Chapter 20: We'll Do it Now and Remember it Later
Winter was days away from setting in; the luscious orange hues of Fall had been replaced with the icy blue tinted sky that signified temperatures were dropping and nights were getting longer. Anyone who was in attendance to the insane Halloween party that had taken place last night would be too hungover to notice anything other than the fact the sky was too bright for their liking.
Max was one of those individuals who was greeted by a bright sun, broken up by the odd cloud that was slowly passing it. She wrestled with her covers to keep the light off her face but found it fruitless. She wasn't one to drink a lot but the few drinks she did have were enough to leave her groggy. She blamed her low alcohol tolerance on that one.
One thing she was coherent enough to notice was the significant lack off a sleeping bluenette that was not next to her. Chloe was usually the one who struggled to wake up so Max couldn't help but ponder as to how late it really was. She didn't get back to her room at a stupid time, it was relatively early if she remembered correctly. She didn't stay up much longer either, just managing some light fluff with Chloe before falling asleep peacefully.
Reluctantly pulling the covers off her face and looking around the room for Chloe, Max spotted her, sitting across from her, on the couch. She had a solemn look on her face, her chin supported by her right hand that was resting on her knee as her left hand held a piece of paper that she stared at with sad, melancholy eyes. It was one of the many missing person posters Chloe had printed in an effort to find Rachel.
Max sat up in bed, letting the blanket fall off her, revealing her slim frame as she stretched.
"Chloe, is everything ok?" She asked just after she let out a big yawn.
"I just, I can't help but think about how Rachel would have loved last night, Max" Chloe couldn't take her eyes off the poster in front of her. "She would have loved our costumes, she would have loved you, she would have been in her element, the social queen of Blackwell"
Max had walked over to her girlfriend and sat to the right of her, placing her arms around Chloe's shoulders as she rested her head against hers.
"I wish I'd gotten the chance to meet her, Chloe, I owe her for being there for you when I couldn't"
Chloe just sighed and let the poster fall out of her hands and hit the floor. She nestled her head back against Max and fell into her embrace. Max was her best friend and the love of her life but Rachel was her ear to talk to, her grounding voice that made her feel like someone was listening. She was the person that made Chloe feel like she didn't have to be angry at the world all the time.
Aaron had been kind enough to help her place up some more posters a few days ago but every time Chloe saw them, she couldn't help but feel her heart sink. She wasn't one to accept defeat at all but she had nothing keeping her thoughts positive. Aaron was kind enough not to ask questions, he saw that this mattered to Chloe so he silently gave up a few hours of his day to help her.
Max would never truly understand, she was an outsider to their relationship but she knew Chloe needed her and matters concerning Rachel were especially hard for her to deal with. Max didn't really know what to do but she'd make sure she was free to do whatever Chloe needed.
"Can we do something today, Max? I need to just get out"
"Of course we can, Chloe, anything come to mind?" Max wasn't even phased by her initial hangover any more, Chloe was all that mattered.
"I mean, I don't know" Chloe shrugged as she lifted her head up. "I'm not exactly miss social gathering, maybe Aaron would know?" Chloe suggested, he did seem to have a way with these kinds of things.
"Sure, I'll ask him and see what we can come up with" Max replied with glee as she kissed Chloe on the right cheek. "You have enough warm clothes?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine, If I'm not, I'll just steal yours" Chloe joked as she cracked a smile, she was feeling better already.
Nathan sat at his desk as the morning light pierced his curtains, illuminating certain sections of his otherwise dark bedroom. He couldn't stop his mind from lingering on Brooke and he hated himself more and more with every passing second. He had no idea what the fuck *this* was but knew he'd never experienced these feelings before. He was more confused than anything and he didn't like it.
He wasn't mad, not really. Despite having a short temper, he was perplexed on these feelings he was having for a girl he had only recently gotten to know. She was also so not his type; she was a nerd who had an attitude problem and figured she was better than most people. And that was exactly what he liked about her.
The fact Brooke essentially puts Nathan in his place when she deems it necessary was something no one has ever done to him before. Due to his dad's status and the weight the Prescott name carried in Arcadia Bay, Nathan was just used to getting by and getting whatever he wanted. It was refreshing for someone to see him as an actual person and treat him as an equal. If he wanted respect or help from Brooke, he had to earn it.
