Into The Light, named after a single by In This Moment
2011
The French countryside was even more peaceful at night. At least, that's what Max thought...on top of a lot of things. Her phone and earbuds in her pocket, a bottle of wine in her lap, Max laid back and watched the stars shimmer in the blackness of the evening sky. A momentary reprieve from moving place to place, Max still didn't know why Henri had brought her to France. Part of her didn't care, though, choosing to take the moments of peace she got for all they were worth.
Lifting up the dusty bottle, Max took a long drink of the contents. A mixture of blood from a variety of animals, it was the only blood she could stomach without feeling nauseated for hours afterward. A single mouthful enough to keep her hunger satisfied, Max re-corked the bottle and set it back in her lap as she licked her lips. Her refusal to drink human blood was one of the reasons they weren't in Paris anymore, Henri had looked at her with revulsion when Max started to contemplate eating rats and pets. Looking back at the small cottage down the hill, Max wondered with deep curiosity why Henri had brought her out to the middle of nowhere. Is my not drinking human blood that serious an offense?
Standing up, Max sniffed at the air and inhaled the crisp chill that swept up in the breeze. A scent carried by the wind, Max turned in the direction of the new smell and quickly looked to the south of where she was and saw a few small shapes crossing the valley bellow. Stray farm animals? No, Max thought as she sniffed the air again, Something...something wild. Nervously glancing back at the cottage, Max shot another glance down the valley before slumping her shoulders. Picking up her bottle, Max began to trudge down the hill toward the cottage, a late-night snack no longer in the cards. Quickly within earshot of the cottage, Max paused as she picked up on a voice aside from Henri's in the small country home.
"-can not stay. You should not have traveled with her. You know how we do things!" the foreign voice said in an edged tone.
"It is not like it was consciously done, for fuck's sake! She was in the waking fever, and the boy was incompetent!" Max's face screwed up in an expression of confusion and anxiety. She had never heard Henri talk with such a pleading tone before.
"It is your life or hers, my friend. We do not kill our own without just cause! A life for a life!"
"What greater cause is there than being turned without intention?!" Max flinched as she heard something inside the cottage break.
"I tell you again, it is her life or your own. You should have left her in America. Now she will be hunted down, regardless if you are with her or not. What is her name? I know she is here, somewhere. The air is thick with the smell of a newly born."
"I...may not interfere with you," Henri said, and Max felt a weight form in her stomach, "But I do not have to aid you, either. You want her name, you'll have to get it from her yourself."
Max didn't wait for another word to follow. Clutching the bottle in her hand, Max did the only thing she could think of.
She ran.
2013
Max didn't get a chance to sleep anytime soon, having dealt with the intruders only to hunt for the resupplying of her blood. Returning briefly to her apartment, Max cursed at herself as she saw the door still open from when she had ran out of the apartment in a fury. The human blood's greater effects gone, Max was jittery but returned to herself. When she had come out of the fugue-like rage and seen the remnants of her handiwork, she had retched for what felt like an hour. Gently touching the scar on her hand and the scar on her shoulder, Max had slowly pieced together what she had done and what had been done to her. I gave better than I received, and they might have gone after Chloe, Max had thought in the junkyard as she tried to rationalize her actions. Every kill is another reason to hunt me further. These two...they found me by dumb luck, that much was certain. I don't think Henri gave anyone my name, but I will never be able to be sure.
"Goddamnit, Henri. Why couldn't you have just left me alone?" Max had cried, kneeling among the wreckage of the junkyard as the crusted blood from her tears dried further. Max had sobbed in silence for a moment before returning to her apartment for the empty jugs.
Placing the jugs in a large, tarp-like bag, Max had sprinted out to where she was miles away. Taking each jug one at a time, Max had used a cord to tie the jug around her waist and proceeded to hunt every fair-sized wild animal she could find. Bobcat, wolf, fox, bear; Max was desperate and soon she would be hungry, the energy she'd gained from the human blood dissipating from her system quickly. For hours she had hunted, gathered, and drained. The heartbeats of the animals faded in Max's ears as she had held the mouth of each jug to an animal for a moment before rapidly switching. I may be desperate, but I still can't drink any of this blood straight-up. If I don't mix it somewhat, I'll be gagging with every mouthful, Max thought to herself as she wiped some of the blood spray from her face.
Bloody and burdened by the weight of her refilled blood supply, Max had half-sprinted back, staggering every so often as exhaustion kicked in. Finally making it back to her apartment, Max closed the door and braced it as temporary measure while unloading her cargo. Leaning back from the kitchen to get a look at the clock, Max had let out a moan of exhaustion and frustration at the realization that it would be dawn soon. I'm so tired, I could just collapse here on the floor and not even care. Max chuckled morbidly at the thought of Chloe making her way inside to see Max soaked in blood on the floor. Fuck, I hate this so goddamn much. This crap, the fighting and the killing, it isn't me. I mean, I know that it is for survival, but that I'm not like others I've met. I don't enjoy it, not typically. Wincing at the memory of the twins from the junkyard, Max felt a pang of remorse for how she had acted. The human blood brought out the worst in her when it came to her defensiveness, and a bloody-faced Chloe had remained ever-present in her mind once she had finished the human blood. Preys on your fears. Makes you hate, makes you crave. Makes me sick. Human blood. Ew.
