"Black Flies" by Ben Howard

Little Max Caulfield sobbed as Chloe Price, her absolute best friend, grew more distant while they pulled out of the cemetery parking lot. She could see Chloe standing alone at William's grave, and it broke her heart tenfold, dare say more. Feelings collided against one another like ships in a raging storm: anger, pain, loss, grief, bitterness. She felt like her age was suddenly of little to no difference; death changes you, especially when it is someone so close to her heart as William Price. Shaking her head in a vain attempt to get the tears to stop, Max moved out of reach of her mother's hand when Vanessa Caulfield reached out to try and get her to sit down.

Max had been good and quiet her whole life, had never willfully sought out trouble. Even her and Chloe's winetasting had just been chalked up to childhood mischief. She screamed for the first time since she was a little kid when Vanessa tried to reach for her again, anger sewn into her eyes when she looked over her shoulder and glanced at her mother.

"H-How…?" Max stammered, noticing that her father was also looking at her through the rearview mirror. "How could you? It… It's not bad enough we have to leave, b-but to leave the day of…of William's funeral. God… Chloe… I'm so sorry…"
"Max," Vanessa said, reaching out for a third time as she silently thanked God when Max relented and let herself slump back down into the seat, "Your dad starts work tomorrow, a-and… God, Baby, I am so sorry…"

"We both are, Punkin'," Ryan Caulfield added, "Please… Just give Seattle-"

"Who cares?" Max asked, cradling her elbow as she just looked down at her shoes. "Just… Leave me alone. Please."

The remainder of the car ride was spent in an awkward silence, Max's parents not even talking to each other as their daughter wept quietly. The Caulfields had planned the trip accordingly, had enough fuel to make a straight shot of the drive, and before anyone knew it they were in Seattle. Max would glance out of the windows every now and then as the lush woodland gave way to suburbia, even more so when the more urban areas sprung up. She was not any less mad, not any less in pain. Max was just numb, and every building looked the exact same to her in spite of it all. I… I just want to hold Chloe. That tape… She must feel awful right now. I told her I was moving, but to move with everything that happened… Poor Chloe. I miss her…

The house was nice, a one-story in a small area just outside of the major metropolitan area of Seattle. A brick façade, the place already had most of their furniture moved in and set up. For the Caulfields, for Max, it was simply a matter of new environs. Max was quick to run into the house, ignoring her mother asking for assistance. She had cried intermittently throughout the entire drive and was presently in the midst of sobbing once again. Finding out which room was hers was relatively easy as all the doors were open. Slamming it shut, another little act of defiance that did not suit her shy, anxious self, Max put a hand to her mouth and just slid down until she was braced against the door. Pressing her knees to her chest, the small girl just wept and wept as memories flooded her mind. She had told Chloe that she would keep in touch, but with William's passing she was terrified. What if Chloe did not forgive her for leaving? What if Chloe never forgave her? Chloe's face popped into her mind, their last day together, mostly free from trouble. Standing in the backyard, looking up as "Captain Bluebeard" gazed through her telescope, Max watched her look down and sneer rather than smile.

"…F-Fuck…," Max choked out, a rarity for her to actually curse, "I hate this. I hate this so much. Who would move away the day of someone's funeral?"

Getting up eventually, ignoring the sounds of her parents bringing things in from the car, Max examined her new room. The set-up was familiar, like her old room but with more space. The desk was set against a window. Her bed was next to the desk, with a dresser and closet opposite. A box was sitting there on her desk, and in a moment of fury the small brunette nearly tossed it once in her hands. A present from her parents, Max surmised grimly. A way of smoothing things over, maybe. How do you smooth something broken, though? She put the unopened box on her bed and sat at the desk, tracing an index finger along the grooves where she and Chloe had carved all over. Giggling a little in spite of the pain, Max remembered how Chloe had started their defacing of her desk with a steak knife, a crude "MC + CP" right smack in the middle.

"You nearly cut your finger, Chloe," Max said, the words half-choked as she began to calm down, "I… I couldn't stop laughing, even when Mom got so mad. What am I going to do with you not here? I'm scared, Chloe… I'm so fucking scared…"

Max did not exit her room until dinner time, Vanessa having to coax her out with a slice of pizza. Shuffling out of her room, she acquiesced to her parents' wish to see her and Max just flopped down on the couch as they ate in silence.

"…You'll see, Max," Vanessa said, bumping her shoulder against the smaller girl's, "Seattle will be great. A fresh start for us all. We already talked to the principal of your new school and everything is taken care of."

"Cool, I guess…" Max mumbled, the pizza she was chewing had almost no flavor to it, "I… I'm not hungry. I'm sorry. Can I go back to my room now?"

"Max," Ryan said, reaching across the coffee table to take his daughter's hand as she stood, "We know how hard this is for you. Just… Don't isolate yourself, okay? Chloe was your-"

"Chloe is my best friend, and she always will be!" Max fired back, immediately regretting it as Ryan winced at how much she had raised her voice. "I'm sorry. I… I'm going back to my room…"

Max fell onto her bed and hugged her bear tightly, The Captain missing an eye still. She and Chloe were going to repair it themselves.

