A soft feathery touch on my forehead woke me up, like someone was brushing my bangs away from my face, and I opened my eyes to see Chloe hovering over me, wearing a worried expression.
"Crap. Sorry. Dude, you got this crazy cut on your head…"
I touched my forehead and my hand came back slightly bloody, the cut already beginning to close. Must've been when I broke the glass so hard. Totally worth it, though.
Now, how the hell am I going to explain this to Chloe without telling her the truth?
"I, uh...fell the other day"
I mentally smacked myself. Really, Max? That's the best you could come up with? It's like the worst lie ever.
Chloe gave me that "come on, now" look she always gave me when I got caught in a lie, so presumably she agreed with me on that one. She always did say I was a horrible liar.
"Did some asshole hurt you?"
Her voice was fierce, and protective now, her piercing blue eyes fixed on mine, as she waited for my answer. Chloe looked ready to beat the shit out of anyone who'd dared to hurt me, making me feel sorry for the person who'd be dumb enough to cross her. Though in this case, it was just me.
"No...it's so stupid. I fell and broke a glass, okay?" I said, making a face
While that wasn't exactly the truth, it was close enough, and I figured it would do.
"Damn...you really haven't changed, huh? Still as clumsy as ever" she gave a soft chuckle, as she pushed away my bangs again to examine the wound a bit closer.
"It's not funny, you know" I couldn't help but give my voice that whiny tone that little kids have when you make fun of them
"It is, though" she laughed again, and it was good naturedly. That sound was so precious to me, so sweet. It wasn't often that Chloe truly laughed, not in that sarcastic bark she usually had, but the soft, cheerful tone from when we were kids.
"Now, don't pout. You know that's like, my weakness, right?" she poked me in the ribs and I found myself smiling again
"I always did know how to make you crack"
"Still as sassy as ever, I see." Chloe said before heading to the bathroom "Now let me get a bandage for that gaping wound before you like, bleed out"
So all the time traveller stuff was going to remain secret for sure. I only had to make sure that Chloe was safe and sound, that Kate stayed far away from the roofs of Blackwell, that the psycho twins got locked up, and that we survived past Friday without a tornado swooping in and wiping Arcadia off the map. No biggie, right? Especially considering I already accomplished all of that in a different life. Well, almost all of it.
I almost didn't want to get too comfortable, too happy about being with Chloe, because I knew it could still be ripped away from my fingers in an instant. But it was still just so damn nice to wake up in her bed, the same room I'd spent so many years in, the one I became so used to this past week. And the one place I never wanted to leave.
"Got the elixir" She said as she appeared in the doorway, holding the medical kit up for me to see, before closing the door with her foot.
Her making a geeky joke showed she was still in a pretty good mood, considering everything.
"Heal me, o' shaman" I said, extending my arms towards her
"Shut up, you dork" she shoved my arms away, laughing, as she sat cross legged next to me on her unmade bed.
"Banged yourself up pretty good, huh?" Chloe said as she examined the cut again. I helped her out by holding my bangs away from my face.
"Am I going to be okay, Dr. Price?" I said in a mock-worried voice
She rolled her eyes
"Damn, girl. You're really killing it with the jokes today"
I just flashed her a broad smile
"Now, this might sting a bit…" She said it sort of jokingly but I could tell she meant it. Huh. I guess the cut looked a bit worse than it felt.
"No worries, doc."
My bravado was quickly shut down as she dabbed the antiseptic soaked cotton pad on the gash, making me wince. It did sting. And my eyes were starting to water.
"Shit. It does hurt"
"What did I tell you?" she said, before pausing "Honestly, a little further and you might've needed stitches. That's some hardcore shit, Max"
I knew she was exaggerating because it didn't even hurt that bad, but she seemed a bit worried as she said it, and it sorta warmed my heart a little.
She slowly put a small bandaid on my forehead before brushing my bangs back into place. Why did she have to be so sweet with me? Honestly, I didn't deserve any of it.
"Thanks, Chlo"
She simply smiled at me before throwing herself on the bed with a sigh. She grabbed her pack of cigarettes and lit one up before taking a long drag, exhaling a cloud of smoke.
