I'm Not Okay, named after the single My Chemical Romance
2010
I want to die. The thought repeated itself in Max's mind as she dragged herself through the woods outside of Arcadia Bay. Sobbing, Max felt hot streaks of wetness cascade down her face as she walked farther and farther away from the junkyard. Che, I can't stay here, I'm sorry. I thought I could. Bitterness rising in her, Max let out a scream and ran at full speed. Trees blurring, Max saw a small tree directly in her path and leaped up into it. Hitting the tree dead-center, Max felt a satisfying crack as the tree began to split in half. The section of it still anchored to the ground tilted slightly as the top half came crashing onto the ground, blowing leaves and dirt as it impacted. Sniffling, Max wiped the blood and dirt off of her face with a sleeve from her hoodie and apprehensively walked to a shard of wood that had been separated from the two tree halves before her.
Clutching the length of broken tree, Max placed the tip of one end against her chest and began to instinctively take in deep breaths. Forgetting that she didn't need to breathe, Max began to hyperventilate as she closed her eyes in preparation. I can't do this, I just can't. I should be dead. I wish I was, goddamnit. Her body tensing, Max took one final breath.
"Goodbye, Che. I'm sorry," Max whispered as she brought the shard of wood against her chest only to feel it freeze in place. Pulling harder, Max grunted as she opened her eyes and saw a familiar face staring at her with a saddened expression.
"This is not the way we do things, Max," Henri said as he pulled fast on the piece of wood, moving so fast that Max cried out as it sliced open the palms of her hands, "We work through pain: physical, mental, emotional."
"B-but it hurts s-so much," Max said, the sobs returning. Henri pulled the small girl into his arms and held her for a moment as Max cried.
"I know, Max. I know. We feel everything so much stronger than in our previous lives. Our senses and emotions are all heightened. We learn to work with it, through it, without letting it control us. We control ourselves, and in doing so make it safer for others to do so as well," Henri said as Max took a step back, "Saying goodbye to your old life is always the hardest part, and it having to come so soon only makes it worse. I know this just as well as you."
Max sniffed as she took off the hoodie and wiped her face clean. Wearing her old Jane t-shirt, Max punched Henri in the shoulder as he looked at her choice of attire with a bemused expression.
"Just because I'm different now doesn't mean I have to forget who I am as a person," Max said, pointing at Henri's all-black attire as she noticed his examination of her, "Not all of us use vampirism as an excuse to look like an extra from a goth metal band."
"Have you eaten?" Henri asked, shrugging at her remark towards his clothing choices, "There's some deer on the other side of that hill. I know human blood makes you...squeamish."
Watching as Henri pointed off in a general direction that was opposite the way she had come, Max whispered one last goodbye to Arcadia Bay and took a runner's stance as she smirked at her mentor.
"Race you!" Max cried out, taking off before Henri could respond, hearing his deep-bellied laughter as he began to catch up.
2013
Max returned to her apartment after her fun at Blackwell and quickly changed her t-shirt for a tank top and olive drab button-down shirt. Rolling up the sleeves, Max walked into the bathroom and picked the few bits of leaves and dirt out of her hair and off her face. Sprinting the entire way back, Max had been a little careless in choosing where she had landed the few times she stopped to ensure she wouldn't collide with anything. Next time, don't leap into a fucking cluster of bushes, Max. Leap over the bushes, way less clean-up. Blowing some dust off of her lips, Max swatted a bug that had trailed her in as it landed on the mirror. Max winced as she accidentally broke the mirror, using too much force as her hand came down on the fly.
"Crap," Max said, examining the shattered mirror. Max heard her phone vibrate and spun around suddenly, the energy from her previous activities still running through her. Walking across to her bedroom, Max snatched her phone from the bedside table and swiped open the menu.
Chloe: u awake?
Max: 4 u? yes
Chloe: aww aren't u mushy as fuck.
Chloe: two whales
Chloe: ten minutes. don't b late
Max: Who's the faster person, between the two of us? ;)
Chloe: Shush, and NO EMOJI
Smiling, Max put the phone in her hip pocket and walked toward the hallway. Taking a moment to look at the broken mirror, Max saw several small reflections of her face looking back at her with a mischievous grin. Thinking of her encounter with Nathan Prescott a short time ago, Max couldn't help but grin. Little shit deserved it, Max thought to herself with a hint of malevolence, Fucker shot me, could have shot Chloe. If he'd shot Chloe...I don't know what I would have done instead. Pretty sure it wouldn't be wise for me to attract too much attention, heh.
