How's Rachel gonna answer Max's questions? Well, wait no longer for the answer.

Chapter Six: The Price of Ignorance

Rachel's POV

Inhaling deeply and biting her lip, Max finally finished her train of thought. "Her name's Chloe. Chloe Price."

I really wasn't surprised that Max had asked about Chloe. Problem was, how should I reply? This would take some effort and careful wording to get right.

"What? What's that look for? Do you know her?" Max pressed, desperate to find some kind of answer.

"You could say that, yes." I turned back and grabbed a photo of me and Chloe from the wall, handing it over to Max. "That's the Chloe Price I know."

"Wait, but…" Max stared at the photo intently, trying to decipher whether this was her childhood best friend.

I already knew they were the same. Chloe had shown me one or two photos of her as a kid and she sure looked different. It was surprising what a different hair color, style overhaul, and tats could hide. When you looked closer, though, that was when the differences started melting away.

After some time, Max slowly nodded. "That's her. Man, I almost didn't recognize her." She looked up from the photo, a hopeful glint in her eyes. "Where is she? I… I have to know. She's still in Arcadia, right? No?" She tried to gauge what I was thinking. For the time being, I didn't say anything, waiting for the initial shock to pass. "If she's not here, then… where is she?"

Letting out a sigh, I gave her a cryptic reply. "If you find out the answer to that, let me know."

Not having the slightest clue about what I was implying, she pressed for more details. "What do you mean? You… don't know where she is?"

There was no point trying to hide the truth any longer. Max would find out sooner or later, better sooner from my mouth than through Victoria later. "Hate to break it to you, but nobody does. Not even Joyce. That's not for lack of trying, well from some people."

Max didn't say anything for a while, staring at me intensely as if she was trying to read my mind. "I don't… I don't understand."

It had been a while since I had a proper chat about Chloe. As a rule, I tried to avoid the topic where possible. This was the exception. "It happened a few months back now. She just… disappeared. Poof, that was it. Came as a pretty big shock to some people. I mean, Chloe had been saying she would get out of Arcadia one day but she'd never done anything serious about it. If she ever did, nobody thought it would turn out like this. She wouldn't just up and leave without a word. That just isn't her style. Her exit would be more… explosive, a big 'fuck you' to everyone. At least, that's what we thought."

"I… you think she just left?" Max asked, not wanting to consider the alternative.

Not wanting to sugarcoat the situation, I let out a soft sigh. "Maybe, and maybe not. As much as she and Joyce fight, I don't see her just not getting in touch. Not impossible, but... people have been trying to get in touch with her, worried sick. Hell, even David made it his personal mission to find out what happened. Him and Chloe did not get on well."

"David?" she seemed confused by his name.

It made sense that Max wouldn't know about David. From what Chloe had told me, they hadn't been in touch since she left for Seattle. "Joyce remarried a few months after… William died to the now head of Blackwell security, David Madsen. Mustache, accusatory stare, paranoid as hell. Anyway, he nearly got himself fired trying to find Chloe. As far as I know, he's still looking. About the only one left. The ABPD didn't leave the case open long and Blackwell was happy to let it quietly fade into the background. Chloe wasn't a model student when she attended. That total opposite, actually."

Max shook her head slowly. "This… this isn't real, right? You're messing with me, yeah? Ha, very funny. You… you almost had me going. I know Chloe's definitely pissed at me and doesn't want to talk, but there's no need to… to…" She didn't finish that thought, words failing her.

As much as I might want to tell her what she wanted to hear, there was no point. "I really wish I was trying to prank you, Max. Look, Chloe was my friend too. I tried to find her."

"How hard did you try?" Max shot back, sounding like she was accusing me of not doing enough.

I didn't take it to heart, knowing that she was having a hard time processing all this. I had a lot of practice dealing with Chloe when she got like this, so it was nothing I hadn't seen before. "I did everything I could. More than the ABPD or Blackwell. There's just… no trace. Nothing. If there was, David would have found it by now. That guy's a surveillance nutcase."

"Then… that's it? Just move on like nothing's happened?" Max asked, frustration clear in her voice, panic too. She didn't want to accept it, couldn't. That much was clear from her eyes. There had been too much left unsaid for her to give up.

