It was a week later that Max had found herself back in the same lumber mill.

Trying to fit in slightly, she had acquired a pair of torn jeans from Dana, wore a dark gray shirt with a deer skull and a black hoodie over it all. She even went the extra mile and pulled the hood up, pulling her head down so people wouldn't recognize her.

Standing at the back of the moshpit, she quietly watched as Madhouse walked onto stage. She stared immediately at the blue-haired punk singer at the forefront, listened as she spoke into the mic, announced their songs. She watched as she began a song with a heavy guitar riff, watched her as she bobbed her head up and down to the beat of the drums, watched as she jumped and laughed during the song.

Max found herself finding the rhythm, swaying side to side. Eventually her arms joined her, then her head and in time she found herself dancing completely. The music was different - it was harsher, more electric than the usual things Max listened to. But it felt… right. She began to take a liking to it.

Songs changed, as did the beat, but Max didn't break her rhythm. She watched as the actual mosh started near the stage and did her best to stay away, not wanting to get too close. Not just because it would probably get violent but because… Chloe was right there. Watching and pointing at the individuals. Max would be seen immediately.

She stayed at the back and danced, losing track of time.

Another week, another concert.

Max came with Dana this time - the cheerleader more than happy to accompany her friend, happy with the fact that she was finally coming out of her shell.

She wasn't though, not really. She only wanted to see Chloe. She wanted to talk to her but… she was a chickenshit, she told herself. She was scared of rejection, of an argument.

This wasn't the same Chloe she left 5 years ago - she could tell that easily, her appearance was a dead giveaway itself.

Max promised herself that next week she would talk to Chloe, for real this time.

Dana and Max talked, gossiped for a bit. They drank a beer each, and even though Max said it tasted disgusting; it didn't stop her from finishing the beverage. Dana laughed. They got to know one another a bit better - Max let spill some of her Seattle adventures with her old friends, Fernando and Kristen.

Before long, Dana dragged Max into the mosh again. They danced together, laughed away the night. Max didn't notice how Dana brought her closer to the stage than last time, didn't notice how occasionally she 'accidentally' shoved her in the direction of the blue-haired punk.

By the third concert, Max had fallen into a routine.

11PM on Saturday, she'd sneak through the dorm halls under the cover of night. By the time she was out in the dorm yard, she'd have missed the security guard usually patrolling by a minute or two. She'd make her way through to the quad, run across between Mark Jefferson's artwork displays and eventually reach the parking lot.

Then she'd walk all they way to the lumber mill. It actually wasn't that far, and it was rather easy to find it - just follow the train tracks.

Having done this three times already she was getting used to walking alone in the dark. This time she brought her old polaroid camera and took a few pictures, although they weren't any good. That's what she told herself, anyway.

Once she reached the mill, she decided to grab a beer for herself. Today she didn't want to dance that much - she was tired after the rather busy week at school.

Instead, she found a small and private area upstairs that overlooked the mosh and the stage. She sat down and dangled her legs over the crowd, occasionally sipping beer as she swayed herself side to side with the harsh beats.

She kept her hood up, and when she spotted Chloe giving her a glance she immediately scrambled back over the edge and left.

Max didn't talk to Chloe, but she was pretty sure Chloe saw her.

It was Dana who invited Max to the next concert.

Max may have had a little bit too much to drink. They danced and laughed the entire night again. Dana made sure Max wouldn't be approached by any skeevy guys; there were quite a few gathering around the two during the concert.

In the end, Max remembered being hauled to Dana's car and brought back to Blackwell, giggling uncontrollably like an idiot.

The next morning sucked.

"...MADHOUSE!"

Max cheered with the rest of the crowd in the mosh as the band made their appearance.

She was attending her fifth concert. The music was really, really growing on her - and perhaps it was just Chloe's voice, but Max found herself mesmerised every time she heard them.

Her outfit had also slightly changed. She acquired some Madhouse merch - a black hoodie with their logo printed on the back. She wanted to blend in more, didn't want Chloe to spot her like she did last time. Max was still afraid that she'd recognised her, but so far nothing pointed to that.