"After all, Long Max Silver," Chloe had said, "He's a part of the crew and that's just what good pirates do, y'arr!"

Smiling to herself a little at the memory, Max's eyes glanced over to the present her parents had bought her. Rolling her eyes, the brunette reluctantly sat up and set her bear aside so as to open the box in her lap. The gift was almost just as crushing as leaving Arcadia Bay – a Polaroid camera sat in her lap where the box had just been. Sniffling all over again, Max fought the urge to cry and surprised herself in actually winning that particular battle. Seeing that the camera had come with a single cartridge of film, Max figured out how to load it via the instruction booklet and pointed it at herself. Chloe would always encourage Max to include herself in some of the pictures; Max preferred looking into the world through a lens than being a part of it, mostly. The flash blinded her for a moment as the film came out, and with it also came a moment of disorientation. Dizzy, Max was able to get to her feet and looked at the desk to find a note.

"W-What…?" Max wondered, unfolding it before dropping it almost instantly.

Call Chloe.

Max took a few steps back from the desk, freaking out a little as she anxious looked around her unlit bedroom for signs of someone else. Flipping the light switch, she grew even more puzzled as everything was exactly where it had just been before she had taken the picture. Grabbing the note after a moment of nervous indecision, Max looked at the sheet of paper.

"That's…my handwriting…," Max said, brows furrowed, "This… What time is it? Did I do this and pass out? Nice going, Max. Scaring yourself half to death…"

Putting the paper in her desk drawer, Max opted to get into her sleep clothes and just go to bed. She was tired, lonely, and cold; the brunette wanted to just try and forget the whole day through a mess of dreams. Clutching at her bear once the light was off once more and she was in bed, Max buried herself under the covers and rolled up like a burrito as she always did. The tears came once more as she thought of how only days before she had been sleeping over at Chloe's. Chloe's house felt like a world away. As Max nodded off she wondered if she would ever see that half-painted structure again, or her best friend.

"…C-Chloe…," Max said, her voice light and airy as sleep wholly claimed her.

Max did not have to go to school the next day, her parents had relayed what happened with William, so she spent the day with Vanessa as they unboxed everything. Vanessa tried to make it more of a happy occasion, taking Max out for lunch to a sushi place once enough of their things had been unearthed from the myriad of boxes and containers. Max knew it was a peace offering; with great reluctance she accepted it. She was always a sucker for lobster rolls. Lunch had brought a small measure of relief to the Caulfield residence. Max got to see what her school schedule would look like. The IEP had been a suggestion of her junior high guidance counsellor, her parents agreeing that with Max's anxiety disorder a special curriculum that would be more accommodating was needed. She would learn like all the other students in her class, but there would be a great deal more emphasis on keeping her mind focused. I do tend to space out a lot, Max thought with a mild smirk as she handed the schedule back to her mother.

"I'm kinda tired, Mom," Max said, stretching a little for emphasis, "Can I go lay down for a bit?"

"Sure, Baby. Take all the time you need, okay?" Vanessa replied, smiling gently as Max just nodded before turning to head down the hall, "Max?"

"Uh, yeah?" Max asked, halfway turned around in front of her bedroom door.

"…Nothing. Just get some rest. I'll need all the help I can get later."

"Roger roger," Max replied, a decent imitation of a battle droid from Star Wars. Seeing her mother chuckle brought a smile to her face. A lightness took shape in her chest as Max laid down.

Days passed into a week, and then one week became two. Max went to school, as scary as it was, and began to get used to a routine. Her counsellor had told her parents how important it was Max had a routine to go off of, her anxiety could get so overwhelming. Regular daily events helped the small brunette: wake up, shower, clothes, eat, school, and home. Max fit some photography into her schedule, of course; now that she had a camera of her own, the brunette carried it everywhere with her. She was wiping the camera down with a paper towel at her desk when she fancied taking another selfie. Awkwardly smiling at the camera, the flash dazzled her, and the dizziness returned. Figuring that maybe the dizziness just came with how bright the flash was, Max shook the film and blinked her eyes in rapid succession once the camera was on her desk. Seeing the developed picture, Max cringed at how her eyes were halfway open.

"I look like an idiot…," Max grumbled, tossing the photo onto her desk before noticing something.

One of the drawers of her desk was open just slightly. Confused, Max knew it had been closed only a moment before. She had not even needed to use any of her drawers just yet, her messy locker at school a key piece of evidence in that fact. Nearly closing it, Max paused before pulling it out again. The note, Max thought, seeing the folded sheet of paper, How could I forget? Way to give yourself a jumpscare, Caulfield…, Max thought as she unfolded the paper, eyes widening in fear as she dropped it out of instinct and scrambled out of her chair.

While the message before had just said Call Chloe, those two words had disappeared and now a whole letter was in their place. Max recognized her handwriting, but more so she also knew there was no way that she could write such a long letter in a small amount of time. Even if I passed out I am so slow at writing… This… This is my writing, but… Are these tears? Max thought, a hand going to her face only to pull it back when she felt wetness on her fingertips.

"When did I…?" Max started to ask, a puzzled expression rising out of the previous fear, and with a great deal of reluctance Max read the letter.

