Alright, so this one is a little bit long. I had honestly originally planned to do the party last chapter, but that was running long, so I decided to split it into two chapters. Well as I was writing this one I realized it was going to run long too. I decided instead of splitting into three pieces I would just trim some of the fat, and just push on through. I obviously didn't trim away everything, maybe not even Most things that weren't plot relevant, but honestly since they were just little bits of fluff, they can always show up later if I really like them. This also pushes this story over 50k words.. so you know milestone? Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Max ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tearing through the duffel bag I keep all my clothes in, I'm disappointed, but not surprised, that I don't have anything that I could wear to a party. All of my meager, and highly mobile, wardrobe consists of jeans in various states of wear, and t-shirts. I also have one pair of leather pants that despite my frame, makes my ass look fantastic. Still that's more appropriate for clubbing in the city, or maybe a concert. I don't need to make an impression on the hicks here in Arcadia Bay, but I do want to make an impression on Chloe. This does of course mean that I'll have to take a course of action I've been avoiding. Shopping. Not that I hated shopping exactly, but, well money was a little tight. I blew through most of what I had just on the trip here, and of course on my "supplies". I've still got a lot of booze, maybe I could unload some of that for a little cash infusion. I'm in the high school parking lot, everyday, I bet a bunch of those kids would love something to party with. The town has a local dealer though, and I'd need to be careful not to horn in on his turf too much. If junkyard dude's Frank is Frank Bowers, then he's out of town, and I'm in the clear. If not... Fuck, I don't know. Maybe I should try calling Kristen, and Fernando, if the number even still works, they always had the hook-up so maybe they know someone near-by that could take some of my "supplies" off my hands. It's not the worst idea, but it does hinge on the number I have memorized still being valid. It couldn't hut to try it out at least, and if it doesn't work, well I can risk selling what I've got here, or putting some of my other skills to use. I'd rather avoid that last one, I know it would disappoint Chloe if I resorted to stealing. Course set, I check the time to make sure I have ample opportunity to make the call, and finish before Chloe gets out of school.

The phone makes ringing noises to let me know the call is trying to go through. It's not really necessary to the function of the phone, but it's one of those things meant to make the experience more pleasant for the user, or some shit. A familiar girl's voice pulls me out of my musings, and puts a grin on my face. "Hello?" She sounds cautious, or confused, maybe a bit of both. She couldn't recognize the number, so I'm probably lucky she even answered at all. "Yo Kay it's Max, what up?" She gasps audibly on the other end. "Holy shit Max! I haven't heard from you, since you ditched the Munsen house. Hold on, I'm putting you on speaker. Fernando's here too." A soft male voice comes through the speaker. "Hey Max, long time..." I shift in my seat, getting more comfortable. "Yo Fernando, and yeah, it's been a bit huh?" Kristen pipes back in. "So what happened? Mr. Munsen turn out to be a creep? And where'd you end up? I figured you must have found a good place to hole up when they didn't drag you back in kicking and screaming... again." We all share a laugh for a moment. "Uh.. yeah well, I had to get out when Mr. Munsen decided to straighten me out with his fists." There's some rustling on their end, and then Fernando's voice comes out louder than it had been before. "What'd he supposedly catch you doing, that warranted that kind of reaction?" I laugh despite the bitterness in his voice. He gave me the perfect set up, and has no idea. "He caught me doing his daughter." Kristen groans good naturedly, and Fernando laughs. "Anyhow... I did manage to evade capture till I hit eighteen, and then I headed for my home town. I'm there right now actually." I can hear someone exhale heavily, pause, and then Kristen speaks up. "Shit Max, you're not there like stalking that girl you were obsessed with when they brought you in are you?" I scowl at, well no one because I didn't face time them, and they can't see me. "I'm not stalking anyone fuck you very much... but I am living with her, and her mom." There's another pregnant pause, and then Fernando speaks. "Look Max, we're sure you know what you're doing, but... are you sure about this? You were pretty hung up on that girl for a long time. It's understandable, what with your...circumstance and all, but a memory isn't a good thing to base your life around." I take a deep cleansing breath, push down the annoyance, and speak mostly calmly. I can be a grown up sometimes. "Alright... first, there's nothing you two can say that I haven't thought of already, okay? I've been over this in my head a thousand and five times. Second of all, I know we're different now. We are, I noticed, and you know what we still fit together perfectly. Third, she's totally into it too. We're going out on the weekend, which is part of why I called you. Lastly, fuck off. I know you're worried and shit, that you care, but seriously I got this. I know it hasn't been that long since I came back, but, I just know this is right." There's some shuffling noises and Kristen speaks up again. "Sure thing Max. We Are worried, but you're right you got this, it's your deal to handle. Just you know be careful." There's a momentary pause, as if she's waiting for someone to add something, and when no one does she continues. "So how is it we can help with you going out this weekend?" Good we're getting back on track. I know they mean well, they are my friends after all, but still, is it too much to ask they just be happy for me? "Right, so I'm kinda short on cash, and I need to buy something nice to wear. All I've got is my usual junk, good for most occasions, but I want to make an impression. I'm also kinda low on weed, so I was just wondering if you knew anyone who would like to buy a shit ton of booze. It's mostly beer, and cheap bourbon, but it's good enough to party with. I know you guys had the hook up for everyone at the group home, so I thought maybe you'd still know what was up." There's some more shuffling on the other end of the line, and Fernando speaks up, " Max... you know dealers don't usually handle booze right?" I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Dude, I know, but I don't have much to work with here. I don't want to resort to something that would make Chloe disappointed in me." He laughs. "You must be pretty fucking serious about her then. Fine, alright, how about we buy it from you. We know a guy whose got a dealer out there. He'll give you the money, maybe a little weed, and you can just give it to him. We'll worry about getting it later." Their willingness to help out brings a smile to my face. I mean I know they'll probably still make a profit on this deal somehow, but they still don't have to do it. "Awesome! That sounds good, just let me know what when and where." Kristen's voice comes through the speaker. "Hey Max, Fernando's making the call right now to see what we can arrange. Why don't you give an inventory of what you got while we wait." I crawl into the back seat, and begin to list off everything I have for them. Fernando comes back from his call by the time I finish. "So Max, I've got some good news, seems like our guy was supposed to be out of town for the whole week to get some new supplies, but a big offer came in, and he's heading back early. His name is Frank Bowers, and he'll meet you at the beach tonight to make the exchange. He can be kinda twitchy so... just be cool, and don't be late." Fuck, junkyard Frank has got to be Frank Bowers for sure now. Maybe I'll be able to use that later. "Yeah, well I'm Always cool." there are laughs all around. "But seriously, thanks guys, you're still fucking awesome. I'll try and keep in touch more. I know I've been kind of an asshole, but you know... I've been busy and shit." They both laugh. "Yeah sure, take it easy Max, and definitely don't be a stranger." I hang up and shove my phone into my jacket pocket. Well this is a new piece of information, but I don't know for sure if I can use it for anything. I doubt he'd take kindly to an interrogation. I begin packing up my contraband to make it easier to transfer it into Frank's custody, and to kill time while I wait for Chloe.