Max showered in silence, realizing as she climbed out that she was going to have to clean it later.
"Unless I want to answer Chloe's inevitable 'Hey, why do you have bloodstains in your bathtub?'. Pass, definite pass," Max said to herself as she climbed into her bed. Praying that Chloe slept in, Max passed out halfway on the bed with her legs dangling off from the knees down. Max dreamed in a red haze, images of Chloe and blood swirling from her head, one last game courtesy of the human blood she had ingested. She watched Chloe die in a dozen different ways, and in each one she was unable to save her. Nathan's gun? Dead. Frank's knife? Dead. Something with a train? Dead. Dying and dead and I'm alone again as I'm swallowed up in the shadows, pawing at me. Let me die, let me die, I'm so lonely.
Max woke up with a start on the tail end of her nightmare, the lasting thought of I'm so lonely trailing after her consciousness. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, Max dragged herself to the kitchen and pulled a canned coffee drink out of the fridge. I forgot to buy a coffee grinder. Crap. I'll do it today, while I'm out with Chloe. Max popped open the cold can and down the entire drink in a couple gulps, tossing the can into the trash before grabbing another and repeating the process. Taking her metal sports bottle out of the fridge, Max appreciated her foresight from last night at making sure to fill the bottle up before taking a shower. Max opened the bottle up and, much like the coffee, drained the bottle of its contents with a greediness that left little to the imagination. Licking the rim of the bottle, Max set the bottle in the fridge and went to her bedroom to check her phone.
Chloe: Max, u up?
Max: Just recently. Long night.
Chloe: Story time?
Max: Blood and guts and blah
Chloe: ok fine don't tell me
Chloe: up but not at 'em
Chloe: come on over, we'll cook 2gether once I'm done baking
Chloe: ily
Max: c u soon 3
Tossing the phone onto the bed, Max searched through her wardrobe for something that was both pleasant and comfortable. Settling on blue jeans with a green and black hoodie, Max pulled on a plain white t-shirt as she got dressed with the rest of her ensemble for the day. Deciding to go further with the comfort, Max slipped on an old pair of Chuck Taylor sneakers and laid in bed for a moment. She thought her heart might start to beat of its own accord as she thought of her time in Blackwell's pool with Chloe from last night. Chloe had bared herself to Max for a moment, her guard completely down. The memory of Chloe's words made Max smile, but the remainder of her evening made her feel dirty and exhausted. When, not if, this all catches up with me...I don't know what I'll do if Chloe gets hurt...
Slowly sitting up, Max gathered her things. Loading the camera bag with her Polaroid, a refilled sports bottle and flask, and a notebook with pens, Max walked out her apartment door and paused at the door knob. Need to replace that, too. Great start to your day, Max Caulfield, except you only got a couple hours sleep so yesterday bled into today which makes it...ugh, I-I don't care. Just put your feet forward and go, I swear to Dog. Maybe Chloe will let me sleep some. Pfff, yeah. Right.
Max took the bus to Chloe's house, deciding that walking would take to long and she felt to exhausted to ride her Vespa there. The bus was nearly empty when she got in, the off-peak morning hours showing the dregs of the early rush. An elderly couple looked up when she walked on, whispered something to each other, then resumed whatever it was Max thought they were doing. Max popped her neck, slowly pivoting her head and neck, and took a drink from her sports bottle. Making sure the cap was on tight, Max returned the bottle to her bag and put on her earbuds. Flipping through her music folder, Max found "Something Good" by alt-J and began to hum along to the lyrics as she watched Arcadia Bay slowly crawl by as the bus moved along its route towards her stop.
Max wished that she could just enjoy the peacefulness she felt during these quiet moments, sitting on the bus and as it lumbered through the small coastal town. Closing her eyes, Max accidentally nodded off. A dreamless sleep, Max's mind was enveloped in the blankness of her unconsciousness as she sat in the bus. Max faintly felt the touch of something against her shoulder. Lazily opening one eye, Max looked up from her seat to see Chloe looking down at her. Feeling embarrassed at having fallen asleep on the bus, Max sheepishly looked away as Chloe chuckled at her groggy friend.
"Dude, you're like a fucking zombie. Come on," Chloe said, helping Max up from her seat on the bus. Slinging one of Max's arms over her shoulder, Chloe half-carried the half-asleep Max from the bus stop to her house as Max's eyelids drooped and her stomach growled. "Have you gotten any sleep, Max? You look hella wiped."
