Bad Reputation
Max didn't talk to Chloe as Joyce drove them through Arcadia Bay. Arms crossed, Max was trying to hide the bullet hole while not screaming from the pain, looking out the window of the pickup truck as a distraction from the heartbreaking look on Chloe's face. Max knew the look was there, she caught a glimpse of it as they had climbed in the truck.
"I'm so goddamn sorry, Max. I-I fucked up," Chloe had whispered as they walked towards Joyce, Chloe's mother having driven up to Blackwell in Chloe's truck. "I can explain-"
"Don't," Max said, interrupting Chloe with a raised hand, "I really don't want to talk right now, Chloe. I just want to go to my place, drink, and sleep."
"Well, maybe I can play Nurse Chloe-"
"Alone."
That had been the extent of their conversation from the moment Chloe had come to from having passed out to their truck ride. Max could feel the eyes of both Price women as they looked over at her in silent concern, but a large part of her could care less. She hated, hated, getting shot. Max always felt that she never healed right after taking a bullet. Sliding her hand down, Max gingerly put a finger through the jacket hole and felt the spongy texture as her body began to knit itself back together. I'll have to down another IV bag, Max thought as she rolled her eyes, Maybe two. That, or one bag mixed with a couple bottles of my usual stuff. A bag and a bottle it is.
Watching as Joyce pulled up to the front of her building, Max climbed out of the truck with a muttered "Thanks" and grabbed her camera bag from the truck bed. Hearing the truck door open and close shortly after her, Max decided to let Chloe follow her. She wanted to hear what Che had to say, despite part of her beginning to regret coming to Arcadia Bay. I'll never be safe. Not anywhere. When they were out of Joyce's line of sight, Max spun around came face-to-face with Chloe Price in a single move. While Max's expression was one of suppressed anger, her eyes gave away the pain and made it harder for Chloe to look at her.
"Chloe," Max said in a neutral tone, "Look at me."
"No, Max, this was a mistake," Chloe said with a regretful tone, "I should have stayed in-"
"Chloe," Max said, her lips pressed against Chloe's ear, "Look at me." Chloe shook from the worry and anxiety, her glance one of abject grief as she looked at Max.
"I'm sorry, Max. I didn't mean for you to get involved," Chloe said, quickly looking back down at her feet.
"He had a gun, Chloe. A gun. Are you crazy?" Max asked, wincing with every other word, "I got shot. If I were still...still alive, how differently do you think this would have gone down?"
Max waited for an answer but Chloe didn't speak up. Moving to lean against the wall, Max coughed for a second before spitting out a small spray of dark liquid, cringing at the taste of her own blood. Whatever this crap is now, anyway. Wiping her mouth off with the sleeve of her destroyed jacket, Max gave a disgusted sigh and looked over at Chloe. The taller girl stood in place, watching Max silently as she fidgeted with her hands. Shaking her head in exasperation, Max walked over to where Chloe was standing and hesitantly put a hand on Chloe's shoulder, eliciting a look of mild optimism from her friend.
"I'm still fucking pissed, Chlo," Max said in a stern voice, shutting the pain away, "I...I'm going need you to leave me be for a bit. I need time to heal, and to decompress. You pulled a lot of crap today, y'know."
Seeing Chloe nod sullenly, Max lightly squeezed the other girl's hand and headed up the steps. Hearing Chloe walk up a couple of the steps behind her, Max stopped and turned her head to the side, eyeing Chloe.
"I'm serious, Chloe. Go home."
Max didn't listen to whatever Chloe might have said in return. As the pain began to return to the forefront of her mind, the only things that crossed Max's mind were the bullet wound, Henri, and blood. Grabbing her keys from out of her pocket, Max hurriedly unlocked the door and went inside. I think if I see that look on her face one more time I might just forgive her without even thinking. I want to, but whatever she has going on ended with me getting shot, Max thought as she walked out of the hallway and into her apartment. Leaving the lights off, Max easily made her way through the darkened space, peeling off her jacket and top. Tossing the ruined clothes in the trash can as she made her way to the kitchen, Max opened the fridge and pulled out her sports bottle. Uncapping the bottle, Max paused as she was about to drink the entire container dry. The hunger pangs wouldn't be satisfied from just a bottle of the stuff, Max knew, and the human blood she did have was too much of a temptation. Putting the untouched bottle back into the fridge, Max opened the freezer door and pulled out a full jug of her animal cocktail. The jug was a gallon in size, like all the others, the type you would see in the dairy isle of a grocery store. Max thought about all the mornings she had cereal with Chloe, how she had caught a quick glimpse at the still-present cereal in Chloe's house. The small smile that had formed on Max's face turned into a thin line as the bullet wound sent another tremor of pain through her body.
