-Buzz Buzz-

I lift my head up from off of my desk, feeling a grossly warm pool of dribble forming at the edge of my mouth.

I absently wipe at it as I yawn and stretch out, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.

My school work is still sprawled out in front of me, spots of dribble staining the half-written paper.

Shit… how long was I out? I think to myself before grabbing my phone, dragging it up to my face.

"H- hello?", I mutter, trying to stifle a yawn.

"Heyy, babe. Just calling to make sure you're ready for the party! I'm pullin' up to Blackwell now… sooo see ya in like, 5 minutes?".

I blink and sit up, immediately fully awake, "What?! Oh… shit. Y- Yeah… I'll be ready!".

I literally jump out of my seat, nearly falling on the ground as I rush to my closet. I look down at my watch, seeing the time now flashing 7:45.

I slept for 6 hours?! Seriously?!

Chloe snickers a bit, "So, I take it you aren't ready yet?".

I blush and nod to myself, "You know me well".

"Heh, perks of being your girlfriend, eh?".

"Sorry, I totally passed out after trying to get some work done for Katjaa's History class,".

"Snore. No wonder you fell asleep, sounds like a snoooze-fest!".

"It is," I admit, finally finding a suitable outfit, "But good thing I have a hot date to distract me,".

Chloe laughs, "You are adorable, Caulfield. Never Change".

"I don't intend to,".

"Good. 'cause girl, you're amazing, just the way you are!" she says with an extra giddy giggle.

"Chloe, are you... drunk?" I ask, hearing an odd dip in her voice.

"No. Not drunk, high mostly,".

"Oh...".

"Sorry… I got anxious waiting," she explains, "And I try not drink anymore… ".

I go quiet… knowing the reason why she's trying to sober up.

"Y- you don't have to do that for me," I say softly.

"Trust me, Max. I do. I don't… I don't want you to be afraid of me,".

"Chloe… I'm not going to be afraid of you,".

"You don't know that, Max… you know how easily angry I get and… I don't trust myself when I'm like that,".

"But I trust you…" I mutter, needing her to know this.

"I know, Maxie… I know. *sigh* Anyway, I'm comin' up the stairs now… be ready when I get there?".

I nod to myself again, "You bet,". "K. Love you,".

"Me too, babe. See you in a bit," I say before finally hanging my phone on my bed as I quickly strip down and slip into the only nice outfit I own.

It's just a simple pair of red jeans, a dark navy blue sweater with cute little heart decals and some solid red sneakers so it's nothing special, but, it's cute and I pray to god Chloe likes it.

What am I talking about… of course, Chloe will like it. She loves anything you wear.

I blush and hum to myself, "Even if I'm not wearing anything".

I haven't forgotten about the plan for later tonight, and while I am excited about it… I'm also scared out of my mind.

"Just relax, Max. You've got this, okay?" I mutter, brushing through my fingers through my hair, pulling it back into a loose ponytail.

It's grown longer in the past few months, reaching down past my shoulders. I haven't bothered to get it cut back down to my usual bobbed do, feeling more comfortable with it like this.

I sigh softly when I walk in front of my mirror, giving myself a last once-over, "I got this".

A light knock at my door breaks me from my anxious pacing.

"I'll be right there!" I call, taking a deep breath before pulling the door open.

"Hey, Chlo- Holy shit,".

I blink, slightly taken aback by girlfriend's appearance.

"Um… surprise?" she says, a shy smile gracing her lips as she hands me a small bouquet of roses, "Um… these are for you,".

A deep blush settles on my cheeks as I take them and look her up and down.

Chloe definitely has a better fashion sense than me.

She's wearing a clean white button down shirt with a bright red tie and her usual torn up black jeans.

But… my eyes settle on the beanie covering her head, realizing a major difference.

"Your hair…," I mutter, continuing to stare at her.

Chloe sighs and pulls her beanie off, stepping inside my room, "Can I explain?".

I nod and silently close the door behind me, before setting the roses down on my desk and turning to Chloe, still at a loss for words.

"Since tonight's gonna be special and all. I- I thought you deserved to see me without my armor… No Filter, ya know? So um… I washed out all the dye from my hair. I- I've used my whole 'tough punk' look as a mask to shield my insecurities and fears. But I'm tired of hiding, I just want to be seen as a normal kid again… not a fucking delinquent.".