The message was from herself…five years in the future. There was even a date on the top, October 11th, 2013. The first bit was more of a reassurance, the older her proving that she was indeed Max Caulfield. The rest was like a fever dream, Max could not totally process all of it. The whole letter, aside from the first paragraph, was a love letter for Chloe. Max had crushed on her best friend hard for a couple years now. She loved Chloe, the taller girl was like her other half. Gears and ideas clicked into Max's mind as she folded the letter up and put it back in her desk.

""Do what I couldn't. Please'," Max said quietly, repeating the letter's final line, "God, this is too much! I…I… What if she hates me? What if I call her and she just rages on me?"

"Max?" Vanessa asked, knocking on the door before she opened it a crack. "Baby, I thought you were going to take a nap."

"I.. Uh, yeah… I was," Max said, quickly getting up from her desk, thankful that drawer and the letter inside it were secure, "Mom, I know that I'm only supposed to use my cell phone in case of emergency…but…"

"You want to call Chloe, don't you?" Vanessa said, smiling a little as Max nodded when she had finished her daughter's train of thought. "Well, you never use it and we keep adding minutes and data every month anyway. Go ahead, Baby."

"Thank you!" Max exclaimed, running to the door to hug her mother before she shooed her out of the bedroom. Locking the door, Max pressed herself against it and felt the rapid beat of her heart. She had spent weeks with Chloe being an underlying thought, had dreamed of her and wanted to see her so bad whenever things got too rough. She needed to know. Max needed to know if they were still "Max and Chloe Forever".

Max's hand trembled as she took her cellphone out from its pocket in her backpack. Flipping the small device open, Max pined a little as she looked at the small picture of Chloe next to her phone number. She hesitated, though, and set the phone down before pacing around in her room for a short time. What do I say? "Oh, hi Chloe"? That's just stupid…, Max thought to herself as she brought a hand to her face and groaned, Just… Just be yourself, Max. Chloe and you have been friends since the start of grade school. You… You've got this…

"I have the power," Max said to herself, glancing over at the desk before snatching the phone up from her bed. Hands trembling still, Max took a deep breath, "Do or die, Max."

The signal tone began to beep once Max finally pressed the call button with Chloe's number highlighted. Barely three rings in and she heard someone pick up.

"Max?" Chloe Price asked on the other line, her tone one of usual Chloe, part mischief and part casual. "Took you long enough, Caulfield. Geez."

"I know…," Max replied, sitting against the foot of her bed, "God, I'm such a loser, Chloe. I'm sorry it took me so long."

"It's okay," Chloe said, Max knowing that was a lie, "I've been busy. School, skating, the usual. What's new with you? Aside from Seattle, obviously."

"It… Seattle…," Max said, trying to sound cheerful, trying to be optimistic, "Chloe, it sucks. It sucks so bad. I look at all these cool places, see all these perfect moments for photography, and they're all missing the key ingredient…"

"Key ingredient?"

"You. You, Chloe. I…I need my co-captain," Max said, letting the emotions flood her like an ocean, "I-I miss you so goddamn much. I was afraid that you'd hate me, that you w-would pick up the phone and just scream at me…"

The line was quiet for a minute or two, but Max could make out Chloe's breathing hitch and hear the sound of distant sobbing. She's holding the phone away so I don't hear her crying, Max thought, wiping her own tears away, God. Chloe, I'm so sorry…

"…Chloe…?" Max asked after another couple of minutes.

"I-I'm still here, Max," Chloe replied, her voice weak and tired, "…Whatever here is. Goddammit, Max. Why? Why did you have to leave? Why did my dad have to die?"

"I-I don't know, Chloe," Max choked out, Chloe now openly crying over the line, "I am… Fuck, I've already said I'm sorry so many times. I don't want to say it anymore."

"W-What…?" Chloe asked, a rare moment of her stuttering. "Max?"

"I won't apologize anymore, Chloe, because… That day wasn't the end of anything…," Max said, her voice weighty as conviction steeled her resolve, "I refuse to let that be the end. I-I might have been scared, might have been terrified, but I need you. You're… You're my best friend. I love you, Chloe."

"God, I love you too, Max," Chloe replied, a lightness in her voice despite the pain of it all, "I wish you were here. Mom… I can barely look at her, I'm so angry lately. She… I know that she didn't mean for it to happen, b-but if she had just… If my dad had… Fucking hell, this really sucks…"

"I know, Chloe, but we'll get through it together," Max said, the phone pressed so close to her face that she felt the keys on her cheek as the tears continued on, "I'm not going to lose you. I won't let that happen. Ever. You're… You're all that matters to me."

"Geez, Caulfield," Chloe said, a dry chuckle escaping her as Max just grinned, "Write me a love sonnet, why don't you?"

The girls both giggled as they continued on their talk, minutes becoming hours while day gave way to the golden rays of late afternoon.

"Is she here yet?" Max looking out of the rear windshield of her parents' car as she scanned the bus depot for signs of a girl with long blonde hair. "D-Do you see her, Dad?"

"Not yet, Punkin'," Ryan said, chuckling a bit in spite of him scanning the area almost as intensely as his daughter.