Having expected this kind of denial from her, I picked my next few words very carefully. While Max didn't seem like the type to get angry easily, one wrong move might push her over the edge in this state. "Everyone has to move on, Max. We might not like it, but that's life. People come and people go. Chloe knew that, I know it and I think you know it, too. Five years is a long time, and I totally get it." I tried to sound as non-accusatory as possible. Max didn't need any help with guilt from the looks of things. "Chloe's told me a few things about you over the years, Max. I didn't make the connection right away."

Max didn't say a single word, expression stoic but eyes conveying so many emotions right now. Denial, fear, regret… others that were indistinguishable and short lived. I could tell she didn't want to believe me and I didn't blame her. This was probably not the news she had been hoping for. Clearly, she had wanted to hear that Chloe was doing just fine after all these years. Even if the blue-haired punk had been here, she would've been far from okay, but at least then Max would know. Not knowing was so much worse.

"Someone… someone must know where she's gone… they have to. I… I didn't even get the chance to…" Tears were welling up in her eyes now, rolling down her cheeks as the reality of the situation dawned on her.

Feeling sorry for her, I shuffled over and wrapped my arms around her. She really looked like she needed a hug. "That's it, let it all out. Better to do it now than carry around emotional baggage. That shit gets heavy. Trust me."

I felt her arms clamp on tight, head buried in my shoulder as she cried. To soothe her, I rubbed her back, stroked her head and whispered reassurances in her ear, things she wanted to hear. She might not even be listening, but it was safer to say them. We stayed like that for a long time until there were no more tears to cry, even after that. She shook long after, clinging onto me like a life raft. It was pretty sad to watch.

Eventually, she pulled back, eyes red from all the tears. A few still clung to her face, leaving streaks. Reaching out, I gently wiped them away from her cheek, fingers lingering on her skin. "Listen, you don't have to be alone now if you don't want to. I get it if you need some space, but you are more than welcome to stay here for the night if that helps."

All Max could do was nod. Offering her a warm, reassuring smile I made the necessary preparations. Normally, I wouldn't go to bed this early but Max probably wouldn't be up to much right now. I had a feeling trying to distract her, how I usually dealt with things, wouldn't be so easy. The last thing on her mind right now would be partying or adventure. Instead, I made sure we were both comfortable on the bed.

Max seemed fairly numb to it all, bending to my touch and letting me do whatever I wanted to do. By the end, her back was pressed against me, my arms around her. I had done this with Chloe when she had a particularly bad day, not as rare as you'd hope. With her, it had been kind of funny given how much taller she was, almost comical. Max was nowhere near as tall, fitting neat and compact.

"Even though we don't know each other all that well, I kind of get how you're feeling right now. I've just worked through it, mostly," I whispered in her ear once we were properly settled, not expecting an answer now.

At first, I thought she might already have drifted off so tired from the explosion of emotion. She laid there, still and silent in the darkness. After some time, a soft voice finally mumbled. "How… how long 'til it stops?"

"What stops?" I asked, not completely certain of what she was getting at.

"Hurting…" Her voice sounded so emotionally drained, broken.

I snuggled up closer, hold tightening. "I'll get back to you on that."

Chloe was still a bit of a sore spot for me. Sure, I hadn't been as devastated as Max was right now, but I wasn't so cold-hearted as to not care. While Chloe got on my nerves sometimes, was stubborn and had some major trust and jealousy issues, there had been things worth sticking around for. Everyone had their flaws. Didn't mean they should be written off completely. Some of us were just better at hiding them…

Some time later, the air was filled with the sound of steady breathing, Max's body relaxing. Her return to Arcadia Bay sure had been a rough one, first a near death experience and then finding out her childhood best friend had gone missing all within such a short space of time. Experiences like that could really mess people up, change them beyond recognition. It'd happened to Chloe after William died. She hadn't talked about her dad much but she clearly had a ton of unresolved feelings about it. The blue-haired punk had been pretty tight lipped, every now and then revealing a little more info.

Hopefully, Max would be better at dealing with all the bullshit.

A Week Later

It had been a whole week since I first told Max about Chloe's disappearance. For the most part, she seemed to have gotten over the worst of it. She was far from one hundred percent. Knowing her childhood friend had gone missing hit her hard and it probably would continue that way until Chloe's whereabouts became known. Since that was unlikely, closure was improbable.

Max had opened up a little about Chloe over the week, not much but enough for me to paint a picture of the situation. She wanted to apologize so desperately. I had a feeling that she might try to find the bluenette on her own when she felt up to it. Of course, it wouldn't help much now. It was probably too late to uncover new information, but it wouldn't stop her from trying. Just like Joyce and David hadn't given up yet. I would just have to make sure it didn't consume her.

