"The Prescotts have had this coming for a hundred years," Chloe said, "and nobody is going to get in my way. Especially with your help...right?" As she spoke, her eyes stared holes into the banner draped over the gym entrance that read 'END OF THE WORLD PARTY.'

Max took a quick glance at the banner, then turned to Chloe. She couldn't help but notice the graffiti under the rear window announcing 'You are about to die' in sloppy handwriting. She leaned forward and placed a hand on Chloe's shoulder.

"I'm with you to the end, Chloe. You know that," she replied. She watched uneasily as Chloe picked the gun up from beside her and looked it over, running her fingers along the chamber. She slipped it into her waist band against her lower back. With a look of determination, she got out of the truck and Max hurried to do the same.

"Oh, shit, this is like that eclipse!" A boy swayed side to side, his arm wrapped around the shoulders of a girl who seemed considerably more sober.

"You're right," she said, shifting her shoulder to support him better, "look at the outline." Max stopped and followed their gaze, her eyes growing wide.

"What is that?" she asked, confusion and fear spreading through her voice. She reached for Chloe to get her attention, but the girl was too many steps ahead. "Jesus, Chloe, look up at the sky!"

Above them, two perfectly full moons stared down like burning eyes, as if God were bending down to observe his creations. It didn't make sense. Most things hadn't in the previous days, but this was a new foray into the impossible. The peering, bright orbs reflected themselves in Max's eyes and she audibly gulped.

"Beautiful, I don't give a shit," Chloe said flatly, turning away, "the world is ending. Cool." Max looked at her incredulously.

"You're not listening!" she said, going after her. She gestured back to the sky. "Something major is going down!"

"That's right," Chloe stared down at her, her voice carrying poison, "Nathan Prescott is going down."

She turned her back again and marched her way up the stairs. Max hesitated for only a moment, throwing her head back in resignation before following her. She checked over her shoulder two more times at the double moons. When she fixed her attention back in front of her the second time, she instinctively smiled at the normalcy of seeing Warren.

"Welcome to the end of the world, ladies..." he said, but the rest of his sentence faded. Rising from the ground like liquid, the bubbling, orange aura gripped everything in sight and scattered it to dust, rebuilding it into an entirely new scene.

"It's so weird how it's so far away," Chloe said, lying on her back in the grass with her arms tucked behind her head. "It seems so close, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," Max responded, lifting her hand lazily into the air and pointing an index finger at the moon. She turned her hand to the side and brought out her thumb, closing one eyes as she fit the moon between her fingers. "I think it's so pretty. And it's just...space trash?" She chuckled as she turned to Chloe.

"I know," she giggled back, "it's just a dumb rock! I can't believe it affects the ocean and everything."

"It has such a big..." Max searched for the right word, "I don't know, impact for being so far." She let her hand fall back to the grass, where she absentmindedly clutched at a tuft of it.

"So does the sun, Max," Chloe snickered. Max smacked her lips and shot Chloe a dirty look. "No, I get what you mean," she relented, flitting her hand casually. "At least the test should be easy, right? I've been studying my ass off and nothing is going to stop me from acing it."

"Oh, there are the stargazers!" William called as he slid open the backdoor. He stepped out into the yard and looked up at the moon, then sat down next to Chloe with the exaggerated 'oof' that older people made. "You girls enjoying the view?"

"Yes," Max answered, "it's really beautiful." Her face screwed into an awkward wince when she realized she'd been looking at Chloe as she spoke, and she quickly turned back to the sky.

"It is," William agreed. "I find it comforting that you can always count on it being there, just as you can count on the sun rising."

"Mr. Walters says the sun will eventually burn out," Chloe said with an impish smile.

"Not for a long, long time," William chuckled, tapping the back of his hand on the girl's knee. "You know, there was a point when I was younger, maybe around your age, that I wanted to be an astronaut."

"Pfft, really?" Chloe asked.

"Oh, definitely," he nodded, "imagining that feeling of weightlessness, serenely floating above the Earth... It seems a bit like heaven."

"It'd be lonely, though," Chloe pointed out. William laughed quietly and ran a hand through her hair.

"You're never really alone," he said. "There's an entire universe out there that we're just a small part of. Even if you feel lonely, someone will be thinking of you. Even if it's a star too far away to see."

"That doesn't make sense, Dad," Chloe said, eying him suspiciously.