Popping the cap off of the jug, Max put the opening to her mouth and tipped the jug. Mouthful after mouthful, Max swallowed the entire container down until she was licking at the rim of the jug before adding it to the waste in her garbage. Wiping the slight dribble off her chin and licking it up, Max chuckled to herself. Messy eater, Max Caulfield. Then again, I kinda always have been. Looking down in the trash can, Max saw the red stain in the jug and stared for a moment. Images from last night flooded her mind and Max felt her anger begin to build up. This was one of the things she didn't like about being a vampire, all her emotions jumping up in intensity. Mad became rage, and hunger was intermixed with lust. Max felt her body begin to shake as hot tears cascaded from her eyes.
Smearing the bloody tears as she wiped her face, Max started to sob as she stood alone in the darkened apartment. Gritting her teeth, Max's sobs began to give way to growls and low screams. Max clenched and relaxed her hands, ignoring the burning pain in her side as the burning pain inside of her from the past two days began to overwhelm Max. Letting loose one final scream, Max flung the couch against the wall, a loud crack as the wood broke from the impact against the brick. Walking over to the broken piece of furniture, Max took a sizable piece of what had been her couch and smashed against the wall until she was holding a wooden stump. Tossing the stump, Max punched the wall and felt the brick give way slightly as her hand broke. Max screamed again, falling to her knees at the horror of being shot and of having to kill again.
Max's voice became hoarse after a few minutes until she could no longer speak. Still shuddering, Max slowly stood up and surveyed the carnage done to her apartment. One couch gone, one wall beat to shit. Blood on the floor in small little drips. My blood. Blood like up on the roof. Blood on my hands. Max felt her body's healing accelerate a slight amount as she turned and made her way to the bed, wincing from both the bullet wound and her now-broken hand. Not even bothering to clean herself up first, Max crawled into bed and covered herself up completely with the bedding as she went into her own little hibernation.
"Your name is Max, right? You need to calm down, child."
Max didn't know who this person was, but he looked like a brute. Tribal tattoos lining his arms, his one redeeming feature was that his face seemed kind, albeit in a sad way. Max's moment of clarity faded as she began to hear heartbeats from somewhere nearby, and someone's panicked breathing.
"Shit, Henri! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-"
"Shut it, you little fuck! You were supposed to bring dinner, not another mouth to feed! You turned her, take some responsibility!"
At the word "turn" the gears in Max's head that were still able to process information, despite her inescapable hunger, clicked together. The coldness, the hunger, the fucking rage...Max thought as she looked up at the man who had been called Henri.
"Am I...am I...?" Max asked, her voice shaky.
"You were dead, and now you are not. You will need to feed soon, if the little shit who made you can-"
Max moved so fast that Henri cursed when he realized what was going to happen. Max pounced on the boy who had led her in to the abandoned building. Feeling his fists flail as she latched onto his chest with her hands, Max ignored the small bursts of pain as she slammed him into a nearby wall. Max heard the thudding sounds become crunching noises, but she didn't care. By the time Henri decided to reel her back in, the boy who had turned Max was nothing more than a bloody wreck of a body.
"Please," the boy managed to rasp, coughing up blood as something pink oozed from behind his ear, "I'm sorry. Please. Please stop."
"D-d-do you evenknow my name?" Max asked in a guttural tone.
When the boy couldn't answer, Max screamed as she pushed his head onto the ground with a bloody sneaker and crushed his skull beneath her foot. Panting, Max looked over as Henri stood nearby. Watching the man observe her, Max wiped some of the dead vampire's blood of her face as she instinctively took in a deep breath.