That was another major factor, she actually helped him! Sure, she made it seem like she initially didn't have a choice but she still actively made the most of it and encouraged Nathan to apply himself. He found himself experiencing emotions he had no idea existed and he didn't want to ruin things and potentially lose whatever he thought the two of them had.
He couldn't lie, kissing her was exhilarating, like nothing he'd ever done before and yet, when the time came to go further, he chose not to. Brooke really made Nathan think about things, think what kind of person does he want to be. Even now as he held his stress ridden face in his hands, he shouted at himself for feeling so confused and letting his time be taken up by all this pointless thought.
Nathan let out a loud sigh as he leaned back in his chair, the movement propelling him a few feet across the floor and causing him to spin a bit. He hadn't been able to get much sleep, his thoughts were too occupied on what to do about this whole situation. His hair was messy, his eyes had more bags than a supermarket checkout and his entire posture was that of fatigue.
Nathan didn't quite know it but he was crushing on her, hard. Then again, it was perfectly understandable that he didn't know what was going on. He'd never felt this way about anyone before and this was the first time his heart had felt these feelings for someone. He argued internally with himself over what was going on because he didn't know the simple answer was to tell her how he was feeling.
He wanted some form of relationship with Brooke, that's why he was so hesitant to just sleep with her. If it was any normal circumstance, he most likely would have but this was different, she wasn't just anybody. Nathan just fell face first onto his bed and screamed into the pillow, letting out all the built up emotion he had inside him. He was drained and right now just wished his bed would swallow him whole. He wanted to go back to the simpler things like worrying about school, selling drugs and hanging out with his boys.
Nathan turned over and stared at his ceiling. He realised he should shower, that would be a good start. Anything else he wanted/needed to do would come after. The cursed, erratic thing that was his mind refused to cooperate, he was going to struggle through achieving basic tasks as he writhed in internal pain.
It was bad enough he was mentally unstable and adding more to the mixture would most certainly lead to dangerous results. He knew how people looked at him, a loose cannon that essentially did whatever he wanted. He didn't care, he never has; but all of a sudden this girl changed everything. Fuck it, he would have to just 'go with it' and worry about the disastrous outcome after the fact. Doing something was better than actively letting it consume him.
After a calm cup of tea and a few episodes of random Netflix humour, Aaron and Kate's Saturday morning was a lot more normal and completely devoid of any outside interference that would add any undue stress onto the already stressed out, anxious ball of hair that was Aaron Heartfield. Kate had just cuddled him as he recovered from mentally reliving the most traumatic experience in his life, it was the least she could do.
She was so glad to see Aaron open up to her; it made her feel like she could be there for him like he always is for her. It gave her a sense of purpose that she didn't know she needed. They were like the two missing pieces of a puzzle; on their own, they were incomplete, misunderstood. Put them together and you have something that just *fits* and it is truly beautiful.
This is where both of them belonged: The devout Christian girl who had a heart of gold, who could wish no harm on anyone. The young girl who had suffered so much unwarranted abuse and almost lost herself to the dark hole that consumes too many people. She had made it out the other side, into the light at the end of the tunnel.
Then we have the young boy, forced into a life he may not have chosen. One where he had all his innocence ripped from him by someone who should have never hurt him in that way. Now all he wants to do is make everyone feel loved, feel appreciated in a hope they never feel like he had to. He had found the one girl capable of being everything he didn't know he needed. They were the pillar that kept each other afloat.
Aaron couldn't help but see his entire life as a snow globe; just waiting for the cold hands of Life to come along and shake it another time, leaving him to deal with all the debris that would land on and around him. He was used to it, despite being so young but everything felt different when he was with Kate. He felt like he was exactly where he needed to be.
Kate had found her new favourite outfit to be the black hoodie of Aaron's she was incapable of taking off. Despite the two being fairly similar in size, it was still massive on her. Aaron wore XL hoodies and Kate couldn't complain. They drowned her small frame in feelings of comfort and security. She would have never considered wearing just a hoodie and underwear around someone but Aaron wasn't just someone. Everything felt natural, like an unspoken rule she was following rather than breaking.