"But Max... why can't I come too? Why do you have to go Now? This sounds really sketchy." Chloe's wide eyes, and worried expression make it so much harder for me to say no, but I have to. Firstly Frank is apparently twitchy, and second, well it'd ruin the surprise. Probably. I sigh softly. "Chloe it's not that sketchy, I mean it's me, so it's a little sketchy..." I offer her a self-deprecating grin, but she's not having any of it. "But, I mean I just have to go meet a friend of a friend, and give them something." She crosses her arms at me, frowning. "Give them what? What's so important that you're willing to rush off after dark to make sure it gets to your friend's "friend"." She actually makes air quotes on that second friend. I'm starting to get annoyed, I mean I know she's worried about me, but this is getting to be a bit much. Her lack of trust is, hurtful. Maybe though, that's my fault, at least partially. Maybe I should be doing more to be trustworthy? "Chloe please, can you just trust me for now? I promise you, you'll find out what this is all about soon, just not right now. Okay?" Chloe deflates, pulling into herself. She looks down and away, and I feel terrible. "Max, I'm just worried. This sounds really sketchy, and I just... I just got you back, I don't want anything to happen to you." I step forward, and wrap my arms around her tightly. "Chloe, I... know I'm not exactly Moral Max anymore, but... you're important to me." I reach up laying my hand on her cheek gently. "I'm not going to go and do something that might separate us again, unless it's important. I promise you, I'm not doing anything really bad, and... that I'll tell you all about it this weekend." I tilt my head a bit looking up into her eyes. "Are we okay?" She nods once, and I get up on my tiptoes to kiss away her remaining doubts. When I pull away it's reluctant, stepping back, and staring at Chloe's half dazed look, and somewhat swollen lips. "I'll be back real soon okay? I'll have one more errand to run tomorrow, but it'll be at a more reasonable time, so maybe less sketchy?" I give Chloe a hopeful smile, and half shrug. She sighs in response, and shrugs back in answer. "I'll be back soon, I promise, and then this weekend, no secrets. I promise." Turning to head out, her hand grabs mine, and I turn back to look at her. She pulls me close, and leans in kissing me hard. It's my turn to look dazed after it ends. She gently pushes me away with a stern look. "I'll hold you to that Caulfield. This weekend, I want answers." I nod dumbly, and turn heading out of her room, and down the stairs. I sit in my jeep for a few minutes just trying to collect myself, and checking the mirror I make sure I don't look too disheveled. I take a moment to finger brush my hair into place. I'm going to be late if I don't start off now. I start up the jeep, and head off down the road, casting one quick glance back towards the Price home. I can't help but think of what I have waiting for my return. Maybe I should just tell her what's going on. Say fuck it to keeping it a surprise. I just really want to look good for our first official date. I'm still debating when I finally pull into the parking lot at the beach front.

There's a shitty looking RV sitting in the parking lot waiting for me. I recognize it from the photos of Rachel in that file we were given. The duct tape on my window catches my eye, and I glare at it. The file may be helpful, but that fucker cut open my window to deliver it. If Kay, and Fernando hadn't set this up, the RV would totally be setting off my bad shit alarms. Still you can't always judge a book by it's cover or some shit, so I'd probably still approach, but I'd probably have my knife handy also. The windows are all covered from the inside with cardboard, that's weird, but whatever. If this dude wants to look like he's up to no good, then more power to him. I knock on the door, and step back. A dog begins barking inside, followed by shouting, Frank presumably. The door opens and the man himself thrusts his head out. He looks me up and down suspiciously. "Who the fuck are you supposed to be? Punky Smurf?" I perk a brow at him, and shrug. "I'm Max fucking Caulfield, and I'm here for the secret Santa exchange." He huffs out something that might have been a laugh. "Alright kid, where's my packages then?" I jerk my head back towards the jeep. "Where's my package?" He jerks his head back towards the RV. We both stare try and stare the other down for a few minutes. He huffs out another, maybe laugh. "I'll give you one thing girlie, you got balls." he throws his hands up. "Fine, fine... I'll go get your package." I smirk at my victory, and turn to start unloading my end of the bargain from my car.

I know it can't possibly take him as long as it does for him to return. I've unloaded everything, and have it sitting by his door before he comes back. He hands me an envelop, and a baggy, and I slip them both into my jacket, as he bends down to examine the merchandise. "Who the fuck did you blow to get someone to make this deal?" I wrinkle my nose at his choice of phrasing, and shrug. "You know Kristen and Fernando?" He shakes his head, and I shrug again. "Well we go way back. Those two could sell fucking sand in the desert, so... I figure they stand to make a major profit on this. Plus now they can hold this one over me if they ever need a favor." He looks me up and down again with s sneer. "And what would they get from you?" I throw my arms, out, and laugh. "Well I'm Obviously the muscle in this operation. Plus they get my sparkling personality for free." He huffs, another laugh. "You're alright kid. So is this it? We done here?" I'm about to say yes, and just get the fuck out, but... This guy knows things, even if he doesn't know he knows them. Something like that. "Look Frank, you seem pretty cool, so I'll just throw this out there. There's some shit going down here in the Bay. I over heard some dude talking right? He was talking to someone else, and this other person, it sounded like he wanted him to snatch some girl. He said he needed to get some stuff from Frank... You right?" His eyes narrow, and he takes on a more aggressive stance. "I'm not giving you shit about my customers. Ain't good for business, and I definitely ain't gonna give you that info, just because you heard some asshole talking shit. You really worried about this chick? Call the fucking police. We're done here." he turns and starts to step into his RV. I rewind, and start over. "Look Frank, you seem pretty cool, so I'll just throw this out there. There's some shit going down here in the Bay. I over heard some dude talking right? He was talking to someone else, and this other person, it sounded like he wanted him to snatch some girl. He said he needed to get some stuff from Frank... and also mentioned something about not wanting to fuck up like he did before with that Rachel Amber girl." That gets a reaction out of him. His eyes go wide, then harden, and he grabs me by the shoulders. "The fuck you talking about? What the fuck did that Prescott bitch do to Rach?" Fucker's got quite a grip, plus I don't need him to go running off half cocked, so I rewind again. "...We done here?" I nod affirmatively. "Yeah this is it. Thanks Frank. Oh hey, since Kay and Fernando vouch for you, I'll just throw this out there. Some shit's going down here in the Bay, you might want to be careful who you sell to for a while." I shrug, and turn away. "Or not, I'm not your fucking mom. Anyhow, I got a hot girl waiting in bed for me, so you take it easy." I throw a two finger wave over my shoulder, get into the jeep, and drive away home. Back to Chloe.

