Zzzzt.
Zzzzt.
Zzzzt.
Bling-bling!

Chloe muzzily lifted her head and tried to open her eyes. Her lashes were stuck together with a thick coating of dried tears.

Fuck I thought I turned my phone off...

She finally got her eyes open and fumbled around for her phone.

5/22/2010 10:33 AM
Messages: (1 unread)

Max Caulfield: 10:32 AM. *
Chloe please call me. I'm so sorry for everything and I promise I can explain just call me back...

Max Caulfield (3 missed calls)

Chloe's world froze. She could count the seconds in between her heartbeats.
What the fuck.

Max?!

She fumbled open the menu and stared at Max's number. It was right there at the top of the recent calls list. Three times.
She felt like she might throw up. Her hands were shaking so badly she could barely hold her phone.

God what do I say?

She sprung up out of bed and paced the room her body clenched in a tight knot.
Ohgodwhatdoisaytoherwhatifshehatesme.
She hurled herself back onto the bed and stared at the message. It was real.

Max Caulfield: 10:32 AM. *
Chloe please call me. I'm so sorry for everything and I promise I can explain just call me back...

Bling-Bling!
Chloe's phone buzzed and she jerked dropping it back on the bed.

Max Caulfield: 10:46 AM. *
Chloe please.

God what?
Ok... here goes?

With trembling fingers...
(Call back)
Fuck wrong button. Chloe fumbled the phone and it smacked onto the floor.
Fuck!
It's ok ... just ...
(Call back)

She lifted the trembling phone to her ear.
Ring...
Oh god what if...
Ring...
I can't believe she...
Ring...
That fucking... her hands were sweaty and shaking.

"H - Hello?"
Max's voice. She actually answered.
Chloe's mind rocked for a second.

...and something broke inside her.

Hearing Max's voice was just way to much after everything that had happened.

Tears... more tears than she had cried in months came flooding down her cheeks.
Her world disappeared into a torrent of grief and she curled into a little ball on the bed.

She wasn't loud but Max could definitely hear her.
... and Max started crying to...
They sat together for what felt like hours ... crying together like they were holding each other. Connected by two thin shells of plastic and a tangle of telephone wires.
"Max..." Chloe whispered.
Max cried harder.
"I'm here."
Please stay. If this is a dream, please don't wake up.
You are my last lifeline.

Max sobbed and started coughing. When she could speak again, her voice was very small.

Ache.

"Chloe... I'm so sorry... I messed up so bad..."
"Messed up? I... what?"
"I'm confused... I thought you hated me?"

Max's voice grew stronger.
"God Chloe no! I couldn't message you back. It's been my dad... he's been hitting me and my mom. He took my phone and computer away and told me to focus on school and that if he found me contacting anyone he would get angry. He's gotten so crazy."
"Max... What the hell?"
Chloe was stunned.

I had no idea...

"Do you remember how he used to drink and then get angry?"
"Yeah."

Chloe could never forget. Max had hidden in Chloe's closet while Max's dad had raged downstairs. He had left... eventually...
and they had snuck downstairs to find the coffee table smashed.
Chloe would never forget the sound of him screaming at Max's mom.

It was one of the scariest memories of Chloe's young life.

"It's gotten way worse...
He got obsessed with me doing well in school. He told me not to be a failure like him. He started monitoring all my text conversations and spying on my online time. Any time I contacted anyone, he would start screaming at me and my mom."

"Max... what the fuck? Why didn't you just run away?"

"I didn't want to leave my mom... but this morning he saw your text... I don't think he ever went to bed. He was up all night drinking and he got so angry. My mom tried to defend me and he hit her and she had to go to the hospital. She's ok now and she says that we're moving away from him. She got me a new phone and I called you back as soon as I could."

Max has been through hell this whole time and I had no idea. Oh Max.

A molten ball of rage was forming in Chloe's chest. This?! This is the reason Max hasn't been with me all this time?

Her hands were shaking and she couldn't see straight.
Fuck. This.
"Max... my god that's horrible..."
Max coughed and started crying... harder than ever.
"Chloe... I feel like my world is ending."

My poor Max.
I know exactly how that feels.

Instant decision made. Max forgiven between one heartbeat and the next.
"I'm here."
Sob.
"Chloe I feel so bad... I ditched you when you needed me so much... I couldn't even text you..."
Sob.
"Shhhhh angel... it's ok... I'm here now..."
"Chloe?" Max whispered.
"Yeah?"
"What am I going to do?"
Ache.
What the hell should Max do?