"Slept well? Joyce's making breakfast downstairs"
Chloe tapped her cigarette on the edge of the ashtray before taking another drag.
Truth was, I'd slept amazingly. Better than I'd slept in years. Though I guess it wasn't that hard since I had Chloe sleeping peacefully next to me.
"Awesome. Her cooking's the best" I said
It had only been a couple of days and I already missed her waffles. Like, really, missed them.
"Do we have plans for today?" I asked her and Chloe just shrugged, as she continued smoking
I guess we were both avoiding the elephant in the room, the events of yesterday and the others to come. Though who could blame us?
When we got to the stairs, the delicious smell of Joyce's homemade breakfast flowed from the kitchen.
"There you are" she said when she saw us on the hallway
Chloe's mom seemed glad to see me, relieved almost, as she fried bacon for Chloe, her hair put up in her signature hairdo, wearing casual clothes. Oh yeah..it was almost noon, after all, Chloe and I had kind of slept in, so she must've stayed home from work. Probably because she heard what happened to Rachel.
"Good morning, Joyce. Sorry for barging in like that yesterday" I said
"You know you're always welcome, Max. We've really missed you these past few years. Especially Chloe" she said and Chloe shot her an angry look, which made my heart flutter just a little bit
"I'm really happy to be back." I said with a small chuckle "Can I help?"
I hadn't seen Joyce since the post-apocalyptic diner situation, and was glad to find her here, safe and sound, oblivious to her counterpart's, and the whole alternate town's fate.
"No, just sit, it's already done. You still like my pancakes, right?" she said, putting an enticing plate on the table in front of me "Here. Dig in"
The pancakes were stacked on top of each other, with steam rising from the top, and they were covered in a thick layer of droopy, delicious syrup. Just the way I liked them. It was so nice to see Joyce still remembered that, after all this time.
"Thank you, Joyce, I've really missed them" I said, sitting on the chair across from Chloe, who had her arms crossed, her whole posture wordlessly saying 'I'm too cool for this'. But I noticed her leg was bouncing restlessly under the table.
Joyce put Chloe's bacon on a plate before bringing it to her and going back into the kitchen, and Chloe dug in instantly.
"I thought you would have. You ate more than William, and he loved them…" Joyce said, her voice trailing off at the thought of Chloe's dad.
"I remember. We would race each other to take them from the stack" I told her, attempting a light hearted tone. It was even worse since I had tried to save him...and failed. And even that wasn't entirely true.
Chloe scoffed, but kept eating, pretending not to hear us. She was probably upset to hear us talking about her dad.
"They're delicious, thanks Joyce" I said, in an attempt to change the subject, after taking the first bite of the pancakes, which were as fluffy and delicious as I remembered them
"Don't mention it" she said with one of her smiles, pouring coffee into a mug
Chloe and I continued to eat in silence, and the pancakes were so good they almost brought tears to my eyes. I guess there was something about sitting in the kitchen with the two of them, Chloe and I still in our pajamas, which I'd borrowed from her, having a comfy, lazy morning...
"So do you have any plans for today? Aside from skipping school, that is" Joyce said to me in a slightly reproachful voice, while she sat next to Chloe, a mug in hand, but I could tell she was going to let it slide for today
"Not really. Chloe?" I asked her
"We could hang out at the lighthouse, if you want" she said in between bites, with a shrug
"Sure"
The mention of that spot made my heart stupidly skip a beat, as I remembered what we did the last time we went there. It was even dumber considering that hadn't happened with this Chloe. Getting embarrassed at remembering things that didn't even happen in this timeline, gosh...How deep in was I?
"After all these years and everything that's happened, it's great to see you and Chloe together again" she said to me in a serious tone
"You guys are lame" Chloe said with a chuckle, taking the last bite of her plate before heading upstairs, without another word. I couldn't help wondering if she was going upstairs to 'medicate' here, too.
"I heard about Rachel from David" Chloe's mom said once she was gone "He said you were the ones who found her?"