"I...I'm hungry," Max had said, letting Henri guide her somewhere that wasn't where she had died.
Max woke up on Wednesday, nearly two full days later. Bleary-eyed, Max didn't even realize how long she had been asleep as she made her way to the bathroom, sticky with blood on her side and collected between the fingers of her healed hand. Ugh, I feel leaden. My body is so stiff, Looking in the mirror above the sink, Max examined the smooth, bloody skin where the bullet wound had been. Twisting her torso around some, Max felt a slight pop before her range of motion became satisfactory to her. Brushing her teeth first, Max used her other hand to mess with her hair, oblivious to her appearance. She had been bloody before, and as she was alone it truthfully meant little to her. Once her teeth were clean, Max stripped down and showered. It feels like I'm rinsing off layers and layers of junk, Max thought as the scalding water hit her small form like rain, I'll be good and refreshed for today. By the look of it, though, I'll still need to pack something to eat if I want to go out. I need a better sleep schedule.
Having finished her daily hygiene, Max changed into a comfortable gray hoodie and blue jeans before checking the pockets of her discarded jeans for her phone. Max's eyes opened a little wider when she saw the date on the lock screen. I slept through Monday evening, Tuesday, and most of today? For cereal? Max rolled her eyes and opened up the messenger app to scroll through text after text. Max grimaced, coming to the folder marked "Chloe" and clicked on it. The list of messages was like a litany, text bubble after text bubble. Max felt her heart sink a little as Chloe's messages went from apologetic and pleading to sarcastic and bitter. The last few hit her the hardest, however, as she read them to herself.
Chloe: This is such bullshit, dude. I said I was sorry.
Chloe: U won't talk? Fine. Not the first time, rite?
Chloe: This is why I don't trust people, Max. U all bail.
"You stubborn, angsty shit," Max muttered as she stuffed the phone into her pocket, only to pull it back out and send Dana a quick text informing her that she had been in an accident and would have to reschedule. Max walked over to the kitchen, and having grabbed her familiar sports bottle, Max took a long drink and began to collect the debris left in her wake from late Monday afternoon. Slowly walking down the steps and over to where the dumpster was, Max started with the largest pieces of the couch and finished with a bag containing the splinters. Closing her eyes as she leaned against the dumpster, Max took another drink from the sports bottle before walking back up to her apartment. Max had barely stepped out of the hallway when a knock at the door caught her attention. Shaking her head in mild irritation, Max responded with "Hang on!" and made her way back to the door.
"Who is it?" Max asked calmly, popping her neck and knuckles as she shook herself back to alertness.
"It's Joyce, Max. I thought we could talk."
"Uh, sure. Hang on," Max said as she unlocked the door and let Chloe's mother in. Shit.
Offering Joyce the chair, Max took a seat on a stool she dragged from the kitchen and watched as Joyce's gaze wandered across the apartment. Max's rolled her eyes as her stomach growled, drawing the attention of a grinning Joyce. Oh shit, do I feed in front of her? Just a sip, maybe? I always wake up hungry, daytime not making things any better. Ugh. Taking the bottle off the coffee table, Max gingerly took a small mouthful, fighting the urge the drain the entire liter. One drink always made Max realize how hungry she had been. Setting the bottle on the floor next to her feet, Max checked to make sure she didn't have any on her face before looking in Joyce's direction.
"What was in that?" Joyce asked, curious, "You sure did seem to like it."
"Oh, uh, a protein shake," Max said, "Cherry-flavored." Dumbass.
"Oh. I don't see the appeal of that stuff. Can't be very filling," Joyce said with a shrug.
"Depends on what's in it, really. So, um, what brings you here Joyce?" Max asked, guessing what the answer would be. Chloe, but I'm guessing you came here on your own.
"Well, Chloe doesn't know I'm doing this but I wanted to come and talk to you myself."
"Oh." Called it.
"I can't imagine what the past few years have been like for you. Chloe let loose some things that she learned since you've been back, but only in small bits and pieces."
