*Spoiler: Contains a tiny bit of the Farewell episode*
"...Max?"
Max's head repeatedly said the same thing in Chloe's tone.. "Max? Max? MaxMaxMaxMax..."
"MAX!" She was startled by the sudden yell, shaking her head and darting her eyes at Chloe's.
Then, Max's head went into auto-pilot mode. "Chloe.. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for everything. For your father's death, for leaving you when you needed me most.. For not contacting you while I was away. I wanted to so badly but I was scared!" It was then when Max launched at Chloe and gave her a huge bear hug. "Chloe, please, I didn't want to meet back up like this. I w-"
"H-How long, M-Max.." The words barely snuck out of Chloe's mouth as her lips quivered from the emotional state she was in. She didn't hug Max back, she just sat there in rage, anger, bitterness, sadness, and maybe an ounce of happiness and relief? She couldn't tell what she was feeling, anger was the most right now though. When the girl didn't respond, Chloe's fists became balls and she twisted her neck in annoyance. "How long have you been here for, Max?!"
Max heard the anger building up in Chloe's voice, whispering to her "3 months. A little over 3 months." She let go of her slowly and taking a few steps back. Max knew Chloe could be a hot head, but that was 5 years ago. Max didn't know how she was now.
"3 huh.. And nothing of course, right?" Chloe chuckled and shook her head, waving her arms in the air. "I'm back in Arcadia Bay where I left my old best friend after 5 years, maybe I should text her! No, I can't even fucking do that, CAN I?!" Mocking Max.
"I wanted to, Chloe, so badly! I-"
"Do you really think I'm gonna buy into all your excuses? YOU HAVE NONE. ZERO. I sat there everyday for the longest time, trying to get you to answer me. All I wanted was a damn hi. An "Are you okay?" I couldn't even get that! I sat there for months Max! MONTHS." She pulled her hair backwards, clenching the beanie in her left hand as she took steps forward towards Max. Max just backed into the cold brick wall. Chloe got right in her face and chuckled again. Max could see the burning in her eyes. She wasn't scared of the girl, but she knew she wasn't in the safest position to be in at that moment.
"I'm so fucked up, Max.. You have no idea who the hell I am now. You, dad, and RACHEL. Urgh!" She punched the right side of the wall next to Max's head. Surprisingly, it didn't hurt the girl one bit. "You're fucking lucky I don't take your ass out right now."
They were both staring at each other, both not knowing what to say next. Max was pretty sure Chloe got everything out, but Max didn't want to push her in any way. Max tilts her head, and notices the burn in Chloe's eyes slowly dimming. It looked more like a cry for help in Max's eyes. She slowly lifted her arms and wrapped them around Chloe's sides, pulling her in for the best hug she could possibly give the girl. Chloe still had her fist on the brick wall, staring at where Max's head was. In her mind, all she could repeat was 'let me go'. A rush of tears came flooding down her face. At that moment, despite the hug, she couldn't forgive her. "Chloe, I'm here."
"...I wish.." A big sniffle came out of the girl as she straightened her body. "I wish I could believe that." She grabbed Max's arms and untangled them from her sides, lowering the girls arms. Max squinted her eyes, put her head down and rubbed her hands on her pants. She wasn't sure how to take the rejection from her friend. Friend?
"Chloe pleas-"
Chloe slammed her foot down causing Max to shoot her head up. The fire was in her eyes again. "I went 5 years without you.. I can go another." She sloppily threw her beanie on her head, storming off into the parking lot, hands clenching, practically turning white. The clanking of her boots were gun shots to Max's stomach. Chloe happened to pass by Warren, who looked up at the girl asking where she was going. Chloe stopped, turned around and gave a big "Fuck you! And Fuck her." She pulled out a cigarette, slid in her truck and fled the scene.
Warren quickly jogged to Max, who had her head buried in her curled up legs, crying up a storm. Warren comforted her for a moment, before suggesting they go back to Blackwell.
Warren shuts the door behind him as Max plops herself onto her bed, curling up in a ball. He just sat in her chair, staring at her. Silence fell over the room, and it was something he couldn't take for long. Finally, he gained the courage to break it. "So.. Um.. What happened back there, Max?"
No response. Warren got up and went to the bed, lifting Max up and into his arms. She buried her head in his shoulder, sniffling after all the crying she did. "Babe, please tell me. I can't stand seeing you like this."
After a few seconds, Max finally opened up. "I-I know who she is."
"Yeah, I think I pretty much know that by now.. How?"
"We used to be.. Best friends. She was my first mate." She chuckled "My captain."
"Okay..?"
"We used to pretend like we were pirates.."
"Oh! Gotcha. Go on."
