Ch. 7: A Rough Ride

CHLOE PRICE'S POV:

Max, Arron, and I walked towards the truck when I stopped Max. "Aaron," I said "I need to talk to Max, please get in the truck."

He nodded and got in the truck.

I strolled up to Max and threw my arm around her shoulder, "Max-a-million, it's your lucky day, you don't have to sit in the middle seat."

She breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you."

I smiled my famous evil smile, "Instead you'll be sitting in Aaron's lap."

I could tell that she was furious, she was cute that way, and she breathed deeply and said, "Damn you."

I let her go and she walked to the truck with her shoulders slumped as I followed her.

While I got in the driver's seat, Max simply starred at the door handle on the passenger's side.

"Why is Max just standing there?" Aaron asked me with his head tilted curiously.

"I told her that if she's uncomfortable in the middle seat, that she'd have to sit in your lap," I said stifling my laughter.

Aaron blushed deeply, he knew there was no avoiding what was about to happen.

He turned to Max. "M-M-Max," he stammered "i-i-it's okay if you s-s-sit in my l-l-lap."

Max turned to Aaron and sighed.

"Sorry about this, Aaron," Max said as she rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly, her cheeks carrying a slight blush at the compromising situation they were going to be in.

"I guess it can't be helped," Aaron mumbled nervously.

"Yeah, but a certain someone is taking way too much pleasure out of this," Max said as she shot an accusatory glare at me. I grinned mischievously in response.

"Just think of it as a… bonding exercise," I said grinning from ear to ear.

Max's blush deepened and she stared incredulously at me, "Chloe!"

I glanced over at Aaron to gauge his reaction. He was staring at the floor in an attempt to hide his embarrassment. It was kind of cute how they were both getting so flustered over this.

"Hey chillax, I was kidding. If you're really feeling that uncomfortable about it, you can still sit in the middle if you like."

"Like hell I will," Max scoffed. She had one too many bad experiences with that arrangement. She had promised herself she would never do that again, especially not after last time. I shrugged, shoving my hands in my pockets.

"Well, unless you want me to strap you to the roof, I don't see any other alternative."

Max muttered under her breath, something I had always found adorable.

"If there are no further objections, let's get this show on the road," I announced excitedly.

She opened the door and slowly positioned herself on Aaron's right leg. Then she stepped into the truck with her left leg, and then her right. And finally, she positioned herself so that her ass was pressed firmly against his crotch.

"See," I said "was that so hard?"

"Damn you," Max said in a slightly strained voice.

"You know you love it," I said.

"Tell me if I get too heavy for you," Max shyly mentioned to Aaron, who could only nod in acknowledgement. Words failed him now, which maybe was a good thing. Anything he had to say would probably make this ten times more awkward than it already was, if that was possible. I scoffed at the redundancy of Max's comment.

"Oh puh-lease Max, there is literally nothing on you," I stated

Max frowned at me in annoyance, "Well unlike you, some of us are actually considerate of other people."

"Ouch, burn. Whatever shall I do to escape this scorn?" I mocked playfully, then smirked smugly at Max, "The more you complain about this my dear Max, the worse it'll be. Just belt up and… enjoy the ride."

I winked suggestively at them. Aaron shuffled awkwardly in the seat, refusing to meet my gaze. Max opened her mouth to protest, but closed it immediately. Nothing she could say would make this situation better for either her or Aaron. She was better off keeping her mouth shut and getting this over with.

She reached behind her and grabbed the seatbelt, stretched it across her chest, and buckled it. I took the liberty of tightening it for them.

"Don't worry," I said "I won't be too rough."

And then we began the decent on the bumpy road that led to the town. "How you holding up there, Aaron?" I asked a few minutes into the journey, breaking the awkward silence.

"Um… f-fine," he stuttered.

"I bet. I would be if Max was sitting on my lap," I said thinking of me in Aaron's position.

"Dog, Chloe. Is it your aim in life to make everything so much more embarrassing than necessary?" Max asked.

I smiled, "Only when it comes to you, Max."

Max rolled her eyes, "Great."

"Hey, consider yourself lucky," I said.

Max raised an eyebrow skeptically, "Oh yeah? How did you work that one out?"

"Well," I explained "I don't spend this much time teasing just anyone." It was true. I only teased people I deemed worthy of my affection.

"So, I just got dragged into this?" Aaron questioned.

I chuckled, "You're an added bonus."

I loved teasing them, and by the time we reached the Two Whales Diner, they were both flustered. Aaron and Max spilled out of the truck and quickly exchanged apologies.

The Two Whales Diner was not too impressive, but it was its simplicity that made it special. In most places it would have been easily overlooked and forgotten, but in a place like Arcadia it fitted in perfectly. It's interior had a counter with swivel chairs on one side and tables with booths on the other side. A familiar retro jukebox sat in the far right hand corner, one I was surprised hadn't given up by now considering the fact that I'd used it in the past. I had little patience for anything, preferring to resort to kicking things and swearing if they didn't work the way I wanted. This meant that most things I touched ended up breaking for one reason or another.

Max turned to Aaron, "This place has the best damn hamburgers in Arcadia."

"Sweet," Aaron said "I have to go to the bathroom. Go ahead and order for me if the waiter gets here before I come back."

"I will," Max said.

As Aaron headed to the claustrophobic bathroom, Max and I walked to our table and sat down. When Max and I were kids we used to come to the Two Whales all the time, almost as much as our tree fort. It hadn't changed much at all since then, apart from looking more run down just like everything else in Arcadia.

