Max blinked blearily at the corn in the fields that surrounded them on either side. She turned to look out of Chloe's window too, but was met with basically the exact same sight, broken only by the stream of cars on the other side of the highway whizzing by in the opposite direction. She huffed.

"Chloe, I dunno how much more corn I can take." She admitted, ashamed that the boredom got the better of her. Despite having seen a cornfield in real life for the first time only day or so ago, it was quickly proving to be anything but extraordinary, at least to look at.

The other girl smiled wryly.

"Oh Max, we've only just barely entered field territory. Hope you like level ground and crops as far as the eye can see, cause that's what you're gonna be looking at for the foreseeable future." She chuckled. Max groaned.

Missouri was proving to be more of a 'misery' to her than she could have imagined. She smirked at her own joke, but didn't bother sharing it aloud, knowing Chloe wouldn't find it as funny. Hiking her legs up on the dash, she let out a sigh.

"We'll pull off for some air in a bit. Smoke with me?" Her companion offered, holding the blunt she'd been puffing on. Max took it and stole a couple drags before handing it back, letting the smoke haze her mind into not caring about the corn anymore, honing in on the music playing instead.

"Can I change the station?" She asked, waiting for a nod before doing so. Chloe didn't seem to mind when she put on an indie station, so that was what she settled on. Chloe passed her the blunt again, and they finished it off before stopping at a station for a potty break.

A lady gave them a look when they went into the bathroom, and Max briefly wondered what that was about, but Chloe didn't seem to pay it any mind, so she decided to ignore it too, locking the door and then stripping down so she could get washed up. Chloe was already using the toilet, so she waited her turn, cleaning under her arms diligently in the meantime.

Chloe nudged her out of the way when she was done, and they switched. They'd gotten the 'high efficiency' thing down ages ago, and it was simply muscle memory at that point. Once finished up, they headed back into the gas station, grabbing a couple of drinks from the coolers. Chloe got a pack of cigarettes and a new lighter as well.

"So, we're starting to run low on cash. It feels like it went really fast." Chloe admitted, frowning. "But then, we did have to get clothes and stuff. But shit, I hate to ask you to do that again."

Max didn't get a chance to reply, for the lady she'd noticed looking at them earlier was outside, apparently waiting for them. Her face hardened when she saw them coming, and she seemed to gather herself up before walking over, as if to make herself look bigger. She thrust a small book out, shoving it at Max. The brunette was too stunned to take it, especially when the woman started muttering rapidly.

Chloe tugged Max to her side, out of the woman's reach, and gave her the most dramatic middle finger Max had ever seen her pull off.

"You can fuck right off." She snarled, leading the way to the truck with Max in tow. The lady was too shocked to do anything but splutter, and Max was too shocked to do anything but follow Chloe into the truck. The tires squealed when Chloe pulled out, making the brunette wince.

They drove much over the speed limit, the truck groaning out its protest, but Chloe's expression made the silence a tense requirement. Her brows were knit angrily, and Max knew better than to try and talk it out when she looked like that. She'd tried once and had gotten a withering glare that would make a grown man cry.

So she waited, putting up with the punks screaming on the radio until the girl with blue hair calmed down enough that she felt safe chancing a conversation.

"What did she want?" She asked. Chloe didn't like to beat around the bush, so the direct route was best.

The girl sighed, turning down the music so that it faded into the thrum of the engine. Weariness mixed with the outrage, making her look too old for just a moment.

"She was being a homophobic bitch, telling us to find god and burn in hell and shit." Was what she finally offered.

This gave Max pause, her mind working to put it all together. The woman was trying to give her a bible, she realized. She must have thought that she and Chloe were a couple. Because they went into the bathroom together? It was stupid. What business was it of hers, anyway?

Chloe sighed, leaning against her window.

"Look, just forget about it. But we're probably gonna start getting that more often. We're driving through the Midwest, and the people here are cold, bitter, and full of hate on a good day. We're kinda in the Southern part of Missouri right now, but we're heading Northeast. It'll get better the further we go." She explained.

