"Oh shit Max your nose." Chloe.
"Here's some tissue." That girl in the driver's seat.
"Chloe I…" Max felt faint.
"Damn that was what? Only three times?" That girl in the driver's seat turned around to look at Max.
"Here, hold this." Chloe pushed the handful of tissues to Max's face. Max inadvertently clasped her hand over the soft clump under her nose, just now feeling the moisture flowing from her nostrils.
"Is she okay?"
"Hey Max, come on can you hear me?" Desperate and worried, Chloe hated herself that she could not help more.
Max could faintly open her eyes. The pain in her head returned just as she had entered the vehicle seconds ago, maybe it was the withdrawal from the overflow of adrenaline. Yet there was a peace in the soft humming of the SUV's engine, Chloe's breathing right in front of her, Max wanted to hear more of Chloe.
"How bad is it?"
What happened to the guys chasing us?
"Uh." Chloe carefully peeked through the ball of bloody tissue from Max's hand, the inside was almost soaked with red, but there seemed to be no more blood coming out, "I think it stopped."
"Oh okay, that's good." The blond woman turned back towards the steering wheel. Max felt the car move, the city backdrop out the windows rolled backwards.
Max gradually regained consciousness, but sometimes feeling too close to the edge of trance again. Seeing Max struggling to stay awake, Chloe held the brunette above her chest hoping she would fall asleep easier in her presence.
The curly haired driver noticed so, "Don't fall asleep yet, we're gonna be moving soon."
Chloe glared at the blond in sudden rage, "Look lady, she's tired, and we just barely escaped from some assholes trying to kill us, Max is going to sleep whether you want it or not."
Hazel eyes glanced the two from the rear-view mirror, "gee sorry Chloe, just saying, don't need to be so mad about it."
Chloe heard it in her voice and saw the subtle movement of her cheeks from the backseat, the girl driving was happy. Max moaned against her jacket, calling Chloe's attention back to her.
Max closed her eyelids and they stayed closed, the light even inside the car was too bright, but Chloe's heartbeat provided the perfect lullaby for Max to drift away from reality into another land. Muffled city sounds leaked in through the window and sitting in Chloe's embrace felt like a dream come true as a reward for outrunning the previous trial.
Chloe you're so soft.
"Okay I know you have a ton of questions…"
The blond girl, Constant? But I thought he was… a he.
Max felt vibration in Chloe's chest as she spoke.
"I thought you were…"
"I know, you can ask all the questions you want once we're on the road, just cool down for now."
Just cool down for now.
Cool down she did.
Between the minutes Max floated in and out of her dream, warm autumn sunlight bathed herself and her partner in the orange glow of Chloe's bedroom. The smell of chlorine might or might not have been present, Max was only dwelling on how far apart from Chloe she was. Max glanced to her left, Chloe stared into the ceiling with a glimmer in her eyes that Max never noticed before.
Maybe she's thinking the same.
In her world of imagination, Max could still only awkwardly push herself across the sheets and closer to Chloe. Chloe found her arm under Max's back and rolled the girl closer to her chest. Max liked this, how quiet, how serene this moment was that if she chose so she would never have to leave this place. Chloe's chest breathed slightly slower than the soft rhythm of her heartbeat, so simple yet fully Max adored her best friend and the love of her life.
Was there music?
Max thought there was, but the low rumbling of some SUV engine was fine too, although the cars outside could really turn it down a bit. Max kept her eyes half open, catching the different particles in the air as each took their turn to shine through the sun. Someone said something, it was outside so Max did not care. The previous night after breaking into Blackwell, Max thought she would have had some time to catch up to all the years missed between the two, hoping to redeem herself in a way even if only partly. It was so easy in the moonlight before she remembered a prolonged blink, then opening her eyes to see the sun.
I'm so sorry for not calling or texting, I don't know what happened to me.
The city streets outside the star-spangled banner became quieter, Max heard an echo of tires reverb through the space, but not noticeable enough past her focus on the only person who mattered to her.
Chloe squeezed Max's arm.
Yeah, Chloe can start, and then I'll somehow find room to apologize.
Max looked up, blue hair that used to be blond, blue eyes that matched her own.
This is my Chloe.
Chloe squeezed Max's arm again.
"Max?"
Hm?
"Max we can sleep later, but I think we have to move."
Five more minutes?
"Max come on."
Oh.
The car drove a little too fast over the speed bump to pull Max out of the bed, but she was still with Chloe.
"Woops, my bad."
White luminescence and concrete walls scrolled past the window, Max recollected her memories that led her to her current location.
Where am I?
"Heeyyy welcome back, sweet dreams?"
Who's that?
"It's Constant, glad you're up, we're about to move to another car." Even a slow turn in the parking garage sent a screech off the underground walls.
"Hey Max, how're you feeling?" Chloe pampered the brunette hair in her lap, hand softly petting the waking girl's arm.
"Chloe?" Max sat up, content in her newfound alertness, "what happened? Where are we?"
"Some underground parking lot, said she got another car here."
Like in the movies.
It made sense then how the outside changed, Max sat up and looked out the window to the numerous cars winding along both sides as they made another left turn.
"What happened?"
