"Dana has texted me like eighty-six times today," Max said as Chloe gingerly applied eyeliner on her.

"Oh no, you have friends," the punk quipped sardonically. She stood back and smiled. "All done!" Max turned to evaluate her look in the mirror.

"I don't think pirates actually used eyeliner...this is purely a Johnny Depp invention." She leaned in and blinked several times.

"Pfft, whatever, Caulfield. It's hot. You kinda have this like, Robert Smith thing going on." Chloe picked up the pirate hat that sat on Max's bed and put it on. "Which reminds me, could you show me, show me, show me how you do that trick? The one that makes me SCREAM!" She sucked Max into a vicious hug from behind. "You know what I mean, right?" She asked, nuzzling into Max's neck, her tone sultry.

"Oh, you know I do, babe..." Max purred, turning in Chloe's arms to face her. She leaned in close, her breath washing over Chloe's lips and she hesitated. The punk watched in amusement, her blue eyes entranced. Quickly, Max brought both hands to Chloe's sides and began to tickle her. The blue haired girl squealed in laughter.

"No, no!" She screamed, flailing her arms. "Get off-a me!"

"But I thought this was what you wanted?" Max pouted, continuing her tickle onslaught. The punk backed up until the edge of the bed swept away her feet, sending her onto her back. Max climbed on top of her.

"Nooooooo!" Chloe shrieked, breathless from laughing. "This is torture! TORTURE!" Finally, Max relented, still straddling Chloe. She smirked at her victoriously. Smoothly, she scooped up the captain hat that had fallen off of Chloe and placed it on her head.

"I'm the captain now."

This had been the game since their date a few days ago. A moment would appear, usually brought on by Chloe, where the two would have a chance to do something, anything remotely sexual with one another. But Chloe, as she had said, loved teasing, and usually used the opportunity to drive Max crazy, leaving her wanting more. It took Max a day or two to adjust, but she was proving herself to be a formidable foe. Sometimes, she could tell Chloe was totally out of her depth, and she loved it.

"Get your bony ass off of me," Chloe said, thrusting her hands at Max. Chuckling, the brunette did as she was told and moved to a sitting position next to her. She turned to face herself in the mirror, smiling when she noticed the new splotches of purple on her neck.

"Are you playing Connect Four with yourself on my neck?" She asked, craning her neck to get a better view. She heard the punk 'ha!' behind her.

"Yeah, but I just cannot get a leg up on this chick. It's like she knows my next move before I make it!" She sat up, wrapping an arm around Max and looking into the mirror with her. "Besides, you got me too. Look at this fucker." She pointed to a singular bruise on her throat.

That's right, Max Caulfield strikes back.

"You know, this is really kind of disgustingly cute," Chloe said, pointing at the mirror. "Look at us! Back together, dressed as pirates...well, mostly dressed..." She looked down at her boxers and shrugged. "I mean, this is seriously amazeballs." Max watched herself grin in the mirror before leaning back to kiss Chloe.

"Thank you for coming to this with me," Max said after resurfacing. "I know dorky parties are probably not your favorite pastime."

"Oh, shut up." Chloe snatched the captain's hat from Max's head. "You could invite me to watch paint dry or go to the DMV and I'd tag along like the sad little puppy I am." She stood up and finally began to pull some pants on, ignoring Max's dramatic sighs of grief as she did so. "Hey," she turned to the brunette. "Know what today is?"

"Friday." Max responded.

"Friday, right. But also...our one week anniversary!" She held her hands up as if to say 'surprise!' She snickered. "Usually one week is like, whatever, but now that I know how hard it is to actually complete a week, I think it's kind of cool. And of course, it's a week with you, my sexy, little indie kitten." She held a hand out, which Max took, and pulled her to her feet.

I forgot how fast time goes by when you're not constantly reversing it.

"One week!" Max cheered. "We're awesome. But I didn't even get you anything," she said sarcastically. Chloe laughed, picking up a bow that sat with the rest of their costume adornments. She carefully placed it on Max's head.

"Well, would you look at that!" She gasped excitedly. "I want this one!" She snaked one finger into the waist of Max's pants, the tip of her finger creeping against her underwear, and reeled her closer. "Can I unwrap it later?" She asked, her voice husky. Max felt the familiar feeling of her cheeks growing hot, but she managed to will it away.

"If you behave," she whipped back.

