Chloe wanted revenge on Max.
How could Max fall asleep at a time like that? The freckled girl was finally ready to reveal the things haunting her for days, only to then fall asleep?
I'll get you for that someday Caulfield. You should count yourself hella lucky that I don't have a Sharpie right now. You would be amazed how good I can draw a moustache...
Just look at her... like a sleeping princess. Hmm, maybe I should wake her up with another kiss? Naaa, she deserves to rest. At least for now.
But I hope that she doesn't expect me to wait with the reading until she wakes up.
Meeting Dad or saving me and Kate is some hardcore stuff no doubt about it, but is that really enough to have those ultra nightmares? Well, the answer is somewhere between those pages.
Soon the blue haired girl started reading the journal again, but was forced to stop rather quick when she heard someone coming. She didn't want to be found with Max's diary while she was asleep so Chloe managed to put everything back to where it was before Kate Marsh and a boy, whose name she didn't know, came in.
"Hey there, Kitty-Kate and...?" This must be Warren, I guess?
"Hey, Chloe-" Kate's usual smile transformed into concern for the punk as soon as she saw Chloe's face "Are you okay? Your eyes are really red."
"Yea, well... that happens if you cry like a baby. Max... she woke up and I couldn't help it, okay?" She confessed. While being embarrassed she pulled her beanie over her face.
The punk didn't see a point in lying to Kate, while of course not telling her the entire truth either.
Chloe and Kate had their first real conversation just yesterday after meeting at the hospital. When she arrived Kate was the one who explained what had happened with Max. Since then the punk was convinced that Kate had the blood of someone holy running through her veins. She also met some other folks from Blackwell.
Now that I think about it, I still need to thank Dana for finding and bringing Max here.
"And that's Warren by the way. A friend from school."
"Hi."
He and Chloe had seen each other briefly yesterday, but when the punk finally arrived after Dana had contacted her, he was already on his way out.
'Need to tell the teachers, so that no one'll wonder where they were' is an understandable reason to go, I guess... Still happy that I don't need to go through all that bullshit at Blackhell anymore.
Now that she had the time the punk examined Warren carefully. At first glance Chloe thought that he looked like a geeky nerdy guy, who would actually make a good couple with Max. She hated his guts.
Max, you were right. He definitely wants in your pants. Can't blame him. But that doesn't mean that I like it either. Sorry, but you won't get even close to her, I'll make sure of that.
But it shouldn't be me who drops the big-gay-bomb on your friends. That is something you need to go through yourself. Hmmm, I wonder what Mom'll say when she finds out.
Kate then asked "Sooo, did anybody else show up? Did the doctors say anything?"
"Oh shit. I probably should call her parents... I mean yes. Well, Mad Max woke up a hour or so ago, she just fell asleep a few minutes before you guys came in. And to be honest, I totally forgot to tell anybody." But Chloe hesitated. She didn't want to leave Max's side. Especially when a horny dog is sitting right next to her. She thought while starring at the clueless boy.
"Can I leave Max in your hands, for a moment?" The punk brought herself to ask Kate at last.
"Don't worry, I won't let her out of my sight!" Warren said while trying to give Chloe a reassuring smile.
"I bet you won't." She mumbled more to herself than anyone else before leaving the room.
Warren looked at the door for a moment and came to a conclusion. "She doesn't like me, does she?" But instead of answering Kate just chuckled a bit. She could guess why the blue haired girl couldn't stand Warren. Looks like she hates rivals. Well, Warren can't even be described as a rival. I wonder if Max finally confessed to her after their fight the other day?
As the blue haired girl went outside the hospital to call Max's parents, she decided to smoke a cigarette to calm her nerves before calling.
She still couldn't wrap her mind around what she just read.
It felt weird to see and talk to Kate after reading what happened in the other time line. I just can't imagine a girl as happy as her to be suicidal. I couldn't even look her straight in the eyes when I asked her to look after Max for me. It must have been hella messed up for Max to see Kate again. Everything was set back to normal for everyone except for her.