"Like what?" Max said, leaning forward. Chloe Price, what the hell did you tell her? 'Oh, Mom, btw my bff drinks blood and we had hella fucking hardcore sex and I told David in the hallway of Blackwell Academy'. Actually, that sounds funnier than it should.
"Well, this place is pretty nice, Max."
"The rent is cheap, and most of the appliances and furniture are secondhand or stuff I salvaged from scrap."
"Well, it's nice. But what concerns me is Chloe. She's barely left Arcadia Bay, Max, let alone stayed any place else for a period of time longer than a couple of days and she sounded miserable when she told me about the pictures you had from all over. Combining that with whatever else you two have going on, she's been even more of a worry than usual. She went through all the phases after William died and you left: bad boys, tattoos, piercings, drugs. Blue hair. When you came back last week I actually saw her genuinely smile for the first time in ages, and I know that you two are becoming more than friends. Whatever it is that has you so upset, you haven't talked to her in days and she's regressing back into herself. She thinks you're abandoning her again."
"I told her I needed some time, Joyce. A lot has happened since I've been back, and we've been...butting heads, I guess."
"Well, you need to talk to her, listen to what she has to say. Whatever it was that happened, she feels terrible for her part. She's barely left her room since we got home from dropping you off on Monday. Will you come back with me, talk to her?"
Max grew quiet for a moment, looking towards the kitchen. Taking another sip from her bottle, Max felt the slight rumble of her stomach being overpowered by the mixed feelings that she currently had towards Chloe. This is all so fast. I'm scared I'll hurt her, but I'm even more scared of losing her. This sucks. Coming to a decision, Max cleared her throat as she looked back at Joyce.
"Tell her...tell her I will meet her at the lighthouse," Max said solemnly.
"I will relay your message, hun. You've got a good heart, Max, but you two always gave each other the silent treatment when you got into arguments as kids. You're both adults now, so you need to start facing your differences."
Max nodded with a wry grin. Technically, I'm an immortal teenager. I'm working on that, though. It's a thing.
Watching Joyce leave in Chloe's truck through an open window, Max quickly locked up the apartment and walked to her Vespa. Max knew she had to be careful of how much physicality she used in such a small town, and to especially conserve it during the daytime hours. Thinking about how much she had limited herself since coming back, Max thought back to the feeling of absolute liberation she had experienced in her early days as a vampire.
Max didn't miss the near-constant bloodlust, sometimes the fact that she drinks blood makes her skin crawl, but Seattle at night was like an obstacle course. Leaping, sprinting, climbing - Max had tore through the city time and time again for hours the first few days with a grin stuck on her face. There were no limits to her anymore; her shy, cliche personality had given way to a confident young woman. There had also been consequences for her new life; a hunger she fought on a daily basis and a previous life cut horribly short, innocence taken along with her heartbeat. Thinking about that time also brought up her memory of coming back to see Chloe a week after she had been turned.
Max remembered the mixture of heartbreak and starvation she had felt when she had seen Chloe three years ago. The fear of eating someone she loved, of killing them, was why she chose to run from her old life altogether. Max was shaken out of her memories as she pulled up to the lighthouse parking lot. Walking towards the path, Max paused as she felt her stomach clench from emptiness. Shit! I left the bottle at home! Groaning in irritation, Max started up the path as her stomach growled.
Max managed to ignore her stomach until she made it halfway up the path. Standing just within the treeline, a wolf observed her with wary eyes. Max licked her lips as the sounds of her stomach continued. Why does it have to still be daytime? If it was night, if I had remembered to grab my bottle...well, crap, Max thought to herself as her hearing picked up the wolf's beating heart. As if the animal had acquired a sixth sense, the wolf turned and made a run for it. Feeling her fangs pop out, Max sprinted up the hill and after the wolf.
Max heard Chloe approaching the hilltop before she saw her. Sitting on the deck of the lighthouse, Max looked down at the blue hair peeking out of the treeline.
"Shit!" Max blurted out, covering her mouth as she realized she had said it out loud. Feeling awkward, Max watched as Chloe looked up at the lighthouse.
