Chapter 14: Milestones

Agh, what the fuck?

The peculiar touch of lips and a tongue was what awoke Max from her slumber, and when her eyes fluttered open, she was greeted with the sight of Chloe over her with her head buried in her neck.

"Chloe?! Wha-what are you doing?!" Max exclaimed, her grogginess being erased entirely due to Chloe's antics.

"Nooothiiiing." Chloe teased, momentarily lifting her head off to speak before diving back in.

Max groaned loudly then giggled, giving up due to her lack of strength.

"Do you mind explaining why you're sucking on my neck?" Max asked.

"Don't you know what today is?" Chloe asked, prompting a second of thought from Max as she racked her memory to try and figure out what the occasion was.

"Thursday?" Chloe was taken aback and she gasped at Max's answer in insult.

"How could you forget?!" There was evident sarcasm in Chloe's voice, but Max still felt a slight pang of guilt for her ignorance.

"Sorry! Can you tell me?" Max's tone was apologetic, and that seemed to amuse Chloe. The blue haired punk leaned into Max's ear and whispered.

"Happy one month anniversary." She gave a light peck on Max's ear and drew back with a wide grin, and the brunette now felt even guiltier for forgetting such a milestone.

"Oh shit! I can't believe I forgot, babe, I'm so sorry!" It was baffling to realize that a month had already passed so quickly, it felt like just yesterday that the two were standing atop the cliff side by the lighthouse watching the sunset.

"You're so cute. It's totally fine, I almost forgot too." Chloe laughed. "In fact I woke up at five in the morning and realized that it was our anniversary." She admitted with a nervous chuckle.

"So looks like we both don't have any gifts for each other." Max noticed, prompting a nod from Chloe.

"Hey, why don't we both go out shopping later after school together?" Chloe suggested, causing Max's eyes to light up with anticipation.

"That sounds awesome." They both kissed with wide smiles on their faces, proud and excited for their plans for the day.

"Ugh, we should probably get ready for class." Chloe looked back at the clock on Max's desk and frowned.

"I can't." Max remarked.

"Why not?"

"'Cause I have a big Chloe on top of me." Chloe laughed after she had realized that she had been on top of Max the whole time.

"I'm like a blanket. The cuddliest blanket of all." Chloe boasted jokingly, before letting go of the weight in her arms and legs and toppling her entire body onto Max, prompting a grunt from the poor victim.

"Chloeeee!" Max pleaded through pressured lungs, wheezing out the word.

"Cuddle your blanket!"

"What?!"

"Cuddle meeee!" Chloe demanded, shaking her body left and right and causing Max even more distress.

With another loud groan, Max wrapped her arms around Chloe's waist and snuggled her head into her neck, sparking a maniacal laugh from Chloe.

"Thank you." With that, she rolled off of Max and onto the floor, spreading her arms and legs out across the carpet as if she was making a snow angel. Max giggled at the sight of her newly installed rug.

"Chloe, you can't just lay there and sleep forever." Chloe frowned at Max's words.

"But mooooom, school is booooriiiiing." Chloe feigned a childish whine.

"Alright, you can stay there. I guess I'll have to take a shower on my own then…" Max's impish remark caused Chloe's body to shoot upwards like a cat. She threw her body onto Max's and wrapped her arms around her, clinging on like a sad puppy. Max laughed at Chloe's childish, yet adorable antics. "Are you gonna behave?" Chloe gave Max a pair of glistening puppy eyes and nodded. "Good."

Chloe let go and Max stood up from her bed before grabbing her shower supplies along with a fresh set of clothes to wear.

She sent one final mischievous glance to Chloe and winked before heading out the door with the punk following close behind eagerly.

A month of being involved in an intimate same-sex relationship had taught Max many things, and with Chloe being her significant other of all people, most of the things she learned involved plenty of mischief. At this point, she had grown accustomed to making her own sexual jokes and teases like Chloe frequently did. If only her parents saw her now.

With her girlfriend right on her tail, Max skipped down the hallway and into the showers, hopping into one of the empty stalls and not hesitating before throwing off her clothes. Chloe did just the same and the two stared at each other naked before plunging into each other's lips viciously.

"You know, I'm getting really used to this morning routine." Max joked with a hint of seriousness.

"Oh shut up with your smartass mouth." Chloe quipped as a return before diving back in.

After a very intimate shower that involved no shortage of body contact, Max and Chloe stepped out of the shower feeling refreshed and significantly aroused.

"You think we have time for breakfast?" Chloe asked as she finished throwing on her tank top.

"Baby, we just spent more than half an hour touching each other in the shower, I doubt we have time." Max was far from complaining, in fact, she somewhat wished that they had spent more time in the stall.

"You never know." Chloe grinned.

"So what are you gonna buy me?" Chloe asked with her arm slung around Max's shoulder as they strolled down the sidewalk by a row of shops in central Arcadia Bay. The streets were bustling with residents doing their afternoon shops as cars rolled down the neighbourhood.

