Hey all, so, here's a new little Of Goths and Gang wars is Strange thing I wanted to write, while the idea was still somewhat fresh in my head. Happy Father's Day US to all the Fathers and Father Figures out there!
It was an ordinary Sunday in June in Arcadia Bay, Oregon. Except for one tiny detail, it was Father's Day and Chloe Price was having none of it. Anyone who knew her knew what happened to her father on that fateful day back when she was 14. As such, anyone who knew her had no idea how she dealt with this day ever since and there was no way in Hell she was going to celebrate this day with David Madsen, her step-father, or as she would put it mildly, her step-douche, dick, dildo, any and all of the above, really.
Chloe walked downstairs from her room and headed outside.
As she grabbed the door handle, her mother, Joyce, had put a hand on her shoulder. "Chloe, where are you going? Don't you know what day it is?" Joyce asked.
"Yes, mother, I do. It's the day where I pretend I love David like he was my own father, except he's not." Chloe replied.
"I know, Chloe, look hun, I..." Joyce said.
"No, mom, you don't know. You don't know how it feels to realize that dad's never coming back, so it's not worth trying to understand me." Chloe replied cutting her off.
Joyce sighed. "Chloe, you're right. I don't know how it feels to be a daughter grieving for her dad today, but I know what it's like to be a wife who's grieving for her husband today, and every day. But, sometime Chloe, I need you to make room for your step-father in your heart and in your life." Joyce said.
"Don't call him step-father, he's not any kind of father to me. He's just some loser who you fell in love with to try and forget that dad ever existed." Chloe replied.
"Chloe, that's not fair, and you know that." Joyce said.
"Whatever, I'm gone." Chloe replied slamming the door behind her.
Joyce opens the door again. "I hope when you come back you have a less shitty attitude!" Joyce called out before closing the door.
Chloe steps into her truck and pulls out of the driveway. She turns on the radio and starts to drive around heading back to Blackwell Academy to meet up with the only two people who can keep her sane and calm on a day like this.
As she pulls into the parking lot of the Academy she spots Justin, Trevor, Mike, and Ryan in the parking lot skating, as Salem watches on. Mike comes to a halt on his board when he sees Chloe step out of her truck.
"Hey Chloe." Mike greeted with a nod. Chloe ignores the greeting and walks on.
"What's up with Price, is she pissed about something?" Justin asked.
"Either that, or she's somehow so high she can't hear anything around her." Ryan replied.
"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard, bro. I think you're high." Mike said with a grin.
"Don't I wish..." Ryan replied.
"I know that's right." Justin said high-fiving Ryan.
"Wait here, guys. I'm going to go check on Chloe." Mike said picking up his board and heading towards the school.
"Chloe!" Mike called out.
"Fuck off, Mike. I'm not in the mood." Chloe replied walking at a bit off a faster pace.
"Nice. Look, I'm just trying to talk to you like a friend..." Mike said.
"You want to be my friend? Leave me the fuck alone, that's what you can do. Like right now." Chloe replied.
"Whatever..." Mike said with a shrug.
As Chloe heads towards the dorms, she finds Kate, Max, and Rachel caught up in conversation near a tree.
"Chloe, hey!" Max greeted pulling her girlfriend into a hug.
"Down, Max. No need to make Rachel even more jealous." Chloe replied jokingly. Rachel rolls her eyes and flips off Chloe jokingly in response.
"Kate, can you uh, buzz off I wanted to hang with Max and Rachel alone, if that's cool." Chloe said.
"Um, yeah, I guess that's okay..." Kate replied looking down sadly while walking away.
"Uh, Price, I think you have a shadow..." Rachel said looking at the figure behind her.
"What are you..." Chloe replied turning around.
"Really, what part of leave me the fuck alone do you not get, pretty boy?" Chloe asked annoyed.
"Well, that's a new one. Anyways, I'm here because I want to help a friend out when she's feeling pissy." Mike replied.
"I agree, I want to be with my friends, which you are not, so get lost." Chloe said.
"Seriously, Chlo, you stop this being obnoxious shit right now, or I'm going to fuck off, just like you want and I really think you don't want that, do you?" Mike asked.
