"So, we're like...what, about halfway there?" Chloe asked, looping her arm with Max's and yanking her close to her.
"I'd say so, yeah. I didn't really pay attention when my parents brought me back," she responded. She stopped to examine a display of flowers outside of the quaint, side-of-the-road store. "Look at this, you can definitely tell spring has sprung."
Is that an idea I feel coming on?
"Yeah, they're pretty..." Chloe said it contemplatively, then picked up one of the flowerpots. "Do you know what kind of flowers your mom likes?"
"Mmn," Max tilted her head in thought, "I don't know. Hyacinths, maybe? Bleeding hearts?" Chloe nodded.
"Uh, okay, I can..." she set the flowers down and scooped up a pot of bleeding hearts, "I can get both. That sounds good. Yeah. Yeah, okay!" She turned to Max and smiled wide with a thumbs up.
"Trying to curry favor?" Max teased. "You're still freaking out, huh?"
Yesssssssssssssss.
"Dude, yes," Chloe laughed. "I mean, okay, maybe I'm playing it up a little for comedic effect but my stomach is definitely in laundromat mode."
"You're such a goober," Max replied, hanging her head with an affectionate spark in her eyes. "Okay, come on, we'll get her the flowers."
"Sweet, okay." Chloe picked up a collection of hyacinths as well. "Now we gotta find something for Big Daddy C-Field."
"Uh, what," Max said, regarding her with amusement. "I think just calling him that might suffice. He'll be very happy to have a rapper-esque name."
"Oh, nice!" Chloe grinned, pleased with herself. "But we should still grab something with monetary value. Just to be safe."
"If you think it's necessary..." Max chuckled, pulling the girl into the store with her.
Despite spending years on fire with the desire to escape Arcadia Bay, when it was finally time to say goodbye to Joyce and David earlier that morning, Chloe found it surprisingly difficult. It took far longer than she anticipated, spending a half hour standing by the front door as she talked with them. She appreciated that Max didn't rush her, and knew that it probably just made her happy to see another display of mended relationships between Chloe and her family. And sure, as much as she liked to play the part of reluctant brat, the way David slipped her a twenty dollar bill for gas money with that sneaky glint in his eye just cemented how great everything had turned out.
The ride up to that point had been relaxed, and maybe she'd even say fun. Blasting music with the windows down and screaming along to the songs was invigorating. Plus, being able to see what her truck could do on the open highway lit her up with a feeling she could only describe as 'finally.' Finally, she knew what it felt like to leave Arcadia Bay with a further destination in mind. Not just a town over, but finally seeing another 'part' of the world. Finally, finally, finally. And of course, Max being by her side made it all the sweeter. She wouldn't have it any other way.
It did make her think of Rachel, though, and there was a somberness in that. She had long moved past any tumultuous feelings that bloomed from her heart, but still, she was saddened to know this was something they had talked about doing countless times and that Rachel would never get to experience it. She thought about the rest of her life as well and how Rachel would fit into it. She could just imagine her at all of the friend gatherings. Imagine her coming in to pester her and Frank at the Two Whales. One of the parts of her dream from the alternate reality that hadn't really bothered her until later, once the obvious issues had calmed down, was that she didn't even know Rachel in that timeline. It was just one more unimaginable concept that her dreams had brought to her attention.
"He likes sports, right?" Chloe asked, holding up a mug with a local college logo on it. "He...sports?"
"He does," Max laughed, taking the mug from her hand and setting it down. "He's a Seahawks fan. We won the Super Bowl this year. Remember? We watched it with Dana and the gang?"
"Ohh, right," Chloe said, narrowing her eyes, "that was the, uh...they fought the Stallions?"
The...Horses. The Equines?
"Broncos!" Max leaned forward, bumping her forehead against Chloe's arm. She picked up a different mug with the appropriate logo. "This one."
"Alright, sick," Chloe chuckled, placing it into the basket hanging from her forearm. She took a deep breath, then looked around the store. "They are all over the place in here. There's like...a deli in that corner by the electronics?"
"They do seem rather, ehm, self-sustaining?" Max shrugged, deciding that was a good enough word for it. "It's cute though, very...uh, unconventional, yeah?" She smiled awkwardly at the sound of a butcher's knife hacking into a table. "Where the fuck are we?"
Rod Serling would be all over this place.
"Is there a Bermuda Triangle for the Pacific Northwest?" Chloe asked, snickering as she continued down the aisle.
"Mmn, yeah, I think we just left it this morning," Max said, dragging her finger along the sudden row of pillows, pressing it into each one.
"Well, if that ain't the creepy truth," Chloe said. She raised an eyebrow as a chirp came from Max's pocket and she took out her phone. "Who dat?"
"Mom," she replied, "she says not to eat anything on the way because they're taking us out to dinner."
Fucking swell.
"Dude, are you fucking joking me?" Chloe groaned and let her head roll backward. "I don't have the wardrobe for 'dinner!' I have the wardrobe for 'wow, no one caught that girl that stage dived!'"
"Chloe Elizabeth," Max said, her voice slow and scolding, "do not stage dive. You'll get crushed. Like Mufasa."
Never forget.
"You know my heart stops when you bring out the middle name, right?" Chloe asked. She laughed as they headed toward the checkout counter. "We'll see what happens when you and I hit our first show. I can't promise I won't be riding the people waves. Shredding the gnar, if you will."
"I will not," Max giggled. She gave a friendly smile to the man behind the counter. "Hi! How are you?"
"Doin' fine," he answered, scanning the items with the price gun, "can't really complain, you know?"
I both do and do not know.
"Yep, I hear ya, dude," Chloe said. "So, what's the damage?"
"Looks like $32.47," he said, then smirked, "special occasion with the flowers?"
"Yeah," Chloe sighed, "we're visiting her parents and I'm all flustered about it so I figured some gifts would at the very least make me feel better." She pulled the money out of her wallet, thumbed through it as she counted, and handed it to him.
"Oh?" He seemed confused. "Visiting her parents? Are they not well?"
"No, they're fine," Max said, "she just thinks they're going to kill her for some reason. She's silly."
"It's not silly," Chloe argued. She turned to him. "You understand how stressful it can be to hang out around your significant others parents, right?" She smiled at him, but it slowly dropped off her face when he only looked back uncomfortably.
"I...see," he said, handing her the change.
Uh oh, what have we here?
"Seeee what?" Chloe asked, leaning forward and growing a wolfish grin.
"Chloe, let's just go," Max said, shaking her head with a snicker. Chloe held her hand up to her as a show of 'I got this.'
