Life is Strange Before the Storm: Star Crossed Paths

Chapter 3 of my Before the Storm novelization, enjoy.

Reviews

Marina Ka-Fai: Thanks.
Wolfgirl2013: Thanks :)
Boris Yeltsin: Thanks.
Protocol115: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, here you go :)
Holywoodunderfed: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, oh, really, well, cool :)

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Life is Strange or its characters.

Awake – Lost in Dreams

Fighting not to slam the door shut behind me I stalked out, closing it and beginning to make my way down the path slightly. I turned and began walking across to the driveway, cutting across the grass. As I did so I glared at David and the big muscle car he was fixing up.

'What a piece of crap.' I thought dismissively. 'The car too.'

Stepping closer, jumping the small raised ledge, onto the driveway, I stopped when David looked up.

He narrowed his eyes and sighed. "Why do you women always take forever to get ready?"

"We're hoping you men will leave without us." I shot back, launching the keys at him.

Giving him his due, he caught them easily. Before pocketing them and, his expression not changing, pointing to the ground next to him.

Non-verbal command to come closer, I resisted the urge to growl. 'No mom, I swear he beat himself to death with a tire iron...repeatedly.'

Keeping that amusement to myself I reluctantly obeyed and stepped up next to him as he once more turned his attention back under the hood.

"Chloe!" He suddenly burst out, looking up. "Is that a black eye!?"

"No." I replied shortly, what business was it of his.

He sighed. "Insubordination, no wonder your mother is worried about you."

I rolled my eyes. "Ah, that's sweet."

"When I was your age, I got into my share of scraps." David remarked, I'll admit I was surprised he'd admit this to me. "But it's not responsible, you owe it to your mother to do better."

Okay, that was too far, but I bit my tongue.

My thoughts would not obey though. 'Tell me again what I owe my mother, dirtbag.'

I knew this would happen, just wait for the storm to hit and it will, here we go again.

David said no more however, just turned his attention back to the car.

He then started muttering to himself. "Electrode insulator is probably cracked."

He looked over to me. "Do you know what spark plug does?"

"Yes." I replied.

"It ignites the..."

"Do you not hear me." I snapped; typical of the man. "I said I know what it does."

He nodded. "Then go grab my socket wrench set from the garage, so we can get moving."

Rolling my eyes I nodded and prepared to make my way into the garage, glaring at David's car as I walked.

'Look at this thing, urgh...tiniest penis in all Arcadia Bay.' I thought to myself as I entered the garage, narrowing my eyes as I looked around, noticing things out of place. Very out of place.

I glared as I spotted things that shouldn't be there. 'What is all David's stuff doing in our garage, does he think he's moving in or something.'

Shaking my head I looked around some more; glaring at David's lawnmower of all things. Then I saw two things, Dad's old camera and his old stereo, I knew right away I'd have to salvage these, get them up into my room before the garbage crew came around or they'd be lost forever.

'Mom's been cleaning again, guess there's no room for that picture now David's here.' I thought angrily when I saw the missing picture at last, mom and dad's wedding picture.

I quickly focused, just get this task over with and get the ride to school over with too.

Looking at David's toolbox I glared.

'By toolbox, did David mean this or himself.'

Shaking my head I opened it and, glowering, I picked up the socket wrench set, calculating the odds of me actually going through with my feelings and smacking him in the head with them. Then I got a better idea.

I looked at the toolbox lid. 'If it's in my garage, it's gets my special treatment...what message does David really need to hear.'

Pulling out my marker I settled on making him feel somewhat comfortable and at home, typical military language, 'Intruder Alert'. Once I'd finished tagging the lid I put the marker away, closed the toolbox and strolled out to David, feeling a little better for my small victory.

Handing the socket wrench set over I was treated to yet another 'accolade'. "A little more hustle wouldn't have killed ya."

I pulled the box back and glared at him, then relented, handing him the box and watching while he worked. Removing a spark plug he held it up and spoke.

"See what's gunking up the works there." He remarked. "That's a sign of..."

I cut him off; knowing full well what it was. "Carbon deposits, no shit."

To my surprise he actually smirked slightly as he returned to work. "You know, you could actually be good at this, if you just lost the attitude."

"My attitude is what makes me special, David." I replied nonchalant for a change.

"Alright."

With that simple reply, he finished up, turning me he then, of all things, held out his hand, fist clenched.

"Fine, whatever." I replied.

If it would get this over with, I accepted the fist bump and then watched as he began putting his tools away in the toolbox and the toolbox...in our garage.

I couldn't believe it.

