Misguided Ghosts
The kettle boiled as Max turned the handle of her coffee mill around in circles. Chloe still sleeping, Max looked down from the small counter where she was preparing coffee to look towards her bed and grimaced. Last night. It was amazing, and horrifying. She was right under my feet as I ripped off another person's head. Wowsers, this fucking sucks, Max thought as she absentmindedly snapped the handle of the mill. Groaning, Max opened the mill and sighed in slight relief at all the beans being ground into a rough powder. Taking the kettle off the stove top, Max poured both the grounds and the water into a small coffee press. Letting the steaming mixture sit, Max tossed the mill into the trash and made a note on the dry erase board tacked to the wall above the counter about buying another coffee grinder. Electric this time. My mind wanders and I break stuff. Good thing I didn't wander last night, Max thought as she thought back to what she labeled 'the good part' of last night, Need to be more careful with Che. People can be so damn fragile.
Pushing the plunger down, Max poured a cup of coffee for herself and another for Chloe. Walking over to the bed, Max quietly sat down the two steaming cups and looked at her sleeping, blue-haired angel. Max's eyes lit up as an idea popped into her head; grabbing her personal camera, an old Polaroid instant shot, Max sat at the foot of the bed and took a quick shot of the sleeping Chloe. Forgetting to cover the flash, the quick burst of light stirred Chloe, and Max watched with a bemused expression as the other girl squinted with a frown on her face.
"Did you just take my picture?" Chloe moaned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she stretched, "Not cool, Max."
"Oh shush," Max said as she got out of bed and wafted the coffee in front of Chloe's groggy face, "I come bearing gifts."
"Mmm," Chloe said, lifting herself up so that she could give Max a quick kiss before sitting up the rest of the way. Taking the coffee, Chloe took a sip and nearly coughed. "Wow, that's strong. What are you trying to do, Max, wake the dead?"
"Ugh. Chloe, stop," Max answered, seeing Chloe smile as she took another sip, "If I had known that being this way gave you so much ammo I would not have told you." Max poked Chloe gingerly in the side only to receive a "tsk, tsk" from the sleepy-eyed punk.
"Hey, no tickle with hot coffee in hands," Chloe said with a stern look on her face, "Unless you like me hot and wet."
Groaning, Max grabbed her coffee and walked back to the kitchen. Pouring in some cinnamon creamer, Max stirred her beverage before moving over to the living room. Max tried to look surprised as she saw Chloe already sitting on the chair. Smirking, Max sat down at the couch as she watched Chloe sip at her coffee. The two girls sat in silence for a couple minutes, the only audible sounds the sipping of beverages, and Max felt a sense of calm wash over her. She had spent an hour washing bloodstains off the roof, having washed herself up first, and had buried the trash bag full of bloody rags and mop heads deep in the woods outside Arcadia Bay before climbing into bed with Chloe. Max's attention drifted, and she didn't hear Chloe call out to her.
"Huh-what?" Max asked, sounding tired as she nearly tipped her coffee over from Chloe startling her.
"You okay, dude? You kinda spaced out," Chloe said, cringing at the strong coffee. Max watched as Chloe stood up and went over to pour some creamer in her coffee.
"Oh, sorry. Thinking about...about last night," Max said in reply. Technically, not a lie. Just not thinking only of what we did. Max felt her lips stretch into a small grin as she thought of Chloe in her arms, Chloe's taste on her lips. Max looked over at the corner she had pinned Chloe against and chuckled to herself when she saw her footprints where along the one painted wall. You came pretty close, Max Caulfield. How shitty is a self-congratulatory 'Hey, you didn't eat your best friend-slash-lover-whatever'? The answer is pretty shitty. Max looked over to Chloe and watched the other girl's face contort into a visage of anxiety as she looked down at the trash can. Walking over, Max watched Chloe back away a couple steps as Max looked into the trash can.
A single, drained IV bag sat at the bottom of the near-empty trash can. Sucked completely dry, you would not know it had been filled with blood if not for the identification strip taped on the side facing up. Silently cursing herself, Max sat her coffee down and looked at Chloe with a serious expression, the other girl looking at her with a hesitant stare.