"I'm so sorry, Joyce"
"No, you did well. Now her family will finally have some closure because of you"
"Yeah, but Chloe...she was so sad yesterday, it was horrible"
The sound of Chloe's painful, desperate sobs was haunting to say the least.
It's like Chloe was born to be laughing in her devil-may-care way, always up to no good, and seeing her cry was just...wrong. It was the absolute worst thing in the entire world.
"She'll get through it. It will take some time and it'll be hard, but she'll make it. Trust me" Her voice took a darker tone when she said that last part, and I knew that was something she had had to learn the hard way.
Upstairs, Chloe was laying on her bed, indeed in the midst of a 'wake and bake' sesh, looking pretty out of it, the familiar smell filling the room. I looked for my phone, only to find I had gotten quite a few messages. One of them from Kate.
Kate: Hey Max u around?
Max: Always. I was just thinking about you
Max : Want to get tea later? I'm free after 4 ^ - ^)/
Kate : Are you a mind reader Max ? So glad you want to hang out with me :)
After answering, I saw another name on the screen.
Oh right, Warren. He still hadn't gotten his flash drive back in this reality. He'd really helped Chloe and me out last time with all his geeky science knowledge. I kinda wished I could ask him about the tornado and the chances it still might hit, but there was no use in telling him about all that stuff...I guess if things truly got crazy and I had to consider using the butterfly photo to try again, I'd ask him what he thinks, and even tell Chloe the truth, while I'm at it.
Warren : wOw Max, did you hear what happened to the missing girl?
Warren : Did you change your last name to Scofield or are you feeling sick today?
Warren : Oh wait. You're Max Caulfield, and he's Scofield, get it? Man I should have made that joke
Warren : I wonder how hard it would be to hack into your phone to erase a few texts
Warren : Also please show signs of life. Telegram, smoke signals, anything will do
I chuckled a bit at his general clumsiness before answering.
Max : I heard. I'm just glad the culprits will be punished for what they did
Max : I'm alive. Sigh. Feeling rebellious today though
Max : Nice Prison Break reference. Funny coming from someone who can't get enough of their science class
Max : Also I know you're pretty tech-savvy but that's kind of a stretch. Though if you were to ask Brooke for help...
I also had two texts from David. Now that was an unusual sight.
David : Who is this?
David : I still don't know who sent this but Rachel's remains have been uncovered at the site. Police have arrested both suspects for questioning, but I can confirm they believe they have enough evidence to incarcerate both of them. I can only thank you for the valuable information. All doors leading to the rooftop have been now locked, it was an oversight from me
"Who you textin', hippie?" Chloe said to me. She'd put out her joint, and was staring at me from across the room.
"Oh just Warren, he's a friend from Blackwell. You should meet him. Also, Kate, she's in my photography class" I said after locking my phone
"Huh. Cool" she answered in a pretty disinterested tone
I went to put my phone back into my satchel, but as I opened it one of my photographs slipped out. Chloe picked it up to look at it. And it was the butterfly one.
"What, no way... When did you take this?"
Oh shit...I guess here we go again.
"In the bathroom today, you set off the alarm! That's why you came running to me so fast..." she continued
"You were there...but why would you do that? I had that prick right where I wanted him, too. Should've killed him when I had the chance" I definitely didn't like the dark tone her voice took at the end. Yet I couldn't blame her in the slightest.
"Chloe he...had a gun. And he was totally ready to use it, too." I told her
"A gun? Holy shit, Max..." she paused "Then you hella saved my life! I mean, I'm pretty badass but even I don't think I coulda…" Chloe let her sentence trail off, and there was no need to finish it. I had already seen the result of that, too many times to count, the image stuck in my brain forever, fueling my absolute worst nightmares.
I never had a particular opinion on guns before, but it occurred to me that after all of last week's events, I just wished I could just obliterate all of them from the planet. Which would be my first decree if I ever became president. Just, banning all firearms, at least in the US...How nice would that be?
"I just did it without thinking, honest. I was hiding in the corner when he came in, talking to himself...He's got serious problems, you know"
"I knew that asshole was deranged the second I saw him. I can't believe...what he did"
A silence reigned between us as Chloe's expression darkened.