Aaron wouldn't normally relax in clothes but as he was already dressed, getting undressed seemed pointless. Plus being with Kate made no difference, he was always content with whatever their circumstances were. Their morning had been rather relaxed, only being disrupted by Aaron's phone ringing.
He answered, seeing Max's name pop up. He was curious to find out what was up.
"Hey Max, everything good?" Aaron asked as Kate just focused on the TV. "Nah, I'm chill, and Kate, thanks for asking. You and Chloe holding up ok?" He was waiting for the small talk to pass so he could find out what whacky thing Max and Chloe had planned now. "Ah nice, uh no, we're not doing anything, why?" Aaron asked in response to a question. "The cinema? Sure, that sounds great! What time are we thinking?" Kate's ears perked up, she was now actively paying attention. "Yeah, we should be good to go soon, you thinking a thee o clock showing?" Aaron asked as he placed his right arm around Kate. "Sick, we'll meet you in the parking lot in like half hour, see you then" and with that, the phone call was over.
Aaron turned to Kate who looked at him with such a cute look of confusion on her face.
"What was that all about?" She asked as she scrunched her little nose up.
"Max asked if we wanted to go to the cinema, looks like we're going on our first double date" Aaron joked as he sat up and got out of bed. "Sorry babe, as cute as you look like that, you'll need to get dressed"
Kate just smirked as she threw her pillow at Aaron. It looks like it was time for her to finally move.
The drive into town was simple; juts four friends getting from A to B with nothing out of the ordinary happening. That would be considered normal but for those who knew Max, Chloe and Aaron, normal wasn't common. The only downside was Aaron and Kate had to ride in the back of Chloe's truck which was sadly a cold affair. With the temperature dropping, you could certainly feel the chill of the winter air.
Kate had changed how she dressed accordingly, opting to replace her usual skirt with a pair of straight black trousers that complimented her usual white blouse with a clean look of almost professionalism. This was of course hidden under Aaron's hoodie that she had taken to keeping. The smell of his deodorant and aftershave was still pungent amongst its fibres and all it did was remind her of him. A constant reminder that he was always with her.
Aaron's usual black jacket had finally found its way into the laundry basket, so he had opted to wear a red and black flannel shirt over his white casual shirt. This wasn't warm enough on its own so he had placed a maroon sweater on top of that. The warm piece of clothing had had a pair of white angel wings on the front in a street art/graffiti style. They were just the outline, leaving the natural maroon to fill in the space between the lines.
The two sat in perfect harmony, conversing idly as they were wrapped up in each other for warmth. It was regretful that they were unable to talk to Max or Chloe from their position in the rear of the truck but they would make up for it later, forgetting the fact that a cinema wasn't exactly the place to have a conversation.
The drive was relaxing, despite the chilling temperature. It was one of those days where it was currently around 52◦F where it wasn't the coldest it could be at that time of year but the chill was still noticeable, as it would be. As they pulled up to the theatre, they were anxious to see what films were showing and decide for themselves what they would be watching.
Luke was currently behind the glass of the ticket booth, a place he found himself on more weekends than he'd have liked. He was as uninterested as ever, his face glued firmly to his phone, an absent look strung upon it. It always made everyone chuckle how he never seemed to remove his baseball cap, even while at work.
Aaron and Max wanted to see [REC]⁴ it had released two days ago and they were both fans of the fabled found footage franchise, despite its unfortunate departure from the original instalment. Kate was happy to watch whatever but was a bit hesitant to watch a scary movie. She would if that's what everyone else wanted to do, however she had no shame in admitting she'd be scared.
Chloe was adamant on the fact that she would not sit for nearly two hours reading subtitles. Max had assured her that there would most likely be an English dub of the movie playing instead but Chloe just countered saying that the desync on the lips would throw her even more. Aaron and Kate had decided to take a back seat and giggle to themselves as the bluenette refused to budge.
Sighing in defeat, Max asked Chloe what she would want to watch, figuring it would be easier to agree with Chloe than convincer her otherwise. Chloe opted for Ouija, saying that she wouldn't mind a spooky movie, it would be funny to see Max shit herself. Max however was adamant she wouldn't be scared but no one believed her.
