Chloe woke up to her screeching alarm and quickly hit the snooze button before tucking herself back into her warm blanket cocoon. Only minutes later, her phone went off with its similar screeching alarm. She groaned as she rolled over and out of her warm bed, shutting both alarms off as she made her way to the bathroom to take a shower. As usual, the water was like ice, and her body tensed when she first got in, but eventually it relaxed as it got used to the chill.

When she was clean she wrapped herself in a large towel, attempting to warm herself completely. She was still shivering even when she was fully dry, but dropped the towel from her body as she pulled on her underwear and hooked her bra. She applied minor makeup to her face and styled her long blonde hair into a braid on the side of her head as she looked on at herself in the mirror, and when a few hairs came astray, she tucked them behind her ear.

Happy with her hair and makeup, she tugged on a pair of dark capris that ended just above her knees, pulled a flowery tank top on over her head, and shrugged her arms through a black cardigan. She grabbed an apple for the road and slipped on a pair of black flats as she rushed out the door, barely remembering to grab her book bag. She made sure to lock the door tightly behind her before she shoved her blasting ear buds into her ears, lit a cigarette, and left the apartment complex.

She made her way to her locker as soon as she had gotten inside the school, and began packing books up for her first few classes. She had checked her phone multiple times already, and Norman hadn't texted her once. She felt a little upset, thinking he had probably forgot about her. As much as she didn't want to seem desperate by texting him first, she also wanted to be sure he had gotten to school. After a minute or so of fighting down her pride, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and sighed.

"Did you make it to school alright?" She tapped the send button, and tucked the phone back into her pocket quickly before walking to her first class of the day.

She sat down at her desk, and starting diligently tapping her fingers to a random beat. After her math teacher had finally given her enough glares within a span of 10 minutes to make her stop, to pass even more time before class ended, she started doodling on the corner of her note sheet.

She had just finished a doodle of an elephant on a motorcycle when her phone buzzed with a text. She set her pen down and glanced at her teacher as she pulled the device out of her pocket as discreetly as she could.

"Oh god, Chloe, I totally forgot about this morning. Can we meet up for lunch?" Norman. Upon hearing that he forgot, Chloe felt her stomach tighten in sadness, but came to the understanding that he probably had a ton on his plate from the move. She was antsy for lunch, excited to see Norman's face again.

"Totally fine, see you then!" With the message sent, Chloe started to tuck her phone away when she heard a loud, gruff sigh. She looked up and saw her teacher was red in the face as he stared at her with a miffed expression.

"Ms. Everett. You simply cannot help but be a distraction today. Hallway for the rest of class." Her teacher went back to writing his notes, and some of her classmates snickered. Chloe could only shrug, not being bothered much, considering there was only 10 minutes left of class.

She had found Norman within five minutes after she had gotten her lunch. She saw him sitting alone, looking over a worksheet. She smiled to herself as she walked over and plopped her tray down in front of him, startling him. Norman looked on at Chloe as she sat down, his eyes wide. She gave him a smile before she bit into her glossy red apple.

"Hey." He spoke, looking back at his worksheet before stuffing it into his book bag. "I'm sorry about this morning this-" Chloe cut him off as she swallowed.

"No, no, no. It's fine." She flashed him a reassuring smile, and Norman felt relief wash over him, happy knowing she wasn't mad at him. "So how's life been since last night?" She chuckled.

"Math isn't that great. I liked history." Norman spoke, peeling his orange slowly, precisely. Chloe took a bite of her leafy salad and nodded.

"History's always been a favorite of mine. My math grade continues to suffer year after year." Norman offered her a slice of his orange, and smiled internally when she took it and popped it into her mouth, thanking him with a smile.

"Language art's is my favorite subject, I think. Is the teacher here nice?" Norman was somewhat nervous about his new teacher. His last language arts teacher was an old hag who loved to torment her students.