Feeling a little lackadaisical, Max walked over to the bus stop a couple blocks over and waited for the public transport to arrive. Plugging in her earbuds, Max flipped through her library and settled on the acoustic version of Lacuna Coil's "Heaven's a Lie" and leaned against the sign post for the bus stop. Waiting a few more minutes, Max shrugged as the bus didn't show and instead began to walk in the direction of Two Whales. Max felt a lightness to her step that came with the exhilaration of being mischievous. Not the first time she had used her new-found prowess to prank someone, Max began to giggle to herself as she remembered the multiple looks Nathan Prescott had made when he had returned to find his room trashed. Don't mess with Max, fucker!
By the time Max made it to Two Whales, Chloe had already arrived. Max smirked as she saw Chloe press her face at the window, having spotted Max. Mouthing "You suck!" at Max from inside with a grin, Max popped her fangs out at Chloe for a second before retracting them and going inside, enjoying the slight jump Chloe did in her seat. The smell of diner food wafted to Max and she felt a relishing for every item on the menu. I wish food still made me hungry. I could definitely go to town with the diner's entire selection of pies. Grinning over at Joyce and giving a small wave, Max walked over to Chloe and plopped down next to the blue-haired girl rather than sit across from her.
"Dude, you're fucking cramping me," Chloe said, elbowing Max as she pressed Chloe to the window.
"It's because I suck," Max replied with a snort, sliding back to the edge of the booth to give Chloe more room. Chloe tried to push Max out of the booth but couldn't so much as budge her.
"Special powers are cheating, suckface," Chloe muttered as she continued to push at Max.
"Yeah, but letting you win would be pretty pathetic, Che," Max said with a snicker. Shrugging, Max quickly slid out of the booth, snorting when Chloe fell onto the seat face-first from the sudden lack of Max in the bench.
Chloe grumbled for a moment before turning red as Max bent down to give her a tender kiss on the cheek. Taking the seat opposite Chloe, Max began to look through the single menu already at the table. Looking over the edge of the menu, Max noticed Chloe looking at her with a curious expression.
"Uh, what?" Max said, feeling awkward at being the center of Chloe's attention in a public place, "Seriously, don't stare."
"Sorry. It's just...can you actually taste food? I've seen you pick at food here, and I've seen you drink hooch, but do you taste it? Does it do anything?" Chloe asked, resting her elbows on the table as she cradled her head with her hands.
"Yeah, I can taste it. I don't get hungry for it, though. I don't know...I guess it's nostalgia or something? I like the taste, so I eat it. As for alcohol, I can still get drunk. It just takes a lot," Max explained, crossing her arms in embarrassment.
"How much does it take?"
"Are you trying to get me drunk, Chloe Price?"
"Yes, so I can totally have my way with you. 'Price vs Caulfield: The Sequel'. Fucking nerd."
"You can't afford me," Max said, arching an eyebrow. Seeing the mischievous grin on Chloe's face, Max instinctively gulped as Chloe pulled back her jacket to reveal a flask bottle before covering the alcohol back up. "That's like a fucking sip to me, Chloe."
"No fair! You're...enhanced constitution is cheating, and will not be allowed in the interest of fairness!" Chloe whispered with a pout, and pulled back the other side of her jacket to reveal another flask bottle.
"Jesus, Chloe! Do I even want to know how you got those?" Max asked with a groan, eyeing Chloe's look of absolute glee.
"I have my ways, Max Caulfield. You underestimate the power of the Chlo Side," Chloe said triumphantly, then gave a look of feigned abashment as Max put a palm to her face in resignation.
Joyce came up to the booth with two coffees and an additional menu to the sound of Max and Chloe laughing and cracking jokes. The sight of both girls looking genuinely happy made Joyce smile that much brighter as she set the coffees down and hand Chloe the spare menu. Turning the menu down, Chloe snagged the one Max was using and laid it out flat on the table, the two girls pointing at various items like it was a treasure map from their days pretending to be pirates. Ordering a strawberry shake, a basket of fries, and two slices of cherry pie, the girls handed Joyce back their menu and waited in contented silence for the food to arrive.