"What the fuck, Max? I thought you said you didn't drink human blood," Chloe said, "You said it made you hella nuts and freakish."
"Chloe," Max said, sounding wounded, "I said in case of emergency. I only drank it because by the time we were done last night the hunger was so bad that the animal blood I had didn't do anything." Opening the freezer, Max gestured at the contents, "I drank an entire jug, Chlo, and it wasn't enough. I've never done this before, had sex. When my stomach kept growling, I knew that I would have to break into my emergency stash."
"Your stash? Jesus, Max, you make it sound like it's a goddamn drug," Chloe said, wincing at her own remark. Max caught the double meaning and arched an eyebrow.
"Yeah, you wouldn't know anything about that. A stash," Max said, growing irritated, "Yes, I drank it. I drank donated blood from a blood donor. I steal a few bags from hospitals or clinics because if something happens that needs me at my strongest I have to drink. I'm not fucking proud of it, Chloe. It's just part of who I am."
Max watched as Chloe mulled over their words, deep in thought. Feeling the tension between them, Max poured the remains of her coffee down the sink and walked over to her bedroom area, stripping her sleepwear off as she began to look through her clothes. Max was so fixated on what was in front of her that she didn't notice Chloe come up from behind. Max audibly yelped in shock as she felt two warm arms encircle her waist, and leaned back into Chloe's shoulder.
"You're clothes are way too fucking small for me," Chloe said, shifting her weight, "This shirt feels like it might choke me."
"So take it off," Max said, still a little grumpy. Max would have blushed if she could when Chloe dangled the shirt she had been wearing in front of Max's face as a reply, "Ugh, you tease."
Hearing Chloe chuckle, Max felt the taller girl's abdomen expand and contract as Chloe breathed. Closing her eyes, Max hung her arms loosely at her sides as she felt Chloe's heartbeat. Max wanted to record the sound of Chloe's heart, turn it into an MP3 that she could listen to on her phone.
"Hey," Max heard Chloe say from behind her, "I...I'm sorry for freaking. We're moving hella fast, and I'm still playing catch-up. Still mad at me?"
"You mad at me?" Max asked, her voice inquisitive.
"I'll always be a little mad at you," Chloe said with a grin as she kissed Max's ear, "But I'll also always be a little hot for you, too."
"...Is that another dead girl/live girl joke?" Max asked in a deadpan voice. Hearing a snicker from behind her, Max rolled her eyes and disengaged herself from Chloe as she began to pick out clothing for her coming day, "You dork. Go get dressed."
"Why?"
"I have to leave soon," Max said as she pointed to a small clock hung over the bathroom door, "I have to be at Blackwell soon."
Max heard Chloe's heart accelerate slightly and turned around. Half-dressed, Chloe stood stock-still as she held clutched at her pants. Curious, Max walked over and took a hold of Chloe's free hand.
"Uh, you okay?" Max asked, puzzled.
"I...I just don't really like Black-Hell, Max," Chloe said, snapping at the mention of the school.
"Oh. That's too bad. I was going to ask if you wanted to come with me," Max said as she began to get dressed.
"Why?" Chloe asked, confused.
"Just thought you'd like to spend some more time with me, that's all," Max said as she pulled a pair black jeans on. Pausing while she buttoned up the red and black plaid-patterned blouse, Max wondered what made Chloe dislike Blackwell so much. Max had heard nothing but sterling remarks about the local academy, a type of prep school that hovered somewhere between high school and college. Invited to be a guest photographer, Max's credentials had impressed the professor in charge enough that she was scheduled in twice a week as a 'consultant'. Let's hope they pay as well as they look, Max remembered thinking when she agreed to the freelance assignment.
"Well...," Chloe said as Max finished getting dressed, "I...I don't know..."
"Come on, Price," Max said, a teasing tone in her voice, "Don't be such a chickenshit."
"Hey, I am fucking hardcore, Suckface," Chloe said with a humph.
"Suckface?"