I don't know... this is some hardcore adult level shit. Max needs to stay safe.

"Max... I don't know what you should do... but I know that I love you and that you don't deserve any of that shit."
Chloe heard a door slam in the background.

"Oh crap... sorry Chloe... I need to go..." Max whispered.
"Oh... uh... ok..."
Chloe's heart sank.

"Can we keep talking later?"
"Uh... I don't know... sorry Chloe I really have to go... there's so much I still need to do."
She sounds so scared.

"Sorry Chloe."

Everything she's been through...

"Max?"
"Yeah?"
"Call me any time you need to. I'm here for you. Always."

Max paused as if surprised.
"Thanks Chloe..." Max sniffled. "That means a lot... I'm so sorry I let you down."

"You didn't let me down. Stay safe Max."
There was a pause and Chloe heard a female voice in the background.
"Ok... I will Chloe... and I'll call you soon... I promise... Bye... Chloe.
The phone clicked and went dead.

Chloe sighed and lay back on the bed. She felt... conflicted...
On the one hand, she was back connected with Max... but...

But she didn't feel connected to Max. Max sounded so ragged and...so tired.

I doubt Max's dad will let her and her mom separate without a fight. Fuck... that's so fucked up...
And I thought I had it bad in the parent department. At least my step dad isn't a total psychopath alcoholic. I wish I could help her... I could visit her but I'd need to know where she is. It doesn't sound like she's in her normal house... as if I even know where that is...

Ache.

(New message)
To: Max Caulfield
Max... please stay safe. I'm rooting for you. If he hurts you, I will personally drive to Seattle and shove a tent stake up his ass.
(Send)

How can you have just talked to someone and feel more disconnected from them than ever?
Please text me back Max.

Chloe lay there on the bed for a long minute. She felt like her insides were tingling.

Breath in. Breath out. Momentary calm before the storm.

No. I can't leave Max alone with this. I'm going to Seattle. This could be like the adventure that Rachel and I always planned... except no Rachel.
But I'm going. Alone if I have to.

I could see Max!

Just the thought brought tears to her eyes.
Max... I've missed you so much.

First... I need to go see Rachel. I don't want to just disappear without at least trying to talk to her.
I also need to grab our getaway bag. Rachel hid it in her locker so her dad couldn't find it. Good thing I know her combo. Sneaking into Blackwell...

God am I really doing this?

"Chloe?" A knock on her door.
Shit. Mom.
I'm not here. Please go away.
"Chloe I know you're in there. I heard you."
Damn it.
"Yeah. I'm here." She growled.
The door opened to reveal Chloe's mom looking irritated.
"Thank you for coming home Chloe. We were worried about you."
Chloe crosses her arms.
"Yup..."

She's going to flip so hard when I run off to Seattle. Maybe I can just say I'm off visiting Max. I'll send her a text or something.

"Chloe I hope that next time, you make it home before midnight. It's my job to keep you safe. If you want to stay under my roof, I need you to be better."
"Yeah mom... ok."

Lecture over now please. Max. Seattle. Gotta go.

Joyce eyed Chloe. "Since I know you have energy to stay out late, you can help me cook a nice dinner tonight. I thought I'd do homemade burgers."
Chloe winced.
"Actually mom... I... I can't."
Joyce narrowed her eyes.
"Oh?"
"Yeah I've got... plans." Chloe couldn't look at her mom. She started tracing the lines of her bedsheets with her eyes.
Joyce sighed.
"Ok Chloe... just be home before midnight tonight ok?"
"Ok. Gotcha." Chloe nodded without looking up.
Joyce sighed again and closed the door.

Mom gone. That could have been so much worse.

I've got to go.

A quick visit to Rachel's house and then to Blackwell.

So yeah... Max has had it really rough in this story. I wanted to give Max a really good reason why she hasn't been in contact with Chloe this whole time. I never really liked the canon story that Max just disappears for no reason... so I decided to expand on Max's family and past. I think that's what I love the most about LIS - the sense that the youth are the only sane people while all the adults are all crazy.

I love Chloe so much as a character and this is why... some people would avoid a friend in real trouble like this but all Chloe feels is anger and compassion. Chloe is such a badass who can take on the whole damn world. I want this story to feel like a sequel to BTS. Chloe taking on the crazy adults around her and staying strong through all of it... even while she's so alone.

More coming soon...