"M-Maybe she couldn't make it…," Max said, her voice faltering as doubt and anxiety began to gnaw at her, "Maybe she missed the bus and… Or, um, maybe Joyce-"

"Punkin', look to your left," Ryan said, and the warmth in his voice caused Max to snap her head in the spoken direction. Her smile was bright enough to blind someone as she locked eyes with Chloe Price from across the parking lot.

"Hold up-!" Ryan called out as Max practically flew out the car, laughing at the sight of his daughter all but tackling the taller girl when they connected.

"Chloe!" Max cried out as she held onto her best friend and was latched onto in return.

"Max… Oh, Max, I missed you so fuckin' much…," Chloe replied, tears falling down her cheeks as she lifted her smaller friend into the air, "I… I thought I'd never see you again, after that cassette… After you said goodbye…"

"Never," Max shot back, pulling away only to giggle a bit when Chloe wiped the tears from her eyes, "Even… Even if that _were_ the case, and it took years, we will _always_ be Max and Chloe. I won't let anything break us apart. Not anything."

"Thank you," Chloe said, lip quivering after the words before she pulled Max in for another hug while Ryan approached on foot, "Hey, Mr. C. I think I found your daughter."

"I can see that," Ryan said, unable to stifle a laugh when Chloe smiled, "It's really good to see you, Chloe. And to see that smile come back."

"I blame her," Chloe replied, hugging Max a little closer as the brunette just kept on burying her head into Chloe's chest, "Uh, Max? I'd like to actually see your house some time? C'mon, Goop. Let's get outta here."

Max nodded, reluctant as she was to pull away, and she smiled just as brightly as before when Chloe took her hand while Ryan carried her suitcase as they walked together towards the car. Helping her father load Chloe's suitcase into the car by popping the trunk, Max opened the rear passenger side door and ushered Chloe inside before closing the door behind her as she joined the tall blonde. She hugged Chloe again before her friend could pull a seatbelt on, smiling when Chloe's arms found their way around her in return.

"God, I missed you," Chloe whispered, Max nodding in reply, "I… It's been so rough, Max. My mom holes up in her bedroom and cries while I just…do the same… Please tell me you have something fun in store this weekend."

"Well, I tried to get my dad to let us go to this massive party full of booze and all kinds of drugs…," Max joked after she pulled back from the hug, giggling a little when Chloe gently punched her arm, "You're so mean. But, um, I thought that maybe you call the shots while you're here, Chloe. You did do a four-hour bus ride. Only fair you pick how we spend our-"

"You haven't gone out at all, have you?" Chloe asked, knowing grin on her face when Max's face turned scarlet as she promptly looked down at her shoes. "Max, you didn't have to wait on me."

"I… I wanted your first time here to be extra special, so I decided that every place we go should be the first for the both of us," Max said, looking up from her bowed head to see Chloe's amused grin, "Also, um, Seattle by myself is kinda scary. I have a hard time just being at school sometimes, let alone exploring by myself."

"You haven't changed one bit."

"That bad?"

"Nah, it's perfect. C'mere," Chloe said, pulling her in for one more hug before Ryan opened the driver's side door, "Home, please!"

Chloe's first night at the Caulfield residence was a mess of pizza, sodas, cookies, and video games. Max tried to get Chloe to watch Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, but by that point both girls were starting to show signs of exhaustion and sugar crash. Already dressed in their sleep clothes, the duo wished Ryan and Vanessa a good night before Max led the way to her bedroom.

"I still can't believe you actually have a decent-sized bedroom now," Chloe said with a smirk, outstretching her arms, "Remember that first sleepover at your old place?"

"How could I not? My old room was so small that we could've been bouncing from the walls after all the sugar and caffeine we downed. What was my mom thinking?" Max replied, her turn to grin when Chloe looked over at her with smile.

"Yeah… We were five. Your mom is clearly into self-torture."

"Pfft, dork."

"Hippie."

"Dweeb."

"Nerd."

The girls laughed as they climbed into Max's bed, the lights already off save for the bedside lamp. Chloe spotted a stack of developed Polaroids on the nightstand and swiped them before Max could stop her. Browsing through the small collection, Chloe smiled at the shots Max took.

"I thought you didn't go off and explore," Chloe asked, eyebrow arched.

"I use the bus to get to school, and take the pictures during the ride," Max explained, scooting over so that both of them could look at the photos, "I wanted to have something for you, for when you got here."

"Wait, you mean-?"

"I know that you're not going to be able to come up here every weekend, Chloe," Max explained, her tone a little morose, "I… When you're not physically here with me I wanted you to know that you are still always with me. I'll mail you pictures, a-and send you pics through texts!"

"Wow, Max," Chloe said, her eyes a little wider as the depth of Max's plan really hit her, "That's… That's awesome. Thank you. Really."

Max smiled when Chloe took her hand, each girl giving a little squeeze before Chloe set the photos back on the nightstand. Switching off the lamp, Chloe curled up beside Max as they laid down facing each other. Max flashed a toothy grin, her nose scrunching up as Chloe just gazed at her. They inched a little bit closer, their foreheads almost touching.

"Max?" Chloe asked, her voice barely a whisper as she stifled a yawn.

"Yeah?" Max replied, yawning in return. "What is it, Chloe?"