"...I wish this moment could last," Max said, surprising Chloe with her sad tone, "Take away the other people, the sounds from outside. Just you, me, and this calm." Max reached over and took Chloe's hand, kissing the back of it softly. Chloe pulled her hand back with an embarrassed expression, looking away from a smirking Max as her face turned red.
"Dude, save the mushy for private time," Chloe said, "You're wrecking my street cred."
"Oh, looks like we've got a badass over here," Max said, raising her arms.
"You are one of the reasons Tumblr shouldn't exist, Max Caulfield," Chloe said with a huff, eyeing Max out of the corner of her eye.
"Your anguish sustains me," Max said in an impression of Stewie Griffin.
"Ugh," Chloe said, dropping her head onto the booth's table, then looking up with a wry grin, "Just 'B Positive' Max."
Max snorted at the joke, breaking into a giggle as they continued the sarcastic remarks while waiting for Joyce to bring them their food. Max looked down at her foot as she felt Chloe rubbing one of her booted feet against Max's. A cheesy grin on her face, Max looked back up to see Chloe in a moment of unabashed affection, the punk leaning her head against her propped-up arm as she just gazed towards Max. Wowsers, I've never really seen whatever this side of Chloe is. Max rubbed the back of her head and looked away bashfully, feeling awkward as Chloe just continued to look at her. The two girls didn't even notice Joyce approaching with their order, Chloe's mother gently setting down the food as she realized the girls were only paying attention to each other. Snapping out of the moment as Joyce left, Max flashed Chloe a shy smirk as she popped a french fry into her mouth.
"Playing footsie in public? What will Joyce say?" Max asked, barely keeping her voice from stuttering.
"I think you're a bad influence on me, Maxaroni. Too fucking cute, you little nerd," Chloe said, sitting up. Grabbing the ketchup, Chloe squirted a zig-zag pattern across the pile of fries and shook black pepper on them before taking a few of the now-seasoned goods.
The two ate in silence, Max picking at the fries on occasion as Chloe tore into them with gusto. Setting the empty basket aside upon her devouring of the finger food, Chloe's eyes widened as she pulled a slice of pie in front of her. Forking a chunk of the dessert into her mouth, Chloe practically inhaled the mouthful of pie before flashing Max a grin, her teeth stained with the cherry juice.
"Guess who I am?" Chloe asked, still grinning.
"Chloe, please don't."
"C'mon! Guess!"
"Me, smartass?" Max asked, rolling her eyes as she took a sip of the shake.
"Wow, it's like you're psychic or something," Chloe replied sarcastically.
Max took small bites from her own slice of pie as Chloe wolfed down her own. Pushing her half-eaten pie towards an eager Chloe, Max sipped at her lukewarm coffee while Chloe dug into the remnants of Max's dessert. The two finished their time at Two Whales exchanging the straw for the shake between each other before both girls looked away bashfully as Joyce interjected with a second straw. Chloe and Max played along with Joyce and took a drink at the same time as Joyce took a picture with Chloe's phone and handed it back.
"I should delete this," Chloe said, eyeing the picture on her phone's screen, "This evidence could be used against me."
"It already can, dummy. I'm the first witness."
"Nope. Conflict of interest. You're my significant other."
"Ugh," Max said with a small groan. Even I can only take a joke so far, Chlo. Jesus.
"Ugh," Chloe mockingly repeated Max's sound of disgust as she took the smaller girl's hand and led her toward the door. They had nearly made it when Chloe overheard a conversation from a nearby booth.
"-and all his shit was broken, dude! Zach nearly got his face caved in by Nathan, dude was laughing at Prescott so hard. Oh, man, I'd be pissed too if something like that happened to me, though. Especially if they destroyed my stash," a boy said as Chloe sidled up against the booth he was occupying a friend.
"Ladies," Chloe said with a smirk at the two boys, garnering a sarcastic grin from each of them, "What's the stitch? Something happen? Talk to me, Justin."
"Nathan Prescott's room was trashed, man. He said that he went to go brush his teeth and when he came back it looked like someone had taken a sledgehammer to nearly all his stuff. Left some message for him too, though he won't tell anybody what it was. Dude's a freak already..." Justin said, nodding in greeting as Max joined them. Max leaned up next to Chloe, holding her hand as Chloe looked at Justin with a huge grin.
"So he's a super-freak?"
"Always going for the cheap shots, huh?" Justin's friend asked, smirking.
