TITLE: Three Little Words
AUTHOR: Kirk Baldridge
Chloe was bored.
To Max Caulfield, those could be three of the scariest words in the English language.
The two of them had been friends since they were little and Max loved her dearly, but when she didn't have something to focus her attention on Chloe Price had a tendency to be a bull in a china shop. Which was in the middle of an earthquake and inexplicably caught on fire at random intervals.
Max shook her head. 'I think that metaphor got a little away from me.' Sitting across a table at the Two Whales she watched as Chloe spun a coffee cup faster and faster on each index finger. Her friend's blue hair shone even in the dull light of the diner. She couldn't help staring.
A waitress walked by the table and without missing a step said "You break it you buy it."
"Shit!" Chloe's concentration was broken and she nearly dropped one of the cups. It wasn't like that cost more than a couple of bucks, tops, but she set both down like they were precious. "Thanks, mom." And she wasn't being facetious, the waitress in question, Joyce, was actually her mother. She huffed. "Come on, Maxine. Let's get out of this dump and go do something. I'm dying over here."
"Where?" Max ticked off each place they'd already been. "We went to the junkyard. The lighthouse. The pier. Here. Only place left in Arcadia Bay is Blackwell, and I'm pretty sure you're still expelled."
"Not expelled, suspended." Chloe shrugged. "Indefinitely."
Max arched an eyebrow. "What's the difference?"
"You don't know? And here I thought you were supposed to be the educated one?" Chloe grinned as Max just shook her head. "Look, seriously, let's get out of here."
"And I reiterate. To where?"
Chloe shrugged. "Fuck if I know. Somewhere else. Anywhere else." She reached across the table and put her hand on top of Max's. The brunette bit her lip as she felt a spark. She always did, whenever they touched. It was hard to describe. "I mean it, Max. Let's go somewhere. I mean it. Really go somewhere."
"Are you talking about...leaving Arcadia Bay?" Max blinked as Chloe nodded enthusiastically. "It's the middle of the semester, Chloe. I can't just take off."
"Of course you can. Jump in my truck and go. It's easy. You. Me. Together. The world doesn't stand a chance."
Max had to admit the idea was tempting. School was often boring without Chloe around. She loved spending time with her other friends, particularly Kate Marsh, Dana Ward and Warren Graham. And for some reason Victoria Chase hadn't been on her case as much recently. But she had a photography assignment she was looking forward to finishing, and there was a test at the end of the week she was pretty sure was important. "I-I can't."
Chloe pouted. "Spoilsport." She winced as she realized Max was wiping her eyes. "Shit. Calm down, Caulfield. I'm just kidding." She clasped Max's hand in hers. "I mean, I really am disappointed. A road trip would be awesome. But just hanging out is cool too. I love you, Maximus Prime, you know that right?"
Max stared into her best friend's eyes and not for the first time thought she saw something more. 'I love you.' Forget what she said before. Those three little words were the scariest. In a good way. "I love you too."
THE END