"I can't spoil the surprise, dummy." Max joked. "I just know it's probably gonna be a bit tricky to find somewhere that sells pot around this part of town." Chloe let out a hearty laugh.

"Alright, this is where we part ways I'm afraid." Chloe stopped next to music shop and looked down at Max.

"Can we stay together just a little more?" Max pouted, jokingly, yet seriously longing for a little more time just walking with Chloe.

"It's fine, Maxaroni. We can meet right back here at six, that should give you more than enough time to get me something amazeballs."

"Fine." Max groaned. "But before I go…" In a single, fluid motion, Max grasped Chloe's face by her cheeks and pulled her in for one final kiss. Many of the passing pedestrians clearly noticed their little scene but obviously, that didn't matter at all.

They both drew back with wide smiles on their lips, and synchronised giggles left their mouths as they both stood intimately close.

"Does that satisfy your needs?" Chloe joked, prompting a smile and a nod from Max. The punk laughed and ruffled the brunette's hair. "You're just the cutest thing ever sometimes. I'll see you back here soon, okay?"

"Got it." The two exchanged one last hug before separating in opposite directions, and once she was out of Chloe's sight, a mild sense of panic began rushing into her head.

Okay, Max, just calm down. I'm sure you'll be able to get something great for Chlo, just think.

Max shut her eyes and drowned out the world to concentrate on her thoughts.

Do I go for something funny? No, but it's an anniversary gift, it should be romantic or something. Or is that just in movies? Ugh.

Max paced in circles struggling to find the perfect gift idea for her partner, and it made her realize just how difficult it was to think of something.

Is this how Chloe felt for my birthday? Wowser.

Max smacked her temple with her palm repeatedly in frustration, examining the various shops that lined the street.

Wait a minute…

An idea had popped into Max's head, one that was rather risky given the circumstances. However, with desperation crawling its way into domination, Max had no other choice.

She retrieved her phone and ran her finger down the screen and scrolled down the long list of contacts archived on her device, mentally reading the names until finally finding the one she had been looking for: 'Mom'.

A final wave of uncertainty made Max hesitate; her mom was still oblivious to Max's relationship with Chloe, which meant the sudden, out-of-the-blue question of anniversary gift ideas to her mother whom she hadn't contacted in nearly a month felt like it would raise automatic suspicion.

This was a gamble indeed, but it eventually became a gamble Max was willing to take, and with gasp of air, she dialed the number and just hoped for the best.

"Max? Sweetie, is that you?" The familiar voice of her mother brought a sense of comfort and homesickness to Max, almost causing her to forget the task at hand.

"Hey mom, it's me."

"Oh my word, Maxine, we haven't spoken in ages! How are you?" It was a typical flood of worries and concerns from her mother, and Max was far from surprised.

"I've been doing well. Sorry I haven't been able to call, school work has been rough." That was a slight lie, most of Max's time had been occupied by Chloe and most of her schoolwork was left untouched or lazily finished. Somehow, she was still passing her classes with moderate success.

"I feel you. I'm just glad you were able to take some time out of your busy schedule to call me. Oh, speaking of which, hang on."

"Wait!" Max called out over the phone to halt her mother but it was unfortunately too late; it seemed she had already gone to do something else, further delaying Max's intentions.

She went to get dad, didn't she?

"Honey? How are you?" Max's father's rough voice came over the phone.

Knew it.

"Hey daddy. I'm good." Max replied politely, using her last ounces of remaining patience.

"That's great to hear. School's been throwing punches at you?" Max's father was a burly man, but when it came to his only daughter, he was able to turn himself into a complete softy.

"Yep. Loads of homework and assignments. Totally blows."

"I understand. Lemme tell you, back when I was your age, I'd get a ton…"

Are you cereal right now? Dad, I love you to bits but I'm in a bit of a romantic crisis.

Max clasped her face as her father continued to drone on about his high school life, and she didn't bother to pay attention, partially because she had heard this story countless times before.

"…so I totally understand how it feels to be put in that situation." Her father finally finished, giving Max another chance to push forward.

"Yeah, really sucks. Dad, can you put mom back on the phone, I gotta ask her a question." She felt rather guilty shutting her father down like that, but she would make it up to him eventually, and with time ticking by and Max intending on making every second until 6:00PM count, she let patience fly out the window.

"Oh uhh, sure, sweetie."

"Thanks dad." A few moments passed before her mother returned to the line.

"What is it, Maxine?" Max slightly grimaced at the second time her mother had used her full name, the one that she had a rather strong distaste for.

"I know this may seem a bit random, but…" She took a deep breath as she prepared herself for the upcoming risk she was taking. "What did dad get you for your one month anniversary?" There was a momentary pause, likely her mother taking a second to assess the sudden question.

