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Chapter Five: The Grand Tour

Max's POV - Max's Room – Three Days Later

It had been tough getting settled in when everyone had already heard crazy stories about me, mostly courtesy of Victoria from what I'd pieced together. For some reason, she seemed to have it in for me. I couldn't understand why. Rachel had assured me she was just jealous of losing the spotlight for a moment. Either way, I didn't want to find out. Better to just keep my head down from now on. Not that I hadn't been trying to from the very beginning. At least Kate seemed nice, Rachel too. Those two were making more of an effort than anyone. It was nice to have some people looking out for me, whatever the reason.

There was an unexpected knock at my door, making me jump. I got up from my bed and walked over to the door. It didn't sound like a Victoria knock, so I was probably fine. When I opened it, I saw what was becoming a familiar face.

"Max, I'm glad you're in." Rachel smiled at me, as charming as ever. "You free now?"

Before I blindly agreed, I needed to know what she had in mind. "That depends on what I'm agreeing to by saying yes."

"Nothing bad, promise." When I gave her a skeptical look, Rachel sighed and revealed more information. "Just an impromptu tour of Blackwell."

"I do know how to get around here... sort of. I've made it to class and the dorms okay so far." Sure, I did get a little lost every now and then but I was getting there. It wasn't too hard to find my way around.

Rachel shook her head. "Max, it's not that kind of tour. More of a… people tour. Get you properly acquainted with everyone… well, maybe not Victoria, but you get what I mean."

Sensing that this wasn't really up for debate, I crossed my arms. "Something tells me I don't have much of a choice."

Her grin broadened at that. "Smart girl. I like to give you the illusion of options at the very least, aka the easy way or hard way. Come on, it'll be fun."

I thought it over for a moment, realizing that this probably wasn't up for debate. It wasn't like I was against the idea, not completely. "For the sake of my sanity… fine."

"You won't regret it," Rachel reassured, giving my shoulder a light nudge.

Unlike her, I wasn't so sure of that seemingly irrefutable fact. "That has yet to be seen."

Undeterred, she leaned against the doorframe. "A pessimist, huh? Guess I'll just have to work extra hard, then."

"I'm just… not very good at the whole 'dealing with people' thing," I admitted. Not like it was a big secret.

"Which is exactly why having me around is the smartest move," Rachel replied instantly, not missing a beat. "Not to brag, but everyone knows me here and a lot of them like me. That's a good social advantage for you."

"Yeah, until I actually start talking and making a fool of myself…" I mumbled, knowing that would most definitely happen.

Rachel grabbed hold of my arms, looking straight into my eyes. "Max, just chill out. It's gonna be fine."

With no way out, I resigned myself to my fate. "Let's get this over with."

"I was hoping for a slightly more enthusiastic attitude, but… that'll have to do." Grabbing hold of my wrist, Rachel all but dragged me out of my room. "We'll start off easy and work up from there."

Realizing that it would be pointless arguing right now, I sighed and walked along with her. She still held on tight, like she was worried I'd bolt the second I had the chance… which I might have. "Define 'easy'."

Still clamping onto my wrist, Rachel glanced over at me. "Not Vortex Club members, or members who are actually nice. Weird thought, I know. We'll keep clear of the jocks for now."

"Why?"

Stopping for just a moment, she sighed. "Oh, Max… you'll thank me later. They have trouble controlling their mouths sometimes, especially around cute chicks."

"Ah, I see…" I felt stupid for not getting it the first time. "I mean, I highly doubt I'd even get a first look, let alone a second from them."

That made Rachel laugh. "You'd be surprised. Don't sell yourself short. If I were them, I'd sure as hell give you a second look."

I rolled my eyes at her. "Now you're just trying to mess with me."

"Not at all," she replied straight away, not a hint of teasing. "I am giving you a second look right now, more than that."

"You must really be high or crazy or something," I muttered in response, feeling the heat now.

"Nah, too early in the morning for that."

Still trying to figure out if she was being genuine or not, I did my best to hide the oncoming embarrassment. "Guess it's crazy then."

She offered up one of her most charming smiles. "Only the good kind. Besides, I'm not blind. You might do your best to hide in brandless jeans and shapeless hoodies, but I know potential when I see it. With some guidance, you'd scrub up well. Diamond in the rough."

"Again, crazy."

One over exaggerated sigh later, she gave an extra tug on my wrist to get me moving. "You can make dismissive comments all you want, but until I get my hands on you, work my magic and totally prove you wrong, they are empty. We'll worry about that later, though."

Before I knew it, we were out in the main campus grounds heading towards a group I never thought I'd be associating myself with. The skaters. I couldn't really picture Rachel hanging with them either, seeming more of a Vortex Club socialite type. Still, they seemed eager to wave her down.

"Hey guys, I brought a new toy along." Rachel threw a stage wink my way, grinning subtly.

The darker haired boy looked at me, then back at Rachel. "I can't even tell if you're kidding or not…"

Rachel shrugged. "I am, mostly."

"Uh-huh, sure." The blonde boy gave me a lazy glance, turning his attention back to Rachel.

