Warning: This chapter contains content that could possibly be triggering. Viewer discretion is advised.
Justin's black car cruised down the colored streets, playing loud music and had five rambunctious teenagers inside. They were screaming lyrics to a rock song while banging their heads and thrashing their bodies around. Chloe was the worst of them all, which was kind of ironic considering she was the one who was hesitant about coming. It seemed as if she had a change of heart. That didn't concern anyone since they were having a great time.
"Yo, Justin! Pop the sunroof!" Chloe shouted over the music.
"Your car has a sunroof?" Warren asked excitedly.
"Fuck yeah it does!" Justin pressed a button to release the top. There was a burst of cold air and Chloe unbuckled her seatbelt to stand up.
"Chloe, what the hell are you doing? Get down from there!" Max scolded, wanting the blue-haired girl not to get hurt.
"Get down? Max, I think you need to go up!" Chloe unbuckled the brunette's seatbelt with her foot then pulled her up. Max shrieked as she was exposed to the wind and wobbled around. "Hey, hey, I've got you," Chloe reassured. She looked at the lumberjack with fearful eyes, Chloe's grin leaning closer to her face.
"CHLOE PRICE, ARE YOU INSANE?!" she roared, startling the blue-haired girl.
"Woah, I didn't know you had that in you, Max," Chloe laughed nervously.
"If this damn car doesn't kill us first you bet your ass I will skin you alive after this," Max threatened.
"Calm down, Max. I'll keep you safe. I've done this millions of times," the lumberjack reassured, latching her hands to Max's waist to sturdy her. The photographer wanted to stay angry at her, but when her comforting arms were around her it was hard. She blushed irritably trying to keep an annoyed expression. Chloe smirked in amusement. "Aw, is someone all pouty 'cause I finally got her to warm up?"
"Shut up, tree dork," Max retorted, failing to not smile.
Chloe chuckled, gazing at all the lights on the buildings. Max joined in, forgetting about the fear she had before and just stared at the colorful scenery. It was magical how almost everything was covered in it. Their eyes wandered for the longest time until they found each other's. Blue-grey met ocean blue as they stared into them. They both smiled as the both were about to lean in until the car screeched to a halt and Max landed into Chloe's chest.
"Oh eat a dick, you fuckin'-" Justin swore with road rage.
Max internally groaned at how embarrassing the image must be. They both got down and strapped themselves back up, both a little red in the face on what just happened. Kate just grinned to herself at how funny they looked.
The five got to the skating rink and paid for their shoes. Once everything was on and they had gotten to the actual ice, everyone broke out and skated around. Everyone except Max, who was a bit hesitant when moving. Chloe, while gliding gracefully across the smooth, frozen surface, noticed and moved towards the brunette. "Hey, aren't you coming?" she asked.
"Yeah, the only thing is I'm really clumsy," Max said.
Chloe offered her hand to the brunette, and she took it gingerly. She moved into Chloe's chest again, this time less awkwardly. "Don't worry, Max. I got you," Chloe whispered reassuringly. This time Max felt it was more genuine than when it was in the sunroof.
"I hope you mean that better than you did in the sunroof," she teased.
Chloe chuckled. "Well, we'll just have to see."
They started to get farther away from the railing, with Chloe just dragging Max along the ice. It felt nice, and the brunette wasn't worried about making a fool of herself. The lumberjack then spun around, not letting go of her. It was almost like dancing. Both girls couldn't help but grin as they cruised along the ice. "Get ready, Max!" Chloe said excitedly.
"What-" That was all Max could get out before being lifted into the air by Chloe like professional skaters. She squealed as the lumberjack kept moving around while holding her up. She knew Chloe had to be strong, but not this strong. She wasn't calling herself fat, in fact she thought she was too skinny if anything, but it was still a surprise that Chloe could pick her up. The blue-haired girl finally put her down in another spin and they laughed. Max felt a bit of confidence boost in her and let go of one of Chloe's hands and skated alongside her instead of infront of her. Chloe had a surprised glance, but immediately smiled.
