"Well it was, ah damn" Joyce sat down on the couch followed by Rachel. The waitress took a sip of water from the bottle she gave Rachel. "Okay. About a month before Bill passed, Ryan and Vanessa got job offers in Seattle. It was a huge deal for the Caulfield family. It meant more money, a better house and private schooling for little Max."
Rachel spoke before Joyce could continue "But it also meant separating Max and Chloe who had known each other their whole lives. Separating two best friends like that right when they were about to start being teenagers is harsh."
A look of guilt plagued Joyce's face. It was obvious to Rachel she hadn't thought about this in a long time. "It only got worse Rachel. As parents, we were so nervous about telling the girls about the upcoming move. We kept making excuses and putting it off. I'm not proud of that but it's the truth. But then the unthinkable happened. Bill was gone and our family was shattered. The Caulfields were there for support but well… It was only a matter of time before they had to go."
Rachel was pale and couldn't believe what she was hearing. She threw her arms around the older woman and held her tight. The embrace ended and Rachel spoke "William and Max? Losing two people like that? Jesus." A small surge of frustration shot through Rachel. Why would Chloe say nothing about something this big? Not that Rachel wasn't keeping secrets of her own.
"My Chloe hasn't been the same since little Max left for the big city. She didn't want to go. It wasn't her choice. I just wish I could know how she's doing." Joyce stood up from the couch and leant of the kitchen counter.
A light bulb switched on in Rachel's head and she finally understood. "Hang on Joyce. You wish you could know how she's doing? You don't m-mean?"
Joyce gave a small nod confirming Rachel's unasked question. "Those two haven't seen each other let alone exchanged an email or text since Max left. It's been nearly five years now."
"Chloe must have been angry. She was too damn stubborn to call Max after she left, am I right?"
A small chuckle escaped from Joyce. "Yep that's pretty much it kiddo. She has you now and I think that's enough." Joyce's mood seemed to have returned to normal. "Rachel, if you tell Chloe about any of this she will fly off the handles. It's up to you but my advice is to leave it alone. Even after all these years the wounds are still pretty fresh." Handing the bottle of water back to Rachel, the younger girl knew that Joyce was putting an end to the discussion. Her wounds were still fresh as well it seemed. "Okay hon, I'm going to catch up on some house work. Head on up and see how Chloe is doing and don't forget your chips."
Joyce's walls were back up. Rachel had never hugged her before or seen her so vulnerable. With a bottle of water in one hand and a bag of doritos in the other, Rachel took one last glance at the stain on the carpet before heading upstairs. After a conversation like that, the desire to get high returned with the force of an earth quake.
Rachel sat at her dorm room desk relieved that Max Caulfield had her entire Facebook profile available to the public. She had only just started reading it when her phone told her she had a text from Frank.
Frank: hey u coming over 2nite? I miss u and so does Pomps.
Rachel: sure am! I be around after my last class. Keep the bed warm and tell Pompy to take a chill pill! (Seriously don't give Pompy any pills. Those are for me! LOL)
Frank: I suppose he will have 2 settle for a bath. C U soon XOX
Rachel: Good idea. He stinks sometimes. Laters X
Normally messages like that with Frank lead to sexting which then leads to the real deal but Rachel was on a mission. Finding Max online was easy. Her profile picture has the same pale, freckled brunette Rachel saw in Joyce's old photos and all her personal info synced with what she already knew.
Born in Arcadia Bay? Check.
Lives in Seattle? Check.
Seventeen years old? Check.
Mother Vanessa Caulfield? Check.
Father Ryan Caulfield? Check.
Rachel had never cyber stalked anyone before but after two days of making herself crazy, curiosity go the best of her. Scrolling through Max's photos, Rachel discovered a few things about Chloe's former best friend.
She never took off her grey hoodie.
She loved photography. Especially antique instant cameras.
She clearly didn't get out much.
Looking through more photos, Rachel thought that Max was cute but in need of polishing. Chuckling at her thoughts she took a sip of red bull. "Okay Max I would put you in a band shirt and black skinny jeans. Or maybe you could pull off flannel. Some crimson in the hair would work well too and a push up bra. Flat as a pan cake." Rachel continued to make little observations about Max Caulfield but the biggest discovery was the fact that her phone number was posted on her profile. "Shit. Fuck. Don't do this Amber." Rachel tried talking herself out of it but it was too late. She just wanted to hear her voice. Maybe this phantom of a girl would get out of her head if they just had a chat. She dialled the number before she could stop herself. Rachel's heart rate spiked.
A small mousey voice answered. "Hello?"
That voice made Rachel realise that she crossed the line. This is Chloe's past she is fucking with. She made a mistake. Joyce told her to stay out of it and she was right.
"Kristen? Fernando? Are you using a stranger's phone to prank me? Fool me once!" Max was clearly trying to sound stern. Rachel saw pictures of Kristen and Fernando so she knew who Max was talking about.
"Sorry I must have dialled wrong. See ya." The words came out of Rachel quickly as she was desperate to forget what she had just done. She hung up, deleted the record of the call, cleared her internet history and cursed herself internally.
"FUCK! What the hell am I doing?!"
Ignoring the banging on the wall from her neighbour indicating that she should shut up, Rachel decided to skip class and go see Frank.
