"You can afford to take chances! Whenever and whatever you want to try..."
On any other Friday night I'd be alone in my room without a doubt, hunched over my laptop with the lights off and curtains drawn because I never have anything better to do, but Chloe just so happens to hit me up and suggests we go for a familiar and pointless ride in her truck to get me out of my cave for once. Which, by the way, I'm quite thankful for considering we can probably both agree that we deserve some best friend time together after five years.
After cruising down hidden streets we used to explore when we were tweens and stopping at the beach for some fresh air, we wind back at Blackwell Academy when we decide to crash around eleven, as oppose to going to Chloe's house like we usually would.
Although, I don't object to it and neither does she. I'm guessing she probably wants to explore my new dorm room for once and jump at every chance to make fun of it and how it 'represents my dorkiness', even though I know she means nothing by it.
"So this is where the photo genius hides out," Chloe observes as she strolls into my dorm, her eyes gazing about. My point exactly.
Chuckling quietly, I bow my head as I gently shut the door behind me, her statement causing a hint of embarrassment to bubble up inside me. Standing at a halt by the door, I peer forward at a wandering Chloe who has her back turned to me and is wasting no time in stepping deeper into the room. She's clearly interested in it and I notice her hips and arms swaying smoothly as she strolls.
The beaming lanterns draped on my wall provides the only dim light in the room, reminding me that I had left them on earlier. I had also kept my window open so when we walk in the air instantly feels fresh and cool, and slightly smells like newly watered plants. I've always adored that smell.
My room is a mess, with various school books and papers littered on the carpet and I kinda wish I had made an effort to make it look at least a little decent for Chloe. I'm not really used to having other people come into my dorm. Then again I had no idea we'd be coming back here and she's obviously not worrying about it as much as I am. She probably doesn't even notice. Besides, her room isn't exactly the cleanest either.
The night sky is beautifully glowing through the window and I can see the brightness of the moon cascading on the pavement outside, reminding me how late it is.
"Won't your mom be wondering where you are?" I ask, my eyebrows slightly pressed together.
She mumbles a careless sound. "She stopped giving a shit about me a long time ago." Chloe says, still refusing to face me and replies as if she is barely paying attention.
A part of me flinches inside at the harshness of her comment, although she seems to take no offense to it at all, as if she is totally used to it. I know what she says isn't true, but I decide not to say anything about it.
She casts her eyes over her shoulder towards me. "You know, before I went all 'punk rebel' on her." Her fingers pinch the air to create imaginary quotation marks as she emphasizes the annoyance in her voice.
A slight giggle escapes my chest at her exaggeration. "She actually said that?" I ask, amused.
Her fingertips are now delicately tracing lines along the photos on my wall as if drawing a picture. The expression on her face is calm and mesmerized. "Something along those lines," Chloe murmers, her eyes remaining fixed on the photographs. Her hand drops heavily down to her side and she raises her chin ever so slightly, pacing towards my desk in the corner of the room. "Nothing your parents would say, I'm sure," she adds, her tone sounding ungrateful. I can hear the hurt in her voice.
I'm suddenly wincing again at the way she miserably compares her life to mine, but manage to brush it off quickly. I gotta give it to Chloe. She's been through a lot more than I have.
"Besides, I'd much rather crash here than at my place," she continues. "Anything to get any from my horrid stepdouche."
"Oh yeah, because my place is totally cooler," I reply sarcastically with a grin plastered on my lips as I switch the stereo on to a low volume. Perching myself on the bed, I can hear the sound of the photographs shift next to my ears as I lean my back against the picture-flooded wall.
"So, how are they, anyway?" Chloe asks with a hint of sudden sorrow in her voice, referring to my parents after mentioning them. I realize she probably misses them just as much as I do right now.
"They're alright," I smile gently but notice Chloe remaining silent as she continues to pick up random objects on my desk and turn them over, trying to figure what some of them are. The look on her face is unreadable. "I'm sure they miss you, Chloe." I add reassuringly in hopes to prevent her from thinking otherwise.
"Yeah, well," there is a heavy sigh in her voice, "you can't stay close with someone forever," Chloe remarks.
