So things didn't go exactly as planned with my dad. - Me Yesterday 5:11 pm
That sucks. What are you going to do? - Chloe Yesterday 5:17 pm
I need you set it up so I can talk to Frank. - Me Yesterday 5:18 pm
I don't think that's a good idea - Chloe yesterday 5:20 pm
Why not? - Me yesterday 5:20 pm
Frank is on edge and I don't want to see you hurt. - Chloe yesterday 5:21 pm
Chloe please. He's my only link to my mom. - Me yesterday 5:22 pm
Chloe? - Me yesterday 5:34 pm
Can we talk about this in person tomorrow? - Chloe yesterday 5:36 pm
Yeah. Where do you want to meet? - Me yesterday 5:36 pm
Junkyard - Chloe yesterday 5:36 pm
When? - Me yesterday 5:37 pm
10ish? - Chloe
See you then. - Me yesterday 5:38 pm
I sat staring at my phone as I waited for Chloe in the little junk shack she found. Rain fell lightly outside and winds gusted through giving chills throughout my damp body. I don't know why I didn't just text her to change where we were going to meet. Maybe it was some kind of penance for… I don't know. Getting rained on just felt poetic I guess.
"Rachel!" I heard call out.
I put my phone away and stepped over to the doorway of the shack. "Chloe! I'm in here!"
I watched as Chloe appeared from behind a junk pile wearing a long rain coat. Her streak of blue hair poking out from under the hood. I stepped back in the shack giving room for Chloe to step in.
"This weather is mildly appropriate." Chloe said morosely.
"Why do you say that?" I asked curious as to what had her down.
Chloe sighed heavily and took a small walk around the shake before turning back to me, "Step… Fuck proposed to my mom. And like an idiot she said yes."
"Oh, Chloe, I'm sorry."
Chloe sat down on a crate, "I just can't wait the get the fuck out of here with you."
I went over and sat down on the ground and leaned my head against Chloe's leg, "We will."
Chloe reached into her pocket and pulled out her pack of cigarettes and lit one up. I clung to her leg and just listened to her taking long drags and then blowing out plumes of smoke. The pattering of the rain continued to beat down around us. Between my dad, and Chloe's soon-to-be actual stepdad, life here is such shit. I felt my own drops of water start to form on my eyes. All I want to do is find my mom.
"Fuck it." Chloe let out after a few moments breaking the silence. "I'll take you to Frank if you want."
I lifted my head off her leg and looked up at her, "Really?"
"Yea," Chloe exhaled in a stream of smoke, "I'm getting sick of dancing around for other people's feelings."
This is great, but what she said worried me. "You don't do that with me, do you?"
Chloe looked down and me and brushed her hand through my hair. "You are different."
I suddenly felt the weight of Chloe's feelings on me. It felt uncomfortable. I grabbed her hand and stood up. "Let's go. Sooner we find Sera, sooner we get out of here."
Chloe gave one last drag before tossing her cigarette out into the rain.
Chloe and I walked hand in hand from the junkyard down toward the fishing warehouses. These buildings were surrounded by a barbed wire fence with one security gate in and out. Chloe pulled me behind a bush.
"Alright, so all we have to do is sneak past the guard." Chloe explained.
"There's a guard? Well how'd you get past him the first time?" I asked.
Chloe poked her head around the bush before turning back, "Frank knew I was coming so he told him to let me in."
"Where is Frank?" I asked.
"His RV is parked inside the dock on the other side of the warehouse." She explained.
I took a moment to think before coming up with a slightly stupid plan. "How do you feel about getting wet?" I asked Chloe.
She held out her arms pointing to the fact we were both near soaked from the rain.
"C'mon." I told her as a walked out past her and followed the road past the warehouse down near the public dock. With the weather being bad there was only a few fisherman tending to their boats on the docks. None of them paying any attention.
I pointed past the fence toward a sheltered dock in the same area as the warehouse. "Is that it?" I asked Chloe.