"You're right, that was random. But uhm…I believe he got me some very beautiful gold earrings. Why do you ask?" The last question was probably expected, but it still sent a shock through Max.

"Oh uhh, just…asking…for a friend…" Max scolded herself for her terrible attempt at a lie.

Could that have sounded any less like a total complete lie?

"Oh, I see. Max, are you going to be busy later today?" Max breathed out a mental sigh of relief once her mother swiftly changed the topic.

"Not today, but definitely tomorrow."

"I would love to see your face again, and so would your father. We could try that thing you use on the computer, the one with the 'S' logo." Max was beyond confused at her mother's ineffective descriptions, raising her eyebrow in bewilderment.

"What?" Max giggled.

"That thing on the computer where you can call other people? With the face camera?" Max burst into laughter once she realized that her mother had been describing Skype the entire time. Her lack of knowledge on computers made Max remember just how different her parents were from each other in certain aspects.

"Yeah, that'd be great. I gotta go now, but I'll text you later, okay?" Max excused, ending the conversation.

"Sure, sweetie. Stay safe, okay?"

"I will. Love you, mom. Tell dad I love him too." She finally hung up and released a heavy breath that she had been storing in her chest for the entire call.

Earrings, huh? Is Chloe even an earring type of girl?

Max let out a frustrated groan. She had taken quite the risk talking to her mother about something as suspicious as anniversary gifts out of nowhere and it hadn't even lead to anything she could use.

Chloe wearing earrings? She'd probably just get her ears pierced instead.

Max smacked her temple repeatedly with her palm.

Doofus! Waste of time!

Max explored her surroundings. There were dozens of options for her to choose from, but nothing of her selection screamed 'Chloe' to her. In other words, nothing seemed perfect.

With her hope dwindling but determination still pushing her forward, Max analyzed her options.

Clothes? No.

Jewelry? No.

Books? Hell no.

Max's head fell down toward the ground and her shoulders sunk. It was hopeless. Chloe likely already had Max the perfect gift while she was still standing around empty handed. Desperation and sorrow filled the girl's head.

It's official. I'm the worst girlfriend ever.

However, she knew that giving up would be the worst possible option, so she shook her head and began roaming the street for any possible option that wouldn't humiliate her and potentially ruin the relationship.

Minutes passed and Max had paced the whole street up and down to no avail. Everything around her seemed so meaningless and empty, lacking any sense of romance or anniversary celebration.

She was beginning to consider desperate conclusions; perhaps getting Chloe gift card to a Chinese restaurant would at least be better than returning to her empty handed.

She turned the corner around to the adjacent street to find some privacy to dig through her contacts list again in the hopes of finding someone to ask for advice, but she was instead greeted by salvation.

The perfect gift. It was right there.

It had sentiment. It was romantic. It was everything Max was looking for.

Or at least she hoped.

Max patiently waited by the music shop that Chloe and her had agreed to meet at. Her phone read 6:12 PM, twelve minutes past their rendezvous time. However, Chloe had a habit of being 10-20 minutes late for everything, so 6:00 usually meant 6:20.

Maybe I should ask to meet at 5:30 next time, that way she'd be on time. Wait, but then she'd still be late…Ugh, time is stupid.

Max was far from mad, of course. She had grown to be used to Chloe's typical lateness which had been rather common so far in her school schedule.

Also, it gave Max to think about her gift.

Will she even like it? Now that I think about it, this is so cheesy.

Max scolded herself for her overly self-critical attitude.

Don't sell yourself so short, Max, I'm sure she'll love it. Maybe if she were a character from some unoriginal soap opera…

Her fingers were crossed and her head was high, and all she had to do now was wait.

Moments later, a head of blue peeked its way around the corner and faced Max. The brunette sent an unamused, but unsurprised expression.

"Miss. Price, fashionably late as usual." Max greeted.

"Wouldn't be me if I wasn't" Chloe replied with a wink. Peering from behind her back was a sizeable box gift wrapped in a glistening salmon wrapping paper.

Shit! Her gift is huge and mine is microscopic.

"Is that my gift?" Max asked despite knowing the answer.

"Maaaybeee." Chloe teased.

"So do we open them now or-" Chloe cut Max off before she could continue.

"Shh. We open them at dinner."

Dinner, huh? That sounds nice.

"Let me guess, another feast at the Two Whales?" Max asked with an arched eyebrow and a smirk.

"As much as I know you love mom's food," Chloe said sarcastically. "I got us reservations at a very nice Italian restaurant not too far from town."

Max's eyes widened at the surprise date plan from Chloe. She had never seen the bluenette as the type to go to fancy restaurants wearing formal clothing, but then again, formal clothing had yet to be mentioned at all.

"That sounds awesome. Let's go." Max said eagerly.