"Max? Is that you up there?" Chloe asked, a tone of disbelief in her voice, "What are you doing?"
"Uhhh...um, just give me a second, Chloe! Or a minute! Give me a minute!" Max said over the railing as she turned back to the deck, looking at the dead body of the wolf. Fuck, I was still eating that! Max thought as she turned back to look at Chloe, the girl down on the hill having put her hands on her hips.
"Seriously, Max. What the fuck are you doing?" Chloe yelled, her voice carrying easily to Max's heightened sense of hearing.
"Nothing! Just hang on!" Max grabbed the animal carcass by a rear leg and pulled it to the side of the lighthouse facing away from Chloe. Kicking the dead animal over the edge of the platform, Max hurriedly wiped her face and walked back over to look down at Chloe.
"Here I come!" Max said as she leaped over the railing and landed with a soft thud on the ground. Max brushed the dust from her landing off of her hoodie when she saw Chloe staring at her.
"What?" Max asked, puzzled, "I'm pretty sure you could have known I can jump and land from that high with little problem, Chlo."
"No, it's not that. You have a little...something on your cheek? Is that blood...and fur?" Chloe said, motioning with her own face where Max should wipe, "Dude, were you eating up there?"
"...I-forgot-my-bottle-so-shush!" Max blurted out as she wiped at her face in embarrassment.
"Uh...what was it?" Chloe asked as she walked over towards Max and picked the little strands of matted fur off of her friend's face.
"...A wolf," Max said with a pout, afraid of how Chloe would react.
"Dude, you were hungry for the wolf! Hardcore, Caulfield."
"You tell me I use puns and cheap shots too much but they you go and do it? Ugh." Max watched as Chloe's face became serious after the moment of hilarity at her expense. "I didn't come here to fight, Chloe. I just wanted to-"
"Maybe I want to fight. Did that not cross your fucking mind?" Chloe interrupted. Don't take the bait, Max. She's mad, angry at everything. But don't be her punching bag, either. You're hurt, too.
"I came here to listen, but also to speak my own mind. You're not the only one hurting, Chloe, the only one in pain. Yeah, I wanted to be alone after what happened at Blackwell. I was pissed. I'd been shot-"
"But you heal, Max, you-" Chloe started to say, only to be cut off.
"And what if I didn't heal? You see me swoop in days ago, do all these 'cool' things, but do you not get what was taken from me in the process? Do you know how much I have to control myself, how depressed I get from all this shit?" Max asked, clenching her fists, "I can't walk, run, or carry anything without worrying that if I stop paying attention I might break something. Or someone."
Max watched as Chloe took everything she said in, a pensive look spreading across Chloe's face.
"And you don't realize how much shit has gone down here while you were off across the fucking globe, Max. You've been places I will probably never go, done all this amazing shit, and you're so fucking different. But so am I. I've done some hella shady things, Max, and I'm in pretty deep. Have been for years. Then, one day, my childhood best friend comes back from the dead-"
"Chloe..."
"I didn't mean that as a joke. You...you come back and I just get swept up in you, everything about you. You're not even breathing but you seem so much more alive than I remember. You save my life twice, tell me you love me, sleep with me, and then you drop me for days," Chloe said, her voice getting louder, "Yes, I got into a situation at the school that I had no bidness being in. Yes, I fucked up. But I wanted to be there for you, Max, when you had been shot. Damn." Max watched as Chloe wiped the tears from her eyes before they could fall down her cheeks.
"I was afraid, Chloe, and upset. I needed to heal and I was angry. The healing takes time. These two days you're talking about? Your mom practically woke me up!" Max said, throwing her hands up as took a seat on the bench, "I've been sleeping since your mom dropped me off, Chloe."
"...You've been asleep?" Chloe asked, her tone changing from one of agitation to embarrassment.
"Yes. I've been asleep. And of course I'd be cranky after what happened! I had a bullet hole in my side! Wouldn't you be cranky?" Max exclaimed.
"Well yeah, but I'd also demand you nurse me back to health. I wouldn't shut you out."
"You don't know what being this way is like. Chloe, when I get injured it's like animal instincts kick in. I drank a gallon of blood-"
"Dude, gross."