I could see mom eyeing up our table briefly before she walked up to us and said, "Chloe, I guess you're here in search of free food."

I put on my innocent face, "Can't I see my own mom without suspicion of my motives?"

Mom chuckled, "Maybe if I didn't know you so well."

My expression became one of mock hurt, causing Max to smile and shake her head, "Don't act all innocent, Chloe. We all know damn well that your stomach pretty much rules your actions."

I leaned in closer, my breath warm against Max's ear and my voice hushed as I whispered, "That's not the only thing that… motivates me."

The huskiness of my tone made Max's cheeks heat up considerably.

"Now just what are you two whispering about over there," mom questioned narrowing her eyes in suspicion, "I'll start to think you're bad mouthing me."

I offered mom a cheeky grin, "Well, that's a secret," I briefly glanced over to Max, satisfied with the reaction I had received, "for Maxi-Pad's ears only."

"Maxi-Pad… are you serious?" Max sighed, rubbing her temples.

"Damn right," I smirked, then turned to mom, "Just so you know, free food wouldn't go amiss."

Mom placed a hand on her hip and gave me a mildly amused look, "That's what I thought," she shook her head as she walked back to the kitchen area of the Two Whales.

When mom was out of earshot, I lounged back in my seat, "So… what do you think of Aaron so far?"

Max scratched her chin, "He seems nice."

"Nice… huh?" I raised an eyebrow suggestively, a lop-sided smirk forming, "you know, nice is a very vague term to use, Caulfield."

"What do you mean?"

My grin widened, "Well, it seems like a very deflective word. Like there are things you feel embarrassed to say… so 'fess up."

Max shrugged, uncertain as to what I was getting at, she took a sip of her coffee and glanced out of the window at the almost empty street outside. Arcadia Bay was essentially a ghost town at this point in time, "There isn't anything to confess, from what I've seen of him he's a decent guy."

"Considering you've spent half your time around him sitting on his lap, I was hoping for a more interesting answer," I put my hands behind my head a bit disappointed with Max's vague answer.

Max nudged my shoulder, the blush on her cheeks deepening at her insinuation, "You are so gross."

I leaned forward and put my arms on the table, "You love it really."

"If you say so," Max shrugged. "Besides, maybe I should be asking you that, since you've spent much more time around him than me."

"Aw," I leaned forward with a taunting smirk "is Maxine jealous?"

Max rolled her eyes, "Hardly."

"Oh, you so are. That is so fucking cute. Don't worry, there's enough of me to go around," I teased.

Max continued to blush, "I… I'm really not."

I summoned my inner Shakespeare and proclaimed, "Me thinks the lady doth protest too much."

Max sighed, knowing no amount of denying this would make me relent.

"Oh come on, don't pout, Max," I pinched her cheek "Tell you what, I'll give you a kiss to make it all better."

"Wait," Max rubbed her cheek "we're in the middle of the diner and your mom is literally over there."

"So?" I asked seductively.

Max rubbed the back of her neck, "So it's… embarrassing."

I ruffled Max's hair gently, "I see, you want to save it for later when we're alone, with nothing to… interrupt us. Bold move, Max. Can't I at least get a cheek kiss in?"

Max shuffled nervously in her seat, glancing around at the nearly empty diner, "If it's quick."

I leaned over and briefly placed my lips on Max's cheek, then again for good measure. It took a lot for me to resist continuing to kiss Max everywhere, but I pulled back. I didn't want to make Max mad. At this moment mom came back over with some drinks.

She looked at us with suspicious looks "What are you two up to? You look very guilty of something."

Max tried to hide her blush, "I…it's nothing, Joyce."

"I was just asking Max about Aaron," I casually remarked, unfazed by nearly being caught unlike Max.

Mom smiled, "He certainly is a pleasant young man."

I threw Max under the bus, "Max thinks he's 'nice', whatevs the hell that means."

She turned toward "Maybe you should spend some more time with him."

"You think?" Max asked.

"You totally should. You guys both seem like total nerds. Lucky for you, nerds are hot," I winked.

Mom offered me a knowing smile. I really wasn't subtle in the slightest, however around people like Max it was not any wonder.

I placed my hands behind my head, "Seriously though, I think you guys have a lot in common."

"Is that your expert opinion, Professor Price?" Max asked.

"My intuition is never wrong," I said.

"I beg to differ," Max rolled her eyes.

"Well, I guess you'll have to find out," I said.

"As much as I'm usually dubious of Chloe's judgement," mom interjected "I reckon that might be a good thing for you. If you spend too much time just around Chloe, you'll end up getting into all sorts of trouble."

I put on my innocent face, "You make it sound like I'm corrupting Max or something."

"Whenever you guys got in trouble as kids, it was always because of your schemes if I'm not mistaken," mom explained.

I crossed my arms, "Maybe."

"Anyway," she turned to Max "I think you and Aaron would get along well."

Max smiled, "If you think so Joyce, then I'll give it a shot."

I acted offended, "Oh, I see. When I suggest things everyone is quick to dismiss me, but if someone else does it then you accept it instantly."

Max looked deep into my eyes, "Unlike you, most people don't make it their sole aim in life to torment me."

I shrugged, "I guess that's a fair point. Like I said before, I don't just tease anyone."

AARON WATSON'S POV:

I washed my face and stared at my reflection in the mirror. "You need to tell them. You can't base a relationship on lies. You need to tell them that you can stop time."