"What, in these clothes?" Chloe gestured to her own tank top and ripped jeans as well as Max's hoodie and t-shirt. "Sorry Max, but this is a pretty fancy place. In these getups we'd look like hobos. I'll drop you off at Blackwell and you can get dressed in something mouth-wateringly delicious, then we can go." Max nodded in agreement, and with that the two headed off for the truck.

This is what I get for never buying anything other than hoodies and tees. Fuck my life.

Max stared blankly at her wardrobe which was stacked with her generic attire of coats and jeans, panicking at the lack of anything formal.

She angrily slammed the closet door shut, searching around her room for anything, even contemplating on whether or not she should just wear her curtains to the date.

Biggest date of your life and you got nothing to wear, great job Max.

Then, a light bulb sparked in her head.

Rachel's my size.

She bolted out the door and ran down the hall, nearly tripping on her own foot on the way to Rachel's room. Once she arrived, she furiously slammed on the door hard enough to break it down.

Please be home, please be home…

Max exhaled a sigh of relief when the door swung open to reveal a confused Rachel in her pajamas while holding a bag of microwave popcorn in her free hand.

"Max? What's going on?" She asked, tossing some of the snack into her mouth.

"I need your help. Bad." Max pleaded.

"Sure, what do you need?"

"Chloe and I are having our one month anniversary dinner in an hour and I have nothing to wear, Rach. I have nothing!" Max's voice began shaking with panic, and the other girl tossed her bag of popcorn safely to the side and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Okay, Max, calm down. I can get you sorted." Max's eyes lit up at the relieving sound of Rachel's words.

"You can borrow something for tonight."

That's what I was hoping.

"Thank you so much."

"Not a problem, girl. I got your back. Also, it's so cute to see you freaking out over you and Chloe's anniversary. Congrats, by the way."

"Thanks. It's hard to believe it's been a month already."

"Time flies when you're in love."

"Isn't it when you're having fun?"

"Not in my mind it isn't." Rachel flung open her wardrobe and put to fingers to her chin in contemplation.

She scanned her vast collection of clothing, visualizing which looks would best suit her model as well as the situation. The sight of Rachel's clear love for fashion brought back the memory of the mosh pit when she had purchased Max her first set of punkwear.

Max had worn it occasionally, most of the time to please Chloe. She remembered the fond memory of wearing it to one of their more casual dates. She also remembered the sex that followed that night, and how delighted she was when she saw Chloe's fantasy fulfilled.

She snapped back to Rachel, who had already picked out a small selection of clothes for her.

She held up a grey cardigan and black V-neck shirt and handed them to Max, who began to feel a sneaking sense of anxiety. She certainly trusted Rachel and her fashion sense, clearly it had been proven back at the sawmill. Despite that, Max was still worried that her appearance may not appeal to Chloe.

No Max, you'll be fine. Besides, Rachel's picking your clothes, that's good, right?

Max bit her lower lips nervously as she watched Rachel hand her a pair of dark wash blue jeans.

"Perfect. Now go get changed and get back to me ASAP." Rachel shooed Max out of her room and hurried her along, and Max quietly obliged and returned to her room to change.

Once in the solitude of her own room, Max stared at the clothes before and immediately began questioning herself

It looks pretty casual, like me. That's a plus. But this is Rach's clothes and I could never pull of this kinda look like Miss America over there.

She shook her head to wipe away the thoughts and tried her hardest to replace them with confidence.

She threw on her new outfit hastily as to not keep Rachel waiting any longer, and when she had put on her cardigan, she examined herself in the mirror, rotating her body right and left to observe her new look.

It was certainly different, but then again, anything that wasn't a t-shirt and jeans was different to Max. Rachel certainly knew her way around outfit selection as even Max felt a hint of narcissism as she scanned herself.

Nodding to herself in approval, she hurried back to Rachel's room and was greeted by a wide grin.

"God, I am a fucking fashion genius. Girl, you look amazing." Max slightly blushed at the flattery.

"Thanks. Do you think Chloe will like it?"

"If she doesn't, I will tear her heart right out of her chest." Max ever so slightly jumped at the threat.

"So am I ready?"

"Hell no! Have you never been on a date to a fancy restaurant?" Rachel asked with an arched eyebrow.

"No, Chloe and I have just been going to the Two Whales all the time. In fact, I'm kinda confused as to why she suddenly wants to go somewhere nice for a change."

"Wow Max, are you saying that the Two Whales isn't nice?"

"Shut up, you know what I meant. But what else do I need?" Max's question prompted Rachel to turn to her makeup table and snatch a stick of lipstick to hold in front of the brunette.

"Oh." It was all Max could let out as the waves of nervousness had returned to flood her head once again. "I don't know, Rach…I'm not so fond of makeup…"

"Oh come on, girl. You want to look hella beautiful for Chloe, right?" Max sighed but nodded despite knowing where Rachel was heading with the argument. "Then you gotta try something new! Don't worry, I won't go so hardcore on you and try and keep it subtle."