Chloe stops mid-stride, as the door to her room swings open. She hurries towards me, and pulls me into a tight, but not unwelcome hug. My arms slip around her in return, and I squeeze back. "See... I'm back safe and sound." I get up on my tiptoes, and press a kiss to her lips. Just something soft, and sweet, and full of everything I have, everything I am. She kisses me back, holding my tightly. She's the first one to pull away though. She sighs a somewhat relieved sounding sigh, and looks me over carefully. I laugh softly. "I'm fine Chloe really..." She purses her lips, and shakes her head. "I know you told me it was nothing bad, but then I started to worry it was something dangerous, and that's why you didn't want me to come along." I open my mouth to speak, and then close it. Shit it was kinda dangerous. I trust Kay, and Fernando, but they don't know Frank personally. On top of that I tried to pump him for a bit of information. I give Chloe a light squeeze, and begin steering us into her room proper, kicking the door shut behind us. "Shit... I'm sorry Chloe. It was actually kinda dangerous, but I didn't mean for it to be. I wasn't thinking." I shake my head. "I mean, some friends vouched for him, sort of, but... they don't know him personally." Chloe frowns at me, and backs away a little. "Who are you talking about?" I purses my lips, and try to step back into the space, she steps back as well, and I sigh. "Frank Bowers, I had to go see Frank Bowers... I called up some friends, and they agreed to buy up all my booze so I could get some cash to buy something nice to wear for you this weekend." Chloe exhales softly, and steps back into the space between us. "Max... You know you don't have to do that for me right? I'm going to be happy you're there with me no matter what you're wearing." I turn my head laying it against her chest, and shrug. "I know, but I wanted to look nice, all I have right now are some ratty t-shirts and jeans. I wanted to make the night special, for you...for us. I mean, it's for me too. It's our first official date, or something like that... and I want it to be special." She presses some kisses on to the top of my head. "You're a dork... but a very sweet one." I pull back a little, and look up at her, our eyes meet. "Yeah well, don't tell anyone. I have a reputation to uphold." She laughs softly, and I get up on my toes to kiss her. I love it when she laughs. Fuck I'm getting distracted. I want to be distracted like this though, all the time. There are still important things to discuss.

Chloe makes a disappointed noise as I pull back. I'm still tempted to forget about it all, and kiss Chloe a little longer, but something bad could happen to Kate soon, and well that's bad enough on it's own, never mind that she's a friend of Chloe's. I shake my head to try and clear it. "Sorry Chloe, I'm getting distracted... there's more I need to tell you." Chloe takes a deep breath and nods. "Alright... I'm ready, what's up?" Looking up at her serious face, I can't help myself. I lean up to press a quick kiss to her lips before I start. "Okay, so through Kay, and Fernando, I found out that Frank had been out of town for a pick up, and was heading back early. I was pretty sure that meant, he must have been junkyard dude's Frank. That means he'll already have, or will have soon, whatever he was going to get from Frank." Chloe's face fills with apprehension. "Kate..." she says softly. I nod. "Yeah... I also asked Frank some questions, and rewound. I'm pretty sure junkyard dude is Nathan." Apprehension is slowly replaced by confusion, and then incredulity. "No... that doesn't make any sense. The way you described it, it sounded like junkyard dude wasn't a completely willing participant. Why would Nathan be threatening me like that, if he's involved? I mean is it just all unrelated then? Did he just freak out and say something he shouldn't have? Mentioning Rachel... I mean does he think he's untouchable?" I frown, chewing on my lip as I consider Chloe's questions. "Well... he is a rich entitled prick, so maybe?" I pause a moment still considering. "Okay well... and this might sound stupid, but what if he wasn't threatening you?" I raise my index finger to forestall any interruptions. "I mean, if you think about it from a different angle, that could have been a warning. A fucking aggressive ass warning, but still a warning, and maybe even a clue. He did specifically mention Rachel Amber. Junkyard dude said something about dreams, what if he knows things, what if he has powers too, and he's trying to get us to help?" Chloe frowns mildly, not looking convinced. "That's a lot of what ifs Max. I mean maybe? But I don't know..." I frown, nodding. She's not wrong, we need more information. "Chloe, I... hate to suggest this, but... Kate told you Nathan has a dorm room at Blackwell right?" She nods, her confusion causing her brows to form a cute little crease between them. "What if we postpone our date just a little... You go meet Kate and keep an eye on her at the party, and I'll go break into Nathan's room, see if I can find anything. I'll meet up with you when I'm done, and we'll have the rest of the night together. Is... is that okay?" Looking down, I bite my lip my shoulders hunching just a bit. I'd really rather be able to forget all this, and just spend time with Chloe, but... this is big. Mostly I just don't want to fuck this up. Gotta get that good plus ending. Her fingers gently guide my chin upwards, a feather light touch to bring our eyes back together. She smiles at me, and leans in to bring our lips together. It's a brief touch, but conveys every bit of reassurance I need. "That's a really good idea Max. We'll still have plenty of time to spend together, and we'll be helping Kate, maybe even that Rachel girl. Plus if we figure this all out, maybe I won't have to worry about Nathan anymore, and you won't have to wait in the parking lot all day. That's got to be boring as fuck." I laugh softly. "It is, but totally worth it. I get to be there to have lunch with you, and to take you home." Chloe laughs fondly, and pulls me tightly against her. "When did you turn into such a mushy dork?" I can't help but laugh with her. "I know... It's terrible. What have you done to me Price? Next thing you know I'll be giving up my jacket, and boots for some generic hipster gear." Chloe grins down at me, and squeezes me tighter. "Well... it'll be hard, but I'll still love you if you do." Lip firmly between my teeth I stare up at her. The grin slowly melts away as she realizes what she just said. "Uh... I didn't mean. I was just saying, not like I... It's way too soon...right?" I shrug, and get up on my tiptoes to give her a reassuring kiss. "I don't know. Chloe I've had feelings for you since we were kids, so... for me? Not so much really. If it's too soon for you, that's okay. I'm not going to freak out because you love me, or don't yet. It's fine, we're in different places, but we're both moving at the same pace, your pace. Right? I am willing to go so slow glaciers look like drag racers if that's where you're comfortable. You're worth it, to me." I press another kiss to her lips, then lay my head against her shoulder. "Don't stress it, just let it happen whenever it feels natural." She nods, not looking completely sure, but agreeable. "Let's get you to bed..." I say steering her back towards her bed. "You have classes tomorrow still." Again she nods, and we get ready for bed.