"Maybe it's an adult thing," he said, shrugging, "but I really believe that. Maybe there are even other universes that we don't know about, calmly moving right alongside ours." He puckered his lips and gave himself a nod of realization. "That's probably a little more above your current curriculum," he admitted. He took in a deep, thankful breath and then patted her on the leg. "Okay, time for bed, you two. We have pancakes to make in the morning! Your mother will be so impressed."

The orange filter weaved between them, tugging at them until Chloe and her father were gone and Max stood in the gym bathroom, back in her eighteen year old body. She was staring at a writing on the wall that read 'KILL THE PRESCOTTS.' After a moment of looking around the bathroom, and checking on Justin one last time, she made her way to the divider separating the Vortex Club from the rest of the party. As she began to speak, a flurry of orange washed over her, and the next second she was standing in front of Taylor.

"How has Nathan been scary?" she asked, but before Taylor could respond, the burning filter swept around her, repositioning her next to Chloe in Principal Wells' office.

"Nathan Prescott the Third. Oooh, he's so money," Chloe mocked. "And you know the Prescotts dropped major bank to bury Nathan's real file..." She scrolled through one of the documents. "Look, it reads like a rap sheet. Bad grades, teacher complaints, secret probation..." She scoffed. "But I was expelled?"

Max leaned forward, silently reading over the note detailing Nathan's offenses:

The following is a list of reported incidents involving Nathan Prescott. There seems to be a pattern of outbursts and confrontations followed by remorse and repentance. We suggest his parents remove him from the school and place him under expert psychological supervision.

Throwing a desk in class

Cursing at his English teacher

Lighting firecrackers in the bathroom

Stealing school supplies

Threatening the school custodian

Attempted theft of campus "Tobanga" statue

"At least Nathan was finally suspended," Max replied. "Check out that note... Open it."

"That's just some crazy drawing," Chloe said.

In a flash of fluctuating orange, Chloe was fourteen again, pulling the front door open after a frantic knock had been beating against it.

"Mrs. Caulfield?" Chloe asked, her voice lilting in confusion as she looked at Vanessa. Behind her, she could see Max's father with his head down in the car, still purring idly.

"Oh, honey, you-" Vanessa tried to speak, but clapped a hand to her mouth as she sobbed. She reached for Chloe and took hold of her.

"Mom?" Max asked, appearing behind Chloe with an eyebrow raised, "what's wrong?"

"You girls have to come with us, okay?" She squeezed Chloe tightly, then brushed her hair behind her ear. "Your mother called. There's been an accident and... Just come with us."

"An accident?" Chloe asked, watching as the tears fell down Vanessa's cheeks. "Is...everything okay?"

With a swirl around them, she and Max were in the dark of the junkyard, the only light provided by the singular, illuminated moon above them.

"Chloe! Look out!" Max screamed, but it crumbled to into a strained whisper halfway through.

"What the fuck!?" Chloe whipped around, reaching for the gun at her back.

A gunshot rang out and her head jerked backward, her eyes immediately losing the flame of life. Max watched in horror as the girl fell back on top of Rachel's grave. That she made no sound of discomfort or pain as her head bounced violently off the ground seemed terribly unnatural. Max's eyes fell heavy and she collapsed in the dirt, muttering Chloe's name. She struggled to move, looking up and unable to conjure an appropriate expression as Jefferson gazed down at her coldly.

Chloe choked, coughing out a splatter of blood that had been collecting in her mouth and throat. She pressed her palms into the bed, pushing herself onto her knees. Breathing heavily, with the nauseous feeling of blood in her stomach, she swayed forward as the pain shocked through her head. Throwing her momentum backwards, she fell onto her rear and clasped a hand to her forehead, feverishly dragging it over where a bullet hole should be. The pain staggered through her once again and she sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth. Deciding to forgo fighting it, she fell onto her side and gripped herself as the chills clawed their way across her.

God dammit. God dammit. Okay. You're alright, Chloe. It'll go away. Just...just tough it ou-AGH.

"Fuck!" she hissed, clutching her head as she rolled onto her back. "Stop! Stop!" Her head pulsed a few moments longer, then finally receded. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling above her.

Right on fucking top of Rachel. Of course. God, I hope someone fucking stabs you to death in jail, you fucking monster. You deserve every fucking ounce of pain for what you did to all of us.

Clearing her throat once again, she sat back up and cringed at the sight of her pillowcase soaked in her blood.

Great.