It didn't take long for Max's desire to please Chloe's eyes to outweigh her shyness.

"Aaaand, voila!" Rachel beamed with pride as she placed the final touches on her masterpiece.

Max had been transformed, but not to an extent that made her new makeup seem excessive. She looked far more mature, more sophisticated. She was even surprised at how much difference a little makeup made. She was certainly still Max, but one that gave off a hint of change.

"So?" Rachel stood expecting a verdict from Max as she observed herself in the mirror.

"You really outdid yourself, Rach. I'm really impressed."

"This sly cat knows more than is perceived." Rachel placed a hand on her chest with pride. "Oh shit! It's almost time, Chloe will be here soon." Rachel hurried Max out the door but stopped just as she was leaving.

"Thanks Rach. I seriously owe you one." Max thanked, truly grateful for everything Rachel had just done for her night.

"Bring my cardigan back in one piece and we can call it even." Rachel winked. "Now go, don't keep her waiting."

"Madam, your carriage has arrived." Chloe's muffled feign English accent crept its way into Max's room following a pattern of knocks on her door.

Max giggled and opened the door and the moment she laid her eyes on Chloe, her jaw dropped.

Chloe stood in a black shirt covered by stylish cropped black leather jacket, paired with a black miniskirt over a pair of leggings. Despite her full set of midnight coloured apparel which may have seemed dreary on paper, to Max it was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. Her outfit was topped off with her signature navy blue beanie, and she stood casually with a smile on her face at Max's doorway.

Her look showed a more grown up side of Chloe, but one that didn't stray far from her punk aesthetic. She still looked rebellious, but a rebel who seemed willing to cooperate if she needed to.

The brunette gulped hard, soaking in every detail of her girlfriend's magnificence.

"Max, you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost." Chloe waved her hand in front of Max's eyes, snapping her back.

"Uhh, yeah…I'm…I'm awesome…" Her words were breathless and lazily selected as her mind was still too occupied on Chloe's appearance.

"By the way, you look…amazeballs." Chloe wrapped her arms around Max's waist, pulling the girl closer.

"Thanks. You uhh…you look…" Max struggled to find the right word to describe Chloe. Her mind was spiraling out of control, not being able to focus on a single thought that didn't involve Chloe. "…wowser…" Chloe laughed.

"That's the first time someone's ever said I looked wowser." Max realized what she had just said and cringed.

"Sorry. You look stunning, Chlo." Chloe gave Max a warm smile.

"Glad I meet up to your expectations."

"Infinitely beyond my expectations." Chloe held out her hand for Max to grab.

"Shall we, miss?" Max chuckled at the brief return of Chloe's English accent.

"Certainly."

The dimly lit environment of the rather quiet restaurant was somewhat daunting to Max. It had been quite some time since she had visited an establishment of this prestige, but it was her first time visiting one for a date.

Despite the fact she had crossed the one month mark on her relationship with Chloe, she still oddly felt nervous even though she had been on countless dates with her before.

"Reservation under Price." Chloe informed the formally dressed lady at the front desk, and after a few moments, the woman gestured the girls to follow her.

They were escorted to a small booth near the corner of the restaurant that was sparkling with its cleanliness. They both sat and simply stared at each other for a brief moment, either of them not needing to speak.

"It's hard to believe it's been one month since I hooked up with this beautiful creature." Chloe broke the silence with another one of her famous quips.

"Beautiful creature? Where?" Max jokingly darted her eyes around the room, pretending as if she thought Chloe was referring to someone entirely different.

"Oh shush. But seriously, I just want you to know that this past month has been the greatest month of my life…ever since my dad died." Max was beyond touched by Chloe's words and she felt an oncoming wave of emotions building up in her chest.

"Chloe…" Max started, but she didn't really know how to continue after hearing something like this.

"You don't have to say anything, Max. I just wanted to know. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me and I'd never just say something like that." Chloe took Max's hands into her own from across the table. "I love you more than anything on this planet, Max."

"Well…I love you more than anything in this universe, so beat that, Price." Max giggled.

"Dammit, you dork. You ruined my mushy moment! It took me ages to build that up!" Chloe joked, prompting only more laughter from Max. "You know me, I'm bad with lovey-dovey cheesy shit. My body has to physically build up mush to say this stuff."

They both shared laughs before staring at each other quietly once again. It was just a typical desire for Max; when she saw Chloe's face, she just needed to kiss her.

"Come here." Max softly called, and the two leaned over the table to tenderly kiss and cherish the moment.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." A female voice came from beside them, and Max and Chloe both halted their moment to face a grinning waitress holding a small notepad and pen. "Are you ready to order?" It reminded Max that she and Chloe had been too busy enjoying each other's company that they had completely forgotten about deciding what to eat.