"Apartment...broken into...blood...had to hunt to...resupply," Max uttered, the fog of her drowsiness overcoming her conscious need to keep Chloe in the dark about what happened last night.
"Oh my god, Max! Are you alright? Who was it?" Chloe asked, her voice raised in astonishment and concern, "Were you hurt?"
"...Yes," Max said, fighting the exhaustion as she slowly began to realize what she was saying, "...s'nothing...don't worry, Che..."
"Hell yes, I'm going to worry! Come on. Breakfast and then rest, okay?"
"Mmmm...," Max replied, leaning her face into Chloe's neck in an attempt to nuzzle the taller girl, resulting in both of them nearly falling on their faces as they were still walking.
After a few near-falls, Chloe finally managed to get an exhausted Max into her house. Sitting Max down at the dining table, Chloe went through Max's bag as the other girl's stomach growled again. Pulling out the metal bottle she had seen numerous times, Chloe slowly took off the cap and tilted the mouth of the container to Max's lips.
"Ugh, man. This stuff reeks," Chloe said, catching a whiff of the contents, "You drink this every day? Fucking gross, man. Hope you have a goddamn lifetime supply of gum, dude, or I will never kiss you again."
Max made a small gurgling noise as she woke up from her groggy state to find a mouthful of blood being slowly forced into her. Almost coughing, Max gingerly took the bottle out of Chloe's hands and downed half the contents. Setting the bottle down on the table, Max sat for a moment as she regained her senses. Blinking slowly, Max looked around while Chloe sat across from her at the table.
"Are you okay, Maxaroni? You said you got hurt," Chloe said, her face pained with concern over Max.
"Unh, I've been better," Max said, realizing that she would have to divulge something. Keeping my mouth shut will only make Chloe suspicious. Besides, she deserves to know some things, "Some...other vampires came through Arcadia Bay last night. I had to deal with them."
Chloe's eyes widened as the thought of other vampires coming to town enlivened her imagination.
"Other vampires?! Holy shit!" Chloe said before clamping her mouth shut, seeing Max wince from the volume at which Chloe had exclaimed her surprise, "Uh, sorry. Seriously, though...wait, 'deal with them'? What, like you killed them or something?" Chloe said with a snicker. Chloe's face changed to a mask of shock as she realized Max had not answered her question.
"Holy shit...," Chloe said, no louder than a whisper.
"It's not exactly something I enjoy, Chloe," Max said, now alert, regretting that she hadn't just stayed home and called Chloe to cancel this morning, "It was either them or-"
Chloe abruptly got up, walked over to stand next to the still-sitting Max, and just stared at her for a moment. Max wondered what was going through her head, what Chloe was thinking, and felt an immense amount of anxiety as the image of Chloe throwing her out flashed across her mind. Max felt herself begin to sob at the thought of Chloe dumping her, leaving her to be alone again, and felt a small amount of surprise as she was pulled out of her depressing thoughts by Chloe's arms wrapping around her. Taking a hold of one of the arms with a slightly shaking hand, Max felt tears begin to trickle down her cheek, the saltiness of clear tears dripping down to her lips as Chloe slowly rocked her.
"I-I hate it. I hate what I am, I hate all of it. I just wanted to come back to you, to be safe here. But it'll never leave me alone, Che, it'll never stop," Max croaked, her throat dry from the sobbing.
"Shh, sweetie. Shh. I'm here. You're here. Just calm down, yeah? You're scaring the shit out of me, Max," Chloe said as she continued to rock Max for a moment before pulling back. Chloe looked at her friend with a deep concern, the usual toughness replaced with a gentleness Max had not seen since she was a child. "Come on, Max, we can make some pancakes and you can tell me whatever it is you feel comfortable telling me. I already promised you forever, and if some of it is too much for me, we can deal. Together."
Max slowly climbed out of the chair as Chloe gently led her to the kitchen. A bag of chocolate chips sat next to an already prepared bowl of pancake batter, and Chloe looked at her with a grin, gesturing to the chocolate pieces.
"I remember how much you liked to add the chocolate, so I saved that part for you," Chloe said, sliding over so that Max could stand next to the counter, "I'll go get one of Joyce's nice skillets while you mix."
Watching Chloe walk toward the garage, Max shuddered in relief as the weight of the past three years began to lift from her. Even a little helps, and I need her to understand so bad. I still can't believe she just took what I said in so easily. Wowsers. Hearing Chloe's footsteps as she returned, Max poured half the bag of chocolate chips into the pancake batter and began to slowly stir the batter with a spoon laying next to the bowl. Max saw Chloe watch her out of the corner of her eye.
"You're scared of me now, aren't you?" Max asked, pained, not looking at Chloe.