"Well, that's no fun at all," Chloe groaned. "Fine."

"Okay, dork, let's finish getting dressed. It's almost time to party!" She used her best 'shaka brah' tone. She tried to move toward her bed but was anchored to her spot. She looked down and sighed. "Uh, Chlo?"

"What's up?" The blue haired girl asked innocently.

"Could you...let me go?" Chloe's finger remained interlocked with Max's pants. She huffed, releasing the smaller girl from her grasp.

"No fun at all," she repeated, pouting.

"Can Kate come out to plaaaaaaaaay?!" Chloe shouted as she banged on her door.

"Calm down!" Max pleaded, holding her hands up. "You're going to wake the dead!"

"Good, those fuckers are lazy," Chloe growled, slowing her pounding to a light tapping. "Kaaaaate," she cooed. "Come out, come out wherever you are." Max shook her head, hiding her laughter.

Big ol' blue pirate, what a dork.

Chloe wore the large captain hat with several half burnt wicks peeking from underneath. She had a long, worn out, red double breasted military jacket, fitted with a seemingly infinite amount of buckles, and underneath she wore a tattered v-neck. For pants, she just wore a black pair of slacks, making sure to tear one the legs where her normal boots resided. A plastic rapier attached to her belt completed the ensemble.

As for Max, her outfit was less grandiose, since Chloe had decided she was the captain. This was totally fine with her...she was more than happy to be the sidekick for a change. She had wrapped a blue bandana that had become a little too cozy with bleach around her head. She was also sporting an eye patch, though she had been keeping it on the space above her left eye, complaining about her depth perception. She wore suitably scruffy knee breeches to compliment her striped shirt, though like Chloe, she still wore her casual sneakers. The two had acquired most of these clothes from a seasonal, Halloween thrift shop that was only open from September to November. When Max had asked what it was for the rest of the year, the punk simply shrugged.

"Oh my gosh," Kate scolded as she opened the door. "You're being so loud!" Her jab missed its mark, however, as both girls stared at her in awe. Kate was dressed as Alice of Wonderland fame, and to Max's surprise, her hair was down. She had never noticed just how long it was before.

"Kate, you look incredible," the brunette said, prompting a small smile from the girl.

"Agreed, wowser central!" Chloe added, holding two thumbs up.

"Thank you, guys," Kate blushed. "Can you guess who I am?" She held her arms out and twirled in place causing two plastic chains, one cuffed from each wrist, to spin with her.

"Alice in Wonderland!" Max guessed confidently.

"Halfway." Kate smiled, wiggling her hand left and right. Chloe's eyes went wide.

"Oh! Holy shit, Alice in chains!" The punk hopped up and down excitedly, pointing to the chains. "That is fucking sick! I neeeever pegged you for a grunge fan." She turned to Max and grinned, gesturing at Kate. "I love this girl!" Max laughed and nodded her head in agreement.

Is this forreals? No way Kate is into them...

"I love them!" Kate beamed. She noticed Max's confusion. "You didn't think I just listened to like, choir music all day did you?" The brunette tilted her head in thought, embarrassed that she kind of...did. "I'm only teasing, Max. The truth is, I just recently started listening to them, you know, when I was kind of...down." She scrunched her lips to the side. "But, now that I'm better, I still like it."

"Kate's ready for the mosh pit, Max! What's taking you so long?" Chloe snuggled in next to Kate, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as Max stuck her tongue out. Kate's eyes immediately filled with fright.

"Oh...no. No, thank you. Please don't make me mosh people." She shook her head slowly, a faraway fear in her eyes. "I'd be trampled." Chloe burst into laughter, rocking back and forth with Kate.

She is too sweet...both of them, really. But...siiiiigh, my Chloe. Be still my beating heart.

Max hadn't really thought about how Chloe would integrate into her small group of friends, which until recently, had basically just included Kate and Warren. To her surprise and relief, the punk was extraordinarily friendly toward Kate without sacrificing her personality. She still swore, smoked and acted like a maniac around her, but it was undeniable that she was exuding some kind of protective aura regarding the girl. Max had found all of this out when the three of them got tea together...well, Max and Kate got tea. Chloe chose to inhale three cups of coffee.