When the guitars broke into a riff and the drums followed, Max snapped her eyes back up to the stage. This was a new song - she didn't recognise it from their previous concerts.

Chloe stepped forward and pressed her mouth against the microphone. " I have walked this world and back now, too many times to count or stop, how?" she sang."Time is nothing, slow and focused, I stalk this land with just one purpose."

As the crowd cheered on and began their usual rhythm, Max joined, but not once did she take her eyes off Chloe.

"A deal made the second that you choose to force my will, an extension of my hand with the intent to kill, by the white lightning…"

Max found herself moving forwards without much thought, now closer to the stage than ever before.

"You always have the chance to do the right thing, until the right thing comes undone," Chloe sang, looking around the crowds.

Moments later Max met her gaze.

They both froze.

Chloe nearly lost the song as she opened her eyes wide and left her jaw agape.

Max cowered and started backing out.

Raising her hand towards her, Chloe pointed a finger at Max.

"...and with a thunderclap I'm breathing lightning, and this world has moved on."

Nobody really cared who she was pointing at, they were far too lost in the music to notice.

Max turned around and quickly made her way for the bar.

Well, shit. Great job, Blackwell ninja.

Sulking a bit at the sudden turn of events, Max ordered herself a beer. Maybe two. She sat at the bar for an hour or so, tracing patterns on the counter with one hand and pushing away unwanted advances from other patrons with the other. The bartenders watchful gaze kept most of them away - his name was Derrick, a friend of Dana's.

"You okay?" he asked after things had calmed down and he had a moment. "Anything bad happen?"

"No, no," Max replied and shook her head. She sipped her beer, winced as usual and looked towards the mosh. "Just waiting for somebody."

"Oh, right." Derrick started wiping down the bar, occasionally shooting glances around Max.

It was roughly a few minutes later that Madhouse finished their gig.

Max gulped down the rest of her beer and prepared herself for something she should've been prepared for weeks in advance. She nervously ran her hand through her hair, tapped her fingers against the bar, swayed a bit, distracted herself-

"Max Caulfield, as I live and breathe."

There it was.

Max cast a nervous side glance to the blue-haired punk that sat beside her, eyes boring into the side of her head.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing my best friend - sorry, ex-best friend - after 5 fucking years?" Chloe asked and gestured towards Derrick for a beer. "Seattle art-holes become boring?"

"Chloe-"

"Max, you fucking left me right after my dad died," Chloe spoke over her, a very heavy hint of anger in her voice. "Do you know how much that fucked me up? Do you know what you did to me?"

"Chloe, I didn't-"

"5-fucking-years, Caulfield. Not a call, a text, a letter - a fucking peep! - from you in that entire time. Why?" Chloe asked and finally took a breath. She gritted her teeth as she stared at Max. "Why, Max?"

"Chloe, I'm sorry-"

"I don't care if you're sorry. I was asking you a question." Chloe nodded towards Derrick as he handed over a beer. She promptly opened it and took a big gulp. "Well?"

"I was a chickenshit, okay?" Max gathered up the courage to say. "I thought you would've hated me after leaving. I heard what you said to me on the day - you told me to go and die. Chloe, that hurt-"

"Yeah, you know what else fucking hurt? Having my best friend abandon me when I needed her the most-"

"Chloe, you didn't make the effort to call or text me either!" Max exclaimed and finally turned to face her. "You didn't send letters, you didn't make any fucking effort to contact me! I… I was never like you, I was never brave nor confident. I was scared you wouldn't talk to me after… after I left," she finished with a mumble. "I was scared you'd hate me forever."

Chloe stared at her. Eventually she smirked and took a sip of her beer. "Right."

"It's fucking true-"

"I know Max, jeez, calm down." Chloe put her beer down and looked over Max's outfit. "I've seen you two weeks ago, you know."

"You did?" Max asked in surprise as she tried to remember.