"...A gallon of blood. In seconds. I had to force myself not to drain another IV bag, the hunger was almost too much. My body takes time to stitch itself back together. Sure, it's fast compared to a human, but it still takes time."
"But you could've just said all that," Chloe said, and Max felt her heart get crushed from the heartbreaking way in which Chloe had spoken, "You could've been open with me and just told me what was going on."
"And you could have told me what you were up to at the school instead of trying to kiss my butt," Max said, a small grin on her face.
"Dude, I don't think I could ever kiss your butt. Probably tastes like shit."
"...Really, Chloe?"
"Sorry, couldn't help it." Chloe asked, sliding over to sit next to Max on the bench.
Playing with the hem of her hoodie, Max's head was downcast as Chloe slid an arm around Max's shoulders. Chloe's pulse was like an addiction to Max, she could never get enough of the feeling of life that emanated from her friend. Feeling a small weight lift from herself, Max looked up and gently bumped Chloe's forehead with her own.
"This going to be a regular thing, us fighting?" Max asked, anxious, "Because I really don't want it to be.
"We've only been back together for a couple days, Max. There's going to be bumps, but fuck I hope not. I do not need any more drama," Chloe said, her voice echoing her tired expression.
"Oh, are you sensitive?"
"I can sense I'm going to kick your ass, you little bat-brat."
"I honestly would not wish this, what I am, on anybody, Chloe. You lose yourself at times, and the hunger can be so strong. I go into a public place and I can hear every heart, smell every person. It's like the air is permeated with a flavor," Max said with a depressed tone
"Oh? What's my flavor?" Chloe asked, smiling, as she nudged Max with an elbow.
"Pot and hair dye," Max replied with a smirk as she returned Chloe's elbowing with an elbow of her own.
"Well, no one ever said you have good taste," Chloe said as she leaned her head down and kissed Max, "Wow, I forgot how bad your breath is after you've...is it eaten or drank? I'm so fucking confused."
"Meh, I switch it up," Max said, "Chloe, what did happen at Blackwell? I mean, you looked terrified when I saw you run down that hall. It scared me."
Chloe leaned forward and looked down at the coastline. Watching Chloe, Max waited for the other girl to speak, patient. Looking off into the waters for a long moment, Chloe looked over at Max with a cautious expression. No, Chloe. Please, don't lock me out.
"I...I tried to blackmail Nathan Prescott," Chloe blurted out, looking away from Max with a grim look on her face, "Dude shills out bad shit cut with laxative. Before you came back, I tried to scam some money from him. Fucker was waving his cash in some dive bar I was at. Easy score, right? We go to his room at Blackwell and...and I think he spiked my beer because the next thing I remember is him creeping up on me with a camera."
Max bristled at the mental image of someone trying to violate Chloe. No, she was violated. She was drugged. Max felt something in the pit of her stomach begin to writhe. Digging her fingers into the wooden seat of the bench, with her entire body feeling suddenly rigid, Max stiffly nodded for Chloe to continue, her demeanor hiding sudden dark intentions.
"I tried to kick him, but I kicked over some of his shit instead. He freaked and I booked it out of there. Heh, I must be pretty goddamn stupid because I tried to blackmail him for it. Sent him a text message to meet in the girls' restroom. Found him already there, all twitchy and shit. We spoke, things got heated, and he started to pull back his jacket. I saw the metal and ran out the door before he could pin me down. I didn't think. Just ran, ran as fast as I could," Chloe finished, looking up as Max squeezed her hand softly.
"Why? Why would you do something like that?" Max asked, no judgment in her voice. Only concern.
"The wheels were already set in motion, okay? He tried to fuck with me, so I tried to fuck with him. I just...I just want out of this goddamn town."
"You still want out of here?" Max asked.
"Hell yes, I do! Max, I want to travel. I want to go places, see the world and all the cliche bullshit," Chloe said, sitting back up to smoke a cigarette, "Your photos brought back a lot of memories."
"...Will you be doing this alone, this traveling?" Max asked in a quiet voice. Chloe head jerked up and she looked over at Max with wide eyes.
