Chapter TWENTY-FIVE: The punk and the queen.

Wow…25 chapters and I am still so thankful to you all! This chapter is mostly speech and some drama too but still, hope you enjoy!

"How the hell was I supposed to know you two were…" Chloe Price stopped in mid-sentence when she felt the soft touch of her girlfriend's hand on her shoulder. Chloe couldn't tell if it was supposed to comfort her or tell her it was useless to explain herself.

Only seconds earlier, Chloe had not-so-subtlety interrupted an intense conversation between Kate Marsh and Victoria Chase of all people. It was only when the latter had stormed off and she was met with the surprisingly red and slightly angry face of Kate than it finally dawned on her that she probably should have kept her big trap shut. Ever since then, Chloe had tried to explain her actions to the still shocked Kate and...it wasn't going too well!

"Oh Chloe, why did you have to do that? I know you meant it as a joke but I was managing to get through to Victoria and now I don't even know where she's even gone" explained Kate. Even when she was angry, Kate never raised her voice and never showed her anger with her words. Chloe could see a tear forming in Kate's eye and instantly felt like shit. Kate was a lovely girl and whilst she kind of hated Victoria, she wasn't about to ruin the girl's day. Not on purpose anyway.

"Shit Kate, I really am sorry. My mouth goes into overdrive a little too much, just ask Max" said Chloe. Just as she said this, Max looked away and blushed. It took Chloe a little while to realise why and she couldn't help but release a little chuckle, being careful not to escalate the situation with Kate too badly.

Kate glanced at both Max and Chloe. Max was now looking directly at Kate with an apologetic glace. Kate sighed to herself. Everything had just gone so fast before and it was only now that she starting to make sense of it all. What Victoria was about to say must have been important and Kate had a small idea of what it could have been. She didn't know how she felt just yet…about anything. Kate knew she needed to give Victoria some space and she also needed a little time to think about what just happened.

Kate took a moment to compose herself. She breathed in and wiped her eyes and looked back at Max and Chloe and gifted them her signature smile and said,
"It's okay Chloe. The conversation was getting a little too intense for me anyway. I'll catch up with Victoria later and make sure she's okay. We better go and see Warren now" said Kate and began to walk over to the tent in front of her with her two friends close behind.

Max Caulfield found herself smiling as she saw her old friend, grinning and chatting away to his new girlfriend Brooke Scott. Max still found it super cute that the two had gotten together and they certainly seemed happy together. Kate was also happy to see them both, both Brooke and Warren were good friends before the Vortex club situation and she thanked God that they had both survived the storm but in this moment, she found her mind was still focussing on Victoria Chase. She was still wondering about her old tormentor, now friend. Still wonder and still worrying!

Chloe Price… felt awkward!

Awkward because she didn't know Warren too well and was still a little jelouse of him…

Awkward because she was planning on proposing to her girlfriend in literally TWO days' time…

Awkward because of what just happened with Victoria and Kate! Chloe knew she needed to try and make things right and she knew how…

"Hey Max, do you mind if you and Kate go ahead and see them without me for a sec? I need a smoke" she asked. Max turned around to her girlfriend whilst Kate went ahead.

"Yeah it's cool. Are you sure everything's okay though?" asked Max in the sweetest voice Chloe had ever heard. Chloe looked around briefly to make sure no one was watching them and then proceeded to pull Max into a giant hug combined with a complementary smooching session. When they were done, Max looked around as well to make sure no one had watched them and blushed.

"Wowsers Chloe, I guess that answers my question. Just make sure not to be too long okay?" smiled Max. Chloe nodded and once again gave Max a kiss on the cheek and walked out of tent, leaving a slightly confused and love-struck Max.

'Where the fuck are you Chase?' Chloe asked herself in her head. She had spent the last few minutes trying to find Victoria which was proving to be a harder task than she anticipated. Chloe had decided to find the former queen bitch after thinking to herself that maybe...just maybe Victoria was trying to be a good person. Although Chloe really wanted an excuse to put the bitch in her place, she thought about Kate and how sad she was when Victoria had run off. Chloe was constantly asking herself why Kate would be sad to see the girl who almost caused her to commit suicide run away from her, but that wasn't important at that moment in time.