I thought we were…
Constant checked on Max through the rearview mirror, then to Chloe who sat on the passenger side of the backseat. Neither of them sat comfortably, but Max finally waking up seemed to have eased Chloe's nerves a bit as she stared at Max's curious gazes with relief. Constant grinned to herself, just pleased that she had made it just in time.
"A few guys were after you, I came and picked you guys up. Right now we're switching to another vehicle, well my actual one, and we're going to a safe house a few hours from here. You can ask any questions once we're out of the city and I'll try to answer them as best I can. Sound cool?"
Who are you?
Max was just about to ask before they stopped.
"Questions later, let's get out of here first."
The entire setting felt like a dream Max was observing from far away, her body carried her to follow Constant's toned figure, white crop top and blue jeans.
Basic. Max's inner hipster commented.
Past one, past two, past three parking spaces before Max almost lost her footing, Chloe walked close enough to hold Max's hand.
"Right here." Constant picked up the pace towards a red intermediate SUV with never too many pride stickers on its trunk door around the blue "Ford" plate.
Come out, come out, wherever you are.
Max looked up at Chloe helping her through the lot.
Already out, thank you.
Constant unlocked and opened the backseat door open for Max, seeing Max smiling was surely a good sign. Chloe carefully supported her limping friend as she entered, then Chloe entered herself snuggling Max under her arm who accepted her protection gladly.
"Alright, comfy? Don't forget seatbelts." Constant entered and slammed the driver door closed, poked at the ignition and keyed their new transportation to life. The neat and expensive leather interior paired with the progressive aura from their current tour guide.
Rich parents. Max's first conclusion to this mysterious woman, who could be leading them to their doom for all she knew.
"Yep, I'm pretty sure my parents are rich." The car reversed, Constant wasted no time making their way back to the surface.
Stop reading my mind. Max wanted to say, but to Constant she assumed she already had. The only act of discontent Max could manage was to glare at the rearview mirror in annoyance, Constant smiled back.
Chloe sat confused at the random comment but was too occupied in her worry for the Max leaning in her chest and their current situation. Seeing Max's changing expression, Chloe thought that maybe they were having a conversation without her. Even assuming so, Chloe's current trust in Max showed no falter as she just eyed back and forth between Max and Constant.
If this actually is a trap, then are we in too deep already? Max does not look like she can rewind for a while, if shit happens I have to grab her and bail. Psh, I can take her if she tries anything. But how the hell did she take down those three giant freaks from inside the car? Does she have allies and they sniped them? Is she actually like Professor X? What the fuck can I do?
Constant checked both sides before finally finding room to turn out of the garage, buildings panned into view as the sun was at large once more, sounds of the busy city cued in. Chloe caught a brief glance from Constant in the rearview mirror before they both quickly turned away.
Shit she can probably hear me.
No signs of confirmation was given, Chloe almost felt relieved until a stray thought leaked out of her subconscious.
She's hella hot though.
Constant held back a chuckle, but not enough for Chloe to ignore.
Fuck. One leak led to another and Chloe did not know what she could do to stop herself, earning a few bewildered looks from Max on her side. The window or the headrest before her, Chloe wanted to look at anywhere to distract herself. She could look at Max for assurance, but embarrassment held her back from the possibility of Max knowing her thoughts via Constant.
Holy shit, I can't even think. Chloe leaned on the door and pouted out towards the buildings of the suburban shopping sector that lined their path.
Max, Max, Max, Max, Max.
"Oh hey, I got some snacks and drinks here if you guys want some." Constant pulled a couple plastic bags from the passenger seat as the cars stopped at a red light. Max and Chloe could not help but be slightly interested, their waffles from the morning had far been expended after their escape.
"Let's see um, some Pocky sticks, some Pringles, and some Cheetos, can't go wrong with Cheetos." Constant sorted through their inventory, then to another bag, "for drinks I got some water and a couple cans of diet coke, we can get something else on the way."
She's too nice. Max frowned with suspicion. Chloe did not have nearly as much patience.
"Hey. What is this? What's wrong with you?" Chloe could not hold it in, "How do you know us? We don't even know you and you're being so fucking…"
Her stomach growled, all three heard it from Chloe, "…augh!"
Constant looked up from the contents and smiled at Chloe, a small bag of crunchy Cheetos in her hand for Chloe to take, "it might not be a good time to discuss that right now, but you two are very important to me."
Max looked at Chloe, Chloe looked desperately at Max then back into Constant's hazel eyes, surprised by the hint of tears gathering in the corners.
Constant slowed down for extra emphasis, "I said it before, and I know this is all just, too strange, but please for now at least, please trust me."
The two passengers in the backseat took a while, Constant smiled once more between the two, they simply could not reject the sincerity this mystery person was giving them.
Beep! Beep!
Constant's hair bounced with startle noticing their position on the road, Chloe snatched the orange bag out of Constant's hand and grudgingly sat back next to Max. Pleased at gaining Chloe's temporary acceptance, Constant turned around and accelerated the gap left from their delay.
"Okay, let's see, how about some music? Not sure what kind of stuff you guys like so…" Constant lifted her stickered up phone and scrolled through some options, "I just pulled some random stuff off Spotify."
First on the album, Umpqua Rushing by Blind Pilot. Constant let the auto play go.