"I wanted to know what that look was about, is all," she said, her body swaying with impish delight.
Oh, please, give me a good reason to go off. I'm begging you, my dude.
"It's nothing," he responded, realizing he'd committed a customer service faux pas.
Hmm. Fine. Okay, buddy.
"Oh, okay," she said, backing off and beaming at him. "Welp," she snatched the bag off the counter, along with one of the flowerpots while Max took the other, "we're gonna make like a gun and..." she winked at him, "bang."
"O-okay," he stammered, glancing away uneasily, "have a good day."
"Thanks! You too!" Chloe said, giving him the middle finger as she followed Max out of the store.
Pleased with herself, she gracefully spun around in the parking lot, giggling with a demonic flair.
"That was a bit much," Max laughed, "you don't even know if that's why he was acting that way."
"Oh, I could tell," Chloe responded, digging out her keys. "I'm like a fucking hawk with that sh-" She stopped and gasped, gesturing to an empty parking spot. "What in the fuck!? Where is my truck!? This is where I parked!" She turned to Max, her jaw hanging open. "Where the fuck?! Did someone steal it!?"
WHO WOULD EVEN STEAL THAT PIECE OF SHIT!?
"Babe," Max said slowly with a chuckle, "it's right over there." She nodded her head to somewhere behind Chloe. She spun around to find the truck sitting at the far end of the parking lot. "Nice one, Ms. Hawk. Between the bloodlust and your nerves, you're totally losing it."
Wow, that was impressively lame.
"Okay," Chloe pouted, heading in the correct direction, "there's no need for bullying." She exhaled, her lips flapping as she rolled her eyes. "Whatevs. You think the flowers will be cool for the rest of the ride?"
"Here you go, Mrs. Caulfield! Dead plants!"
"Yeah, I'm sure they will be," Max said, feeling underneath the pot, "it's moist so I think they've been recently watered."
"Say moist again," Chloe said, wiggling her eyebrows and sticking her tongue through her teeth in anticipation.
"Moist-uh," she said, stressing every inch of the word as she got into the truck.
"So...yeah, left here and my house is just down the street," Max said, pointing through the windshield.
Wait, what!?
"Jesus, already!?" Chloe tore the cigarette out of her mouth and whipped it out the window. "Fuck, fuck," she swore, jerking the truck to a stop as she reached across Max and opened the glove compartment. She grabbed a pack of Tic Tacs, flicking the tab open in a crazed manner. She poured a generous amount into her hand, then shot them into her mouth.
Please absorb all of my ashy mouth. I beg you, Tic Tac gods.
"You know your clothes are still going to smell like smoke, right?" Max teased, leaning against the door smugly.
"Mmn, yeah..." Chloe reached into her mouth and scraped out a glob of chewed up Tic Tacs, then rubbed her fingers on her sleeve as if coating herself. Max squeaked in laughter and lunged toward her.
"Don't be nasty!" She grabbed the girl's head, one hand on top and the other under her jaw. "Don't make me take those away from you." Chloe stuck her tongue out, accompanied by a 'blaaaah' sound. Max giggled and leaned forward, kissing her.
The honk of car horn startled them, causing Max to jerk forward, than back as her seat belt went taut. Chloe cursed under her breath with a chuckle.
Whoops, not great driver's awareness.
"Forgot we were in the middle of the road," she said. "Well, at least they got a brief show."
"Yeah, forreal," Max laughed, turning around to look through the rear window. Her eyes went wide, followed by the quiet smack of her forehead hitting it. "Of course..." she muttered under her breath.
"What?" Chloe asked. Instead of saying anything, Max turned back around and pointed to the driveway of a rather large home. Chloe took one quick breath, as if crossing the threshold might indeed set her on fire, and pulled in. "Oh...my fucking god," she whispered, watching in the rearview as the car pulled in behind them.
This is a nightmare. This is a goddamn nightmare.
"Well, this is cool," Max snickered, then swung her door open. Chloe gripped the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles turning white, then sighed and did the same. "Hi Dad!" Max shouted, skipping over to Ryan as he got out of the car. He snagged her into a tight hug, lifting her off of the ground.
"Max! God, I've missed you!" He rocked her side to side, adding a little kiss to her forehead.
"I missed you too," she responded as she was set back down. Then she whacked the back of her hand against his stomach. "What's up with the new car? You guys didn't tell me about that."
"Oh, yeah," he said, "the Honda crapped out on us a few months ago. Wasn't worth it to get it fixed."
"I'll miss that thing," Max said. She raised her arm behind her, discreetly beckoning Chloe over.
Alright, Chloe. Game time.
She slowly approached them, playing with her fingers nervously and daring not make eye contact for as long as possible. Finally working up the courage, she looked up at him and smiled.
"I like the Seahawks," she said, then winced. "Er, I mean, hi Mr. Caulfield..." He stared at her dumbly for a moment, then boomed laughter.
"Wow, your mom said she was nervous but I didn't really expect this level of intensity," he said to Max. He took a step toward her and opened his arms, regarding her warmly. "Hi, Chloe." She looked him up and down, hesitating for just a moment before she charged into his arms, gripping him tightly and letting just a few tears leak out.
"I missed you," she said, pressing her face into his shoulder, "you have no idea how much."
I didn't think I'd ever see you again...
"We missed you too," he responded, giving her a quick rub on her back once he noticed her crying. "So happy to finally see you again. We've been so excited." A whirring sound came from beside them, and she looked to see Max grinning as she pulled a photograph out of her camera.
"Oh come on, I had to. This is adorable," she said.
"Not even three minutes and she already has the camera out," he chuckled. He took a step back from Chloe and placed a hand on her head. "Look how grown up you are! I can barely believe it." His eyes crinkled at the edges with a smile. "Sorry about beeping at you."
Oh. No, thank you. No.
"It's, uh, no problem," she said, smiling back guiltily. "Did you, um, see...anything?"
"Huh? What do you mean?" he asked. Her shoulders slouched as she let out a sigh of relief.
"Nothing. Just...being a weirdo!" She held her hands out as if displaying herself, like that might help convince him.
"Alright," he shrugged nonchalantly, "well, let's get your things and go inside. Vanessa's been pacing for the last week." He reached into the bed of the truck and pulled out both of their suitcases, while Chloe rushed to the other side and took the flowerpots. "So," he said, "how did you make out on the drive?" He was sure to stress 'make out.'
Graaah cool.
"She..." Chloe pointed at Max, jerking the hyacinths with her hand, "she started it."