Chloe's brief interaction with Warren had gone just as well, though they had some common ground since both were aware of the whole time travel debacle - something Warren referred to as Timegate2013. Unlike with Kate, Chloe had a more natural, 'I'm-going-to-make-fun-of-you' approach with Warren, who took it in stride. Chloe had joked to Max beforehand that she was going to 'ravish' her in front of Warren, just to make some things clear, though thankfully this never happened. She did feel slightly nervous when Chloe pulled Warren away for a moment to have a hushed discussion ultimately resulting in the two exchanging numbers. Probably to keep tabs on my insanity... Max thought.

"I'm glad you're coming out with us," Max said, putting a hand on Kate's shoulder. "I know parties might seem...kind of scary these days."

"But we'll be with you," Chloe added, fidgeting with the buckle on her belt. She glanced up to give Kate a reassuring smile.

"You two are so precious," Kate giggled before her expression shifted. "I feel kind of bad. Dana made such a big deal about no drinking or drugs at the party...I know some people aren't going to go now."

"Fuck 'em," Chloe stated plainly.

"Gonna have to agree with my foulmouthed girlfriend on this one," Max said, shrugging. "It's not your fault...I mean, why did the Vortex Club parties even have alcohol?" Kate frowned but eventually nodded her head in agreement. "Now, I have an idea!" The brunette dug through her bag, which admittedly clashed with her costume, and pulled out her camera. "How about the three of us be vain, vapid...vicious teenagers and take a selfie?"

"I ain't vain," Chloe scoffed, wrapping an arm around each of the girls and pulling them closely together.

"I'm a little vain," Kate laughed, brushing some hair out of her face. "Also, good alliteration."

"Thanks!" Max held the camera out. "Say 'Happy Hella-ween!'" And the camera clicked.

"I'm just saying, Max wouldn't saw my leg off and now my costume is way less accurate," Chloe complained to Kate.

"I don't think pirates had peg legs en masse!" Max argued. "Where are you even getting your pirate facts?!"

"Hey! You shush!" Chloe poked Max's cheek. "I'm talking to Kate." She turned her nose up at Max. "Do you see what I put up with? And I did the loving thing and cut her eye out." Kate snickered behind her hand as Max faked a scowl.

It's so cute how she includes Kate.

"I think this is our stop," Chloe said as the three reached the gymnasium doors. Music that sounded submerged in water leaked out from inside the building causing the punk to roll her eyes. "Shitty music fo' days," she bemoaned. She stopped to survey Kate, who seemed to be huddled in on herself. "You okay?"

"I'm okay," she assured, though Max could tell it was mostly for herself.

Chloe pulled open the door, unleashing the torrent of dance music. Max interlocked their arms, with Chloe giving her a bright smile in response.

Jesus, that smile. Maybe she will be unwrapping something tonight.

"Come on, ladies." The punk shifted her arm so that her and Max's hands were clasped and she grabbed Kate by the wrist. She grinned. "I have two dates tonight! Look at me!" Max smiled, feeling her heart swell with Chloe's happiness.

The basketball court, where the party was being hosted, seemed much less occupied than the pool from the End of the World Party. Max initially felt bad that maybe Dana's hard stance against alcohol had caused too much distaste with their peers.

Still, that's so cool of her to do to make Kate feel safe and welcome.

Her frown faded when she saw Dana in a rather stereotypical, risque cat costume dancing by the snack table, not losing any momentum as she poured chips into a basket. Pulling the other two girls with her, Max headed over to her.

"Dana!" She said with a raised voice. "We made it!" The cheerleader turned to face them, a giant grin appearing on her face.

"Max! And you brought your bitch!" Dana wrapped Max in a hug, with Chloe giving her an amused look over Dana's shoulder. She gave the punk a hug as well, catching her off guard. Then she turned to Kate. "Kate! I'm SO glad you came!" More slowly and with hesitation, she moved to embrace her also. Kate returned the gesture, clearly feeling grateful for the affection. "You guys look so fucking cute!" She said, breaking the hug with Kate. Chloe smirked at that, proud of her and Max's costumes.

"Uh, not to be a dick, Dana..." Max said. "Where is everyone? I know we're a little early but you did say 7:30 right?" The cheerleader clasped her wrist and slowly pulled her away from the other girls, leaving them confused.

"Well, I did say 7:30...to you guys. The party doesn't really start until eight. I just wanted to..." She looked at Kate, her facing flickering sadness. "I wanted to make it easier for her. If it was less crowded when she got here, maybe it'd make her more comfortable." Max smiled at the thoughtfulness.