"Forever, right? This… This isn't just a dream?"

"Max and Chloe. Forever."

The next morning was a terror for the adult Caulfields as Max and Chloe rampaged throughout the house with giggles and screams as the girls tickled each other while waiting for Ryan to finish the omelettes and Max's waffle. Vanessa tried to moderate at one point, but she was unsuccessful as the ecstatic grin on each girl's face brought a tear to her eye. Max was on one side of the kitchen island with Chloe on the other, each one eyeing the other with a mischievous grin.

"Y'arrrr, scallywag!" Chloe exclaimed, feigning to run to the left only to smirk when Max almost fell for her lure. "Long Max Silver, give me yer booty!"

"I will not, Bluebeard!" Max fired back, clutching The Captain. "Tis more valuable than the most sought after jewel in all the seven seas, y'arr!"

They chased each other through the house a little bit more, coming to an abrupt stop when Ryan called them into the living room for breakfast. Max knew it was a special occasion, as they usually ate every meal in the dining room area by the back door. Narrowly dodging Chloe reaching for her, Max erupted into one more fit of hysterical giggles when Chloe tickled her. Trying to bat her friend's hands away while still clutching onto the teddy bear, Max had to give at some point and surrendered The Captain after she thought she might pee her pants if Chloe did not stop the ruthless tickle assault.

The girls ate their breakfasts in a comfortable silence, Max digging into her waffle as Chloe wolfishly ate her omelette with a gusto. Max eyed her father's coffee, pouting just a bit as she glanced in turn at her orange juice. When Ryan noticed, he smirked a little before getting up and returning with a cup of coffee for Max. Seeing the black liquid in the white mug, Max cringed and took her new drink to the counter. She added just the right amount of creamer, sugar, and cinnamon – sipping it once satisfied with her meticulous work, Max nodded satisfactorily before taking her seat only to groan at the sight of her plate.

"Really, Chloe? I was going to finish that!" Max said, hand on her hip as Chloe just smirked with a little syrup on her bottom lip. "You're such a dork."

"Leave your seat, lose your eats!" Chloe said in a sing-song voice, winking at Max before she reached across the table to take Max's empty plate and stack it on top of her own. "Besides, you're like five pounds? And the waffle was almost gone anyway! I did you a favor, Caulfield. Saved you from a most sticky, sugary death."

Max could not help but laugh at that as she took another sip of her coffee and followed Chloe into her bedroom. Closing the door behind them, the brunette sat at her desk and sipped at her drink while Chloe laid down and just stared at the ceiling.

"What's on your mind?" Max asked, crossing her legs as she sat the mug on her desk. "Dr. Caulfield needed?"

"…Well, if you must know, it all began a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…," Chloe joked, glancing over with a crooked grin to see Max just shake her head and chuckle, "I want to go and do something. I dunno what, Max, but I need to see Seattle for myself and judge its worthiness as your current residence."

"What'd you have in mind?" Max asked, chin rested in her hands before both of them looked at each other with a light in their eyes.

"Space Needle!" the girls cried out in unison, getting up from their roosts so fast that they became a whirl of clothes and hair as they began to get changed.

Ryan led the girls through the parking lot and towards the looming structure, Max in a t-shirt and jean shorts while Chloe had donned a hoodie and snapback hat. With the girls glancing at each other while they were only a short distance from Max's father, they held hands and walked towards the Space Needle. Max paused to take a picture, a shot of herself and Chloe with the angle just right so as to show the tourist spot behind them. The brunette had to giggle a bit at how Chloe stick her tongue out a bit for the photo, the smiles on their faces otherwise a stark contrast to a month prior. Max glanced over at Chloe when the blonde was preoccupied with swatting away a fly that kept buzzing around her, a frown crossing her face for the briefest of moments. She's been through so much, will continue to be through so much. William gone, Joyce in pain, and here's Chloe with a smile on her face. I'm glad I called her. God, if I hadn't…, Max thought, giving Chloe's hand a squeeze that caught her friend's attention.

"S'up?" Chloe asked, snickering when Max just smiled in response. "Goop, I swear. Hey, let's ditch your pop and make a run for the elevator! I wanna be unsupervised for a change!"

"C-Chloe, I don't know if that's…," Max started to say, emitting a little whine when Chloe gave her a puppy-eyed look, "You are so terrible. Alright, then. 1…"

"2…," Chloe said, their voices lowered to a whisper as they braced themselves.

"3!"

Max looked over her shoulder as they ran, wincing a little as she eyed her father sighing with a faint smile on his face. When it wasn't William keeping an eye on them, it was Max's father. They always said we were an unstoppable handful when together, Max thought with a grin as Chloe laughed when they made it to the building itself, the blonde girl letting out a cry of victory just as they caught the elevator.

"Holy shit!" Chloe said breathlessly, hands on the glass as she and Max just gazed out across the city. "You can see practically everything from up here!"

"Wowser…," Max replied, her eyes wide as she was so close to the glass that her breath generated a bit of momentary fog on the window, "I…I don't even know where to begin, Chloe. There's so much to see…"

"We'll tackle it together," Chloe said, bumping Max's hip with her own, "It'll take a while, but Seattle will totally be ours someday. First, Seattle, and then after that it's the world!"

