After the havoc of the Arcadia Bay tornado, the residents and students of Blackwell were moved to Coos Bay, a less expensive town of several unoccupied houses and a dwindling homeless population. After the tragedy—102 dead and 6,000 injured—residents were of utmost importance to be evacuated and provided for.
Joyce Price was not a tragic casualty, but a shining force through the gleaming sunset. When Chloe met her mother at their past property on Cedar Road, Chloe ran amidst rubble and disintegrating wood and concrete and embraced the shaken woman. Max stood close behind, with mournful eyes, but both were overwhelmed with relief she was still breathing.
In the rubble there were soaked destroyed clothes, plumbing, and unsalvageable food. What little clothes Chloe had, she'd saved in her trunk.
In no time, they were up in Coos Bay, living a luxurious life off of food stamps and government provisions. A one-bedroom with shabby dirty white wood walls and no garage— not even a yard, but a side walkway covered in mud.
Max awoke next to her best friend Chloe, lying on her stomach. Chloe rolled over and her right arm went up, buried beneath the stained white pillow. Her blue eyes slowly opened, pale in the sunlight through the cracked window. Max smiled at her. She looked beautiful.
"Good morning."
Chloe stretched. "'Morning!" She rolled over, facing Max, laying her cheek on her own hand.
The way her stare lingered meant the world to Max. She could stare into those eyes forever.
"I'm going to be having nightmares forever," Max said, her smile faltering.
"Let's hope not," Chloe replied. She squeezed Max's hand in condolence.
"What happened this time?"
"Oh, just walking through the school hallways. Candlelit with everyone's voices repeating on a loud speaker."
"You poor thing," Chloe said. "I'm sorry this is happening to you."
"It beats being in a real endless time loop. I thought I lost you forever there. I was in Hell."
"I'm glad you found me." Max detected a tear in Chloe's right eye.
Chloe stretched, groaning in emphasis and stood up, "Well, time to face the day!"
She tossed Max a shirt, as she was wearing a pajama shirt too big for her. The clothes she had to borrow were all black, with Chloe's favorite bands on them. "Hopefully they don't question this one," she said, referring to a recent time a totally punk rock student quizzed her on The Misfits' entire discography and history.
"Don't let it bother you. I still get the same quizzes from pretentious idiots." Chloe grabbed a towel for a shower and left the room.
On the campus of Sunset High, Max and Chloe sat on a bench together playing a game.
"Never have I ever… slept with a girl." Chloe put one finger down, leaving four fingers up in her lap.
"Oh, like that's a surprise! Miss Lesbian Sex Master," Max teased.
"Hey, I like pussy!" Chloe said, putting her hand in her lap. She bounced it between her knees, playfully.
"Never have I ever… wanted someone I can't have."
Chloe and Max put a finger down. "Oooh, juicy. I gotta hear about this! I bet Warren isn't playing hard to get lately!"
Max said, "Warren likes Brooke. I know he has a crush on me, too, but still… Brooke could have any guy if she just tried to be a little more…chipper?"
Chloe said, "He would kiss your feet if you hadn't showered for 5 days."
"You would know," Max said, pushing Chloe's shoulder.
Chloe said, "Hey, I would kiss your feet to repay you for saving my life if I had to. If you hadn't showered for five hundred days."
Max smiled and looked at Chloe's hands. Adorned with a black thumb ring. She could even make simple jewelry look pretty.
"Speak of the devil," Chloe said.
Warren had arrived, a flier in-hand. "Hey guys. Girls. Girl-bros!" he joked.
Max smiled, "Hey Warren."
Chloe sighed, smiling. "I'll leave you girl-bros alone." She left and walked to her usual smoking area a few yards away, next to the brown brick wall of the school.
"I heard you talking to Chloe about movies and it made me think—Why don't I take my good friend to see something soon? My treat!" Warren made a hopeful expression.
"If you're not too busy playing Xbox all the time!" Max teased.
"I'm the master at martians—don't even try me," Warren swayed his shoulders, smiling.
"What's playing?" Max asked.
"Dystopia is screening at this place for cheap. Tomorrow at 7." He handed her the flier. A sci-fi design was on it, explosive rays shooting out.
"That would be great. I'll be there." Max smiled, shyly looking at the flier.
"Alright!" Warren looked thrilled and jogged away.
Chloe returned with a cigarette in two fingers. "Got a date?"
"I wouldn't call it a date," Max replied.
"Bet Warren thinks it is."
Max felt disappointed. She had no way of telling Chloe, but she'd much rather be dating her. But crossing boundaries between two friends was never in the plan. She couldn't tell if that would shatter everything she kept trying for the past few weeks or if it would be destiny. Revealed.
In the office building-made-theater, Warren had popcorn in a bucket and sodas for he and Max. The movie hadn't started and over a dozen other movie buffs sat in rows chattering. "I hope it's as good as I remember it," Warren said.
"Seriously," Max concurred. "Finally I get to see a movie you get hyped about so it would suck if it bombed."
Warren smiled. "If it's not that good I can always do the hole in the popcorn trick."
"Ha ha. Don't even go there," Max laughed politely. She couldn't let it show that Warren's joke made her uncomfortable.
"Sorry, but a guy can't just ignore how lucky he's getting… I'm just glad I can joke with you. You're one of the only girls who get my sense of humor."
"What about Brooke? She's your girl friend too," Max looked at him, hopeful.
"Yeah. She's a little mediocre sometimes. I prefer the jokester, playful humor of some other girl friend of mine." He grinned.
"Mediocrity rules, man," Max joked.
After the movie, Max and Warren raved about how good it was. Warren offered her a ride home and she accepted, texting Chloe that she wouldn't have to pick her up. Her response worried her: "Ooh, better take a breath mint!" She worried whether she should full-on confess her love to Chloe when she gets home or take the easy way out and kiss Warren. It wasn't much of a dilemma, despite the hesitance, because she knew who she loved, and it wasn't Warren.
They pulled up to the gravel driveway and Warren put the car in park. This wasn't just a quick drop-off.
"Well, thanks! I had fun." Max opened the car door quickly.
"Wait! Let me walk you," Warren said. The offer was predictable.
At the front door, there was no lamp to light them. The moonlight shone dimly but she could still see the sad puppy dog in Warren's expression. His hands were in his jean's pockets and his mouth was slightly parted, his teeth gleaming. Max could smell the mint he'd taken, prepared in his mouth.
He said, "I had fun too. We should do it again soon!"
"Yeah, of course." Max looked at his mouth, wondering how she could pass as being attracted to him if he were to go in for the kill right then. All she could think of was the building lust for Chloe and how she would much rather smell that melting mint on her breath, behind soft lips, in her love's mouth, looking into pale blue eyes. Feeling her soft freshly showered skin on hers, as she climbed atop her.
She felt a twinge in her nether regions as the fantasy began. Warren took a faint step forward.
"Thanks for walking me! Bye!"
She tried the door quickly but it didn't budge. She instantly hammered on the door, turning the doorknob back and forth.
Warren took this as the cue and started at a jog. "Bye!" he said, his feet crunching down the driveway. He sat in his car until Joyce opened the door and greeted Max.