Touching her fingers beneath her noise, she rolled her eyes in disgust at the sticky sensation. She swung around and planted her feet on the ground, bouncing a few times to make sure her equilibrium was in tact, and stood up. Rather than go for tissues, she simply snatched her cigarettes and ashtray off of the desk and sat back down on the bed. Her eyes lulled back in a soothing pleasure as the nicotine swam through her mind.

I'm pretty fucking over this. At least it's just...one more I don't have to deal with again. I guess all I have left are however many times the fucking train ripped me to pieces. That'll be fucking fun!

She scowled at the red ring her lips left around the cigarette's filter and yanked a foot beneath her, leaning forward as she took another long drag.

Two moons. Me and Max and Dad. Vortex Club party. School break-in. Max's parents after Dad was killed. Getting shot by Jefferson. What a great mixtape this batch was.

She closed her eyes in thought and rocked back and forth, still holding herself with one arm to fight off the residual feeling of chills.

Prescott, Prescott, Prescott. Sean's a dick, that we know. Nathan is a homegrown, tortured dick. Also old news. Whole fucking family tree needs to be cut down. Ugh... how long can I procrastinate before texting Max? We're supposed to have a fun day today. Thanks, brain.

"Ugh, god dammit," she growled. She pulled on the cigarette and flared her nostril in irritation when she realized it had burnt down to its filter. She dropped it in the ashtray and picked up her phone.

Chloe: hey

Chloe: im fine but had another time dream

Chloe: finally saw jefferson kill me so hey one more down right?

Chloe: uhhh anyway... just call/text me when you wake up

Chloe: love u

"This rocks," she said numbly, flipping the phone end over end onto the blanket. She turned around and tore the pillowcase from the pillow, then made her way to the bathroom. As she yanked the door open, she froze, meeting David's eyes. He had one foot on the first step heading down, but retracted it quickly as he took her by the arm.

Oh, fuck everything about this.

"Christ, Chloe, are you alright?" he asked, looking her over.

"Yeah, fine," she replied, offering a smile. He cringed and she realized her teeth must have been stained red. "Had a bloody nose in my sleep. Guess the second story is too high for me."

"That's a hell of a nosebleed," he said, glancing down at the pillowcase in her hand. "Does it feel like you whacked it somehow? Any pain?"

"Nope, just some kind of freaky thing," she said. "Just going to wash up and throw this in the washer." She dangled the pillowcase.

"I can do it while you get yourself cleaned up." He held his hand out and she reluctantly gave it over. He shifted his feet uncomfortably and then shook his head. "Seeing you covered in blood again..."

Great, now I'm dragging him down.

"Decent look for me, right?" She twisted side to side with her arms out. "Tres a la mode, oui?" As she expected, he didn't laugh.

"No," he said grimly, "it's not."

"It's just a nosebleed, dude," she responded, smacking the back of her hand on his arm, "not like I'm on the brink, here."

"I know," he sighed, "just...surprising, is all."

Oh yes, I know all about bloody surprises.

"Could be worse," she said dryly, ruminating in her thoughts, "better you finding me with a bloody nose as opposed to, oh, I don't know, a fucking bullet in the head or something. Now that's surpri-" She gasped as David swayed and brought a hand to his face, grimacing in pain.

Shit! SHIT!

"Are you okay!?" she asked, now grabbing a hold of him. "I'm so fucking sorry!"

"Yeah, yeah," he replied, blinking hard several times, "just got a bit lightheaded. I think the lack of sleep has me a little off." He cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "Wait, why are you sorry?"

God, I am fucking up so hard right now.

"I...I don't know," she stammered, "I thought maybe the blood made you queasy or something?"

"No, I've had my fair share of experience with blood," he said, managing a chuckle. "Just a..." he smiled at her, "freaky thing."

"Right," she said, smiling back with a thankful dose of sincerity.

"Alright, get yourself washed up," he said, clapping a hand on her shoulder, "I might be gone before you're done in there, so I'll see you later, okay?"

"Definitely," she said, moving to the bathroom, "sorry you have to carry all my gross blood." He exhaled a laugh through his nose and looked over her warmly.

"Who do you think carried you out of the bathroom?" he asked.

Chloe was still in the shower, head angled up in the steaming water as it soothed her skin. She jolted when there was a knock on the bathroom door. She looked in its direction, though the curtain blocked her view, and narrowed her eyes.

Who the fuck?