A single male voice, "Panic in the first beat of the morning…"
No way. Max raised her head from next to Chloe.
"Even what I got isn't worth offering…"
Can she read my taste in music too? Max became annoyed again, but hearing Blind Pilot after so long she could not control the smile drawing upon her face. For a few weeks after their most recent release, Max played nothing but their songs, and now as it played through the stereo she could not believe she had almost forgotten about them.
"Even faces change…"
"My heart stays the same" Max sang along quietly, her voice instantly sending pleasant chills down Chloe's back.
The click and bass rhythm channeled the traffic out of Max's ears, Chloe took notice of Max's shivers that partially passed through her own body. It was not really any type of music Chloe would find herself listening to, but seeing Max smiling along with the words, the blunette decided she could make a change for this girl under her arm. Through the windshield, a familiar view of trees came into view, towering at the center between two sides of the city.
"…to know…"
Golden Gate Park.
"Oh you've been a forest…"
"burning no direction." Max mouthed the words, Chloe bobbed her head with introduction of the beat. Constant followed lightly.
A common misconception in nostalgia, that people felt positive sentiment for the past because of how much simpler they lived then, while simultaneously correcting the wrongs in their memories. Max remembered, how peaceful she always wanted to fall in Chloe's arms listening to their favorite songs, and so vivid that a corrected imagination could render such a moment to be nostalgic. Chloe watched the forest pass, the cars drive by, Max's slight head movements to the music. There was a similar time when Max sat with Chloe in the backseat of William's car, the silly games they played then, the cheesy jokes William told, the way Max fell asleep on her shoulder. Chloe glanced down and smiled, realizing a bit in the absurdity at the possibility of their current position, but would not dare wish for anything different.
"I tried to hold you I tried…"
"…everything but running."
Max knew how irrational it seemed, and how ironic that a song about the subtle hurt that nostalgia can bring had appeased her to trust this strange woman with sweeter memories. Not exactly painless as Max could not deny imagining the past she would have had with Chloe, but now resting against her breathing body, Max loved, and loved even more this girl that is her childhood best friend, much more than any best friends loved.
"I will not hold…"
"and I will hold you." Max corrected the lyrics for herself.
"I will not miss you…"
"and I will miss you…"
…think of you each day.
Constant checked the mirror frequently at the two, at Max mouthing the words quietly, at Chloe accompanying protectively. Constant did not have to read, and in the same way Max felt, how in mutual enjoyment of music the tension unwound between the pair and their new chauffeur.
"Umpqua Forest your…"
"…face just like in my dream."
Smooth sailing the little red SUV maneuvered through the San Francisco street, Lincoln bisecting between the green trees and gray suburbs. The outro was all that was left, Max imagined how the end of her story with Chloe would end with them living together until their outro faded away.
I love you Chloe.
Max sighed along Chloe's neck.
Constant heard it.
"Guessing you like Blind Pilot?"
Their eye contact through the mirror softened, her hostility dampened.
Yeah, but "We Are the Tide" is still the best album.
"Um let me look that one up." Constant looked down and scrolled through her phone, trying her best to thumb into the search bar with just her right hand, "yeah once we clear this street and get on the freeway we'll…"
"Watch out!" Chloe yelled at the immediate screech to a stop, all three lunged forward in their seatbelts.
"Holy shit, good call." Constant dropped the phone and placed both hands on the steering wheel, "what the…"
Traffic had always been busy in the bay city, but Constant did not expect such an abrupt stop. Seems that it was an uncommon occurrence after all with the drastic increase in honks and beeps around.
The peace Max had just settled in stirred into frenzy, Chloe held her tightly.
"Hold on." Constant looked out the window at several cars stopped on both sides and ahead, red and blue lights flashing even piercing through the overcast sun, "oh, shit it's a roadblock."
"A what?" Chloe tried to open the window but Constant immediately closed it from the front.
"They're looking for you two, get down."
"What? Where?" Chloe looked at the narrow backseat, even if she could manage to squeeze in between the leg space, either she or Max would be spotted. Max wondered if she should rewind or follow through and hope for the best.
"Try between the seats or something, just don't be seen." Constant stalled for a few seconds as the car in front just approached the check, a stern looking officer began whatever questioning they were instructed to do.
"Okay, um, Max." Chloe unbuckled her seatbelt and so did Max, "see if you can fit in here."
The brunette in purple got one knee to fit between the back and front seats and tried to lie down as best she could. As uncomfortable as she was, her height was barely enough to slide between the left and right doors, but certainly no space for one more.
"There's no fucking room." Chloe whispered out loud.
Constant looked back, Max was nowhere to be seen, but Chloe's bombshell blue immediately caught her notice like a fire in the dark.
"Wait no, Chloe you get down there so they don't see your hair."
Max groaned.
"Fucking hell." Chloe pulled Max out. The car in front shifted and drove forward, there was no more time.
"Seriously, get down, now." Constant tried to delay as long as two seconds could last before the police officer signaled their turn at the stop.
"I can't fucking fit." Chloe really tried.
The one day I don't wear my beanie, the one fucking…
"Now or never Chloe." She had to drive forward before raising suspicion, but Constant made sure the one car length lasted as much as three would, and three was all it took for Max to push Chloe.