"We're sorry for her," the first boy apologized, jabbing his thumb towards her.

"You will be sorry in a minute," Rachel threatened playfully, raising her free fist menacingly.

The other boy seemed to be amused by the possibility. "Hey, if you guys are gonna fight let me know. I wanna get it all on camera. That shit'd go viral around here. Blackwell honor student beating a skater."

"Who said I'd lose?" the dark-haired boy protested.

The guy with blonde hair scoffed. "Dude, I've seen Rach fight. She's a fucking scrapper, dirty tactics."

Rachel turned to him, eyes narrowed accusingly. "Are you implying that I cheat?"

The first boy shook his head, smiling at their behavior. "More like outright stating the blaring fact. Anyway, you must be Max, right?"

"Y-yeah, I am," I stammered, not really sure what to say.

He offered a reassuring smile, waving in greeting. "Nice to meet you, Max. My name's Trevor and that's Justin."

The blonde boy raised a hand in lazy greeting. "S'up."

I scuffed my worn sneakers across the ground, feeling very awkward. "It's, uh, nice to meet you both, too."

Justin chuckled at the polite greeting. "Ah, no need to be all formal and shit here."

Trevor gave him a funny look, clearly wishing Justin was a bit more polite sometimes, before turning back to me. "How's Blackwell been so far? What you expected?"

That was a good question, one I wasn't quite sure how to answer. "Yes and no. I didn't expect to be so… well known already."

"That's what it's like here. Gossip gets spread around quick," Justin revealed, stroking the straggly goatee on his chin like he was pondering something profound.

I rubbed the back of my neck, having experienced that truth first hand. "Yeah, so I've seen."

"It'll only last a short while before some other drama comes along," Rachel reassured, running her fingers through her hair. "Probably something to do with a relationship breakdown or Victoria. Maybe both."

"People forget things just as quickly as they spread them around," Trevor mentioned sadly.

"Yeah, prime example being C-"

Before Justin could continue that thought, Rachel swiftly shut him down. "Well, we're on the clock. Busy, busy. Best get a move on. See you guys later."

"Wait…" My protests didn't seem to make any difference, Rachel shepherding me away from the skater crew. "What was he going to say?"

Taking firm hold of my wrist again, Rachel gave a noncommittal shrug. "Beats me. Who knows what's going on in that boy's head. Anyway, next stop is Dana. Probably Juliet by extension. They are literally always together."

Something told me there was more to this than she was letting on, but pressing probably wouldn't help. Over the other side of the main campus, there were two girls sat on the grass totally oblivious to their surroundings. They seemed to be debating something. As Rachel approached them dragging me behind her, they glanced up curiously.

The girl with auburn hair got up first, brushing herself down before focusing on me. "So, you must be Max, right? I'm Dana."

"I am, yes. Nice to meet you." It would be fun trying to remember all these names… not.

"You're pretty hot gossip right now," the blonde of the pair added, sounding a little too happy about that.

Dana shook her head with a sigh. "Oh my god, Juliet. The poor girl has literally just got here. Don't start hounding her for an interview."

Juliet held her hands up in surrender. "I wasn't going to… okay, maybe I was. I've gotta act on this while it's hot."

"That's what I thought." Dana turned to me, saying the next few words in a stage whisper. "You'll have to watch out for Juliet if you don't want to become front page news. She's relentless."

Frowning, Juliet tossed her an unappreciative glare. "Hey, don't act like I'm the bad guy. I'm just trying to report the important stuff."

"Well, I'm sure Max has had enough questions for the year already without your input," Dana pointed out, trying to play my defense.

Juliet waved her comment away like she was swatting an annoying fly. "I can set the records straight, filter out the lies from the truth. I'm sure Max wants to get her side of things out there, right?"

"I… uh…" Instinctively, I turned to Rachel for help. She seemed to have this social thing down.

Thankfully, my plea was heard and she stepped in. "Save it, Juliet. At least let her finish unpacking until you sink your teeth into her."

A little disheartened, Juliet gave up for now. "Whatever. I'm just saying it could benefit."

"You more than anyone," her friend mentioned with a knowing smirk.

"You want to get in early before Victoria starts 'manipulating' the truth," she made some air quotes before continuing, "in other words making shit up."

Rachel nodded, humoring her. "We'll keep it in mind."

"Anyway, if you need anything, Max, let us know," Dana offered cheerfully. "I'm in 218, Juliet's in 223 across the hall from me."

"My lovely neighbor, in other words," Rachel chimed in.

Juliet didn't appear to be so enthused. "Hmm… would be better if you and Victoria didn't have shouting matches outside. Seriously, she has nothing better to do than complain and scheme. I feel sorry for Kate."

Nodding sympathetically, Dana agreed with that summary. "We all do. Nobody wants to be close to Victoria. Having said that, you're across the hall, aren't you, Max?"

"Yeah, I am. Lucky me…" Out of all the rooms I could have ended up in, I just so happened to get put in the worst possible place.

"You can always come sleep in my room if you want. I don't mind," Rachel offered eagerly. Dana and Juliet exchanged knowing glances, ones I didn't quite understand. "In fact, I would encourage it."