Max's lips pulled down at the corners, but she nodded.

"Why do they think we're together?" She wondered. Chloe snickered.

"We're two girls traveling alone together, I've got blue hair and a beanie, you're wearing a flannel, we go to the bathroom together, share a bed… I mean, we're practically married already."

Max's face went red, even though she knew Chloe was only joking. It wasn't as if they had a choice in these things… Well, Chloe's hair was a choice. But flannels were warm and cheap, going in together was time efficient, and they could only afford one bed. It was hardly what Max would call romantic (though she knew very little on the matter.)

"You're overthinking it, dude. Who cares what they think?" Chloe demanded. Max gave her a smile, and nodded.

"Yeah. Sorry."

Chloe rolled her eyes, turning the music up a bit, but not nearly as loud as before. And she changed it to a gentler station, sparing Max anymore unbearable screamo. They drove for a while with just the music between them, sprawling fields occasionally giving way to towns along the way, only to switch back after a few minutes.

They stopped in a small city called Columbia for lunch. After pulling the same stunt at an atm in the downtown area, they sat down for some Thai. Max was nearly in tears, but the spicy food warmed her up as they hopped back in the truck and searched out a place for Chloe to get coffee.

Max had come to know that Starbucks was synonymous with coffee, so she was unsurprised when they pulled up to a familiar store. Chloe parked in the back, though Max got the feeling she wasn't really supposed to, considering it was a shady alley and every other space they'd seen had been metered. They went inside and ordered whatever it was Chloe ordered, (which always received somewhat concerned looks from the employees) and were on their way.

While she waited for her coffee to cool down enough to sip, they cleaned out the truck, ridding it of the garbage they accumulated by practically living in it. Chloe even hopped up into the bed and sifted through the toolbox, fishing out wrappers and empty bottles.

She'd dug her way to the bottom and had declared herself finished when she made a surprised noise and surfaced with a pleased grin on her face.

"Dude, score!" She enthused, hopping out of the truck, landing right next to Max and grabbing her shoulder to stabilize herself. She had a funny shaped box in her other hand. "It's my dad's old camera. You know what those are?"

Max nodded, looking at it with new interest.

"It's a polaroid, so the pictures pop out as soon as you take 'em. Film's kind of expensive now, but they're pretty cool. Not really my thing, but dude, you have it." She said, depositing the camera into Max's hands.

The brunette looked down at it in awe for a moment. Chloe did things at a speed she found impossible to keep up with. That was something she liked about Chloe though; She was unpredictable.

"C-Chloe, I can't take this-" She finally concluded, trying in vain to tip the camera back into Chloe's possession. The girl refused, already back in the bed of the truck. She took the opportunity to light up a joint, trusting the high buildings all around them to hide her actions.

"Listen, Mad Max, you're the best person I could give that thing to. You're seeing everything for the first time. You can really see what's beautiful. You'll take the best pictures." She promised, passing the joint over the edge of the bed. Max took it automatically, a habit at that point, and brought it to her lips.

"I don't know how much film is left, but don't worry about wasting it. We can splurge a bit on this, I think. And we could just start taking out a hundred every once in a while, so you don't strain your power. We could get a little saved up so we don't have to worry so much if we have an emergency or something. Or if you need expensive film."

Chloe must have bought a different kind of weed at some point, because this stuff was making her chatty. The stuff before, which had been almost purplish in color, had made her very quiet and introspective. Max didn't mind either, but it was kind of endearing, the way Chloe was rambling. It made her smile as she handed the joint back over. Chloe pulled a long drag.

"What are you gonna take a picture of first? I wonder if we'll drive by anything pretty around here… It would suck if your first picture was of a cow or something… Well, I guess we can start driving and-"

She paused when she heard the loud shutter sound the camera made when Max hit the button to take a photo. True to Chloe's word, a square of film spat out of a slot, and Max grabbed it. It was just a black square framed in white. It was sort of disappointing.