"It hits them when they least expect it, Trev. Well, girls, I'm off with my never-blushing girlfriend to go on madcap adventures. Catch ya later," Chloe said, punching Trevor playfully on the arm before pulling Max out of the diner.
Walking to the truck in silence, Chloe opened her driver's side door and unlocked the passenger side. Sliding into the seat, Max was closing the door when she heard a gasp come out of Chloe. Turning around, afraid something happened, Max looked over to see Chloe staring at her with a giddy expression.
"Dude! That was you!" Chloe exclaimed, grabbing Max by the shoulders, "Why the fuck didn't you invite me along?"
"Chlo," Max said as she giggled at Chloe's manic look of happiness, "Can you climb up a wall with enough strength to break open a window and smash furniture with your bare hands?"
"No, but I could totally be there for immoral support! I could stand by the trees and jump for joy as you fuck Prescott's shit up!"
"...You'd be my cheerleader...?" Max asked incredulously.
"...Well, when you put it that way...yeah, I'd still fucking do it," Chloe said hesitantly as she let Max go to start up the truck.
"I'll be sure to get you some 'uber-punk' pom-poms when Dana comes by for her shoot."
"Oh, fuck you. And here I am, being the supportive girlfriend. This fuckery shall not stand. Good day!" Chloe said, sharply turning her head to face out the windshield.
"Are you cereal, Che? I was just kidding-"
"I said good day! Chloe cut Max off, Max's jaw dropping for a moment before seeing Chloe trying to suppress a grin."
"Pffft, whatever," Max said, shaking her head as she looked out the passenger side window, "So where now, Captain Chloe?"
"My house for a sec, then...mischief," Chloe said with a wink, pulling out of the parking lot and driving off.
Pulling up to Chloe's house, Max was told by Chloe that it would just be for a second as she was asked to stay in the truck. Watching Chloe run up to the front door and hurry inside, Max slouched in the truck's seating and hung a foot out of the open passenger side window. Looking out the windshield, Max surveyed the dimly lit streets of Arcadia Bay at night with calm eyes. This peace and quiet, this is what I need. Chloe's here, I have work and a roof over my head. No bullshit...well, okay. Some bullshit. Nothing I can't handle, though, so long as it comes in small doses.
Max tilted her head and looked out of the corner of her eye as Chloe came sprinting out of the house, an enormous grin on her face. Running up to the truck, Chloe slapped her hands against the hood of the vehicle like a bongo player as she looked over to wink at Max. Making her way around to the driver's side, Chloe flung the door open and jumped inside, the mischievous smile back on her face. Shoving her hand into one of her jacket pockets, Chloe produced a set of keys with a blue tag attached to them.
"For this evening's entertainment, Madame Max, we shall be taking in the refreshing Blackwell Academy pool. Heated and illuminated from underwater, the water will no doubt invigorate you with its warmth and chlorine," Chloe said with an attempt at an English accent, "C'mon, Bloody Maxie, tell me you love me."
"You're ridiculous," Max said, shaking her head as she chuckled.
"Coming from the girl who broke into Nathan Prescott's room and trashed it, I choose to take that as high praise," Chloe said, noticing that Max was no longer paying attention. "Hey, Max. Earth to Max! You okay?"
Max felt the hair on the back of her head stand up as she suddenly like she was being watched. Looking out the windows of the truck, Max couldn't figure out the source of the sensation and turned to face a concerned Chloe. Max flashed her a quick smile and kissed Chloe on the forehead to appease her. Probably nothing, Max thought.
"Sorry. Kinda spaced out," Max said, telling a half-truth to mask her own level of concern, "So, Blackwell?"
Chloe gave Max a reluctant grin as she looked at her friend for a moment before turning to the CD player. Grabbing a disk from the small wallet on the floor, Chloe slid the CD into the truck's stereo. Max looked over at Chloe with a rueful smile as "Sabotage" by The Beastie Boys began to play, Chloe turning up the volume to where it was blaring out of the small speakers. Starting her truck up, Chloe sped off in the direction of Blackwell Academy, the two girls off on their own evening adventure.
Blackwell's main campus was empty for the most part, security guards crossing the main courtyard from the gym to the school itself. Watching from around the corner of the gym that led to the parking lot, Chloe tugged her beanie down a little to hide her blue hair as she signaled for Max to come up next to her. Feeling a momentary breeze, Chloe looked over at Max and stuck her tongue out as the other girl appeared almost instantly at her side. Taking Chloe's hand, Max let herself be led to the gym's main entrance. Max kept a wary eye on the courtyard as Chloe began to try the keys.