"That's so sweet of you, Dana. I think she's okay. We're going to watch her, make sure she's good." She glanced at Kate, who was again laughing at something Chloe was saying.

"Maaaaaax," a voice came from behind her as an arm was slung over her shoulder. "What's good?" She turned to find Trevor smiling goofily, wearing an identical cat costume to Dana's, whiskers and all. The only difference being his clothes weren't as tight.

"Wow, great costume," Max laughed.

"I know, right? Total coincidence too!" He pointed at Dana. "She wouldn't change! I was ready first!" Dana rolled her eyes, ladling punch into two solo cups.

"Such a smartass," she droned.

"Yeah, I have one of those," Max remarked as the three of them regrouped with Chloe and Kate. Dana excitedly held out a cup for each of the girls. Chloe nodded, taking it and taking a big gulp. Kate just sort of stared at it, a sense of unease growing on her face. She began fidgeting with her hands.

"Hey," Dana said. "It's okay, I promise. Just punch! Unless you don't like cherry...that might be an issue, I guess."

"No, sorry," Kate said, taking the cup. "I love cherry."

Much in line with Dana's plan, the guests came in a slow trickle. The 'core' group remained Max, Chloe, Kate and Trevor while Dana enthusiastically skated around greeting everyone. Eventually, Justin arrived and pulled Trevor away, leaving the three girls to their own devices. Kate remained in high spirits as Chloe did her best to keep her attention, constantly cracking jokes and telling amusing stories. Max stayed quiet for the most part, mostly executing an eye roll when something Chloe said was inappropriate or overly embellished.

This is...nice, actually. And Chloe is being so hella adorable with Kate.

"Dude," Chloe shouted into Max's ear, causing the girl to wince. "Where's Warren? I wanted to show him my Cap'n Price costume!"

"Weeeellll," Max snickered, "he and Brooke are finally Going Ape tonight!" She took a sip from her cup, waggling her eyebrows.

"Ooooh la la!" The punk wriggled her fingers. "Wonder if the dork is going to get lucky. God knows that kid could use some."

"Gross, let's not," Max responded. "But maybe someone else will hit a lucky patch tonight." Chloe chuckled absentmindedly before fully realizing what Max said. Even in the dimmed room with flashing lights, Max could see her blush.

Where did that come from, Max?

"You guys are weird," Kate teased, emerging after accidentally hiding behind Chloe's height. Max laughed, feeling a bit embarrassed. "I'm going to get some more punch. Do you guys want anything?" After a 'no' from both, she pranced away to the table.

Totes forgot you were there for a sec, Kate.

"You are corrupting my baby," Chloe chided, sliding up next to Max. "She can't hear that nonsense." Max rose on the tips of her toes and gave her a thoughtful kiss.

"You are incredible. Thank you for being so sweet with her." The brunette felt her hands searching for Chloe's waist completely on their own accord.

"Of course," Chloe said casually. "She's ridiculously precious, like a little toy or something." She felt Max's hands on her waist and reciprocated, moving in closer so they were pressed together. "Well don't you seem pretty frisky?"

"Oh do I? That's a bit presumptuous," Max shot back.

"God," the punk said, her eyes scanning over Max. "You are so fuckin' sexy right now. I could completely maul you." She giggled, thinking for a moment. "I think I might be into pirates."

"Into pirates or just into me?" She felt herself sway back and forth, her hips slowly grazing against Chloe's.

"Oh, I'm definitely into you. We could even make that literal, if you wanted..." Chloe bit her lip then descended upon Max, ravenously clamping her teeth on Max's bottom lip.

"Wooooah, cool off, you two!" Dana interjected, fanning herself with a smile.

Dana. Fuck off. Go away. Go. Flee. Fly you fool!

"I know I throw a killer party, but remember that there are teachers around." She pointed across the room to Ms. Grant. "How about you guys come and actually dance for minute?"

Dance? Oh...I forgot about the whole DANCING thing.

"Uh, I don't know, Kate is..." Max stammered.

"Kate is over there, yanno, dancing!" Dana shouted as she pointed at Kate barely gyrating with Justin and Trevor, an embarrassed look on her face. Max flashed Chloe big 'please don't make me' puppy eyes. The blue haired girl thought for a moment, grinned and grabbed her hand.

"Come on, Maximo, let's dance." She stormed out onto the court, dragging her through the crowd. Max glanced behind her to see Dana waving emphatically, perhaps even offering a glimpse of smarmy guilt.

