Apologies that this is late. I was unexpectedly busy yesterday. But yeah, at least you got it now :)

Chapter Ten: Try My Patience

Chloe's POV - Science Classroom - Next Day

The end of class was approaching rapidly, freedom so close yet so far. Instead of paying attention to the wrap-up, I let my mind wander. The first mental pit stop… Max. I couldn't wait to get out of here and hang out with her. That much had always been the same, but it was different now - almost like my life depended on it. Time apart was rough, hard to focus on anything else. Was it the same for her?

I was almost certain it was, especially from the way she acted when we had to part ways for even a short time. She seemed to be texting me a lot more than usual, too. Even during class, which was totally not like her. Something I didn't mind in the slightest. It was rare for us to go more than half an hour without either seeing each other or keeping in touch some other way. On the odd occasion we did, it made me feel anxious.

Maybe I shouldn't be worried; she could definitely take care of herself as the bathroom incident with Nathan had shown. Even knowing that, I couldn't help myself feeling concerned. Speaking of that asshole, ever since Max kicked his ass, he'd thankfully been avoiding me. Whenever he saw me in the hallway, he made a deliberate u-turn or dove into a classroom he didn't need to be in. Honestly, it was just a little satisfying to watch. And I couldn't really blame him after nearly getting choked out.

I'd never seen Max like that. Over the years, it'd been me defending her. Always stronger and ready for a fight. If I'd let her, would she have actually killed him? It was hard to imagine the Max I knew ever doing that… but she wasn't really the Max I knew anymore, not really. Part of me was kind of happy that she'd go so far as to protect me, as fucked up as that might sound. No hesitation, I'd do the same for her. Although, from now on I suspected I wouldn't be fulfilling a protector role all that much.

There were plenty of other things I could do for her, though. Rachel seemed to think so, at least. I still didn't know what to think of the blonde. I wanted to feel angry, hate her for what she did to my best friend but… no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't. That might have something to do with her either passively or actively messing with my head. There were times around Max, mostly before she told me her secret, that I kind of went on autopilot. And she probably didn't even realize she was doing it. I had a feeling that Rachel, on the other hand, knew exactly what she was doing.

Honestly, she could do whatever the hell she liked so long as it didn't hurt Max. If anybody did that, I don't know what I'd do…

The high-pitched ring of the bell brought me back to reality, and I realized everyone was pretty much already packed up. Heart spiking, I shoved my belongings into my rucksack and waited outside for Max. Ever since the Nathan thing, she gave me clear instructions to wait outside my classroom for her to avoid problems. Not like I could really argue. Trouble did seem to follow me around.

"Ms. Price." I turned to the voice, met with a man I vaguely recognized. Short brown hair, beard, glasses and wearing a suit. Mark Jefferson, the photography teacher.

I had no idea why he'd want to talk to me of all people. "Uh, yeah?"

He offered up a smile, one that set my teeth on edge for some reason. It felt very… forced and fake. "Could I have a word, please? It'll only take a moment."

With no other real option, I shrugged. "Sure… I guess. But, I'm waiting for a friend and she'll be here soon, so better make it quick."

"That friend wouldn't happen to be Max Caulfield, would it?" he inquired, eyes zeroing in on mine.

The intensity made me more than a little uncomfortable. "Maybe. Why?"

"Just a guess," he replied, sounding like he was hiding something. "I've seen you two hanging around together. And since she's one of my students, I like to make sure everything is okay."

The more I talked to him, the more I wanted to bail. Something about him was off. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"Until recently, she didn't look too well," he continued, an attempt at sympathy. "I was getting worried but I didn't want to pry too much. Would you happen to know?"

There was no way I could tell him the truth, so I settled on a half-lie. "I think she had a virus or something. She's fine now, so no need to worry."

"Hmm, so I've seen," he muttered, mostly to himself. "She certainly bounced back quickly. Almost… inhuman, wouldn't you agree?"

Suspicious of what he was trying to get at, I kept my response vague. "I guess. I've known her since we were kids and it's always been that way, so I don't see it as weird."

His stare was searching, like he was trying to figure out if I was keeping secrets. "Well, I am relieved. From what I've seen, she's got her strength back… and then some."

"Mr. Jefferson?" a familiar voice called out.

I peered around him to see Max, already feeling calmer. While he was distracted, I sidestepped him and looped my arm around hers. Instinctively, she moved me behind her, staring him down. She must be able to tell I was feeling uncomfortable, doing her best to diffuse the situation.