Justin, Warren, and Kate were watching from afar at the two girls. "Aww! Isn't it so cute how they interact? Those two were practically made for each other!" Kate squealed.
"I just hope Chloe is better for her than Nathan. Y'know, I wish I had a chance to kick that guy in the dick for almost. . . . Well, fuck I would've kicked him in the dick anyway," Warren growled at the memory.
"Dude, would you chill? Chloe ain't gonna do anything. She's got some shit she's dealin' with too. I hope Max is better for her than Rachel," Justin defended.
"Let's just agree that they've both had unhealthy relationships in the past," Warren said.
"Guys, don't you see? With the bad relationships they've had, now they can come together and have a beautiful, blossoming one! It's true love! A match made in heaven!" Kate tried to be poetic.
"Don't get your hopes up Kate, that only happens in movies," Warren said.
"Yeah, true love doesn't exist," Justin added.
Kate huffed and angrily stared at them. To most it would look like a kitten trying to be ferocious, that the aggression couldn't withstand the innocence. She gave up and continued to watch the two friends skate around.
"Hey, you're gettin' the hang of it!" Chloe cheered, slowly letting go of the brunette's hand. Max got a bit too confident in herself and started to move when she tripped and knocked the lumberjack off her feet. Landing on top of her, she felt Chloe's air leave her body. "I stand corrected," the blue-haired girl said breathlessly. Max thought their faces were a bit too close for her liking, and felt a bit of heat rising on her cheeks again.
"More like laying corrected," Max joked to kill the awkwardness, getting a chuckle from Chloe.
"Smartass," she whispered.
Suddenly they heard a variety of catcalls and wolf whistles from the others. "Gettin' lucky for the Holidays, Price?" Justin teased.
"I bet she'll wrap Max up just nicely," Warren played along.
Chloe sighed irritably and flipped them off. "Don't listen to them. They're just jealous I can get a girl like you to fall for me. Literally."
Max chuckled nervously, looking over at Kate who was having her own giggle-fest. She mouthed something to Max, to which she couldn't quite comprehend, so she just stared at her with a cocked eyebrow. Kate finally gave up and joined the boys while Max and Chloe tried to get up without falling on each other again. That ended badly, with Max almost landing face-first into Chloe's crotch as the blue-haired girl offered her hand but the photographer slipped. After many embarrassing attempts to get up, Chloe and Max skated out of the wrink, praying to God nobody saw how red their faces were.
"No, man, Iron Man could totally beat Batman!" Warren argued.
"Pfft, that iron suit doesn't mean shit compared to Batman's stealth skills. He could sneak up on Iron Man and take out his rockets from right under his nose," Chloe shot back.
They had stopped by a frozen yogurt shop, with Justin buying for everyone. He said he was trying to get off his marijuana use, and the way he did it was spending money on other things to avoid having enough for the drug. To most it seemed like a stupid idea, but it worked for Justin, so nobody judged. Warren and Chloe were currently having a nerd battle with D.C. superheroes versus Marvel. Chloe had her heart set on Batman winning against Iron Man since neither had powers.
"If they ever create an Injustice with both Marvel and D.C. characters, I'd so challenge you to Iron Man versus Batman and I'd totally kick your ass!" Warren threatened.
"Your death wish, dude," Chloe said cockily, taking a bite of her vanilla-chocolate swirl.
Max giggled at how they were so devoted to a fight between the characters. She was never a big superhero fan, so it went over her head. She felt a tap on her shoulder, looking over to see Kate wanting to have a private conversation. She followed the blonde into the bathroom, and closed the door. "Kate, what are we doing in here?" the brunette asked.
"First of all, you need a lesson on lip reading," Kate said.
"What? It's not my fault! You weren't exactly clear on what you were trying to communicate either," Max protested.
"It was so obvious! I was saying 'kiss her'!" Kate said irritably.
"Oh," the photographer whispered, feeling herself blush for the hundredth time tonight. "It's not like I would've done it anyway. Chloe might not even be into me."