"Uh...hello?" she called. Without a response, she heard the door open and quickly felt the gust of cool air sneak into the shower. She gripped the curtain and jutted her head out. Before she could summon anything aggressive as the intruder, she simply became confused. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"I took the bus," Max said, bent over and out of breath, "you didn't answer the phone."

Shit. I left it on the bed.

"Sorry," she replied, then couldn't help but smile, "you really hurried all the way here? That was pretty fast."

Damn, what a little hero. Forgot she had a key.

"I can be pretty quick when I'm panicking about you," Max said, chuckling. "Are you alright?"

"Eh, sure," Chloe shrugged. "I mean, alright is kind of a loose term at this point."

"Did your nose bleed?" Max asked, staring at her intently.

"Yeah. Pretty bad, actually. I was sleeping on my stomach so it got everywhere," she said, looking somewhat embarrassed, "I probably need to wash the rest of my shit."

It's like I pissed myself or something.

"I'm so sorry," Max said, leaning against the sink.

"Not your fault," Chloe shook her head. Max scrunched her nose. "Not...your fault. You know what I mean."

"Yeah, alright," Max relented, clearly not entirely in agreement.

"Can you close the door?" Chloe asked. "It's...fucking cold in here."

"Oh, sorry." Max pushed it shut and then sighed. "Are you still okay with going shopping later or do you want to chill?"

"No, doing other shit helps take my mind off it," she responded. She snickered as Max wiped a few beads of sweat off her brow. "Come on," she said, elongating it as if it were a chore, "get in here."

"Really?" Max asked, though she'd finally become comfortable enough that it sounded more like 'are you sure?' rather than an exclamation of disbelief.

"Yeah," Chloe laughed, "David's gone and Mom's doing an early shift at work."

"Sure, okay," Max chuckled, pulling one shoe off, then the other. "I was actually running, you know. That's so against my style."

"That's sweet," Chloe said, "you've always got my back." She smiled and turned around, putting a hand behind her to point at her lower back.

"I'll get it," Max laughed, pulling her shirt over her head, "and yes, I do. I mean, I like, sprinted."

"Kinda wish I'd seen it," Chloe snirked, flicking her hand to shoot some water at Max. "Can you hurry before all the hot water goes away?"

"God, calm down." Max kicked a leg behind her, sending her underwear onto the floor, and stepped into the shower. She immediately took Chloe into her arms and kissed her. "Tell me about it?"

Blehhh.

"Yeah," Chloe said, "uh, it was all over the place. Vortex Club party, your parents taking us to my mom after Dad's accident, when we broke into Blackhell..." she shrugged, "and when Jefferson shot me."

"Jesus," Max mumbled into Chloe's shoulder, "that's awful. I was so fucking scared."

"And he had the fucking balls to do it right over Rachel," she growled.

That little detail really adds to the fucked up-ness.

"I know..." Max shook her head. "It's was terrible. All of it was. That's why I was so desperate when I was trying to convince you not to go into the party."

"Definitely puts that in perspective," Chloe said. She shielded Max's eyes and dipped the girl's head back to wet her hair. "But like I said in the text, at least that's just another one down. Just the...um, train left, right?"

Max was quiet for a moment, her eyes closed as Chloe scrubbed the shampoo through her hair, then she took a deep breath.

"Five," she said quietly. Chloe bit her lip winced.

Oh, wow, alright.

"That's...a lot," she admitted, then slid her hands down Max's sides until they rested at her waist. "It's okay, though. I'll get through it. Hopefully it'll all be at once and then we can be done."

"That's so fucked up, though," Max whined, "you should not have to see that. And...and it's my fault! If I had just been better."

"Shhh, no, don't go there. We shouldn't have to do a lot of the shit we've done," Chloe said, bringing a hand below Max's chin and tilting her head up, "but we're strong. As long as you're willing to run to my house at the drop of a hat just to check on me, I'm positive I'll be okay." She bent forward and kissed her deeply.

"I hope so, babe." Max added a quick peck to each of Chloe's cheeks. Chloe smiled back at her, then suddenly grimaced and shrunk guiltily.

David...

"Uh, I did kind of fuck up," she said. Max leaned back and looked at her in anticipation.

"So, I ran into David and was just...talking without thinking, and I...um, brain zapped him." She let out a frustrated grumble as he rested her head against the wall.

"What?!" Max groaned and smacked a hand to her face. "Dammit. Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he's alright," Chloe said, "I just feel terrible. Not only did I fuck his head up but I feel like I let you down."

Which really, really fucking hurts.