"But… you're not," I protest softly, taking a step forward and resting my hand on Chloe's cheek, brushing my fingertips through her now strawberry blond hair.

"But other people don't know that, Maxie. And I know I shouldn't give a shit about what they think but I do," she says, pressing my hand closer, "Even if I don't act like it does, it bothers me".

I say nothing, not sure what to say, so I just stare at her, searching her eyes for something I'm not sure is even there.

So I lean in, softly pressing my lips against hers, feeling her gladly reciprocate. It feels good to kiss her again, even if her lips smell and taste like weed.

"I love you so, much, Max," Chloe whispers, pressing her forehead against mine, "And I'm sorry I was avoiding you. I was upset and I didn't want you to see me like that".

"You don't have to apologize for that… I was upset too,".

"But you needed me, Max… and I wasn't there for you," she says, her voice breaking slightly.

"Chlo… it's okay. We're okay. Now look at me," I say, watching as her reddened eyes lock onto mine. "Tonight… the past few days don't matter. All that matters is us, okay?".

She nods and leans into a hug, "Okay".

"Good," I say, pulling away a bit, "Now, before we head out… I- I need to to tell you something about Nate".

"I know… he's going with that dickhole Warren, right?".

I nod timidly, "You gonna be okay?".

"*sigh* For Nathan's sake… I'll tolerate him. What about you?".

I swallow audibly, and shrug, "I'm keeping my distance. He still gives me the creeps".

"I know, baby, but I'm gonna be right next to you okay?".

I nod and wrap my arms around her waist, placing my head over her chest, "I want this to be a date, Che… I want people to know we're a couple".

"Really?".

I nod, "I- I feel like I'm lying to myself by hiding our relationship… and honestly? Fuck the consequences… I want the world to know I'm in love with Chloe Price. No filter right?".

"If… if that's what you want, then I'm okay with it," she says, kissing the top of my head, "I hate lying too… plus, I wanna brag about my cute hipster girlfriend".

I giggle and give her a tight hug before pulling away, "Me too".

We stand there for a moment, holding each other in a warm embrase.

I only pull away when I hear my phone buzzing like crazing from my bed.

"*sigh* That's probably Tori wondering where the hell we are," I say, walking over and grabbing it.

"Yeah, she texted me a while ago telling me to meet her and the other's by the entrance," Chloe says, "Nate's there but Waldo's a no-show. Won't be surprised if the little guy gets stood up".

"I hope not," I mutter, sending up a silent prayer that Nate has a good time.

"Alright…ready to go?" Chloe asks, leaning in for one more kiss.

"As ready as I'll ever be. How do I look by the way?". "Abso-fucking-lutely adorable. You've gotta wear sweaters more often. ".

I look down at my feet, feeling my whole face go bright red. "Dork".

"Well, I'm your dork. Now come on, let's get outta here".


Chloe and I spot our group of friends immediately, seeing them all hanging around the covered awnings leading to the gym.

Kate and Brooke stay close to each other as usual.

Victoria sticks to herself, he attention focused mainly in the phone in her hands.

Nathan stands awkwardly next to Warren, who surprisingly has kept to his word.

"Okay… I'm kinda impressed that that ass actually showed up," Chloe mutters softly.

I nod and swallow hard, lagging a few steps behind.

"Finally! We were getting ready to send out a search party," Tori says as she and the girls rush up to us.

"Sorry… I kinda, um... lost track of time," I say, clinging to Chloe's arm for reassurance.

"Sure you did, you both were probably just making out," Brooke says with a snarky tone.

"Well, that's for us to know and you never to find out," Chloe says with an equal smirk.

Brooke rolls her eyes and scoffs softly, "Come on, Katie… Let's go inside" she says, wrapping her arm around the bun-haired girl's shoulders.

Chloe and I raise an eyebrow, "Those two have been rather buddy-buddy lately, eh?".

I nod, "They've been like that all year".

Tori rolls her eyes as we all walk inside, "Ugh, they're almost as bad as you two…".

Chloe and I both pause, giving her a surprised stare, "Wait… you don't mean…" I begin.

Tori blushes and starts to shuffle away, "You didn't hear it from me, Understood?".

Neither of us say anything, we just stand there smiling dumbly.