"Yea that's it."
I gestured for Chloe to follow as I walked down to the water. Thankfully the storm wasn't kicking up waves too bad.
"You're not thinking what I think you're thinking?" Chloe questioned.
"There's no fencing in the water." I pointed out.
"But the water's fucking cold as shit." She countered.
"Then stay here if you want!" I called out as I climbed down the rocks.
"Fuck." Chloe said shaking her head, "Wait up I'm coming."
Chloe followed my path down the rocks as I started to step into the water. The water flooded my shoes and climbed up my legs as I stepped further into it.
"Fuck this is cold." I let out as the water creeped up past my knees.
"I told you!" Chloe called behind me just stepping in now.
While there wasn't a fence in the water there was still a concrete break that extended about 60 feet before there was an opening.
"Ah crap wait! My phone." Chloe called out as she dug her phone out of pocket.
I stopped as well just a few inches shy of the water reaching my phone. I dug it out.
Chloe took off her rain jacket and wrapped her phone in it.
"Hey" I called to her.
She looked as I tossed my phone to her. Her eyes grew wide as she reached out. She caught the phone and tucked in in her jacket as well before stashing the bundle back up on the rocks.
We continued out into the water both of us cursing under our breath as the water chilled us to the core. We both swam around the break against the waves. I looked back to make sure Chloe was okay and keeping up. Water was battering both of us lightly as we made our way around the break. Thankfully there was a ladder not far from the other side of the break. I reached the ladder and made sure Chloe made it and told her to climb up first before following her up myself.
"Okay so this was a little stupid." I confessed shivering and even more wet than before.
Chloe gave me a soft slap on the back, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone at school that Rachel Amber has stupid ideas."
"Thanks" I half chuckled half shivered as I started walking toward the dock.
The door to the inside was unlocked and parked just inside the garage style door to the building was Frank's RV.
I wrapped my arms around Chloe and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "You are amazing"
"So I keep being told." she responded, a hint of her nervousness in her voice.
"What's wrong?" I asked her.
"Still don't think this is a good idea." She confessed.
"Don't worry about it. I'll handle Frank and my dad. This will all be over soon. I promise."
Chloe's face brightened.
"You with me?" I asked grabbing her hand.
"Always." She replied.
We stepped up to the door of the RV and I knocked.
Barking started inside. It sounded like a small dog or puppy. Following that was the sound of footsteps coming toward the door. There was a pause before the door opened.
Frank's face contorted in surprise as he looked at me, and then shifted to anger when he saw Chloe.
"Chloe, what the fuck did I tell you!" He barked at her.
"Hey!" I yelled at him. "This is between me and you."
"You! Need to leave." He said now turning on me. He tried to pull the door closed but I threw my hip in front of it holding it open.
"Tell me where Sera is and I will!" I demanded.
"I don't know who you're talking about." He lied.
I gritted my teeth. "Then maybe a quick phone call to my dad will help sort this out. I know he's interested in finding Sera, and Damon."
"You don't know who you're fucking with kid." Frank threatened.
"Frank." Chloe spoke up behind me, "Why not just tell us what you know? Damon's… er gone. So what does it matter?"
"Jesus Christ Chloe when will you learn to shut your mouth." Frank gave another testing tug at the door but I held my place.
"Tell me how to find Sera, and I'll make my dad's investigation go away." I offered.
Frank looked at me sharply. "And how would you manage that?"
"I live with the man. I hear things. Have access to things. Look, I don't know what happened up at the mill with you, Chloe, Damon, and Sera. All I know is you're why Chloe and I are alive." I moved out of the way of his door. "I don't think you're a bad guy Frank and I'll make sure you don't get punished for being a good one." I gave a quick glance at Chloe, "I owe you that much."
Frank gave a look around the the dock, "Look just get out of here and I'll think about it."
"No. Tell me right now. Tell me where Sera is." I held firmly.
"I'll think about it." He repeated as he closed the door.