"Hello officer! How is your day?" Constant's façade switched into gear, bright eyes matching the bright teeth of her grin.
With a closer read, the man was not as stern as Constant had thought, the black sunglasses was just for show. Maybe this would not be that difficult.
"Yeah, yeah, license and registration."
"Yes sir." Constant had it ready in the passenger seat, handed it through the window gracefully.
Max brushed her hair aside with one hand hoping to hide the blue opposing hair under her, to do so she had to lower her head even closer down.
The tired officer examined the contents, his eyes almost sliding a glance to the backseat before Constant flaunted her curly blond hair as if too naturally.
"Um sir?" Constant was not holding back on the SoCal vocal fry, "I just want to say, like, I sooo love the police and you're doing such good work for this city and this country, people don't appreciate you enough, like for reals."
It was already difficult enough for Max to hold her breath in such an awkward position, but it was just made more challenging with her face less than an inch to Chloe's. It felt wrong that she was not allowed to kiss her right then and there.
The officer budged little, looked up from the card and papers in his hands, "Ms. Julie Olivia Andrews?"
"Yes? Hehe," The blond chuckled with unusual higher pitch and bit her lower lip, exaggerating the half-opened eyes up towards this man standing between them and the freeway, "Julie Andrews, yep that is me, but my friends call me Liv."
Chloe's warm breaths so tenderly stroked the sides of Max's cheeks, around her lips. Brown hair encased the two in their private space, it was only getting hotter. Max caught a glimpse of a smirk in Chloe's eyes.
Chloe what are you…? Max's thought almost disrupted Constant's flawless smile.
"Looking for two Caucasian women and one Asian man in a black Cadillac SUV, don't suppose you've seen them? Think one of them has blue hair."
Max, I'm sorry. Chloe this time.
Chlo… Max was cut off by a rustle in the backseat.
Constant lost her response in hesitation as curiosity plagued her persona.
What the fuck are they doing?
"Um, what?" Constant blinked, her smile faltered, she could tell the weird look she was getting behind those sunglasses that now turned towards the backseat.
Wait no. Constant could not distract what had already been seen, the police officer leaned sideways for a closer look.
Certainly it was a spectacle neither expected to see.
Passion, seven to three in ratio bordering six to four. Max's attempt to give an extra push to hide Chloe only met half way, not even. Unsure of what came over, face to face with Max, Chloe saw a chance and took it. Max spread on top of Chloe, Chloe pulled the nervous dry lips down to her own and moisturized them fully. She thought she had held back at the park, but if anything happened Chloe certainly did not hold back now with both her hands clamped through Max's caramel hair as she assaulted the gates of Max's shut lips. Confusion obscured any decision-making options within Max, she could not resist either because she knew she needed to be quiet but Chloe was practically eating her face. Max opened up for Chloe and received her gift reluctantly but surely. Took a few seconds for Max to return the favor but Chloe teased enough for Max to give in, and once they came in contact Max had lost her control.
Constant's curiosity was sated, looking back towards the backseat she was just as stunned as the officer standing outside the window right now. If there was any less noise in the city, the pounding of the two lovemaking girls' hearts would be clearly audible.
It seemed like a good strategy at the time, but Chloe's body disobeyed. The taller girl pushed her hips upward with her right leg on the floor between Max's who supported herself with her left. It just so happened that Max's long brunette hair was the perfect length to cover any of Chloe's in the backseat make out scenario. Without thinking, instinct pulled half of Max's support out of her left elbow as she dropped her body down so she could get a hold on Chloe's waist, then slide a bit lower. The mental heat and physical rise in temperature gave both Constant and the officer a blow back, and to add to the effect it seemed Chloe had far forgotten any sense of subtlety with her louder breathing, increased shifting between their bodies. Max was not far behind when her hand found its place under Chloe's lower curve, while wrestling for dominance at Chloe's tongue.
Wait. Constant snapped out of it first, the police officer was between stunned and amused, not that wide of a spectrum. Constant decided to snatch the opportunity and switch to her cheeky grin back out the window, a grin she did not need to act for this time.
"Just lesbians sir." Constant admitted she was just as interested as the sunglasses now realizing what day it was, "nothing to see here."
"Uh, yeah." The man readjusted his posture and shakily handed the documents back to Constant, "drive safe, tell them to wear their seatbelts."
"Will do officer. Good luck on your search or whatever!"
With that, Constant stomped on the gas and aimed for the ramp to merge onto the freeway. Her chest was still tight, and the backseat was only getting louder. A short wait, but the red SUV quickly found space to fit into the faster moving traffic. The turn signal ticked, Constant used the excuse of checking their blind spot to see how Max and Chloe had progressed. The acceleration pushed the two girls more into the seat, but Max was already becoming tired.
"Hey, we're on the highway now put your seatbelt on."
Max heard it, but Chloe did not and only pulled Max closer when she attempted to detach. It was going to be short ride had Max not felt her companion's fingers intrude the waistband of her jeans.
Her eyes opened.
"Chloe!" Max bolted up with a small gasp, almost hitting the ceiling with her fully reddened face.
"Huh?" Chloe's hand drew back.