"No need, I'm going to fuck off, because I forgot that Blackhell has so many dorks around here. Bye." Chloe replied brushing past Mike, hard.
Mike put his hands behind his head and looked down. "So, something tells me this is more than just some girly PMS type of thing." Mike said.
"Yeah, I think you have a point there, Mike. Hey Max, what day is it?" Rachel asked looking over at Max.
"Well, Sunday, obviously, but it's also... oh shit." Max said. Mike and Rachel glance over at Max in unison.
"Guys, today's Father's Day, and we all know why Chloe would be hating the shit out of this day right now." Max said.
"Right, well, she shouldn't be alone. She's our friend, and I know that if I were in her shoes I wouldn't want to be alone when I'm feeling this pissed off at the world." Mike replied.
"I don't know you guys, Chloe seems like the type of person who just needs to be alone when she's this angry." Rachel said.
"Come on, Rachel. Chloe must've been there for you when you found out your dad was a bastard with terrible secrets." Mike replied.
"Yeah, she was. Alright, I guess it's time to return the favor. I'll send out a group text that Chloe's off on her own at American Rust and she needs some friends to comfort her." Rachel said.
"What are you psychic? How do you know she's at your hangout?" Mike asked.
"Because that's where we always go when we're pissed at the world." Rachel said.
"Alright then, Max, show me the way." Mike replied.
"Alright, come on." Max said. The two leave.
Moments later, they're on a train heading across town. "Why'd we take a train out here?" Mike asked.
"Because the train will take us down to the junkyard where's Chloe at." Max replied.
"Right, kind of a stupid question, huh?" Mike asked.
Max looks out the train and sees that they're about to pull into the nearby station. "Jump!" Max said.
"The fuck?" Mike asked.
"Jump!" Max repeated.
"Are you trying to be funny? You might be able to plot out this jump with your cool rewind, but I'll fucking die." Mike replied.
"Just jump. Trust me, Chloe, Rachel, and I all did it once when we came here to hang out." Max said.
Mike sighed. "Alright!" Mike replied jumping out of the semi-moving train. Max follows after him.
"That was so fucking cool!" Mike said laughing afterwards.
"See? I told you it'd be all good, after all, if I could do it, so could you. Considering I'm pretty chicken shit, already." Max replied.
"Wait, so you seriously jumped out of a moving train with your two best friends?" Mike asked.
"Yeah, I mean it was pretty stupid, but really fun too." Max replied.
"Good to know..." Mike said.
"Look!" Max replied pointing up the hill.
"Chloe's up there?" Mike asked.
"Most definitely." Max replied walking up the hill. Mike follows after. The two walk around the junkyard to find Chloe resting on top of her dad's wrecked car.
Chloe looks over at Mike walking toward her. "Of course you're notfar behind." Chloe said annoyed.
"Look, Chloe, I just wanted to..." Mike replied.
"Look Chloe, I just wanted to... what did you want to say to me, Mike? You wanted to say that you know how it feels to go through my struggle? Because you've lost a loved one so you obviously get it?" Chloe asked mocking Mike.
"Took the words right out of my mouth." Mike replied sitting down next to Chloe.
"Yeah, hi, I didn't invite you to sit with me." Chloe said sitting up.
"Tough shit, I'm here now. I'm here as your friend." Mike replied.
"Oh, you're here to be my friend, huh? See, if you were really my friend you would know how much I hate being bugged by people when I'm pissed off and you would just let me be alone." Chloe said.
"Right, but you know, I've got this funny feeling in the pit of my stomach telling me that you don't want to be alone right now. Look, Chloe, I know you..." Mike replied.
"No! Just shut the fuck up, alright?! You don't know me! You don't! Now, just. Fuck. Off." Chloe replied grabbing Mike off the hood of the car and punching him in the stomach.
"Feels good, right?" Mike asked.
"Yep." Chloe replied. Chloe stands over Mike ready to kick him in the stomach, when Max walks up the two of them.
"Chloe, don't! He just wants to help you." Max said.
"Max?" Chloe asked.