"Max, you really are blind-sided. Have you seen how Chloe acts around you? She has so much more joy than a dog getting the biggest bone in the world! Every time she walks into the cafe it's always 'where's Max?' and I'll have to tell her either you're not here yet or you're not coming. Then it's like the happiness is just switched off," Kate explained.
"Maybe because she hasn't had a friend in a while and she's just a little clingy," Max defended.
"Believe what you want, Max. However, I have to tell you one thing: Don't crush her heart, otherwise there will be consequences. Deadly consequences," Kate warned.
"Woah. When did you get so menacing? You're definitely not the shy, tiny Kate I knew in preschool who didn't want to hurt the grasshopper that intruded into the classroom," Max chuckled nervously.
"Years of experience will do that to you, Caulfield," Kate said confidently.
Suddenly the door opened, revealing Chloe, who formed an embarrassed look on her face. "Uh, hope I wasn't interrupting anything. But, we're about to head out."
Kate and Max exchanged a nervous and cocky glance, then stared at Chloe.
The night was over, as Warren was able to walk home, Justin took Kate home, and Chloe was left to drop Max off. They were jamming out to Christmas songs in Chloe's car as they were approaching the Caulfield residence. Max felt more of an adrenaline high than ever before. She certainly didn't have a calm and collected vibe at the moment as she was currently thrashing to 'Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree', along with Chloe. The lumberjack laughed as she saw the brunette's head swing back and forth. It reminded her of Rachel when they listened to music in the truck. The memory brought mixed feelings to the punk as it was happy because it was good, but sad because Rachel broke up with her and left. Either way, she was just happy to be in the present with her friend.
They finally pulled up to Max's house and Chloe turned the radio down. "Well, tonight was fun. I forgot how much I loved ice skating."
"Yeah, even though I suck at it," Max joked.
"You just need a bit more practice under your belt."
"I don't think I wanna try again anytime soon."
They both laugh for a second, then die down. They sat there in silence, not awkward but deep in thought. Max got out of the truck and didn't leave just yet. She gazed at Chloe, the smile not leaving her lips. She suddenly kissed the lumberjack's cheek, catching her off-guard. It was Chloe's turn to be utterly embarrassed as her face was as red as a Christmas ornament. Max giggled. "I guess you should be heading home. It's kinda late," She suggested.
"Uh. . . . Uh, yeah. Night, Max."
"Goodnight, Chloe!" Max waved as the lumberjack drove away, feeling giddy about the night they had.
Chloe unlocked the door to her house and stepped inside. The lights were off, so she was a bit tense. The lumberjack switched them on only to hear a groaning coming from the kitchen. She sighed and cursed under her breath. "Mom . . . not now." She walked in the kitchen to find Joyce lying face down on the kitchen table with a bottle of wine in her hand. Chloe had seen this picture many times before, but always had fear whenever it happened.
"Hey, Mom-" Chloe was interrupted by a loud moan from Joyce. Chloe felt her lip quiver. Sure, it was all familiar, but it hurt all the same.
"Mom, get up," she said softly, gently shaking her.
Joyce sat up, bloodshot eyes and drool on her lip. Chloe wiped it away with the sleeve of her jacket. "William?" Joyce muttered.
"No, it's Chloe," the blue-haired girl replied.
"Oh, Chloe. What are you doing home so early? I thought you were hanging out with Max?" the older Price slurred.
"Mom, it's 2:45 AM. I took Max home about an hour and forty-five minutes ago," Chloe tried to say it as non-aggressively as possible.
"Hm. Amazing how time flies, you should get to bed now," Joyce sighed.
"Uh, I think you need to get to bed. You're drunk again, not great if you just lay here," the lumberjack suggested.
"Mmnot drunk, Chloe. It's all in your head, you're tired." Joyce laid back on the table, folding her arms under her head.
Chloe didn't know how to react, so she just chuckled. "Mom, you're fucking wasted. Just drink some water and head upstairs."