"Chloe.. She was helping her dad make pancakes. He had just taken a picture of us. Haha, she was so happy.. Then I hear the phone ring and he picks it up. Turns out it was Joyce, her mom. She-She needed him to pick her up from the store, she had made some groceries. He looked for his keys, finding them seconds later and left.. We were supposed to eat Salmon for dinner that night.. With dessert as usual. While he was gone, we blew up dolls. Her mom told her to clean out her room, but she didn't want to trash anything I gave her. Eventually, we played as pirates. And of all this, I was leaving for Seattle a few days after. I kept trying to tell her but.. She kept distracting me. We had dug up a capsule that we buried 5 years before that, and after that, I finally told her I was leaving. She actually knew about it, and distracted me from mentioning it.. That way we could spend as much time together as we possibly could. After getting all the emotion out, Chloe goes to do something and Joyce opens the door very slowly. I'm standing there staring at her.. Pain just caved over her, tears running down her face.. Obviously something was wrong. Chloe goes up to her, and Joyce tells her right then and there.. Her dad was gone."
"Oh my God.. How.. How di-"
"Car accident.."
"Wow.."
"I saw her break down like I've never seen her before.. And the fact that I was leaving made it so much worse for me. I'm sure it made her feel worse than ever.. I-" Tears slid down her cheek "I couldn't do anything.. The move was already happening. I left straight from the funeral to Seattle. I never got to say a proper goodbye to her. How does someone deal with losing their father and best friend in the span of days? No one ever comes out okay.. No one."
Warren lifted Max's head up, looking her in the eyes with sorrow. "I'm so sorry Max.. That must've been so hard on you both. I had no idea." Max plops her head on his chest this time, mumbling.
"I left her one final recording on her tape machine.. I'm not sure if she ever listened to it or not."
"Why did she storm off like that then? Shouldn't she be a little happy that you're here?"
"I texted her maybe once or twice.. After that, I just forgot about her. I don't know.. I was so fucking stupid!" She took her fist and slammed it against the bed, startling her boyfriend. "I abandoned her.. I just fucking left her. What kind of person leaves their best friend like that? I tried so hard to convince my parents to stay.. But I couldn't do it. What kind of person am I?"
Warren squeezed Max, trying to calm her down. "Max, you can't blame yourself. There was nothing you could've done about moving and her dad's death.. And it always happens that people lose contact."
"I told her I'd message her.. I promised her. And I broke that promise. No wonder she doesn't trust me. I don't know what to do. I miss her so much, I'd do anything to get her back in my life."
"You'll just have to wait it out, Max. Maybe I can give you her number and you can text her. This time, you need to be there for her, no matter what. It's been a long 5 years, you don't know who she is now. I can tell you she drinks and smokes, she's rebellious. She used to go here, actually; but she got expelled for good."
"Do y-you know why?"
"You'd have to ask her that. Come on, it's late. I'll tell you her number. Do you want me to stay with you tonight?"
"I'm gonna be a depressed freak, Warren. I'm not sure if you wanna see that."
"It's okay, I'm here for you." He states Chloe's number while Max puts it into her phone. He kisses the top of her head, and she sobs for half of the night before falling asleep in Warren's arms.
Smoke filled the truck as she raced down the highway. Cigarette after cigarette, she talked to herself about what the hell happened. 'I can't believe her.. She just expects me to accept her apology and move on like nothing? She doesn't know the hell I went through while she was gone. "Chloe, I'm here." What a bitch ass liar. Where were you these past 5 years, HUH?!' Then she screamed "WHERE THE FUCK WERE YOU!?" She slammed her hands on the wheel in between each word, before cussing up a storm. The last time she was nearly this angry was when.. Rachel disappeared. 'I seriously just want to die. Why do bad things happen to me..'
She drove and drove, somehow making it home without any damage to anything. She would've went to her so called 'Home away from hell', but for some reason she felt the need to lock herself in her room and just fuck life. She quickly opened the door, hearing the TV in the living room.
"Chloe, is that-"
"Shut it, mom."
"Chloe! What the hell has gotten into you?"
Chloe didn't say a word, just grabbed a beer from the fridge and started going upstairs. She heard footsteps coming closer, Joyce trying to talk to her again. "Chloe, come down right now!"
"Leave me the fuck alone." Chloe sprinted up the rest of the stairs. Good thing her room was right next to it. She quickly slipped in and slammed the door, locking it behind her.
bang bang bang "Young lady, get out here!"
No response
"Chloe, are we really doing this again?!"
Then, music blared from the room. Joyce had no choice but to just leave her alone.
She began to roll up a joint. 'Time to bake my life away.. Again.'