"You're in luck." Chloe gave him a smirk when he raised his eyebrows. "Miss Watsons one of the sweetest teachers ever. Not too much course work, and she always tries to make things easy, in my time with her anyway. As long as you act alright in her class. You're not a trouble maker, are you Mister Bates?" Chloe gave him a wink, and took another bite of her salad. Norman's eyes widened, and his heart almost skipped a beat.

"O- Of course not." His pale cheeks flushed and he looked back at his food. Chloe chuckled, setting her fork down. She stole a piece of his orange and popped it into her mouth, swallowing it within a few seconds.

"Well, I am." Chloe whispered to him, picking up her tray. She gave him an amused smile as she walked toward the trash bins, and he just stared after her, his cheeks still flushed.

"Hey Chlo." Bradley spoke slowly, setting her tray down on the table that sat beside the trash bins.

"Hey Brad, long time no see." Chloe gave a soft smile to her friend, a smile that was completely ignored.

"Isn't he just adorable?" She sighed. Chloe followed Bradley's stare, seeing it led to Norman.

"Who, Norman?" Bradley nodded looking back to Chloe. "Yeah, Norman's a sweetheart. He's pretty smart too. He's definitely going to be knocking some girls off their feet around here." Chloe chuckled, setting her tray on the table.

"What about you? Has Norman Bates got you swooning, Chloe?" Bradley joked, and Chloe gave her a 'seriously?' look. Both of the girls started giggling as they looked back at Norman once more.

"C'mon B, you know I'm practically unswoonable. Plus Norman's just a smidge too innocent for my taste." Chloe shrugged. "I'm gonna get back to him before lunch ends, help him to his next class. I'll text you later." Bradley gave her a small, understanding smile that Chloe returned before she started to walk back to her and Norman's table.

"Hey, Chloe, wait!" Bradley jogged to keep up with her. "Are you going to Dane's party tomorrow night? It's supposed to be awesome." Bradley was excited for the party, and couldn't wait for it. Chloe had heard about it, but was too focused on her housing situation to worry about it.

"Mm, I dunno B." Chloe looked back at Norman, who was now watching her. Her eyebrows furrowed, and he looked away.

"Free beer, cheap weed, and hot guys." Bradley continued, trying to convince her friend to come. Chloe was prepared to turn her down, but Bradley put on her puppy dog eyes. "You know you want to." Bradley pressed on, and Chloe sighed, giving her a tired smile.

"Alright, alright. I'll try and stop by. Dane's house, right?" Bradley nodded. "See you then." The girls both walked their separate ways, and Norman waited for Chloe by the exit, carrying her books for her. She beamed at him as they left the cafeteria.

It turned out that they actually had the same language arts class together, which each of the teens was excited about. Norman even sat right behind her, and they spent the entire class passing a doodle filled note back and forth. It was completely filled by the time class ended, and Chloe could barely keep the laughter inside looking at the random sketches, though she did feel sort of bad, knowing she was distracting Norman from school. At the same time, it felt nice to have someone to laugh and talk with during class.

When the bell rang, Chloe and Norman were quick to pack up their things, but ended up delayed when Miss Watson called out for Norman.

"Norman, can I see you after class?" Norman shuffled back and forth on each foot, looking uncomfortable and Chloe gave him what she hoped was a reassuring touch on the shoulder. "Ms. Everett, please don't start distracting your fellow students. I'd hate to have to send you to the office."

Miss Watson gave Chloe a heavy stare as she picked up Normans file. Chloe returned the stare with a restrained glare, and Norman stayed put awkwardly, though he wanted to follow after Chloe as she walked out the door. He tapped his foot impatiently

"Sure thing . I'll text you later Norman!" Chloe called exiting the room, tucking her hands in her pockets. She didn't even spare a glance back as she walked out the door smirking to herself.

The school day was finally over, and she could finally go home and relax. Except she couldn't, and the thought stopped her dead in her tracks. She still had to pack her stuff up, only having two days left till she was officially homeless. Chloe sighed, her shoulders sagging in defeat.