"...It's a work-in-progress," Chloe said as she pulled Max over to her by the waistline of the black jeans, "But you're my suckface, nerd."
"You're killing me, Che," Max said pointedly rolled her eyes at Chloe, wrapping her arms around the other girl in return, "I liked you better when you just said different versions of 'Max'."
Chloe smiled and leaned her forehead against Max's as the two stood in Max's bedroom area, arms wrapped around each other with their eyes closed in the peaceful silence. Max laid her head against Chloe's chest and listened to her friend's heartbeat as she felt Chloe slightly tighten her hold on Max. Clenching her small hands into fists, Max tugged on the back of Chloe's tank-top and pushed Chloe into her a little, relishing the sounds of Chloe's breathing and heartbeat. It's like music only I can really understand, Max thought as she smiled, A melody that only I can truly hear. A pang of remorse hit Max as Chloe's heartbeat made her think about how still her own was, with thoughts of her last night as a living human flashing across her mind.
"Whoa, Max. You're holding on there a little too tight," Max heard Chloe say, sounding like her breathing was strained, "Damn, ease up."
Max quickly withdrew from Chloe's arms and stood a few steps away, feeling shy as the moment of remembrance intermingled with how desperately she had clutched at Chloe. Ignoring Chloe's curious expression, Max knelt down and collected an old camera bag from underneath the rack of clothes. Moving about the apartment, Max collected a notebook, pens, one of her portfolios, and her old Polaroid camera. Slinging the bag over her shoulder, Max went back to her bedroom and pulled a still-packaged phone out. Turning the new phone on, Max flipped through the menu as Chloe watched, then handed the phone to Chloe.
"New number," Max said in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Are you okay-"
"Fine. Just spacing out, that's all," Max said, interrupting Chloe, "So, are you coming with or not?"
"Uh, sure. I guess," Chloe said, hesitant, "Got nothing better to do."
Only nodding in response, Max took back the offered phone and slid it into her camera bag. Absently checking her jean pockets for her keys, Max sighed when she heard them jingle as Chloe held them up behind her. Smiling faintly at Chloe, Max stood on her tip-toes and kissed the taller girl on the forehead, then pulled Chloe through the apartment and out the door. Chloe nearly tripped over her feet from the speed at which Max was walking, and yanked her hand back to balance herself against the railing of the steps that led down to where the scooter was located.
Max felt a moment of alarm as Chloe disengaged her hand from Max's and spun around to see that Chloe nearly fell down the stairs. Stupid!, Max thought, Control yourself, Max. Control. The events of last night, fueled more so by the small confrontation over her late-night dinner choices, only added to the anxiety she felt regarding her appearing at Blackwell.
"I'm sorry, Che. I'm just...just nervous. Really nervous. Hella nervous," Max said apologetically, her mouth shaped into a small pout.
"Dude, sometimes I don't think you know your own strength," Chloe said as she rotated the arm Max had been pulling on a couple times, "Thought you were going to dislocate my shoulder or something. And just relax, Maxaroni. You've got this."
Max's brow furrowed at Chloe mentioning the dislocating of her shoulder, Henri's face flashing before her eyes as she had essentially dismembered him with her bare hands. Shuddering, Max walked the rest of the way down the steps and to the scooter. Patting the part of the seat behind her, Max strapped on her helmet as she passed Chloe another one. Feeling the slight dip as Chloe took her seat behind Max, Max waited until Chloe had a hold of her before revving the Vespa's engine. Peeling out from the side of the apartment building, Max shot down the street toward Blackwell Academy with a grim look on her face. The more Max tried to not think about the sudden appearance of Henri, the colder Max felt herself become. She had wanted to come back to Arcadia Bay for Chloe, but also because she wanted to just be nerdy, photo-geek Max Caulfield. Max inadvertently gassed the engine harder as her frustration spiked, shouting "Sorry!" behind her as she felt Chloe lurch in her seat for a second.
Pulling into the small space of Blackwell's visitor parking that was reserved for motorcycles and similar vehicles, Max noticed with chagrin how quickly Chloe hopped off the scooter. Catching the helmet handed to her in the chest, Max looked up at Chloe with an irritated look.