I can't dance. Icantdance!

Once they were sufficiently nestled in a crowd of students, many of which Max had never even spoken to, Chloe whipped around and jerked Max close to her body. Grinning wickedly, she tightly grabbed Max's ass as she began to dance, quickly sneaking in a quick nip at her neck.

"Camouflage," she shouted into Max's ear, drifting up from her bite. The brunette watched as the punk pirate's hips swayed to the music, her hands slowly tangling with the air. She looked like an absolute miracle, the composition of beauty Max never thought possible. Chloe returned the gaze, a playful smile on her face. She mouthed something to Max, but she couldn't make it out. Breathing out her self-consciousness, she began to dance, moving even closer to Chloe.

"I don't know what you said," she told her, struggling to find any sense of rhythm. Her eyes followed the blue haired girl's hips like a pendulum. Entranced, her body naturally began to mimic the motions, all while her mind raced in seventeen directions. Chloe came closer, slowly snaking her arms over Max's shoulders as she brought their waists together.

"I said..." she began, her voice loud but carrying the sincerity of whisper, "I want to fuck you." Max felt something shift in her stomach, envisioning a thousand blue butterflies spiraling into a void of yearning, Ode to Joy blaring in the background.

Guh buh whaaa?

Without realizing it, she was actually pronouncing her stammer, but thankfully Chloe silenced her bumbling with a wet kiss. Again they were pulled closer together, something Max wasn't even sure was possible. Like the closer they became, the more room there was to keep going. The punk slowly slipped one foot between Max's, pressing her thigh gently into the brunette's pelvis. She shivered, clawing into Chloe's jacket. The punk's tongue tangled with hers, and she felt another firm grasp of her ass.

A change in songs caused the two to finally unwind, Max staring dumbfound while Chloe proceeded with her inviting eyes and smile. As the blur around Chloe began to fade, she noticed several people watching them with expressions varying from 'niiice' to 'NIIIIIIIIIICE!' She squeaked in embarrassment and shielded her face. Chloe, on the other hand, actually high-fived one of the gawking guys. She grasped Max's hand and leaned down to her ear.

"You wanna get out of here?" Each syllable felt like a spark in Max's head as her breath lapped at her ear. She couldn't form words – it just wasn't going to happen – so instead she nodded, giant blue eyes gazing upon an angel. Chloe pumped her first excitedly and locked their fingers together. "We should check on Kate before we leave though," she said.

The two maneuvered through the crowd searching for Kate, who was no longer with Justin and Trevor. A small panic began to seep into Max's skin, slowly replacing the buzz instilled by Chloe. Thankfully, they spotted her, still dancing in a meek and gentle way, though the interesting part was who she was with...

Victoria?!

Kate stood in a small circle with Victoria, Courtney and Taylor as they all danced. Chloe placed a hand on her shoulder, somehow ignoring the oddity in front of her.

"Hey pumpkin," Chloe said, smiling at Kate. "Max and I are gonna bail...are you okay?" She glanced at the other three girls, Victoria being the only who stopped dancing.

"I'm good! I think I'll stay a bit longer and hang out with Vic!" Her pace became a touch more frantic, looking more like she was jogging in place than actually dancing. She noticed, and blushed a little as she calmed back down. "Thank you guys so much for convincing me to come! I'm actually having a really great time!" She bared her teeth in a tragically innocent smile. She roped Max and Chloe into a big hug, her feet still twitching with movement.

"Anytime, Kate," Max said. The joy she felt at seeing Kate not only happy but genuinely having a good time was something she would cherish forever. After breaking the hug, Kate moseyed back over to Taylor and Courtney. Victoria stood in front of them with her arms crossed, staring with a miniscule smirk.

"So, what are you two going to do?" She asked Max, her voice lighthearted but accusatory.

"Each other," Chloe interrupted, playfully squeezing Max by the shoulders and excitedly pushing her forward. "Also, hi, I'm Chloe...we've probably met before, right? I dunno. Don't be a bitch to Kate. I'll literally fucking stab your throat. But I don't dislike you, you seem cool." Her voice grew in volume as her and Max moved further away, though her tone was remarkably friendly. "Just like, forreal, don't be shitty to her. I'll eat your heart. Okay, so lovely talking-slash-meeting you, must go now!" All Max could do was chuckle and wave.

