"Well," Chloe says while tossing her phone onto a backpack laid against the tiled wall, "looks like it's just the two of us." Her legs dangle into the water lit up from the pool lights below.
Rachel's voice drips in from behind. "She doesn't seem like the type to do the illegal stuff we do."
"You mean I do?"
She sits down onto Chloe's left, arms wrapping around her. "Sometimes the star student has to unwind. Besides. I can easily talk our way out of anything. Except for the gun thing today."
Her eyes shut hard as she gave a loud sigh. "That was my bad. I didn't think that dumbass would leave it loaded." Only thing is David's ex-military. Would he really throw a perfectly good pistol away without even unloading it?
"Where'd you put it, anyway?"
"Um… in that little box under my bed I think. Don't worry, there's hella shit there and Mom doesn't check it unless she asks first."
A smile raises her cheeks. "See, I told you it'd be a good idea to be on the same level with Joyce. I bet she would've found it by now before."
"I'm lucky she didn't look in it around when you and I met, would've ruined her entire decade," she says while moving her feet in a circular motion, causing waves to ripple across the water.
"So… not to get you mad but I did take a gander inside before you cleaned it out the week before.
Chloe leans away, head facing her with wide eyes. "Dude, I'm so sorry you saw the-"
"Letters? Chlo, they were really sweet from what I can remember. Never thought you'd have a soft spot but a couple of years later and I can certainly say you have a ton of them."
Thank God she didn't see the other stuff.
"I did see all those expired-ass condoms. And those magazines-"
Her free hand comes to Rachel's mouth, muffling the rest of the sentence before using Rachel's wrapped arm to slingshot her into the pool in a display of an absolute splash zone to spray everything close by. Chloe keels over in laughter, face turning red and bare abs softly flexing with each breath.
"Chloe!" Rachel yells out while wiping water out of her doe-like eyes with black mascara running down to stain the pool.
Chloe blows a kiss towards her. "Love ya but I'm unfuckwithable-" Suddenly her ankle is snapped down into the water, nearly toppling on top of Rachel as they surfaced to cling to the side of the pool for support.
"Very fuckwithable, as a matter of fact." Rachel rests her head on Chloe's shoulder. "Very fuckwithable."
October 9th
You already know the biz, diary.
The dream last night was a doozy. I was in someone's room next to their bed. This time it was super detailed and I could actually see what it was instead of some blurry mess. There was a big ass TV on the wall facing this bed with a whole bunch of hospital machinery stuck on its side. There was a girl laid out on the bed, weak and frail, and a photo album in front of me filled with pictures of two kids. Pretty sure one of them was me and the other was the girl, who looked like Chloe a little bit but she was the only thing that was really blurry.
I guess we just woke up because there was some sun poking through the blinds. We start to talk and after a while, she points to a little dial thing connected to an IV. I twist it and she starts thanking me out of nowhere before I wake up to my alarm. But when I woke up, there was something choking me like I was about to cry. It was super weird but I had to keep laying down for a second. I'm okay now though. There has to be something causing these dreams.
Oh and I finally turned in the picture. When class ended, Jefferson called me over to his desk and told me that today was do or die basically. Luckily I had the photo in a folder and handed it to him. Words cannot describe how surprised he was that I, Max Caulfield, turned in a photo after literally bothering me every day. Also, Rachel turned one in as well since she has the class first thing in the morning. It actually made me feel kinda better because I honestly really don't want to be called up to talk in front of everyone. Anxiety attack city right there.
Anyways, Kate's doing much better. We had to do a partner thing in photography class and we decided to go together. The little project was to go around the campus and find something to take a picture of to practice finding something mundane and making it look nice, I guess. Once again, super cool that Jefferson does these types of little assignments. But yeah, she said that if anything else happens that she'll call or text me. Other than that, I finally took that big ass wall of photos down. Looks weird if I'm being honest. Everything else is crazy decorated except for that one where it's straight blank. If I can work my ass off then maybe it'll be home to a real cheap TV. Then again, it's damn near two thousand dollars. Maybe a poster of Akira's sick motorcycle.
