Hills and Chains

Chapter 4

The sound of heavy foot steps across the carpeted floor rang in Max's ears. What seemed like miles was only a few feet to the shower room. The feeling of old shaggy carpeting on Max's feet, to cold, wet and slippery tiles was a shock to her. She jumped at the sudden change, causing her to slip and fall, face first. Max, due to the wet, slippery floor, slid on her face as far as to the first sink in the shower room. A trail of red followed her as she slid. There was a line of blood on the floor, now spreading and mixing with the water, filling the cracks in the floor. Max's entire body ached as she reached for the sink, trying to lift herself up. As she did so, she touched her face and to her surprise there was blood on her hand. Max looked at the floor, back to her hand, then saw blood dripping on the floor. Her eyes widened, almost falling again she scurried to the sink mirror where she saw all the blood that was smudged and still dripping from Max's face. Max tried to wipe the blood off her face, but ended up making a bigger mess while more blood flowed out. In the distance Max heard a voice.

"What the hell, Max. Why did you run off like that?"

Max realized the voice that was coming closer was Chloe, so Max tried to run to a shower stall, failing to even move an inch, falling to the floor again.

"What the? Max?!"

"Chloe?"

"What the fuck did you do?"

"I fell?"

"How do you fall and manage to get a nose bleed? Did you fall on your face?"

Max shrugged, nodding at Chloe's question. In response to Max, Chloe just sighed and helped the bloody nosed, brunette to her feet.

"God, Max. Why did you run away like that?"

Max looked down at both hers and Chloe's feet.

"Ya know what..don't answer that. Let's get you cleaned up first."

After cleaning Max up, the two went back to Max's room. Max sat on her bed, as Chloe sat at Max's desk. Max didn't want Chloe to ask why she had ran away. She hoped desperately that Chloe had forgotten to ask again.

"So Max."

Shit.

"Why did you run off like that?"

Max's mind buzzed with any way to avoid the question.

"Don't give me a cheap answer either. Tell me the truth."

There was no way Max could escape the question, so she'd have to be real to Chloe about how she felt.

"I don't know. I guess I just got nervous and needed some air?"

"Bullshit."

"I- fuck, I don't know."

"Max, stop bullshitting me. Spill it."

"I got nervous that we were so close! Okay? That's the truth! I'd never been held by someone while sleeping and I got nervous!"

Chloe got up from the desk and sat next to Max.

"Max, you're such a dork. You don't have to be nervous. How long have I known you?"

"Since we were little, I know."

"Exactly. Nothing to get nervous about. Plus you're hella cute when you sleep."

Max blushed, softly punching Chloe as the two laughed.

"Shut up, Chloe!"

"Sorry, it's true. You're a cute sleeping hippie."

Chloe's phone started to ring and to her surprise, Max had jumped at it. Chloe looked at Max and wondered to herself if Max was okay. She realized Max now would be easily frightened and flustered at minuscule things. As Chloe grabbed her phone, she saw it was Joyce.

"Answer it."

Chloe answered the call as instructed, putting it on speaker.

"Chloe, where have you been? Why haven't you answered any of my texts or calls?"

"Mom, I'm at Blackwell with Max."

"Max?"

"Uhm..hi, Joyce."

"Oh my! Max! How have you been sweety?

"Uhm..okay...I guess."

"Come over sometime, why don't you?"

Chloe cuts her mother off from asking Max anymore questions, taking Joyce off speaker. Chloe glimpsed at Max's fidgeting and nervous shuffling

"Yeah, Mom. She'll come. She's just busy with school. Kinda hard to visit a lot with the loads of homework these kids are given."

Chloe glanced at Max who had now stood up to head to the closet.

"Ok, yeah, Mom. I gotta go now. I'll be back later. I promise I will. Ok, love you too. Bye"

Chloe stared at Max take clothes out of her closet. Max thought it was time to face the world, or at least face Blackwell. Max threw her hoodie on the bed, a T-shirt, and some jeans. Max took a few breaths, in and out, before grabbing her clothes to put on.

Chloe looked away as Max changed out of her pajamas, into her usual shirt and jeans. Chloe always got nervous when Max changed in front of her. She didn't know why, but her heart would burn and her stomach would do summersaults. Chloe found herself staring at Max a little to intensely, as she put on her gray hoodie on.

"Chloe?"

Chloe shook her head and in the instant she have Max a sly smile.

"Oh no. I don't like that smile."

Chloe slowly got up, staring Max down like she was Chloe's prey.

"Chloe, don't do it."

Chloe pounced at Max, tickling the smaller girl, getting small yelps and giggles out of her. Max escaped the blunette's grasp. The two ran around the room until Max could no longer keep running.

"Stop! Chloe! I can't breathe. You win!"

"Haha! Yes! You can never escape the tickler!"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I'll win one day. Just you watch."

"Sure, Mad Max. Never been able to beat me since we were kids and even less now."

"Oh hush you."

Max pushed Chloe a little too hard causing the blunette to fall backwards onto the bed, as she fell Max tried to grab Chloe, but the two ended up falling. Max falling on top of Chloe. Now both their faces very close to each other, they stared at each other. Neither of them moved, just stared at one another in shock, until there was a knock on the door.

"Yo yo, Max! It's Warren! Just came to check up on you!"

The two quickly split apart before Warren entered.

"Oh, hey, Chloe."

Max and Chloe looked at each other, then back at Warren.

"What? Did I do something? Is there something on my face?"

The two shook their heads in unison. Chloe spoke up.

"Warren, we were about to head out. Sorry."

"Oh, nah it's chill. Just came in to check if Max needed anything."

"She's fine. Thank you"

"Cool. See ya!"

Warren left the two girls to themselves again. Chloe looked at Max. The two sat quietly, just listening to the increasingly uncomfortable silence that was left after Warren shut the door.

"Soooo, what you wanna do?"

Max shrugged reaching for her camera bag.

"Wanna go get some food?"

"Sure. Two Whales?"

"Yeah. Then, maybe we can go shopping?"

Max looked at Chloe curiously.

"Why?"

"Try on new clothes? Get some clothes."

"I like my clothes."

"I know, but it doesn't hurt to try something new."

Chloe grinned.

"Okay, fine. We'll do as Captain Chloe says."

"Hella yes! Let's go!"

The two headed out of the dorms and to the breezy autumn air. Walking past the campus saying hi to a few familiar faces as quick as possible to not freak Max out, since she was still trying to get use to being around people again. Max still needed to adjust herself to multiple people at once, she was only use to one or two people being with her. Max didn't want to make any real conversation as they passed Brooke, Dana, Juliet and a few other people who were hanging out around the campus before class. They reached Chloe's truck and drove off for breakfast at Two Whales.