My lips are tightly pressed together. I find my gaze trailing down to my fidgeting fingers that are irritably picking at my bitten nails on my lap.
"Sick," Chloe laughs amusingly and my head snaps up at her, momentarily distracting me from the sound of the quiet music carelessly playing on the stereo. "When'd you learn how to play this thing?" she exclaims, clearly interested in my guitar that rests pitifully on the other side of the room.
My eyes lay on the instrument as her palm resting on top barely rotates it and I'm confused as to how fast she had forgotten about our previous conversation. I don't believe my guitar of all things is something that attracts her attention, although I didn't expect her to like my pictures either.
"Uh, a few summers ago," I reply slowly and Chloe immidiately drops her focus to flash me a look, her lips pursed and eyebrows lifted. I tuck my knees in further to my chest."Yeah... I was a bored, lonely kid back then. I had a lot of time on my hands." I chuckle, a hint of embarrassment in my voice. My features lighten at the mention of a few summers ago, reminding myself of the time I left for Seattle.
Thankfully, she doesn't seem to be triggered by the same thought as she shoots me a final glance before stepping towards me and crawling onto the bed, perching on the edge of the mattress. "Tell me about it. These pics must have taken you, what, a lifetime to collect?" Chloe closely observes the photographs on the wall as she perks herself up onto her knees next to me. Her bare elbow barely bumps my shoulder and I'm peering up at her with a smirk.
"That's right," I grin widely. "And don't you mean the masterpiece that is the 'Max Caulfield Photo Memorial Wall'?" I ask jokingly with an exaggerated sly tone.
"The what?" Chloe glares down at me with an amazed expression, her laugh beaming throughout the room. "Wow, you really are a dork, Max." She plops down into a sitting position and playfully punches my shoulder.
My body sways on the bed from her sudden, unexpected plummet and I find my palm gripping the spot where she pummelled me. "Ow!" I exclaim, even though it barely even hurt. "Am not!" I protest, but Chloe is still snickering next to me. "What, is my pain funny to you?" I can't help but giggle along with her.
"Hell yeah, it is," she jokes and softly shoves me with her elbow so I have to push myself back up when I lean to one side. "You always have to be so defensive, don't you, Max Caulfield?"
"Well, how else am I going to defend myself from your mean punches?" I playfully argue.
Our hysterical giggles flood the room and I'm not even sure what it is that we find so funny. Maybe it's just the fact that it's late and we're both here after a long day of spending just a little too much time with eachother. The corners of my lips begin to relax when I realize that goofing off with her like this is making me feel like we're kids again. At the thought of it, a smile forcefully appears on my face.
I feel Chloe's hair tickling my neck when she momentarily rests her head on my shoulder from laughing, aimless chuckles still escaping her lips. My fingertips flick the loose strands of hair out of my eyes and I'm dazed by the comfort of such a tiny gesture.
As I begin to catch my breath, she lifts her head slightly and I suddenly no longer hear Chloe's giggles anymore. The room is once again drowned with barely anything but the faint music that I forgot was even playing. I barely have to make an effort to look over when I am suddenly met with Chloe's deep blue eyes peeking underneath her long dark eyelashes and eyeliner, the dimness of the room casting dark shadows that frame her face.
Her smile has completely faded. She's a lot closer to me than I had expected and I find my voice caught in my throat too. My eyebrows crease in confusion as I examine her serious expression, unable to identify what she's thinking.
I'm about to speak and ask her what's wrong, but before I can manage a word, a creeping shiver chills throughout my warm body when I spot her glancing swiftly from my eyes to my lips and lingering there for what feels like centuries. The warmth of her breath envelopes my cheeks, my nose, my mouth...
I'm staring at her slightly parted lips, unable to switch my gaze. My breath is trapped between my teeth.
The look she's giving me is thrilling and for a second I'm able to convince myself that she's going to kiss me. It's like I'm stuck, unsure of what to do. I want to move, to back away, to say something but once my eyes cast over her soft lips, they are eternally unable to leave.
