Welcome back! Had enough of the suspense? Not to worry, the next chapter is here! Enjoy!
No. Fucking. Way.
"Max?!"
Max's eyes widened and her hands detached from themselves. "Wait..." She narrowed her eyes a bit and her jaw dropped open. "Chloe?!"
"Yeah!" Chloe's heart started to pound at a mile a minute, her thoughts not too far behind. Shit, shit, shit! I didn't think I'd see her this soon!
"I...almost didn't recognize you." Max said with a laugh. She looked Chloe up and down. "Blue hair, tattoo... Not a bad look on you."
A blush began to develop on Chloe's cheeks and she laughed, looking down to hide her face for a moment. "Ah, thanks. You don't look too bad yourself."
"Thanks." Max smiled wider. A beat of awkward silence passed between them, and Max looked over towards her partner at the table. She bit her lip for a moment before looking back at Chloe. "Do you wanna go talk somewhere more quiet?"
"What about your friend?" Chloe jerked a thumb in Victoria's direction.
"She can handle herself. She'll be fine." Max made her way around the table and grinned. "Come on."
Chloe looked at Victoria, who wasn't paying them any mind, and shrugged, following behind Max. They made their way through the crowd trying to avoid as many feet as possible. When they got closer to the door, Chloe could see Brooke and Kate watching them with wide eyes. Chloe gave them a sheepish grin, mouthing 'I'll explain later' as she slipped out the door. She fell in step beside Max and shoved her hands into her pockets.
"I guess I should apologize for going ghost on you, huh?" Max asked.
Chloe laughed. "I should, too. It's a two way street."
"Yeah. But I was the first one to stop replying." Max sighed. "I really can't apologize enough for that. After I got into Blackwell, everything just got crazy and I lost track of things."
"I understand, believe me. I won't hold it against you." Chloe said. A slick grin plastered itself on her lips. "That is, if you promise you'll make it up to me."
Now it was Max's turn to laugh and she looked up at the sky. "Oh, boy. What's my price?"
"Okay, first, fuck you for that pun." Chloe said, though she was grinning from ear to ear. "Second, how about lunch? Noon tomorrow? We have three years worth of time to catch up on."
"Sounds like a plan." Max beamed. "Still into Two Whales?"
"That place is still open?" Chloe looked at Max, amazed.
"Yeah! My mom still owns it, too. She'll be glad to see you." Max said.
"Your mom's food is almost as great as my mom's." Chloe said.
"Don't let Joyce hear you say that." Max giggled.
Chloe laughed along and a now somewhat comfortable silence settled between the two as they walked aimlessly around the campus.
She's still the same ol' Max... Chloe thought.
Are you sure? She is in the Vortex Club.
Chloe set her jaw and her brow furrowed a bit. This didn't go unnoticed by Max, who looked at Chloe worriedly.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
"Yeah, just..." Chloe hesitated. "Weird... seeing you after all this time. Weird being back here."
"Yeah, I know. If I'd known I'd be seeing you today, I would've dressed up." Max joked.
"Please. I'm no one worth getting dressed up for." Chloe said dismissively.
"Don't sell yourself short, Che." Max said.
"Well, I'm not exactly long." Chloe retorted with a small smirk, to which Max made a face and laughed.
"I hate you." she said, shaking her head.
"Love you, too."
They made their way past the statue and water fountain in the middle of the courtyard, Chloe kicking up a rock and Max admiring a flock of birds passing overhead. Max stopped walking and turned to face Chloe fully. "I missed you a lot, Chlo." she said sincerely.
"And I missed you, Mad Max." Chloe replied automatically, exactly like she'd been waiting decades rather than five years to say it.
"Ah, before I forget..." Max shuffled her feet and smiled awkwardly. "I... Kinda decided to start going by Maxine."
Chloe blinked. Oh. "Oh, uh, sorry. I'll keep that in mind."
"No, no. I'm not telling you to stop calling me 'Max.'" Max hurriedly corrected her. "I don't mind if you do it. I'm just letting you know so you're not surprised when you hear someone call me by my real name."