"Oh, shit. Sorry, can you give us a little more time." Chloe sent an apologetic smile and the waitress simply nodded and took her leave, sure to return soon. "Right, where were we?" Chloe smirked.

"Come on, we really should decide on what to eat." Chloe groaned at Max's words.

"Fine. But if I ever want to taste test your food…" Max rolled her eyes at Chloe's blatant teasing.

"I'll be sure to expect it."

"Man, I am stuffed." Max groaned as she placed a hand on her stomach.

"I am never eating pasta again." Chloe grumbled but only before picking off a leftover piece of penne pasta on her plate with her fingers and sliding it into her mouth, prompting a laugh from Max.

"So should we go?" Max asked.

"Hell no, we still gotta open our presents."

"Oh right, forgot." Chloe reached under the table next to her feet where she had kept her present the whole time, while Max retrieved her own from beside her.

Max's box was rather flat, but along with her larger gift, she also had a very sentimental and special gift that she had been rather nervous about. She wondered if Chloe would like it at all, and although she had the thought in her head that was sure that she would, the lingering dread that her girlfriend would despise her gift still remained.

"I'll go first." Chloe offered, pushing her box across the table towards Max.

Wowser, that's a pretty big box.

Max felt daunted by the sizeable gift, still worried that hers wasn't good enough.

Regardless, she carefully peeled the wrapping off to reveal a navy blue box inside, covered by a large lid. Max reluctantly lifted it to be greeted by the sight of a very stylish khaki coloured messenger bag with brown straps. She gasped at the sight and lifted the bag up and examined every detail of it, admiring every inch of its beauty.

"Do you like it?" Chloe asked biting her lower lip.

"I absolutely adore it." Max responded, still keeping her eyes on her new bag.

"That's great. I saw how battered up your old one was so I thought it'd be appropriate to get you some new kit."

"Thank you so much, I love it."

"Wait, look what's inside, I left a little something." Confused but willing to oblige, Max dug inside what she assumed was an empty bag to have her fingers make contact with a long wrapped bar of some sort. She pulled it out and could only pull off a very unamused expression as she realized that she had grabbed a large Snickers bar from inside.

Chloe could barely stifle her fits of laughter as she witnessed Max's reaction to her light-hearted second gift which referenced the notes from her journal in which Chloe had secretly read.

"Ha ha, very funny." Max sarcastically said, holding the candy bar up.

"I'm sorry, I saw this sitting at the corner store next to the bag shop and I couldn't resist." Chloe admitted through laughs.

With a very audible sigh, Max gently placed the bag back into its home inside the box and tucked it away next to her on the empty space on her seat. Assuming it was her turn now, she took a deep breath and handed the flat rectangular box to Chloe.

With a wide grin on her face, she rattled the box like a child on Christmas morning but was disappointed to not hear anything coming from the box. Regardless, she tore the package open eagerly and carelessly, unlike Max's more mindful approach.

Inside Chloe's gift was a box as well, and she let out a sharp chuckle once she saw its contents. She held up a dark grey tank top with a large image of a green marijuana leaf decorating its centre.

"Holy shit! This is fucking badass!" Chloe exclaimed, admiring her new shirt while Max sat amused by her girlfriend's smiles and wide eyes.

"I'm glad you like it, but that's not my only gift." Max hesitantly pulled out a very tiny box from her jeans pocket, giving it one final look before handing it to Chloe.

Bearing a bewildered expression, Chloe gingerly opened the box and held up a shiny silver locket with a keychain that dangled on her index finger.

"Max…what…"

"Just open it." Max softly interrupted, eager but nervous to see Chloe's reaction to what was inside.

"Oh…wow…" Chloe was enthralled by the very familiar image of the selfie that Max had taken of the two the morning after their night of shenanigans at the pool a month ago. The sight immediately sent waves of nostalgia and memories into her head and she almost felt a tear jerk in her eye.

"Max…this is…this is beautiful…" She flipped the locket around to see the tiny letters reading 'You are my angel' engraved in elegant font onto the back, and Chloe was overwhelmed by the sheer emotion. "I…I don't know what to say…"

"Do you like it?" Max anxiously asked.

"I fucking love it. I love it so much. This is just…wow…" Max was extremely relieved to have left Chloe entirely speechless. Her reaction was far beyond what she had anticipated, even in her best case scenarios. "Hold on."

Chloe frantically dug into her pocket and pulled out her truck keys before swiftly connecting the locket onto them and beholding her new gift.

"God, this is so fucking cool." Max couldn't help but smile from ear to ear, glad to have chosen the right gift.

"I…I know it's a bit cheesy, but I really wanted to give you something that reminded you of us." Chloe's eyes fixed themselves away from the locket and onto Max's shining gaze.

"It's not cheesy. It's the second greatest gift I've ever gotten." Max tilted her head and raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Second greatest? What's the first?" Chloe let out a sharp chuckle at Max's question.

"Duh, you."