"Huh is right." Constant laughed sarcastically, "don't get too worked up in the backseat, this isn't even my car."
Chloe sat up, licking the taste of Max from her own lips, curled in lustful smirk. Max sat tight in herself, looking nowhere else but her hands squeezing in her lap, Chloe looked at Max, both girls taking some time to catch some air from their heavy breathing. Constant shook her head.
"Not going to comment on what you two were doing, but good job I guess, it worked, somehow. I mean what the fuck I said hide, not make out."
Max shuffled in her seat, at some point she had switched positions with Chloe. Now sitting directly behind Constant, Max looked away easier to hide from the rearview mirror.
"It…it was…" Her hands folded, feet on top of each other, Max tried her best to produce speech, "It was C-Chloe."
"It was me." Chloe admitted it with every bit of pride in her initiation, and she enjoyed it as she leaned back on the passenger door with her left leg perched onto the seat.
"Please put your seatbelts on."
Max obeyed, but Chloe needed to assert some dominance now that she had successfully gotten Max to as close to second base the girl had ever been.
"Why? We can't trust you not to kill us?" Chloe puffed and sat even more laxed into the leather backseat, the rush of dopamine still swirled within the two girl's bodies. Chloe wanted more, and she knew Max did too.
"No, but you can't trust other drivers," Constant retorted, "besides, what makes you think you can trust me not to kill you?"
Max looked up from her embarrassment, Chloe glared at Constant through the mirror with newfound hatred. It was true, there were too many mysteries left unsolved and right now both Chloe and Max were practically stuck with someone who had the power to instantly knock down three grown men from a distance. As strong as the electricity was in the air, Chloe knew that it was a battle she could not win. They had no options, and right now could only hope that their current predicament was not just some prolonged death sentence. Max built up courage to make eye contact with Constant who already knew what she was going to say before she said it.
"You saved us from those men chasing us, and you asked us to trust you." Quiet, but firm.
"Yes I did, glad you remembered." Constant smiled, her playful tone was back, "but if it was that easy you're gonna get taken advantage of real fast with or without rewind powers, but thanks."
"We don't exactly have a choice, do we? If you wanted to kill us you would have done it already." Chloe slammed her foot down, "but if you try anything, I will make sure you fucking die first."
Constant checked back at Chloe's fiery eyes from the mirror, knowing every thought going through the fierce punk's mind she really did want to point out every single detail in Chloe's nonexistent plan. Instead Constant just sighed and smiled.
"Love you too Chloe."
Several details pieced themselves through Max's mind, but she did not know which she should bring up first. While Chloe decided to fall back for moment of quiet, Max sorted out the question that most disturbed her.
"You know about my rewind?"
The turn signal ticked, Constant checked their right side with a quick glance to Max.
"Yeah."
"How?"
"You don't think I could have just read your…"
"Three times." Max predicted that answer, Chloe was utterly perplexed, "you knew."
"Wow, didn't expect you to catch that." Constant raised her eyebrows as if impressed.
"How did you know?"
"Wait first before you ask any questions, let me ask one."
Chloe turned her head, but Constant took the words right out of her mouth.
"You can ask all the questions you want, yeah I said that, just answer me real quick." Constant took a breath, "why didn't you guys meet me at the restaurant? Could have gone anywhere else but I specifically said do not go home and that's exactly where you went."
"What you can't just read our minds?" Chloe was unamused.
"I can read your thoughts, not your memories, unless I'm touching you."
Chloe looked at Max who looked back with the same light surprise at how easily Constant just told them what sounded like a crucial detail to her powers. Unanimously the two agreed slightly more that perhaps a trust might be in progress.
Max was more understanding than Chloe though.
"We didn't know if you were good or bad, and…" A face flashed past Max's thoughts and she suddenly hated herself, "Oh fuck! Kate! Is Kate okay? Please tell me Kate is okay."
The outburst swayed the car a bit even though Constant saw it coming. Max tossed herself upright then back down with her hands to her face, frantic frustration gnawed into her face. Chloe remembered just then and immediately went to Max to comfort.
"Kate? Your roommate?" Constant thought, "I mean they were after you two, so I think she's fine, if she was home the worst that could happen she probably just got knocked out."
Max sighed loudly, wetness in her voice.
"Oh god, I'm the worst friend."
Chloe decided it was her turn.
"Who the fuck are they?"
Max inhaled, an actual question that she thought she should have asked, but by the eerie silence between ask and answer Max was uncertain if she even wanted to know the answer just yet. Constant cleared her throat, took a water bottle from the passenger seat, opened it, drank from it, closed it, then put it back in the seat.
"You guys want some water?"
Neither responded, Constant expected so.
"They're a company, an underground organization that studies people like me, and Max. Yes there are more of us, I guess think of something like that school from X-men, but bad. On top of having shares in pretty much anything money touches, they got a hand in the government too. Pretty insane for a small number of people, but when you have actual supernatural powers and shit I guess you can do anything if you know how to play your cards."
Chloe found it ridiculous. Max was not sure if she should be scared or entertained at the crazy conspiracy talk, and Constant's tone just did not feel persuasive.