"More like worried and anxious. I figured that everything can't be sweet acrobatics and super-strength...and a degree of nookie that cannot be matched by anyone on the planet...but I didn't expect you to open up so easily," Chloe said as she laid the skillet on the stove top, dropping a few spoonfuls of butter as the skillet began to heat up.
"You'll have to be in charge of the skillet, Che," Max said with a sniffle as she caught a look at the kitchenware, "I...I can't use that."
"What? Why, you lose your cooking skills when you became a vampire? I know you eat the undead equivalent of cold TV dinners, but-"
"Heh, no, it's not that. The skillet...I can't touch it. It's iron. Iron, well, it hurts my kind," Max reluctantly offered. Baby steps, Max. Baby steps.
"No shit?" Chloe said with her eyebrows raised.
"No shit."
Max watched as Chloe took the snippet of information in and shrugged. Taking the bowl from Max, Chloe poured the first pancake into the skillet, licking her lips as the batter immediately began to sizzle around the edges.
"Dude, I'm hella starved. Maybe I'll find some iron plates and iron forks, make it so that I get all these lovelies to myself...," Chloe said, smirking as she watched Max from the corner of her eye.
"Not funny, Chloe," Max said, leaning against the counter, "Maybe I won't treat you to anymore supercharged piggyback rides or amazeballs human-vampire sex."
"Maybe I will buy an iron chastity belt and you'll never get the opportunity to refuse me?"
"You? Chastity?" Max asked incredulously, "Oh, that's right. You're a 'fragile flower'."
Chloe groaned and rolled her eyes as she flipped the pancake over.
"I'm never going to live that down," Chloe said with a small amount of irritation.
"You're really not," Max cooed as she stood on her tip-toes to give Chloe a kiss on the cheek, "I'll make some coffee while you continue with your kitchen wizardry."
"Accio fucking pancakes!" Chloe replied, waving the spatula in her hand with a flourish.
"Harry Potter? Dork," Max said as she filled the coffee pot with water.
"Hippie.
"Nerd."
"No, that's you, my little fanganista," Chloe said sweetly, leaning over to kiss Max before focusing her attention on the making of pancakes.
Max remained quiet throughout their preparation of breakfast, looking over occasionally to see the look on Chloe's face. She's so calm. How is she so calm? I'm the vampire and I'm not calm about this. Max took in the smell of the coffee as the pot slowly filled. Coffee of any kind was good to Max. Pouring two cups, Max sat one on the side of the stove top that wasn't being used for their aptly-titled "breakfast-making extravaganza". She's really a dork. Really.
"I forget. Do you take anything in your coffee?" Max asked as she opened the fridge to see if there was any creamer.
"Uh, just sugar, but I can get that. Go. Sit. The time draws near," Chloe said, poking Max with the spatula until the smaller girl retreated to the dining table.
Arriving with two plates of chocolate-laden pancakes, Max wished that her mouth still watered at the sight of food. Chloe walked back over to the kitchen, remembering her coffee, and grabbed a bottle of maple syrup.
"We're all out of blood here, so you'll just have to make due with our syrup," Chloe said, licking her lips as she doused her pancakes in maple syrup.
"Ugh, gross!" Max said, crinkling the bridge of her nose in disgust at the idea of blood-covered food, "I'm a vampire, not a goddamn horror movie." Max thought for a second, trying to remember something...
"Wait! I remember now! You're totally scared of horror movies!" Max exclaimed, slapping the table at the revelation.
"Which is ironic because I'm dating one," Chloe shot back, her expression a mix of irritation and amusement.
"Oh, ha. I remember, though. That year I wanted to scare you so for Halloween I went as the girl from The Ring-"
"Dude, stop. Seriously," Chloe said, Max relishing Chloe shuddering as the memory returned, "Ugh, I can't stand it when you do that!"
"Coming from the girl who made me watch Jaws," Max retorted.
Both girls chuckling, Max playfully kicked her foot against Chloe's as they began to tear at their breakfast. It was the first time in months that Max felt like she could eat an entire meal. The chocolate and pancake blending together to make her smile throughout the entire breakfast, Max looked over as Chloe would sneak glances towards Max's plate of pancakes.
"Not today," Max said, wrapping her arm around her plate like they were in prison, "Just eat yours."
"Boo, you don't actually need food boooooo," Chloe said with an exaggerated pout before snickering as she began to mop up the syrup with the few remaining pieces of pancake.
Max finished her pancakes a few minutes after Chloe, the other girl moving back to the kitchen to put the dirty dishes in the sink. As Max got up with her own plate, both girls heard the door open. Thinking it was Joyce for a moment, Max looked through the kitchen doorway to see David Madsen looking back at her. First confused, then irritated, David's expressions brought a lump of anxiety into Max's chest as the head of Blackwell Academy's security walked past her into the kitchen. Pouring his own cup of coffee, David observed the two girls as they began to clean up what little mess they had made.