"Did you really just tell Victoria you would, and I quote, 'fucking stab her throat?'" Max laughed as the two of them crossed the courtyard.

"No idea, my mouth was on autopilot," the punk stated, wrapping her arm together with Max's. "Sexy Max fog kind of clouding my judgment. You made me threaten a girl's life?"

The daze Max had initially felt when Chloe had uttered her desires to her was finally clearing, replaced with a nervous but insurmountable excitement and happiness.

Is this really going to happen? It's really going to happen! Oh god, oh fuck.

"You totally caved," she sneered. Chloe returned a confused look. "I won the teasing game! You totally caved first! Oh man, you are my bitch." Her pace moved to a skip as she clumsily dragged Chloe behind her.

"Yeah, yeah," the blue haired girl said dismissively, laughing a bit as she tried to keep up. "The problem is you don't fucking know how attractive you are. That's dangerous. Like..." She caught up to Max, matching her stride. "You and your dorky little hipster shtick, fucking melts my knees, man. Beautiful, gorgeous eyes. Incredible ass!" She laughed when she noticed Max grow red and instinctively shield her face. "And those freckles! Arrrgh! Irresistible. You're a goddamn bombshell and you don't even know it!"

"Shut up!" Max snipped as she came to a halt, spinning toward Chloe and whacking her on the shoulder. "That's so not true, you're just being a sweet talker."

"Uh huh, see! SEE! You don't even know!" She poked Max's chest accusingly, a big smile on her face. Her eyes scanned her up and down. "Don't even know that you are the most beautiful thing on this planet."

"You...really think that, don't you?" Max asked, her voice a small whisper. "That seems so crazy to me..."

"Crazy is kinda our thing," Chloe reminded. "Crazy is at the center of everything right now. Crazy, wonky, batshit insane. We are young, in love and guess what? We're fucking lunatics! We are dressed in thrift store pirate gear racing back to your dorm at your elitist art school so we can fuck after five years and one nonexistent week's worth of pent up, growing, psychotic love. So, yes, you are B-E-A-UTIFUL." She took both of Max's hands and hopped in place. Max giggled, eying her girlfriend with a gaze bursting with love.

"I don't think I've ever seen you this excited," she said, pulling one of Chloe's hands to her lips. The girl grinned back, her tongue between her teeth.

"Cuz I'm gon' get some from the girl I love," she said, wrapping Max in a hug. That sentence in particular finally started the nervous churning in her stomach.

Oh no, I'm going to suck at this. What if I'm not any good? What do I even DO?!

"Well hello, young Max," Samuel said, appearing from the shadows of the pathway. Both girls jumped at his sudden appearance, with Chloe letting out a small shriek.

Jesus CHRIST, Samuel!

"Sorry." He held his hands up. "Samuel didn't mean to scare you. Just on the way to the gym to clean up stomach bile."

"Probably someone that pre-gamed," Chloe said, recovering from her shock. He turned to her slowly.

"Hello, Ms. Price. I hope you are doing well. Your blood was hard to clean up." He smiled at her in his creepy but...sort of(?) endearing way. She raised an eyebrow and looked at Max, as if asking 'did I hear that correctly?'

"I'm pretty good, thanks... Sorry about the, uh, blood. I...guess." She removed the pirate hat and scratched at her hair nervously.

"It's Samuel's job," he stated simply. "Have to clean all spills." He sighed longingly for a moment. "Oh, Max?" He regarded her curiously.

"What's up?" She asked, straining a smile.

Samuel, you're cool, but I'm kind of in the middle of something!

"The squirrels told me to thank you on their behalf." He removed his glasses and began to wipe them against the cloth of his shirt. Max shot Chloe an amused look.

"Thank me for what?" She chuckled. "Did I leave some food outside?" He shrugged.

"They were afraid all of their nuts would be washed away in the storm," he said. Max felt her blood turn frigid.

What the...fuck...

"What?" She asked, incredulous. "What did you say?" She felt Chloe's hand on her shoulder, but it dissolved into nothingness.

"Samuel doesn't know what they mean, he just listens." He began to look around absentmindedly. Max's insides felt as though they were crumbling, swirling into a fiery maw. Her envisioned butterflies from earlier caught fire, disintegrating into a twisting mass of wind. Her mouth felt dry, her vision blurring behind what she assumed to be tears. Samuel began to walk away, humming to himself. He stopped again, and regarded her with concern. "The Tobanga looks at you funny, Max." And just like that, he resumed his humming, lazily pulling himself toward the gym.