Aaron was easy, as always. He would watch whatever everyone else wanted to watch, despite hoping to be able to watch [REC]⁴. Ouija was an acceptable compromise, he had seen the trailers and was intrigued. He knew Kate would be nervous but had faith that she would make it through a standard horror movie unfazed.
Kate's shy nature meant she wasn't one to speak out, this was one of those instances she would much rather have watched a more family friendly film. She knew there was nothing to be scared of, not really, it was an irrational fear of fear itself. Kate knew that horror movies were designed to scare you so that is what she was expecting, a scare and that is what frightened her. She knew how inconsequential it was and decided to power through her initial doubts.
Luke lifted his head as the group approached the other side of the glass, it was enough for him to give a short smile. They were some of he people he actually liked.
"Hey guys, how's it going?" He asked as he placed his phone down and sat up. The reason he was primarily absent form the Halloween Party was due to him sadly having work today. He wasn't the most social butterfly in Blackwell so it wasn't a big deal, he was just happy to help Warren out of the pool.
"Hey Luke, long day?" Max asked as she waved her hand.
"Eh, standard by now Max, I get off at five so it could be worse, only two hours left. Just the four of you guys?" Luke asked as he scanned the group.
"Yeah man, four tickets for Ouija please, dude?" Aaron asked pulled his wallet out.
"Call it twenty, not like I'm gonna see any of this cash anyway" Luke replied as he slid the tickets under the hole in the glass with a wink
"Remind me to buy you a drink some time" Aaron laughed as he slid the bill to Luke, the tickets were on him today.
He knew Chloe was feeling down because of Rachel, Max had told him via text so the least he could do was just foot the bill for the cinema. He remembered the day he helped her put the posters up. He never knew Rachel Amber but her face was burned into his memory. Be it from the missing persons posters or all the photo's that she was in all around Blackwell. He never knew her but could never forget her.
Aaron had paid for the tickets so quickly, no one had any chance to object. Kate obviously tugged on his right arm in protest but was too late. Max hadn't realised what happened until the money had left Aaron's hand and Chloe was too busy smoking to realise.
Luke chuckled at their small squabble as he waved them away, he was glad that his day was that little bit brighter.
The quartet made their way along the corridor, Max had insisted on buying popcorn as payback for the tickets and hurried to the counter with Chloe in tow before Aaron and Kate could say anything. Aaron just chuckled in defeat as Kate pulled him along the isle to find seats for everyone, she figured he couldn't sulk then.
They sat down in the dead centre of the room, as one should when watching a movie and waited for Max and Chloe to join them with the bounties of popcorn she had purchased. Aaron placed his right arm around Kate as she snuggled into him. The trailers hadn't started yet and Aaron was lowkey kinda glad, he enjoyed seeing upcoming movies.
Max and Chloe popped up not seconds later, carrying two comically large popcorn buckets, one for themselves and one for Aaron and Kate. Chloe had already started eating out of her bucket before even sitting down, as was expected. As the two girls joined Aaron and Kate, they made themselves comfortable for the movie. They all couldn't wait.
Nathan paced around the parking lot of Blackwell in extreme angst. He had texted Brooke and asked her to meet him so he could talk to her about a few things, make sure they were both on the same page. He knew what he was going to say but was just incredibly worried about how she'd reply.
It was relatively early, around two in the afternoon and Nathan had decided it was better to air things out sooner rather than later and figured being outside would keep him cool and composed. He had trouble being on a normal level, he usually found himself getting angry or loud when he didn't mean it, it was purely how he was. He hoped the winter temperature would help.
He leaned against the wall as he exhaled, closing his eyes for a second to take it all in. When he opened them again, he could see Brooke walking straight towards him, her step unshaken. Nathan could feel his body tense up as he placed his hands in his pockets and stood up off the wall.
"I don't see the need to be out here, it's freezing" Brooke started as she rubbed her arms in a dull effort to stay warm. "You could have just, I don't know, called or something" despite the chill in her voice, she was still as stern as ever.