"Did you just take a picture of me?" Chloe demanded, leaning over the bed now in a bid to look as well. Max handed it over, pouting.

"I tried to. It didn't come out though." She explained. Chloe rolled her eyes, shaking the film a few times.

"It has to develop, chill. Just wait a minute and you'll start seeing it." She offered, passing it back. Max accepted it with a new hope, holding it delicately in her hands and shaking it like she'd seen Chloe do.

"I can't believe you wasted your first shot on me." Chloe mumbled, hopping out of the bed of the truck. Max's eyes narrowed, but she got into her seat as Chloe started the truck.

"Why is it a waste? You said I should take pictures of things that are beautiful." She argued. Chloe seemed to chew on that a while, then her face went inexplicably pink and she refused to make eye contact as they relocated the highway.

By that time, the picture had fully developed, and Max found herself with a delightful square full of Chloe, white smoke wafting around her and making her pop against the grey of the surrounding alleyway behind a Starbucks in Somewhere, America. She showed it to the girl when they arrived at a stoplight, and she got pink again.

They'd just made it out of town when Chloe made a noise that clearly meant she'd just gotten a terrible idea, and came to what seemed like a last-minute decision to exit; They wound up pressed against the window and each other with the force of her turn. She nudged the truck into a grassy lot apparently belonging to a barn. Max quirked a brow but didn't argue as Chloe led her inside. She walked immediately off to a counter and struck up a conversation with the lady there.

Maybe they were getting food? It didn't smell like a restaurant, though. It smelled like hay. And when Chloe returned from the counter, it wasn't with food but with papers. She handed Max what could only be a ticket, then urged her out of the door.

"Zip your jacket up. We're going in there." She said, pointing at the entrance to what looked suspiciously like a corn field. Max gave her a look. "Whoa, you been working on that glare? I know you hate corn. That's why I'm making it fun. It's a maze! Come on, go!"

Max sighed, but trudged along. She wasn't really mad. If she was being honest, it was pretty funny. She didn't want to give Chloe the satisfaction of knowing she was clever though, at least, not yet.

They handed over their tickets, then walked a few feet in. Chloe produced a map, pointing out the exit that they were supposed to head for. Max tried to trace a path in her mind, military training memorizing the first fifteen turns before Chloe hastily closed the map and shoved it in her pocket.

"Hey, no weird superpower shit! In fact, no more map." She decided. Max heaved another dramatic sigh, but knew Chloe wasn't going to cave on it.

They walked forward, the first fifteen turns sure in Max's mind. After that, though, they began to turn blindly. Chloe led them into so many dead ends that Max began to consider rewinding so she could spare them the time. But it was sort of fun, seeing the way Chloe would just about-face and stomp off in another wrong direction when she messed up.

When they finally did manage to pop out of the exit, there was no big reward for all the frustration. No confetti, or sweets, or even a person to say 'nice job.' But there were a lot of big trees, which were showing the oranges and reds of fall, and the wind was shaking them right off the branches, and Chloe looked so vibrant in her all blues and blacks as she laughed in triumph, and Max found herself automatically taking another picture.

"Max! Did you just take another-"

She was already shaking the film, a smile pulling at her lips. Chloe just sighed, looping their arms together and leading the way back to the truck.

"Do you still hate corn?" She wondered, picking a strip of husk out of Max's hair.

"Definitely." The brunette replied, grinning as she showed her companion the picture that had started fading in. Chloe glanced at it, took in her own image, prancing around victoriously, surrounded by incoming autumn, then huffed, ruffling Max's hair before climbing into the driver's seat and leaving the corn maze behind.

The new picture found a resting place along with the first in Chloe's dash console for the time being. Max resolved to get a little folder or something so that she could keep them in her bag. The camera rested on her tummy, ready in case anything else caught her fancy. But they were soon back to corn fields and a general brownness, and Max didn't blame Chloe for turning the music up out of sheer boredom.