Watching her intently, I'm mesmerized as she slowly raises her chin. I inhale sharply. Her eyelids fall closed and her jaw hardly draws open, then her lips are pressed against mine in a quick motion.
I wearily jerk back from the sudden gesture but she doesn't pull away. My eyes open wide, my lips unmoving underneath Chloe's. My muscles are tense and I'm holding my breath as my eyelids begin to flicker closed for just a moment.
I had never kissed anyone before. I always thought if it did happen it would be quick and meaningless, and I definitely wouldn't be sharing it with Chloe. Mostly because I thought I'd never see her again for the longest while. Not only am I actually back home in Arcadia Bay with her, but now she's completely drowning me in her kiss and has caught me off guard for what seems to be no reason at all.
Shortly after, I force myself to pull away from Chloe and the sense of her still lingers on my lips. "What are you doing?" I mutter, my voice sounding almost panicked. I'm barely able to function what just happened. My heart is pounding in my chest and I can feel my pulse breathing through my numb fingertips.
Instantly there's a slight roll in her eyes which makes it seem like she's annoyed I interrupted, making me even more nervous. Chloe's slightly leaning forward on her arms, her hands touching my curled up legs. "Oh, relax, fraidy cat. It's not the end of the world," she says with a groan in her voice. "Besides, you can totally rewind if things get too out of hand." Her voice draws quieter as she speaks, sounding almost breathy.
Considering what she's saying, it seems like something we would joke about together but never actually believe it would happen. I'm staring at her again, wide-eyed, unsure of what to say. It doesn't take me to long to come to the conclusion that I wouldn't want to use my powers.
She flashes me a brief mischiveous look before leaning toward me again like she knows what I'm thinking. The gesture is gradual as if to see if I will interject or not.
I remain unmoving and fearfully allow Chloe to creep forward. Feeling more at ease, my eyelids slowly fall closed and I sense her lips brush over mine again. She presses further into me and I'm savouring the sensation of her warmth. For moments my lips are dead and motionless although I don't make an effort to pull away either.
The thoughts in my mind are shuffling like a stack of cards and I'm still shocked as to how this is even happening. Although it was kind of like Chloe to jump to such things. She's so daring and spontaneous. She speaks her mind and I know she's not afraid to. Me, on the other hand is the exact opposite. I'll never be as brave as Chloe. I guess that's one reason why I need her by my side.
Finally I experiment in parting my lips and allow Chloe to fully envelope her mouth in mine. My body remains paralyzed and my hands are pushing down on the bed at my side, completely vulnerable to Chloe.
The warmth of her body cascades around me. I've never felt so close to her. I can hear the sound of her body beginning to shift on the bed, the mesmerizing music sounding far away from the both of us.
My nerves spark back into my system and I'm inhaling deeply. My brain suddenly snaps into the reality of what's happening and before I even realize it I am swinging my legs around and nearly rolling off the mattress looking like I'm doing some sort of parkour stunt until I'm standing at the edge of the bed. Ofcourse, I manage to stumble over my own shoes in the process and have to wearily stabilize my balance for an instant, causing me to drown in embarrassment.
Without having to press my palms to my cheeks I can feel that they are burning like fire, my pulse throbbing through every limb in my body. My fingers are absentmindedly gripping my arm and I refuse to make a sliver of eye contact with Chloe, even though I can still see her figure sitting helplessly in front of me.
I scramble to gaze at everything in the room except for her. "I'm, uh..." My mind shuffles for the right words, not even sure what it is that I'm about to say. "...gonna go take a shower," I quickly finish in a soft voice, somehow managing to spit out the only lame excuse I can think of in the moment.
Immediately, I mentally kick myself for saying something so stupid but I'm already out the door and heading towards the girls' bathroom before Chloe can say anything. I didn't even grab my shower supplies and I'm positive she noticed too. Stupid stupid stupid.
Hugging myself tightly in pure embarrassment, my vision remains drawn on my quickly pacing feet. I'm not even positive if I can convince myself to believe what just happened, but if there's one thing I know for sure, it's that I can't help the deep blush that rises to my cheeks, and the wide grin that just can't seem to go away no matter how hard I try.