Speaking of Rachel, Chloe wasn't bullshitting when they said that they broke in. I overheard Wells talking about a student saying they saw two people come out of the locker rooms right next to the pool. Really hope that they don't have security footage but I think the security douche said they were looking at putting some cameras in the pool for the End of The World Party. It's a weird name for a party. End of the world? Unless some storm comes in and destroys Arcadia Bay, then it's just a… never mind it's a cool name. And from what Chloe said over text last night, we'll probably die from alcohol poisoning anyways.
It's pretty nice to have a little private diary to explain my day-to-day shit to. I should give you a name, though. Holden? Wait I got it.
Emma. Max Caulfield and Emma Caulfield.
See ya soon. Max out *mic drop*
Warren raps his knuckles on the dashboard before looking at me. "You missed out yesterday on that marathon!" The car rumbles to life as he twists the key in place. "How did the thing with Kate go?"
He actually has a really cool car. A teensy bit old but what else can you expect from a seventeen-year-old who got it gifted to him? My camera is tucked into my lap with a small cover over the lens. "Very cold. And my hands literally wouldn't stop shaking when I got home." I glance at myself in the dusty sun cover mirror, praying there wasn't anything left on my lips from the school lunch I saved. A scoop of dry rice and a chicken wing. Rice was good but the chicken wing was pretty bad.
"Lemme guess. Was it kinda light brown and tasted like chocolate?"
I nod.
"Yup," he says while doing a u-turn to face towards the Lighthouse, small clouds scattered across the sky. What is with everyone and their mother doing u-turns? "That one is a little too mighty for you. Kapri's Latte, or as I like to call it, the… uh…. I don't actually have a name for it yet."
Nice one, Warren. The smell of gasoline wraps around us as it pushes through the air conditioning. "How about go-tassium from that little science experiment earlier?"
He gives me a side-eye partnered with droopy eyelids. "Really? That's all Mad Max could come up with?"
"I did give you the key to the little test. Brain powers all used up. Need a mana potion."
"Hopefully the little cliff should wake us up on our little da- I mean hangout thing," he says with an awkward laugh.
There's a loud silence on the way to the Lighthouse. Honestly, Warren's really sweet but kinda weird. Not a bad weird, but it feels like I'm his only friend. Then again, the same thing sorta goes for me too. Sometimes that's all you need, right? Just someone who understands you better than you do… but I already have that person. And she has hers. At first, I was kind of jealous Monday night until I realized that we both moved on. Would be super weird not to after five years.
We park the car on the side of the road and make our way to the top, only small talk about where we're supposed to go or watching out for animal shit. It all looks so familiar to the last time me and Chloe were here. I don't even know what we were doing out here, maybe doing one of our little pirate adventures, and especially alone. Those days were definitely better than they are now.
Warren pushes past a low hanging branch, pointing towards the log stairs that lead up to the cliff. He bends over and takes a deep breath with hands on knees. "Hold on a second, I didn't think it'd be so damn tiring just to get up here."
"We've been walking for only five minutes. Haven't you been up here before, Warren?"
After ruffling his hair, he continues on forward up the stairs. "Honestly… no. That's kinda why you're kinda the party leader right now."
We walk up the stairs and finally reach the top. Jesus, if nostalgia was a drug I'd be overdosing right now. Literal days have been spent up here. There're even my and Chloe's names carved into the side of the bench as I sit down closest to the lighthouse, Warren joining me. For almost two months, the only sound I heard was either cars honking, loud ass music from Victoria's room, students messing around outside, and my keyboard clicking from getting those essays out on time. But now the crashing waves bring fresh air from old carpet and cooked ramen. It's like when you just did a mile run or something super tiring and finally get to take that deep breath that you can feel in your chest. That's exactly what it feels out here, and I think Warren agrees too with how he took off his jacket and is now covering up in a really small pseudo blanket.