"Yeah sounds like flat earth and lizard people, but it is what it is. Their end goal is something pretty close to genocide of a couple billion people in order to achieve some bullshit peace, and then control the rest. It's not pointless either, they follow the visions of someone named Oracle, you guessed it, she can tell the future. About a year ago she finally got the vision of how it will end, and supposedly at the center was none other than Max Caulfield."
"What?" Two simultaneous voices from the backseat.
"Yeah, you heard it right, Max Caulfield is the key to disaster, I think, the visions are weird." Constant shrugged it off, "anyways Max, wanna take one for the team?"
Chloe clutched Max's shoulder with a shiver.
"Just kidding. Don't worry, I won't let that happen." Constant chuckled, but short lived, "I hope at least, but the Oracle's vision's never been wrong, except once like five years ago. Supposedly Max was supposed to have her powers back then and trigger a storm, and that's when we were supposed to capture you, but it didn't happen. Sure as hell stirred up a storm with the boss though. Bet you two know all about it."
Chloe quickly recounted the events of that week, although she could only remember it being just days ago, but somehow still felt the years of absence seeing Max's more mature stature. Chloe thought she could share a moment with Max but her mind was caught on something else.
Wait. Max closed her eyes.
The blond talked so nonchalantly that Max almost missed it. This person had so much depth on the inside of said organization, Max was suspicious but did not build up any ground for herself to ask, instead Constant confirmed instead.
She just said…
"We, yeah." Constant sighed, "I used to work for them."
Chloe's eyes lit up, "What the fuck did you just say?"
"Used to, but not anymore. Been planning for a while, was just waiting for the right time, which was about three days ago when you appeared."
Constant knew what Chloe was going to ask next, seeing the hesitation on her expression from anger to concern. The blue-haired girl looked at Max who looked back with the same unnerving eyes.
"You can take some time to take it in, I understand this is a lot." The blond went to her phone, "meanwhile let's get some music back on."
"Wait." Chloe took a deep breath. Constant waited.
Chloe took a few more seconds.
"How… am I alive?"
Max placed her right hand on Chloe's left, wove their fingers together tightly. Constant checked the mirror to see how Chloe was handling, then smiled.
"Good question. I have no idea."
"Huh?"
"Well I know who, I just don't know why or how."
"What?"
"There's this guy, Dante, we call him Rift. After every couple years he has a seizure and something weird happens, I'm not sure how his power works but he's the one who brought you back." Constant frowned to make sure her words were correct, "I think. Think he was also supposed to bring the storm too, maybe not."
Uncertainty was inside all three of their minds, Max focused on every word trying to decipher any details that might validate Chloe's existence.
"But you definitely have something to do with Max having powers," Constant pointed to Chloe, "maybe it's the power of love and friendship, who knows? The Oracle saw you first when you were supposed to activate Max's powers somehow five years ago, but that didn't happen. Then after a few years after you died, the Oracle saw you again even though you were dead, and that would activate Max's powers. Rift had an episode, and you really did come back from the dead, and Max can actually rewind, it all made sense, except it doesn't, but it does. Following?"
No not really. Max nodded unconvincingly.
"Yeah I know, to be honest I don't really get it either." Constant sighed, "point is, if they get their hands on you we're all probably going to die."
Big company, bad guys. Chloe summarized the entire plot of Constant's explanation in four words. Constant chuckled.
"Yep, big company, bad guys. You got it."
Max's head spun under her caramel hair, there seemed to be so many questions that needed answers and holes that needed filling, but right now Max could not stop thinking about the crushing scale of the foe they faced. She dared not think it, but even with Chloe next to her she was scared, terrified at how powerless she was. An adventure had just transformed into a world threatening battle, and they were far outnumbered.
Then again, how much of the words Constant said were really trustworthy. Max always ignored the possibility that her powers may be connected to a bigger picture, and having lived without it for four and a half years she had almost forgotten the sorrow and horror it brought into her life. There was Chloe, Chloe was next to her holding her hand. Max just wished the world was all that this was, just Max holding Chloe's hand, and nothing else existed, but she could not.
We are sitting in a car with someone who also has supernatural powers like yours. This is real, you can't run from it. Max squeezed her eyes close in attempt to shut it out, but reality had already set in, and Max could not undo herself.
A familiar male voice came in with percussion, "That morning sky gave me a look."
Max looked up, drums and low strings.
"So I left while you were sleeping…that's all it took."
Half Moon.
"Uh yeah, it was getting kinda quiet." Constant put her phone down, "said this is your favorite album yeah?"
Max needed it, Chloe felt it and Constant knew it, a break from thinking. One of Blind Pilot's more upbeat songs highlighted the opening landscape on both sides away from the big city, the density in traffic decreased. On the left were grass plains and hills, on the right was the sun shining bright and high.
Seeing the fields seemingly stretch into infinite, a person missing from her mind decided to pop into her thoughts once more.
Rachel. Chloe looked out the right window as the name drifted past. This was the view she had imagined they should have seen long ago had they escaped earlier, but something held them back, even to this day Chloe could not pinpoint the exact reason. The sunlight glazing through the green and yellow field, it was comforting, soothing, having Max on her side it was not so bad at all. Although it was difficult to relax after being told such a bizarre tale. Chloe had faith, that as long as she was together with Max they could continue to sail down the endless American road. As naïve as it was.
