Part Four
Monday comes around faster than Rachel would like.
She does extremely well in school but it's not because she particularly enjoys it. She knows that excelling at Blackwell is her one-way ticket to the life she often dreams about. It's a means to an end; nothing more, nothing less. She thinks about this as she sits in English class, listlessly tapping her pen against her notebook. The lesson today is a grating one and she can barely focus on what it is that Mrs. Hoida is teaching. She glances to her left where Victoria Chase is busy in what appears to be a very engaging text thread on her cell. It's behavior that would be called out if done by anyone else but Victoria has just enough money and status to get away with almost anything. It's a fact that annoys Rachel but that she doesn't spend a lot of time focusing on. If she gives Victoria any real attention, she'll only drive herself crazy. As if on cue, Victoria looks up before she can divert her eyes elsewhere. She gives her a sneer before she angles her body towards the door, effectively hiding her phone from view. She rolls her eyes before she turns to the other side, towards the person she hasn't called back. Nathan is staring at the ceiling rather than at the front of the classroom, the bored expression on his face one that she recognizes from countless other shared classes. It's a trait that angers both their teachers and Principal Wells alike but nobody dares to truly discipline him. The Prescotts practically own Arcadia, much to the dismay of everyone else. There was a point where she felt the same but everything changed once she joined the Vortex Club.
Vortex Club. Even the name sounded stupid but she found her interest piqued anyway. There was something alluring about the exclusivity of it all and she kept finding herself drawn to their posters plastered up all over campus. The mystery of it persisted until she was finally whisked to a party by Dana. She never thought she would feel the most 'real' when she was surrounded by other people under pulsing lights and deafening music. The parties truly did feel like a vortex, a swirling whirlwind of laughter and dancing that always ended far too soon. For the first time, she felt connected to people in a way that she always wanted to. It was the same feeling she had on stage when she was commanding the attention of an audience with the power of her words alone. It was because of this that Nathan became her unlikely friend.
He was an asshole to most, cocky and arrogant in a way that turned most people off, but he became a new person when they were together. He was sensitive, always attentive and willing to listen. It was the same concentration she often saw during The Tempest rehearsals, where he would sometimes go over his lines dozens of times. At times, he was nervous and jumpy but it was easy to overlook when he cracked a joke or spun her around the dance floor. She can see some of that person now as he drums his fingers against his desk and bounces his knee, restlessness coursing through him like static. He senses her staring and cuts his eyes in her direction. His mouth twitches slightly and she doesn't know if he's fighting a smile or a scowl. It's always hard to tell with him.
This back and forth continues for most of the period and she's no closer to figuring out if he's angry or not by the time the bell rings. She gathers her books and prepares to exit the classroom but she's stopped not too far up the hall. Predictably, it's Nathan who blocks her path. Up close, she can see the dark circles under his eyes.
"Why didn't you call me back?"
There's a sharp edge to his voice but she doesn't take it personally; this is how Nathan is. She catches Victoria glaring at her as she sidles up the hall and she doesn't have to wonder what her issue is. Victoria and Nathan are close and she doesn't take too kindly to him spending time around her. It seems she has a knack for getting on people's bad side.
"I was busy. What is it?"
He mutters something that sounds like a bunch of swears before he gestures for her to follow him. She falls into step beside him as they walk through the hall and she can't help but notice the way his hands shake. She wants to hold him still and make him tell her about the monsters that make him so shaky but they keep walking. He stops abruptly in front of his locker and she almost runs right into him. He chuckles at her stumble before he opens his locker and rummages around inside. She's about to ask what he's searching for when he moves close enough to her that their shoulders are almost touching. Held tightly in his hand is a small bag full of pills. The sight of it is enough to give her pause but the way her heart races tells another story. She casually looks around the hall but nobody is paying them any attention.
"Are you crazy? If anyone catches you-"
"Like who?", he scoffs, "Don't say I never did you any favors".
"You saw Frank yesterday?"
The question catches him off-guard and he scowls, hazel eyes narrowing. His grip tightens further, knuckles white. She takes a tentative step back even if she doubts he'll actually hurt her. The nature of Nathan and Frank's relationship is cut and dry: Frank supplies and Nathan distributes to the lovely students of Blackwell. They aren't friendly by any means and she's heard Frank call him a "pain in the ass" more times than she can count. It's not unusual for them to meet up before a Vortex Party but there is no party this week.
"What does it matter? Do you want in on this shit or not?"
She wordlessly takes a handful of pills from him which she secrets away in a pocket inside her bag. The shame starts soon after. She's no stranger to drugs, Chloe is the biggest stoner she knows, but this is a different ballgame. If Chloe knew, she'd be furious. It's just one more lie she'll have to tell, one more layer she'll have to build around herself. Each one seems to drag her further and further away.
