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After driving for nearly thirty minutes around Arcadia Bay, Chloe and Max found an old grill they used to sometimes visit as kids. Chloe had been there maybe once or twice when Max was absent, so it was a fresh experience for the both of them.
"Oh man, I remember when I ate my first burger here. It was bigger than my head back then!" Chloe exclaimed enthusiastically as she exited her car and entered the small parking area outside the grill.
"Yeah, little you couldn't even eat half of it. Luckily I and Will…" Max trailed off, not sure if mentioning William now was a good idea. Unfortunately, Chloe figured out what Max was about to say. She looked at her with a sad expression, but nothing more. Max felt like she had to say something before things got even more awkward between them.
"I… I'm sorry I haven't been in touch these last few years. When we left so quickly after William… I'm…" Max didn't know how to put her feelings into words. She wasn't exactly given a choice back then, whether to stay or to leave, but she was sure about returning, especially after she got admitted to Blackwell Academy.
"You're here now. As long as you aren't leaving me again, I can move on, in time." Chloe said in a cryptic tone that Max couldn't decipher. Clearly Chloe wasn't mad at her, but not exactly pleased either.
"No worries there. After my studies end at Blackwell, I'll be on my own anyhow." Max said as she began to follow Chloe who was heading to the grill. Once they got inside, they chose a secluded table at the back where they could converse in peace.
"On your own?" Chloe inquired further as she opened the small menu folder that was left on the table.
"Yeah. Well, hopefully anyhow. There is this contest, where the taker of the best picture wins 100 000$. Obviously it is a nationwide contest, but Blackwell students have won it twice in the past already." Max spoke excitedly.
100 000$... That would cover my mother's debts as well as mine… But would Max even care to share?
"That sounds great. So, do you have a picture in mind you'd like to take to win it?" Chloe returned enthusiastically, hoping to perhaps convince Max one day to share if she wins it.
"Not really sure yet, but it would have to be something rare and unique. That probably means going out to the sea…" Max trailed off, lost in thought. Chloe chuckled a little as she saw Max lost in her own mind again.
"You'll figure it out. I'm afraid I won't be very useful to you in that regard. I know shit about real photography." Chloe joked, bringing a smile to Max's face. But then Max's smile faded. Chloe noticed it and knew what Max was going to ask next.
"Chloe… What's happened to you? You look tired and you seem to be on edge. Not to mention your lack of complete eyesight… Love your new style though, fits you well." Max ended on a lighter note, hoping Chloe would be honest with her. Chloe snorted at the last remark.
"To be honest, shit's been real rough ever since you left. Mom had to work long hours and extra days to keep us both in house and well fed. I eventually just couldn't watch my mother wither away as I lived off of her work." Chloe started to fill Max in on what's been going on for the past five years as the waiter approached them to take their orders.
"What would the ladies like to eat?" The greasy-haired waiter asked politely. Chloe looked at Max who gave her a familiar look.
"Two of your mega burgers with two large cokes." Chloe ordered and the waiter quickly wrote it down before leaving the two of them alone again.
"Right, where was I?" Chloe faked forgetfulness to see if Max was paying attention.
"You couldn't watch Joyce work for the both of you." Max aided and Chloe briefly nodded her thanks.
"So, I tried looking for honest work, but it just didn't work out. I'm not the kind of person who can sit behind a desk or serve food to other people all day. Then, I met Frank…" Chloe trailed off, unsure whether she should be completely honest with Max.
I should be honest… I need her to trust me after all… Chloe, what the hell is wrong with you? She's not one of your clients or business partners! She's your best friend for fuck's sake…
"Chloe?" Max called out and Chloe snapped out of her thoughts.
"Huh?"
"You were somewhere else for a moment there." Max said while failing to hide the amusement in her voice.
"Oh, sorry about that. It's just odd to talk to someone who isn't… Well anyway, moving on."
Hmm, that's quite strange. I don't remember Chloe behaving like this before. Something is clearly bothering her…
"So, I met Frank, the happy neighborhood drug dealer." Chloe said and the horror was immediately evident on Max's face.
"Chloe…" Max sounded disappointed; not in Chloe, but in herself.
I was fearing something like this… I should have stayed in touch.
"I know Max, but I didn't exactly have many choices. Well, that's what I tell myself so I can sleep at night, but it's still not as bad as you think." Chloe tried to sound comforting towards Max, but Max wasn't buying it.
"Then why are you missing an eye? And carrying a gun around?" Max questioned with a hint of annoyance in her voice, but mostly she was just worried.
"Oh, you noticed it?" Chloe said as she adjusted the pistol she carried around in a holster, hidden behind her back and attached to her jeans.
"I saw you take it with you when you exited the car on the parking lot." Max simply stated, hoping that Chloe would answer her previous questions.
"Here are your burgers and your sodas. Enjoy!" The greasy-haired waiter popped into view before Chloe got to say anything further. Both of the girls dived right into their burgers, but Max still looked at Chloe; she wanted answers.