Some of the people I hung out with were curious to know why I had been hanging around someone like Max so much recently. From an outsider's perspective, it might seem odd. Some had been blunter than others pointing it out. Max was hardly Vortex Club material, yet. Then again, according to Victoria Chase, neither was I. I occupied a special space in the social hierarchy, not directly involved but not excluded either. If anything, I was above the club, able to keep in everyone's good books. With some practice, I reckoned Max could join me. She probably didn't care much for high school drama and hierarchy right now, but in time she might come to thrive off it. Just like I did.

Suddenly hearing raised voices down the other end of the hallway, I opened my door just enough to hear what was going on. There was always some kind of drama going on at Blackwell and I liked to keep informed.

"Leave her alone, Victoria." I knew that voice well enough by now, Max. As far as I was aware, she had gone to see Kate for a little tea date, beyond cute. Obviously, that had come to an abrupt end.

The next voice I recognized almost immediately as Victoria. "Excuse you. Who the hell do you think you are talking to me like that?"

Curious to see what was going on, I poked my head around the door to investigate. Three people were stood at the other end of the hallway, backs facing me. Victoria, Kate, and Max. I wasn't the only one who was interested in the unfolding drama, other students peering out to see what was going on. Victoria's minions were there too, overseeing the shakedown.

"Kate doesn't deserve your bullshit. Nobody does," Max stated, just about holding onto a sliver of calm.

That made the blonde bully laugh, short and sharp. "Listen, Caulfield, I run this place. I could ruin you with a simple click of my fingers."

In an unexpected move, Max didn't back down as I had expected her to. Instead, she held her ground. "Is that supposed to scare me? Because it doesn't."

Kate reached out to her, tugging on her sleeve. "Max… it's okay."

Shaking now, Max turned to her. "No, Kate, it's not. I can't stand by and watch this. It'll just keep happening until… someone gets hurt. Really hurt."

The atmosphere shifted to something much darker and more hostile as Victoria's voice lowered menacingly. "You want to know what happened to the last bitch who tried to fuck with me? She went missing. Now, if you don't want that happening to you, I'd shut up while you can."

Doing her best to pretend the reference to Chloe didn't have any effect on her, Max snapped back, "Like you had anything to do with that. Nice bluff, though. Nearly had me scared."

A twisted grin tugged at Victoria's lip, plotting and smug. "Oh, so you know about Chloe, then. I figured as much. Guess my sources were right. I wonder if the other rumors were true as well."

As if a switch had been flipped Max stiffened, her voice eerily calm. "I wouldn't go down that path if I were you."

Noticing that she had touched a nerve, Victoria continued to prod and poke Max. "Cute, you think you can threaten me. Not how this works. This place is better off without someone like Price skulking around. You should be thankful you didn't have to see her again. I don't blame you for cutting her off when you moved."

"Stop," she demanded through gritted teeth, hands balling up into fists by her sides. Her composure was slowly slipping away. With everything she had been through these past couple of weeks, it was possible Max might explode right here and now if pushed too hard.

Not taking the command seriously, Victoria smirked and took advantage of the sore spot. "You would have been so disappointed to see what a total pathetic loser she was. Then again, I hear that might be your fault."

Figuring that I should probably step in before things got out of hand, I stepped out into the hallway and approached the small group. "Come now, Victoria, you should know better than to bully someone so publically. What if someone important were to see?"

Turning to face me with a condescending sneer, Victoria hissed, "Fuck off, Amber. This doesn't involve you."

"Oh, I think it very much does." I held up my phone, a video primed and ready of the past few moments. Good thing I had held off from intervening straight away. "Would be a real shame if this were to go viral. Honor student Victoria Chase bullying her fellow students, such scandal."

"Ha, you think you can beat me? You'll have to do much better than that. People like you and Price think you're so great, but you're just-" Victoria didn't have the chance to finish her bitter response.

To everyone's surprise, a loud smack rang out in the hallway. They all watched her stagger back – some concerned, others surprised and a few conveying smug satisfaction – as she grabbed onto a reddening left cheek. All eyes turned to the one behind the strike…

…none other than Max Caulfield.

Victoria messed with the wrong person at the wrong time. See you next time to find out the conclusion to this altercation.