"Rachel!".
She looks up to see Nathan staring at her in annoyance. He's been talking and she hasn't heard a word.
"Huh?"
"I asked if you wanted to chill later".
She tilts her head as she observes him, still not totally sure what Nathan really wants. Sometimes she thinks she can see something in his eyes but it's always so brief that she's not sure it's really there at all. He treats her with more respect than most, which is something, but it's not a lot to go off of. A part of her wishes they were closer because there's a darkness surrounding him that intrigues her but she doesn't know if she can handle being pulled in any more directions.
"Victoria already wants to kill me; I don't think I need to give her another reason".
"She doesn't own me".
"I'll see you, Nathan".
She barely notices the dejected look on his face as she turns and heads for her next class.
A loud knock on the door rouses Chloe from her fitful sleep.
She's not sure when she dozed off but one look at the sliver of sunlight outside lets her know that the day is almost over. The knocking persists, loud and steady, and she's forced to drag herself out of bed. She kicks aside a pile of dirty clothes that have migrated from the overflowing hamper, sending them under her bed to be dealt with later. Her stereo is still blaring some old metal mix CD she found hiding in a shoebox and she doesn't switch it off as she unlocks her door and yanks it open. Standing out in the hall is none other than David Madsen.
There's a dark look on his face, which is either red from anger or exertion, and she already knows this will not be pretty. She stares right back at him, finding nothing but contempt for the man who has forcibly inserted himself into her life. 'Step-douche', as she lovingly likes to refer to him as, is a constant thorn in her side and she'd give anything for him to disappear. She leans against her door frame, effectively blocking his view of her room before he can get a good look inside.
"What?"
"How many times have I told you to turn that music down?"
"Today? Zero".
She gets a small bit of satisfaction out of the way the corner of his mouth twitches in annoyance but it's short lived. He isn't so easily deterred, unfortunately for her.
"Don't get smart with me. Turn it off. Now".
"Why?"
"Because, I need to talk to you".
"We're talking now".
She doesn't want to give David the satisfaction of following his orders even if she knows it'll only create more problems. Something about his military mindset grates on her nerves, probably because it reminds her of how different he is from her father. Her dad was always the picture of calm, never forcing her to change who she was just to meet some unrealistic ideal. He understood her in a way that David never will, or probably ever care to.
"Chloe, I don't have time for this. Your mother's working late tonight and I promised her we'd manage to get along".
That's enough to give her pause. She silently curses her mom for leaving her to deal with this on her own before she reluctantly goes to switch off the stereo. The room is plunged into abrupt silence and she tries not to let it bother her as she returns to the door. She barely makes it two feet before David is making his way in, eyes scanning every available surface. She finds herself bristling immediately. She hates that he so easily invades her space, simply waltzing in without ever asking for an invitation. It's her room, her sanctuary, and he treats it like he owns the place.
"What is this?"
She mentally braces herself for the argument that's about to ensue as she watches David manhandle her stash box. While she normally takes great care to hide it, she was too zoned out earlier to pay much attention. Today is not a good day and the last thing she wants to do is fight with David but apparently the universe isn't on her side.
"None of your business".
"Chloe, we've talked about this. As long as you live in this house, no drugs. Your mother and I want better for you".
This makes her roll her eyes. She doesn't need a lecture from him about drugs and she definitely doesn't want it to be under the guise of his love and understanding. She smokes because she has to but she doesn't expect him to get it. She can feel the anger blooming inside her chest and she turns away from him, the sight of his face only making things worse.
"This isn't your house".
"Chloe, I don't want to fight with you today. I've had a long day at work and I'm not in the mood for this".
She imagines David patrolling the halls of Blackwell much like he parades around here, like a bloodhound on the hunt. At least there, he has more than one target. She fights the urge to lunge at him but she still clenches her fist tightly enough that her nails bite into her palm. This is the feeling she hates, where she gets so mad that she can barely think straight. She likes to think that she'd never hurt anyone but sometimes she's not so sure.
"Great, neither am I. Now, we can both go our separate ways".
"I want to see you downstairs for dinner. No buts".
She can't remember the last time they ate dinner as a 'family' and she doesn't intend to start again now. Before she can tell him to kiss her ass, he's stalking off...with her stash box in hand. She watches him disappear downstairs and she waits until he's completely out of sight before she slams the door shut. Her hands are shaking as she fumbles to grab her phone and it takes her three tries to punch in the right number. It rings for a long time before Frank finally picks up. He probably already knows why she's calling and she feels badly for doing this to him, again, but she doesn't have any other options.
"I need a favor".
It's easy for Chloe to sneak out of her bedroom window, she's done it countless times before, but she still takes great care to be as quiet as possible as she creeps out to the driveway. She hops into her car and backs out, keeping her headlights off. She doesn't care that much about David but she doesn't need him getting in her way. She flicks on the radio, more as a distraction than anything else, and heads down the road.