She slowly walked to her locker without purpose. She didn't want to hurry home anymore, knowing her afternoon and evening would just be filled with packing. She tossed her books inside the locker harshly, along with her bag. She wasn't coming back tomorrow and that was for sure. She probably should have gone home today to finish packing, but seeing and talking with Norman had put her in a better mood. He made her forget about her troubles with the apartment she was being kicked out of. But now it was back to reality, and she knew she couldn't put off packing any longer.

Once back at the complex, she shook herself off well, and shrugged her cardigan off before entering the lobby. It was raining so often as of late, and her jacket was absolutely soaking. From the moment she entered, Ronnie was leering at her, his mouth almost watering when he saw the wet fabric of her shirt cling to her body. Chloe made a noise of disgust.

"Pig." She muttered under her breath, glaring at the man as she walked past. Ronnie frowned, hearing her.

"Got something to say, sweet cheeks? Remember I can kick your assout of that room at any moment." He shouted after her as she unlocked her door. She sighed, regretting not holding her tongue. She needed as long as she could in this place, sadly.

As soon as she got inside, she slammed the door and yanked her suitcase out of the bottom of the closet and started packing her clothes. After folding about 6 shirts, 4 skirts, 5 pairs of jeans, she started just throwing clothes in the suitcase. She ended up having to sit on it to get it zipped, but it was worth it to not have to fold every item of clothing she owned. She moved onto tearing down her posters and pictures when she was finished packing her clothes.

She ended up stopping to gaze at the memories, whether it be friends, her brother, bands or even herself, she smiled at each and every photo. It was around 11 when she finally had everything packed. Well, mostly everything, she had left out an outfit for the next day, and some granola bars to snack on. Everything else was either packed or thrown out without a second thought.

She was snacking on a granola bar when the clock read 11:30, looking around her now bare apartment, and thinking about what to do next. The next day would be solely dedicated to finding a new place to live. She figured that was a little bit more important than school. And so was sleep, at this point. She was yet again exhausted, and couldn't wait to sleep in the next morning. After making sure her alarms were off, she got into a pair of boy shorts and a tank top. She plopped into bed and snuggled into her covers, falling asleep almost immediately.

When Chloe woke, the sun was glaring in through her windows, and she felt well rested for the first time in what felt like forever. She stretched as she got out of the bed, and groaned as her bare feet hit the cold, hard ground. She followed her normal morning routine, and was soon enough dressed in pair of dark skinny jeans, with a dressy black and white striped shirt. She pulled on her black flats, grabbed her purse, and left the apartment full of hope.

She hit the bagel store down the street first, grabbing a strawberry bagel with cream cheese, and purchasing a newspaper. She wanted to look for any help wanted before just wandering up to random places and asking if they were hiring. After seeing nothing but crummy jobs with low pay, and no available places to rent, she groaned in disbelief. She grabbed her purse and got up determination shining in her green eyes. She lit herself a cigarette, took a long drag, and started walking.

She had stopped in 5 different places, each person giving her a fake sympathetic smile, claiming they didn't need any more workers. Chloe knew it was bullshit, because one of the places had a recently put up 'help wanted sign' in the window. She didn't know what to do anymore, didn't know where to apply.

It was around lunch time when she felt her heart sink, and her anxiety start to set in. The panic had been permanent these past few weeks, but now it felt like she was suffocating. It was too much for her to handle, so she decided to just head home and spend her last day of having the stupid apartment in the dark. She was walking past the motel Normans family had just bought with quickened steps, wanting to get home as fast as possible. She was a little past the bus stop when her phone buzzed with a text.

"Hey, Chloe, I you weren't here today, at school. Would you like me to bring you your homework? I could stop by your place?" The text was from Norman, and it made her smile brightly. He was such a sweetheart.

"No, that's fine, I'll pick it up tomorrow. Thanks though!" She hit reply and glanced up at the motel when an idea hit her.