"Then thanks for the heads up." Chloe said. She found herself relieved that Max didn't mind her still using her nickname.
Max nodded and they continued their walk, Max being the first to start a new conversation. "So, what are you majoring in?"
"Graphic Design." Chloe answered. She knelt down and picked up a smooth rock, running the pad of her thumb over its surface. "You know, shirts, pants, all that good shit."
Max laughed softly. "Good to know you haven't lost your passion."
"Believe me, it took a lot not to give it up." Chloe said. "What about you? What does Max Caulfield do now that she's all grown up?"
"Photography." Max answered.
"Still?" Chloe said teasingly. "I can understand why. You're photos were always amazing." Chloe complimented. She turned her gaze at Max and smirked when she found the brunette was blushing.
"I take pictures of me, the world, everything." Max went on. "It may sound sad, but I have a blast."
"Doesn't sound that sad." Chloe chucked the rock across the street, hearing it clatter against the sidewalk on the other side.
"You know me. I'm happiest when I've got a great image in my lens. I'm not lonely, not afraid..." Max said. Her voice suddenly sounded smaller, far away.
"Now that is more inspiring." Chloe grinned. "I don't feel so totally hopeless anymore."
"Why would you feel hopeless?" Max asked.
It really has been a long time since we've talked... Chloe thought, and her expression fell once more. "That's a story for tomorrow, I think." she said a little too quietly, and tried to offer a reassuring smile. This wasn't how she planned the conversation going when they got back together.
Max gave her a strange look. One almost like she was... dissatisfied with Chloe's answer. She held it only for a few seconds before it disappeared and she seemed to return to her old self. "How is Joyce, by the way?" she said.
"Y'know, the same." Chloe said. "She's still working at the nursing home I told you about forever ago."
Max nodded. "And David? Last I heard, you two weren't on... the best of terms."
"We still butt heads every now and then, but we've worked things out." Chloe said. "When I dyed my hair and got the tattoo, he was furious. Complained to Joyce about it every chance he got. We, uh, got into a really bad argument that ended with him spending a few nights in a hotel."
"I can imagine how hard that was on Joyce." Max said sadly. Her eyes dropped to the sidewalk.
"Mom was a wreck. Finally, he called and we all said our apologies." Chloe smiled a bit. "When he came back, he eventually took the time to see where I was coming from when I was still getting used to..." She paused and started fiddling with her hands.
"William not being there and David taking his place?" Max guessed.
Chloe forced a smile. "There you go reading my mind like always, Caulfield."
"Hasn't been so long that I can't, Price." Max said.
Chloe's heart warmed at her words, its rapid beating picking up again just a bit. If Max was still the same girl she knew five years ago, then what made her join the Vortex Club? "Oh yeah? Then what am I thinking right now?"
"Hmm..." Max placed a finger to her chin and pursed her lips slightly, making Chloe laugh. "You're thinking about... how the hell I ended up in the Vortex Club."
Damn, she's good.
"Ah, well... Kinda..." Chloe said, rubbing the back of her neck. She wore an embarrassed smile.
"It's alright. I know you've heard things about us." Max said. "Can't escape rumors, especially on the first day."
"All I've heard is that you guys like to party and get wasted." Chloe partially lied. She kicked at the ground under her feet.
Max shook her head. "I can also still tell when you're lying." She scolded playfully. She leaned against the wall separating the dorm area from the school campus and crossed her arms. "We aren't as bad as everyone makes us sound. And Victoria's...er...nice."
Chloe pretended not to notice the rosy hue that made its way up Max's neck and relaxed against the wall beside her. "It doesn't really seem like your setting, though."
"That's what everyone says." Max said, and it came off as a little defensive. "But they're not seeing the whole thing. They're not seeing it how I see it."
"How do you see it?" Chloe asked.
Max looked up at Chloe and locked her gaze with hers. Chloe felt her breath catch in her throat. It'd been a long time since she'd been this close to Max and got to look at her this way. The same gentle brown doe eyes, chestnut hair that she always kept short, her freckles that Chloe once jokingly played connect the dots with... She swallowed subtly, setting her jaw.