"Nice breakfast," David said, observing the skillet, bag of pancake mix, and a few chocolate chips scattered on the counter, "Good to see you're taking care of yourself, Chloe."
"Dude, do we really have to do this right now?" Chloe asked with an exasperated sigh, "I've got company and I don't want any-"
"Speaking of your company, I'm not so sure I like the idea of you two being under this roof without supervision," David continued, setting down the coffee as he proceeded to stand in front of Chloe, "I remember what you told me at Blackwell, Chloe. Real cute, trying to get the drop on me in a goddamn school. You talk about how you're an adult, but you still act like a child. You still live here, and you don't even have a job."
"Get off of me!" Chloe yelled as David got into Chloe's face, "You goddamn psycho, with your fucking guns and paranoid bullshit-"
Max grabbed David's open hand by the wrist before it could make contact with Chloe's face, the taller girl's eyes closed as she prepared herself for the blow. This isn't the first time, is it? You prematurely squeezed your eyes shut the second you said "bullshit", Chloe. Wowsers. Max relinquished David's hand when he turned his attention to Max. Feeling her skin begin to crawl as the idea of David striking Chloe popped into her head, Max buried her feelings deep and jutted out her chin, a wordless gesture for David to try and hit her. She watched in surprise as David's face made it look like he was considering it, then lowered his hand as he walked back to the counter for his coffee. Chloe stood behind Max, slipping her hand into the smaller girl's as David stared at both of them.
"I think you need to leave, Max," David said, clutching his coffee cup so tightly it looked like it might break.
"I think we both will," Max replied, intertwining her fingers with Chloe's as she backpedaled into the hallway, "I also think you need to leave her alone. Does Joyce know you hit her daughter?"
"I think you need to leave now," David said, his face turning red at Max's insinuation.
Turning around, Max walked Chloe over to the door. Both girls grabbing their belongings that were by the door, Chloe and Max walked over to Chloe's truck in silence and climbed in. Starting the truck, Chloe took a furtive glance at the house before pulling out of the driveway and heading down the street. A couple blocks further down, Max lurched as Chloe suddenly hit the breaks, tears running down her face.
"You okay?" Max asked, tentatively putting a hand on Chloe's shoulder.
"He ruins everything, Max! Everything! My mom drags him into my life and he does nothing but tear into me! I'm sure you have come to the conclusion that his hand raised at me is not a one-time-only occurrence. His anger issues give me anger issues! Fuck, I hate this place! Fuck everybody!" Chloe screamed as she gassed the truck's engine.
"Chloe, calm down!" Max said, bracing herself against the dash as Chloe sped down towards the business area of Arcadia Bay. Putting a hand on Chloe's leg, Max looked at Chloe intensely, "Slow down, Che."
Breaking into a sob, Chloe slowed the truck down and pulled over onto the side of the road. Max turned the ignition off and pocketed the truck keys as she scooted over to hold Chloe. It never occurred to me that even her home wasn't a safe place for her anymore. I saw that David had a temper when we were at Blackwell, but I didn't know it was that bad. Max thought of when William was alive, the light in the man's eyes as he would play with Chloe and Max in the backyard. The cookouts, the family dinners with Max's parents, the weekends and summers where Max would disappear with Chloe on their adventures - the memories were all scarred by David's presence in Chloe's house. Max gripped Chloe a little tighter, careful to not squeeze her, and leaned her head on Chloe's shoulder as Chloe continued to cry.
"F-fuck him," Chloe said between sniffing, "Fuck him and fuck my mom for marrying him. Fuck this town for letting him come into my home, Max. Fuck everything."
"...Even me?" Max asked cautiously, feeling the tension come off of Chloe in waves.
"...No. Not you. But I don't know how much longer I can live there, Max. It's like a goddamn cycle. Yell, argue, stomp, stare, hit, repeat. I tell my mom, and she jumps at David about it, but it still happens. Over and over. I just want it to end," Chloe said, the enjoyment of their breakfast overwhelmed by the presence of her step-dad.
"You want to stay with me tonight?" Max asked, softly kissing Chloe's wet cheek. When Chloe responded with a sullen-faced nod, Max kissed her cheek again and lightly nuzzled Chloe's neck in affection.
"We'll need to stop by the supermarket, and the hardware store. You'll need food, and I need a new doorknob," Max said as she slid back over to the passenger side, "Will you be okay by yourself? I can cancel my session at Blackwell, if you want me to."
"No. That's a job, right? Besides, who will buy me presents?" Chloe asked, feigning a smile at her weak humor, "And I'll be alright, Max. I'm depressed, not regressed into a 5 year old."
"Thank Dog, because I am terrible with kids," Max said, looking over at Chloe to see if she could get a response out of her friend. Seeing Chloe smirk a little, Max smiled warmly at Chloe before buckling her seat belt, "Take no chances."
"I'm that bad a driver?" Chloe said, the tone of her voice regaining its usual wit.