She let her head bob minutely to the beat, and Max considered taking another photo. But Chloe would probably start to get annoyed if she only ever took pictures of her. It would have been a nice shot, though.

"So," She finally said over the music. "We're headed for Chicago now. We're getting pretty close. We'll stop in Chicago for a night to recoup, then we'll be driving north."

Max nodded, smiling at the prospect of a bed to sleep in soon.

"We're getting close to Rachel, I can feel it." Chloe murmured, almost too quietly for Max to hear. Almost. She bristled at the mention, inexplicable even to herself. She had no reason to dislike Rachel. She didn't know anything about her other than her name and that Chloe was trying to find her.

Actually, she was starting to realize that she knew very little about Chloe in general, let alone her friends. Being around her felt so natural that it was almost hard to believe they'd been complete strangers only days ago. But, even though she'd admitted her big secret, Max hadn't really told Chloe much either.

That was problematic.

"Uh, Chloe?" She prompted softly, turning the music down cautiously. The other girl quirked a brow to show she was paying attention. "Would you mind, um, telling me about Rachel? I just realized, we've been together all this time, and you never even told me who she is, or why you're looking for her. I know you don't owe me an explanation, I understand if it's personal. I'm just curious." She trailed, voice getting smaller the longer she rambled.

Chloe's face became void of emotion for a moment, then she found it in her to smile.

"Rachel Amber. She was… She was my everything."

Max bit her lip. Somehow, she'd had a feeling that would be the case. For some reason, it bothered her. Maybe because she'd never met the girl? Perhaps she was being protective over Chloe. After all, how could a girl that had left her behind be worth her everything?

She kept quiet.

"Is." Chloe corrected, after a moment. "She's my best friend, and she got me out of a really bad place, and… Well, shit, I love her." She admitted, her cheeks a little flushed. But the color faded along with any semblance of happiness. All Chloe had left was a tired looking frown.

"But she just… Vanished. I saw her the night before, snuck out her window. She was gone when I stopped by to get my phone around noon. She didn't say a word to anyone. Not me, not her parents. She just left."

Chloe sounded so hurt, and if she wasn't busy driving Max would have wrapped her up in a hug, and possibly never let go. She was used to loud, pissy, firecracker Chloe. But as she spoke of her abandonment, all she mustered was a weary bitterness at the betrayal. It was pitiful, and not at all suited to her.

"No one else seems to care." She continued, clearing her throat. "But I'm not gonna let the best thing that ever happened to me just disappear without a trace." She concluded.

Max absorbed the information for a while, really turned it over in her mind. Was finding Rachel Amber the best thing for Chloe? It sounded like the girl left on purpose, the way Chloe said it. If she'd left without telling Chloe, didn't that imply that she'd wanted to leave her behind?

But how could she say that to Chloe? What would be left of her if she didn't have the goal of finding Rachel?

What if they did find Rachel?

What would that mean for Max? No matter the outcome, Max had reason for concern. What would Chloe do if Rachel came back to her? If she didn't? Nothing was sure for Max after they reached New York. Would she just stay there, as far from Jefferson as possible? Should she try to keep moving? Where would she get the transportation, though?

And how could she go without Chloe? The girl was the only friend she'd ever really had. She couldn't even imagine separating, couldn't remember what it was like to travel without her. But then, how long could this really last? At some point, Chloe would want to go home, or settle down with Rachel, or get back to flying solo. Max couldn't tag along forever.

She'd quickly gone from an excited anticipation for New York to a nauseating dread, each mile they drew closer she only felt more and more like she was sinking into tar.

Chloe pulled up for drive thru, and ordered for them both as she usually did. Max found it kind of tedious to eat, for the first time since her escape. Chloe noticed her slowed pace, it was obvious, but she didn't say anything. She didn't have to though, for she freed up a hand from the wheel and placed it warm on Max's thigh.

