"Man, I'm freezing my ass off."
"Then go to the truck and turn the heater on."
"One, The heater doesn't work, and Two, I don't want to miss Maximal's triumphant return."
"Then stop complaining," Max told the bluenette. We're going to need a new nickname soon, he glanced at her brown hair, ready to take back its rightful place on the girl's head.
"You're a real dick, Boy Max," Chloe slapped him in the arm.
He smiled. He wasn't just Max anymore – his best friend was coming back, so the 'Boy' was back. He glanced at the girl again, the only one in the group shivering in the mild cold, and with a roll of his eyes took off his jacket. "Here," he said.
"You're a real saint, Boy Max,"
To his left, Kate chuckled. She looked at them with amusement, but the confusion was still in her eyes. Max could almost read her thoughts: what happened during the weekend that made them such good friends?
"Go ahead, Kate," Chloe looked at her. "Laugh at my suffering."
"I'm not laughing at -"
"And there she is," Max announced.
The girls turned to the street. In the distance, Mark Jefferson's fancy car slowly made its way to them. With an agonizing pace, the car made its way to the parking lot and stopped in front of them.
At long last, Max Caulfield had returned.
The passenger door opened, and the brunette herself stepped out. Gone was the shirt and jacket combo, replaced by a dark blue sleeveless shirt. The jeans remained, but they looked different from the ones she usually wore. A pair of round sunglasses finished the outfit.
"Damn, girl," Chloe voiced everyone's thoughts.
"I forgot it was cold in here," Girl Max chuckled.
"Here's my jacket," the bluenette said quickly, offering Max's.
"No, that's fine," she waved Chloe off and turned to the car. "Thanks for the ride, M...ister Jefferson."
"Anytime, Max," the reply came from inside. "I'll see you all in class."
Girl Max watched the car until it disappeared down the street, then turned. "So what's up?"
"It was a very crazy weekend," Kate began. "Like a spy –"
"Max!" Chloe caught her best friend in a bear hug and spun her around several times. "How was Cali, girl?! Tell us everything!"
"At least let her rest a little," Max told the girl. "Flying is very tiring."
"You're right," Chloe conceded, and pulled away from the Girl Max. "Take a nap and call us when you wake up?"
"What the hell happened between you two?" Girl Max asked.
"We made up," Max replied.
"Right..." The girl dragged the word out. She looked from one to the other slowly, her eyes narrowed in concentration. Then she smiled. "You guys had sex, didn't you?"
"What the fuck, Max?" Chloe blushed.
"Oh my goodness!" Kate gasped, blushing even harder. "Was that what happened?"
"Of course not!" the boy cried.
Click.
Girl Max held her camera for a moment, then put it away. "I have to save this moment," she laughed. "I'll call you when I wake up, okay?"
"S-sure," Chloe nodded, still flustered, and watched her walk away. She turned to the other two. "I guess Cali really affected her, huh?"
Max groaned.
"Did you see that?" Kate asked. When he looked at the girl, his embarrassment vanished. She stared intently in the direction Girl Max left. "Her camera."
"Yeah, it looked newer," Chloe said.
"Probably a gift from one of the rich assholes," Max added.
"It wasn't an analog," Kate shook her head. "It was digital."