"You're taking those home with you, right?"

He shook his head. "Every house needs a good toolbox."

I snarled. "We've already got one, but thanks."

To my fury, he merely looked at dad's toolbox and laughed, the bastard dared to laugh. Deciding to just ignore it, for the sake of my sanity I got in the car, David entered a mere moment later. There was an uncomfortable silence.

David broke it. "Ready to...roll."

I just nodded, leaning as far away from him as possible, staring out the window.

'Please don't want to talk, please don't want to talk, please don't want to-.' I thought frantically, but as usual, it was like the universe ignored me.

For at that moment, what did David say. "I want to talk to you about something."

'Fuck.'

"We don't have to like each other. But you will respect me." He continued. "You've enjoyed enough of a vacation from having a father figure. So. There are some things I want to be real clear about."

I grimaced, no way was I letting this happen.

I saw only one choice, I had to do one thing in regards to this little 'talk'. Shut. Things. Down.

'Respect him, I think it's time I showed this asshole, I'm not interested in anything he has to say.' I turned in my seat to face David, glaring. "What's clear, is fuck you."

He started and then glowered. "Language, you are way outta line lady!"

Oh he wanted language did he, well, time for me to put the military man in his place.

"Language? Here, let me put that in a language you'll understand." I shot back. "Foxtrot, Uniform."

"You've got a smart mouth, don'tcha." He snarled.

I smirked at the perfect opening he just gave me. "Let me dumb it down for you, I' mean...sorry, what has few syllables than dumb?"

"Hey, watch your..." He almost snapped, but then shook his head. "I can crap bigger than you, got it."

Clearly not or I wouldn't be winning this.

Still, another golden opportunity. "Then I hope you're a better plumber than you are a mechanic."

Still, this guy would not give up.

"You-! Your mother...you're breaking her heart."

Oh he just had to bring mom into this. "Leave mom out of this, this is between you, me and you being an asshole."

David shook his head, glaring. I was winning, I knew it.

"I was in the army, you will respect me."

That was the best he could come up with, another easy one to counter.

As I then pointed out. "Doesn't the constitution say 'no soldiers quartered in civilian homes without consent.' Because for the record? I do not consent."

"If you were man I-" He snarled.

I just smirked. "It's cool. If you were a man I wouldn't go so easy on you either."

"Don't know why I bother trying." He muttered before starting up the car.

I setted back in the seat smirking, mission accomplished. As David drove away, my late night caught up with me and, despite myself, I drifted off to sleep.

I was awoken by a strange sound, one I immediately identified.

"Country...music..." I mumbled as I woke up.

Suddenly I realized I wasn't in David's car, but Dad's, in the back seat, Dad was driving along the road, it was sunset, there were a few objects within the car nearby. Dad had his country classics playing on the stereo.

Finally it fell into place, this was another of those dreams. Ever since dad died and Max moved away, I'd been having these dreams over and over again, dreams where I was with dad when the accident happened. They were always so surreal and always I felt like it was impossible to fully figure out where they ended and reality resumed.

Nevertheless, the atmosphere this time was peaceful and I soaked it up in relief, singing along to the song, feeling the wind from the open window with my hand. It was a beautiful day too, although things seemed...off.

'That's David's socket wrench in the back of the seat. Honestly, I know what a spark plug does, jerkwad' I noticed before seeing the family picture in mom's purse next to me. But David was there, not dad. 'This...this isn't right.'

Trying to shake it off I turned my attention back to dad.

"Dad, turn it up." I said.

He obliged happily and we settled in, listening to the music. Dad adding his own corny lyrics, then, suddenly the sound of a truck horn.

I flinched. "Dad!"

Then the truck rammed into the car and I blacked out.

I was awoken by David's rough voice.

"Hey!" I jerked awake and he spoke again. "Out of the car Chloe, you're gonna be late."

At the same time I muttered. "...The hell?"

Sighing I got out the car, turning to face him, hand on the door. I thought quickly; remembering mom's words, despite our little argument, I was also still freaked out by the dream and, to give the man his due, he had let me sleep.

"Shit..." I muttered. "Thanks."

He glared. "Don't use that sarcastic tone with me young lady. I can see you rolling your eyes."

"Uh, hello." I replied. "I was actually saying tha-"

"I see, everything."

"I'll...warn everything." I shot back; shaking my head as I closed the door. 'Well, I tried mom.'

Shaking his head, David drove away and I turned to face the steps leading up to the purgatory that was Blackwell Academy, my school, or should I say, prison for the next several hours.

"Hello Black-hell."

End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.