I reached out and grabbed the closing door with my left hand. The force pulled my arm and I felt a sharp pain tear through it forcing me to let it go.
"Argh, Fuck!" I cried out as the door closed. I beat my right fist against the RV before clutching my injured arm.
Chloe's arms wrapped around me, "Rachel, you okay?"
"Ow man, yea I'll be fine." I assured still clutching the arm.
Chloe released me and started banging on the RV door. "Hey fucker! Get back out here!"
Barking was still going on from somewhere inside the RV but I couldn't hear anything else.
Chloe banged again, "You don't come back out here I'm bringing the fucking cops myself!"
Shuffling was then heard inside. Chloe turned back to me and shared a glance before she started pounding again.
The door swung open. "Here," Frank said holding out a slip of paper. "Now please for the love of God leave. You're scaring Pompidou."
Chloe grabbed the paper and Frank closed the door again. She opened up the paper.
"What's it say?" I asked.
"It's a phone number." She replied confused. She handed me the paper.
"This must be Sera's" I said looking over the digits.
"Let's get back to our phones then." Chloe suggested.
I held the paper tightly in my hand as we stepped back out into the rain.
"We're not going back in the water again are we?" Chloe asked looking over toward where we climbed out.
I didn't like the idea of going back in their either. I also didn't want to risk losing what I hoped was Sera's number. "C'mon let's go around the warehouse"
I led Chloe along the backside of the warehouse until we got to the edge. I peeked around the corner and could see the guardhouse. Chloe leaned around me to get her own look.
"Do ya think he'll just let us out?" Chloe asked optimistically.
"I might be able to get him to. Just follow my lead." Chloe gave a nervous look. I gave her a reassuring wink as I turned the corner and approached the guard. I pulled my arms in and looked as cold and miserable as I could. It wasn't so hard.
The guard's finally saw Chloe and I, "Hey Miss… Oh Jesus," He opened the door and ran toward us, "Are you girls okay?"
"I… I think so." I looked over myself panicked. "I just don't know what happend. Just all the sudden we were in the water." I turned to Chloe and cradled her head in my hands, "You're okay right?"
"I'm fine." She breathed out. "Just so cold."
The guard looked us over, "I should call and ambulance, you girls could get hypothermia."
"No." I told him, "I think we'll be fine once we get to the car. Can we just leave please." I pleaded.
"Oh, yea of course." He stepped out of the way and held his hand out toward the street, "Are you sure about calling for help. I could at least help you to the car." He offered.
"That's so kind of you, but honestly I just want to get home." I wrapped my arm around Chloe and started walking out toward the gate.
The guard dashed back into his post and soon the gate was lifting as we walked out. We walked out and turned back toward where we climbed down to the water.
"Couldn't have just talked your way in before." Chloe commented as she grabbed her raincoat that held our phones.
"Oh sure, I could have just told him that drug dealer in a hidden RV made a social call." I shot back.
"Gross. Not even funny." Chloe gave a shake of disgust before pulling out the phones and handing me mine.
"Fuck, mine's not working." Chloe let out.
I tried to turn mine on but it wouldn't. "Mine either."
"Fuck dude, what kind of shitty raincoat is this."
I wrapped her in a hug, "Let's get to my house and throw these things in rice. Hopefully they just need to dry out."
"It better, I can't afford a new phone." Chloe replied.
I rolled my eyes as I pulled Chloe back up toward the road and we started walking toward my house. The number Frank gave me still clutched in my fist.
Once we were my house I filled a bowl with dry rice and buried out phones in it and brought it up to my room. I offered for Chloe to shower first as we got out of our wet clothes. I stared at the number Frank wrote down for me. If she really didn't want to see me, what was I going to say? Would she be mad hearing from me? I felt the anxiety rise inside me. It might have been a blessing in disguise my phone being out of commission. It gave me time to think about what I was going to say. I heard the shower shut off and waited for Chloe.