"Yes, me. Mike and I came here to talk to you and help you calm down. Look, Chloe, you know I love you and you know I'd do anything for you, so let's just talk it out, right now." Max replied.
Chloe walks over to Max and looks her up and down, tears start forming in her eyes and her lip starts to quiver. "Oh Max, this... this sucks so bad. I just..." Chloe said hugging her girlfriend tightly and breaking down in tears.
"I know, Chloe. I know. I can't imagine how you've been celebrating Father's Day all these years since William died and I've been away, but..." Max replied.
"But that doesn't matter now, because we're all here for you now." Rachel said walking over to the three surrounded by Amanda, Jade, Lola, Kate, Salem, Ryan, Trevor, Justin, and Snow.
"Holy shit, have you been crying?" Rachel asked.
"No, I just..." Chloe said rubbing her eyes.
"Nothing wrong with showing emotions, Chlo." Mike replied, still on the ground.
Chloe looks over at him with a glare. "Do you want me to hit you again?" She asked sarcastically sweet.
"There's the Chloe, I know and love to hate." Mike replied with a grin.
Amanda walks over to her boyfriend and helps him up. "Thanks love." Mike said. Amanda nods.
"Why'd you all come out here?" Chloe asked.
"Rachel told us to come with when she said you were feeling pissed. Chloe, I... I don't know what it feels like to lose a dad, but I'm stuck with a shitty stepfather and you know that. That's why we're such close friends, so, please, just... uh... chill out..." Jade said walking over to Chloe and wrapping her in a hug.
Chloe politely returns it. "Thanks girl, but I'm starting to feel a bit better." She said. Jade nods in reply.
"Chloe, you know I had to come out here, I've been your best friend for years now, and you and I both know how shitty my dad is, so, like Jade said, uh, chill out..." Rachel replied with a grin. Chloe shakes her head and flips Rachel off jokingly in reply.
Lola sighed. "Maybe I'm tempting fate here by saying this, but... for some reason it feels like when you say you're okay, you're not really okay. It just means your fine for now, and then you'll be all pissy again next year..." Lola said.
"Babe, don't..." Salem replied.
"No, Salem, I want to hear this." Chloe said walking towards Lola.
"Chloe, I've known you for a while, I'd say we're pretty solid acquaintances by now, and I need to say this. You're lucky, you are so fucking lucky, you don't even know. Yes, your dad died, but you at least had him to lose. I never once got to know my real father, I was always raised by my mom and her many boyfriends, and I treated them like temporary father figures on Father's Day. So, don't you dare start acting like such a selfish kid because your dad might not be around, but you did have him to lose, I never knew what my dad was like and when I would have had the chance to, he died. So, stop acting like such a horrible bitch to everyone around you today and every Father's Day after, because you at least have someone in that house to celebrate today, yes, he's a dickhead with a hard on for security, but at least he's around." Lola explained.
"Holy shit.." Mike replied. Amanda elbowed him.
"Lola, you're... you're right. I do have someone at home to appreciate, and I guess, even though I fucking hate him most of the time, David is trying to be my dad. But... fuck..." Chloe said putting her face in her hands.
Lola hugged Chloe. "It's alright, I might have overstepped my bounds, but I felt like it needed to be said." Lola replied.
"No, you're fine, it's just, I don't know. I guess I just forget that a lot of you have had it worse and that I need to stop acting like such a fucking cow when it comes to shit like that." Chloe said.
"That's fair, and not to risk another punch in the stomach, but I think you owe some people here some apologies." Mike replied.
Chloe rolled her eyes amused. "Yes, you're right." Chloe said.
Chloe walks over to Kate. "Kate, I was pretty shitty to you today, wasn't I? You don't deserve that, because you're like this really sweet person, so, I'm sorry." Chloe apologized.
Kate smiled and hugged Chloe. "Thank you." Kate replied.
Chloe looks stunned for a brief moment. "Heh. No problem." Chloe said returning the hug.
"Mike, I just want to thank you for... for... for being my friend today. You and I butt heads a lot, but you were there for me today. So, sorry for punching you and telling you to fuck off." Chloe apologized.