"Let me know when you're done. I'm going to take a nap," Max said sardonically.
"Okay. Sure, SuperMax, by all means astound the audience with your 'wrenching the door of its hinges' skills. I can pull off subtle with the keys, or we can spend the evening wondering what might have been if you hadn't busted the wall down trying to get us inside," Chloe countered.
Hearing a small click, Max looked over as Chloe smiled and raised her hand up for a high-five. Looking at her with a bemused expression, Max folded her arms across her chest as Chloe realized that she would not be receiving said high-five. Lightly punching Max on the shoulder, Chloe opened the double doors in a dramatic fashion and pulled Max inside.
"I'm not sure, Chlo. I was in Nathan's room for only a couple minutes. How long exactly do you plan on us being here?" Max asked in a reluctant tone as they made their way through the building to the pool's entrance.
"I don't know. Let's just relax and have some fun! Oooh, heated water! I want to see the sharks!" Chloe squealed while walking into the girls' restroom.
Max could feel Chloe's pulse race as the she was led along, Chloe's excitable mood becoming contagious. Both giggling, Max and Chloe started to strip down to their underwear while splashing water from the edge of the pool at each other. Leaving Chloe to her own devices at poolside, Max went into the pool area's main office and flipped the underwater lights on. Hearing a splash, Max peeked from around the doorway to see Chloe surfacing from under the water. Looking back in the office, Max wanted to do something that would show Chloe that she could relax. Seeing the office chair, Max's face lit up as an idea crossed her mind.
Chloe heard Max shout "Get clear!" before she heard what accompanied it. Watching the doorway to the room Max had disappeared to, Chloe's eyes widened as Max came flying out of the doorway riding an office chair like a skateboard. Screaming in delight, Chloe ducked out of the way as Max tilted the chair up when she reached the pool's edge. Max felt a genuine sensation of giddiness as the chair flew a few feet in the air before both herself and said chair crashed into the heated water of the Blackwell pool. Looking up from the bottom of the pool, Max could see Chloe sticking her head into the water to look down at Max. Exchanging looks of absolute glee, Max grabbed the back rest of the chair and swam up to the water's surface.
"Watch out!" Max hollered at Chloe as she tossed the chair out of the pool, the office furniture landing with a clatter. Max cringed as two of the wheels flew off from the impact, looking at Chloe in embarrassment as the other girl pouted at her.
"Awww, I wanted to try that! That was pretty fucking epic, Max," Chloe said, swimming over to float alongside her friend. The next thing Max knew, she was being dunked by Chloe as the girl grabbed her by the head and pushed down as hard as she could. Agh, fuck! Two can play at that game, Chloe Price!
Grabbing one of Chloe's legs while still being held down by her, Max pulled down sharply enough that Chloe shot down into the water. Floating underwater alongside Max, Chloe was able to gurgle "You fucking brat" before Max wrapped her arms over Chloe's neck. Knowing that Chloe would eventually need to breathe, Max felt arms wrap around her waist as Chloe leaned in to kiss her. The kiss felt like a vacuum, the chlorinated water of the pool unable to breach the contact between the two girls as they slipped their tongues into each others' mouths. Holding the kiss for a moment, Max pulled at Chloe as she let herself sink down to the bottom of the pool. Pushing off from the pool's floor, Max sprung out of the pool in a graceful leap as she landed poolside with Chloe still kissing her.
"That," Chloe gasped as she finally broke the kiss, a smirk forming on Max's face as Chloe smiled while catching her breath, "That...was incredible. You are incredible."
"I am pretty awesome, huh?" Max said with a smile that scrunched her nose, kissing Chloe on the cheek. Max was about to jump back into the pool when she felt Chloe grab her by the arm. "Uh, Chloe? Chloe, what's wrong?"
"I mean it, Max. You're incredible," Chloe said, looking at Max with a serious expression as she brushed wet hair out of Max's face, "It's incredible you're back, it's incredible you're here, and the most incredible thing is that you're here with me. I...I know I pull a fair amount of stupid shit...and I don't take a lot of things seriously..."
"Che..." Max started to say only to Chloe hush her with by placing a finger on Max's lips.