"God I needed that." Chloe stepped into my room wrapped in a towel.
"So the rain and ocean didn't satisfy you." I joked.
"Traumatised me maybe. Thanks for that by the way." She retorted as she started getting dressed behind me.
"No problem," I turned to see Chloe still mostly undressed, "next time I'm thinking skinny dipping."
"Only if it's a hot tub." she replied not noticing my gaze.
I looked back at the bowl of rice that held our phone. "So how long are we supposed to do this for?"
"Not sure, until it turns on?" She replied. "You could always just call from your house phone."
"No, it's fine. She might know the number and it could scare her off." I also wanted the privacy of using my own phone.
"Makes sense." Chloe walked over and sat down on my bed now dressed in some of my clothes. "So what do we do while we wait for the phones to dry out?"
I was asking myself the same question. All I could think about was my mom and what I was going to say, but there wasn't anything I could do about it now. I looked around my room for some kind of distraction and my eyes settled on one of my star charts.
"When's your birthday?" I asked.
Chloe looked at me puzzled. "Why?"
"Why not? Is it some sort of secret?" I replied.
"It's March eleventh." She answered still confused.
"Pisces." I told her.
She looked at me confused for a moment before rolling her eyes.
"What, don't want to know what your innermost feelings and drives are?" I teased.
"As in like a horoscope? You know It's all fake right. Like the dates are based on how things were thousands of years ago. You're probably not even really a Leo. Could be a Cancer or Taurus." She states.
I crossed my arms, "Taurus?"
"I don't know what the rules are for determining this stuff I just know it's not real."
I stood up and walked over to turn off the lights. With the rain and clouds outside, my room was just dark enough. I then turned on the modified night light Chloe had put together for me weeks ago and climbed into my bed and laid next to her.
"Remember when you did this for me?" I asked.
"Yea."
I leaned my head onto her shoulder, "The stars… They aren't real. Not how we see them at least. The lights we see in the sky are millions of years old. What we see, what we wish upon is all a lie." I turned my head toward Chloe who faced me in response. "But you told me that it doesn't matter. They are still beautiful.
Chloe looked at me quietly for a moment. Her eyes shifting between my own. "So… A pisces huh. What does that say about me?"
"It means you're: compassionate, artistic, adaptable," I brought my hand up and tucked a streak of her hair behind her hair, "loving, honest, intuitive."
"I don't know about all that." She replied softly.
"I do." I told her confidently. "You are exactly who I need."
"Are going to get all mushy on me now?" she replied snidely.
"You love it."
"Well I don't hate it." Even in the dim light I could see her cheeks go just shade more red.
The room went quiet. It felt weird not knowing what to say or do in the moment.
"So what does being a Leo mean?" Chloe asked.
"Why don't we put it to the test. Describe me and after we'll look up what it means to be a Leo?" I offered.
Chloe looked me over in thought, "Brave, obviously. Umm, how about fiery."
"I like it so far." I encouraged.
"Wise, Charismatic… Strong." Chloe's eyes now searched into my own. "You like attention, but only let a few people really in. I guess in a way you're afraid of your own weakness. Kinda like me you hide from or push away things that might hurt you."
I felt Chloe's gaze swim inside me. Finding my hiding places.
"That's the most beautiful part of you though." She added. I looked at her confused.
"You feel so much," she explained. "That's why you love being on stage. It's the only time you feel safe speaking things in your heart. When everyone thinks it's just words from a page. I felt it when I was up there with you. I felt it again in the hospital. Moments where you just let yourself feel everything you want to."
My breathing stopped. My heart was loud in my ears. I felt… embarrassed. What Chloe said hit me hard. It made me feel exposed, naked. My brain wanted so hard to brush it off. Make a joke of it, but my heart kept my breath trapped in my chest. It wouldn't let me use the air to dismiss Chloe and hurt her so I just laid there, still as stone, our eyes pulling at each other. I saw worry start to grow in Chloe at my silence.