"There are two stories about my eye. You wanna hear the public version or the real version?" Chloe questioned teasingly, even given the seriousness of the situation. Max rolled her eyes, but still couldn't help but smile a little at her friend's foolishness.
"Tell me both. The public one first!" Max quickly added the second sentence before Chloe could start.
"I fell off a bed and hit a nightstand."
Silence.
"And… people believe that?" Max asked in disbelief, but Chloe just simply nodded.
"And the real story?"
"One of my customers got bitchy about paying, I riled him up more, he pulled a gun on me and shot me."
Silence.
"You really take it quite well… Being shot, I mean…" Max was a bit shocked to hear the real version and especially because Chloe didn't seem to mind it that much. Or perhaps she was just playing games with her? That wouldn't be a surprise.
"On the contrary. Frank told me I cried and bitched like a little baby when he took me to a doctor. I need to play it cool though and use it to my advantage. A few scars and such build a lot of fear in some people." Chloe tried to school Max a little, who couldn't really argue against what had been said. She would be the first to admit Chloe looked more… intimidating than before.
"But I digress. So, your turn. Why Blackwell? I figured you'd be able to get to any school you wanted to." Chloe changed the topic to a more pleasant one.
"Well, I have two reasons. You can guess the first one, but the second is a tad more tangible. I just think that Blackwell has the best chance to get me into a position where I can truly do photography justice." Max gave her reasons, which sounded fair enough in Chloe's ears.
"Well, I think you made the right choice, for what it's worth."
Although this puts her in a very awkward position…
"You know any of the students there? Most aren't from around here originally, but I got a bad vibe from some of them. You know, like maybe they are involved in some shady business…" Max heavily hinted at what she was getting at, which was way too obvious for Chloe.
"If you're looking for people to avoid, it would be the Prescott kid and the little bitch Victoria and her lapdogs. Or if you've changed into a little devil on your pilgrimage, they might have work for you." Chloe joked, but Max seemed to take it a bit too seriously, giving Chloe a disbelieving look.
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding… Don't choke on your burger or anything." Chloe quickly added while rolling her eye.
"So you know these people?" Max questioned after a brief silence.
"I do some on and off work for the Prescotts. They are a family of greedy, unreliable fuckers, but they are rich. And Victoria hangs around Nathan, the kid Prescott, so I know her because of that." Chloe spoke with clear disgust in her voice, something Max didn't often hear or recall hearing.
"So, no drugs on school grounds then?" Max asked, causing Chloe to nearly choke on her burger.
"Jesus Christ, are you kidding me Max? I don't think I've ever seen Nathan not be under the influence of something."
"Oh."
Silence.
The girls finished their breakfast soon and then they waited for the waiter to bring them the check. In the meantime, Chloe got a text.
Father gave me something to give you. Meet me in the dorms ASAP.
Fucking Nathan.
"So, when is your first class?" Chloe asked and at the same time the waiter brought the check.
"In about an hour." Max answered uncaringly as she was more focused on looking at Chloe, who eyed the check.
"I can pay for our breakfast…" Max offered, because she knew Chloe wasn't exactly rolling in cash at the moment.
"Thanks Max. I'll go outside and have a smoke. I can drop you off at the school if you want?" Chloe offered in return and Max was more than happy to agree. As Chloe exited the grill, Max took the check and walked up to the waiter. She took out her wallet and paid the asked amount, plus gave a generous tip, which the waiter gladly took.
"I think I've seen you here a long time ago. You and the other girl, but with two adults…" The waiter tried to focus harder, but Max generously cut in.
"Yeah, we've been here before a long time ago. We visited quite regularly in fact, until my family and I moved away." Max jogged the waiter's memory and saw realization hit his eyes.
"Oh now I remember. Well, welcome back then kid!" The waiter said gregariously.
"Thanks, but I gotta go. My class is starting soon." Max made up a half-excuse to get back outside with Chloe.
"Sure thing kid. Hope to see you here again." The waiter said as Max exited the grill.
Outside, Max found Chloe waiting and smoking her last few inhales before dumping the cigarette. They didn't waste any time before hitting the road again, but this time they had a destination planned in advance.
"Hey Chloe?" Max asked a little carefully after they had driven for a good few minutes.
"Hmmm?"
"I was wondering if I could help you with some of your work… work that doesn't involve drugs, that is." Max quickly added that extra bit to make sure there wouldn't be any confusion.
"Sure, but don't expect any high payouts. This is just some grunt work, to be honest." Chloe gave an honest warning, but it didn't make Max take back her offer.
"I don't care about getting money for myself. You and your parents were like a second family to me; a family that I abandoned in their time of need. I wanna help make things right, if I can." Max spoke sincerely, which warmed Chloe's heart.
She still is the same Max I know.
"I'll send you a text later tonight. We'll take over this town, like we always planned to, right?" Chloe said in a sarcastic manner, but Max knew that there was some underlying hope there too; hope that it would someday be true.
"Absolutely."
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