My eyes snap open sometime during the night. The room is still dark, and I can feel Chloe beside me. I thought I heard my name, but it's silent now. Something woke me, I'm just not sure what. I strain my ears, but all I hear is Chloe's breathing. It's not the deep even breathing of sleep though. Is she still awake? She rolls over towards me, and I do my best to school my breathing, to make it seem like I'm still sleeping. I'm not sure why, but it feels like the right thing to do right now. She let's out a soft sigh, and begins to whisper at me. "I wish I could just say this to your face... I'm such a coward. I think I really do love you Max. It just scares me so much... Never leave me again." She rolls onto her back with another sigh, and I roll onto my side, and snuggle into her. I'm afraid I might have given myself away, but she doesn't seem to suspect. I just hold onto her until she falls asleep again, then I do the same.

"Come on Max, let me come with you, I want to see what you're going to wear!" Chloe gives me the puppy eyes as we sit in her driveway, waiting for her to get out of the jeep. I shake my head firmly. "Nope. It's gonna be a surprise." The puppy eyes turn into a pout, and I can't help but laugh. Leaning in, I press my lips to hers, kissing her till she can't maintain her pouting anymore. She pulls back, and sticks her tongue out at me. "Cheater.." I just laugh, and she heaves a heavy, over exaggerated sigh. "Ugh... Fiiiine...I'll just wait till the stupid party to see your stupid outfit." She steals another kiss, and hops out of the car. She thrusts her head back in before she closes the door. "I expect to be impressed though!" It's my turn to stick out my tongue at her. "I'll be wearing it, so of course it'll be impressive." She laughs as she closes the door, and walks away. I do so love to hear her laughing. As long as she's laughing I know I haven't fucked up too badly yet. She looks back at me, as she reaches the door, and waves. A smile breaks over my face, and I wave back enthusiastically. She's right, I am a dork. I put the jeep in reverse and pull out of the drive way. It's time to go shopping.

There are not a lot of options in Arcadia Bay, it's a small town after all. There are strip malls pretty much everywhere though, you just have to know where to look. It doesn't take long to find somewhere to shop. Nothing in my usual style, but that's not exactly what I'm looking for right now. The girl behind the counter looks bored as fuck, at least until she sees me, at which point she looks like she's waiting for an excuse to call the police. A different time, a different place I might have tried something just to fuck with her, but not today. I have more important things on my mind than messing with stuck up bitches. Well, maybe just a little fun is okay. I walk through the racks slowly, making sure to touch just about everything. I move things around just a little bit, not enough to seem deliberate, but enough to give her some work to do later. I do keep an eye out too, I am here for a reason after all. Not much really stands out as I look around. It's hard to choose something outside my usual style choices. I'm not sure what Chloe would like to see me in. Maybe I should have let her come along instead of insisting on surprising her. It'd suck if she hated what I picked after it was too late. Come on Max, you can do this, she'll be into you no matter what you wear, so don't even go there. Just pick something that looks good, and try it on. If you feel good about it, so will she. I grab several things, and head back to try them on. I give the girl behind the counter who is watching me uncomfortably closely a big grin as I do. She's probably going to think I'm up to something now, but I was born with a severe deficiency of fucks, so I give very few. I make a few trips back and forth, making sure the counter girl can see me put everything back, before I head back to the changing rooms again. Finally I pick out a nice long sleeve tunic dress, with a scoop neck that looks pretty fantastic on me. In black of course. I think I'm going to need some leggings to go along with this dress though. Crushed velvet, lace up leggings to be exact. While she's not going to see the laces, at least not with the dress, I really like the way they look. The leggings look really nice in general, and I could probably work them into my regular wardrobe pretty easily. Hopefully Chloe will like the outfit I've put together as well. I swagger up to the counter with my choices, and place them down in front of the girl there. She's still looking at me like I'm trying to pull something, as she rings me up. I consider being a bitch about it, but decide to take the high road, I just pay, and get the fuck out.