"I said I was sorry, Chlo," Max said, "M-my foot slipped, honest." Lie.
"I don't think that I'll be riding along with you once you take me home," Chloe said, her voice a little unnerved, "I nearly became a street decoration."
"Hey. I said I was sorry," Max said, her face a mask of worry, "A-are you mad at me?"
"What? No, just a little shook up. I don't do road accidents very fucking well, Max," Chloe said with a sigh, her shoulders slumped over as she looked down at the pavement.
William, Max thought as she stowed away the helmets and re-secured the camera bag's strap over her shoulder. Unzipping her leather jacket down a few inches, Max ruffled her head as she remembered how broken Chloe had looked when the police had come. Joyce spent a couple days in the hospital. I stayed with Chloe in her house, my parents coming by a couple times to check in. William never came back. Placing a hand on Chloe's cheek, Max looked up at the crestfallen girl standing in front of her, Chloe's tough shell momentarily split open to reveal the wounded girl inside.
"We can talk about it after I'm done here, if you want," Max said softly, "It'll only be an hour, hour and a half."
"Yeah, sure," Chloe said sullenly.
Taking Chloe's hand, Max walked them up the steps and onto the main courtyard of Blackwell Academy. The students gathered in small groups, others alone with their thoughts, Max thought that the school seemed nice. I could've gone here, Max thought, Well, maybe. Max gazed around as she gently escorted Chloe across the grassy pavilion and smiled when she saw a familiar figure waving her over. Taking her time with Chloe, Max nodded at Dana in greeting as she saw the girl approach the two of them.
"Max! You're the guest photographer? Oh, this is so cool!" Dana said as she gave Max a hug, then looked over at Chloe with a concerned look, "Uh, Chloe, are you okay?"
"Hmm? Yeah, I'm fine," Chloe said softly as she looked up, then straightened herself, "Oh, hey Dana. What's up?"
"Just telling Max how excited I am that she's going to be our guest in class! You tagging along?" Dana asked, her eyebrow arched.
"I'm-" Chloe started, only to be interrupted by Max.
"She's my assistant," Max said, looping her arm around Chloe's, "I need some help with production, processing, you know. Chloe's good to have around."
Max watched Chloe blush as the taller girl scratched at her beanie while looking away. Getting a giggle from Dana, Max looked over at the girl behind Juliet that was eyeing her.
"Uh, hey. I'm Max," Max said, offering her hand to the other girl. Max watched the other girl eye the hand, then slowly reach out to shake hands, "You a friend of Dana's?"
"...Kind-of. I'm Juliet," the girl said bluntly, getting a look from Dana.
"Kind-of?" Max asked, "You seem awfully close to each other for 'kind-of'."
"I told you I've never had anything to do with Zachary," Dana blurted out to Juliet, the other girl crossing her arms. Max immediately wished she hadn't said anything, but Chloe's head perked up at the mention of the boy's name.
"Did you say Zachary?" Chloe asked Dana.
"Uh, yeah. Why?" Dana asked, both her and Juliet giving Chloe a funny look.
"Well, I overheard Bitchtoria at the lighthouse yesterday. She was talking about screwing around with you two, something to do with Zachary...," Chloe said, thinking back to the lighthouse, "She sounded pretty fucking proud of herself."
Dana and Juliet shared a look at each other, both girls rolling their eyes simultaneously. Maybe it's a good thing I didn't ever get a chance to attend this school, Max thought as she watched the scene play out. Juliet and Dana hugged while making remarks about Victoria and snickered at Chloe's re-naming her "Bitchtoria". Dana was about to speak up again when Max gave her an apologetic smile.
"Sorry, but we've got to sign in and grab our visitor passes," Max said as she backed up the steps that lead to the main building, "It's nice to meet you, Juliet. Dana, don't forget your appointment with me, okay?" Getting nods in reply, Max spun around and gently tugged on Chloe as they passed through the double doors into the school.
"You okay?" Chloe asked as she saw Max's irritated look.