"You didn't let me down," Max corrected, "it was a mistake. God knows I've done it enough times. You weren't exactly in the best frame of mind."

"Still," she said, "it's a big mistake. I'm disappointed in myself."

"Chlo," Max stepped closer so that they were pressed against each other, "I'm nothing but proud of you for being this strong. You're allowed to slip up. We all make mistakes."

"Thanks..." Chloe buried her lips in Max's soaked hair, holding her gently. "So, I was thinking maybe before we meet up with everyone we could stop by Frank's?"

"Oh, yeah, that's fine," Max responded. She slowly pushed Chloe back until she was against the wall and kissed her again. "I feel like I could fall asleep in here, it's so warm." Before Chloe could say anything back, Max yelped and pressed hard against her. "Oh god, oh god, no it's not! No it's not!"

Told you it'd be running out soon.

"We have a little time to kill before we go massacre the mall," Chloe said, taking a large step toward the door of the RV. "Haven't seen Frank since we've been back, so...y'know. Let's get our rods out and fish for some details."

I really am obnoxiously curious to actually hear his take on the Kate meeting.

"Okay, even you have to realize how that sounds," Max chuckled, taking her spot next to her. Whether it was an intentional or subconscious act, Chloe did notice how she'd been extra touchy and sure to be as close to her as possible. She'd gotten like this with every nosebleed so far and it was both comforting and...kind of a bummer to see how concerned she was. Chloe smirked at her comment.

I do now. Yikes. Okay, double down.

"Yep, our big, long rods," she said with a smile, then slammed her palm against the door a few times. "Open up, it's the five-O!" The door swung open and Frank regarded her with a dry look.

"You know," he said, shaking his index finger as if summoning a point, "for the first time in god knows how long, that doesn't even make me panic." Chloe jutted out her chin in a show of being impressed. "I know, right?" He turned his back to them and lazily waved over his shoulder. "Come on in, guys."

Max followed behind Chloe, but came to a stop and searched around her.

"Pompidou's being quiet today," she said with a little smile, "where is he?"

"Sleeping in the backroom. I'm sure he'll realize you're here any-" He hung his head as he was interrupted by a single, sharp woof and the scramble of paws on the carpet.

"Hey you!" Max dropped to her knees and caught Pompidou in her arms. "How is my favorite puppy?"

I don't know what the fuck this feeling that I get is when she gets all doting, but I don't think I want it.

"You can actually tell he's happier now that he has so many people that want to pet him," Frank said, gesturing to Max and Pompidou. He crossed his arms and leaned against the side of the driver's seat, turning his attention to Chloe. "So, what's up?"

"Not a lot," Chloe replied, casually opening one of the doors to his pantry and snagging a bag of chips, "we have to go shopping for prom shit later. Figured we'd swing by first."

"Really?" he asked, snorting in mild disbelief. "Chloe Price, how you've changed."

Watch it.

"Yeeeah well," she said, hopping up onto the counter and digging into the bag, "don't be surprised if I deck whatever the fuck I pick out in studs or chains or some shit."

"I'm picturing Joan Jett and I'm very okay with it," Max laughed, finally standing up after playing with Pompidou. The dog made a quick circle, then laid down at her feet.

"She does have a black heart, so it checks out," Frank added, yhen he shook his head. "Jesus, I don't even feel good about those jokes anymore."

"I'm insult bulletproof, mothafucka," Chloe taunted, holding her arms out as if daring him.

"Pain in my ass, more like," he said, reaching to her for the chips. "How was the trip to Seattle?"

I miss my other pareeeeents.

"It was good!" Max responded, "the weather behaved for a surprising amount of the time and it was just kind of nice to have a change of pace."

"I bet," he said, "I could use a brief stint out of here too. Just for a change of scenery."

"Ooh!" Chloe grinned at Max, then turned back to him. "Maaaybe a little RV road trip this summer?" He thought it over, then gave a shrug that seemed to be leaning on the 'yes' side of things.

Hell yes!

"Maybe, yeah." He crouched down and peered through the window, watching as a couple walked toward the entrance of the diner. "I think they come in for dinner sometimes," he said.

"They flip-flop," Chloe said, "I get them for lunch sometimes." She yawned and rubbed her face roughly, experiencing a wave of awareness regarding her poor rest. "Anyway, we wanted to get some more details on the Kate thing."