Mike puts a hand behind his head. "Yeah, what are friends for?" Mike replied.
"What's the matter, dude? You too manly to hug another woman?" Chloe asked.
"No, I just didn't think that the uber hardcore Chloe Price would want to hug it out so much." Mike replied. Mike and Chloe hug for a brief moment and then pull apart looking away.
"You guys have such a weird friendship." Rachel said.
"True." Mike replied.
"Man, after all this bullshit, I feel like I need to get my smash on." Chloe said.
Mike looked at her amused. "Either consider re-phrasing or kindly wait for the rest of us to leave so that you and Max can smash alone." Mike replied.
"Perv, I meant I want to smash some shit while I'm here, because coming to terms with my emotions is Hella lame." Chloe said.
"Alright, so, are some of us good to tag along?" Mike asked.
"Yeah, let me show you where the bats are." Chloe replied.
"You know, I've got the perfect playlist for this kind of thing..." Mike said.
"Oh really?" Justin asked.
"Yeah dude, I've got my tunes for when I'm pissed off at the world too." Mike replied walking over to Justin with the playlist pulled up on his phone.
Mike grabs a bat and sets the phone over in the shack where Chloe, Max, and Rachel hang out and turns it up to full volume.
The first song to play is The Smashing Pumpkins-Tarantula. As the heavy guitar and bass kick in, Mike and Chloe look at each other and start to smash up things around the junkyard. Eventually, the others join in too. A few hours later, Chloe sits back down on her father's car.
"So, how do you feel now?" Mike asked.
"Better, thanks for being here guys." Chloe replied.
"Wait, did I just hear Chloe Price use her manners?" Mike asked teasingly.
"You're Hella pushing your luck, Mike." Chloe replied with a small glare.
Mike smirked. "I enjoy that fact." Mike said.
"Anyways, are you going to go home, Chloe?" Lola asked.
Chloe sighed. "Guess I have to, huh? Maybe try to be there for David on his "special" day..." Chloe replied.
"It won't be easy, girl. But it's gotta happen." Lola said.
"Fair enough, see you guys later." Chloe said getting up and heading for her truck. Before she opens the door to her truck, she turns around.
"Hey guys, maybe we can make this a new Father's Day tradition. You know, get together and fuck shit up to put me in a good mood, and then do whatever else we want to do afterwards..." Chloe said.
The rest of the group exchange glances. "Sure Price, that sounds like fun." Rachel replied.
Chloe grinned. "Alright, I'm off." Chloe said stepping into her truck and pulling out of the junkyard.
"Well, time for us to head off too. It's getting late and I haven't even given my old man a call." Mike said.
"Well, I'm going to go and go what I always do on Father's Day, which means going over to Frank's RV and getting blazed." Justin replied.
"Nice, I'm with you, man." Trevor said fist bumping Justin.
"Hey Mike, after your done being a good son to your old man, what do you say to hanging with Salem and I to go fuck shit up?" Ryan asked.
Mike grinned. "Dude, yes. Hell, we could even invite Justin and Trevor along." Mike replied.
"That sound even more fun." Justin said.
The five boys walk off to the train tracks to catch the next train.
Rachel shook her head amused. "Boys..." Rachel said.
Amanda looked down at the ground and then looked at Rachel. "Hey Rachel, I, um..., I know that you and your dad aren't getting along and I don't even know if I can talk to my dad today after finding out that he's not my birth dad, so I was wondering if you wanted to head back to my dorm and we could have like a girls' movie night or something..." Amanda replied.
Rachel smiled at her. "It's a date." Rachel said.
"Date? I, um... I never meant to ask you out, we've got boyfriends after all and..." Amanda replied nervously.
Rachel laughed. "Amanda, calm down. I was joking. Let's go." Rachel said wrapping her arm around Amanda.
"Hey, guys, wait... Look, we all know I don't have a dad around and never really did, come to think of it. So, I was wondering if I could tag along to this girls' movie night?" Lola asked.
"Yes, Lola, of course you can come along..." Amanda said.
The three girls walk off to the train tracks with their arms wrapped around each other.
"And then there were four..." Jade said.