"Drama. Ugh."
"Ah. Simpler times?" Chloe asked, elbowing Max in the side playfully.
"Fire bad, tree pretty," Max said in a grunt, chuckling, "Crap, did it look like I was blowing them off?"
"Nah. You looked like an awkward little shit," Chloe said with a smirk.
"Wow, Mom, you're so fucking nice."
"You kiss her with that mouth?" Chloe asked, taking the bait.
"I'll do more than kiss youif you don't watch it," Max said as she relinquished Chloe's arm, gesturing toward the administrator's office, lightly slapping Chloe on the butt as the taller girl walked past.
"Max Caulfield, we are in an institution of high learning! Behave, you fangy fuck!" Chloe said in mock admonishment with a grin.
"Higher learning."
"No, high. At least half the students here bake, dude."
Max signed in both herself and Chloe, getting another pass from the office secretary before ushering Chloe back out into the hallway. Max and Chloe turned the corner when Chloe froze as she saw a figure approaching from down the hall. David locked eyes with Chloe and increased the tempo of his step until he was only a couple feet away. Max watched David grab her by the arm and pull Chloe to the side of the hallway and restrained herself from doing anything stupid in the hallway. Walking over to where Chloe and David were in a heated, but quiet, discussion, Max silently moved to stand alongside Chloe.
"-never mind that you disappear at all hours of the night, but you take off and your mother only gets a brief word from...from her, I take it? Show some respect, Chloe," David said, jabbing a finger into Chloe's chest, "Joyce was worried sick."
"She has my number, David, so clearly she wasn't worried enough to call me. Or is it that you need to know every goddamn aspect of my life? I was hanging out with my friend," Chloe said, gesturing at Max who felt increasingly uncomfortable.
"Oh, yeah? You actually have a friend? And what were you doing last night with your friend, Chloe? Smoking grass, getting drunk again?" David asked, his voice getting heated as Chloe stared him down. Max was about to take a step back when what Chloe said took the metaphorical air out of her lungs.
"Her," Chloe said simply, crossing her arms as David looked at her in confusion.
"...What?" David said, trying to make sense of Chloe's answer.
"You want to know so goddamn bad," Chloe barked as she ignored Max's repeated tugs on her jacket sleeve, "I was doing her."
David's jaw dropped for a second before he regained his composure. Thank you, inability to blush. God, Chloe, you just had to say that! Urgh!, Max thought as she saw Chloe smile mischievously at David. David was still flabbergasted, no words able to escape him as his jaw opened and closed. Max watched Chloe as her face reddened, Now you realize what you said? flashing across Max's mind, and pulled Chloe down the hall at breakneck speed.
"Slow down, Maximilian!" Chloe said, barely able to keep her feet under her.
"Goddamnit, Chloe Price, you don't fucking talk about our goddamn shit like that because it's so personal and I'm fucking pissed-" Max started, only to clamp her mouth shut as she realized nearly every student in the hall was watching them. "We are going to be having a long, long, conversation after I'm done here."
Max heard Chloe audibly gulp, her heartbeat increasing, and thought to herself Good, be fucking scared. That was my first time ever, Chloe, and you used it as ammunition! And you call me Suckface? You're a...a suckass! Releasing her hold on Chloe a few steps from the door, Max took a moment to compose herself and glared at Chloe from over her shoulder. Watching her tall friend visibly wilt a little made Max feel bad, but Chloe had pissed her off so Max wasn't in as much of a caring mood as she would normally be. Taking in air and exhaling the deep breath, Max felt herself calm down enough that she could comfortably enter the classroom.
"Ah, right on time," Mark Jefferson said to Max as he walked over to the doorway, hand outstretched. Max flashed him a grin, maybe still a little pissed, and hastily shook the offered hand. Feeling herself grip the teacher's hand too hard, Max quickly let Jefferson's hand go. "Wow, you've got quite the grip, Ms. Caulfield."
"Please, just Max. Thank you for inviting me, Mr. Jefferson," Max said, trying to sound cheerful.