"Well that doesn't surprise me," he snarked.
"Hey," Max pouted, aiming an index finger at him.
"Sorry," he chuckled, "come on."
If there was any solace in Chloe's bitter ramblings against Max for five years, it was that at least she had guessed right on how big her house was. She'd guess that the Caulfields fell somewhere in the upper middle class, and the idyllic neighborhood did a good job of getting that point across. In an act of rebellion against her former rebellious self, she'd admit she kind of loved it.
Never thought the picket fence thing would appeal to me but...it's sort of awesome.
"Vanessa?" Ryan called, setting the suitcases by the door, "some girls just showed up outside. I don't think they're girl scouts."
"Oh my god!" A voice came from upstairs, followed by the quick patter of footsteps. Vanessa appeared at the top of the staircase and released a joyous shriek, hurrying down while flailing her arms. Chloe held out her hands, a flowerpot settled in each one.
"Hi, Mrs. Caulfield. I got y-" Her words were strangled as an arm looped around her neck, yanking her into Vanessa's embrace. She must have roped Max in with the other arm, as their heads bonked together.
Shit, I almost dropped the flowers!
"I'm so happy to see you!" she shouted, her knees springing up and down as she hugged them.
"Mom, you're choking me," Max wheezed, tapping Vanessa on the arm. "Uncle! Uncle!"
"Oh, whoops!" Vanessa laughed, a bit embarrassed as she let them go, "sorry about that..."
"Hell of a grip you got there," Chloe chuckled. She reclaimed her stance and held out the flowers again. "I got you these."
"They're beautiful! Thank you so much!" Vanessa took them, gave each a big whiff, and pranced down the hall where she set them on a table before returning to them. "I know just where to put them!" With a visible display her recollecting herself, she breathed out slowly. "Okay, let me try again," she said, giving Max a much more tempered hug. "I'm so glad you're home, sweetie."
"Thanks, Mom. Glad to be home," Max replied with a lovely sincerity. Once she let go of Max, Vanessa turned to Chloe.
"Holy cow, just look at you," she said with a bright smile. This time, Chloe was the one to initiate the hug, savoring it just as much as she did Ryan's. "You're so beautiful, it's crazy."
Wowsers... Oh, dammit, Max.
"Oh god," Chloe laughed, hiding her blush, "thank you." She stepped back and looked at each of them. "You guys look great too. Barely any different at all."
"You think?" Vanessa asked, twisting and turning in demonstration, then she clapped her hands. "Ah, I'm so excited! Come on, we need to catch up!" She took hold of both Max and Chloe's hand and led them into the living room.
Jesus, this place is nice. I almost don't want to sit on anything.
"How was the drive?" Vanessa asked, taking a seat next to Ryan on the couch.
"It was okay," Max said, "didn't take too long at all, really." She settled into the loveseat, patting the space beside her for Chloe.
"Yeah! I've never really had the opportunity to drive that far with my truck. The ol' girl held up pretty well," Chloe added.
Proud of that thing.
"That's good to hear," Ryan chuckled. "You guys did make good time. I was worried there might be bad traffic."
"Only for a little bit," Max said. She brought her hands to her stomach and pouted, then moved to place one of them on Chloe's and pouted even more. "I'm not trying to be rude, but we haven't eaten all day. Our stomachs sound like humpback whales."
"Well, you're in luck!" Vanessa said, checking her watch. "Our reservations are in about forty-five minutes. We should leave in ten to make sure we get there in time."
"Is this okay to wear?" Chloe asked, pinching the collar of her shirt.
I wish I packed my cool, hipster sweater. I don't even care how warm it is.
"Yeah, that's fine," Ryan said. "It's not that fancy."
"Okay, cool," Chloe giggled, "I was worried."
You are a fucking liar, Mr. Caulfield.
"Reservation for four," Vanessa said, holding up four fingers. The host nodded in recognition, picked up some menus, then led them to a table. The waiter swooped in immediately to get their drink order, and Chloe took note of his bow tie.
Hmm. I like our uniform better.
"This place is...kinda fancy," Chloe said, looking around. "Expensive?"
"Don't worry about it," Ryan responded, picking up his menu. "I mean it, get whatever you want. It's fine."
"Do you want to do sharesies?" Max asked, keeping her eyes on the menu.
"Yeah, I'm cool with that," Chloe replied. "I think I kind of want steak?"
Been a while since I've had an actual, nice steak. Dad always used to grill them...
"That's a good choice, I'll probably do the same," Ryan said.
"Okay," Max said, "is medium okay? I don't like it past that."
"Uh huh." Chloe flipped through the pages, of which there were more than she could've ever dreamed, and found the proper section. "What do you have your eye on?"
"I don't even know," Max giggled. She tapped on the drink page and made a quiet 'oooh' sound. "Babe, look. That Bloody Mary has bacon in it. Isn't that weird?"
Woah, these people are crazy.
"Huh," Chloe leaned into her as she read it, "and pickles? I could snake some bacon from Two Whales and we could try it with the girls. What sauce do they use?"
"Says Tabasco," Max answered. She quickly glanced up at her parents and smiled. "Hi! Forgot what was going on for a second."
Meeee too.
"I see that," Vanessa said with a smirk. "You're drinking now?"
"A...little, yeah," Max admitted.
"That's interesting," Ryan mused, then turned to Chloe. "Did you start her on that?"
Bad influence. BAD INFLUENCE.
"Uhhh," Chloe's eyes were big as she drummed on the table. She was still making the noise when Max kindly answered for her.
"It's social," she explained, "and we're responsible."
Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
"Oh, what?" Ryan laughed, "I'm not mad. Just curious. There's literally nothing we could do to stop you even if we wanted." He smiled at Chloe and snapped his fingers. "You still in there?"
Uhhhhhh- oh what?
"Sorry, what? I think I turned off for a sec," she droned.
"Let's not terrorize her anymore," Vanessa said, laying her hand on Ryan's arm.
"I wasn't even trying to!" he responded.
"Yes, no more of that," Max said, looking away from them slowly and back to the menu, "I was thinking either salmon or duck. And then we'd just each get different sides to have all our bases covered."
"You eat duck?" Chloe asked. "They quack."
"I have before, yeah," Max chuckled. "Does that sound weird to you? We can do salmon."
"I'll try whatever," Chloe laughed, "they just quack."
"We'll...do salmon," Max assured, patting Chloe's hand.
With perfect timing, the waiter came by just as everyone had made their final decisions. Chloe watched him carefully, picking up on all of the cues she'd never have noticed before becoming a waitress herself. She'd even found a little pride in how she no longer needed to write orders down, and playfully mocked him in her mind.