Again, another forced smile. "Ah, Max. I was expecting to see you at some point." He turned his attention back to me. "Now, I won't take up any more of your time, Ms. Price. Do try to keep out of trouble." With that, he strolled off down the hallway.

Max remained tense, watching him round the corner. I could swear I even heard a low, almost growling sound from her as he disappeared. Maybe I was imagining that, though. Even after he'd gone, her eyes were still fixed on where he had been, like she expected him to be waiting around the corner ready to pounce.

Expression softening, I came up behind and wrapped my arms around her, hoping that might help her relax. "Max, it's okay. I'm fine, yeah."

After a second or two, she seemed to calm down, leaning back into me. "Sorry… guess I got carried away there. What did he want with you?"

My grip on her tightened, wondering just what he was trying to suggest before. "I have no idea. He was asking about you, but… he was being really weird about it. Asked about when you were ill, stuff like that."

"Guess I need to keep an eye on him from now on. Rachel might know more, if I ask," Max replied, deep in thought. "He's been acting weird for a while. I thought that might have something to do with the… you know, vampire thing. Maybe there's more to it."

Right now, I wanted to get as far away from Mark Jefferson as possible. "Can we go now?"

"Says the girl clinging onto me, making it impossible to move," Max chuckled softly, not moving an inch.

"I bet you could if you really wanted to," I challenged teasingly, holding onto her tighter.

"Okay, have it your way…" Even without seeing, I could hear the smug grin in her voice.

Before I could even reply, I felt Max's hands at my legs, pulling me up onto her back no sweat. I may have yelp in surprise, clinging onto her shoulders so I didn't fall and smack my head on the floor.

"Holy shit, Max. Fucking warn me next time, ass," I pouted, lightly thumping her shoulder without letting go.

"Well, don't issue a challenge you aren't ready to accept the consequences of," she countered playfully, moving with ease.

"Never thought I'd see the day you gave me a piggyback." Given our height difference alone, it made more sense for me to be the one giving them. "I'm not, uh, too heavy or anything, am I?"

That made her scoff, shaking her head. "Hardly. Besides, I already carried you all the way from the junkyard to Blackwell, so making it to the dorm from here shouldn't be an issue."

I simply silently accepted, resting my head against her back. So long as Max was here, everything would be okay.

Rachel's POV

Over the past day or so, I had been organizing to set up shop in Arcadia. For the time being at least, it seemed that I needed to remain close to Max. Maybe that would change once she could fend for herself. In my time, I had lived all over the place, only recently returning to America within the past few years - my place of birth, although the title rang hollow now.

I'd found a place on the outskirts, on the edge of the forest. Nothing too fancy, not like some places I'd called home, but good enough for now. If my stay became more long term, I could always upgrade. Since Max was in class now, I decided to go have a wander around the forest, get a feel for my new surroundings. While the rest of this place was a shithole, to put it mildly, this part was worth investigating.

Rolling my shoulders, I dashed through the trees and undergrowth, jumping from branch to branch and propelling myself off trunks. I went much deeper than I had before, leaf canopy thick and blocking out nearly all flickers of light. Suddenly, I picked up on new presences, they felt angry and hostile. I hit the breaks, a plume of dirt kicked up around me.

When it cleared, three figures appeared before me. The middle most was a tall, thin and pale man - accompanied by a young boy and girl, perhaps in their late teens appearance wise. Taking a step forward, the older man regarded me with an intense glare, his companions baring sharp fangs.

"I would turn back if I were you," he cautioned, stern and commanding. "Now."

I had been suspecting some trouble eventually. Most vampires didn't take too kindly to others encroaching on their territory. Even in a small town like Arcadia, there were plenty of vampires roaming. Since I planned on staying, I'd have to stake my claim now.

"Come now, there is no need to be so hostile. Surely, we can-" Before I could finish my sentence, I saw something lash out at me from the corner of my eye.

Sighing, I used the momentum to flip my attacker - the young boy - over my shoulder, landing with a thud. He let out an undignified 'oof', flipping back to his feet and taking up an aggressive stance. The girl surged forward, swiping at me. I dodged with ease, sweeping her legs out from underneath her. Before the boy could attack again, I aimed a kick at his head, sending him flying. He crashed into a nearby tree trunk, slumping.

"Enough," the older man demanded.