Chloe dances around me excitedly, kind of like a puppy dog. "Maaaax... what'd you get? What'd you get?" she laugh brightly, and I can't help but join in. "Nope. It's still a surprise till our date." She stops to pout at me, and have to fight to keep my resolve. "What if... you show me, and then rewind?" I laugh, reaching out to pull her against me. "How do you know I didn't do that already?" I get up on my tiptoes to kiss her before she can answer. I will never ever get tired of being able to do this. She pulls away, and settles herself on the desk chair backwards. The absence of her warmth against me, leaves me feeling a little lonely. Her arms drape over the back of the chair as she looks up at me. "So what's the plan for tomorrow?" I step forward, and begin running my fingers through her hair gently. She closes her eyes, and smiles, enjoying the contact. "Well, probably just the usual. I take you to school, wait for you to get out. We come here, have some dinner, get changed, and head to the school? We split up in the parking lot, you go meet Kate, and give her some excuse why I'm not there yet while I sneak off to Nathan's room. Presumably, he'll be at the party, since he's part of the club thingy hosting... and if not, I rewind no harm done." Chloe slowly opens her eyes, looking up at me. "Hmm... okay, but what do I tell Kate you're doing that let you drop me off, but still let you come by as soon as you're done snooping?" My hands still for long enough for Chloe to start to look perturbed. "Fuck... I don't know. Tell her I got my period, and had to go back home to clean up, and grab some extra supplies." She shrugs noncommittally. "Yeah that'll probably cover it. So does that mean you'll change into your new outfit before we head to the party? Am I going to get to see it then?" She grins up at me, and I laugh. I lean down rubbing my nose against her. "Yes, that's exactly what that means. You have a one track mind." She captures my lips with hers in a swift kiss. "Yep, but you love it." I laugh softly, entangling my fingers in her hair. "You're right, I do." Our lips crash together, our tongues dance, and we melt into each other like we were always meant to be one. At some point we end up in her bed, I'm not sure when, or how we moved, all I know is we somehow made it without breaking contact. I pull back a little, rolling us so I'm hovering over her. I toy gently with the hem of her shirt, looking down into her eyes. "Is this.. okay?" I slip my fingers under her shirt, caressing her stomach lightly. Before she can answer there's a knock at the door, causing us both to jump. "Girls! Come on downstairs, supper is ready!" Joyce calls through the door. We both look at each other for a moment, and begin laughing hysterically. We manage to pull ourselves together eventually, and we head downstairs to join Joyce for a nice quiet evening. Just like when we were little. It's really nice being back here like this. Not just because of Chloe, though she is a large part of that, but because of the sense of family I didn't realize I missed till I got it back. I'm content to spend my nights like this from now on, or at least will be once we figure out just what the fuck is happening in Arcadia Bay.

Chloe is practically vibrating with excitement as we pull up in front of the price house. She leans over and gives me a quick peck on the cheek before hopping out of the jeep, and heading up to the door. I laugh watching her go, before I make my own exit. She turns to me as soon as we're both through the door. "Alright! It's date night, so go chance, I want to see what you've been keeping under wraps all this time!" I laugh softly, shaking my head. "It's only been like a day Chloe..." She sticks her tongue out at me, and shrugs. "I still want to see what you've been hiding. I want to see just how Max Caulfield looks all cleaned up, and polished." I squint my eyes at her playfully. "You callin' me dirty Price? I'm the fucking height of cleanliness and poise." She rolls her eyes just as playfully. "Yeah, and you're sooo classy too." I laugh, nodding. "Damn right, I'm the fucking queen of class." She takes both my hands in hers, and pulls me close. "Please... I really want to see." She leans in to give me a quick kiss on the nose. Wrinkling my nose, and laughing softly, I give in. "Yeah, sure... fine. You're lucky your so adorable." I raise a finger at her. "But you have to change too. I want to see what you're going to wear too." She nods once, grinning at me. "Deal!" She practically pulls me up the stairs, and into her room. She goes directly for my shopping bags, and shoves them into my hands. "Go, go get changed, and I will too." Drawing things out a bit, I shrug. " I really should get a shower first, since we're going out..." Chloe groans, frowning at me. "You're just stalling now." I can't help myself, and start laughing. "Maybe... but you know, if you wanted to see it that much sooner you could always join me." I give her a wink, and watch her cheeks turn bright red. There's a spark in her eyes for a moment, maybe a little bit of the old Chloe, and I think for a moment, she might actually challenge me on this one. Instead she turns away. "Sh-shut up... That's a little too hardcore for me, right now." I laugh softly, stepping up to wrap my arms around her from behind. "You're adorable. But yeah... we're going at your pace, no pressure to do anything till you're ready for it." With some reluctance I step back, and head for the door. "I'll be back soon, then you can take a shower too if you want." She turns back towards me. "What about seeing my outfit?" I shrug one shoulder. "I don't mind waiting a little longer if you want to get into the shower first."She smiles at me, and nods. I take this as my cue to go, and I head out of the room, and off into the bathroom.

I stand in front of the mirror my hair, and body wrapped up in a towel, just staring at myself. My eyes follow the hard lines I've made of myself. The muscle I've built to defend myself, and the scars of battles I never should have had to fight. How could Chloe ever be attracted to any of this? I've got no figure, and muscle where I should be soft. I've got scars where I'm still soft, and freckles everywhere. My face frowns back at me from the other side of the mirror, and I shake my head. I need to snap out of it, there's no room, no time for self-doubt. With a deep breath, I unwrap the towel, and begin to dress myself. Leaning in close to the mirror, I make sure my hair perfectly in place, and briefly consider applying a little make-up. It's not something I do often, but it's not like I've forgotten how. I finally decide to go ahead and do it. This is a special occasion after all. I fuss with my hair a little more, smoothing out every little stray hair, real or imagined. I'm extremely nervous, and I don't even know why. If I look terrible it's not like Chloe's going to change her mind... is it? I have to face Chloe sometime though. With a deep breath, I yank the door open, and march over to Chloe's door. "If I look stupid don't laugh.. okay?" I don't wait for an acknowledgment before I yank her door open too, and step inside. Chloe looks startled, from her place on the bed. She stares at me silently, and I can feel my cheeks turning red as she does. My hand creeps up to grasp my elbow as the silence drags on. It's an old habit, but something I haven't done in years. "Max..." Chloe's soft breathy voice brings back to reality. "...You look beautiful Max." She bites her lip, and I find something on the floor to concentrate on. I give her a nervous little twirl. "You uh... you really think so?" Footsteps approach, and gentle fingers lift my chin till I'm looking up into Chloe's beautiful blue eyes. "Yeah Max... You're gorgeous." I place both my hands on her cheeks, and pull her down to kiss her. It's deep, and needy, and full of all my gratitude for just, being her, for just being alive. When we part she looks a little dazed, and laughs softly. "I'm going to look so shabby next to you tonight..." I smirk up at her, and shrug. "I don't believe that's even possible... but if you want I can go change into one of my ratty t-shirts and a pair of ripped up jeans." She shakes her head. "No, no... you need to go dressed like that. Everyone will be so jealous of me. They'll wonder how I got such an amazing piece of arm candy." I laugh, slipping my arms around her waist, and squeezing gently. "Well, I guess I don't mind being arm candy... you know, as long as it's your arm." She gives me a mock glare. "It had better be my arm. I saw the way you were eyeing Kate that one day..." I stick my tongue out. "Yeah well... I mean she Is pretty precious, but... she's not you. I'm pretty sure my heart has always had "Property of Chloe Elizabeth Price" printed on it." Her cheeks flush a little, and she laughs. "You're getting all mushy again..." she leans in and gives me a quick peck on the lips. "It's okay though... because it's you, I can get used to it." She laughs, and I push her away playfully. "Go, go on... get your shower you ass." This just makes her laugh even harder, and I join in, as she heads out to get her own shower. When she comes back, she's dressed in a blue V-neck lace back blouse, and a pair of black skinny pants. She looks amazing. "Chloe... No one could possibly think you look shabby dressed like that." Crossing the distance between us I take her and, entwining our fingers together. "Come on, let's get our shoes on, and head to the Two Whales for dinner. Then... it's Par-tay time." She laughs softly, and nods. "That sounds lovely. Let's do it."