"Please, Max. Let me finish. I know I'm a huge dork, that I get myself into trouble more than I get myself out. You didn't just save my life at the junkyard and here at Blackwell. You brought parts of me back that I thought were dead. I'm happy, Max. You...you brought back my happiness," Chloe finished, looking away in embarrassment as she began to sniffle.
Max gently took the taller girl into her arms and held her as Chloe cried her happy tears. A mixture of sobs and laughs, Chloe shook softly as Max held her, both girls now crying. Feeling Chloe stir after a couple minutes, Max slowly pulled the other girl back so that they were facing each other.
"What is it?" Max asked, seeing the look of determination on Chloe's face.
"...No matter what, Max. No matter what, we stay together. I don't mean being attached at the hip twenty-four hours a day. I mean us. We stay together. I don't think I could stand to lose you again," Chloe said, leaning her forehead onto Max's. Both girls closed their eyes, Max tearing up blood as the warmth of Chloe's words and the heat of her body made Max feel happier than she had been in years.
"Chloe, if I ever have to leave you will be right by my side. No matter what," Max said, trying to reassure the vulnerable Chloe.
"Forever, Max."
"Forever."
Sitting on the edge of the pool, Max and Chloe kicked at each other as their legs hung over into the water. Chloe just looked straight ahead with a content look on her face while Max laid back against the concrete floor. Their exchange of words from a few moments ago still hung over them as the weight of promises and affection carried both girls into their respective imaginations. For Max, she saw herself showing Chloe the entire world. The Sistine Chapel at night. The Louvre. Shinjuku Ni-chome in Tokyo. London. I will take you everywhere, Chloe, and show you the beating heart of the world. I will take your years of pain and wrap them up in new memories, new adventures. I promise, Che.
"What are you going to do about Nathan?" Chloe asked, breaking the silence as she slowly leaned back to join Max on the concrete. "Sorry to bring it up, but he kinda saw you get shot. Up close."
"Oh crap," Max thought as she smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand, "What the hell am I going to do? I have to be back here tomorrow to discuss my experience with the Everyday Heroes contest. I'm bound to run into him Crap."
"You seriously haven't thought of this, dude?" Chloe scooted herself over so that she was lying right beside Max, slipping her arm around Max's and taking the now-anxious girl's free hand in her own.
"Ugh, no. I've been preoccupied with getting shot and recovering my strength. Also...there's been this girl..." Max said, looking up at the ceiling, smiling, "She's pretty amazing. Kind-of a pain in the ass sometimes, but I know she means well."
"Oh? Who is she, this mysterious girl that has captured your heart? Whose ass do I have to kick?" Chloe asked, a knowing smile across her face.
"Blue hair, tall. Has a tattoo. Says 'Hella' a lot. Like, a lot," Max says in an innocent voice, turning her head to see Chloe watching her. Getting a gentle kiss on the cheek from her, Max quickly turns her head back up to the ceiling. Vulnerable, loving Chloe is definitely going to take some getting used to. Is it bad I would like a smart-ass remark, a dorky joke or reference?
"Sounds like trouble."
"The worst kind, but also the best. Still, she's a pretty big dork."
"Good thing she has such a fucking nerd like you to balance her out, then," Chloe whispered in Max's ear before gently biting on it.
Max shivered from the cooling water on her skin, but more so from the urge to pounce on Chloe right then and there. Keeping herself in check, with no small amount of disappointment, Max stood up and held out her hands to Chloe as she helped her up. Looking at their piles of clothes, Max grimaced at the thought of such an overpowering stench of chlorine carrying over into her dry clothes. Looking around, as though to make sure the only other person in the pool was Chloe, Max peeled off her soaking wet bra and panties, dropping them at her feet. Seeing Chloe blush in surprise and look away, Max changed back into her clothes. Snapping her jeans up, Max let out a surprised cry as Chloe yanked on the waistband of her jeans. Max felt Chloe's drying body inches away from her own and the ache was almost unbearable. Looking down, Max watched with curiosity as Chloe finished dressing Max, then looked up to see Chloe's patented smirk plastered on her face.
"If it weren't for you being room temperature, I'd swear you were so fucking hot right now," Chloe said.
"I'm not going to take your bait, Che," Max said, rolling her eyes.
"Awww, but it was funny! Boo, poor widdle Max with her widdle fangs getting flustered by widdle jokes! Too bad, so sad-" Chloe countered only to yelp as Max hoisted Chloe over her shoulder and began to walk toward the pool. "I was joking, Max, joking! Fuck, don't drop me! I'm a fragile little flower, goddamnit!"
