Max feels a tingling in the pit of her stomach, apart from that her senses are all over the place, she's not sure how she musters enough energy to open her eyes but she does. It's nighttime and she knows she's not somewhere she recognizes. She squints her eyes, adjusting to the lighting. Max pressed her forehead to the cold glass window, it feels nice considering that her head is still in a frenzy. Not long after she hears some mumbling in the driver's seat, she jerks her head left to her as her gaze rest on a sleeping Chloe.
Max nibbled her bottom lip almost forgetting completely what had happened at the Prescott manor, what horror she must've put Chloe through. The thing was that Max didn't cause this, she was not responsible for whatever this episode was and wanted no part in the backlash she would receive once Chloe woke up. Max pinched the bridge of her nose, mortified of what Chloe will do, would she even believe the things Max has to say?
Max couldn't deal, she doesn't even know if she wants to confront this head on. Grabbing her hoodie from the space in between Chloe and herself she quietly takes off, tying the arms of her hoodie around her waist and slinging her messenger bag over her shoulder. Max pulls out her phone to check the time, it shows a little after 11 P.M. Max keeps walking straight down to another alley, she's never been to this side of Arcadia Bay, it gave out more of a downtown Seattle vibe. Max comes across an underpass, it sounds like a busy street up top but she isn't necessarily paying attention to that, what she does see is the graffiti filled tunnels, it's just a vivid place in the middle of nowhere. Examining the art Max smiles to herself as her fingers glide over several layers of amazing art. Max can't believe her eyes, it's so beautiful it's so empowering.
There is an incredibly loud honk that startles Chloe awake. She brings her hands just above her head filtering the light in her eyes. She wanted to make sure Max hadn'tt hurt herself in her sleep, another one of those crazy nosebleeds is not what they need right now. To Chloe's surprise, Max isn't in the passenger side, none of her belongings are in her truck, shutting her eyes tight Chloe bends down until her head land in the palm of her hands. Chloe rubs her temples, she doesn't know why all this sadistic shit keeps happening to her. Frustrated, she bangs her steering wheel with her fist, her knuckles turn red, they tingle but the numbness soon dissipates.
Chloe turns the key to her truck and the engine roars to life, her phone is glued to her ear as she drives away from the parking lot, the ringing continues, and with no luck it goes right to Max's voicemail. She turns a corner and at the far end of the tunnel she sees a girl sitting on the ground, staring at the wall with a bright blue bird tucked away in the corner. Chloe thinks maybe this girl has seen where Max has gone to, maybe the other people Rachel and she used to party with took off with her best friend.
Chloe clutches her phone in her hand pulling up to a curb. Killing the engine, she hops off her car and struts down the tunnel to this idle girl sitting on the dirty sidewalk.
Chloe approaches the brunette, her hoodie showing enough to decipher who the figure was. Without wanting to frighten the girl she quietly crouches down and places a hand on her shoulder.
"Hey there stranger, what are you up to all alone?" Chloe barely mumbles dusting the dirty spot on the ground next to Max, hugging her knees she stares at the one spot that her best friend can't keep her eyes off.
Max doesn't even blink an eye, doesn't turn to face Chloe isn't even all that shocked that it took her no time at all to force herself awake to be there with her.
"I-I... just look at it Chloe, look how beautiful it is out here." There's a smile on Max's face it's so sweet but it's also sad like it's forced. "That was hers right? Or it was done for her because they all knew huh? Everyone knew they couldn't keep her caged in Arcadia Bay." Max points to the blue bird, Rachel Amber's bird, the one thing in this town that could not be mistaken. How was it even possible that after one encounter she felt empty without Rachel, without her presence and energy?
Chloe knitted her brows together staring intently over at Max "Yeah. That was hers. She always thought she was a bird, I can't tell how many times she sprained her arms and legs because she was being so careless." She chuckled to herself softly nudging Max "If you think I'm bad she would have you tearing your hair out." Chloe leaned closer to max, placing an arm around her waist, soothing her.
"Do not tell me that you both wanted to be birds together? If you're a bird, I'm a bird. Then you call me hipster trash." She laughs leaning in to rest her head over Chloe's shoulder.
"Okay I won't tell you but.. we we're totally birds at the beach." Chloe kisses the top of Max's head sitting in silence for a few more moments. "You could be a bird too Max, you can be a bird with me and just get out of this hell hole, there's nothing more here for you or me. Nothing to keep us tied to this place."
Max let out an exasperated sigh "Chloe but there is something for you here and for me too." She shut her eyes trying to remember how vivid her dream had been last night. "Rachel Amber is still here, I-I don't know what it is but I can feel.. no I can sense her energy here. Like she's in the night breeze or the sun shining in the morning, I always feel like I am being guarded." Max pushed herself off from Chloe pouting a bit "Do you really want to leave all of this behind?"
"Max please.. she's not even here anymore that's just crazy. She left me in the dark when she knew I was the one person willing to help with no strings attached, now you're talking about some crazy shit about Rachel Amber as a ghost or some kind of animal, spirit or whatever." Chloe rubbed her sweaty face with the helm of her shirt.
"No you don't get it, you're just so willing to give up on everybody, you probably pulled the same shit with Joyce. You don't understand anything I'm trying to say. What I'm telling you is that my time here isn't completed, my purpose or destiny or whatever for coming here is still in some sort of loop unless I move forward." Max pulls up her long sleeve shirt up to her elbow showing Chloe the exact same bird that was plastered on the graffitti filled wall, and just underneath there was something written in Rachel's handwriting; Rachel was here, still here little Doe.
"Chloe I'm not crazy, I don't know what this is but for once in my life I know that I'm not scared. I need this to be a clue. I need you to figure this out with me, best friends forever right?" Max timidly pulled down the sleeve of her shirt, looking at her Chloe.
"Shit Max I know you're not crazy but just like put yourself in my shoes. One of my best friends has been rotting in the ground and then you come up with this idea that you want to be you want to be connceted to her and that I shouldn't grieve in my own way. Now tell me that I don't jump hoops for you but this is just insane. I've been putting up with this shit because I love you and we are a part of something better. Why don't you get that, get what I'm trying to tell you. I fucking love your naive ass and you're so fucking blind to see that." Chloe finally turns resting her hands on Max's shoulders, softly shaking her "Can't you see that, after all this time.."
Max blinks a few times with her mouth opened trying to find the right words to say, biting her lip thinking hard how to conjure the syllables into words, she can't feel it but her body is moving more than willingly, Max leans into Chloe brushing her nose against the blue haired girls', the petite girl numbly running her fingers over the flannel of Chloe's shirt before pulling her in a tight embrace, gripping the collar of her shirt tightly as they both come in hungrily finding each other's lips.
"I love you too Chloe Price."