After what felt like an hour of searching, Chloe finally managed to track Victoria down. She found the blond at the very corner of the rescue centre. Victoria was just standing there, glaring away into nothing. She had her back to Chloe but Chloe could tell there was something wrong with her. The way she was standing was not the stance of a dictator like before, but one of instability and…sensitivity. Victoria was visibly shaking and Chloe hoped it wasn't out of pure anger, Max had told her stories of Victoria when she was angry and whilst Chloe wasn't scared, she was a little disturbed as the blond was known to lash out with the ferocity of a disturbed grizzly bear when she was pissed off and Chloe didn't really want to deal with that right now. She just wanted to get this over with!

"Hey…Chase" said Chloe. Her arms were folded, a defensive stance Chloe learned after many arguments with her step-father.

Victoria slowly turned around to face Chloe. It was at that moment that Chloe knew everything Max had told her was right! Everything about how fragile the blond was now after the storm! Her makeup was running down her face, obviously due to her crying and her hair was all messed up and raggedy as were her normally immaculate clothes, nothing like when Chloe last saw her.

Thoughts of David came rushing through Chloe's head as she remembered how much she despised the shit out of that man and yet had actually come to care about the war veteran after seeing how he had changed for the better. Maybe the storm had done the same thing for Victoria. Maybe Max and Kate were right to give this girl another chance. Chloe never gave second chances before Max came back into her life and yet here she was, considering actually listening to Victoria Chase talk without wanting to punch her out cold. Who could of guessed it?

"What do you want Price?" asked Victoria. There was a hint of distain in her tone but this was masked by the clear emotion in her voice, something Chloe knew all too well!

"I…uhh…wanna talk" explained Chloe, now losing the defensive stance.
"Why the fuck would I want to talk to YOU of all people? Next time, don't be so rude and butt into other people's conversations" demanded Victoria. The old Victoria would of probably taken Chloe's head of right now but not this time. Now Chloe had something to say!

"Look Vicky I'll admit, ever since I was in Blackwell I wanted to put my foot so far up your ass that your teeth would fall out and then when I heard about what you did to Kate, I was seriously considering coming down to your perfect little dorm room and fucking beating the shit out of you. But then the storm happened and everything fucking changed…." Began Chloe. It was clear Victoria had built her anger up over the course of Chloe's speech but she didn't say anything, just stood there and glared at the punk. Probably because she knew she deserved it.

Chloe continued her speech,
"…suddenly my step-douche stopped being a douche and was nearly killed because of it. Max Caulfield turned from being a memory to a girl I intend to marry the shit out of and then I hear that the bitch of Blackwell has suddenly had a change of heart and given up being a complete and utter piece of shit and has enlisted the help of my girlfriend and the girl she almost killed to help her with that. What I'm trying to say Vicky is that things have hella changed! Rachel's...dead, your teacher is a fucking psychopath and a storm came through destroying the town…" It was now that Victoria had lost her will to try and act tough in front of the punk and at the mention of the storm that killed her best friends, she began to tear up. She didn't care what Chloe thought anymore, she knew she was right. Victoria just stood there and let Chloe finish.

"…I think it's time we properly changed too. Forget about all the shit before the storm and actually move on. You hurt Kate and it's going to be hard to forgive you for that but if she and Max can…I guess I can too. So, can you do me a huge favour and come with me to see Kate so I can stop being all grown up and shit and actually have a smoke?" asked Chloe, out of breath and mentally exhausted from the speech she just gave.

Victoria smiled.

Victoria Chase actually smiled…to Chloe?!

Did it work?

Through all the tears, Victoria actually felt better. She had made her peace with Max and probably Chloe too after all that and now all that was left was Kate Marsh.

Victoria rubbed her eyes and then looked back at the punk who was standing in front of her. Finally, there was an understanding between them, Chloe couldn't forgive Victoria for all her shit and Victoria couldn't forgive herself either but they both had to move on and make things right. Now or never!

"You might actually have a point Pri…Chloe. I need to see Kate and tell her what I wanted to earlier and…thanks. I guess now is the time I actually have to change, better late than never I guess. I better go and clean myself up and then see Kate or you might just sabotage my homework again" she stated. Both Chloe and Victoria let out a small laugh at the memory.

First David and now Victoria…could life get any stranger….