"Hanging out with my best friend on Father's Day does sound like a lot of fun. Kate, since it seems like Chloe is going to try to make peace with David and spend the rest of the day with him at home, did you want to go out for a tea date and then just hang out?" Max asked.
"Yeah Max, that sounds like a lot of fun. I'll just have to call my dad and wish him a happy Father's Day before we go." Kate replied.
"Sounds fair, I'll text mine while I'm waiting for you." Max said.
"And then there were two... so... my little raven, would you like to go out with me today?" Snow asked. "Hmm, spend the day moping because my real dad abandoned me and my step dad is an abusive douchebag or hang out with my best friend/ girlfriend. I'd say the answer is pretty obvious." Jade replied.
"So, what's your answer?" Snow asked.
Jade walks up to Snow and kisses her on the lips. The two girls make out for a brief period of time. "Does that answer your question?" Jade asked.
"Hmm, I might need some more confirmation..." Snow replied. Jade rolled her eyes and smiled.
"You're such a lame girlfriend..." Jade said. Snow rested her head on Jade's shoulder.
"You know, one day you and I can be lame wives together." Snow replied.
"I very much look forward to that day..." Jade said. The two girls walk off to the train tracks holding hands.
Back at the Price house, Chloe pulls into the driveway and steps out of her truck. Chloe walks into the house to find David sitting on the couch reading a newspaper and Joyce in the kitchen cooking food.
"Chloe, you're home! I was just making David some lunch, did you want some?" Joyce asked.
"Yeah, actually. I'm pretty hungry." Chloe replied.
"Wow, you seem to be in a better mood, what happened?" Joyce asked.
"Well, to put it shortly, my friends and I just hung out for a while and they helped me chill out. Now, if you don't mind I actually want to get something for David that's upstairs." Chloe replied.
Joyce says nothing in response and just smiles. Chloe heads up the steps and enters her room looking for her gift for David. Chloe heads back downstairs and keeps the present hidden behind her back. Chloe walks over to the living room and stands near David.
"Chloe, welcome home, soldier." David said.
"Uh, yeah, hey David. I um..." Chloe replied. Chloe closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Here, this is for you." Chloe said sticking her hands out.
"You got me a gun for Father's Day? That's... heh, that's different. Wait... this is my gun. Did you steal this from my rack in the garage?" David asked sternly.
"Yeah, I did, but I had a good reason for it. Besides, it's Father's Day and I'm trying to be nice to you, as much as it's killing me inside." Chloe replied.
"What good reasons did you have to break into my gun rack and steal this?" David asked still stern.
"Look, as you probably know I've met some really shitty and scary people over the past couple of years and I just stole that for protection for myself." Chloe replied.
"Wait, so you believe in gun control but you had to go and take my gun for your own stupid reasons?" David asked.
"Yes David, because I don't trust any of you men with a gun in your hands." Chloe replied.
David sighed deeply. "Don't. Push me." David said.
"Well then stop belittling me and acting like I'm an idiot because you'd rather keep all those guns to yourself because you think you're still a badass soldier in a war. News flash, buddy, you're not. Fuck, this was such a waste of time. No matter what I do, you'll always give me shit." Chloe replied annoyed walking back towards the door.
"Chloe, wait. I want to apologize. Look, yes, I push you a lot, and yes, I keep all those guns to myself. But, I have my own good reasons for it. I come on a bit strong and act like an asshole because of it, but that's only because I care about protecting you and Joyce as best as I possibly can because I love you both more than anything in this world now." David said.
Chloe looked down at the ground tears threatening to fall from her eyes.
"...Thanks David, I... accept your apology. ...Happy Father's Day." Chloe replied.
"Well, I'm glad you accept my apology and thank you, Chloe." David said.
"Well, that's over. Come over here and eat, both of you." Joyce said.
David and Chloe walk over to the kitchen and sit down.
"Chloe, I don't like that you took my gun, but I'm going to let you keep it on one condition." David said.
"Sure, just name your price." Chloe replied.
"You keep that gun with you at all times and you only use it to protect the ones you love when they're in danger." David said.
"Sure." Chloe replied.