"God, you really know how to make a girl feel special on her anniversary." Chloe's voice was breathless as she panted lying on Max's bed on her bare back.

"Glad to hear I can make an impression." Max joked, turning her naked body to face Chloe and tracing circles around her skin with her index fingee.

"I love it when you're so modest." Chloe shifted her body to face Max before digging her face in to share a heated kiss. She ran her fingers through Max's hair as her tongue danced inside Max's mouth, prompting subtle moans from the brunette. When they finally parted, Chloe cupped Max's cheek, gently grazing her thumb across her freckles and staring deeply into her shimmering blue eyes.

"How did humanity create such a perfect human being?" Chloe joked.

"I don't know. And she even comes with blue hair." Chloe chuckled at Max's clever return to swing the punk's compliment right back to her.

Chloe let out a heavy sigh, still recovering from the hour of sheer ecstasy that had just occurred. Even after a month, sex with Max always felt just as exciting as the first time. Chloe saw Max turn her head around to Rachel's cardigan and jeans strewn carelessly on the floor.

"How mad do you think Rachel's gonna be when she finds out I had sex in her clothes?" Max asked with a snicker.

"Can't get mad if you don't get caught." Chloe winked and Max giggled.

"Whew, I'm beat." Max snuggled herself into Chloe's bare chest and prepared to doze off while the punk simply giggled. She softly ran her fingers through Max's hair and got comfortable herself.

"Good night, babe."

"Max, do we really have to do this?" Chloe groaned as Max pulled her by the wrist towards her desk.

"Yes, I promised them we'd do this yesterday." Max sat Chloe down on the empty chair next to her before flipping on her laptop and navigating her mouse to open Skype.

"Can…can't we do it later?" Chloe pleaded, trying to put off the inevitable.

"No." Max demanded, which was responded with a pout and puppy eyes from the bluenette.

"I feel really sick, I don't think I can do this, babe." Max rolled her eyes at Chloe's futile attempt at an escape, and one look was enough to give Chloe her rejection.

This is officially the worst day of my liiiiife.

Max clicked the 'call' button on her mother's profile.

OH DEAR GOD IT'S GOTTEN WOOOORSE.

Chloe began thinking of the worse case scenarios, with most of them resulting with her head on a stake.

They send three apache helicopters and gun down my house. No, attack dogs to maul me. Best one yet, they send Bruce Willis riding a Panzer tank-no, a motherfucking robot dragon…with machine guns. Oh god this is gonna suck.

The call rang for a few moments, and Chloe's eyes lit up at the possibility of Max's parents being unavailable, only further delaying her first encounter with them. What made everything worse is that her parents weren't even aware of her existence, let alone the fact that she was in love with their daughter.

Ruining Chloe's rather unlikely dream, the call was picked up, and the screen flashed on a display of a long haired brunette sitting next to a rather heavyset man with a thick beard.

Holy shit, Max's dad is a lumberjack?

"Max? Sweetie?" Her mother's voice sounded rather sweet, a voice that seemed like it was the type to soothe a baby with a lullaby within ten seconds.

"Hey mom. How are you?" Max sweetly asked.

Okay Chloe, stay calm. Just keep it cool and maybe they'll like you. Key word: maybe.

"Max? Honey, I can't hear you." Max's mother began searching every inch of the laptop for any form of a solution, which only made Max clasp her face in embarrassment.

"Honey, your sound is muted." Max's father informed, reaching over and pressing a button on the keyboard before leaning back into his chair.

"Mom? Can you hear me now?"

"Oh sweetie! I can hear you now." Her mother's voice was filled with pure joy. "It's so good to see your face again."

"It's great to see you too mom. Hey dad." Max waved over to her father.

"Hey honey." Her father was much calmer than her mother was, maintaining a very collected and casual attitude.

"Who's your friend?" Her mother's eyes went to Chloe, prompting a subtle jump in her seat.

"Oh, this is…" Max turned to give Chloe a reassuring glance and a smile. "…this is Chloe." Chloe smiled and waved to the couple.

"Hi Chloe, I'm Vanessa and this is Ryan." Her mother greeted herself and pointed over to Max's father and introduced him as well.

"It's very nice to meet you two."

"So have you and Max been friends since she arrived at Blackwell?" The question from Vanessa was enough to create an awkward tension for both Max and Chloe.

Oh dear god, already? I thought I'd get at least a little time to score some points with her folks.

Max looked back at Chloe and the punk merely shrugged, not really knowing what to say.

"Mom, dad. I sorta have something to tell you guys." Max stared down as she twiddled her thumbs nervously. Underneath the table, her feet were tapping rapidly, showing clear evidence that she was not ready for this.

"What is it sweetheart?"

"Please don't be mad, but…"

Fuck it. I'm swooping in.

