It was a snowy day one late afternoon in December and all of the Blackwell academy students were happily rushing out of the dorms and heading in a dashing herd towards the front courtyard, suitcases and baggage in tow, now on their Christmas break.
All were running to meet up with a very large group of parents waiting by the Blackwell statue and fountain, just outside the front entrance. Each pair of parents searching for the faces of their children.
One by one, many of the students met up and exchanged happy hugs and greetings with their mothers and fathers. Then they were lead to the parking lot as a family, ready to spend Christmas holidays together.
Trailing at the back of the crowd of students were Max and Chloe. Max, bundled up in a blue parka, black scarf and matching beanie that Chloe wore, was dragging a large suit case behind her, full of clothes and other belongings from her dorm room. Chloe, dressed in a black parka, white scarf and her signature beanie, was carrying a smaller backpack that also held more of Max's stuff.
Max's parents weren't there just yet, as they had to drive in all the way from Seattle. So Max and Chloe took up a seating position on the stairs leading up to the school from the street, near the water fountain.
As they sat and waited together, Chloe patted Max on the shoulder, "It's a shame that you're leaving for the holidays. I'm sure going to miss you." said Chloe with a hint of sadness in her voice.
"Sorry, Chloe," replied Max ashamedly, "But my folks want me to come home and spend Christmas in Seattle. We've got family coming in from all over as well. I just couldn't break away."
Chloe nodded, "I understand… I mean, you've been doing the same thing for the past 5 years, just staying in Seattle and not coming back to Arcadia Bay for Christmas… Not sure why I thought this year would be any different."
Max could hear the hurt in Chloe's voice, so she quickly pulled her phone out of her pocket and raised it up and began to type a text, "Alright, just give me a moment and I'll ask my folks if I can stay here."
But Chloe put her hand on top of Max's phone and pushed it back down, "Don't worry about it," Chloe replied, "Besides, I've got my own plans this Christmas."
"You're sure? I mean it's no trouble for me to-"
"It's fine, Max!" Chloe snapped, causing Max to jump in surprise. Chloe closed her eyes, rubbed them with her right hand and sighed "I've survived five Christmas's without you, so six won't be a problem."
"I'm sorry, Chloe…" Max apologized, "Next year will be different. I swear it, Chloe."
Just then, Max's parents jeep pulled up to the curve. Max quickly got up and ran up to her mom and dad as they climbed out and made their way over to her.
They then embraced in a happy three way hug and exchanged cheek kisses as well. Chloe's heart hurt at the sight, remembering that's what her family, Joyce and William Price, used to do.
Max then turned back to Chloe, "Mom! Dad! You remember Chloe Price, right?" She introduced with a gesture of her hand towards Chloe.
Chloe stood up and walked over to them, and gave her head a slight bow. "What's up, Mr and Mrs Caulfield! Hella long time, no see, eh?"
"Hella?" Mrs. Caulfield asked.
"Nothing, just something I picked up from… An old friend of mine." Chloe answered back.
"Well, it's great to see you again either way!" Mr. Caulfield replied cheerfully, he then gave her a look over. "You… Well, you've… Uh…"
Both he and his wife were stammering and at a loss for words as what to say. This being the first time they've seen her since the move.
"I know. Max had the exact same reaction the first time she saw me as well," replied Chloe, "I know I look a lot different than I did before your move. But I'm still the same little brat I always was, believe me."
They both smiled, then turned back to Max, "Come now, Max, we've got a long drive ahead of us," advised Max's mom, while her dad walked over and retrieved Max's luggage and backpack and brought them to the jeep. "We best get back to Seattle before the rest of the family arrives."
"Alright, Mom," said Max, looking back at Chloe once more. "I'll be there in a moment. I just have to say goodbye to Chloe."
And she jogged back to Chloe's side, "Sorry, Chloe, but I have to go now."
"Yeah. Yeah, I understand. Have fun, and I'll see you after Christmas break." Chloe responded, rubbing her foot into the snow and looking away.
"Don't worry, Chloe. Christmas break will be over before you know it!"
"Yeah, right…" Chloe said under her breath.
Max leaned in closer, straining to hear, "What?"
Chloe shook her head, "Nothing, Max! I just wish-" But she stopped herself from saying anymore.
"You what?" Max inquired.
"Never Mind. Your folks are waiting for you, so just go." Chloe insisted.
