A/N I own nothing, also be aware that I have taken a lot of creative liberties with character back stories
The Camp
Chloe Price has done a lot of complaining over the years. She's complained to her father about how her step-mother didn't understand boundaries. She's complained to her girlfriend Rachel about how shitty Fuhrer Wells was being. She's even complained to her little brother about how shitty his mother is, though Carl was far too young to understand why she was upset at the time.
The point is, Chloe has complained about a lot of things that some would consider every day bitches and gripes and on some level she agreed. This time however, she felt completely justified in her complaint submission.
"I can't believe you actually buy his horse-shit!" She yells at Lori with no care as to how many people at camp were staring.
"Chloe, that's enough" She tries to calm the teenager.
"Oh hell no! My dad, your husband is still out there probably starving in a hospital bed and your content to sit in this shitty camp playing house with his best friend!" She bites with an accusatory finger.
"Chloe" Speaking of the shitheel, Chloe turns to see Shane Walsh in all his douchy glory.
"Stay out of this camp counselor" She snaps before turning back to her step-mother "Don't you get how stupid this is, sitting here pretending like he's not rotting away in a coma!" She yells again, face screwing up in outrage.
"Now hold on just a minute" Shane steps between them with his hands raised "Even if I was able to grab Rick by the gurney and wheel him al the way out here, not a single one of us knows how to treat a coma patient and even if we did he would only be a burden"
"My dad isn't a burden Asshat-" She tries to snap back only for a small voice to cut between them.
"He wasn't saying that Chloe" She hears Max from beside them "He's just saying it was a bad situation all around and he only did what he thought was best"
"Oh so now you're taking their side" She accuses crossing her arms.
"No-one is taking sides Chloe" Lori reaches out from behind Shane "We're just trying to tell you how it is"
"No you're not" She says through grinding teeth "You're trying to keep face because you know you fucked up when you left your best friend in a hospital filled with walkers" She snaps with a finger poking Shane in the chest "And you're just pretending you agree with Shane 'cause you think my dad's dead and you're already hopping onto the next top di-" She tries to accuse Lori only for Max to interrupt by grabbing her hand softly.
"Chloe!" She reprimands heatedly. Chloe doesn't turn her head from the shocked faces of Lori and Shane, but she does halt her barbs for the moment.
She glares heatedly switching between the two prime sources of her anger before grabbing Max's hand in return and spinning around roughly "C'mon, let's go find Carl before he get's himself eaten" She starts stalking away quickly, though she can feel Max turning for a moment most likely giving tweedle dee and tweedle dumbass an apologetic look.
Max was like that, always trying to please everyone to avoid confrontation. Even when they were younger she was always the one stopping fights instead of starting them, that was Chloe's job. Even after five years of being in Atlanta and away from Chloe, guess some things never changed.
As soon as the made it past the tree line Max decided to break Chloe's imposed silence "Y'know we're only doing what's safest right?"
"Hmph, safest? Nothing's safe anymore Maximus" She admonishes softly.
Max finally pulls back and stops her, turning Chloe around to look at the only person she trusted here besides Rachel "Then all the more reason to stick with the group, besides I like… most of these guys" Max says after a moments pause.
"Heh what a ringing endorsement Max" Chloe says with a small laugh.
"Yea well I can dislike people too" She says taking her hand back and crossing her arms with a smirk.
"Yeah? Guess living in a city like Atlanta would do that to anyone" She says in an almost bitter tone.
"…It wasn't all bad, but it wasn't Cynthiana" She says with an uncomfortable smile.
"Pfft, don't pretend like you missed Hicktown USA" She admonished softly with an eye roll.
"Hey, Hicktown isn't so bad" Max says walking passed Chloe, most likely to continue the original reason they came out here.
"Guess it was at least better than it is now" She jokes lightly before turning to follow Max as they walked.
"That's not funny Chloe" She reprimands without any real feeling. Though Chloe can hear the smile in her voice.
"Yea you're right… If anything the empty streets and zombies in every corner are an improvement" She says putting an arm around her shoulders as they walk.
"Uggh, Chloe" Her shoulders sag in exasperation as she admonishes her again.
"C'mon Max lighten up a little" She says with a smile before removing her arm and briskly walking past her best friend.
"Lighten up… Right" She says slowly. Chloe turns to her with a grin at her curious look.
"Oh c'mon Maximus where's your sense of adventure, we're in the middle of a zombie infested forest on a mission to rescue one of the world's last survivors from a deadly fate" She dramatizes while crouching low and pretending to sneak around. Max on the other hand just crosses her arms with a well worn smirk and a raised eyebrow.
"You mean we're going to the stream to bring your brother and Dale back to camp?" She clarifies in amusement… Buzzkill.
"Ugggh, Max why are you raining on my parade?" She asks in fake frustration.
"Well someone needs to give you a reign you in and while Rachel's in the city that's my job" She explains in amusement.
"Ooh, I love it when you take charge Maxie" She flirts jokingly.
She gives a slight look of surprise and goes as red as a tomato before turning and walking in their original direction with an embarrassed hunch "Chloe!" She admonishes in a squeak that no doubt sounded far more authoritative in her head.
"There's you are Max" she says mostly to herself. She then rushes up to Max and puts her arm around her again "… Hey do you think Dale caught anything other than fish?"
"As opposed to what? Water burgers?" She asks playfully.
"Hey as long as it's not fish" She says with a sigh.
"Cause fuck I/you hate fish" They say together as Max looks up to her with a raised eyebrow.
"Sometimes I forget how well you know me" She says unaware of the dazed sound in her voice.
Max goes slightly red before breaking out of her grip and again moving slightly ahead of her "Yeah well it's not hard when your palette hasn't changed since we were five"
"Hey, it's changed a little bit" She gripes in feigned annoyance.
"Oh yeah? How?"
"Oh you know" She takes a moment to think "…Shut up"
Max let's out a genuine laugh that stops Chloe in her tracks. Max noticing her halted figure turns with a curious glance only for Chloe to smile and walk past her without a word.
From behind her Chloe can hear her ask "What was that about?"
"Just thinking about how many times you've genuinely laughed since I've seen you" She admits with a smirk. She hears Max stop but unlike her Chloe doesn't turn to see why, deciding it's better to leave her with that new information.