Like nothing ever happened. It's the same when she saw how I died over and over again. And afterwards it never happened... or did it? ...
While exhaling some smoke from her cigarette, she felt a slight headache coming. To ease the headache, the punk started massaging her nose bridge. Time traveling really fucks up your head, doesn't it? I guess, it's not important if it did actually happen or not . The only thing important is that it was real for Max and that she had to live with it alone...
But from now on I can truly be there for her. No more hiding Bat Max, here I come!
A small grin formed on the smoking girls face when she started to remember their kiss just a few minutes ago. She still couldn't believe that she and her childhood friend were now dating. She couldn't believe it, yet she wasn't surprised about it either. As soon as I saw Max standing in the corridor I knew that I wouldn't be able to hate her as much as I wanted to. Her freckles, her voice, her blue eyes or her geeky haircut. Just imagining Max again gave the punk so many butterflies in her stomach that she started giggling at herself. I don't know what it was, but she just won me over way too fast. Hell, probably everything about her is just my type. But I'll never ever tell her that. She wouldn't stop mocking me about my softness. She should be awed about my hardcoreness instead!
Chloe let out a happy sigh, threw her cigarette in the bin, and pulled out her phone to contact Max's parents. Joyce talked yesterday with them after hearing that Max was in the hospital, but Chloe herself didn't speak with them in ages. It made her a bit nervous to actually call them. Maybe an sms will be enough? Naaa... C'mon girl, it's not like you don't know Vanessa and Ryan. They were always kind to you. You can't just write an sms. That would be totally rude.
The punk took a deep breath and then called the Caulfield family.
"Hello? Caufields here." A female voice was on the other side of the call. Vanessa.
"Uhm. Hey. It's Chloe. Chloe Price."
"Chloe dear! Oh, it must have been years since I last heard your voice. Don't take it wrong if I don't ask you've been doing, but I need to know how my daughter is doing. That is why you called, right?."
"Yea, no offense taken. And Max is fine. She woke up about an hour ago. Now she is sleeping again thought. Probably best for her right now."
"That's great to hear. I'm happy that you two are friends again." More like girlfriends. The punk thought with a grin on her face. "She probably never told you, but the first few months in Seattle were terrible for her. She only wanted to go back and see you. But you know Maxine, she was always a shy one. At some point she was to scared to call you."
Hearing how their separation was not just hard for Chloe, made the blue haired girl happy in a weird kind of way. But then Chloe heard a small sigh, and instantly knew that the mother of her girlfriend was about to say something that wasn't easy for her.
"I asked Joyce already, but you are probably closer to Maxine. Is she being bullied?"
"What? N-no, I don't think so."
"Chloe darling, if you know something, anything at all we would be really glad to hear it. Me and my husband are worrying to death over here. And since last week she didn't call or write as much as she used to." Chloe understood how Vanessa felt, but couldn't just tell them what she now knew. She was forced to make up something. She started scratching the back of her head through her beanie, while trying to come up with anything that would get her out of this.
"I, well... uhmm. Okay. Yes. Some assholes started picking on her in school." The phone was quiet for a moment after the punk had finished her sentence. She felt guilty for lying to Max's parents like that, but there wasn't any other way out of this, was there?
"Why didn't you try to help her then? Are you not her best friend?" The sudden accusing tone in Vanessa's voice threw Chloe off balance.
"Uh? I don't even go to school with her. I-I can't be around her all day long." Even if I wish I could.
"But you should have noticed that something was off, as her friend. Joyce told me that the doctors said she ate and drank nearly nothing!" The punkster didn't know how to answer those accusation, because Vanessa would probably be right if the time traveler would have been bullied and Chloe wouldn't have been an emotional wreck for half the week.
"Honey? Who're you talking to?" A deep voice interrupted the conversation. Max's father was now talking to Vanessa. Chloe was thankful to be taken out of the line of fire.