"I've struggled a lot with this, I'm not one for, I can't, look, I suck at talking and all of whatever has been going on has just made my head even more of a mess" Nathan called as he rubbed the back of his neck, Brooke went to speak but he cut her off, pulling his right hand from behind his neck and holding it up. "If I don't say this all in one go, I don't think I can" Brooke just fixed her gaze and nodded as a sign for him to continue. "I don't really 'feel' shit for people, I just kind of do whatever. I've kissed girls before but when I kissed you, I don't know it was different, you're different. You confuse the ever living shit out of me and it makes my skull wanna just explode" Nathan was doing his best not to shout, even if his voice was getting a little raised.
"OK" Brooke muttered as a way of showing Nathan she was still listening. She wasn't one for showing emotion but she was burning up on the inside. She wanted an answer to this as much as Nathan.
"I'm not great, not by a long shot but like, fuck it, do you wanna Go with me?" Nathan blurted, his face noticeably becoming more red.
"I'm sorry, what?" Brooke replied in shock, she did not expect this at all. Her face's expression was almost as open as her arms were now, Nathan had certainly caught her off guard.
"You know, Go? Like go on a date? Go together?" this was Nathan's way of asking Brooke if they'd essentially give whatever this thing between them was a proper chance.
He wasn't one for romance, wasn't one for dates and anything involving feelings but Brooke threw all of that into the air. He was a disturbed individual and he knew it himself, to some degree. He had never connected with anyone like this before and saw it as a chance to maybe do something normal.
Brooke had some inkling of feelings herself which was the strangest part. She wasn't one to have time for partners and things that caused her to not be able to focus on herself. It had been exhausting though, constantly working, putting in all the effort she had into educating herself on technology and maybe this would be the slowdown she needed. She had felt something between her and Nathan and that's why she figured if it was going to work with anyone, it would be him.
"I mean, I uh, sure, why not" Brooke replied and even though she sounded as stoic and dull as usual, the smile on her face betrayed her.
Nathan was shocked with her reply, he figured this wouldn't have gone down this way. While he was used to getting what he wanted, with Brooke that wasn't the case, she was the only entity that was able to effectively say no to him. That's what he was expecting this time and he was more than glad to be proven wrong.
"So, uh dinner, you hungry?" Nathan asked nonchalantly as he gestured to his car with his head. This was his way of saying 'let's go on an actual date' and it was just the right way of asking Brooke.
"I am kinda hungry, but I get to pick" she called as she walked to his car. Nathan just smiled a small, childlike smile and followed her, it wasn't looking as bad as he had expected.
They were two people that not a single person would see connecting and that is because no one would look past the surface of these complex characters. Nathan and Brooke were both 'uneasy' for lack of a better word, to be around. They both never really showed any form of emotion apart from anger for Nathan and mild annoyance for Brooke. They both hated wasting their time and got annoyed very easily. Brooke was tired of the mundane boredom and Nathan was far from a boring individual. There was more connecting the two together than anyone thought.
Another thing tying them together was their love of Italian food and they were both about to find that out about each other as they drove to Fabrizio's, the small Italian restaurant in the centre of town. Life can be ok…sometimes.
Kate exited the cinema with a particularly disturbed look on her face. The movie, while enjoyable was nothing that she was used to and certainly nothing she had seen before. The movie wasn't stand out to the others in particular, if anything, Chloe enjoyed seeing the torment of the characters and how they struggled in the movie.
It was the whole idea of spirits and forces from beyond the grave that gave Kate the fright. Her concept of what happens after you die was ingrained into her since she was a little girl, in accordance with her faith. She had never considered another possibility of there being anything as remotely unsettling as what she had just witnessed.
Aaron made sure to hold her when she was most scared, doing his best to shield her. He enjoyed the movie for what it was and decided if he delved any deeper, he'd find too many issues so was just contempt to let sleeping dogs lie.
Chloe probably enjoyed the movie the most, for the gore factor rather than the actual story. She got a kick out of the special effects, gore and blood which made the movie more enjoyable for her. She wasn't one to be bothered by long drawn out narratives so it was suitable that she was able to occupy herself in other aspects of the movie.
Max was the one who was probably invested in the story the most; she was constantly truing to deduce what had happened throughout the whole movie. And while it didn't make a lot of sense at first, she enjoyed coming to grips with the whole thing and doing her best to work out any twits before they happened.
"I am never watching a movie with you guys again" Kate said as she turned to face the rest of the group, causing Chloe and Aaron to let out brief chuckles as Max held her right hand in comfort.