She watched a swath of blurred blue appear in front of her as she felt something that someone, somewhere might describe as the sensation of touch. Her feet began moving, awkwardly stumbling forward as Chloe dragged her by her shirt. A muffled, fragmented version of her name pounded relentlessly on her eardrums, being drowned out by the sinister scream of wind. She swallowed, tasting the metallic quality of her blood as it trickled down her lip and into her mouth.

"It's okay, baby...just hold on..." A voice echoed through the storm as her vision swerved in and out of clarity. She saw a hand with blue fingernails press something soft and white under her nose. "Stay with me, Max...come on, just a little bit further..." Max could make out the shape of the dorm as it approached. Listlessly, she let her head dangle, her sight clearing as the Tobanga stared down at her.

"Leave me alone..." she muttered quietly, her gaze meeting the carved, crazed stare of the statue. She reached out, her right hand tingling with the expectancy of rewind. "Just leave me alone," she begged in a whisper as the moonlight faded, replaced with the artificial light of the dorm hallway.

"Almost there, Max. Stay with me. I need you."

Max flopped onto her bed as Chloe slammed the door to her room. The tissue clung to the drying blood on her lips.

"Baby, come on, we're fine. We're in your room," the punk pleaded as she climbed onto the bed. She dragged Max into her lap, peeling the bloody tissue from her face and replacing it with a new one. "Fuck, fuck!" A small pocket pack of tissues fell from her grasp, bouncing across the floor. "Max, are you in there?" She was crying, her tears dripping from her cheeks and onto Max's.

The roaring tornado scraped along Max's thoughts, stinging her every breath with all the familiarity of a syringe. She could see Chloe, hear her words, but it was as if she was in a different place. She felt Chloe's lips in her hair, her grip around her tightening.

Please, someone...make it stop...

As if waiting for that exact command, a quick image of a doe flickered in her mind. It was gone instantly, taking the storm with it. Her breathing began to slow down as the weight on her chest receded. She curled her tongue in her mouth, testing it to see if it would be able to form words. The taste of blood was so strong, as though it was the only thing she could ever remember tasting.

"Chloe..." She rasped, reaching up to touch the girl's cheek. Chloe blinked, shaking tears from her lashes. She pulled Max into a sitting position in her lap, wrapping her arms around her increasingly tight.

"Jesus Christ, Max, don't do that to me," she begged, kissing the girl's cheek over and over. She gritted her teeth, eliciting a tight grinding noise. "Fucking creepy ass janitor, what the fuck," she spat. Max shifted in her lap, thrusting her head forward so their lips met.

"I'm sorry," she said as she pulled away. "I don't...know what the fuck happened." Her brow furrowed as she began to cry, tears continuing to tear down her eyeliner. "How did he know? How? That can't be possible!" Chloe feverishly wiped at Max's tears before dabbing at the last of the blood on her lips.

"I don't know, I don't know," Chloe whispered as she chased more tears away. She suctioned Max into a bear hug, rocking gently from side to side. "You're okay, you're okay. I'm here. We're okay."

"Are we?" She asked bitterly. "Are we okay, Chloe? Because something is still very, very wrong!" She pressed her face into Chloe's chest and released a muffled scream. The punk lowered her chin onto the top of Max's head, clenching her eyes shut to stop any tears.

I can't TAKE THIS ANYMORE!

"We're together," Chloe said quietly. Max didn't say anything, instead opting to cry into Chloe's shirt. She felt Max's breath speed up, feeling the small girl's body tremble with anxiety. A loud sob sprang from her chest. The blue haired girl glanced around the room nervously, not knowing what the hell she was meant to do. Like a roulette wheel, her eyes passed over different spots several times before landing on the overnight bag she had brought with her. She sighed and closed her eyes, wondering if she was about to suggest something incredibly stupid or offensive. "Hey, Max. Babe." She pried the girl off of her and stared in her eyes. "Look, I have an idea but I don't want you to take it the wrong way."

"O...okay..." She breathed quickly, her eyes darting around in search of sanctuary. Her fingers tunneled through the waves of her sheets, clutching them until her knuckles burned white. Chloe slid out from under her and sprang to her feet, yanking off her jacket and throwing it at the bottom of the door. She stomped it into the crack, insulating the room. Then, she scurried over to the window and opened it slightly, running her hand on the sill to gauge if it was open 'enough.'