It soothed her more than Chloe probably knew, and she let her concerns be filed away for the time being. For now, they were together. No sense in working herself up before it was even an issue. And Chloe wouldn't just leave her in the dust. It would work out, one way or another.

With a hum, Max slouched back into her seat, swinging her legs up and planting them in Chloe's lap so she could stretch out against the window. Chloe chanced a glance away from the road so she could look at Max, offering her a small smile, a bit crooked. The brunette smiled back, letting her head rest against the rattling glass. The thrum might give her a headache after a while, but it was sort of pleasant at the moment.

Chloe's phone, for the first time since Max had met her, buzzed to life with a tinny rendition of some indie song. She seemed just as perplexed as Max was, withdrawing it from the cup holder it had been resting in. With a swipe of her finger, the music stopped, and she put it up to her ear and mumbled 'hello' into the receiver.

She was silent for a long time, just driving with the phone crushed between her shoulder and ear. Max could faintly hear a voice on the other line, not nearly loud enough to understand. She wasn't trying to listen in, though, so that was okay.

"…Yeah. No, I'm fine mom." Chloe finally spoke up. Her voice was so soft, and Max wondered if that ever happened with anyone but her mom. Something about speaking to your mother made you feel like a child, no matter what. Max's throat tightened at the thought.

"No, not anymore. I picked up… A friend on the way. No, you don't know her. No, mom, she's not a hitchhiker! She's cool. We've been together since L.A." Chloe cut off, and the woman on the other end spoke again, louder this time.

"We're in Missouri right now." Chloe offered, grabbing the phone with her left hand and driving with her right to give her neck a break. "No, I'm not gonna say where. You'll send step-shit out here in a helicopter or something. Look, I'm fine. We just ate a McDonald's feast, we're staying in a hotel tonight, and we've got enough money to last us days. Chill." She hissed. Her voice sounded angry, but her face was telling a different story on Max's end.

She looked sad. Homesick, maybe. Max got the feeling she and her mother probably fought like this a lot. But she could also tell that Chloe really cared about her mother, from the way her brow drew up to the lip trapped between her teeth.

Chloe offered her mother a brief farewell, then ended the call and dropped her phone back into the cup holder with a small clatter that made Max jump just a bit. She had to take a few calming breaths before she could offer the brunette an apology though, and her voice trembled minutely when she did. Max frowned, unable to offer her any comfort other than her presence.

For a while, Chloe stared out of her window. Her breathing was shallow. But she reigned in her emotions, and was smiling when she turned to face Max again at last.

"Sorry, Max. I wasn't expecting that call… I think I get my sass from my mom, she really knows how to put me in my fuckin' place." She chuckled, running her fingers through the back of her hair. Max smiled for her, sitting up properly and stealing the hand tangled in blue hair, trapping it between her own and squeezing.

"You don't need to be embarrassed about loving your mom, Chloe. I'd never, ever make fun of you for something like that." She promised. Chloe seemed a little surprised by her earnest declaration, but she didn't say anything about it. Max let her hand go, remembering she might need it to drive, and returned to her own side of the truck. Her cheeks were feeling warm as she realized how close she'd gotten, without even thinking.

Personal space, Max. That's a thing.

The sarcastic voice in her head sounded suspiciously like Chloe.

A/N: It feels like the wait gets a little longer every time. Maybe it's just me? It's been a bit tough to find the time and energy between my two jobs, but never give up, you know? I'm actually posting this in the two hours I have between shifts. Gotta do whatchu gotta do.

I'm actually from Columbia, so you'll have to forgive my unabashed throwback to my city. It's not really a place I would say you should stop on a road trip, but considering it's in the middle of Missouri, it's surprisingly tolerable for the most part. We're a college town, so it's pretty artsy. So we like to think, anyway.

Alright, I don't have too much time, so off I go. Thanks again to everyone for reading and for all of the generous feedback thus far. I've really enjoyed talking to everyone and gaining some perspective.

Till next time!

KuroRiya
九六りや