At this proximity, Max could finally get a proper look at Chloe. Her blue hair contrasted beautifully with her pale complexion, and she still had that natural pout in her lips when her expression was neutral. She had the faint scent of weed in her breath and Old Spice soap on her clothes. Max could see the girl she left behind in those blue eyes. Beneath this punk shell was the old Chloe.
Max's mouth opened slightly, ready to break the seemingly stunned silence.
"Maxine, there you are!"
The duo immediately jumped apart and they looked towards where the voice was coming from. Up ahead, they could see Victoria making her way towards them and not appearing all that happy.
"You're supposed to be at the table!" Victoria said when she reached them, not seeming to notice Chloe standing right there.
"Sorry, I thought you could handle it on your own for a few minutes." Max said.
"What could be more important than the Vortex Club?" Victoria huffed.
"What's up?" Chloe finally spoke up, giving a half-assed wave.
Victoria looked over at Chloe and made a face that gave away her lack of interest in Chloe's existence. "Who are you?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.
"Chloe. And I'm guessing you're Victoria Chase." Chloe said, ready to mess with her.
"Hmph. Figures you know who I am." Victoria said. "Now if you would excuse us, Chloe, Maxine needs to return to the table and help us." She quickly latched onto Max's wrist and started leading her away. Max cast an apologetic look at Chloe.
"I'll see you tomorrow!" she called to her, waving.
"Yes you will!" Chloe said back, and smiled just a bit.
"How in the HELL do you know Maxine Caulfield?!"
Brooke, Kate, and Chloe were all seated in Kate's room, with Kate on the bed, Brooke right beside her, and Chloe on the couch on the opposite side of the room. After catching up with Max, she went to find them. They, of course, immediately dragged her back to the dorms for an explanation.
"It's...uh...kind of a long story." Chloe replied, staring at the floor. "Max and I were best friends five years ago. We met when we were three."
"Max? She used to go by that?" Kate asked in mixed shock and confusion.
"Wait, wait. You mean to tell me that you-" Brooke pointed at Chloe, "- and Maxine Caulfield-" Brooke pointed at the door, implying to Max being in another dorm room, "-used to be best friends?!"
"Why is that so hard to believe?" Chloe said. She picked her eyes up from the carpet to look at the two completely bewildered girls.
"She's...not...um..." Kate stumbled to find the right words. Seeing as she didn't swear, it wasn't exactly easy. "She's a little..."
"She's nearly as bitchy as Victoria!" Brooke voiced Kate's thought for her.
Chloe sat back and looked at Brooke skeptically. "I seriously doubt that." she said. "She was the same Max I knew when I lived here while we talked."
"Maybe she was nice to you because you have history with her." Kate said.
"Look, not to offend you guys or anything, but I've known Max for way longer than you have." Chloe said. "She wasn't a bitch then, and she isn't now."
"Chloe, it's been a while since you've last spoken to her right?" Kate said. "Do you really expect everything to be the same? I doubt you were like this when you were fourteen." Kate gestured to Chloe's blue hair, tattoo, and punk rock/delinquent sense of style.
She has a point, you know. She's saying basically the same thing as Rachel.
Yes, but I can't imagine Max being a bitch. A smartass, definitely. But not a bitch.
"I still don't believe you." Chloe said determinedly.
Brooke and Kate shared a seemingly sympathetic and concerned look. They didn't know how they'd get Chloe to understand what they were saying.
"Alright, Chloe." Brooke said, facing Chloe after a moment. "If you think you know Max so well still, then what's your reaction to her having a thing with Victoria, huh?"
"Don't forget Nathan." Kate added. "...And Trevor... And Taylor..."
Chloe sat there, eyes wide and mouth slightly ajar. Her fried brain tried to process their words at a mile a minute with little success. They're kidding, right? Max always said that she was interested in guys... She never had a girl crush when...
"No way." Chloe finally said.
"Yes way." Brooke said. "If I could tell you all the times we've seen Max sneaking out to go meet Nathan or whoever else she has on her body count list. And not just me and Kate. Everyone in this dorm has seen her."