"Girls?" Max heard Ryan ask from somewhere in the observation area, looking over her shoulder to wave her father down when she caught sight of him. Taking a bottled water from him, Max smiled in apology and visibly relaxed when Ryan ruffled her hair in response. "Pretty big, huh?"

"Yeah…," the girls replied together, eyes still wide as they just took in as much as Seattle could offer them.

The three of them found a small table and had a seat, Ryan getting up and making the girls promise to not leave before he headed off to get them a snack. Swinging her feet around, Max just took in everything. If she had not called Chloe, Max might not have even come here. The crowd was not too bad, but a new place and strangers always rattled her a little. Her attention elsewhere, Max blinked in surprise when she felt something on her head. Looking up, Max saw the bill of Chloe's snapback above her forehead and eyed Chloe with a look.

"Looks good on you," Chloe said, folding her arms as she playfully kicked Max's foot under the table, "This is fucking great, Max. This place… All of Seattle… Just awesome."

"It is a lot of fun," Max replied with a nod, smile on her face as she glanced out the window before pulling out her camera. Taking a shot of the vast cityscape, Max grabbed the Polaroid photo once it was spat out and shook it a little, "Another for the Chloe Price Reunion Album!"

Chloe laughed at that, a delighted chuckle, and Max slipped the photo into her backpack. Ryan returned shortly thereafter with some large pretzels and an apple for himself. Nibbling on the chewy snack, Max just peacefully swayed in her seat and enjoyed the time with her best friend. The girls shot each other knowing looks and grins that spoke volumes without ever needing to utter so much as a word. They had been like that since grade school, Max communication almost entirely in a nonverbal fashion when they first met much to Chloe's childhood amusement. After an hour of just wandering the observation deck once they were finished eating, Max used some of her allowance to buy Chloe a new snapback, one emblazoned with the Space Needle on it. Seeing Chloe pull the hat on with a proud grin, Max took a photo of her friend and kept it for herself. Chloe was smiling, glowing in her happiness.

The rest of the day was spent at multiple locations as the girls' wanderlust caught hold of Ryan Caulfield's undivided attention. The beach was first, Golden Gardens Park with its lush trees and paths framed along one side by the sand and water. Max and Chloe dodged Ryan yet again, racing through the wooded area before just standing on the sand as they held hands. Ryan himself took a picture with his phone when the girls were not watching, their backs to him as they looked out into the vastness of the ocean. Once they were tired of the park, Ryan took them out for pizza and they arrived at a skatepark that was near the Caulfield residence. Chloe was fired up by the time they arrived there, pulling her skateboard out of the backseat as she all but sprinted for the half-pipe and rails. Max was there for each photo opportunity, shaking her head adamantly whenever Chloe would try to goad her into riding the skateboard. Trick after trick, photo after photo, Max and Chloe spent what felt like a lifetime just alternating between their respective pursuits and sitting together and watching others skate.

"Dude, you should take a picture of that guy!" Chloe said at one point, gesturing at a slightly older boy as he did a 360 off the half-pipe.

"Nah," Max replied, patting her bag, "I got all the photos I need."

The night was a more homey affair, a home-cooked meal of spaghetti and toasted garlic bread as the girls sipped at Cherry Cokes while watching Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl. Chloe put the movie on pause when dinner was ready, hauling Max to her feet before they headed to the dinner table with drinks in-hand. Chloe let out a satisfied moan when she took her first bite, Max snickering as her best friend laid on the praise to Ryan for crafting such great food. Max laughed along with her parents when Chloe would crack a joke or make a snarky quip in response to something another person at the table would say. Going on throughout the entire dinner, Chloe had Max in stitches and her face was scarlet from laughter and a lack of oxygen. When their plates were clear, and Chloe enjoyed her seconds, Max took the blonde by her hand and they finished off the last half-hour of the movie.

"No, not my room," Max said, shaking her head when Chloe made for the hallway by default, "Out back. C'mon."

"Okay, Ms. Mysterious," Chloe teased, though when her eyes caught sight of what was erected out back a hand instinctively went to her mouth.

The tree fort had taken weeks for Ryan to assemble, Max helping as she could at every opportunity possible. A sturdy construction, a lone window on the exposed wall opposite the tree itself. Chloe looked at the fort, then at Max, and then at the fort again before latching onto her best friend with a tearful smile on her face.

"Goddamn, Caulfield, you really are the frickin' best," Chloe said, sniffling before she pulled away, "I… I don't even know, dude. Just… Fuck."

"Come on up, Chloe," Max said as she led her friend to the rope ladder hanging down from the fort, "See the rest for yourself."

The interior was bare as far as decorations went, the wood treated but unpainted. There was a battery-powered lantern, a double-sized sleeping bag, and a small cupboard nestled against a wall. Helping Chloe up and into their new base, Max dropped the hatch down and secured it with a latch. Chloe just sat there for a little while, wonder and delight etched onto her face as Max turned on the lantern. The brunette watched the tall blonde girl run her fingertips along the bare walls, a smile on her face before she spun in her seat to look at Max.