"Vanessa, Ryan. It seems like your daughter is kind of tongue-tied at the moment so I think I should do the talking for her. The thing is-" Max gently placed her hand on Chloe's shoulder to stop her, gazing into her blue eyes and gently shaking her head.

"No, Chloe. They're my parents, I should be the one to tell them."

"Max, what's going on?" A look of concern replaced the faces of excitement and delight on Max's parents.

"Guys, Chloe and I are…we're kind of a thing…" Chloe felt her body stiffen and heart stop.

It's over, I can hear the dragon.

"As in, you two are dating?" Max simply nodded shyly at the question. "That's what you were so nervous to tell us?" Another nod only caused her parents to break into laughter.

Heh?

Chloe and Max both looked at each other with bewilderment, utterly confused as to what was so funny.

"Max, that's amazing!" Vanessa's voice was once again filled with glee, jump-starting Chloe's heart and releasing the tension in her body.

HEH?

"Wait, you're not mad?" Max asked.

"No! Of course not, why would we ever be mad?" Vanessa looked back to Ryan. "Oh my god Ryan, our little baby girl is growing up." Her mother collapsed into her father's burly arms and cried tears of joy while the man simply shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"Wowser, I…I really didn't expect you guys to be so happy about this."

"Max, we don't care who you date, so long as you're happy." Ryan's words brought a wave of relief into Chloe's chest. "Unless you started dating the reincarnation of Jeffrey Dahmer or something, then we'd have some mixed feelings." Max giggled while Vanessa raised her head from her husband's to shove his arm. She eventually pulled away and returned to her original seat, wiping a single tear from her eye.

"How long have you two been together?" She asked.

"Actually, yesterday was our one-month anniversary." Max admitted giving a glance of happiness to Chloe who returned it.

"Oh my god, that's amazing! Oh! That's why you called me about the gift?!"

"Yeah, but I…didn't actually use the idea." Chloe was now shocked to see that Max had actually taken the risk of calling her mother for gift ideas. It was so sweet.

"Wait, what was the idea?" Chloe asked, now truly curious as to what she may have gotten.

"Oh, just…gold earrings."

"What did you get her then?" Vanessa asked, now just as curious as Chloe just was.

"Oh she got me this." Chloe dove into her pocket and pulled out her car keys, flipping the locket open and giving the picture inside one quick glance before putting it up to the webcam.

"Ohhh, it's so beautiful." Vanessa brought her hands to her mouth and seemed to be on the verge of tears once again.

"Mom, please…"

"Ryan, our girl is such a sweetheart." Her father could only stifle a groan as his wife fell back into his shoulders.

"Oh dog…"

"…and it was at the lighthouse where we confessed our feelings for each other." Chloe concluded the majestic tale of her and Max's first encounters, recalling every minor detail, mainly to help her review the many beautiful moments of their past.

"That's such a beautiful story. I think I'm tearing up." The four of them laughed at Vanessa's joke, although it almost seemed as if she was sincerely about to cry. "I'm telling you, this is like a fictional romance novel, but in real life and so much better."

"Oh, the time. It's already 9PM." Max noticed.

"Do you have to go now?" Her mother asked with a frown.

"Unfortunately. I have a big photography project I need to work on." Max's words caused her mother's mouth to droop but she was understanding.

"Okay, dear. It was so great to see you and talk to you again. Also, it was such a treat to meet you, Chloe."

"It was my pleasure, Vanessa." Chloe smiled at the webcam.

"Okay, love you guys, bye!" Max waved goodbye as her parents bid farewell; her mother sending loving kisses over the web. The call disconnected and both girls breathed out a sigh of relief, slightly tired from the hours of conversing with the Caulfields.

"That was…actually really cool." Chloe admitted, leaning over to Max and cuddling the girl in her arms.

"Thanks for doing that for me. Not that you really had a choice." They both chuckled as Chloe ran her fingers through Max's hair.

"You want me to keep you company for your project, sweetie?" Chloe offered, prompting a mischievous grin from Max.

"There is no project." Chloe raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Then why did you-" Before she could finish, Max moved in for a sensual kiss, cupping Chloe's cheek and trailing her other hand up the girl's stomach. Chloe let out a soft moan as Max's hand moved underneath her tank top and across her skin. Max eventually parted just enough to speak, and Chloe could still feel her girlfriend's breath on her nose.

"I uhh…" Max tugged on the front of Chloe's belt and bit her lower lip. "…I just wanted you for myself." Chloe grinned widely, impressed at Max's blatant lie to her parents just to be alone with her.

"Well…if that's what you want…" Chloe grabbed the bottom edges of her tank top and swiftly threw it off before plunging in for another kiss, holding it for another heated moment before pulling away briefly.

"…I'm all yours."

A/N: Sorry I'm taking a little longer with these chapters, it's been hard to find the time between school work and other stuff. Hopefully you can bear with me, thanks for your support and patience as always :).

Love y'all and stay awesome!