"So you're telling me I've been here my whole life and I've been missing out on this?" he says with an arm outstretched to the sun surrounded by orange clouds.
The cold air forced me to cross my arms. "Believe me, when me and my friend found out about this place, we'd come here at least once a week."
"Damn… do you guys still come here?"
We probably will, sooner or later. "Not really. The last time was like, years ago. We were playing around as some pirates, the stuff you'd expect from middle schoolers."
Warren glances over for a moment. "That must've been nice to have someone like that."
"It is." Hm. I sense another angsty therapy session opening up for the second chapter- I mean day in a row. "I don't think I ever asked you this, but did you live here in Arcadia your whole life?"
"Yeah. Weird how we didn't meet each other earlier if we lived in this tiny town."
"Probably did. But back then, I was super duper anti-social. Like, sit in the corner of the auditorium hoping nobody would notice me even though there was a big announcement kind of anti-social. Even this week, Jefferson called on me and I had a mini freak out." Coincidentally that mini freak out led me to meet Chloe and Rachel. Butterfly effect right there.
"Me too, even though it was more of my only choice. People probably like you, Max."
I scoff with a smile to make sure he doesn't get the wrong impression. "Tell that to the Vortex Club, and especially to Nathan and Victoria." You know, with how beautiful the sunset looks, there's a reason my camera's here. I take off the lens and focus in on a lone bird hanging below its flock, perfectly aligning inside the squares Jefferson taught us about. I take the shot and Warren jumps up to stand near me to see the photo.
The camera spits it out and I let him take it. "Damn, Max. Guess Blackwell is the right school for someone with photo skills like you. With a Z."
Well, still getting a B in photography. Getting there. "And for someone with chemistry skills like you. You can keep it, by the way. Already turned in my contest photo."
We sit back down, Warren stuffing it into a hoodie pocket. "Getting blessed by the photographer herself, I see. You going to that End of The World Party?" He scoots a tiny bit closer and leaves just enough for my camera to separate us.
Might not remember going with what Chloe said last night. The sun lowers itself even more into the ocean, beginning to welcome night. "Yeah, with Rachel and Kate I think."
"Woah. Like, the Rachel? She asked you to go with her?" he says like an excited kid.
"Yeah...no...well long story short, yes. I thought she'd definitely be more like the rest of the Vortex Club but she's pretty cool."
"Her gir- uh, friend is really cool too. Punk rock as fuck." He throws up a rockstar sign.
"Chloe, she's that friend I talked about earlier."
There's a moment where his eyes widen. "What the fuuuuck. You knew her since you guys were kids?"
I nod with a half-assed smile. "We did everything together. And no, she was not like how she is now. Like, less vulgar and had normal hair."
"That's the definition of opposites attract. You're super shy and hate attention and she's the life of the party. I remember I went to a birthday party and she was so drunk, Rachel almost got vomited on."
Wish I could rewind back about five seconds before hearing that. Does sound like her though. The ruffle of trees behind us tosses a leaf at me, plucking it off out of my hair. Damn nature. "We'll see if I'm still shy when the drinks start to come in." Alright, that came out a little aggressive, Max. "I didn't know you went to parties, though."
"Wow. That hurts me deep in the soul. You think I just stay in my dorm and play WoW the whole time? Because that's absolutely correct."
I give a giggle and the feeling of my cheeks flush causes me to pull my shirt over my mouth. Also helps with the cold. At least that's what I'll tell him. If he asks. For some reason. We sit in the cold, the only warmth coming from him and the upper half of the sun painting the sky with violet. It's been so long since the last time I saw the sunset from here. Even when me and Chloe got stuck around here it didn't look this good. Now there's nothing between us. Just blue oceans for as far as the eye can see. Seattle looked good, but never like this. There was just this small-town feeling Arcadia Bay gives that revives my childhood. It's not the best place to live but damn if it isn't the freaking prettiest thing in my life.
Warren looks at me with rosy cheeks and hands fidgeting with a pair of headphones. "Hey, Max."