Get on my level, bro. Though, I guess you do have a lot more to remember... Still! Get on my level!
"So, how's school been?" Vanessa asked once the waiter had gone away.
"It's very...school-y," Max responded, "but the new photography teacher is so awesome! I like her a lot."
"That's very good news," Ryan said, and there was a visible attempt to not head down the obvious path the conversation could take. "I hope you've been keeping up on your schoolwork."
"Yes," Max groaned, "thanks to this one." She pointed a thumb beside her at Chloe. "She gets on me all the time to do my homework and everything. Like a drill sergeant."
Good influence! We're back at zero, nice.
"Good!" Vanessa gave a satisfied nod to Chloe. "Someone needs to keep her in check."
"I do what I can, but she doesn't make it easy," Chloe snickered, earning a jilted look from Max.
"You're talking about me like I'm some kind of troublemaker," she said with a pout. "I'm a good...well, moderately okay student!"
You ARE also a troublemaker. Don't kid yourself, darlin'.
"We're just giving you a hard time, honey," Vanessa said, reaching across the table to put a hand on top of Max's to show her sincerity. "We're happy you're doing well." She looked at Chloe. "And how's the Two Whales treating you?"
"It's kind of...awesome, actually," she said. "It came to me weirdly naturally. I'm still not sure if that's good or bad."
"It's good," Ryan responded, "it means you have people skills."
Oh no, do I really? Where did I go wrong?
"I guess so," she laughed, hiding her bashfulness, "I really do kind of enjoy it. Obviously, it's not my long term plan but for now I'm pretty content." She leaned forward and smiled slyly. "Plus, I can analyze other servers perfectly. Know what they're doing right, what they're doing wrong. I can see right through 'em."
"That sounds like a useful skill, actually," Vanessa mused. "How's our guy doing so far?"
"Meh," Chloe flitted her hand, "I've seen better. And I can tell from his behavior that he's probably been stiffed a few times tonight. He's got those...crazy eyes." She held her eyes wide open, then nodded with a sagely demeanor. "He's desperate."
I get the struggle, though.
"Wow, you got all that from the minute and a half he's been at our table?" Max asked. "I never knew you were examining all of our waiters like that. You're such a creep."
Yep. I'm a weirdo.
"You already knew that," Chloe said, nudging her, "but yeah, it's kind of automatic now. I can't really help it."
"And I'm sure Joyce is thrilled that you're working there," Vanessa said after taking a sip of her drink.
"I think she's thrilled that I'm working at all," Chloe admitted. "But yeah, I think she likes having another Price to keep everyone in check." Chloe's head jerked as she remembered something. "By the way, Mom told me to tell you hi and that she misses you both."
"Aw, I miss her too." Vanessa frowned. "I'm pretty excited for Max's graduation. Not just because of the obvious, but because we'll finally get a chance to catch up."
"Oh, I didn't even think of that," Max said. "That'll be really cool. Like old times, right?"
"Old times," Ryan said, thinking it over with a warm smile. The waiter returned with their food and he raised his hands, allowing the man to set the plate in front of him.
"If you need anything, just give me a wave," the waiter said, adding a bow that Chloe thought was far too over the top.
Reel it in, dude.
"We'll be sure too, thanks," Vanessa responded, shooting Chloe a quick, knowing look as she tried not to laugh.
"Well, that was lovely," Vanessa said, flicking on the light to illuminate the hallway. "I probably shouldn't have forced dessert but..." She shrugged, not finding a suitable excuse. "Welp, I need to put on PJ's stat." She bounded up the stairs with much more energy than Chloe thought parents were allowed to have.
Woah, look at her go.
"Thank you guys so much," Chloe said, for what may have been the tenth time. "It was delicious."
"You're welcome," Ryan chuckled, giving her a pat on the shoulder as if saying 'you can stop now.' "We'll have to go out some more before you leave." He ran a hand through his beard and made a pondering noise. "I think I'm going to break in my new mug. Did anyone else want some coffee?"
"No, thank you," Max said, busy poking Chloe as if she had buttons on her back.
"I'll have some, if that's okay," Chloe answered, swinging her hand behind her to swat Max's away. She followed him into the kitchen and looked around. "Your home is really beautiful." She turned to Max and smirked. "You never told me you were a little rich girl."
"We're not rich," she replied, rolling her eyes.
"I don't know..." Chloe shrugged, continuing on with her mocking, "I bet you guys have a bunch of those, uh, eggy...fancy things somewhere on display."
60% sure that's not what they're called.
"Faberge," Ryan corrected with a quiet laugh, "and I'll never let you see my collection. They're almost about to hatch."
"Aw, baby rich birds," Chloe cooed. Max elbowed her softly. "No, I know, it's just a really nice place. It's cool you're doing well."
"Thanks," Ryan said, "it certainly beats the apartment floors I slept on when I was your age."
"Started from the bottom," Chloe chuckled, taking a place beside him in front of the coffee maker. "I'm glad you like the mug. I wanted to impress you guys."
"Loser," Max laughed, forming an 'L' with her hand over her forehead.
"Leave that one in the nineties, Maxy," Chloe replied. She clapped a hand to her hip when both her and Max's phones beeped at the same time. She smiled as she read the text. "Cool, Victoria says she'll be here tomorrow. We'll have to hook up sometime."
There's something kind of funny about being hours away from home and still chilling with the normal people.
"Who's this?" Ryan asked, handing a mug to Chloe. She closed her eyes as she inhaled the rich scent.
"Our friend from Blackwell," Max said. "She's from here too. Actually, her parents own the Chase Space."
"Haven't we taken you there before?" He sipped his coffee, watching her intently.
"Yeah, a few times, actually," she said. "It's...kind of crazy, actually. We actually didn't start off as very...friendly. But now we're very close."
I sometimes wonder how we all look standing together in a group. What a...weird sight that must be.
"She's done a lot of maturing," Chloe explained. "I guess we all have?"
"Definitely," Max agreed, then was sure to add, "sometimes, anyway."
"Never grow up all the way," Ryan said, smiling as if he'd just provided something wise. Just as he finished, there was another rhythmic thumping on the steps and Vanessa appeared in the kitchen, donning new, very comfortable looking attire. Her shirt was long, hanging just above her knees with the words 'IM SO SLEEPY' on it. Ryan just moved his mug in her direction, as if proving his point.
Ha, that's awesome.
"What?" she asked, planting both hands on her hips.