- Chloe -

Max drops me off in front of Blackwell, and drives off. She's going to park on the street somewhere and walk back to break into the dorms. I take a deep breath, and head for the Main entrance, where Kate, and her friends should be waiting. I spot Alyssa first, she kind of stands out, and then Kate, and Stella come into view next to her. I lift my arm to wave, and Kate waves enthusiastically back at me. She smiles brightly, as I walk up. Stella and Alyssa smile politely, which is more than I'd generally expect honestly. "Hey Chloe." Kate pipes up softly. "I'm glad you made it... but um..." she peers around me, her brows furrowed curiously. "Where's your... Max?" I clear my throat softly. "Oh, well she kinda had a visit from her aunt flow on the way over... She's gone home to clean up and get a few more emergency supplies just in case. She'll be here, just a little late. She said we should go on in and have fun, she'll find us later." Kate nods understandingly, and turns to the others. "Well we're short one for now, but if you haven't met, this is Chloe." She turns back towards me, and gestures to Stella, and Alyssa. "Chloe this is Stella, and Alyssa." I nod to the both of them, we do all know each other, even if we don't really interact normally. We all turn as a group and start to head around the main building, towards the gymnasium. I lag a little bit, brows furrowing a bit. Kate slows as well, looking up at my curiously. "You know... I just realized... the Vortex club is not officially connected to the school right?" Kate nods, and I continue. "Okay... so why are the vortex club Parties held at the school?" Stella decides to join the conversation at this point. "I heard, that since Nathan started going here, his dad has been giving A lot of money to the school. So... since Nathan's part of the Vortex club, the club gets special privileges." I frown, shaking my head. "Talk about about playing favorites... That sounds pretty shady. I just wonder what other privileges those "donations" are buying?" Stella shrugs. "I don't know, and I don't really care. I'm just here to work. I don't have nearly enough money, even with my scholarship, and my job." Kate did say something about Stella working at the party didn't she? "Who hired you?" The sound of heavy bass is becoming louder as we walk, though not enough to muffle conversation yet. "Mr. Jefferson got me the job." Stella's reply has my brow perking up curiously. "The... photography guy? What's he have to do with the Vortex club?" Stella just shrugs, and that seems to be the end of that. We continue to the gym in silence.

Stella breaks off as we enter the gym. She heads over to a few racks holding coats, and relieves the girl on duty there, while the rest of us continue forward into the gym proper. The room is packed with students, writhing rhythmically to the music played by the DJ on the stage set up in the back. They have drink stations set up in either corner of the room directly opposite each other. An area in the back near the stage has been sectioned off with dividers. There's a table set up in front of it with one of the Vortex drones sitting behind it, acting as gatekeeper probably. The light show they have set up is crazy, and combined with the loud music, a little disorienting. I look over at Kate, to find she looks less apprehensive than I'd have thought. She actually looks a little excited. I'm not feeling quite so confident, looking at all these bodies packed in here. I wish Max was here right now. I feel a small hand take mine, and squeeze. I look over at Kate, and she smiles up at me encouragingly. "Sorry... I'm not used to being around so many people." She squeezes my hand again, still smiling. "It's okay, I'm not really either. The biggest crowd I'm used to being around is my congregation at church. It's got to be only about half this size, probably smaller." She shrugs, still smiling encouragingly. "Do you want to go out and dance for a bit?" Alyssa seizes the moment to jump in. "Yes! I know we came here to support Stella, but we can still try to have some fun." I smile nervously, and nod. "Yeah, I can't really argue with that logic. Let's go and shake our a-booties." My eyes slip over towards Kate, finding her giggling at my attempts to keep my language clean. I stick my tongue out at her, which causes her to laugh even harder. Alyssa is the first to start moving, and then Kate and I follow, heading out into the mass of writhing bodies. We cluster up in our own little bit of the dance floor, and begin moving, somewhat awkwardly to the music. I feel really silly at first, but as we continue my sense of self-consciousness begins to fade. Movements slowly become more natural, and less stiff, as we all loosen up and have fun. A little nagging worry remains at the back of my head, and probably will until Max shows up and let's me know she got in and out without any trouble. As she's constantly reminding me, she... we have powers, and I know she can handle herself, I just can't help but feel a little anxious. There's still so much we don't know, it certainly doesn't help calm my fears, even if Max hasn't been explicitly threatened yet. A short break in the music pulls me from my thoughts, and leaves me with enough awareness to realize I'm hot, and a little thirsty. Looking around slowly I spot the nearest drink station. "I'm going to go get a drink, do either of you ladies want anything while I'm up there?" Kate, and Alyssa both perk up. "I could go for a pop, Thanks Chloe." Alyssa looks over to Kate, who nods her agreement. "Yes, that would be lovely thank you." I give them a smile, and turn to push my way through the crowd to the drink station.

Turning away from the station to watch the crowd, while the guy playing bartender gets our drinks, I spot Nathan working his way through the crowd. Hopefully he's not coming over to the drink station. I really don't want another confrontation, especially with Max still indisposed. Still seeing him here does at least tell me he's not in his room, and Max is probably in the clear. The bartender sets our drink on the table in front of me, and I scan the crowd again, trying to spot Nathan. He is definitely coming this way. There's no time to slip off without notice, so I turn away, hoping he'll be too focused on getting his drink to recognize me from the back. He comes up to the station, and begins hassling the bartender about the specifics of his drink. I'm really too busy panicking to pay attention to the specifics. I'm just waiting for for him to get his drink, and go. I can see the bartender place whatever it was he made for Nathan on the table out of the corner of my eye. I take a deep breath, and wait, trying to give him plenty of time to head back into the crowd before turning around. He's still there, and he's looking right at me. Fuck. I consider just making a break for it, as his expression sours. He takes a deep breath, and I brace for a another angry tirade or worse, but instead he just let's out the his breath in a sigh. "Relax Price, I'm not going to give you any shit tonight..." he suddenly looks so much older, and tired. "I know first hand what your girlfriend can do... but she didn't do anything to Victoria. I guess I owe you one, or some shit like that." His face screws up like he just tasted something terrible. Feeling suddenly emboldened by his willingness to back down, at least this one time, I decide to push a little. "What happened to Rachel Amber?" I ask like I expect he's going to answer honestly. His eyes narrow, and he looks around at the people surrounding us. "How the fuck should I know? She's probably still here, right under our noses." He looks around again, then between me and my cluster of drinks. He sneers. "You should consider dumping that shit, and getting grown up drinks for you and your little nerd squad." With those parting words he turns, and pushes his way through the crowd. I stare after him for a few moments before I collect our drinks, and begin pushing my own way through the crowd to reach Kate, and Alyssa.