"Nonsense! You're a native to Arcadia Bay, an independent photographer with experience, and the winner of last year's Everyday Heroes contest. It seemed a natural choice," Jefferson asked as he helped Max unload her materials from the camera bag that now sat on a small desk, separated from the others. "Oh," Jefferson said as he noticed a tall, blue-haired girl standing awkwardly in the doorway with a downcast look, "Didn't you go here last year? Miss...?"
"Price. Chloe Price. I'm Max's...I'm her...," Chloe started, looking at Max apologetically as she mouthed I'm sorry. Sighing, Max closed her eyes and walked over to take a hold of one of Chloe's hands.
"She's with me," Max said, with an irked tone, "A production assistant. We're starting out temporary, see how things go." Max snickered as Chloe looked at her with wide eyes. Yeah, you try and figure out what I meant by that, you big blue-haired jerk. Tugging the crestfallen Chloe over to the desk, Max took a seat on it and pulled her hair up into a ponytail with one of her bracelets as Jefferson quieted the class down. Max looked at the students with an examining eye. Noticing the quiet, sad-looking girl near the back of the room, Max waved at her with a small smile. Seeing the girl blush before giving a small wave in return, Max thought she looked sweet. Nodding at the other students as she was introduced, Max noticed two girls sitting in the back that were staring at her with their eyes wide open.
"-and so as you might guess, Max here is not only a burgeoning member of the indie photography scene but is also, pointedly for this class, the winner of last year's Everyday Heroes contest. A native of Arcadia Bay, Max has traveled all over. Max, would you like to share some of the places you've shot with the class?"
"Sure," Max said, sliding down from the desk to take control of the small projector that was occupying a corner of the desk she had been sitting on. Flipping through the slides, Max found one that caught her attention and a few murmurs from the class. "This shot, sunset on the River Thames, highlights the way the light plays off not only the river, but across the exteriors of both Big Ben and Parliament. If you examine the-"
"Excuse me," the quiet girl from the back said as she raised her hand, getting a vicious look from the girls sitting across the room from her, "Where did you take the shot from? It's such a great angle."
"I'm sorry, what's your name?" Max asked, scooting back onto the desk, placing a hand on the projector to prevent it from falling over.
"Kate Marsh," Kate said in a gentle tone.
"Well, Kate, I climbed onto the London Eye and took, oh, dozens of shots," Max said casually.
"What do you mean climbed? And I'm Victoria Chase, bee-tee-dub," one of the mean-looking girls said with a smirk, "We've already met."
"Uh, okay," Max said, looking at Chloe in confusion as she mouthed Do I know her? Watching Chloe mouth back I'll tell you later, Max turned back to the students. "Of course, I just mean I climbed in. I don't know anybody who has climbed the London Eye."
Watching Victoria cross her arms over her chest with a smug expression, Max stuttered before continuing her discussion. Even Victoria grew silent as Max showed different locales every few slides. The Kremlin, The Red Square, Akihabara Station in Tokyo, the Grand Canyon, Max watched out of the corner of her eyes as Chloe frowned with each new destination shown. Aww, Chloe. I'll take you places, too. Don't be sad, Che. We'll have adventures of our own. Concluding the slide show with a stop-motion sequence of her skydiving that she had recorded with a helmet camera, Max switched off the projector and handed Jefferson one of her portfolios.
"Max has been kind enough to lend us a copy of her main portfolio. Inside, you'll see dozens of pictures like the ones we just looked at, as well as some modeling shots...?" Jefferson finished, looking at Max expectantly.
"Uh, sure. There's modeling shots in there. Mostly what people call 'alternative', but they're there," Max said as she noticed the slight upturn of Jefferson's lips. Ew, creeper.
Jefferson asked the students if they had any questions for Max when the bell rang. Closing her eyelids, Max rolled her eyes in relief. Thank. Dog. What have I signed myself up for? They're like a few steps away from a Battle Royale moment. Thanking Mr. Jefferson for the opportunity of helping out at Blackwell, Max gestured for Chloe to come help her gather her small collection of things as the students left.