"You're lying." Chloe gritted her teeth and gripped the arm of the couch tighter.
"She's also woken up a few people on a number of occasions when 'studying' with Victoria." Brooke said.
"Uh, Brooke? I think Chloe gets it." Kate said in a soft whisper, eyeing the bluenette worriedly.
Chloe was sitting upright, her pale face starting to turn red from suppressed anger. She could feel her nails digging into the arm of the couch and her nerves trembling from her forced self-control. She stood up, her hands clenched in fists, and said, "I'm getting tired, I'll see you guys tomorrow."
"Chloe-" Kate began.
Chloe didn't give her a chance, already storming out of the room and heading up the hall towards her own. She all but kicked the door open and slammed it closed once she was inside. She stood there in the middle of her room, taking labored breaths to try and calm herself down.
There's no way in hell what they're saying is true. she thought to herself. No way. If Max had changed that much, I would've noticed. I would've-
Her cell phone ringing interrupted her mental rant, which she found herself thankful for. She didn't want to be kicked out two days before classes started because she couldn't control her anger and damaged her room. She reached into her pocket and took out her phone to find that it was Rachel calling her. With a sigh she answered the phone.
"What?"
"Yikes, no need to bite my head off." Rachel said, wincing at Chloe's harsh tone.
Chloe sucked in a breath and shut her eyes, raising her hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. "Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean it."
"Considering you didn't text me like you promised and you sound ready to tear someone's throat out, I'm guessing you had a shit first day?" Rachel asked.
"No. No, today's been great." Chloe said.
"Then what's with the attitude?"
Chloe sighed heavily and made her way to her bed, plopping down on it and sitting forward while resting her elbows on her knees. "I kinda... ran into Max."
Chloe could practically see Rachel shooting bolt upright on her bed.
"And?"
Chloe bit her lip hard, clenching her fist and rolling her knuckles. She vented to Rachel everything that had occurred, from meeting Kate and Brooke to what they had to say about Max. Rachel listened intently, asking a question or making a comment every now and then. By the time she was finished, Chloe's eyes were stinging and she could feel her irritation growing again.
"Do they really expect me to believe that she's a... She's a..." Chloe stumbled.
"A slut? A bitch?" Rachel filled in for her.
"That's not who she is, Rach." Chloe defended. She felt her nails digging into her palm.
"Are you sure?"
Chloe didn't answer.
"Look, Che, you said you're going to lunch with her tomorrow, right?" Rachel said. "Just study her while you guys catch up. See what her mannerisms are towards others."
"I don't want to feel like I'm dissecting my friend, Rach." Chloe said.
"You're not. You're just seeing if everything that they're saying is true." Rachel assured her.
"It's weird."
"Do you want to know if she's the same Max or not?"
"She is." Chloe said.
"You can't keep telling yourself that forever." Rachel said, and somewhere inside Chloe knew she was right. "Not until you know for sure."
Chloe ran her hand through her hair and scratched at her scalp. "And what if she finds out and gets upset with me?"
"Then I guess you'll know the start of your answer."
Chloe stared at the floor in silence, setting and relaxing her jaw.
"I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"
A breath. "Yeah. Okay. G'night, Rach."
"Goodnight, Che."
Rachel clicked off and Chloe lowered the phone from her ear. She stared at the screen for a few moments before finally turning the phone screen off. Sluggishly, she made her way to her suitcase and unzips it to take out her t-shirt she used to sleep in. Chloe stripped our of her clothes down to her underwear and shrugged on the shirt.
We'll get our answer tomorrow.
I'm afraid of the answer.
Chloe sat on the bed and laid back, staring at the ceiling.
Tomorrow.
She turned over and reached to turn off the lamp by her bedside. Just before she could fall asleep, she heard the main door to the dorms open and close.
Second chapter done! I hope you guys enjoyed it. I really wish I could tell you guys everything I have planned for this story, but that would ruin the fun! Will you stick around for chapter 3?
CaptainVampireKing awaaay!