"What, finally had enough of seeing a one-sided fight?" I taunted, tensing ready for a fight.

The second I'd asked my question, I noticed something swipe at me - some kind of vine, perhaps. It barely got in range before bursting into flames, ashes fluttering to the floor. My adversaries expression did not change, darting forward. Smirking, I left it to the last moment, ducking as his fist slammed through a tree, splinters flying. My foot stomped down on the base of his back, getting a hiss in response as he yanked his arm out. Sending more vines, some thorned, he disappeared into the canopy of leaves to get a better angle.

More than happy to play hide and seek, the vines burned to dust once more. Again, the girl took her chance to catch me off guard, coming off much worse for wear. I threw her to the floor, wrenching her arm behind her back. Time to have a little fun. Leaning in close, I whispered something in her ear, watching her eyes turn cloudy. Then, I let go and watched her climb into the leaves.

Seconds later, the older man fell to the forest floor, wrestling with my previous opponent. Taking advantage of the distraction, I used a tree to launch myself forward, turning mid air to slam him in the chest. That stunned him long enough for me to send him flying with a single punch to the gut. He skidded across the ground, leaves and branches thrown up into the air. Not wasting time, I ran forward and stamped on his right leg, hearing bone crunch under foot. Taking his left arm with my hands, I snapped his forearm for good measure.

Howling with anger, he tried to strike out with his uninjured arm, getting that one broken for his trouble. "You just don't know when to give up, do you? Well, there's always time to learn."

"Who the fuck are you?" he growled, trying to get up.

Smiling, I crouched down and leaned in close, mockingly patting his cheek. "Someone you really don't want to piss off."

Max's POV - Blackwell Campus - Two Days Later - After Class

Near the end of the week, Rachel had requested a guided tour of Blackwell. She mentioned how she had found somewhere nearby to crash instead of in my dorm room. Maybe I couldn't help feeling a little disappointed at that, but knowing she was definitely close by helped ease that. It was weird, the more time passed the more I felt connected to her, almost dependent.

And the blonde wasn't the only… person - not really the right word to describe her - I'd felt even more tied to recently. No prizes for guessing who. Maybe the same blue-haired punk currently holding my hand as we walked outside to meet up with Rachel. She said she'd 'find us', so who knew where she was. Although, I got the sense she was on her way.

While waiting, we sat down on a bench under some tree shade out of the way, quiet. With my, uh, 'condition' sitting out in the sun was a no go. I'd never been a huge sun bather anyway, so no loss there.

Swinging her feet like an impatient child, Chloe let out a sigh. "I'm bored already."

At times like these, she really hadn't changed from when I first met her. "No patience… c'mon, we've hardly been here two minutes."

"But I can think of way better things to do than sit on a bench, waiting," the bluenette replied, resting her full weight against me. She used to do that when she wanted me to trip up or to prove a point.

"Oh, I bet you can. And ninety percent of those options would lead to serious chaos," I pointed out, fiddling with strands of faded blue hair.

Blue eyes closed, body relaxing into me. "You know me well."

Swallowing lightly, my eyes wandered down to her neck and further, feeling a slight pang of hunger and lust. I would probably be due another feed soon… It felt so bad seeing her as a meal ticket, even for a second. And I still worried whether or not she was doing all this of her own volition… or whether I was influencing her… or maybe Rachel. She seemed like the kind of person who took great delight in meddling, whether it was morally sound or not.

"Max," Chloe called out, expression sterner as her eyes focused on mine. "Stop thinking about whatever it is you're thinking about right now. I know that look, you're blaming yourself again. C'mon, what's bothering you?"

I could lie but she'd see right through it. "I just… I guess I wished my life had turned out more… normal. That's all."

"Max, normal is boring," the bluenette scoffed, sitting up. "And with me around, shit like normal doesn't exist."

"Okay then, I wish it was like before," I corrected softly.

"What, when we were both too chickenshit to make a move?" she pressed, not giving up her point. It was quite possible she actually thought that but there was more than a flicker of doubt in my mind.

"Well, I'd rather that than neither of us really being in control of how we feel. I mean, I'm all over the fucking place, not sure what to think. And you…" I paused, expression softening. "I have no idea if you really want any of this, or if… if you're being pushed. Maybe you don't even know the difference."

"So what if I don't?" she asked, just a little pissed off now. "I know how I used to feel. Judging by that alone, I'd be more than happy by this outcome. Maybe things wouldn't be happening so quickly but… I think we've wasted enough fucking time up till this point, don't you?"