While the punk didn't understand every word she still heard enough through the phone to follow their discussion. Vanessa explained her husband that their daughter was being 'heavily' bullied by other students. Ryan sounded concerned, but still tried to calm his wife. But she just wouldn't give in about it. The punk imagined that Vanessa was tearing up, from what she heard. Then she deciphered something that let shudder.
"Letting her go back to Arcadia Bay was a mistake, after all."
Chloe had so much to say. Max saved her life more than once. She had been there to help her through the fact that Rachel was really gone forever. And last but not least was the girl she fell in love with and who loved her back. It had been the best thing in her life that the freckled girl came back to the Bay, not a mistake, and she wanted to scream that in her phone, but of course Max's mother wouldn't understand a thing. Still, it was not fair.
When she heard the phone being picked up again the punk tried to sound like she didn't hear anything at all, but couldn't really judge how she was doing.
"Chloe?" It was Ryan this time.
"Still there."
"Sorry 'bout that. You know how me and my wife are. We were never the best if it comes to letting go of our little daughter. Vanessa shouldn't have blamed your for something like this, please don't be mad at her." Ryan. At least his honesty is still there, like it was back then.
"No. No. It's fine, really! Vanessa is... right." Chloe needed to force herself to say that. "It's just that Max had a long talk with... the ones who did the bullying... and it seems most of their problems could be put aside."
"Really?" The blue haired girl could hear the relieve in his voice. "While it doesn't sound like her to approach other people like that, it certainly is a good thing. Thanks for telling us Chloe. We were already thinking about bringing Max back to Seattle and letting her attend a school there."
Chloe's heart missed a beat after hearing that. Taking her away? Again? Max needed Chloe after all of this. Chloe needed Max after all of this. Until now it hadn't even crossed the punk's mind that Max may someday would need to go back to Seattle.
"You can't!" She said while cursing herself for her shaky voice.
"We can't?" Ryan was surprised by the punk's sudden response. They would just do what they thought was best for their child
"Ehhmm." Chloe needed to clear her throat before she could say anything. "Wouldn't it be good for Max if-if uhm... if she would be able to overcome it by herself? I mean it like that, if she goes back to Seattle and some pricks bully her there as well, she should at least have learned to stand her own, doesn't she?"
"Hmmm. That's a valid point, I tried to make as well, but Vanessa doesn't think so, unfortunately."
"But... shouldn't it be about what Max thinks, not you or Vanessa?" Geez, they'll think I'm an asshole for butting in to their parenting like that. But fuck the image they'll have of me now. I won't let anyone take away my hippie.
"Chloe, please don't think that we want to take Maxine from you or anything. And don't worry it's not like we had anything planned already, it was just an idea that sprung into our mind once or twice."
"T-thanks." Now Chloe felt like Max's parents just messed with her. Look at me getting hella flustered about just an idea... It didn't sound like just an idea moments ago, thought.
"Anyways, thanks for calling. Say hello to Joyce for me. And keep my daughter safe, will ya?"
"Aye aye, sir." After hanging up Chloe let out a big sigh, but her tension didn't get any better. Vanessa was right. I knew that she was in some deep shit, but I just cared for myself... From now on I'll protect her. From the very beginning super Max's top priority was to protect me. I'll do the same from now on, protecting her from everything, even herself. Geez, Geez, I need some stuff to get high now... Either on dope or Max... Or both.
After this awkward conversation Chloe started searching for someone who looked somewhat important and found a doctor. She told him that Max had woken up and the doctor came right with her. As they entered the room they found Max being now fully awake. He explained to all of them that Max, as long as she eats and drinks enough from now on, could actually leave the hospital today, because her case wan't very serious.
"The worst was probably the scare you all got from it." He said to reassure them, before leaving.
"I knew I hated horror flics for a reason!" The punk joked.
"You do? Must be because you've never seen a good one before! I could give Max my flash-drive again, or even better we could do a movie night. Halloween is right around the corner, isn't it?"
As much as Chloe felt like protesting against an idea from Warren, she knew that Max would drag her into this anyways. Even when she hated those movies.
"That sounds great. A geeky horror night. You'll come too Che, right?" Still lying on the bed Max asked Chloe, while giving her puppy eyes. How was the punk supposed to say no to that.