"Ah, right, right," he replied, plopping down into the seat and resting his elbow on the steering wheel. "I gotta tell ya, you have no idea how scared I was when I opened that door. And then when she told me she knew..." He puffed out his lips. "I fucking started crying. Right there in front of her and that Warren kid. I really felt like I was on trial for whether or not I'd be going to heaven or hell."

"I'm sure..." Max said quietly, going over to him and placing a hand on his arm. "We had no idea that was going to happen. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," he said, "I just...fuck, I felt like a scared little kid again. I didn't even know she knew."

"Yeah... That we should have told you," Max said.

"How did she find out?" he asked. "Did you guys tell her or what?"

Oh, left that part out, Kate? Convenient...

"We, uh..." Chloe glanced at the ceiling and bared her teeth awkwardly, "we had a little run in with Satan." She was taken aback by Frank's quick reaction, as if no further elaboration was needed.

Hell of a reputation you've built yourself there, Sean. Pun...intended?

"Why am I not fucking surprised?" Frank bent forward and massaged her temples. "He's like a fucking bad penny. Always turning up just to fuck things up."

"At least a penny has some value," Chloe snirked.

"Got me there," Frank replied. He sat back up and sighed. "What did he say, exactly?"

"It wasn't...flattering," Max admitted. Her expression turned angry. "It seemed like he was just...enjoying it so much. Like it gave him genuine pleasure to cause that damage."

"I assume it did," Chloe said. "Dude is a psycho. He was proud as a fucking peacock that he made Kate upset."

"That pisses me off," Frank growled, "as if she hasn't gone through enough. I wish I was there, I would've finished what I started."

Me too, dude.

"I will forever cherish the image of you caving his face in with your knee," Chloe said dreamily, smiling widely.

"Kate was pretty mad at us," Max said. "Understandably, of course, but it just feels...unearned since he was the one who caused it."

"You're all good now, though?" Frank asked.

"Yeah, all good," Chloe confirmed. "So what happened when she visited?"

"Oh, right," he said. "She just explained that she knew what happened and that she wasn't angry with me. That she...forgave me." He huffed. "She spent more time talking about how sorry she was about Rachel than anything else. And how she was proud of me for trying to turn things around."

"Yeah, that sounds like Kate," Max snickered with a roll of her eyes. "The verdict's still out on whether or not she's human."

She's a pumpkin, duh.

"Anyway, we got most of that sorted out right away," Frank said, "then she and Warren just hung out for a while." He reached behind the seat and picked up a bottle of beer from the floor. "Which, by the way, had no idea who the hell he was. He's one of yours?"

Like they're our pets...heh.

"He is," Chloe nodded. "He's kind of like our..." she hesitated, thinking it over, "wildcard. You got me, Max, Kate and Victoria but he's got his own place there. He's our dude."

"Seems like a good kid," Frank said, then chuckled. "It's refreshing to meet another Blackwell student that I didn't somehow fuck up. Like...finding a flower in a desert or something."

That was oddly poetic.

"I think we're all just flowers in the desert," Max laughed. "It's our common factor."

"I can't argue that," he said. He patted his pockets, then when he didn't find what he was looking for, he situated the tip of the bottle between his molars and pried off the cap.

Jesus Christ, Jaws.

"Oh dude," Chloe said, looking on in horror, "you're going to break your teeth."

"I've been doing that for years," he said with a smile, "don't worry. You have to be resourceful."

"So, everything went over okay, then?" Max asked, pulling the conversation back on track.

"Yeah, I think it did," he said. "She updated me on the home situation, too. And I told her to visit me any time she wanted."

"That's great," Chloe replied, then she shook her head. "I can't even keep track of all this shit anymore. I need a breadcrumb trail or something."

So many people with...things going on.

"Tell me about it," Max giggled, "I ran into Juliet this morning and she was going on and on about getting a date for the dance. Add it to the pile."

"Oh, joy," Chloe said sarcastically. She took her phone out and checked the time. "Speaking of her, we should probably get heading to the mall. Next town over, you never know what obstacles you'll face." She stepped toward Frank and held her fist out, receiving a gentle bop of his in return. "We'll catch you later?"

"Sounds good," he said, tipping the bottle to his lips.

"This is kind of a chintzy mall, even by our hick-ass standards," Chloe said, looking around her as she and Max walked. It was rather dilapidated, with the tiles in the floor uneven and mismatched in color. Several of the overhead lights were either dimmed or burnt out completely.

Are we sure this place is actually open?

"I'm not a hick," Max protested, pushing Chloe by the shoulder, "I have refined, Seattle taste."