The motel was now under new management, she realized. She could try and apply for a job for the Bates family, and possibly be able to work for her room & board. At this point she was desperate enough to ask right then and there.

After climbing the numerous stairs, her heart clenching with each step, Chloe was at the top, knocking on the front door. She prayed that she still looked alright after her all day walk around town, and that Norman's family was as nice as him. The door opened, revealing a middle aged, but beautiful blond woman.

"Hi there, I'm Norma Bates, how can I help you?" Norma smiled politely but silently eyed the girl in front of her cautiously, taking in her appearance. She was young, small girl, probably no older than seventeen or eighteen, blond, and pretty. The girl reminded Norma of herself at that age.

"Hi, my name's Chloe Everett, I'm a friend of Norman's." Chloe trailed off, and Norma stared at her with a blank expression. "I was wondering if you need any help with the motel? Cleaning or something?" Chloe looked at the woman shyly, stuttering through the sentence. If anyone's gaze could break someone confidence, it would be Norma's.

"Oh, I don't know. We don't really have the money to hire somebody at this time. Have you-" Norma cut herself off as she saw the girls, Chloe's, eyes start to fill with tears. "Oh honey, what's wrong? I'm sure there is plenty of work out there, better than cleaning an old motel, for a young girl like you." Chloe shook her head, rubbing her eyes, willing the tears away. She felt her heart break, knowing her last shot was in fact, shot. She'd be homeless this time tomorrow.

"No, there isn't. God, this is so embarrassing." Chloe groaned "I'm so sorry." She sniffed, wiping her eyes again.

"It's alright, it's alright." Norma hushed the girl. "Come inside and tell me what the problem is. We'll figure something out." Norma felt her motherly instinct coming out, feeling bad for the young emotional girl that stood on her doorstep. Chloe nodded, and Norma led her into the large living room.

"I'm being kicked out of my apartment tomorrow." Chloe explained slowly, and Norma was shocked that she had an apartment in the first place.

"But you're so young, how do you have one to begin with?" Asked the ever-curious Norma.

"I left home right away when I turned eighteen. My parents weren't the kindest souls in the world. My brother Abel helped me out by giving me the cash. But cash runs out, and I'm behind on rent and the landlord is an asshole." Chloe quickly covered her mouth, but Norma just encouraged her to keep talking. "He said I had to pay him, or have sex with him to keep my apartment, and nobody in town will hire me because of my parent reputation, so I can't get any money. I came here because I thought maybe you'd hire me, and if you did hire me, I was going to ask if my pay could maybe just be letting me stay in one of the motel rooms." Chloe trailed off, shielding her face from Norma's view. She didn't want the older woman to see anymore of her tears.

Norma had listened to Chloe's story, keeping an open mind. The story reminded her somewhat of her own background, and it was for that fact that Norma made up her mind.

"Tell you what, I'll let you stay in the spare room in the house. You help clean the house and motel up, and when we open, you housekeep. You'll get the spare room, and 5 dollars per room you clean so you can have some money of your own. How does that sound?" Norma realized it would be different having this girl around, and she had no clue how Norman would react, but she knew they could all make it work.

"Are yo- are you serious? Oh my god, Mrs. Bates, thank you, thank you so, so much!" Happy tears spilled over, and she threw her thin arms around Norma. Norma stiffened, but relaxed over a few seconds and returned the hug timidly.

"Please, call me Norma." Chloe beamed at Norma, her whole body buzzing in delight. "Now, do you need help bringing your stuff over? I can help you with the car." Chloe just stared at the woman who was now a saint in her eyes, nodding slowly. "Let's get this show on the road than!" Norma clapped her hands together and stood up, holding a hand out to help Chloe up. Chloe smiled as she accepted Norma's hand, and they left the house, Chloe rambling on about random topics. It made Norma smile.

Stopping for lunch before they got to Chloe's apartment, they got to know each other a bit more. Chloe quickly picked up that Norma was pretty guarded, and that she absolutely adored Norman, he was the apple of her eye.