Max looked out the opposite window, her right hand still in Chloe's hold. The unease that had boiled so long steamed through Max's vision, she understood what it was now. The brunette smiled sarcastically at the irony of realization. How she should be feeling way more scared upon understanding her current stance, but the uplifting drum rhythm and the hope in the man's voice through the speakers held Max's heart from dropping, while Chloe's presence supported the rest. It was a nice thought, if Max could just stay on the road forever with Chloe, even with a stranger driving it might not be so bad, never a destination in mind. Yet it settled, the unease that Max had to recognize, it erased the smile from her lips.
The reality that her life will never be the same again, there was no safety, and there was a greater threat. All Max had was Chloe, and that she now had to abandon Kate to protect her hoping she could understand her friend's disappearance. Now they are with Constant who she could only pray she could trust, and she was glad so far the trust was building up.
Kate. Max hid her eyes from her reflection and looked forward.
"Why are you helping us?"
"Hm?" Constant turned down the music.
"Why are you helping us?" Max repeated, then thought about the unnecessity of it.
"Ah, um." Constant grumbled as the song ended, "long story short, I don't want you to die."
"We got time." Chloe chimed in, "what, you suddenly just found a light and decided that your company was a piece of shit?"
Max raised an eyebrow at her friend, interesting approach but Max agreed, Constant's intentions were key to their trust.
"Yeah I guess you can say that. It was always study, as shitty as it sounded they never intentionally tried to kill anyone they capture. But when I got out they were designing something to harvest your powers, because they were certain you were the key to their success, and the only way it would work was," Constant paused, "to kill you basically. I wasn't going to have that."
Simple yet direct, Max thought there should have been a longer explanation, but with her life on the line she was already taking a step back by holding the appreciation to herself. Chloe simply did not know how to respond, she could not just call out a lie of protecting her girlfriend, if it was good for Max it was good for her.
"Oh crap, Max." Constant looked through the rearview mirror to make sure of Max's attention, "forgot to say, but don't rewind no matter what, that's how the Oracle detects you, and all of us."
"Oh," An extended acknowledgement, "oh, okay?"
That reminds me. Max looked at her right hand in Chloe's.
"How did you know how many times I rewound?"
"Hm? Oh yeah, your first question, sorry." Constant scratched her puffy curls, "Yeah I don't know how, it was pretty weird for me too, but when you froze time a couple days ago my body stopped moving and I saw that everything around me also stopped moving but my mind didn't. When I was on my way to pick you guys up when someone decided to leave me hanging, yo it was actually so trippy."
Constant adjusted her position to a straighter posture.
Wait when did I freeze…
"So I was driving and all of a sudden I'm just moving backwards, I couldn't even move my body, it just moved by itself undoing every move I just made. The thing is, I was aware the whole time and, yeah it was weird, you almost made me crash Max."
Max heard Chloe release a brief scoff, so she allowed herself to smile a smidge.
Constant concluded, "so the theory is that every time you rewind, my body rewinds but my mind doesn't, makes sense that my power revolves around the mind. Does that answer your question?"
The thought of someone else sharing her rewind felt like an invasion of privacy of the first degree, even though it was irrational, Max felt as though a part of her secret world was taken away. There was a restriction on her rewind now, but nearly five years without it Max was certain she would cope just fine.
But still. Max shivered, then nodded.
"Hold on, the cop said you name was Julie, is that you real name? What the hell kind of a name is Constant anyways?" Chloe was woke up from listening, decided to insert herself back in from her stare down with the window, "And wait why is your voice a dude when you mind talked with us and that other time in the alley? I thought you were…"
"Whoa Chloe, didn't know you were even listening when you were legit devouring Max's face." Constant laughed.
"What? I…" Chloe's face blushed on the edges, "I can still…"
Max laughed too even though she was just as guilty, but using Chloe's initiation as excuse she gave herself the right to laugh as a victim and innocent bystander.
"Max!" Chloe frowned at her friend's betrayal, although seeing Max in a moment of happiness felt to her like finding sun in a storm, "you were totally groping my ass don't even try to deny."
"What?" Max gasped and turned away, a little quieter but still laughing, surely the sensation she felt in her left hand still lingered.
Tight and firm.
"You!" Chloe turned forward, "You didn't even answer my question."
Constant laughed, Max giggled, the contagious sound pulled Chloe in with a chuckled, then continuous chuckling. Along with the music, a new joyous ambience filled the car space. Certainly, it felt unfitting, to be laughing when just earlier two of them had to make a break for their lives. Now there were three, and they were enjoying the sound of each other's laughter while on the run from some obscure underground overlord. Max and Chloe were dubious again about the trust they were placing into this woman they had just met an hour ago, but left without any choice and everything they had been told, the two girls hoped they did not have any reason not to. As of the moment at least.
"It's a secret, I'll tell you when we get to the safe house." Constant resumed conversation with no answer, "it's something I want to show you than talk about, I'll also tell you about the plan."
"What?" Chloe asked.
"Why?" Max followed.
The next hour Constant turned up the music and sang her heart out, ignoring every other question that came from Max and Chloe until they gave up. Max was not surprised when this girl turned out to be such a big Ed Sheeran fan, but had to admit her voice was something to be credited for. Chloe pouted out the window, Max tried to get some shut eye, but then the next song would play and it was no sleep 'til safe house again.