"You can't escape where you come from, Max," Chloe chuckled. "The bird cannot spite its egg." Max came to a stop and regarded her with amusement.

"What the hell kind of pseudo-philosophy is that!?" she laughed. Chloe shrugged as if admitting it wasn't her best work. Max turned back around and pointed. "Ooh, there's Dana!"

"So nice of you to join us," she said as they got near.

"Pfft, what? You're the only one here." Chloe gestured to the empty space around her.

"Everyone else is off browsing. I elected to wait here for you guys," Dana replied. She slung one arm around Max and the other around Chloe. "So," she said with a bit of excitement, "are you girls ready to pick out your luxurious attire?"

Meh.

"Uh, no," Max snickered, "I own like, one dress and it's built for a funeral. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not one for the...glitz and glamor look."

Yeah, I bet. As soon as you put one on, it'll look just as perfect as everything else. I...might even be a little jealous of that.

"Oh, come on," Chloe said, "we agreed that we'd do it just because we thought the other would look cute as fuck. And if I'm walking down this path, you sure as hell are coming with me."

"It's like pulling teeth with you two," Dana chuckled, hanging her head as the three of them moseyed through the mall. "It's just one night. It'll be fun to have a change of pace, right?"

"You know, taking a bath with a toaster would also be a change of pace," Chloe responded with a smirk, "doesn't make it good." She shrugged, moving Dana's arm as well. "Whatever, I'm letting you lead me by the hand here. As long as I can wear Misfits makeup or something."

"Oh, that'd be cool," Max said with sincerity, leaning forward to get a look at Chloe.

"As...tempting as it is to be able to look back at pictures from a special night when I'm ninety years old and see you looking like a clown, I'm going to have to say no," Dana said, jostling Chloe with her arm.

Okay, maybe Misfits aren't her thing.

"KISS, then?" Chloe asked. "I have the tongue for it."

"She does," Max quickly added. Dana stopped and sighed.

"I love you guys," she said, snickering as she brought her arms down to her sides, "never change." She nodded at a store, then headed inside. Chloe followed behind her, blinking at the sudden escalation in brightness.

Welp, I'm blind. That's unfortunate.

"Well, well," Courtney said, jovially skipping over to Max and Chloe, "my models have arrived!"

"I don't..." Max narrowed her eyes, "I don't think I agreed to that."

"Chloe did," she replied matter-of-factly, "and you two are a package deal."

"What? Since when?" Max laughed, turning to look at Chloe. She thought for a moment, then puffed out her bottom lip. "Damn, we are..."

You're handcuffed to me, there is no escape.

"Two for one discount," Courtney said, cheerily clapping her hands together. She took Max by the wrist and strutted further into the store. Chloe gave a quick wave to Juliet, then went after them.

"This place seems too nice to survive in this mall," she said, dragging her finger along various clothing. "We passed like three different stores that are out of business."

"And...I think a homeless person," Max added with a frown.

"Specialty shop," Courtney said, "they find ways to continue on. This is the only decent boutique within a three hour drive. Supply and demand." She spun around and held her hands out. "Okay, so! It'd be pretty hard to do here but are you guys trying to do the 'my girlfriend doesn't know what I'm wearing' thing so it's like a surprise?"

"Is that real?" Chloe asked. "That's dumb, so no."

That sounds like it could go so wrong so fast.

"Alrighty," Courtney said, accepting her answer without pause. "Either way, we'll do one at a time. It's easier." She eagerly took hold of Max again. "You're first!" As she was dragged away, Max looked back with harmless fear in her eyes.

"If I'm not back in ten, call the cops, okay!?" she said, shouting but keeping it at a reasonable volume. In response, Chloe simply waved smugly. She patted her thighs and looked around again, feeling very out of place.

It's so...colorful in here.

With a shrug to herself, she wandered down one of the aisles, stopping when she stumbled upon Victoria looking a dress up and down.

This place is set up so weird. How didn't I just see everyone immediately? Everyone's hiding...

"Hey Vic," she said, "how's the hunt?"

"Oh, hey," she responded, not taking her eyes off of the dress. "Frustrating. I want to get like...something nice."

"That seems to be the general objective, no?" Chloe snickered.

"Well, okay, yeah," Victoria admitted, turning to her. "I've been dreaming of this stupid dance since like, freshman year. I need to nail it."