"We can decorate it together," Max said, reaching into the cupboard to reveal some paint markers, "I… I know we're not little kids anymore, but I thought it might be fun to really make this place ours. And these markers are the industrial kind so whatever we draw will last."

"How long have you been planning all this? Like, not just the open-ended trip today, but this and…and just all of it?" Chloe asked, her voice giving away just how awestruck she was. "I'm… This really means a lot, Max."

"You're my best friend."

"You're mine."

Max and Chloe smiled in unison, the brunette setting the bucket of paint markers between them as they got to work. Rainbows, stars, and Super-Max along with Dr. Frankenchloe – the first wall was soon lively and colorful as they weaved together a new mural in their special place. When the last mark was completed, a distant star that Chloe said would guide them together to places and lands far off, Max collected the markers together and closed the lid over everything. Reaching into the cupboard, Max next pulled out a set of large, glow-in-the-dark stars that could be stuck to the ceiling. They created their own night sky, constellations and worlds only known to them as the last rays of sunlight gave way to nightfall. Laying on the sleeping bag, pointing at each new formation on the ceiling, Max and Chloe giggled as they came up with names like "Ultimatious" and "The Huntress".

"Girls!" Vanessa called out, peeking her head out from the partially-open sliding glass door. "Come inside before it gets too cold!"

"Coming, Mom!" Max shouted back from the fort's window, dropping the mini-blind so as to keep bugs and any rain out. "Ready, Chloe? We probably should-"

Max's face went scarlet and the breath in her lungs seemed to freeze in time as Chloe's lips hit her cheek with a faint kiss. When the lips were gone, Max put a shaky hand to her cheek and just looked at Chloe in complete and utter bewilderment.

"You're my best friend, and this is…incredible," Chloe explained, her own face a little red, "No way I'm going to ever forget this, Caulfield."

"Uh, yeah…," Max replied, oxygen resuming its usual course through her body as the blood in her face began to warm her entire being, "W-We should get inside."

"Sure," Chloe replied, nonchalant as though she had done nothing out of the ordinary, "Race you down the ladder?"

"Chloe, it's a rope ladder for one at a time," Max said, a little incredulous at the idea before gasping when Chloe began to rapidly descend, "Chloe! Not fair! That's cheating!"

"Snooze and lose, hippie!"

The girls adamantly protested not being allowed to stay up late and watch more movies, Chloe scowling a little as Max just cringed while Vanessa sighed. Balking under the force of two teenage girls, the older Caulfield woman let them stay up for one more movie before heading off to bed. As an added measure, they were told to change into their sleep clothes before coming back out. Running down the hallway, Max and Chloe were back out and in the living room so fast that Vanessa did a double-take and had to chuckle.

"Spirits Within!" Max exclaimed, frowning when Chloe made a gag noise. "Hey, it's a good movie!"

"Yeah, if you have zero taste, Max," Chloe teased, yelping when Max reached in and tickled her.

"More fooling around, less movie time!" Vanessa said, both girls immediately ceasing their little tickle war to browse through the movie selection. "And nothing R-rated, please! Joyce would kill me if you two started talking about graphic violence or…or other adult things…"

"Yeah, Mom's still a little grumpy whenever I ask if I can watch Tropic Thunder by myself," Chloe said with a snort, "That bootleg I got was a really good copy, though. So, um, what movie?"

"You pick," Max replied, waving at the thick book of discs.

"Max, I don't have to pick out every single thing we do," Chloe said, "…Though it is pretty nice…"

"Um, well…," Max said, tapping her chin before she went straight for a disc that was a little deeper in the book, "This. The Fountain."

"Sci-Fi?"

"You know it," Max said, getting up to put the movie in the player's tray before promptly returning to the couch, "It's about this guy who basically lives forever and tries to… I dunno, something to do with the love of his life. It looks pretty cool."

"Leave it to Max Caulfield to pick a thought-provoking, arty film," Chloe shot back, smirking as she ruffled Max's hair, "Get in here, nerd."

Max smiled when Chloe put an arm around her shoulders as they watched The Fountain together. Chloe pretty much nailed it, Max thought as the movie began to reach its conclusion, It's definitely thought-provoking, but also sad in a way. He finds that his love will live on forever in a way that's countered by how he himself has lived. Towards the end, when the protagonist sacrificed himself, Chloe pulled Max a little closer to her person and the brunette rested her head on the taller girl's shoulder.

"I don't know whether to cry or kinda roll my eyes," Chloe grumbled, rolling her eyes in an exaggerated way before flashing that crooked grin of hers, "Kidding. It was really good, actually. I dig it."

"Glad I get the Chloe Price Seal of Approval," Max teased back, jabbing Chloe in the side with a finger, "I am getting really sleepy, though. What time is it?"

"Half past a monkey's-"

"Rude."

"It's late enough that we should probably be sleeping," Chloe said, letting Max help her to her feet as the brunette got up first, "…Fuck…"

"Chloe?" Max asked, her hand already holding her best friend's as she looked over her shoulder and see the crestfallen expression. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I just… I go home tomorrow," Chloe said, the sadness from the day before and their reunion back on her face, "This… This has been the best ever, Max, but in the end you're here and I'm in Arcadia Bay."

"So?"

