I do not own Life Is Strange or the characters or places from the game please support the official release

Chapter 21: Road Trip

Author's Note: Darklord341 and Aaron Leach: I am glad you enjoyed it.

tur1823: Who knows what will happen only time will tell lol.

"So we all decided that we will leave Wednesday morning and should get to your parents house by the midafternoon. So we will stay the night there and spend Thanksgiving there. Depending on how things go will determine when we leave on Friday. Does all of that sound about right to you Max?"

Max gave a small laugh before she answered. "Yes that is the plan Chloe. But Joyce and David left almost an hour ago. Did you really have to sleep so late?"

I am now laughing. "Well what can I say, I need my beauty sleep."

Max then puts her seatbelt on. "Remind me why we are not riding with Joyce and David again."

"Come on Max. David and I may be working on things between us but I do not want to spend a few hours in a car with him." I then start the truck.

She sat there in thought for a moment. "Ok I see your point." We rode in silence for a few minutes.

As we approached the city limits of the bay a question came to my mind. "Max, I have to ask. What do we do if your mom just refuses to accept us?"

She took a few moments to gather her thoughts. "To be honest I really do not know. I just want her to understand is all. But it just seems like she will not even hear us out."

"I get that." I take my beanie off my head and put in on the seat in between us. "I just want you to know that I do not want things to be hard between your mother and you."

Max let out a small sigh. "I know, but hopefully we will be able to make some progress during these next few days."

As we are going down the highway I made a quick turn off about halfway to her parents house to stop for gas. Even though I know Max is going to be upset with me I also bought a pack of cigarettes. I really do plan on this being the last pack I buy. Once I get back in the truck and get back on the road we are stopped by a red light before I get back to the turn to the highway. While we are waiting for the light to change I light up a cigarette. I also notice the sour look Max gives me. "Before you say anything yes I know I said that I would quit. I do intend to but I need one now I am so nervous.
This is the last pack I intend to buy."

Max let out a sigh of annoyance. "Chloe it has been a few weeks and you have yet to try to stop. I just worry about you."

"I know Max. I am sorry that I have not tried yet. Like I said this is the last pack I intend to buy. It is just that this whole trip has me on edge." I then take a long slow drag off my cigarette. As the light changes I decide to change the topic so as we might not fight. Need to save our energy for possible confrontations in the near future. "So who is taking care of Alice?"

She shuffles around in her seat for a moment. "Kate has her back now. Now that there is not as much for her to do at the hospital she has finally came back to her dorm."

"That is good to hear." I tell her. "I have to ask though, after everything she has been through is she ok?"

Max sat there silent for a minute. I took a quick glance at her and noticed that she seemed to be deep in thought. After a little bit she finally answered.
"I think so, but to be honest it is hard to tell. I mean she must be since the hospital said she was right? She never really talks about it. I can't say I blame her though. I went through that shit to and really do not want to relive it."

I instantly regretted asking that now. I took another glance at her and saw that she had a hurt expression on her face. "Shit, I am sorry Max. I did not mean to bring that horrible shit back up."

She was quick to respond. "No it is ok. I know you did not mean to bring it up. You were just wondering if Kate would be ok on her own. I just got a little lost in bad memories there."

'Damn it I just had to go and bring that shit up didn't I. Come on can I at least get something done right today.' "I am sorry though."

I saw that she moved her hand to wipe some tears out of her eyes. "It is ok."

We drove in silence for a while. Only small little things were said in between not much had been said since we stopped for gas. A short while after we entered the city of Seattle she finally spoke up some. "We are almost there. Just go down this road for another ten minutes and we will be there."

"Ok cool." 'Let's see here there has to be something that can cheer her up. I might have an idea.' "Hey do you remember the time we helped my mom make one of her pies for Thanksgiving?"

She let out a small chuckle. "You mean the time where you threw some pie filling at me then we fought and got a mess all over the kitchen?" It was good to hear her laugh again.

"Oh man that was so funny to see your hair covered in all those different pie fixings." I now let out a loud laugh.

Max took a moment to stop laughing before she responded. "No it was not. It took me so long to get all of it out."

I moved some of my hair behind my ear. "Well any way I was thinking that maybe we could try again this year. But you know actually make one this time."

She formed a small smile on her face. "That does sound like fun. But just so you know I will be watching you. I know how you can be."

"I am sure that is not the only reason why you will be watching me." I chuckle.

She face palmed at that. "Really Chloe."

I begin to laugh even harder now. "Hey I am just stating the obvious. Besides you know that you love me for it."

Max then took out her journal and opened it up. "Oh I know you so well."

After we share another minute of laugher a thought came to my mind. "Hey do you think my mom will try to help your mom cook?"

I could hear her scribbling away at whatever she was working on. "Well it is Joyce, but she does cook all the time and works at a diner. So I suppose she might just sit this one out. But I do hope she decides to help with the turkey. I mean my mom can cook some but her turkey is nothing like Joyce's."

I had to take a moment to think about it but Max is right. "I remember the time your mom made the turkey for all of us because mom was not feeling to good that year. So yeah I think it would help all of us if mom made it." We drove for about another five minutes and then we were here. "So, you ready?"

Max just sat there quite for a moment. "I suppose so."

Once we got out of the truck we made our way to the door and waited for a minute but before we went to knock her father opened the door. Once the door was fully open he pulled Max into a hug. "It is good to see you Max. I have missed you."

As she wrapped her arms around him she replied "I have missed you to dad."

As they pulled apart Ryan looked at me. "It is good to see you again as well Chloe."

"It's good to see you to Ryan." I began to nervously rub the back of my neck.

Once we entered the house Ryan shut the door behind us. "Ok girls your mothers are in the kitchen and me and David are in the living room getting to know each other.

Max looked at me and told me "I am going to go say hi to mom."

"Ok, I need to go to the bathroom. I will check in with you after that." To be honest I was not entirely ready to deal with Vanessa. I just need a few minutes to myself to mentally prepare myself.