"Nothing, dear," he replied, turning away as he drink from the mug again.
"Right," Vanessa said, clearly not believing him. She leaned against the counter. "So, are you guys going to do the whole sightseeing thing?"
Where...is all the grunge at? Let's go there.
"Yeah, maybe," Max said, turning to Chloe, "if she wants to."
"Sure, I'm down. I've always wanted to see a Starbucks," she laughed.
"Yeah, you'll get sick of that real quick," Ryan said. He pointed to the mug in her hands. "Doesn't compare to that."
"You can totally compare it," Max shot back, grinning at her father's reaction.
"You're very grounded," he replied, "go to your room."
"Oh! She hasn't even seen my room yet!" Max took Chloe by the hand. "Come on!" She stopped before they had left the kitchen and turned around. "Hey, so...it's like, fine for us to sleep together, right?" Her parents shot each other an amused look.
Maybe we're too comfortable with our parents...
"Yes, it's fine," he said, not bothering to come up with a snarky response.
"Kay, juuuust checkin'." Max threw up a peace sign as she continued toward the stairs.
"So," Max said, sweeping her arm over the room with enthusiasm, "here's where I cried about you a lot."
Fuck, Max.
"Jesus," Chloe chuckled, "that sounded so fucking sad."
"Nah, it was great," Max giggled, escorting her further into the room, "it was a very fun time."
"Right." Chloe slung her arm over Max's shoulders. "Well, depressing shit aside, it's hella cool."
And she really did think so. Just like her room at Blackwell, there were lanterns strung up along the ceiling, making the use of the lamp in the room unnecessary. She liked that aesthetic particularly – it made everything seem quieter and closer, even if what was actually happening was a chaotic party. There were other signs of Max's personality around the room, as well. A bookcase containing what seemed like every book Max had ever read, ranging from the picture books of her childhood to thick biographies on artists she looked up to. There were also several posters on the walls depicting various bands or movies Max was a fan of. It felt familiar, a perfect compliment to Max's dorm.
"Thanks!" Max waddled to the bed with Chloe attached to her and brought them both down onto it. "Obviously a lot of stuff is at Blackwell, but you can still see the 'me' in it."
"I can," she said. "How come you didn't bring the lava lamp? Those things are cool." Before giving an answer, Max hopped up and turned it on.
"Didn't really think to," she laughed, returning next to Chloe, "plus it takes like an hour to lava."
"Oh, lame." Chloe pressed her hands into the mattress under her, then bounced up and down a few times. "Comfy. And it doesn't squeak!"
Mine's starting to sound like a symphony of mice.
"Yeah, that's a quality I never really appreciated before," Max snickered.
"Right? Who would've thunk," Chloe said, then drew one of her eyes halfway closed, "is that a word? I've never been sure."
"I thunk so," Max replied, pulling Chloe's hand into her lap. "I'm...really excited to be here with you. It feels like, kind of a 'step,' if that makes sense?"
"More of a step than flying through time together?" Chloe asked with a chuckle.
"Our relationship progress is very...Escher," Max remarked with a grin, "but you know what I mean."
"Yeah, I do," Chloe said, then she leaned in close to Max. "So, how do you think I'm doing?"
"With what?" Max asked flatly, one hundred percent sure of what the answer would be.
"Your parents!" Chloe laughed. Max looked away, touching her index finger to her chin as she thought.
"Maybe like a five out of ten," she said.
Fuck, that is NOT a good grade.
"Really?" Chloe asked with sincerity, her face contorting into something like fear. Max cackled and threw her weight into the girl, flattening her onto the bed.
"No, not really!" Max went for Chloe's neck, lightly digging her teeth into it. "You're so ridiculous," she mumbled.
"Yeah, yeah," Chloe snickered, looping her arms around Max's waist.
"Girls!" Ryan's voice called, booming like thunder from downstairs. "We're thinking about renting a movie! Did you want to join us?" Max looked to Chloe for her answer, which was a nod.
I want movie.
"Yeah! We'll be right down!" she shouted back.
As they settled in to watch the movie, the lights off and bowl of popcorn in her lap, Chloe couldn't help but feel that the entire situation was surreal. In a good way, absolutely, but sitting in the Caulfields home with Max snuggled into her side while her parents did the same was just something she never, ever expected to happen. She'd sooner have predicted Max's power and the storm before even considering her current position a possibility. It was nice.
Okay Max, I definitely see what you mean about it being a step. One small step for Chloe, one giant leap for happily ever after. This is...great.
"Don't EVER tell me what to do!" Nathan snarled, pinning Chloe against the wall. She could feel the barrel of the gun pressing into her ribs. "I'm so SICK of people trying to control me!"
"You are going to get in hella more trouble for this than drugs," Chloe said, the fear stretching her eyes wide.
"Nobody would ever even miss your punk ass would they?" he asked, leaning closer to her. His eyes were crazed, the madness in them reaching out and holding her frozen in place. Then, she acted out of desperation.
"Get that gun away from me, psycho!" Chloe shouted, pushing Nathan backwards. As he stumbled, the gun snapped in his hand, sending a bang through Chloe's stomach. As she fell, Max jumped from behind the stall, screaming as she held her hand out.
The orange filter swirled to the center of the memory, condensing before expanding back out and revealing Chloe back against the wall.
"Get that gun away from me, psycho!" she screamed again. She pushed him again. She was shot again. This time, Max didn't appear. Instead, from behind the stall, gripping a hammer that trembled in her hand, she rewound.
"Get that gun away from me, psycho!" Again. Again. Again.
She was reversed to the wall once more, Nathan's teeth creaking as he tightened his jaw. This time, before she could push him, the fire alarm rang out.
"No way..." he said, turning around in surprise. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Chloe kneed him in the groin, sending him to the floor. Panicked, she spun around and dashed out of the bathroom.
The orange barrier, morphing and changing as always, once again pulled the details of the room from reality, reassembling them so Chloe was trapped against the wall yet again. This time, her face fell blank for just a moment, followed by the briefest bit of confusion. Her eyes strayed over Nathan's shoulder, focusing on Max peeking from behind the stall. With a smirk, she turned her attention back to Nathan.
"Get that gun away from me, psycho!" she cried as she pushed him, and her hips tugged to the side just a fraction. The gun went off, lancing through her side. She fell differently this time, crashing onto both knees rather than just one and then dropping face first onto the tiles. Nathan began screaming, wailing apologies as he paced back and forth. Her blood seeped out, spreading into puddle.
The filter swayed inward, wrapping itself around Chloe and Nathan and Max, repositioning them again.