Norma was quick to evaluate that the girl in front of her was a little bit more reserved and confidant than she was at the house, but was still polite. Chloe was sure she had made a good impression on Mrs. Bates, and hoped the impression would last. They ended up playing a sort of twenty questions, most of which questions were asked by Norma, seeing as Chloe felt she knew enough about Norma. Chloe understood from Norma's perspective, and answered all questions almost honestly, wanting to gain Norma's trust.

"Anything wrong with you medically?"

"No." Chloe lied, not wanting to dwell on that area. Norma gave her a look and Chloe only shrugged, picking at her food.

"Do you keep your grades up?"

"For the most part." Was getting C's considered keeping your grades up? Chloe supposed so.

"Do you do any drugs?" Norma stressed on this question.

"Smoke cigarettes." She left out the part that she occasionally smokes weed, Norma looked upset enough about the cigarettes.

"Do you drink?"

"Not often enough." That made Norma laugh.

"You seem like a good kid, Chloe. It'll be nice to have you around." Norma gave Chloe a pat on the shoulder, and Chloe gave her an appreciative smile. "I do have a few rules though." Chloe nodded in understanding. "No smoking inside the house, no coming home at all hours of the night, nobody coming over without permission, and door stays open if you are in Norman's room or he is in yours." Chloe agreed without hesitation, the rules seemed easy enough to abide by. After a few more minutes of chatter, they continued their meal in silence.

At her apartment building, Chloe hopped out of the car, telling Mrs. Bates to keep the car running. She didn't want Norma to see the dump of a place she lived in.

"I'll be in and out in a snap." She had called to Norma as she ran into the building.

"Back so soon sweet cheeks? How'd those dumpsters look? Cozy?" Ronnie chortled to himself when he saw Chloe walk in. She scowled at him.

"I'm leaving, asshole. I've found myself a better place to stay than in this rotten piece of shit apartment." Ronnie blanched, having not expected her to actually find a place.

"Watch who you're talking to, girl." Ronnie growled, following her down the hall to where her room was located. Her stuff was sitting in a neat pile by the door, ready to be wheeled out. She grabbed the handle of the suitcase and started wheeling toward the door that Ronnie was now blocking.

"Get outta my way, Ronnie. I'm just grabbing my shit and leaving." Chloe huffed, trying to shove past the repulsive man. He flashed her a grim smile that showed off his yellow teeth.

"How'd you manage to find anything, Chloe? They'll kick you out as soon as you miss your first rent payment, and then you'll come crawling back to me." Ronnie growled, backing her further into the apartment. Chloe felt her blood turn to ice when she saw the leering expression on his face, but stood her ground.

"Get outta my way, Ronnie. Don't try to do anything you'll regret." Chloe was feeling the panic start to set in as he stepped closer, looking more and more deranged with each step. She tightened her hold on her luggage.

"Even if you don't come back, you still owe me for 2 months of rent, Chloe. You wouldn't want lawyers involved, would you?" Ronnie wanted to have sex with Chloe. It was as simple as that. Chloe's blood started to boil, the piece of shit threatening her with lawyers, and on top of that, he had been staring at her boobs the whole time that they had been talking.

"I'd rather get sued for money I don't have than have your disgusting hands on me." Chloe crossed one of her tanned arms across her chest, blocking the pervs view. He looked into her eyes giving her a hard stare, and she just glared back at him. "I left the keys on the counter. Goodbye Ronald." She murmured, ramming her shoulder into his as she passed him. She was getting a new start, and she wasn't taking shit from anyone, especially not someone like Ronnie.

Ronnie stared after her, mouth open in shock, face full of fury.

Well, that's chapter two! I guess it was kind of boring, but Chloe now has a job and a place to stay! I really appreciate all the follows, favorites, and reviews I got for the first chapter, like really, thank you guys! Would really appreciate if you kept them coming! Until next time!