"Jeez, okay," Chloe smiled, holding her hands up. She surveyed some of the dresses on the other side of the aisle. "A lot of these are too...floofy. A little too Cinderella, you know?"

Sorry, but I will not be bursting into song.

"Yeah, I can see that," she said, then smirked. "You know the actual fairy tale, right? Ashputtle?"

"Uh uh." Chloe shook her head. She took the fabric of one of the dresses and rolled it between her fingers.

Mm, soft.

"It's up your alley," Victoria chuckled. "So, it's vaguely the same, but she had to sleep in ashes by the fireplace or some crazy shit." Chloe's eyebrows raised as her interest grew. "Anyway, same stuff with the mean stepsisters and all that, but when the prince came back to see whose foot fit the slipper, the stepsisters hacked off parts of their feet so that they'd fit."

"Woah, holy shit," Chloe laughed.

"I know! And then after he finds Ashputtle...Cinderella, whatever," Victoria flailed her hand, "they have their wedding and the stepsisters show up trying to be shallow bitches. And these fucking...birds peck out their eyes!" Victoria grew an opened mouth smile as she awaited Chloe's response.

Damn, that's hardcore.

"That's sick," she giggled, "I never knew that." She looked the poofy dress up and down again. "Respect."

"I was pretty obsessed with fairy tales when I was little," Victoria said. "My parents accidentally gave me the 'real,' original versions. They're all pretty fucked up like that."

"I wanna read them now," Chloe said. She pointed at her feet. "Do you think I can wear boots or something? I'm not really in the market for chopping off toes or anything."

Seems kind of drastic.

"Meh," Victoria shrugged, "it's not like it's a black tie affair. I'm sure whatever will work. Wear a cocktail dress or something. Not like they're going to turn you away."

"Hmm..." Chloe followed behind her as she moved to a new display. She playfully prodded her in the back. "Are you going to get all sexy'd up for Kate?"

"I don't really need to get sexy'd up," she responded, "I'm already there."

Sigh. Sigh. Sighsighsigh.

"Oh, of course," Chloe laughed, "forgive me."

"But yes," Victoria put her hands on her hips, looking much less sure of herself, "I would like to be pleasing to her eye."

Pleasing to her eye? You're not a photograph.

"You talk like a real nerd sometimes, you do know that?" Chloe tapped a finger to her nose, accompanied by a silly 'bapo!'

"No more bapo," she scolded, "and whatever." She gestured across the store. "Katie's in one of the dressing rooms right now. She picked one out so fast."

"Probably all excited," Chloe said. She squinted, then leaned in toward Victoria and whispered. "Did you chat with her yet?" She stared at Victoria's wide eyes for a beat, then grabbed her by the head. "Are you serious!?"

What in the hell are you doing!?

"I know, I know!" she said in a hushed tone. "I'm doing it tonight. I have a plan."

"You better, dude." Chloe said it with an extra bit of seriousness. "You have to."

"I will," Victoria promised. She strained her neck to peer over Chloe's shoulder, her brow crinkling. The sound of quickened footsteps hurried up behind Chloe, and Max clutched her by the shoulders.

"She's insane," she whispered, her eyes crazed, "Chloe, she's insane."

"Max, where did you go?" Courtney called from the other side of the store. Max ducked down and put a finger to her lips.

You can be so dramatic sometimes.

"Why is she insane?" Chloe asked with a broad smile.

"She's talking about like..I don't even know, it's all gibberish!" Max broke character for a moment to giggle, then resumed her look of horror.

"You two are like children," Victoria scoffed, her head drooping to the side.

Yeah, but we're probably having the most fun in this entire fucking building.

"Maybe, we can like..." Chloe moved her hands as she spoke, "just go naked or something?"

"NOPE!" Dana's voice called out, her head peeking over a half-wall nearby. "Nope, nope, nope. I'm watching you, Chloe."

WOAH that was freaky.

"I was just JOKING!" Chloe shouted, "only Max is allowed to see me naked!" The sound of someone clearing their throat behind them drew her attention. A middle-aged woman looked at them, her hands wringing together and slightly flushed, presumably from what she'd just heard.

"Um," she said, conjuring an okay attempt at a customer service smile, "do you... Can I help you with anything?"

Really need to get a hold on my volume.

"Yeah...sure," Chloe said, laughing quietly, "got anything kind of...cool in blue?"

A/N: Gettin' all those pieces in place so we can finally tackle Prom next chapter! Not a ton to say, other than the usual of I hope you enjoyed and thank you so much for reading!