"So, did you recognize me right away?"
Answering her questions was harder than I'd thought. Did I? I rewound specifically for this, for her, but not in the other timeline, I didn't. It was all starting to get pretty confusing.
"How could I not recognize my best friend?" I ended up replying sweetly
"Oh, shut up, kiss-ass." Chloe said, rolling her eyes
We were in the truck again, and the afternoon light was shining through the windows, the sky just the perfect mix between cloudy and clear, as sunbeams shone through each cloud. The smoke from Chloe's cigarettes was floating around, making shapes and spirals on the roof. The radio was on, and some soft, folksy music like the kind I liked was flowing smoothly through the speakers. Chloe hadn't even groaned about it or changed the station to something heavier. It was so weird, this peace.
She had one elbow rested on the open windowsill, relaxed, her hand reaching out sometimes to feel the wind on her palm, when she wasn't pulling out her cigarette to blow a new wave of smoke, the other hand wrapped loosely around the wheel. She had removed her signature beanie, which laid discarded on the dashboard, so strands of her neon blue hair were flowing in the wind. She looked like the perfect picture of freedom, a thoughtful expression on her face, and at once my hands were itching for my camera to capture the moment.
I saw the sea starting to peak through the trees and felt a confusing mix of emotions. I couldn't believe we were here, together. And I had no idea how long it would last. I remembered I still had the photograph, the only one left, securely tucked inside my bag, as a contingency plan should things go awry. But I so, so wished they didn't. So far everything was going so well...
Finally we reached the lighthouse, which was a few miles ahead, up the dirt road.
"Welcome to the only cool place left in Arcadia" Chloe said, gesturing towards the lighthouse, and the cliff with the bench.
The same place where we had said our goodbyes. Where she had done the most selfless, most loving thing anyone could do. And where we had kissed one last time.
It still hurt so much to think about.
When she suggested it, encouraged me, even, there was a brief second where I wondered if I should. Deep down, I knew it was the right thing to do, but then I realized I would rather die than to leave Chloe again. Fuck that martyrdom shit.
"You're quiet, Max. Thinkin' of someone?" Chloe said, raising and eyebrow, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Hah, yeah, right. I just...it's been such a crazy week" I stopped myself, catching the mistake in time before adding "And it only just started, too"
Her expression changed as soon as I said that, turning serious, which was uncommon for her.
"I seriously owe you, Max. For yesterday and, for Rachel, too."
If only Chloe knew how much I owed her. I couldn't even begin to describe the things I'd put her through.
"It's more like I'm the one who owes you. Seriously, you're like this mafia boss and I owe you like 20 years of service, Chloe" I said, in an attempt to lighten the mood
"I guess I could picture myself as a mafia boss. Damn, that would be cool. I could be called Al Priceno" Chloe sounded excited as she said it. I loved how I could blurt out the silliest of things, and she would follow my train of thought without telling me how stupid it was. Even now, after all this time.
I guess that's how our relationship worked, me always fantasizing about some random thing, and Chloe coming up with wacky new ideas of things for us to do. And me following her without a second thought in whatever she came up with that day.
"More like The Godmother. I would watch the hell out of that movie"
"And you'd be like my right hand" Chloe said, before pausing to think "Oh, I know! how does 'Max the Enforcer' sound?"
"Awful. But I'll take it, anyway" I said with a chuckle, glad to see Chloe joking around again.
My phone buzzed in my pocket with more messages, and I stopped to answer them, pretending not to see the annoyed look Chloe shot me.
Kate : I'll see you in half and hour :D
Max : I'm on my way ;) can't wait to hang out
Science boy had apparently also answered me :
Warren: Sorry, in class. Theres a rumor the police are questioning your teacher and a guy from your class. Kinda crazy tbh. You heard anything?
Max : Not really. Skipping class, remember? I'm hanging out with an old friend.
Warren : btw can you bring my USB? If you're not too busy rekindling old flames, that is
Max: Am not. I'm meeting with Kate at the coffee house, I'll stop by the dorm.