Then, without thinking, Max took Chloe by the shoulder and pulled her in for a goodbye kiss. But Chloe quickly raised her hand and put the tips of her index and middle fingers over Max's lips and pushed her away.
"Your folks are watching!" Chloe cautioned.
"Sorry, force of habit!" Max quickly replied, and instead pulled her in for a hug. It was true that neither Max, nor Chloe had revealed the true nature of their relationship to their parents. And was one of the reasons neither was going to spend Christmas with the others family. As it might then have to be revealed and explained.
Max's dad then honked the horn impatiently and tapped his watch a few times.
"Coming, Dad!" Max shouted, she then turned back to Chloe, "See you when I get back!"
"Yeah, see you…" Chloe glumly replied, and Max began to jog back to the jeep.
"And Max Caulfield!" Chloe called out, "Don't you forget about me!"
"Never!" Max answered back.
Chloe then watched Max get into the rear of the Jeep, then depart from the school grounds with her parents as they headed back to Seattle.
Chloe signed sadly and then made her way back over to her own truck in the parking lot, got in and then headed home. Along the way she finished the thought she had before.
"I just wish… You could see what my Christmas is really like, Max."
Soon after, Chloe arrived home to a dark, empty, quiet house. Her mother was still working at the diner and would probably be gone all night. As could be expected at a 24 hour Diner. David would be at Blackwell patrolling all night as well, not that Chloe minded him gone.
Sad, and entirely alone, Chloe microwaved a quickly thrown together meal from whatever was left in the fridge, ate it quietly at the diner table and then retired off to her room for the night, just watching TV and smoking up, flipping through all the Christmas programs and not even really paying attention as to what was playing. Her thoughts were mostly on Max and Rachel Amber, remembering them and missing them even more now that it was Christmas, the time to be with friends, family and loved ones.
Many hours later, as she lay in bed, TV and lights now off, she looked up at her ceiling and the moonlight shining in from her window.
"You may have left me here, angry, sad and alone. But I still miss you, Max…"
Chloe rolled over, pulled the covers up and closed her eyes as two tears fell from them and tried to go to sleep. She then exhaled deeply in a sigh, and one word escaped her lips, "Max…" and at the same time, a strange, cold Northward wind rustled the treetops from outside her window and blew swiftly away in that direction.
Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away in Seattle. Max was already fast asleep, tired from a long evening of greeting family she hadn't seen all year, feasting on a huge family dinner and exhausted from playing with all her little nieces and nephews out in the snow on their front lawn.
Suddenly, a cold wind then blew against her bedroom window and left some white frost gathering all around the window pane.
It seemed to send a chill throughout Max's room as well, as if the glass wasn't even there. Max moaned, tossed and turned over to her side and hugged one of many pillows against her chest.
Even asleep, and while cuddling the pillow, Max said one word in her sleep, "Chloe…"
Some time later, Max slowly awakened. It was the call of nature. But she was still so tired as she groaned aloud. She then grudgingly got out of bed, not even bothering to turn on any lights and made her way to the bathroom, eyes blurry from sleep and completely on auto pilot as she knew the way by heart. She then flicked on the lights and made her way over to the toilet and sat down and began to pee.
She put her head in her hands and groaned, her head hurt and felt really strange as she continued to pee. Could it have been the food or all the exhaustion of spending time with her huge family? Max didn't know. Soon she finished up and pulled up her pants and started to stand up, but as she did, something to her right caught her eye. She gasped as it wasn't something, but someone!
"Chloe?!" She shrieked and backed up a few surprised steps, right into the glass door of a shower, but not hers. Max slide down the shower door as she yelped in pain, a dirty damp pirate towel falling over her head and covering her face.
Max breathed in and out a few times in terror. The shower was supposed to be on the other side of the room? Why was Chloe here? What happened to her moms yellow painted bathroom, decorated with flowers. Why was it so white and ordinary looking?
All these questions raced through Max's head. And with trembling hands she slowly removed the towel from her head and began to slowly climb back up to her feet.
And with great horror, she came to realize that it wasn't Chloe in the bathroom with her, it was a reflection from a large bathroom mirror that had surprised her. Max was looking at herself… In Chloe's body!
Max grasped the sides of her cheeks with her hands, "What the hell is going on?!" She shrieked in Chloe's voice, "I'm freaking blue haired now!"