"Why, you get the heebie jeebies?" Aaron asked as he grabbed her sides, tickling her.
"I hate you sometimes" Kate stated amongst a quick burst of unintentional laughter.
The group stood in the mouth of the theatre for a few seconds before Chloe started to speak.
"I don't know about you guys, but I'm hungry, that popcorn didn't exactly fill me up" the group mumbled in agreement, they were all fairly hungry. "I know this great Italian joint down the road that we could go to, if you guys like Italian?"
"You mean Fabrizio's? Hella yeah, that would be so great" Max replied, she'd obviously visited it before.
"I haven't had Italian in like forever, that would be great!" Kate said with a smile as so looked to Aaron, the last to cast his opinion.
"I'm always hungry so lets do it" He replied, he was outvoted three to one anyway so if he didn't want to go, he had no choice. He was just glad he was a fond fan of Italian.
The group followed Chloe and Max's lead as they walked up the road, Aaron and Kate had never been there before but realised it must be close for them to walk and not take Chloe's truck. The sun had started setting but there was still enough light outside to see where they were walking. Arcadia Bay was a place that mainly kept to itself. You didn't see many people out on the streets, if anyone had to go somewhere, you never saw it, just establishments with people in them, not the commute.
Choe's day started off as just a distraction to take her mind off of Rachel but it had quickly turned into a nice day out with some good company. It was one of those days you hoped for and don't realise how good they are until they are over and you long for them again. Despite never really speaking to Kate, Chloe never had a problem with her and had come to like the shy girl. Aaron had made a good impression on her early and his friendship was something Chloe could count on, the only person meaning more to her was Max, her Max
Her best friend, now her girlfriend, she was everything Chloe needed and more. She was always there to ground her, keep her sane and help her get through the shitshow that is life. Chloe could never get bored of Max, nothing she could do would make her tire of spending time with the doe-eyed girl that she held so closely to her heart. They were still teenagers but they've always been connected, ever since they were children.
As they sat down in the restaurant, black leatherbound menus in hand, they filled their time conversing over the various items on the menu. Laughing and joking, making each other smile as they did. Kate took it upon herself to order a round of cola for everyone, that way everyone has contributed to some part of the groups day out. Chloe with the ride to and from town, Max with the popcorn, Aaron with the tickets and Kate with the drinks.
As the drinks arrived, Chloe clocked something across the room in a booth by the window.
"Hey Max, don't those two go to BlackHell?" Chloe joked as she sook her head in the direction of the booths across the room.
She directed Max's attention to it, doing her best to be subtle. Max looked over the wall by her right, lifting her face as to see over the plastic flowers that were placed there. Sat up against the black painted wood and leather of the booth by the window, sat Nathan Prescott and Brooke Scott. The two were eating a bread basket, oblivious to the fact their peers were also present in the same establishment as them.
Max turned back to the table in awe. Needless to say, Aaron and Kate were very interested to hear what she had seen.
"I never thought I'd see Brooke Scott on a date with Nathan Prescott" Aaron and Kate couldn't believe what they were hearing, they looked at each other with agape mouths, almost smiling at what Max had told them.
"I wanna see" Aaron called from his position to the right of Chloe. He tried to stand up but Max ushered him to sit down.
"No doofus, they obviously don't want people to know they're here, don't let them see you!" Max tried to be as quiet as she could, speaking in hushed tones but she had to convey the seriousness about having Aaron possibly be seen.
Rolling his eyes in reluctant agreement, Aaron remained seated and sipped his cola through the red and white stripy straw. He glanced up at the three girls who all had their eyes looking down at the table. The four friends sheepishly looked at each other before laughing in unison.
The idea of seeing those two together was something no one would expect, that's why they all found it hilarious. The thought of what they were going to eat left their minds as they all wanted to know how and why Brooke and Nathan ended up here. Amongst coy grins, they brainstormed.
"I heard that she was helping him on Physics, they're probably on a study break" Aaron started as he crossed his arms on the table.
"I don't know, Nathan isn't exactly one to spend unnecessary time with people he doesn't exactly like" Max offered in rebuttal.