With a sigh Chloe gave in. "How I know my Dracu-Max, I won't be able to escape them anyways. So, why the hell not."
"Could I come, too?" Kate asked shyly. Everyone turned their faces towards her while being surprised.
"You want to come, too?" Chloe asked bluntly. Kate nodded as an answer. "Count me surprised. You don't look like someone who would enjoy seeing how people get torn apart by some disgusting monsters. Normal people don't enjoy that."
"Of course you can! I actually thought that it was obvious that you should come too." Max said while ignoring the last few words the punk directed at her. The invitation made Kate surprisingly happy. "But for now let's just get out of here. I've no time to waste sitting here."
"You didn't just say that."
"Chloe!" The freckled girl looked shocked at her friends comment, and Chloe realized why. They weren't alone. Kate and Warren just looked at them with confused faces.
"Inside joke between the two of us." The blue haired girl explained with a grin on her face.
After Max got her clothes and the rest of her stuff, Warren waited outside until Max was done changing, the four of them talked some more on their way out. Chloe suggested that she could drive all of them back to Blackwell. But Warren and Kate declined her offer because they drover here with Warren's own car.
After saying their goodbyes the two girls moved towards the old truck. Now they were alone.
"Soooooo, you won't tell them?"
"What? They would never believe me."
"Why not? Warren would definitely be heartbroken, but keeping him at bay is pretty cold too, isn't it?"
"Wha.. ohhh, you meant that."
"Us?"
"Yeah, sorry. Still a bit slow after all that sleeping." As if Max had summoned it, she started letting out a big yawn, which forced a smirk on the punks face. After rubbing her eyes Max then said "Kate already knows that I love you. I told her when we had our little quarrel."
Even now it made Chloe blush to hear Max confessing her love for her so casually. She couldn't hold the urge to kiss the other girl any longer, touched Max's face with her hands gently, moved closer and pushed her lips on the other girls. After some time the blue haired girl filled the kissing with more passion and Max bent over the backside of her truck, till the smaller girl nearly fell inside. When their lips finally departed Max let out a sigh of happiness. "Wowser... You really have no shame, do you?"
"Fuck shame! Nothing will stand between me and that bony white ass."
"You're impossible!" Max punched the other girl on the shoulder.
"You bet I am. I would have loved to see Kate's expression when you told her, thought. I bet she was shocked like a true christian." Then her voice shifted into a serious tone. "That aside, when should I read part 2 of your wild adventures?"
"This is no joke, Che..." The freckled girl said with a smile on her face. She knew that Chloe didn't mean to offend her. The joking should probably cheer her up. "As soon as you want to. I could give you the journal right now if you want."
"As soon as possible would be good, but I think I've already had my fill with the shit I just read for the next few hours."
"Sorry to push this all on you like that." The small girl said while her voice now became sadder.
"Woha, keep it down mad Max. More like sad Max. You didn't push shit on me. It's pretty much the opposite, I hella forced you to tell me all of this. Remember our fight the other day? When I said that I'm filled I didn't mean that it was your fault or anything. Nothing of this is your fault. You just tried to do what you thought was right. And, oh yea, right, it saved my life, so you must have done at least something right."
She embraced her girlfriend in a tight hug, and only released her after she had made sure that Max was feeling alright again.
"Thanks..." The two girls then went inside the truck and while Chloe tried to start the motor Max asked "Where is our course set, Captain?"
"Two whales of course! We didn't have brekkie. There is no good day without brekkie first!"
"I know what the doctor said but I really don't have an appetite, right now."
"Dude, you didn't eat in nearly 2 days. You'll eat some waffles and drink a coffee, even if I've to force feed you."
"Waffles and coffee? That's probably not what the doctor had in mind."
"But those're your hipster weaknesses. You won't be able to resist them as soon as you lay your eyes on them." Chloe said while the truck started driving towards the diner.
That's it for now ^^
A Chloe heavy chapter this time. I felt like giving her some more screen time :3