I pass around the drinks, and we take a moment to slake our thirst, before we resume our dancing. The room is warm, and getting warmer, but it's fun. So much fun. Kate is nice, and Alyssa is nice, and they both dance really good. Soooo good. Kate giggles a lot, and Alyssa too, and me too. The room is blurry, and weird, was it always like this? I'm a little dizzy. It's getting hard to concentrate. Bathroom! "Bathroom!" I shout out loud, and begin to stumble away. Walking is hard. Was it always this hard? People are everywhere here. It's so hard to get through. That girl is really pretty. I spin trying to find her in the crowd again. What was I doing? I grab a hold of the nearest student, and shake them lightly. "What was I doing?" They push me away roughly. "Get offa me freak!" I bump into the wall, it's nice and cool. Oh look the bathroom, I should go in there and splash some water on my face. I stumble into the bathroom, and lean in the sink. Oh fuck, there's a girl on the other side of this window! She looks super messed up. I turn on the sink, and splash some water on my face. The girl in the window copies me. Oh never mind... it's a mirror. I begin laughing, it's really funny. Where's Max anyway? She should be here. I was supposed to be doing something, but everything is all fuzzy... I need to find Max. She'll know what I need to be doing. I stumble towards the door, the ground keeps moving as I try. Why is it so hot in here? I scan the crowd of people, as they blur around the dance floor. Maybe I'll just join them. I start towards the crowd, when I'm distracted by a familiar flash of blue. Pushing people out of my way, I try and keep my eyes on that bit of blue I can see. Max is here, and I need to find her. I practically fall onto her when I finally catch up. She struggles to keep me standing, as I squirm around trying to get my lips on hers. When they finally meet, a small part of me feels like maybe I'm pushing this too far, but most of me doesn't care, I kiss her deeply, and sloppily. Everyone can watch if they want, I don't even care. Max is laughing, as I pull away. "Max you're so pretty... how are you sooo pretty?" Her big eyes, get even bigger as she stares at me. She takes my cheeks gently in her hands, and leans in looking at me intently. She's too serious, I try and lean in to kiss her again. "Chloe...Listen to me. What did you take?" The room is getting more tilted, and Max is asking me weird questions. "I didn't take anything... except kisses." I giggle, and try to lean to kiss her again. She keeps me firmly in place. "Chloe, I need you to concentrate. Did you take any pills or... drink anything weird? Did you leave your drink unattended?" I frown at her. Why is she asking all these questions? It's hard to think. I just want to kiss her, and have a good time. "I don't... I don't think so." She looks really worried. "Chloe... where are your friends?" I shake my head, and gesture vaguely towards the crowd. She purses her lips, and settles my arm around her shoulders supporting me. She begins to push through the crowd slowly. "Just... keep an eye out for your friends." I stop nuzzling into her hair, and look around. The room is starting to spin a little. I do spot Alyssa by the wall though, and I raise my hand to point her out. "Alyssa!" She looks dazed.

Max stops in front of Alyssa, and looks her over slowly. "Hey, you're Alyssa right?" She looks up at Max, and nods. She grins over at me when she spots me. "Hey Chloe." Max snaps her fingers in Alyssa's face. "I need you to focus... what did you guys take?" She frowns looking at Max, and shakes her head. "Nothing... all we've had is pop all night." I'm pretty sure Max just went pale. I reach up tracing a line between a few of her freckles. "Alyssa, don't go anywhere with anyone, okay? I'm going to go get your friend working the coat check to help you. Where is Kate?" She shakes her head and shrugs. Max frowns, takes a deep breath, and nods. "Alright... stay here, I'll get ummm... Stella? Just... stay here." She turns pulling me along with her. I half turn back waving at Alyssa as we go. The room begins to spin faster as we walk, and it gets even harder to remain upright. Max is there to help me with that, and we manage to make it back to the coat check. I don't feel so good anymore. Something's wrong.

Max stops by the coat racks, and waves at Stella. "Hey Max..." she looks at me, and starts to look concerned. "What's up." She hefts me up , as I start to slip off her shoulder. "I think someone slipped Chloe something... Alyssa too. Have you seen Kate?" Stella frowns, worrying her lip between her teeth. "Yeah, I saw Kate. She didn't look so good. Nathan was helping her leave." That's a bad thing, for... some reason I can't remember. I can feel my eyelids drooping. I'm so tired. "Just Get Alyssa, and get her out. Maybe take her to the hospital... I don't know. Just get her out. I'll try and reach Kate on Chloe's phone, you should try too." Max is speaking, to someone... Stella? "Come on Chlo..."

We're in the car, I think, Max's hands are gripping the steering wheel so tight, her knuckles are white. She keeps stealing glances over at me looking worried. "Chloe.. just try to.."

There's a lot of bright lights, and white walls. I'm moving, but I'm on my back. Am I floating? I can hear Max yelling somewhere close by. "What do you mean I can't go-"

Someone is shining a light in my eyes. It's really bright.

Is that Mom? I see her standing close by looking worried.

I can hear hushed voices nearby. "I'm sorry, it's my fault... I didn't leave her for that long... not really... I should have been more care-"

I hear beeping, and other strange noises.