"Yeah, and Brooke has never striked me as sociable, she hardly ever talks unless she has to" Kate said, backing Max up.
"I mean, Zach told me that Nathan had been acting weird the other day" Aaron sighed as he recalled the events. "He told me Nathan was being kinda weird with him after he made a joke at Brooke of all people. So there could be something here"
"Well you can say that again, I don't think study buddies hold each-others hands" Chloe interjected as she nudged Aaron with her right elbow, her gaze fixed over the wall at Nathan and Brooke.
Everyone's eyes shot in that direction as they all huddled up at the wall of their booth, all peering their eyes over the edge, doing their best to keep their heads as low as possible. True as Chloe said, Nathan's right hand lightly rested on Brooke's left. The two seemed awkward, but that was common for them both. Upon a closer look, that these eight eyes and four noses were doing, you could see actual happiness. It was small, the odd smile here, the blush of red there but there was no mistaking, these two were on a date.
The quartet of friends crashed back into their seats as they tried egregiously to contain their fits of laughter. Max composed herself first and figured it was down to her to bring the other three back to reality.
"C'mon you guys, we should be happy for them, it's kinda sweet after all" it seemed to work, everyone composed themselves shortly after. With everyone back in the room, they resumed looking at the menus, ready to order.
Kate was not used to social gatherings even before her time at Blackwell. She was glad that she was finally getting to have a good time with good company. She had no idea what to expect heading into today but she was glad with what she had experienced. She was glad that her life had taken a change for the better.
Max was just happy to be doing something vaguely normal with Chloe for a change. She found comfort in being able to do something as mundane as having dinner without them getting into some form of trouble. She wasn't gonna complain, she was glad to be around Chloe when she got herself into trouble to get the Bluenette out of it. She took Chloe as she was and wouldn't change it for the world. A hot meal and movie was a welcome change though.
Aaron was just happy to be normal, period. No adoring fans of his photography, no cries of applause from the fight ring he used to frequent, no awkward silence between his parents as they tiptoed around him. There was no bullshit and Aaron loved it. He never noticed times like this because they were so mundane and that's what he loved. Just doing them now and remembering the experiences later. Food was always a bonus for him, though.
Chloe Price's life had been one shitshow after another and the last few weeks had been an amazing return to just feeling something again. She had been numb for so long, it was amazing to finally find herself in a contempt situation, surrounded by actual caring people. She would never have her dad back but this was, to her, the next best thing.
Saturday morning had started off on the wrong foot for most people. Saturday afternoon however was the complete opposite. A turn around of truly epic proportions. Everyone found themselves in a place where they were truly content, no matter who they were. Even as Nathan and Brooke left, blissfully unaware of the four people who knew them still eating their main course in the restaurant behind them, they were smiling to each other, openly. The only thing that wasn't open would be their hands that were firmly interlocked with each other.
Sunday would be more academic for Aaron, Max and Kate, however. They had their Autumn portfolio's to turn in on Monday and this would be their last day to finalise everything, making sure it was up to Mr Jefferson's standards. Chloe would enjoy the day free of any responsibilities and wait for Max, as she did every other day.
Kate was glad to be better, there's no doubt she'd never be able to finish her portfolio if she was still stuck in the hole of depression she found herself in. She had put a lot of work into making this some of her best work.
All of that was a worry for tomorrow, today however, was perfect, just the way it was.
A/N:-Nice, wholesome chapter for everyone. Sorry if there's not a lot exciting going on, I'm just pacing the story, making sure not everything happens at once. I've been doing my best to make sure events line up not only with the game, but with the real 2014 calendar as well.
I'm aware it takes place in 2013, I just shifted it a year purely for personal preference! To my usual readers, there's a new poll up on my profile and I'd be grateful if you could vote on that, pretty please? It's open to anyone and everyone!
Also, uhm, Life is Strange: True Colours! Yes please! The return of Steph who was one of my two favourite characters from Before The Storm makes a return and I for one am hella gassed! Bet your ass that she will either feature in her own story or appear in one very soon!
Please leave a review, you genuinely have no idea how much it lifts me to hear what you all like! Follow and Favourite as well, that would also be awesome and it's totally free (Insert smiley face here due to 'no emoji')
Thank you all, see you soon!