Warren: Cool. Ill meet you at the lot. Looking cool. You'll see
"That your boyfriend again?" she said, catching me by surprise, her glare apparent now.
"Boyfriend? Ew, no way"
"Damn, friendzone sucks" she scoffed "Bet he's totally in love with you"
I made a face.
"I'm trying to hook him up with this girl, Brooke. They'd be awesome together"
It was so weird to see two people who were so alike, so into the same things. The resemblance was almost uncanny. Though I guess that by itself wasn't enough, judging from how clueless Warren was to the humongous crush she had on him.
"Yikes, Max, cruel much? Though I guess there's no point leading him on"
Was I going insane or did she seem slightly...relieved?
"Yeah. I do have to go, though, I promised Kate we'd meet up"
"Yeah, fine, Max, just ditch your best friend to meet with one of your new, cool friends, that's fine"
She said it as a joke, but I could tell there was a bit of spite behind it. I guess she did that a lot, covering pain and insecurities with humour. Though I wasn't any better.
To be honest, I just wanted to stay here with her. The view of the sunset, the light glittering on the surface of the water, was amazing, and a light breeze was flowing towards us on the bench. The location could definitely be described as versatile, I'll give it that. One second peaceful and dreamy, and the other...
"Listen, this might be asking too much, but could you, like, pick me up after?" I asked her, deciding I really couldn't do without an extra dose of Chloe today, all things considered
"Chloe Price, local punk and childhood friend. And oh, yeah, let's add taxi driver to the list, huh?"
Her referring to herself as a 'local punk' was hilarious. So I guess she is pretty self-aware after all.
"Come on" I said, a hint of laughter in my voice "Besides, I was hoping I could stay over tonight, too?"
"Damn, girl. You're back and you just cannot get enough of me, huh? Guess that is the effect I have on people"
If only she knew how right she was...Chloe really had no idea of the effect she had. Especially on me.
"Yeah, it's like a natural reaction to the Chloe-ness. You just can't help it" I told her
"Okay, okay. Enough with the flattery. Just go meet your friends" she said, making a shoo-ing motion towards me with the hand that was holding the cigarette, creating ripples in the smoke.
"You should meet them soon, though. I'm serious"
Warren especially was probably not going to be her biggest fan, but I'm sure Chloe would deal.
"Sure, Max. I'll meet your friends" she said with an eye roll, before pulling the cigarette towards her mouth and inhaling, as she looked away towards the water in front of her, clearly dismissing me.
"Uh, Chloe? I was actually kind of counting on like...a ride there?" I said, tentatively, relishing in the irony of the situation "Cause, we're still, like, in the middle of nowhere"
"Oh. Yeah. Right" She said, grabbing her keys a little clumsily. She was so cute when she got embarrassed like that.
"Hah, I guess I really might have to hire you as my personal chauffeur" I really could get used to the idea of Chloe picking me up and driving me everywhere. I could even get her a little cap.
"Well, after what you did yesterday, I wouldn't say no, either." Chloe gave a shrug before continuing "Actually, if you could like, keep saving my life with your badassery, that'd be like, hella cool?"
While she was joking, it was ironic how true it really was.
A/N: Thanks for reading!
A bit of a fluffier chapter, which is definitely the direction I want this fic of mine to go in. I'm debating on whether or not to include this kind of dramatic, heavier scene I had written for chapter 3 or just skip it and keep things light-hearted...
I personally love Chloe and Max's dynamic in the game, their flirty banter (especially from Chloe's part) and, in certain more dramatic moments, their more sweet and caring way of talking to each other. They're like a married couple, to be honest lol
This song is obviously from the marvelous soundtrack, and it's actually the one that is coming through the speakers when they drive to the lighthouse (in the fic, not in the game).
There's also a continuity error when it comes to the whole David thing, but I'll go back to the first chapter and fix that later.
Also if anyone is coming here from my LissaxRose fic, and is waiting for the much anticipated (not really lol) next chapter, I promise I'll be back with it soon, I just have to get a few details sorted out.
More to come...