"Only when you try to put the pedal on the floor, Che."
Max bought some frozen pizzas and junk food, "comfort shit" according to Chloe, after Max had dragged Chloe into the hardware store to get a new doorknob. Their small collection of purchases sitting between Max's legs, Chloe made a point to drive slowly to Max's apartment. Max worriedly glanced over at Chloe from time to time as they headed toward her place, Chloe looking back at her from the corner of her eye and giving Max a small smile in reply. She's broken. I'm broken. We'll be broken together, I guess. Pulling into the parking lot across from Max's building, Chloe and Max climbed out of the truck and crossed the street to the apartment.
Pushing the door open, Max let Chloe walk past her with the groceries while Max yanked the doorknob out in a single pull, the movement bringing an image of what she had done to the vampiric girl last night to the forefront of her mind. With a shudder, Max tossed the knob over the staircase railing, it landing with a thud on the ground below. Messing around with the new doorknob, Max managed to get the new knob in place after a few attempts. Looking at her handiwork with a small amount of pride, Max closed the door and locked it to make sure the door stayed closed and locked.
"Hey, Max. Do you want some of these chips? You bought me three fucking bags, dude. I don't need to eat that much," Chloe said from further inside the apartment. Sliding off her footwear, Max padded along the hallway and into the living room area. Sitting on the lone chair, Chloe munched away at a bag of jalapeno-flavored chips.
"I'm good. I think I'm going to get some rest before I have to head to Blackwell. If you can pry yourself away from the deliciousness in your hands, you are more than welcome to be my cuddle buddy," Max said with a grin as she began to walk toward the bedroom. Hearing the bag get dropped on the coffee table, Max heard Chloe catch up to her and felt the warmth of Chloe's body as the taller girl wrapped her arms around Max' shoulders. Both girls walking into the bedroom, Max handed Chloe a pair of shorts and a t-shirt while Max just took off her socks and fell onto the bed. Exhausted, but content to have Chloe with her, Max curled up on the bed as Chloe joined her. Facing Chloe, Max gave Chloe an Eskimo kiss and asked her to turn around.
"What, do I have something on my face?" Chloe asked with curiosity as Max gestured for her to turn around.
"No, I just wanna spoon," Max said with a yawn.
"I should be big spoon. I'm taller."
"My bed, my rules. Turn, Price."
Max wrapped her arms around Chloe's waist as the other girl pressed her back into Max's chest. Chloe's heartbeat was like a fire to Max, warm and soothing. The repetition of beats became her lullaby as Max began to drift off.
"Max?" Chloe asked, beginning to sound tired herself.
"Mmm, yeah?" Max asked, half-opening an eye.
"Thank you. I mean it," Chloe said in a serious tone, tilting her head so that she could see the sleepy Max with her peripheral vision.
"I appreciate the thanks, Chloe, but I owe you as much as you think you owe me. You keep me here," Max said as she stifled another yawn, "You keep me from slipping too far. I've...I've done terrible things, Chloe. To survive, sure, but I would toss the past three years in the garbage if it meant I got to tell you how much you mean to me back when I left."
Max felt Chloe's heartbeat increase and grinned, pressing her face against Chloe's back as the other girl grew quiet. Taking in the smell of Chloe with a sleepy relish, Max rubbed her cheek against Chloe and made a purring sound as she wiggled herself even closer to Chloe. The two girls nodded off into slumber, their sleepy forms intertwined.
Waking up as her phone's alarm went off, Max gently relinquished her hold on Chloe and slipped out of the bed. Selecting her pink black skull shirt and a pair of black jeans, Max was lacing up her boots when two long arms wrapped themselves around her. Grinning, Max finished tying her boots up as Chloe rested her head on Max's shoulder.
"Good afternoon, sleepy smurf," Max said, kissing the drowsy Chloe on her cheek.
"...Smurfs have white hats, nerd," Chloe said as she yawned, "Keep your facts in check, suckface."
"But what are under the hats?" Max asked as she put her hands over Chloe's, feeling the other girl's fingers spread out so as to make room for Max's.
"More hats," Chloe said with a huff as she let Max go and flopped back onto the bed, "Don't go. Stay and give me affection, you butt."
"This butt has a job, and bills to pay. One does not live by animal blood alone, Chloe."
"Fine," Chloe said, pulling the covers back so she could curl up in Max's bed rather than just on it, "Your bed now belongs to me."
"You can have it. It smells like an ashtray."
"Ugh!" Chloe said, pulling the pillow behind her head out to throw at Max. Max ducked as the pillow flew past, knocking down the set of Asian blinds that divided the bedroom area from the living room. Sighing, Max stood up and walked over to set the divider back up. Turning around, Max wagged her finger at Chloe in mock chastisement.
"Don't tear my home apart while I'm gone? And no crazy parties, either! You kids and your drugs and rock music..."