"That's not the point, Chloe…" I muttered, feeling guilt battle with the need to accept who I was now.

"Well, if it bothers you that much, tell me you want to stop," she snapped angrily. "Right to my face, no bullshit."

That suggestion actually panicked me a little, scared of the thought that Chloe might just up and leave any second… and angry. My fingers dug into the bench, wood warping and cracking under the ever tightening grip. What would I even do if one day she just… wasn't there, if she hated me or… something happened to her?

Gritting my teeth, I turned to face her, shaking just a little now. Words were almost lost to a deep growl I didn't even know I was capable of making. "No. That's not what I want. And you fucking well know that."

"Do I? All I keep hearing is regret and… the bad things. So, why don't you fucking grow a pair and-?" Before she could finish, I lunged at her cutting her off mid-sentence. I'd heard enough.

As our bodies collided, she let out a surprised 'oof' and we both fell off the bench onto the grass in an undignified heap. I recovered first, pinning her down so she didn't try to leave.

"Ouch, what the fuck, Max?!" my blue-haired punk friend exclaimed, trying to get me off her but failing miserably.

"Shut up!" I snarled, rapidly losing my cool. "I am trying soooo damn hard not to just give in and do what I want because I actually care about what happens to you. I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to feel like I'm taking advantage of you. But, if that's what YOU want…"

"All I want Max is…" Chloe began to shout, sighing deeply as her expression became more vulnerable, "...my best friend. No matter how much she changes."

Seeing her like this did make the rage fade just a little… not enough for it to disappear, though. As much as I hated getting mad at her, especially when she might actually have part of a point, my temper had been much quicker to flare up since changing. Logic and reason bypassed, actions and words led by raw emotion.

"You know, sometimes I can't tell if you love or hate each other," a voice flickering with amusement carried over, taking the edge off my frustration.

Relaxing on instinct, I lessened the pressure on Chloe so she could actually move, turning to face my blonde mentor. Her arms were crossed, leaning against one of Blackwell's walls. When she raised an eyebrow, hinting that she wanted me to move more, I got to my feet and helped Chloe up.

The bluenette rolled her shoulders, wincing a little when she tried to move. "Shit, guess I deserved that for all the times you got hurt when we play fought."

"Are you… okay?" I asked hesitantly, worried that I might have actually hurt her. Well done, Max...

"Just a little stiff," she reassured. "Nothing's broken or anything, I'd know. Done that enough times myself."

Rachel watched her test out the damage. "Still think you'll be okay showing me around?"

"Yeah, sure."

"I can carry you again," I suggested, feeling pretty responsible for her injuries, however temporary.

She shrugged, trying to brush it off. "Well, if you're offering."

Carefully, I shifted her onto my back and we headed out into the main part of campus. I couldn't help but feel like we were being watched. Then again, with two vampires and a piggy back that clearly defied logic, it was no wonder. I could feel Chloe nestle into me, making herself comfortable.

"Welcome to the Max express. Where would you like to go today, madam?" I added, trying to lighten the previously grim mood.

"Dork," Chloe mumbled into my back.

Managing a smile, the three of us walked around campus. With my arms preoccupied, Chloe pointed out important buildings and landmarks as we passed, offering her… interesting takes on each.

"To our right, we have Blackwell's pool, home of the Otters. Good to sneak into for a midnight swim," she added as an afterthought. "Also host for Vortex Club parties on occasion. While they might be a bunch of assholes, they know how to party."

Glancing at me, Rachel nodded. "Yes, I've already seen."

"Oh yeah… of course you have." Chloe tensed slightly, obviously recalling the night I was bitten.

"Do you hate me for that?" the blonde vampire asked, curious.

The bluenette was silent for some time, trying to find the right words. "Not hate… I guess it wasn't really your fault…"

"But you do blame me a little," Rachel pressed calmly. "It's only natural to resent those who make your... friend's life more difficult."

"Maybe…" she mumbled, uncertain how to reply.

"It was an accident. Besides, some good things did come from it." As I said this, I lifted her higher up my back, hinting that I was talking about her.

I didn't have to look at Chloe to know she was grinning from ear to ear. Like this, it was easy to forget the strange situation we'd all found ourselves in. To the outside world, we just looked like three girls, friends probably.

The truth… that was a lot more complicated.