I meet his gaze, somehow telepathically giving him a 'what'. There's a flock of butterflies in my stomach starting to crescendo and get stronger.
"Sunsets really nice, right?" His leg starts to bounce.
"Yeah. Makes me feel… safe for some reason. Like it's watching over me."
"You make me feel safe. L-like comfortable I mean." The wind blows up the sea breeze to us, an extra chilly spike hitting the bench.
Max.
Max.
You know damn well where this is going. There are two options.
Either you take the camera out from between us.
Or say it's time to leave.
And ever since we got here, there's been something lingering in my head about Warren. Doesn't matter what everyone else thinks, or will think tomorrow or some other day when the news gets out. This is between you, and only you. What feels right in your mind. And what you feel in your mind is exactly what's coming out. Usually, you're really bad at shit like this, but for this one time.
Go for it.
I take the camera out from between us and onto my lap, wiping at its yellow and black shell. "I know what you mean," I say with a smile while taking a scoot closer to him. There's only a little distance left behind, and that's for him to venture across. "Only person that came up to me at orientation was you. Everyone else just went by."
The lights of Arcadia Bay shine through the trees on our left to trace Warren's outline. "Didn't want you to feel alone? I don't know, just saw you walking around and taking photos. Which I have now learned that you take really pretty photos."
"You do know most of the photos you've seen are selfies… right?" The darkening sky hides my blushed cheeks but not the fluttering of my heart.
He gives a short awkward chuckle. "Uh, point still stands, I guess?"
Finally, he closes the distance, shoulders touching.
"There's a reason we're here, isn't there?." I turn my body towards him, eyes trailing away from the clouds covering the rest of the fading sun and onto his.
"I mean, from what I heard it's an awesome spot to hang out, especially with you."
"Samesies. This year would suck pretty hard if I didn't know you."
"I… uh…." His voice comes out as soft a mumble. But he leans in, either by accident or on purpose, with a hand reaching to my cheek to rub a thumb over the rosy skin.
I lean in as well to meet Warren's lips.
And it's exactly what felt right in my mind.
10:58
Max: Hey. How did the whole late night dip go?
Chloe: i smelled like chlorine and mom got hella suspicious when i got home. took the fastest shower of my life and knocked out. other than that, it was super fun. you missed out on it.
Chloe: also…
Chloe: rach saw you with warren…
Chloe: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) (no emojis still)
Max: Wait how did you even get that?
Chloe: copy and paste like the interweb genius i am
Chloe: don't avoid the question at hand tho. soooo what's between you and warren? she said that you gave him a super duper super long hug
Chloe: longer than the ones you used to give me. NOT THAT IM JELLY
Max: Can you promise to not tell anyone, Chlo?
Chloe: pinky
Max: Because I really don't want people finding it out.
Chloe: say pinky back or else i'll make posters of whatever you tell me and hang them up around arcadia
Max: Pinky
Max: Me and Warren are dating.
Chloe: oh
Chloe: my
Chloe: thats a wowzers from me
Chloe: omg max finally found a sk8er boy
Max: Hopefully he doesn't see me l8er boy.
Chloe: wow finally joining in after speaking all proper for the first few days
Max: That tends to happen when your school is full of pampered kids.
Chloe: either that or you're just hella happy and in wuv
Max: I mean… yeah. We went to the Lighthouse and talked for super long. Then I kinda just went for it and we kissed.
Chloe: and she had her first kiss
Chloe: im literally smiling so fucking hard for you
Max: Uh, not my first.
Chloe: explain
Max: High school, kinda cute guy, boom. Nothing else happened.
Chloe: noice.
Max: Anywhoolio, I gotta sleep for class tomorrow.
Chloe: aka meet up with warren
Max: :/
Chloe: wait you guys are coming to the party tmw right
Max: Yes. And yes, I will be drinking.
Chloe: thats the motherfucking spirit
Max: lol night
I close the messages app and click the ringing phone symbol from Warren, a smile from the two of us on our faces through the video call.
"Hey, Maxi."