"Ugh, kill me now," Max said when only the two of them were in the classroom, "Why did I decide to do this? Do you know?"
"You're possibly a sadomasochist?" Chloe asked with a smirk, "Doesn't that come with the whole 'minion of the night' shtick?"
"I'm nobody's minion, thank you very much," Max said as she shouldered her camera bag, "And I'm sorry for snapping. That was seriously not cool, though, Che. Out in the hall with that guy. Who the hell is he?"
"I'm sorry, Max. It was an asshole thing to do. As for the douche, he's my stepdouche," Chloe explained as she bumped her head against Max's softly in apology. Tilting her head up slightly, Max kissed Chloe on the forehead and tilted her chin up.
"Your step-dad is the head of Blackwell's security?" Max asked incredulously, "Is he why you didn't want to come here?"
"Part of it," Chloe replied, looking away, "We can talk about it some other time. I'm hella starved and haven't eaten anything yet today. What's say we-"
"So. Max Caulfield." Max looked over Chloe's shoulder to see Victoria Chase leaning against the doorway, one hand on her hip. "Aren't you a little hot shit. When you're not being a complete freak, that is."
"Uh, is there something I can help you with?" Max asked with a quizzical expression. What the hell did I do to her?
"If you know what's good for you, you'll quit this job," Victoria snapped, eyeing Max and Chloe's intertwined fingers, "You're a low-talent shit with awful taste in women. I'd hate for this class to be dragged through your garbage."
"You're a student, not some pro photog," Max said in bewilderment, "Have you even been published? Have you ever presented your work in a gallery?"
Max felt a surge of satisfaction as Victoria stammered, then turned around and stormed out of the doorway. The door having been slammed behind her, Max laughed in the now-quiet classroom.
"Wowsers. I thought she looked kinda snobbish, but Jesus fuck," Max said, still somewhat bewildered. Looking over at Chloe, Max noticed she was moving towards the door. "Where you going?"
"I...I just need some air," Chloe said, her tone neutral, "Be back in a few."
Shrugging, Max sat back down on the desk and began to play with her phone. Feeling her stomach growl as she checked email, Max pulled a flask bottle out of her jacket pocket and uncapped the small container. Tilting her head back, Max sucked down the entire bottle in a single gulp, feeling herself a little more energized than she had been a moment ago. I needed that. This little thing comes in pretty handy, less obvious than a freaking sports bottle, Max thought as she cracked the knuckles of one hand while scrolling through her phone with the other, I should have known that Chloe would get upset at all the pictures I picked for the slide show. Nice one, dumbass. I'm still pissed over the crap she pulled with her step-dad, though. Not cool, Chloe Price. Not cool.
Max noticed as she glanced at the time on her phone that it had been a good five minutes since Chloe had left the classroom. Curious, Max stepped out into the hall as the students left the hall for their next class. Staring down the hall with a searching eye, Max saw no sign of Chloe. Closing her eyes, Max tilted her head slightly. Listening while sniffing the air, Max picked up on a smell of pot smoke and hair dye. Max heard angry whispers coming from somewhere ahead, opening her eyes as she began to walk toward the hallway that lead out of the building. Max stopped in her tracks when she saw Chloe sprint across the hallway ahead with a boy trailing behind. Worried, Max looked for a second to make sure no one was watching and sprinted forward, making it to the double doors in a few seconds. Looking across the courtyard for visible signs of Chloe, Max saw a head of blue hair running down the sidewalk in front of Blackwell with someone in pursuit.
Deciding to cut both people off, Max ran across the courtyard at a more acceptable speed for a public place and made her way into a small breezeway. Turning her head, Max felt herself begin to tense up as the concern for Chloe grew. Making sure she was alone, Max climbed up the wall of the building on the other side of the breezeway and leaped across the roof, looking down at the sidewalk. Catching up to Chloe and the boy, Max slid down the other side of the building and sprinted through the brush to a small park area on the other side of the school's campus. Seeing the path wind out from where she was to the sidewalk, Max moved forward in controlled steps as Chloe came around the corner.