"Wow. Okay, Mom," Chloe said with a snort as she took the returned pillow from Max, and laid it across her head, "I just want to be one of the cool kids!"
"'Adventures in Chloe-sitting' will be continued when I get back. Gonna go back to sleep?" Max asked, moving over to Chloe's occupied side of the bed. Sitting down next to her, Max ran her fingers through Chloe's blue hair, eliciting a grin her friend. "You need to dye your hair again, Che. I mean, if you want it to keep looking blue. Your roots are starting to show."
"Izzit bad?" Chloe replied before finally nodding off.
"Blue and blonde don't really go together that well," Max said with a chuckle as she kissed the sleeping Chloe on the forehead.
Grabbing her camera bag, still packed from earlier today, Max downed the entire sports bottle and refilled it before leaving the apartment. Locking the door behind her, making sure again that the door stayed shut and locked, Max skipped down the stairs to her Vespa, Chloe on her mind as she set off for Blackwell Academy.
Arriving a little earlier than last time, Max stowed her helmet away and pulled the visitor's pass out of her camera bag and clipped it to one of her jean's hip pockets. Rummaging through the notebook, Max spotted the photocopies of the students' Everyday Heroes entries and began to flip through them as she walked through the courtyard. Oh, this shot with the fireman is so sweet. An actual 'Everyday Hero'. Whose is this? Max thought as she flipped the copy over, Oh, the quiet one. Kate Marsh. She's as shy as I am sometimes, but she's very skilled. And sweet. I'll talk to her about the photo after class.
"Max!" a voice called out, Max's head snapping up as she scanned the courtyard for the source.
"Oh! Hey, Dana," Max said, waving at Dana as she made her way over to Max, falling in step alongside the photographer, "Tomorrow. After school. Do you have some ensembles ready?"
"Definitely. I am so excited about this, Max! My first photoshoot from a professional! Ahhh!" Dana squealed as she wrapped Max in a hug.
"Uh, thanks. Here," Max said, breaking out of Dana's hold to hand her a business card, "The number on the bottom is the business line, and my business email is right across from it. If you have any questions before tomorrow, or after, feel free to leave me a message. I promise I will get back to you."
Squealing again as she clutched at the card with both of her hands, Dana flashed Max a huge smile and ran over to Juliet, the other girl looking like she was having a tense discussion with one of the teachers. Shrugging, Max crossed the rest of the courtyard only to get bumped into by a student when she had made it to the steps.
"Sorry, I-," the boy said as he looked over at Max, "Whoa, uh, hi. I'm Warren. Um, are you new here? I haven't seen you before."
"I don't go to school here. I'm Max," Max said as she offered a hand to Warren, "I'm a freelance photographer helping Mr. Jefferson with his class this semester. Everyday Heroes contest winner, 2012."
"Cool," Warren said, shaking Max's hand a little longer than she would've liked, "Are you new to Arcadia Bay? If you want, I could show you around some time. I've got a car-" Warren started to say before Max held up a hand to shush him. A little too strong there, Don Juan.
"Sorry, Warren. Seat's taken. Unless you feel like dealing with my punk-ass, tough-as-nails girlfriend," Max said with a polite smile.
"Sure, sure. Um, if you change your mind...you know where to find me," Warren said, sheepishly smiling before walking off.
'You know where to find me'? Ew. Seriously, do I need to wave a big sign that says I'm gay? Maybe I should have dragged Chloe along, be my boy repellent. I see your shoddy advances and raise you a blue-haired, smart-ass dork that might try to strangle you, haha. Walking up the steps, Max opened the double doors with a giggle at the thought of what Chloe would do to that poor boy.
Signing in for the class, Max exited the main office only to see David Madsen standing across the hall. Not seeing Max, David's attention was drawn to two boys huddled next to a locker, whispering in hushed tones. Feeling a tap on his shoulder from someone behind him, David turned around with his eyes still trailing the suspicious boys.
"Yeah, what-" David said before feeling a stinging sensation across his face as Max slapped him with enough force to turn his head. Garnering the attention of some of the nearby students, David looked at Max angrily for a moment before seeing the equally angry look on Max's face.
"You going to hit me back, hit me like you hit Chloe?" Max asked in a threatening tone, "What's the matter? Can't do it when there are witnesses? I hit first, so go ahead. Hit me."
"What happens in my home is none of your concern. Max...you don't know how Chloe is at home, how belligerent and disrespectful she can be. She pushes and pushes-"
"Did you even try to understand where she was coming from? Is she sometimes stubborn? Yeah, she totally is. Can she be argumentative? Absolutely. Chloe and I argue, but I don't hit her. What's your excuse?"
"Max, I don't want to fight with you. I don't want to fight with anyone," David said, easing back from Max as the small girl stood her ground.