"Of course not, Max. After all, you need your Lara Croft. That is, a blue-haired one...with tattoos...and piercings...," Chloe said with a smirk.
"Well, I don't think I need a bodyguard anymore, Che. If anything, I've been your bodyguard these past couple of days. I mean, I took a bullet for you."
"Yeah, well I also know how to stand on my own two feet. I was hella terrified when I saw that hole in you, Max. I thought you were dying, and the next thing I know my head is soaked and your dripping blood on the pavement. But yeah, you clearly do not need a bodyguard. How about a faithful companion?"
"...How 'bout a faithful girlfriend?" Max said quickly, eyes widening as she realized what she said. Chloe choked on her cigarette before hurriedly snuffing it out against one of the bench's metal legs.
"Wow. You work fast, Caulfield. You think because we tell each other our feelings, kiss, and have sex-"
"You're such a charmer, Miss Sex-and-Tell."
"I know, it's one of my better qualities. You think because you come back, save my life, tell me you love me, and everything else that I'm just going to give myself over to you? I'm the one who gets high, remember?" Chloe said, trying not to smile.
"Chloe Price, are you blushing? Oh my Dog, you are," Max said, stifling a giggle as Chloe turned her face away again.
"Fuck off, Max. It's not like...yeah, fine. Okay," Chloe said, groaning as she pulled her beanie over her eyes.
"Okay what?" Max asked. Where is this going? Okay to what?
"Yes, I'll be your goddamn girlfriend. Nerd."
Max's expression changed from calm to giddy in an instant, and she forgot her own strength when she grabbed Chloe by the shoulders and pulled her into a kiss. Max heard Chloe's muffled surprise as Max stood up, still clutching onto her. Shivers ran down Max's skin as Chloe's pulse echoed through her hands, her lips. It's like she's sharing with me what it's like to still be alive. I think if I were still human I would have blushed at her dorky consent to be with me. Such a class act, Che. Max held onto Chloe a moment longer, then gently released her, grimacing as Chloe rubbed her shoulders.
"Oh, sorry!" Max said, feeling awkward, "I-I didn't meant to do that, I just got excited!"
"Oww, dude! Your fucking 'Max Smash' game is clearly good, damn," Chloe said as she rubbed her shoulders, "Ugh, if I bruise you totally owe me."
Max felt her fingers intertwine with Chloe's as they both looked out at the sunlit sky. Max felt content, but also sad in that she never got to do this while she was alive. If I could have just told you, Chlo, back when we were still together. You deserved an answer right then and there, and I chickened out. I've told you now, but I just hope that is enough to start. Oh, I wish I could tell you everything... Leaning her head against Chloe's shoulder, Max sighed in frustration as her stomach growled.
"Wow. Kill my buzz, Maxaroni," Chloe said with a chuckle, "Do you need to go? Are you tired?"
"I would like to stay for a bit longer, if that's okay, but I will need to eventually rest. I'm still kinda out of it from all that healing," Max said apologetically.
"What is that like, the healing?" Chloe asked as she leaned into Max.
"Your body is stitching itself back together and you somehow know it is, feeling the torn or shredded bits coming back together," Max explained, lifting up her hoodie to show Chloe the smooth area of her side where the wound had been.
"Holy shit, can I touch it?" Chloe asked, reaching a hand out tentatively. Max nodded and took Chloe's hand, softly placing it on her side, "Dude, this is hardcore. You're fucking hardcore, Max. What the hell can kill you? I mean, you're like invincible or something. Sorry, asking that was dumb," Chloe said, looking down at her feet.
"It's okay. I know of some ways," Max said sullenly, the rooftop and Henri flashing across her mind, "But it's gruesome and I don't want to talk about it right now. Sorry."
Chloe just shook her head in apology and sat there with Max as they watched the sunlight play over the waves. After an hour or so, Max stretched as the weariness of the daylight hours took their toll on her. Sleepily looking over to Chloe, Max gave her a quick peck on the cheek.
"Drive me home? Max need sleep. Sleep is good," Max said in her best caveman impression. Chuckling, Chloe responded by pretending to hit Max on the head with a club and lifted the sleepy girl up.