Frank wasn't happy to hear from her and she doesn't exactly blame him. She owes him a ton of money and he's never going to see any of it. It's awful of her but she can't afford to give up one cent of what she's saved up. Operation 'Get the Fuck out of Arcadia Bay' is her top priority and she owes more to Rachel than she does to him. Frank is a good guy, a great guy even in some instances, but he's not going to be her ticket out. He'll be stuck here like everyone else, unable to move forward. She can't live like that, not anymore.
She spots Frank's RV sitting beside the hollowed out shell of a school bus and she parks a few feet away. The junkyard always gives her a creepy feeling at night, no matter what. She can't help but think back on all the visions she's had of her father here and the thought is enough to send a shiver of fear through her. It's not her dad that she's afraid of but how real the visions feel. She quickly bangs on the door, eager for Frank to show up so she can get the hell out of here.
Instead of Frank, she's greeted by Rachel. It's odd enough to throw her off and she finds herself standing there like an idiot with her mouth hanging open. Rachel laughs at the expression on her face before pulling her into a tight embrace. Chloe hugs her back, even if she's not so sure what's going on. Rachel pulls her inside and there she finds Frank, sitting at his small table. As much as she doesn't want to face him, she sits across from him anyway. He barely looks up at her as he slides her a small baggie but, when she reaches for it, he pulls it back.
"The only reason I'm giving you this is because of her", he nods towards Rachel, "I'm sick of playing games with you, Price".
"I'll get you your money, okay? I'm just...broke right now".
"Yeah, you said that the last time and the time before that".
"Give her a break", Rachel looks at the both of them, "She's dealing with a lot, okay?"
Frank looks like he wants to press the issue but he relents, handing over what she came for. Chloe is grateful for Rachel's help but she still wonders what she's doing there in the first place.
"What are you doing here?"
Rachel shrugs before she sits down next to her, close enough that their knees knock into each other, "You're not the only one that smokes around here".
"Uh, yeah, so you just come over my place. You don't have to ask Frank".
"Maybe I get tired of mooching off of you. It's no big deal".
Something about Rachel's comment doesn't sit well with her but she shakes it off. Rachel is the one person in her life that makes her happy and she doesn't want to drive a wedge between them. Frank eyes the two of them closely before he retreats back to his bedroom.
"I guess Mr. Head-of-Security was on a rampage?"
"What else is new?", thinking about David makes her angry all over again, "He acts like he's doing me a favor by living with us. Every day, it's the same old bullshit".
Rachel nods knowingly as she rests her head on Chloe's shoulder, "You should see him at school".
"I can imagine. How is Blackhell anyway?"
Rachel hasn't talked about school in awhile, at least never with much enthusiasm. It's a complete shift from how excited she was during The Tempest. She's decided not to join the Drama Club again this year, for whatever reason, and Chloe hasn't brought it up.
"I think you answered your own question", she says with a heavy sigh, "It's boring and I hate it. You're lucky you don't have to go anymore".
"Hm, I think my mom and step-douche would beg to differ. Guess they think I'm 'squandering my potential'. Like I have any".
"Hey, you're Chloe Price. You can do anything".
Rachel sounds sincere but it doesn't make her feel much better about herself. The truth is she feels like a loser. She's gotten herself kicked out of one of the most prestigious private schools on the East Coast and she spends all day smoking weed and sleeping. She's like the poster child for deadbeat slackers. As much as she wishes she had anything going for her, it's just not true. Whatever her mom and Rachel think they see, it isn't there.
"Right".
"What's wrong?"
"Everything?", she scoffs as she turns to look out the window, "I need to get out of here".
"So, let's go".
Rachel easily grabs her hand and then they're heading outside. Chloe doesn't even notice she's holding her car keys until she's already starting the engine. It's such a natural feeling, the two of them riding whatever whim one of them can think up. Sometimes, they end up in reckless situations, stealing vodka from convenience stores or breaking old TVs in the junkyard. Sometimes, it's nothing more than sitting out at the lighthouse and talking until 3:00 AM. That's the fun part about life with Rachel; there are never any rules and the potential is endless.
"Where to?"
Rachel smiles at her before she gestures to nothing in particular, "Anywhere".
That's the only motivation Chloe needs. She peels away from the junkyard and heads up the road towards a destination unknown. The roads are clear this late at night and a little bit of speeding gets her to the highway in record time. She's not sure how far they'll get before sunrise but that's the real fun of it all. Rachel leans over to press a kiss against her cheek, her lips cold but soft. It's a small gesture but it's enough to make Chloe say something that she immediately wishes she hadn't.
"I love you".