Max missed her phone, Chloe missed Rachel.
Max missed Kate, Chloe missed a cigarette.
Max missed Chloe, Chloe missed Max.
After six or so songs, Max was impressed by how Constant could recite every word of the songs' lyrics so perfectly, being someone who had just escaped from some underground inhumane testing facility it sure was a skill that Max did not expect someone like Constant to acquire. It also just occurred to Max that the appearance of Constant was too clean, her hair could not have been natural.
She's pretty sure her parents are rich? She doesn't know her parents?
Did she say this isn't her car?
She did imply that her name isn't who she actually is? Gah this is confusing.
Why would she lie about that and then try so hard to earn our trust?
If she wanted to hurt us she would have done it by now right?
The entire basis of Max reasoning that kept her sane from a complete freak out, that this woman had every chance to do anything she wanted to to them, but spent every minute only trying to make a point that she really was a friend.
Oh and she's probably reading every single one of these questions, but she's not answering. Is this all part of this secret?
Max tried to find something in Constant's hazel eyes on the road through the rearview mirror but found no clue. Chloe fell asleep to the warmth of the sun on the window, but her hand held onto Max's as if she was still conscious. Max smiled, despite in such a situation, the rollercoaster of emotions within the last few hours, her love for Chloe was still the one that prevailed on top.
"We should be here." Constant turned down the music and checked their surroundings for landmarks. Max noticed the decrease in faster traffic as they exited the freeway, Chloe opened her drowsy eyes.
"Where are we?"
"In the middle of nowhere really, ah there it is." Constant spotted their destination and drove towards it, satisfied with her observation.
The nearest town looked to be another mile down, and the only plausible building was a deserted looking trailer sitting alone off the exit. The environment around was as bare as Max could not ask for, and in the middle of nowhere sounded pretty accurate.
"Yeah I know it looks like shit, we'll only be staying here for a night anyways so it's okay not to get too comfortable." Constant turned again, Max was sure now they were heading for that abandoned lone trailer house, Chloe was still trying to wake up from her blurry eyes.
"That…" Max could not even find the words to describe how much she did not want to stay in that haunted looked building. The windows were mostly boarded, the walls peeled and at least one side was completely graffitied.
"It just looks bad on the outside, trust me it's pretty cozy on the inside." Constant did not even sound like she convinced herself.
With one more turn they were now driving straight towards the disheveled structure, Chloe pieced it together.
"Are you fucking kidding me, that's the..."
"Safe house, yep, just one night guys. I swear we'll go somewhere better the next day." Constant slowed down, then finally a complete stop.
"Here we are."
Chloe looked, Max looked. In either of their lives they never imagined they would have to enter such a place, although upon closer observation it was not quite as ruined as it was faraway, perhaps the location just gave them the creeps.
"Yep." Constant looked with Max and Chloe, unamused just the same, "anyways, my time is running out so uhm…"
"Your time?" Max looked away from the window at Constant rummaging through the front seat until she heard a metallic clink. Out came a silver key.
"Here's the key, I know right? This place has a key." Constant spoke faster and faster as she practically tossed the key into Max's hand, "go in there, there should be some snacks and drinks, and a man sleeping on the bed, don't bother with him, he should be waking up in the next like twenty minutes or so."
Max was caught in the speed, Chloe was caught with Max.
"Now go, we have plenty of shit to talk about." Constant unlocked all the doors with a button in the front.
"The fuck? You're not coming with us? What kind of shit is this?" Chloe sat tensely as if preparing for an attack.
Constant rolled her eyes in the biggest motion possible, then sighed.
"Chloe, I'm not Constant, well I am, but not me, not Julie, I've been controlling this body this whole time and I'm reaching my limit, get it?" Constant calmly looked into Chloe's eyes, a battle between blue and hazel.
Max had doubted something like this already, and hearing Constant say it she just about figured it out.
"Chloe." Max looked at Constant's unchanging expression. It took a few second before Chloe let her attention back on Max, forfeiting against Constant who now turned back towards the steering wheel.
"Let's go." Max opened the door.
"Max? You sure?" The blunette's intensity softened upon Max's touch on her hand.
"Yeah." An added smile to ease Chloe's nerves, "I'm sure."
The blond in front let Max handle the rest as Chloe hesitated, but against Max, Chloe could not resist.
"Fuck it."
The taller girl in black followed the shorter girl in purple out of the vehicle, Constant smiled at them through the window with one last farewell.
"Well you won't see me again, but I'll see you two real soon, and Chloe." Constant smiled.
The hell does she want now?
"Don't take it too hard, I'm not actually this hella hot." Punchline, Constant winked and drove off immediately leaving Max and Chloe in the dust. Within seconds the red SUV they had occupied for a whole two hours was but a dot in the distance, and just now Chloe realized she might have liked how annoying the blond curly hair was.
Max pulled Chloe's hand as the two looked at the trailer again with disgusted eyes, felt unsure, felt unease, felt unnerve. Whether they liked it or not, this was a step they had to take, and the sun was still setting.
Max sighed.
The two walked towards the front door.