"I would take you back to my cave, but I'm pretty sure that is a bad idea. David told my mom about our...," Chloe started, getting a chuckle from an increasingly sleepy Max.
"Pff, you told him we had sex. Sexy time. Fun dip. Naked twister-"
"Yes, I told him. Not using your various linguistic skills, though. Mom wasn't surprised, but was also in agreement with David that your days sleeping over in my room are numbered."
"Booooo," Max said before yelping in surprise as Chloe picked her up and hoisted Max onto her back.
"Shush, nerd, and just go to sleep. Dream of rainbows and blood bags and whatever the fuck else you dream of."
"...Taste the rainbow..."
It was the evening when Max woke up. Sitting up straight, Max wiped at her eyes for a moment before glancing at the wall clock to see that it wasn't yet 8pm. Taking a moment to stretch, Max slipped out of bed and checked her phone. A single message from Chloe popped up, "c u 2morrow. nite nite nerd-pire", which elicited a snicker from Max before she set her phone back down. Grabbing the pair of black jeans from before, Max pulled a black t-shirt on and quickly slipped into her boots. Stopping at the kitchen on the way out, Max downed the nearly-full sports bottle before she left.
Locking the door behind her, Max enjoyed the crisp cool air on her skin before she felt it shiver as her anxiousness grew. Max recalled what Chloe had said on the hill, and the words had created a cold feeling in the center of Max's being. I need to be fucking ice tonight, fucking steel. He's just a human, nowhere near as strong as Henri. If I'm lucky, he won't even see me. Grabbing the top of the doorway, Max flipped herself up and onto the roof. Popping her neck, Max looked out at Arcadia Bay, dimly lit by street lamps and storefront signs. Max ran across the roof and leaped over the street to a nearby building. Repeating the movement over and over, Max began her trek to Blackwell Academy.
The boys' dormitory was nestled against the same woods as the girls' dorm, so Max ran around the campus as opposed to through it. Finding an adequate tree, Max found herself perched a safe distance away from the window of Nathan Prescott. Recognizing the boy from the other day, Max's eyes narrowed into slits as Chloe's tale involving Nathan played in a loop inside her head. I will make you regret that, boy. I will make you regret so many things.
Watching him for the better part of an hour, Max nearly felt the smallest amount of pity for her prey. His function as a crazed drug dealer who dipped into his own supply was obvious, evidence being his almost nonstop talking to himself and the various pill bottles scattered across his desk. Max bided her time, crouched on the same tree branch, and felt a sense of pleasure as Nathan left his room with what appeared to be a small bag of hygiene products. Leaping across the small open space, Max grabbed a small overhanging ledge that was to the right and up from Nathan's window. Shifting her weight, Max swung over slightly as she let herself drop. Feeling the window's wooden frame creak slightly from her weight, Max pulled herself up so that she was in a better position. Using one arm, she forcibly pried open the window and slipped inside to survey her new surroundings.
Taking a moment to listen through the door, Max heard no noise coming from the hall. Turning back to the room, Max proceeded to trash everything. Tearing the bed apart, wrecking the desk and computer, Max spilled all the pills out into the middle of the floor and crushed the digital camera sitting on Nathan's couch. Hearing voices from both sides, Max knew her time was almost up. Deciding to go for broke, Max took a red marker and proceeded to write on the mirror next to Nathan's door. Dropping the marker, Max slipped back out the open window and closed it, the voices growing in number. Max dropped down again to the ground and sprinted to the treeline to get a better look at the result of her actions.
Nathan Prescott walked back into his room to find it in pieces. Dropping his hygiene kit, he stood momentarily dumbfounded in his open doorway before beginning to shout incoherently. Max grinned as she saw a couple other boys look in from the hall in shock. Nathan slammed his door shut and pressed himself against the door for a moment before examining the destruction. Moving to examine the wrecked desk area, Nathan walked on his pills with a crunch that gave Max satisfaction. The grin forming on Max's face widened when Nathan finally looked back toward the entrance to his room. In large red letters, the phrase "I C U" was written on the full-length mirror attached to the wall.