'Wake up to a cloudy day, dark rolls in and it starts to rain.
Staring out to the cage like walls, time goes by and the shadows crawl
Crushing candy, crushing pills
Got no job, mom pays my bills
Texting ex's, get my fill
Sweatin' bullets, netflix chills
World's out there singin' the blues
20 more dead on the evening news
Think to myself 'Really what's the use? I'm just like you, I was born to lose.'
As the song went on, she lit it up and slid into her bed. The grass got Chloe to a state of calmness, making her slowly forget everything in life. This was always how she coped with pain. Nothing ever made her feel this relaxed. If only this feeling could last forever.
'I am so freaking bored, nothing to do today;
I guess I'll sit around and medicate (Medicate)
I am so freaking bored, nothing to do today;
I guess I'll sit around and medicate (Medicate)
The whistles of the song blew, and Chloe whistled along to it. She took a sip of her fresh beer, a slight 'Ah' after. This was the only way for her to truly feel alive (In the worst way possible).
A loud yawn filled the room, stirring Max awake. She slightly lifts her head up to see Warren stretching his arms and legs, looking like a sea star. Everything is blurry, but she figures it's from all the crying she had done the previous night before. Rolling onto her left side, she wipes her eyes and face, feeling all the dried tears. 'vision is back.. what time is it' She searches for her phone in the laziest way, which somehow caught the attention of Warren. She finds it under her pillow, and presses the lock button.
"Ahh, bright light.." 'Bad phone, bad! Shit.. Only 6:20'
Warren reached over to her and pulled her in so they were cuddling, Max's face burying into his chest. "Max, go back to sleep."
"Warren.."
"Yep?"
"Do you think I should talk to Joyce? She worked at Two Whales Diner when I was here years ago. She may still be there.."
"Maybe it's better for you to wait? Who knows what state Chloe is in. Joyce may not say anything."
"No, Warren.. I need to go now. Before everyone rushes in. She doesn't know I'm here, at least I don't think. I don't know if Chloe told her. She's the one person I can really talk to about her. She'll talk, even if I've been gone for a while. It would be nice to catch up too.."
Warren sighs and eventually gives in. "Well.. Get ready and I'll drive you over there."
"This is something I should do alone.. I'm sorry but I need this. I need Chloe back in my life.. I've missed her so much."
"Let me drop you off then. Please?"
"Sure."
Max grabbed her things and headed towards the showers. There wasn't a soul in the hallway, everyone must want their beauty sleep. Usually Max would too, but this was too important to sleep away. She grabs the handle of the door, opening it and behold, Victoria standing there brushing her teeth. Max sighed heavily, not wanting to deal with any of the shit she had to say to her.
"Well, look who decided to show up so early. Got an important date with your bitch?" She rinsed her mouth and put her hands to her hips.
"Victoria, please don't."
"What's wrong, Max? You know it's true. Besides, who would want to date that trash anyway? Oh, right! Another pile of trash."
"Seriously, what the fuck is your problem? I haven't done SHIT to you."
Victoria then flew towards Max, who just stood there ready to take whatever she was gonna take. She grabbed the collar of her shirt and pulled her forward so she was face to face, literally.
"Listen here, hipster trash. I run, RUN this place. You hear me? I could have you gone in a heartbeat. You and most of these people are nothing. I mean look at yourself! You think you can compare to me? You will never make it in life. You're a loser. Do all of us a favor and fuck off." Victoria pushes Max back firmly before grabbing her things and heading out. As much as it hurt being bullied, that wasn't something Max could think about right now.
After cleansing herself, she headed back to her room, telling Warren she was almost ready. When he asked what took her a little longer than usual, she basically repeated everything Victoria said to him.
"Man, what a bitch."
"Right."
"One day you just need to lay it on her, Max! I'll take Nathan on."
"Warren, he's got everyone here with their tail between their legs. At this point it's not worth it. Everyone will defend him."
"One day, he'll pay."
After collecting their things, they both headed out to his car. Max had never been this nervous, but it was something that had to be done. She wanted Chloe back in her life.
Destination: Two Whales.
Okay! So I've been slacking. I had a totally different beginning to this, and I decided to change the whole direction of the story and go with, uh, what I obviously have here. It still feels weird writing Warren/Max! It feels forced to me but I decided to go that route so it's really my fault.. Meep. I know these are short chapters, and I try to at least get close to 3k per chapter, which is still short. I can't see myself pulling off 10k word chapters unless there's a lot going on, and I feel like having so many places in one chapter is too much? I don't know, give me your opinion on this. Anyways, I hope this chapter is okay. I just picked up the computer and typed whatever I felt like, so this was written in like 2 hours lol. Until next time.