"I fucking knew it!" Chloe mutters excitedly, turning to me, "I couldn't have been the only one who thought they'd be a cute couple right?".

I giggle and shake my head, "I called it the day before we left on break. They act like a married couple and don't even know it,".

Chloe snickers and taps her elbow with mine, gesturing me to continue walking, "Yeah well, so do we".

I shrug and nod in agreement, following Chloe as she walks up to Nathan and Warren.

"Hey, man, glad you could make it!" Nate says happily, hi-fiving his friend, "digging the new hairstyle too,".

"Thanks, bud," she replies, turning to the smaller boy who fails to cower under her glare.

"Um, come on. Let's all just go inside and have a good time," I say, feeling tensions rise.

Chloe holds her gaze on Warren for another second before pulling away, grabbing my hand and tugging me along inside.

"Come on, Max".

I wave Nathan off and happily follow Chloe into the party, already hearing the loud music bumping inside.

"So, I want you to stay close okay? Vortex parties can get kinda wild, especially when the alcohol comes out".

"Alcohol?!" I exclaim, "You mean people are gonna get drunk?".

"Well, yes and no. Only the V.I.P's get access to that shit, and last I checked we're both too lame to score a spot… no offence by the way".

"None taken, but… are you sure, can't we get in real trouble?".

"Point is not to get caught and watch what you drink, people sometimes spike the regular punch too," Chloe says, picking a red cup up off the refreshments table, "Here, give this a whiff. Smell funny to you?".

I sigh and grab the cup, holding it under my nose for a moment, "It smells like your everyday cup of punch".

She smirks and takes a quick swig, "Wrong, Caulfield. It's spiked".

"What?! No way," I protest, grabbing the cup back and taking a drink.

It doesn't taste off to me, in fact, it tastes just fine.

I give Chloe a confused look which she just smiles at.

"What?".

She snickers, "Gotcha".

I huff playfully and stick my tongue out at her, "Meanie,".

"Call me what you want, but seriously… be careful. If you can, stick to the bottled water and shit, stuff you know people can't fuck with".

I smile a little at her protectiveness and nod, "Okay… I will".

"Good, now stay close. I know you want this to be a date and all but what'd ya say we save the mushy shit for the slow dance. That way, everyone can see that our gay asses are a couple".

I giggle and nod again, "You've got a deal, Price".

We shake hands and laugh stupidly to ourselves.

"Alright. Stay close, m'kay? These parties can get pretty hectic,".

I nod and take hold of her hand again, allowing her to lead me over to the dance floor.


We dance around for a while, stupidly moving our bodies around to the sound of the upbeat music blasting through the speakers, not caring who sees us.

I search the gym with my eyes for a moment, finding all my friends spread out across the room.

Victoria is walking around chatting up all the Vortex Club members, making sure everyone is having fun.

Brooke and Kate share a small table set out for the students, happily sharing lovestruck glances.

Nathan and Warren stand on the outskirts of the dance floor, seeming to be having a decent conversation.

I wonder what Nate sees in that asshat, I think to myself, how can such a sweet guy like such a dickhole.

"Hey, babe," Chloe says, breaking me out of my thought.

I turn to her, "Hmm?".

"I gotta take a piss. Think you'll be okay out here on your own?".

I nod and blush a little, "I can handle myself".

"I know," she replies, leaning in and giving me a small quick peck on the cheek.

I blush even more and smile dumbly, watching as she staggers off the bathrooms.

I hum to myself and make my way over to the beverage table.

"Hey… Max,".

I freeze in place, almost dropping my cup mid-pour.

I look up and stare and the brown haired boy with wide, fearful eyes.

"Warren".

"Hey…".

I swallow hard and finish pouring my drink with shaky hands, setting it down for a moment, "What do you want?".

"To apologize,".

I raise an eyebrow, "Y- yeah right. Y- you threatened me, Warren. I don't trust anything you say. Now you better go before Chloe gets back".

"I'm not trying to start shit, Max... I- I want to apologize for my recent behavior, okay? That's all I'm here to do," He says, with a half smile.

Of course, I don't believe him…and I know I should just walk away and find Chloe or even Nathan but I stay right where I am.

"Listen. I really am sorry for all the shit I've put you through. I just… I've been going through a lot lately and… I know that's no excuse but I really am sorry".

"I don't believe you," I mutter.