The scene played out as it just had, only this time there were no longer just the three of them in the bathroom. Next to Max was the ghostly doe, staring intently at Nathan and Chloe. Around it, several squirrels also stood tall, unflinching as they watched. The butterfly on the sink flapped its wings once as it turned in their direction. On top of the stall Max was hiding behind, a raven was perched, and on one of the sink faucets there was a blue jay. In the window, an owl poked its head through. Each and every one of them staring at her and Nathan. They all had the same appearance as the doe, built of transparent static.
"Get that gun away from me, psycho!" Chloe screamed, her voice shattering and splintering like the wail of a banshee as the orange filter flooded the room.
Chloe sucked a sharp breath in as she lurched upright, pushing a palm to her temple as the trembling reverberated through her skull, followed by a chill that stampeded across her entire body. As her thoughts came together, she choked on the blood collecting in the back of her throat and hurried out of bed. Not bothering to wake Max – she knew she'd tell her later – she staggered to the door and jerked it open.
For a moment, she forgot she wasn't in her house and the bit of concentration required to remember where Max's bathroom was floundered in her head. Holding both hands to her face, she made her way down the hall and ducked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She choked again, scrambling to the sink and spitting out a mouthful of blood. She couldn't help but start crying.
Fuck this. FUCK THIS.
She flipped the hot water handle toward her with the back of her hand and shoved her hands under the stream, feeling a morbid sense of comfort as it grew hot enough to burn. After a moment of washing them, she turned the cold handle to balance the temperature and tugged the hand towel off of its holder. She soaked it in the water, then brought it to her face, scrubbing furiously at the blood.
Fuck this. Fuuuuuck this. God, how much more?!
"She never told me it took that many times to save me," she muttered to herself angrily, though not aimed in Max's direction. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she stood up straight and looked into the mirror. It was still horrible beyond all measure, but this was the third time it had happened. As awful as it made her feel, she realized she was figuring out how to deal with it. As much as she could, anyway. But it wasn't the nosebleed that bothered her most this time.
What the fuck were those animals doing there? Just...staring. Watching me. Max didn't even seem like she noticed them.
The process of watching herself die was still something that flooded her veins with a sickening feeling, which she didn't think she'd ever truly get used to. Again and again and again. She leaned toward the mirror and heaved her breath at it, painting it with a splotch of fog. There it was. She was still breathing. Still alive, despite receiving what might have been a full clip of bullets into her body when all was said and done.
Still here, thanks to Max's interference with the fire alarm. Still here because I came back with her and managed to move in just the right way. Still...wait. Wait...
She furrowed her brow, her eyes latched onto themselves in the mirror. A strange thought made itself known in her mind.
"Get that gun away from me, psycho..." she whispered to herself.
Why...did I still say that? It was completely different. Why did I still say the exact same thing?
"Ah, fuck," she spat, pressing the towel under her nose again as a new stream of blood crawled down her lip. She closed her eyes, pushing everything down with all of her might. Despite everything, she found it vitally important to not cause a scene in front of Max's parents. She wiped her eyes, then took another long breath until everything was successfully suppressed. She'd let it out later in front of Max if she needed to.
Need a drink to get this taste out of my mouth.
She crept downstairs, turning several times toward the Caulfields door just to make sure she wasn't disturbing them. Once at the bottom, she made her way into the kitchen and was surprised to find Ryan hidden behind the open refrigerator door as he perused its contents. The sound of her footsteps on the floor drew his attention, causing him to leap backward and clutch his chest.
"Oh god," he said, glancing up at the ceiling, "you scared the shit out of me, Chloe."
"I'm sorry," she whispered, cringing, "I didn't mean to!"
Please do not have a heart attack!
"It's okay." He turned to her and just as quickly turned away, bringing a hand in front of his face. "Uh, Chloe, can you please...cover up?" She looked down at herself and inwardly screamed in horror. In her dizzied state, she'd forgotten that she was only wearing a tank top and her underwear.
Oh my god, fucking kill me. Could this night get any worse!?
"I'm so, so sorry!" she said in a loud hush, scurrying behind the island to block the lower half of her body. "I'm half-asleep. I'm sorry!"
"It's fine, it's fine!" he responded, reflecting the panicked hush and waving the hand that wasn't shielding his eyes. "There's a blanket on the couch in the other room, go grab it!"
"Yeah, okay," she said, scampering away. Wild-eyed and mouthing ever curse she'd ever heard, she grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around her waist, tying it in a knot so that it wouldn't fall. She returned to the kitchen and held her arms out. "Mr. Caulfield, I want to die."
Ugh, such shitty choice of words.
"Ryan," he chuckled, lowering his hand, "just call me Ryan, Chloe."
"Right, sorry," she said, wincing with every apology, "I just wanted something to drink."
"I sort of figured..." he turned back to the fridge and pulled out a gallon of milk, then picked up the pack of cookies that had been setting on the counter. "Do you want some cookies and milk? I was having a midnight snack."
"Uh, yeah, sure," she said, taking a seat on one of the stools at the island. He opened the cabinet and took out two glasses, then came to sit on the opposite side.
"They're extra chocolate chip," he said with a pleased smile, tearing open a strip on top of the packaging. He popped one whole into his mouth and poured Chloe a glass of milk as he chewed. "We had peanut butter chocolate chip ones but I finished those off yesterday."
"That's okay," Chloe chuckled, reaching for one of the cookies. She dunked it several times into the milk, then took a bite, looking at Ryan as she did so.
I'm actually pretty happy you were awake. I think I needed a...casual conversation.
"So," he said, dipping a cookie of his own, "how are you doing?"
"I'm alright," Chloe replied, not exactly happy with her need to lie, "I just have cotton mouth from dinner, I think."
"I sort of mean in general," he laughed, "how have things been?"
Oh, right. 'Casual conversation.'
"Uhh, I don't know," she said, "a lot better lately. Ever since Max came back. They were kind of rough before that."
"I can imagine," he said, frowning, "I think you understand the bigger picture of it, but I am sorry we had to move away."
"I do," she responded, "I was bitter for a long time, but I always knew that it was just...a thing, you know?" She scrunched her nose. "Life."
Life is shitty.
"Life," he agreed sadly, "but I really am so happy to have you back in ours. That you and Max have reunited."
"Very mutual," she giggled, procuring another cookie. She looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "I got shot. Crazy, right?"
Over and over and over. But there's just the one that matters. Remember that. Things are better.