Grimacing, she dug through her bag, pulling out a bowl with a psychedelic design. She hurriedly packed it, cursing to herself when she dropped some onto the floor. She turned to Max.

"Alright, sweetness, I want you to take a hit of this. Or two. Or ninety." She handed the bowl to Max, who stared at it confusedly.

"...weed?" She asked disapprovingly. Chloe flailed her hands.

"I'm not...like, okay, I'm not just trying to get you stoned in a 'fuck this, I don't want to deal with it' kind of way. But you're freaking out and I can't bare to see you like this." She sat down next to her. "If you just try it, it'll chill you out. You know it did last time. I'm not dodging...we can talk about it, I just want you to be more comfortable before we get into it any further."

Max scowled, then nodded. Chloe quickly showed her how to hold it and how it worked, finally lighting it once Max had it situated correctly. The brunette closed her eyes tight and pulled in the smoke.

Max sighed into the carpet, lying flat on her stomach. Chloe sat next to her, rubbing her back comfortingly. She lifted her head, letting her chin rest on the floor.

"Keep calm and carry on," she muttered, prodding the rug with her index finger. "What are we going to do, Chloe?"

"We're going to get through it. I don't...know anything past that, unfortunately. But I know we'll get through it. I trust that, at the very least." Her hand moved from Max's back to her head, letting her fingers dance along her scalp.

"How could Samuel know?" She asked, shifting her head around Chloe's fingers.

"Any chance that he's just...fucking crazy and got lucky?" She bit her lip. "Lucky's not the right word, but you know what I mean."

"I wish I could believe that..." Max said. "But it's too much of a coincidence. I mean, maybe he doesn't know but...then what the fuck does that mean? Squirrels actually talk to him? I kind of thought that was just a personality quirk." She rolled over, staring up at the ceiling. "Hey, Chloe?"

"Hm?" The punk reclined next to her, still playing with her hair.

"How come you're not smoking?" She regarded her curiously.

"Because it's not 'Chloe get stoned' time, it's 'make Max comfortable' time," she said, peppering kisses onto Max's cheeks.

"You're perfect," Max said, flopping one hand above her listlessly. It made contact with something small and spongy. She brought the object to her face, seeing that it was the pocket pack of tissues. "Where did you even get these?" She asked.

"I've been carrying them around. Break in case of nosebleed, kinda." The punk scooted closer to Max, tangling their legs together. Max smiled calmly, stroking some hair out of Chloe's face.

So damn perfect.

"Max," she began, looking concerned. "Whatever that was...it's over for now. But I want you to know. Like..." Her eyes grew glassy as her lip quivered. "I need you to know that whatever is going on, we'll get through it. We'll fucking beat it. We're invincible. I will do everything I can to make sure you feel safe." Max rolled on top of her and brought their lips together, inhaling the 'oof' from Chloe. "You taste like weed and blood," Chloe laughed lightly. The brunette sighed, resting her head on the girl's chest.

"Don't know how you're putting up with this," she mused quietly. Chloe made a 'tsk' sound as she snuggled Max.

"I'm alive because of you, Max." She shook her head. "No, I'm alive for you. I really don't care if I have to fight Father Time or the Grim Reaper or fucking, I dunno, the Cloverfield monster...but I will protect you with every ounce of my strength. I've got an okay jab, but man, my right hook is something wild."

"You're such a dork," Max whispered, finally unleashing a grin. "Sorry my time trauma ruined the mood."

"Literally not at all important right now," Chloe said, nuzzling her cheek with Max's. "Besides, I'll just take care of it after you fall asleep." Max's eyes went wide.

"Whaaaat no dude I wanna..." She yawned, curling up on top of Chloe. "Wanna do it or whatever."

"You're like a cat right now," Chloe laughed. She flung one hand to her side, catching Max's bedsheets and yanked them down on top of them.

"Something, something pussy joke," Max yawned, her words slurring. Chloe chuckled.

"Good night, beautiful. I love you," she said, kissing the top of Max's head. The small girl fell asleep instantly, drained from several different layers of intensity. Chloe clutched her, staring at the ceiling, her mind in a faraway place. "Love you, love you, love you..." she whispered to the quietly snoring girl. "You mean the world to me."