Whatever the reason they were doing it couldn't be worse than having Victoria on my ass 24/7. "You know, I might have to consider it if Victoria keeps targeting me."

The possibility made Juliet groan in protest. "Ugh, please don't. Victoria doesn't need twice the reason to come and kick up a fuss in the hallway outside my room. I think Stella might actually kill someone if it happens again…" she hesitated, her expression reversing from one of disapproval to consideration, "wait, maybe do it and then make sure you clear the area before she goes on the warpath."

Dana seemed to be thinking along the same lines, finding it amusing. "That's one way of taking Victoria down."

"I would pay to see it," Rachel added with a grin, clearly finding the mental image just as entertaining as the others. "Anyway, as pleasant as this has been, we have to make a move."

"So soon?" Dana asked, sounding a little disappointed. "Fair enough. It was great meeting you, Max and I hope to be seeing you around."

Motioning lazily at her friend, Juliet sat back down on the grass. "What she said."

"Thanks, hopefully I'll survive Victoria's wrath long enough." That was still a big 'if'.

"Stick close to me and you will." Rachel put her arm around my shoulder and guided me away from them back towards the dorm building. "See, that wasn't so bad."

I let out a sigh, feeling mentally drained. "I don't know… you said we were taking it easy for now. That didn't seem easy."

"It'll get easier," she reassured, ushering me along the path. "You don't get good at things by finding excuses not to do it."

"I… suppose that's true." I couldn't really argue with that point.

"It is true," she asserted as we walked. "You will be learning from the best, which is me by the way, so there's nothing to worry about. You're in good hands."

Wondering how she had so much faith in that, I slowed my pace a little. "I don't mean to moan all the time, sorry. I… appreciate what you're trying to do. It's just… I'm not sure I can do all this."

Rachel glanced at me with a reassuring smile. "Max, you can. I believe in you. And there's no need to be sorry. Just do your best and push yourself a little. It'll get easier." Soon enough, we were outside the Prescott dorm building and climbing the stairs.

"I hope so," I muttered under my breath. It would be nice to fit in for a change.

"I'd be willing to bet on it." When we reached the top of the stairs, Rachel motioned with her head to the first door on the left, her room. I assumed she was inviting me to come chat, an assumption that was proven correct when she opened the door and led me inside.

The room was a little messier than I had expected, bits and bobs strewn everywhere. A blue dream catcher hung over her bed, swaying in the light breeze coming through her open window. There must have been an incense burner or something in her room because there was a subtle scent of vanilla on the air. It felt very cozy and warm, alive. An ashtray sat on her bedside table alongside an assortment of lotions and potions I wouldn't even know where to begin with.

Various posters and photos lined the walls, showing parties she'd been to and places she'd visited. The same girl seemed to appear in several of the photos, best distinguished by the wild flash of blue hair. I couldn't see her features very well from where I was standing, though. Odd that I hadn't been introduced to this girl, whoever she was. Maybe she didn't go to Blackwell, an out of town friend.

"We're all in the same boat here. Trying to make something of ourselves, follow dreams. Nobody said it'd be easy, but we can have fun along the way, take every opportunity we can and leave no regrets." Rachel sat down on her bed, her bedsheets having some kind of bluebird pattern on them, patting the space beside her.

I moved some of the cushions out of the way, getting comfortable. Curious to find out more about her, I asked, "What's your dream?"

"Interested, huh?" Rachel offered me a smile as she answered my question. "What I really want to do is modeling. I could probably do anything if I put my mind to it, but… there's something about being a model that I find very appealing and exciting." Somehow, I could picture that. She sure had the aura and looks for it. Her hazel eyes flickered with interest as she returned the question, "How about you?"

What I had to say didn't really measure up to Rachel's dream, nothing quite so glamorous. "I, uh, wanted to get into photography. Probably sounds lame…"

Rachel waved away my self-doubt. "It doesn't. You'll have to show me some of your pictures sometime. I'd love to see. Maybe we could even stage a photo shoot sometime."

"Maybe." There had only ever been a couple of people I felt completely comfortable enough to show my work without overwhelming anxiety kicking in… Chloe being one of those people. That got me thinking. It was a long shot, but worth a try. "Say, Rachel. I have a question. Don't know if you'll be able to answer it or not, but…"

Before I could get too rambly, Rachel cut in. "Hit me with it."

"Okay," mentally preparing myself for the explanation, I sighed deeply, "before I left for Seattle I had a friend in Arcadia. Haven't spoken to her for a while and she probably hates my guts now, but… it'd be nice to know she's okay at least." Guilt began to gnaw at me. Chloe could be anywhere right now, doing anything. I just had to know, even if I didn't actually see her. I needed to know she was okay. "Since you seem to know a lot of people, I was thinking that you might know. Or know someone who might know."

Seeming conflicted, Rachel hesitated before giving me an answer. "I might."

Taking a deep breath, I uttered the name of the childhood friend I had abandoned at the worst time possible. "Her name's Chloe. Chloe Price."

Tune in next time for a little expo on the whole Chloe situation.