on in this..." Chloe raised her hands and glanced around the room, as if she were searching around a physical space for the correct word, "...timeline. This time travel shit is all new to me. I have to go home and see what my life is...because as far as I know, before two days ago, I was fucking dead." The smile on her face had long since faded as Chloe thought about her own death. Thinking back to what was only a few days ago for her as she begged her best friend to let her die. She assumed that she would simply stop living, that everything would fade from her as soon as Max left, that she wouldn't even know that anything had happened. That she would just cease to be.
The words were slowly filling her brain as Max examined Chloe's face. She had never experienced anything quite like this before either.
'I have no idea what happened either...I can't even imagine what this must feel like for Chloe...'
"Chloe..." the words themselves were barely above a whisper "I can't just...go to class and leave you to go through this all by yourself." Fingers slid around each other as Max held Chloe's hand and looked her deep in the eyes. "We're in this together now. Forever. I'm going with you. You're much more important to me than any class will ever be."
Tears had already begun to slightly fill the tall punk's eyes as she gazed down. "Okay, Max. I guess you meant it when you said you were my partner in crime."
"And time" Max finished with a smile before she let Chloe's hand drop. "So, what's the plan then?"
Taking her beanie out of her back pocket and sliding it on her head, Chloe shrugged. "Dunno. I guess go back to my place, shower, change, and then see if we can't find any clues as to whats happened in the time that neither of us can remember. Maybe even go see Joyce for lunch?"
"Joyce...?" Max said, swallowing and grabbing her elbow subconsciously. "I haven't really seen her in months."
"You just ignored my mom?"
"No...she...every time she saw me she would think of you and..." Max looked down at the ground and tried to push the memories out of her head. Memories that now didn't exist.
"Hey hey" Chloe spoke softly as she lifted Max's chin. "No crying okay? I'm here now, and I promise you, I'm never going anywhere again."
Max simply sniffled and smiled at her girlfriend. "Okay. I guess it would be a good idea to see her again. Now I can finally kill that craving I've been having."
"That's my girl!" Chloe said as she kissed Max's cheek.
"Give me a minute to get dressed and we can go to your house." Max said with a huge smile on her face. "I guess you could use a shower."
"I'll pretend that you didn't say that, brat. Now get your bony ass dressed. I'm gonna go read through your social media shit and see if I've missed anything hella rad."
'I can promise you Chloe, without you, there's nothing hella rad.'
Max looked over at Chloe as she sat in the chair in front of Max's laptop and moved the mouse around. She wasn't doing anything but simply existing, and right now, that was more than enough to make Max smile.
Author Notes:
Hey yo, welcome to episode 2 everyone. I hope you all enjoyed chapter 1 and me not being quite so harshly sad anymore. While happy Max is nowhere near as poetically fun to write, it feels so much better to do. To actually be able to give her the things she so desperately wants. I based the top part of this story on my own life. Back when I went through the worst depression of my life, everything felt cumbersome, especially showers. I couldn't stand it. Having to go through the motions and taking all of this time to dry off was just a hassle. I remember forcing myself to do it, and it always ruined a good portion of my day. They say write what you know, so I decided to put that into the story. Anyway, don't get used to the drama being gone, it's just waiting for you around the corner. This episode won't probably be as intense as the last, but it will have it's moments, I promise. So be sure to leave a review, and thanks for reading! See you next time! Same Bat-Time, same Bat-Channel!
Until next time, stay golden.