"Crazy is not even the word." He sighed and shook his head. "We were crushed when we found out. Everything that happened at Blackwell is just so terrible. Those poor girls." He took a quick swig of the milk, then looked at her. "Do you know them? Or, did...you?"
Yeah...
"Yes," she said quietly, "Rachel Amber was my best friend while Max was gone. We were very close." Ryan let out a sad, quiet sound.
"Oh, Chloe, I'm so sorry," he said.
"Yeah, it...it sucks." She broke a cookie in half, putting one down while she dipped the other. "She really didn't deserve that. I guess no one really does." She nibbled on the cookie. "But the other girl, Kate Marsh, is a really close friend of ours. She's so precious. I don't know how she's still so...vibrant after everything that happened."
She reacts to things the complete opposite of how I do. It's amazing.
"I think Max has mentioned her," he said, "she sounds like a very strong person."
"You have no idea," Chloe snickered, "she is incredible. I'm so proud of her. After Rachel, it feels like there's some kind of...I don't know, justice in being able to support her." She shrugged. "A happy revenge."
"I'm sure," he nodded. "Even though Rachel's no longer with us, I think the three of you share a bond. Something deep and painful. There's something...comforting in that, as far down as it may be buried, if it means you and Kate can help each other." He shook his head again. "I'm just trying to find the positives."
"Yeah," Chloe agreed. It sounded horrible to her ears, but fit just right in her heart. "I guess we're sort of the three musketeers of tragedy, huh?"
"I guess that makes Max d'Artagnan," he said, smiling.
"I guess it does," Chloe laughed. She rubbed her hands on her forearms. "Your daughter really is just amazing. You should be so proud of her."
I am. I'm so, so proud of her.
"We are," he said, nodding again, "we really are. She's the best of our genes. We're so lucky to have her."
"Same," Chloe said, hoping but ultimately knowing he could never understand how much she meant it.
"It's almost unbelievable that she was there when it happened," he said, reaching for another cookie. "I still can't believe that. That might just be the most incredible coincidence in all of history."
Yes, that's what we're told.
"I know." Chloe placed an elbow on the surface and propped her head up. "I think maybe all of my bad luck got charged up to flip itself over at just the right time. Sympathy from the universe?"
"I might just buy that," he said. A flash of irritation overtook his face before dissipating. "It had to be a Prescott. It always is."
Oh?
"What do you mean?" Chloe asked.
"That family is just..." he clenched his fist, "they're the gold standard of awful." He held a hand out to her as he spoke. "When I was a kid, there was this ice cream shop run by an elderly couple. As nice as could be. Made it all from scratch. I loved it there. They even had a Pac-Man machine I played all the time." He scowled. "One day, Sean's father, Harry, just snapped his fingers and...that was it. The shop was closed." He shook his head with mixture of disdain and disbelief. "It was bulldozed within the week to make room for some project that ended up getting abandoned. The elderly couple were heartbroken. Not even a year passed before the husband died, followed shortly by his wife. I think that shop was what kept them hanging on." Ryan stared at her, his eyes harsh. "He may not have killed them, but as far as I'm concerned it was still murder."
Damn.
"Woah," Chloe said, "that fucking sucks..." she shook her head, "sorry, sailor mouth."
"It's appropriate, at least," Ryan replied. "There's stories like that all throughout the history of Arcadia Bay. The Prescotts...they're a disease. Sean was the worst yet."
Hmm, intel.
"What do you know about him?" she asked.
"He's a greedy pig," he said, as though it were obvious. "I'm not sure that man has ever felt a genuine positive emotion. He's a sociopath. And I don't use that term lightly."
"You know, I've actually had a few run-ins with him," she said. He looked at her, showing concern. "Just the other night, too. He...really hates me. Blames me fore everything." Chloe looked down, feeling pinpricks of discomfort. "It freaks me out."
"Stay away from him if you can help it," Ryan said. "I've heard he's been under investigation since the incident. They'll find something, and when they do, he'll be locked up for good." He regarded her with pity. "You know he was the reason we had to move away?"
What?
"He was?" she asked, clamping onto the edge of the island's surface with a sudden, rising rage.
"Yes" he responded, "there were talks of him laying off everyone where Vanessa worked. And those kind of 'talks' always come true with him." He swiped his hands out in exasperation. "Then when I tried to get a raise to prepare for it, he had his slimy fingers in that too. They wouldn't budge. They...couldn't, because of him. Then we got lucky and I got an offer here. I had to take it."
How the fuck does that work? It's like he owns the things he doesn't even own.
"I hate him even more now," Chloe said with bite. "How can one man ruin so many lives?"
"Money. Lots and lots of money," he replied. "Money is power and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
"How did they get so much money, though?" she asked.
"I'm not sure," he said, shaking his head, "you can trace that bloodline back to the beginning of Arcadia Bay. I don't think any explanation would surprise me."
"Fuck, man," she said, then laughed when Ryan preemptively waved his hand to show she needn't apologize.
"I look forward to the day when I read about his downfall in the paper," he said bitterly.
"Hopefully soon," Chloe agreed. She smiled and pointed at the package of cookies. "There's only one left. We ate all of them."
"Split it with you," he chuckled, taking it out and breaking it in two. He grew contemplative, then gave himself a reassuring nod to follow through with his thought. "Not to switch gears too hard but, uh, I wanted to offer my condolences again about your father. William and I were good friends."
Should have seen that coming.
"Thanks," she said, looking down at the cookie in her hands, "I know you guys were buds."
"Life isn't..." he sighed, "life isn't fair. I wish I could say it was."
It's brutal.
"I've learned that, yeah," Chloe responded quietly.
"How is the new guy?" he asked, pushing some levity into his tone. Chloe blew out a huge gust of breath, as if saying 'strap in.'
"We had a...rough beginning," she said. "I hated him. Hated him with everything I had in me. He didn't like me either. He's a vet, so he has that...mindset, right?" She gave a quick salute in demonstration. "And I just couldn't stand the thought of someone replacing my dad." She grew a tiny smile and shrugged. "It's gotten a lot better, though. He's become a lot more understanding and I do kind of realize that I was taking a lot out on him in ways that maybe weren't fair. Like if either of us just tried to start off on the right foot, things would have been different."
"I'm glad to hear it's gotten better," he said. "No one can replace William, but it's good he's found his own spot in you and your mother's lives."
"Mhm," she said, then snickered, "you know, I keep thinking how the best thing I've ever done is get shot in that bathroom. Isn't that kind of sad? I've even..." she looked away and squinted, "I've even dreamt about it."
Recently, in fact.