"So what about after this weekend? You said yourself – I can't come up every weekend," Chloe said, letting Max lead her to the bedroom, "I-I don't want to leave. I don't want to leave you."

"Chloe Elizabeth Price," Max said, tucking her friend into bed before joining her, the duo facing each other once more as they laid down, "This wasn't a one-time thing. It would never be that. I-I think it'd be cruel if I just… I won't let this be the only time you're here, the last time we're together. I stand by what I said on that tape."

"Damn, bustin' out my full name means it is legit," Chloe mused, her face still a mask of sadness, "I know you said 'Max and Chloe Forever' but… There's a difference between saying and doing, Max."

Sitting up in bed, Max motioned for Chloe to do the same and she held out her hand. With a slap and fist bump, they performed their secret handshake and Max smiled a little as Chloe did the same.

"Even if it took years…," Max began to say, her voice a little sad as she thought to the letter written by her in the future, "Even if it took years for us to be reunited, Chloe, I would and will always love you. I wasn't fucking around when I said it. I meant it, every word. Just… Trust me, okay?"

"I trust you with my life," Chloe replied, reaching out to hold both of Max's hands and give them a hearty squeeze, "You're my best friend. I… I'm not good at this goopy shit…"

"I know," Max replied, snickering a bit before she took note of the seriousness in Chloe's eyes. "Chloe…?"

"Max, Max Caulfield, you are one in a goddamn planet's worth of people," Chloe said, her voice a tad softer as she just looked into her best friend's eyes, "I… That's it. You are not just my best friend. You are the best friend a person could ever have."

Max's eyes watered, a tear falling down her cheek. Without another word, they detached their hands and laid down, looking into one another's eyes until both passed out from exhaustion.

"You have the pictures?" Max asked, Chloe going through her suitcase with the Space Needle snapback on.

"Yup," Chloe replied, looking through everything.

"Didn't forget anything at the house, did you?"

"Nah, I think I got it all."

"Okay," Max said, looking over her shoulder to see her father nodding his head while at the wheel, "I'll walk you to the bus."

Max led Chloe through the throngs of people at the bus station, their hands fastened around one another's as they weaved between travelers and those there to greet them. The morning had been quiet, solemn, as the girls knew that with every moment passing there was less time before Chloe had to go home. A breakfast of cereal and time spent alone in the tree fort, the girls coming up with more names for their special constellations. When her father called to them from the house, Max had gotten a little choked up but one hug from Chloe reassured her and the potential tears remained just a potentiality. As they approached the bus, they slowed their pace and everything seemed to blur around them. Dropping her suitcase, Chloe pulled Max into her arms and the shudder before the oncoming storm of tears broke them both.

"I'll miss you," Chloe gasped out, rolling her eyes at how much she was crying, "Fuck, I'm a mess, Caulfield. I blame you."

"I know," Max replied, breathing heavily as she wiped her own tears away once they broke the hug, "I'll miss you, too. But this isn't the end, Chloe. It's a new beginning. I mean it."

"You want me to call you when I get home?"

"Dork, I will call you before you're even in Oregon."

Chloe chuckled a little at that, smiling before she gave Max one more hug.

"I love you, Max."

"I love you, Chloe."

Chloe let go, wiping her face dry before she turned and continued on to the bus. Max stood there, searching for her best friend through the tinted glass until she smiled at a hand pressing itself against the window. She did not have to see the owner of said hand's face – she knew it was Chloe. Waving, Max just looked at that hand and kept on watching until the bus took off and was gone from sight as it turned a corner on the street. Her shoulders slumped, a sad and weary expression on her face, Max turned and almost ran into her father as Ryan just held his daughter.

"I swear I won't let that be it," Max said, her voice partly muffled in the fabric of Ryan's jacket, "I won't let years come between us, o-or time."

When Max got home, she ran into her bedroom without a word to her parents. It felt like that fateful day all over again, maybe even worse. The weekend had been a reprieve, a break in the storm before the clouds returned to settle over Max's heart. She pulled out the photos of Chloe she had taken that weekend, taping them to the wall by her bed. Chloe had always made something of a gallery of her photos, and Max wanted to memorialize their time together. When the last photo went up, Max sniffled a little as she stood by the bed.

"The Max Caulfield Photo Memorial Wall," Max said to herself, wiping her eyes dry. With hands on her hips, she cocked her head to one side and took all of them in, "It's a good start."

Max's turned her head at the sound of a cell phone going off. Pulling her phone out of the nightstand's single drawer, Max flipped it open and answered the call without a moment's hesitation.

"Chloe?" Max asked.

"Beat you to it, Maxaroni," Chloe said over the line, her voice wistful, "Keep me company for some of the ride? I-"

"Sure, Chloe," Max said, taking a seat on her bed.

"Of course I will."

Author's Notes

I couldn't let it end where it did, with regards to Farewell. I haven't written a wholly new LiS story in a long, long time. I thought I was done, that I was still a part of the fandom but not as a writer anymore. After thousands of pages and over a million words, I thought that I had told every story I had.

I was wrong. This story, my last one, needed to be told.

I hope you enjoyed this first chapter, as I'm far from through with this.

Stay Hella, Cinnamon Rolls!

Rowan