The sunlight in my face drags me back to consciousness. I open my eyes, and immediately regret it. I can feel a hand in mine, but the bed feels all wrong. I blink a few times, clearing my eyes, and look around. I'm in a white room, a hospital room. Mom is asleep in a chair near by, and Max has pulled one up next to the bed. It's her hand that has a hold of mine, and she appears to be fast asleep. I'm still so groggy, last night blurs together in a smear of lights, and noises. I shift a little trying to get comfortable, and Max's eyes snap open. She's on her feet in an instant, and leaning over me, kissing me desperately. "Chloe, Oh Chloe you're awake... Joyce! Chloe's awake!" She calls back at my mom, who snaps awake, and comes over to fuss over me. Max takes my hand again, and squeezes gently, as I stare up at the two of them, trying to piece together what happened last night. I can remember everything fine, up until about the time I returned to the dance floor, and then things get fuzzier, until there's nothing left. "What... happened to me?" Max looks away, and squeezes my hand again. "It's all my fault... I should have been there." I can hear her voice breaking, is she crying? I haven't seen Max this emotional since before she moved away. "You uh... you were drugged. Um.. so was Alyssa for sure..." She squeezes my hand again, and mom places her hand Gently on Max's shoulder. "We um...we couldn't find Kate, and Stella thinks she saw her leaving with... With Nathan." I sit up quickly, giving myself a head rush in the process. "What?! Where'd they go?" Max shakes her head. "I've been trying to contact her with your phone all night... she hasn't answered." Mom looks really concerned at this moment. "Chloe honey, what's going on? Is there a reason we should be worried about Kate going with the Nathan boy?" I take a deep breath trying to calm myself, and shake my head. "I... don't know. He's kind of a bully at school, but, I don't know." Mom purses her lips, and shakes her head. She looks like she wants to say more, but the nurse comes in about then, and shoos them out. She checks me over quietly, only occasionally making pleased noises. "Alright Ms. Price you seem to be doing fine now. Your friend said someone slipped you something, and we found drugs in your system. We contacted the police, so there's a detective outside waiting to take your statement whenever you're ready." I just nod dumbly, and she leaves the room. A few moments later a man steps in, and closes the door behind him. He's got close cropped hair, and a dumb little mustache. He steps over to the bed, and offers his hand. "Hello Ms. Price I'm detective Madsen." He comes around the bed, and sits down in the chair Max had been using previously."Now, Ms. Price, your friend said you had been drugged at a party? Is that correct." I nod my agreement. "Yeah... I went to a party with a group of friends." He takes some notes on a little pad, just like on T.V. Then gestures for me to continue. "Uh... I don't know...We danced, and then I got us some drinks..." He perks up a bit, her eyes narrowing. "Alcohol?" I shake my head. "No... just pop." His lips press into a line, and he leans towards me. "Is that the truth? I can't help you if you're not honest with me." Is this guy for real? I frown at him, my mouth making a hard line before I speak. "Yes, that's the truth." He looks like he just ate something sour, but he doesn't push it. "Did you leave your drink unattended? Did you see anyone in it's vicinity before the incident?" My brows furrow as I concentrate, trying to remember exactly what happened. I shake my head slowly. "No... I didn't pick up our drinks right away though. They were sitting on the table, and I wasn't looking at them." He looks up from his pad, and frowns. "What were you doing?" I let out a sigh. "I was trying to avoid someone." His brow perks up curiously, and he gestures again for me to continue. "What some ex-boyfriend or something?" The look of disgust on my face must be pretty intense, because he holds his hands up defensively. "No... More like the school jerk." I let out a sigh, and shrug. "I was just trying to avoid a confrontation. He's... a jerk. I don't know what his problem with me is, so don't ask. I got drinks for all three of us." He nods, and jots down a few more notes. "Yes, your friend... who brought you in?" I shake my head. "Girlfriend." He stiffens up a bit, and nods tersely. "Fine, girlfriend. She mentioned you were there with friends. Alyssa Anderson, Kate Marsh, and Stella Hill?" I nod along. "Yeah, except Stella was working there that night, so she wasn't with us... Stella said she saw Kate leaving with Nathan, and we haven't been able to get a hold of her." He frowns down at his notes for a moment. "Nathan who, and were he and Kate friends?" I shake my head. "No way... I mean Kate was nice to everyone, but, no way. Oh... and Nathan is uh.. Nathan Prescott." His eyes narrow for a moment and he stands. "Well thank you Ms. Price, I'll see what I can do with this. I'll talk to your friends as well. If you remember anything else, call me." He reaches into his pocket, and hands me a card, before leaving me alone in the room. The nurse comes back in to tell me I can leave, almost as soon as he's gone. The discharge procedure is surprisingly painless, and we're on the road not long after.

Max curls up with me as soon as we get up to my room. She's holding onto me so tightly, it's almost painful, and I squirm a little, trying to loosen her grip. "Max... please, not so tight, it kinda hurts." She winces a releases her death grip on me. Her whole body feels tense, as I snuggle into her. "Max, it's okay, you couldn't have known... I couldn't have known." I reach up to brush my fingers through her hair slowly, trying to soothe away her worry. "What's the point of having time powers if I can't go back and help you, when you really needed me?" I shake my head, and turn her around to face me. I lean in and kiss her softly on the forehead, nose, and lips. "Max, we might not have figured out anything was wrong till it was too late anyway, or you might have been drugged with us... then what would we do?" Her jaw sets stubbornly, so I lean in to kiss her again, trying to head off an argument. She sighs quietly into my lips, starting to relax against me. "Has Kate called you back yet?" Her question causes a pang of fear in my chest. I shake my head, and press my forehead against hers. "I... She's probably just sleeping still." Max let's out a soft sniffle, and I squeeze her more tightly. "She'll call...I'm sure she'll call." I'm not so sure, but I don't want Max blaming herself for this. "Do you... really believe that?" Her voice sounds so small right now, I just want her to feel better. I kiss her forehead softly. "Yes, I really do." I kiss her forehead again, and she tilts her head up so I kiss her lips. "Did you find anything?" She perks up a little bit at that, and nods. "I did actually. I found a burner phone, and a bunch of numbers in a little baggy taped behind his couch." She nuzzles into my nose gently. "His room was really fucking creepy too." She shakes her head. "Oh, and we should be careful... I'm not sure whose side he's on, but he's got a gun." That pulls a sigh out of me. "Great... Just what we need..." Max squeezes me gently, and cranes her neck up to kiss my forehead. "We'll be okay. I promise..." I just nod, and snuggle in against her more tightly. "Can we just... stay here like this today? No schemes, no craziness, just you and me, and maybe some movies?" Max laughs softly, and nods. "Sounds like a really good plan. Let's do that."