"People dream about traumatic experiences," he assured, "but you need to give yourself some more credit. It has been six months. Whatever progress you've made, that's because you've put in the work and the heart necessary."
"Damn, that's... Thanks," she said, smiling, "I guess it's good to have a reminder every so often."
"We could all use a reminder sometime." He polished off his glass of milk and let out an exaggerated 'ahhh' sound. "This was really nice, you know?"
"Yeah, it was. We should do it again," she said, then cleared her throat in embarrassment, "with proper, uh, attire."
You are a wise man, Ryan C-Field.
"Agreed on both accounts," he said, flashing teeth in an awkward smile.
"Oh, hey," Chloe laughed, leaning forward, "did Max tell you we watched Lake Placid?"
"No!" he grinned and smacked his hands on the table, "how'd it go!?"
It was JUST a crocodile!
"That movie is really awful," she shook her head with wide eyes, "it's so bad."
"Told you," he snirked, standing up from the stool and taking the glasses to the sink.
Chloe crept to the side of the bed, peeling the blankets up and slipping in as slowly as possible. With a tiny mumble, Max opened her eyes halfway and raised her head.
"Babe? You okay?" she asked in a barely there voice.
Honesty, yay.
"Half and half," Chloe replied. "I'm sorry I woke you up."
"It's okay." Max blinked her eyes open all the way, then scooted closer to Chloe. "Why half and half?"
"We can talk about it in the morning," she said, pulling the girl into her arms, "you should get back to sleep." Max titled her head back to see her.
"Did you have a dream?" she asked with a look of worry.
"Yeah," Chloe said. "A bad one. Like nosebleed bad."
"Oh no," Max frowned, bringing a hand to Chloe's cheek. She pulled herself higher so she was eye level with Chloe. "I'm so sorry. Are you alright? What was it?"
"The bathroom," she said, "all of the times I didn't make it plus the two that I did." Max let out a pained sigh and dropped her head into the pillow.
"If I was just faster..." she began.
"It's not your fault," Chloe said, "you did really great." She clicked her tongue against her teeth in thought. "There were some...weird things about it, though."
"What?" Max asked.
Alright, which one is less shitty to start with?
"The first thing was...on the time that I moved, like, this time, I said the same thing I said all of the other times," she explained. Max only looked back confused. "I mean, every time I was shot, I said 'get that gun away from me, psycho.' Even this time when I was actually 'aware' of everything. Why would I still say that? Why wouldn't it be different?"
"Uhh," Max's eyes searched the room around her for an answer, "I don't know. Do you think it should have been different?"
"Maybe? I guess I don't really know how it works. It just struck me as odd," she said.
"I guess it kind of is," Max admitted, "maybe it's one of those things that's like, a constant?" She shrugged her shoulders. "What was the other thing?"
Army of ghost animals.
"Okay, so, this freaks me out..." Chloe sat up and turned to Max, "the last part got played again, when I was able to avoid it being fatal. And that...that fucking doe was there. Standing right next to you."
"Wait, what?" Max jolted up as well with a look of disbelief.
"But, it wasn't even just the doe. There were squirrels and birds. And the butterfly, of course..." Chloe raised an eyebrow curiously. "These dreams are your memories. Did that...happen?"
"No," Max said, shaking her head, "that never happened. It was just the three of us in there. And...the butterfly, I guess."
The butterfly. That stupid, fucking thing.
"I can't tell if my brain was trying to like, dream like a normal person would and projected my subconscious into it or..." she waved her hands, "or if these fucking animals are really, really not right."
"What the fuck is going on?" Max asked, just to stave off the silence.
"I don't know," Chloe responded. "They were just staring..."
"Can I tell you something?" Max asked, though she seemed nervous.
"Of course," Chloe answered.
"For the longest time, I thought that doe was...was Rachel," she said. "I was so, so sure of it. But now...I really don't know."
Yeah. I get that.
"I actually considered that too," Chloe replied. "It was at her grave. I mean, I saw it at the cemetery twice. I just...like, I don't believe in ghosts or spirits, but I guess that just seemed obvious to me." She huffed. "Didn't believe ghosts or spirits. I don't know what I believe anymore."
"I wish I knew where to even start to get answers about this," Max said. "I'm so clueless. The Ghostbusters?"
"That's literally as good as any answer I can think of right now," she said. "I just can't wait to be done with these dreams so that it hopefully all goes away." She thought it over. "Since they can be all weird and replay stuff over and over, I wish they'd just show me all of it in one pop and we could be done."
Like a dream band-aid. Rip it off all nice and fast.
"I'm not sure that'd be a good idea, but I agree that I can't wait for them to be over," she said, kissing Chloe on the nose. "Are you alright?"
Well, you're here. I can manage.
"As alright as I can be," Chloe said with a shrug. "I bonded with your dad over an entire pack of chocolate chip cookies. That was surprisingly cathartic."
"Really?" Max asked, perking an eyebrow.
"Uh huh," she said, "they were tasty."
They actually were though? I need to get some of them.
"You're having a pretty wild first night in Seattle," Max said, trying to inject some humor into it and managing to be halfway successful.
"No joke," Chloe snickered, thankfully accepting the tone, "we'll be pole vaulting over the Godzilla threshold by day three."
"This is a two week excursion, too," Max replied. "A lot of time for city leveling."
"I hope day six has dragons," she said, "like cool kinds you can ride."
There has to be SOME perks, right?
"That sounds more like a day ten activity," Max said. She frowned and left a flurry of kisses on Chloe's forehead. "I'm here, okay?"
"I know," Chloe responded, wrapping her arms around her, "my little knight."
"Appropriate considering the dragon scenario," Max said. She reached hand below her and brushed Chloe's thigh, then looked back at Chloe with narrowed eyes. "Did you have pants on when you were snackin' with my dad?"
"I did not," Chloe said casually.
"Yeah, that's normal," Max sighed, cuddling into Chloe, "we're so fucking weird."
A/N: The Caulfields make their (physical) debut! Pretty fun to mess around with.
Also! I've received a few pretty sweet messages telling me to take it easy on uploading so quickly so that I don't get burnt out. While I do appreciate it, this is just how it works for me. Sometimes I'm "on" and I need to take advantage of it. Truth be told, 90% of the time between chapter updates is me simply not feeling like writing. If I don't feel it, I can't get myself to even try. So...we're on a roll! And don't be worried about me getting burnt out on the story, either. I've never been more excited to write it than I am right now.
Anyways, hope you enjoy the chapter! Love you all and I'll see you for the next update!