"Max!" Chloe shouted in surprise, her smile disappearing as she saw the angry expression on Max's face, "Max, let's just go-"
"You don't get away from me that easy, Bitch! You think that anybody would believe your bullshit, you fucking dyke?!" Max heard a masculine voice say as the boy turned the corner. "Oh, what the fuck is this, your girlfriend? She looks about as strong as a fucking twig."
Max smelled something metallic emanating from the boy's direction. Watching the way the his clothes swayed, Max picked up on something heavy weighing down his jacket from the inside. Acting instinctively, Max was face-to-face with the boy in a heartbeat, picking him up by the throat with one hand. Shaking him, Max waited for whatever it was he had to drop, and let him go when the gun began to fall from inside his jacket. Ducking down quickly, Max caught the gun before it could hit the pavement, but not before it went off. Max felt the force with which she had caught small weapon, the impact it had made when colliding with her hand. Max didn't see whether she had caught a finger near the trigger or what; all she could feel was the moment of shock as something ripped into her. He had a round in the chamber, Max thought as she stared at the boy's changing expression. Seeing the boy's eyes go wide, Max let him run off as Chloe came running up from behind her.
"You keep saving my life, I'm gonna think you actually fucking like me, Max...Oh, fuck!" Chloe said as she looked at Max in horror.
The bullet had been fired at point-blank range, and Max winced as she picked at the hole in the side of her jacket. Feeling the bullet still inside her, Max cringed as blood began to dribble down the leather, a red that was nearly black. Max looked up at Chloe and tried to smile before realizing that Chloe looked like she might throw up.
"C-calm down, Chloe. Just...just breathe, alright?" Max asked, chuckling at the humor of her being shot in the side and asking someone to take deep breaths, "It's not as bad as it looks."
"How are you still standing?" Chloe asked, in shock.
"Hi, I'm Max. I'm a vampire, remember?" Max said back with a sarcastic tone as she stuck a finger into the hole. Max heard Chloe gag and muttered "Turn the fuck away, then" as she felt the bullet with the tip of her finger. Wincing from the pain, Max pushed her finger in until it was past the bulled, bending the knuckle down and dragging the bullet out the way it came in. Slowly, methodically, Max moved the bullet until she heard a satisfying ping as the piece of metal drop onto the sidewalk. Picking up the bullet, Max stuffed it into a pocket in her jeans and gingerly walked over to Chloe, who was leaning against a tree.
"I think you better have your mom come get us in your truck or something," Max said with a grimace as she shifted the jacket around so that the hole was not as visible.
"Uh, sure. Lemme...lemme...," Chloe said as she began to stare off into space. Crying out in pain as she caught the collapsing Chloe, Max felt the wound even more as Chloe landed on it.
"Crap crap crap," Max said as she laid Chloe gently on the grass. Fishing through Chloe's pockets, Max pulled out the unconscious girl's phone and called Joyce. "Oh, hey Joyce. Umm, Chloe passed out and I was wondering if you could come get us? Uh, nuh-uh, I don't know why she collapsed, but I'll see if I can wake her up? What? Nah, I don't think she needs the hospital. She'll probably be awake before you even get here? Ten minutes? That's fine. Okay. See you soon, then. Bye."
Ending the call, Max stuffed the phone back in Chloe's jacket pocket and began to gently shake Chloe. Not getting a response initially, Max reached into her bag and pulled out a water bottle she had packed for the punk girl in case she was thirsty while they were at Blackwell. Screwing the lid off, Max winced as she lifted up her arm and poured the water directly onto Chloe's face. Hearing Chloe cough as she spat out the water that made its way to her mouth, Max laid down on the ground next to Chloe as the other girl began to come to. What are you up to, Chloe, and why were you messing with a kid packing a gun? Max closed her eyes as her stomach growled and she wished it was dawn already.
Author's Note - By Max catching the gun and causing it to accidentally discharge, I am implying that her strength is equitable to the force of impact against a concrete sidewalk. Some reviews and some questions brought up the puzzlement of a gun discharging before hitting the ground, so I thought I would elaborate.