"I knew you wouldn't right away but… I want to make it up to you. You know… be friends again? If… if it's not too late?".

"We were never friends, Warren. Now please… leave me alone" I say, trying to stand my ground.

"Are you sure? Isn't there anything I can do to make you change your mind?" He asks, seeming genuinely saddened by my refusal.

I furrow my eyebrows, "Yeah… you can go fuck yourself".

He chuckles, "You try to act tough but your shaking hands kinda give you away,".

I blush and shove my hands in my pockets, "Fuck you".

"I'm trying here, Max… I don't want to be that asshole kid that nobody likes," he says, reaching out for his own cup.

I flinch slightly but recover quickly.

"News flash… you are," I mutter, my anxiety now shooting through the roof.

"That's why I'm trying to change. Be a better person… a better friend" Warren says, pointing to Nathan who stands a good distance behind me.

He waves and I wave back.

"I haven't been the nicest to him, Max," Warren says, catching my attention again. "I- I don't have the same feeling he has but… I want to be able to support him and shit, ya know?".

I nod a little but hold my stern look, "If you so much as look at him wrong…".

"I won't, Max," He says, "Anyways, I tried. I'll see you around," He says, taking his punch and walking away.

I watch as he leaves, making sure he's a good distance away before returning to the spot Chloe left me.

She returns a few moments later, a goofy grin on her face.

"What's gotten you so chipper?" I ask.

"I just caught Kate and Brooke making out in the bathroom,".

I blush, "Did they see you?".

"I dunno. Brooke had her tongue shoved so far down Katie's throat, I doubt she saw anything".

I snicker a bit, "We are so going on double dates from now on,".

"Was there even a doubt?" Chloe asks, taking a step forward and wrapping her arms around my shoulders.

We press our foreheads together and dance a little, a slow song now wafting from the speakers.

"This is for all you lovebirds out there!" a voice on the intercom says, "Go ahead and make you're way out onto the dance floor cause this one's for you".

"Whaddaya say Maxie? You ready to tell the world that you're in love with a punk?".

I blush and nod, stepping away and chugging the rest of my punch even though it burns on the way down.

"Let's do this".

We both giggle and shuffle out onto the dance floor, followed by a few other couples.

We get a few odd stares and quiet whispers, but ignore them and continue to slow dance.

I can feel my heart pounding in my chest, worried for a negative reaction but… it never comes.

Not even the teachers or faculty seem to care.

At least for now.

"Hey, Max?" Chloe whispers a bit later.

I hum dumbly, a warm sensation settling in my belly, "Yeah?".

"I ran into Nate on my way back from the little girl's room and he said Warren was talking to you at the beverage table? He didn't try any shit did he?".

"Not exactly," I admit, "He was trying to apologize for threatening me but I told him to go f-fuck himself".

She chuckles, "He should take your advice".

I nod, giggling a bit, "He should".

Chloe smiles and leans in, kissing me softly on the lips. I gladly reciprocate, pesiing my hand on the small of her back.

We continue kissing, both of us snickering like idiots.

"Y- you're still high, huh?" I ask, licking the weed taste off her lips.

She shutters and nods, "I may have brought a joint with me to the bathroom".

I giggle, "Hmm, you're bad".

"Huh, you are too! Your breath smells like booze!".

I blink and nod a little. "I Th- think that punch was spiked," I mutter, feeling slightly dizzy.

"You okay?".

I nod, "Yeah. I can still think straight and shit… it's just… f- fuzzy. A- am I drunk?".

"Pfft, doubt it," she replies, pecking my lips again, "You're probably just a bit buzzed. Might feel like more only cuz your a lightweight".

"Lightweight?" I repeat.

"You get drunk, or in your case buzzed really fast with just a bit of alcohol,".

"Oooh," I mutter, hiccuping a little.

Chloe snickers, "Huh, you're adorable,".

"No, you are,".

She smiles and kisses me with more persistence, getting me to let out a tiny little moan.

I grab the back of her head and press her lips harder against mine, my tongue flicking over her bottom lip.

She gladly grants me access and we wrestle our tongues together, ignoring the now whooping crowd.

Chloe pulls away for a moment, her breathing slightly labored, "Big question, Max. My place or yours?".

I smile slyly and tug on her shirt a little, "Definitely yours".