Max nearly dropped Chloe from the outburst of laughter at Chloe calling herself a "fragile little flower". Setting Chloe down at the pool's edge, Max bit her lip as she fought to stop laughing.
"Ohhh, you are never going to live that down. I promise you that, too," Max said with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. Seeing Chloe huff and turn her head to the side, Max busted up again. "You're only making it worse!"
Her face almost entirely red, Chloe grabbed one of Max's hands and dragged her all the way to the truck without saying another word, Max giggling throughout.
Max's throat was sore from the laughing when Chloe pulled up to her building. Looking over at Chloe in confusion, Max rested a hand on Chloe's leg.
"Are you actually mad?" Max asked in an incredulous tone.
"What? No. Just...just can't fucking believe I said that. I really am going to hella regret that, aren't I?" Chloe asked, looking over at Max with a pained expression.
"Oh, it will go down in history, recorded for all the ages," Max said in reply, "But it was also very cute."
"Oh, shut up! Bratty...batty...brat!"
Max grinned and turned Chloe's head to look her in the face, Chloe's look of irritation melting as their eyes met. Max and Chloe held each others' gaze for what seemed like forever to them before they both leaned forward and kissed. Not lusting, not hungry, just a sweet kiss between two people who realized how much they truly loved each other. Pulling back, Max leaned her forehead against Chloe's and kissed the other girl on the nose.
"You want to meet me at Blackwell tomorrow? Or, maybe for something to eat before?"
"We could totally make pancakes at my house," Chloe said, smiling, "But...I'll pass on Blackwell."
"Of course. My bad," Max said. Idiot, of course she won't come with you. She was chased off the campus by some gun-toting little shit. Wowsers, a shit I'm going to have to deal with tomorrow. And that girl Victoria. Ugh.
"Well. This is goodnight, then," Max said as she opened the door and stepped out of the truck, "I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Yep," Chloe replied, starting her truck back up.
"...I love you, Che," Max said, and gave Chloe a look when the other girl didn't reply, "I love you, Chloe."
"...Love you, too," Chloe muttered, her vulnerability once again masked by toughness.
Max watched Chloe's truck until it went around the corner towards her house, then walked to the back of the building where the door to her apartment was. Taking two steps at a time, Max went to unlock the door when she saw that the doorknob was broken. Her eyes narrowing, Max gently pushed the door open as the smell of blood permeated the air inside. Tip-toeing down the hallway, Max peeked around the corner and saw the jugs from her fridge scattered about the kitchen area, emptied. Tilting her head, Max sniffed at the air and caught two scents almost entirely foreign to her. Almost entirely, because all the vampires Max has met have something similar about the way they smell.
Max frantically opened the fridge and checked the contents. All her blood supply was gone. Gone, but not used to feed on. I can smell it in the drain. They dumped my supply, whoever they are. Wowsers, such childish bullshit! Max anxiously backpedaled from the kitchen, turning in mid-stride to her bedroom. Opening a drawer in one of the bedside tables, Max removed the few contents and carefully popped the false bottom. Pulling out the single IV bag of blood that she had secreted away in an airtight container, Max hesitated. She hated drinking human blood, absolutely hated it. She hated how it made her feel, how it made her act. I tease Chloe about the pot, but I have my own cravings. I hate this shit...but I might need it. Tonight, at least. Popping her fangs, Max sunk her teeth into the bag and sucked the contents out. Slow sips at first, Max's intake increased as the effects of human blood began to take hold on her.
Squeezing the bag over her head, Max opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue to catch the few remaining drops. Beyond the violet Chloe had associated with her vampirism, Max's eyes were pitch black as though the pupils took over the entirety of her sight. Sniffing the air again, Max caught the scent of her intruders almost immediately with her heightened senses amplified by the human blood and ran out the apartment without bothering to close the door. Careful to avoid the citizens of Arcadia Bay, Max sprinted through the darkened alleys and down empty streets towards the source of the scent: the junkyard.
Max stood where the dirt road led into the junkyard, now panting as the human blood began to take full effect. The anger at her home being violated turned into a seething rage, the idea of her intruders starving her out made her cold. Did you think I would be weak? Did you think to starve me, to make me frail? Max thought as the blood kicked in completely, her mind becoming a reddened haze as she heard footfalls from up ahead. Looking into the junkyard with her two black pools for eyes, Max saw two sets of glowing eyes look back from the shadows. Her intruders were twins, a boy and a girl about her age, dressed in plain clothes. Whereas Max's eyes held the effect of human blood in her system, the others flinched reflexively with their violet irises, not expecting her to arrive at full strength.