"Maybe three. I saw a girl in a hoodie like yours, minus our logo." Chloe gestured at Max's outfit. "You were dancing with another cutie. What was her name? She your girlfriend?"

"I- what?" Max raised her eyebrows in genuine shock. "Girlfriend? What, no! That was Dana, she's my friend from Blackwell-"

"Friend. Riiight…" Chloe flashed a dangerous smirk and gave Max an obvious once-over yet again. "Blackwell? How long have you been in Arcadia, Max?"

Max dropped her head and mumbled out her answer, "Two months."

"Two-fucking-months," Chloe repeated, yet again the hint of anger in her voice. "Two-fucking-months and only now you decide to talk to me? Thanks, Max."

"Jesus, Chloe, were you not fucking listening-"

"Oh no, I listened." Chloe sipped from her beer again and slammed the bottle down. "Sorry, I just expected that my best friend - sorry again, ex-best friend - would have contacted me sooner. Would've been nice, y'know Caulfield?"

"Fuck this," Max threw up her hands and started to get up from the bar in anger.

Chloe's face immediately faltered as she saw Max leaving. "Hey, wait!" she shouted and shot out her hand, grasping at Max's forearm and keeping her still. "Listen… I'm sorry, okay? I might've acted like an asshole-"

"You did act like an asshole, Chloe." Max turned back towards her and crossed her arms over her chest. "Do you think this was easy for me? Do you think I didn't want to talk to you since the first time I saw you up there, on that stage?"

"When?" Chloe raised her eyebrows.

"Five, maybe six weeks ago. Dana took me here, I've been coming back weekly since. I… I wanted to talk to you but…"

Chloe went silent and dropped her eyes to the floor.

"The world doesn't just… revolve around you, okay? I had my own shit to deal with in Seattle." Max grunted and sat herself back down on the bar stool. "It wasn't just pretty flowers and rainbows over there for me. I didn't have any friends until like three years ago. I didn't know anyone when I moved there, okay? I was the freak of the entire school. Do you know what that feels like, Chloe? To be constantly singled out, made fun of?"

Clutching the neck of her beer bottle harder, Chloe nodded slightly. "I do."

Max stopped and took a breath. "Then you know that it wasn't easy for me either. I didn't want to move to fuck you over, Chloe. I was 13 years old - I couldn't stop my parents from moving us."

Chloe kept silent.

"I'm sorry for everything, Chloe," Max mumbled and looked away.

"Max, I'm-"

"Heeyy, baby-"

"Rach-"

Max felt her heart shrivel as she saw the blonde - Rachel - clamp her arms around Chloe's neck and press a kiss against her lips. She gulped and looked away quickly, her cheeks aflame with a blush.

Moments later she heard a giggle again and cast a sideways glance at the two, chest aching as she saw Chloe kissing back.

Uhm-

"I'm tired baby," Rachel murmured and placed her head against Chloe's. "Can we go home?"

Chloe looked at Max with an apologetic smile. "Sure we can."

Rachel smiled and completely ignored Max, keeping her face nuzzled against the side of Chloe's head.

"Just give me a sec," Chloe said and grabbed a napkin from the bar, finding a pen nearby.

Max watched as she scribbled something down and promptly pushed it towards her.

"Give me a call, Caulfield. Let's continue this soon, yeah?" Chloe smiled and stood up from her chair, draping an arm across Rachel's shoulder. "Let's go home babe."

"Mhm," Rachel hummed and swayed slightly as Chloe led her towards the exit.

Max watched as Rachel slipped her hand down Chloe's back and rested it dangerously close to her ass. She had the urge to get up and-

"You okay? That was pretty heated," Derrick spoke as he finally approached. "You know Chloe?"

Looking at him, she nodded quietly. "Yeah. Sorry, I gotta go-"

"Need me to give you a ride?" he asked. "Place is closing up soon, nobody is gonna order drinks anymore."

"No, I'm fine. Thanks anyway."

Max handed over some bills for her beers, grabbed Chloe's napkin, pulled up her hoodie and quickly left.