I slowly exhaled and took in a long steady breath trying to ground myself.
"Chloe that was… that was very deep."
Chloe's face winced in minor disgust, 'Ew sorry, I er don't know where that came from." She gave a nervous laugh, "Just kinda rambled things out. I don't even really remember what I said."
I forced a laugh with her, "It's fine."
"Okay cool… So uh what about the traits of a Leo? Was I close?" She asked bringing things back.
"I don't think it matters?" I told her.
"What? Why not"
"I like the way you defined me better."
I woke up with Chloe tucked up next to me in bed. Everything was still dark. I looked at my clock to see it was just past midnight. I rubbed my eyes as scenes from my dream swirled and faded. I was waiting at Blackwell for Sera to meet me, but my dad showed up instead and told me that he took care of her.
I stood up from the bed and pulled my phone from the rice. I held down the button and waited for it to start. The screen flickered to life and the phone started booting. I walked over to my desk where the slip of paper still laid with the phone number Frank gave me. I looked back at Chloe still fast asleep on my bed. I took a few deep breaths before slowly and carefully dialing the number in.
One ring…
Two rings…
Three rings…
"Hello?" A female voice asked.
"Hi, I'm trying to get in touch with a Sera Gearhardt."
The line went quiet. I was just about to speak again when the voice came through.
"... Rachel?"
"Rachel!"
I turned to see girl about my age running at me. She had short brown hair and dots of freckles around her face.
"Do you know her?" Nathan asked next me eying the girl as well.
"Never seen her before in my life" I replied. "Go on ahead."
Nathan shrugged his shoulders, "Alright, you're coming to the Vortex Club party tonight though right?"
"Of course." I waved as he walked away.
"Rachel." The girl repeated as she approached catching her breath.
"Yea, that's me." I told her. Looking at her now up close she did kinda look familiar I just couldn't get my finger on it.
"The Vortex Club party tonight you can't go." She told me. Her eyes were heavy with desperation.
"What, why not?" I questioned. Who the hell was this girl?
"It's about Chloe. You can't go tonight." She pleaded.
Her mentioning Chloe jogged my brain, "Hold up, Max?"
"Yea, wait you know who I am?" she said confused.
"Yea, you were Chloe's best friend until you ghosted her, what, three years ago now is it." I remembered reading all the little letters Chloe wrote to her but never sent. I remember seeing Chloe cry when we finally talked about it. And here she is now right in front of me.
"I know, I know okay. I was a terrible friend to Chloe, but right now I'm trying save her you have to believe me."
"What do you mean save her? There's nothing wrong with her." This Max girl seemed to be having some kind of mental break.
"It's you Rachel. If I can save you t.h.e.n.I.c.a.n..s...a...v...e
c...
...h...
...l...
.o...
...e..
The scene before me slowed and warped. Colors started to burn red and peel away into nothingness. I watched as both Max and myself seemed to smear and vibrate.
"I tried so many times."
I turned to see another Max walk up next to me. "Maybe if I just save Rachel. Maybe that would keep Chloe alive."
I must have looked curious because Max laughed, "It didn't." she said plainly, "Oh don't worry, you never survived either. There was even this really dramatic one where…" she stopped herself and waved it off, "Long story short you killed yourself."
I watched as the figure of myself twisted and warped. Colors started to crash. The scene was no longer outside of Blackwell. We were inside the woman's locker room. My body laid naked underneath a shower stream with swirls of red flowing and dancing over and around me.
"Ah yep, that's the one." Max chimed.
I started to feel something. It was pain, but it wasn't mine. The scene swirled and we were back outside. Paramedics were loading my body into an ambulance. I looked the other way to see Chloe being held back by David. Her face was blurry, like an out of focus picture. I walked forward. Close enough to make out her eyes and the rivers of tears that marked her face. Slowly her face cleared for me. I felt Chloe's pain and grief fill me. This isn't how things were supposed to be.
I turned to Max, "I won't let you keep doing this to her."