"I am not drunk, Chloe. Get that outta your head," the barista said with slight aggression.
"Okay, okay, you're not drunk," Chloe played along. "But seriously, get to bed."
"Don't tell me what to do," Joyce mumbled.
"Mom, please, get up." Chloe pulled the older woman up out of the chair.
"What the hell was that for?" Joyce growled, brushing her daughter's hands away.
"I . . . I'm just trying to help since you're not thinking straight," the blue-haired girl reassured calmly.
"I don't need help! And I'm not drunk so shut up! I don't need a fuckin' 19-year-old tellin' me what to do!" Joyce snarled.
"Mom, I'm just suggesting something since you're in need of assistance," Chloe started to back away.
"Don't you fuckin' raise your voice at me! I am your mother!" she yelled.
"I'm not yelling!" Chloe felt tears in her eyes.
"Quiet, you stupid fuckin'-"
"Mom, you're out of i-" Chloe didn't get to finish her sentence due to a common action she was used to, but hurt more every time. Joyce had slapped her hard across the face, her cheek red due to the imprint of her mother's hand. She had done it before, even when Chloe was at a young age. She didn't dare tell William because she thought they were really happy together and didn't want to ruin their relationship. She told herself to suck it up and grow a pair.
"You are not the boss of me! Go to your room, you fucking mistake! All you're ever good for is making people feel down about themselves!" Joyce roared.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Chloe yelped while dashing out of the kitchen and up to her room. She slammed the door and leaned against it, shrinking down to the floor. Tears started pouring from her eyes as she curled up into a ball and rocked herself. "Mom… Mom-dammit! Shit fucking!-" she cursed herself.
"'Mom, you need to go to sleep. It's not healthy if you stay up like that.'"
"Shit, no. . . . It's happening again."
"'What, no I'm not lecturing! You need to get to bed!.'"
"God damn it!" Chloe snarled.
"'Daddy, when is Mommy coming home?'"
Chloe searched around her room, looking for an orange bottle, the voices in her head haunting her.
"Mom you are so drunk! Dammit, you vomited on the floor again!'"
She was looking everywhere, under her bed, on her nightstand, on her desk. She wasn't going to have this again.
"You're a mess! How the hell am I supposed to do my science project when I have a passed out mother on the kitchen table drowning in her own saliva?'"
"Stop it. . . . Stop fucking with my head. . . ." the lumberjack muttered.
"'Dad, you have to do something about this! She's . . . she's not herself.'
'Well, she's not abusing you so maybe you should stop giving her a hard time.'"
"No . . . no. . . . Shit!" she said while pounding her head.
"'Rachel, look out!'
'Holy shit!'"
"Enough!" Chloe screamed and popped two tablets in her mouth, swallowing them raw. Sweat dripped down her forehead, her whole body shaking. She flopped down on her bed trying to even her breathing. Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She took it out with jelly-like arms to see what it said.
MAX: I had so much fun tonight! You were really a natural on the ice, and a great teacher, I'm just a clumsy ass. Also sorry for falling on you. o_O
MAX: P.S, yes emoji.
Chloe wanted to laugh. She desperately wanted it to make her smile, but she just couldn't bring herself to crack one. Instead she cried. She put the phone down and scrunched up into a little ball. Then she remembered something. She went to her closet, opening the door and searching through old bags and dirty clothes. The lumberjack finally found what she was looking for. It was a stuffed animal white cat with a few stains on it and also a button missing from the eye. She had it ever since she was born, and it definitely came in handy when she needed comfort while Joyce was drinking. In her teen years she had stuffed it in her closet, telling herself she didn't need it, that she was going to cope without a 'stupid toy.' Now here she was, 19 and needing something to hug for support. She took the cat with delicate hands and dusted it off a little. "Sorry for putting you in there for so long, Bongo, your service is needed right now," she said to the cat. She walked back to her bed and hugged the stuffed animal close to her face. It still smelled the same after all those years, and frankly she was pleased. Eventually she fell asleep, not having any flashbacks polluting her dreams.