Without saying a word, Max began to run towards them. First a jog, then a sprint, Max let her body collide with the boy as the girl leaped out of the way. Max felt the crunch of the boy's left arm shattering as he was slammed into and through the blue boat left behind by its former owner, a person-sized hole now in the forward hull. Max howled as she felt sharpened nails rake at her back multiple times, shredding cloth and flesh.
Max spun on the balls of her feet, swinging her fist out and backhanding the girl so hard she flew against an antique fridge. Max began to stalk towards her dazed opponent, the girl struggling to get up as she tried to set her broken jaw, and felt a sharp pain lance through her as a piece of iron rebar pierced her right shoulder, the wound smoking as the flesh and metal connected. With gritted teeth, Max kicked her leg back and connected with her second assailant's midsection, hearing and "Oof!" in response. Grabbing the rebar with her bare left hand, Max grimaced in pain as she began to pull out the deadly metal.
Her hand and shoulder burned as the contact with the iron continued for a moment, before Max flung the freed rebar to the ground. Her shoulder rapidly knitting back together thanks to the human blood, Max kicked the rebar up with her foot and swung it like a baseball bat as she caught it in mid-air. Connecting with the boy twin's skull, Max grinned maliciously as she heard a hiss and a crunch in reply. Ripping off a sleeve from the boy's shirt, Max wrapped the fabric into a makeshift handle and felt her hand began to heal as she gripped the rebar by the fabric-covered end.
Walking over to the girl twin, who was just getting back to her feet, Max pushed the girl onto the hood of a wrecked car and plunged the rebar into the girl's chest. Missing the heart intentionally, Max listened as the girl shrieked in pain. Not missing a beat, Max pushed the rebar a little further so that the rebar held the young vampire onthe hood of the car and bent the side of the rebar she was holding so that it was pinning the girl down.
"Be right back," Max said, wincing from the pain she still felt at having been stabbed with the iron herself.
Walking over to the boy, who was still somehow conscious, Max punched him in the face repeatedly until she heard the horn of an approaching train. Her coal black eyes gleaming with malice, Max grabbed the boy by the collar of his shirt and began to drag him toward the tracks. Hiding herself and her former assailant along a side of the boat, Max waited for the train's engine car to speed past. Dragging the boy over so that they were standing next to the moving train, Max hoisted the boy up so that his face was inches away from the speeding vehicle.
"Sorry not sorry," Max said simply, pushing the boy's face into the train. The human blood filled Max with a grim satisfaction towards as the skull almost immediately shattered from the speed and impact of the train as car after car dragged at the boy's face. Feeling the decapitated body twitching, Max dropped the carcass and started to head back toward the girl, who by then was whining as she watched the events with her now-dead brother unfold.
"P-please...we were just passing through...we didn't mean any-," the girl implored, begging for her life.
"Shhh, shhh. It's all right, you can save me the lies," Max cooed as she brushed a finger against the girl's cheek, "You know, I really want to make my being back home work. I have potential friends here, a job I'm good at, and someone I love deeply. I don't have room for you, though."
"I-I-I won't tell you a-a-anything," the girl whined as Max began to straighten out the rebar.
"I know you won't. That's not why I'm straightening this out," Max explained, pausing to look at the girl's pained, confused face, "Oh. You think I'm going to torture you. No, no. You did see your...brother, right? Did you see him die? That was quick, what I did. I won't be that way with you, nope. But first, let me help you with that stutter. I have one too, sometimes, so I know how that must feel."
The young vampire screamed one final time as Max wrenched the rebar out in a single pull only to slam it through the girl's mouth, spraying Max in the face with blood.
Author's Note - I really wanted to show in this chapter the contrasting elements of Max's personality, how being around Chloe restores Max's human qualities while her new attempt at a life being invaded by elements of her past (which will be revealed, albeit slowly and in pieces) brings out her darker side, the side that is nurtured by her vampiric state.
Final note - I would really appreciate if you would leave me a review to let me know how I'm doing. I'm not asking for some paragraph-long submission, and feedback is always welcome.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you in the next one!