"I think Chloe will stay with me for a while, if she wants. I can come by and get some of her clothes and things after I'm done here. But I swear, David, that if you raise your hand to her again-"
"You'll what?" David asked, looking mildly incredulous as Max's eyes narrowed.
"I'll fucking kill you," Max said, her voice cold as David tried to figure out whether she meant it, "I'll feed you that goddamn hand."
Not waiting for a reply, Max whirled around and turned back down into the hall leading to the photography lab. Taking a deep breath and exhaling, Max shook her head. Wowsers, that was close. Max slowed her step as she saw what looked like a heated argument up ahead between the girl Kate and Mr. Jefferson. Is she crying? Max watched as Kate spun around and began to walk towards her. Standing in her way, Max approached Kate as the other girl looked up to notice her.
"Uh, hi Kate. Are you okay?" Max asked sympathetically, putting a hand on Kate's shoulder.
"Why do you care? You don't even know me," Kate spat back, recoiling from Max's touch.
"You're crying. Why wouldn't I care?"
"...my life is pretty much over. It's Max, right?"
"Yeah. Did something happen? I was hoping to get to talk to you after class. I really like your submission for the contest and wanted to-"
"I'm not going to class, Max. Just...just leave me alone, okay?" Kate said as she shouldered past Max and down the hall. Looking over at Mr. Jefferson, Max looked at him inquisitively only to get an exhausted-looking shrug in reply. Shaking her head, Max continued the short distance down the hall and entered the classroom. Seeing Dana at her desk, Max waved the cheerful-looking girl in greeting as she began to unpack her bag on the desk at the front of the class with Jefferson coming up behind her.
"I'm sorry, Max. I might be a little late, phone call with a publisher," Jefferson said apologetically
"Oh, that's okay. Hey, is everything okay with Kate? She seemed upset and I really wanted to speak with her about the picture she submitted. I think it has a lot of promise. Could be a winning shot," Max said.
"...There's this viral video a student put out of her, making out with a bunch of boys at a party," Jefferson said in a serious tone, "She insists that something was done to her, drugged or something along those lines, but she has no evidence to back it up. She wanted to know if she should go to the police. I'm sorry, I really have to take this."
Watching Jefferson leave, Max turned back to her bag to find Nathan Prescott and Victoria Chase staring at her from the back. Sauntering over, Victoria leaned on the desk Max was using as her workstation with a smirk.
"If it isn't Arcadia's finest, come to grace us with her freaky presence," Victoria said with a sneer.
"Nice to fuck you again, too, Victoria," Max said, not even bothering to look up, "To what do I owe this small amount of torture?"
"My friend Nathan told me that he saw you get shot a couple days ago and we're curious as to how you're still standing. Also, I think you're a total fake with your trendy-looking hipster bullshit."
Max lifted up her shirt to show Victoria her midsection, pale skin smooth and lean. Victoria looked at Max with a quizzical expression.
"Where did I get shot, then?" Max asked, lowering her shirt back down, "Also, when you actually get some published work you can feel free to make your shitty remarks. Until then, take your school-bound ass to your desk and leave me be."
Watching Victoria seethe, Max grinned as the other girl walked away only to feel a slight build-up of anxiety as Nathan Prescott walked towards her.
"I don't know what fucking game you're playing, bitch," Nathan hissed in a hushed voice, "But you don't fuck with me or my friends. We fuck with you, and I know you got shot. I'm gonna figure out whatever the hell it is you're up to with that Price bitch, and you feminazis-"
"Nathan? I...see...you," Max whispered to him, lifting her head up to stare Nathan directly in the face.
"What? What the fuck are you talking about?" Nathan asked with a puzzled expression.
"I. See. You."
Max watched as Nathan's face went through a series of expressions: surprise, anger, dread, and worry. Max just continued to stare at Nathan until the boy broke eye contact and stormed out of the classroom, cussing under his breath. Sighing, Max looked back down and wished for the second time since she came back here that she had brought Chloe with her. Just as Chloe popped into her head, Max's phone went off and she pulled it out of her bag with a grin.
Chloe: Did you tell David off?
Max: o he rang?
Chloe: dude, ur a fuking godsend
Max: I kno 3
Chloe: u really ok with me staying here 4 a while?
Max: mi casa es your safe haven
Chloe: I luv it when u get all protective
Max: Max 2 the rescue
Chloe: marry me
Max: ok
Chloe: whoa whoa whoa j/k
Max: Don't u luuuuv me?
Chloe: get 2 work nerd
Chloe: ily
Snickering, Max slid her phone into her back pocket and looked out into the hallway for Mr. Jefferson when a student came sprinting in.
"Yo, there's some crazy shit going down at the girls' dorm!" the student had cried out, gesturing out into the hallway. Watching in puzzlement as the students ran out of the room, Max's curiosity got the better of her and she decided to join them.
The breezeway was a river of students as they all ran towards the gate for the dormitory area. Seeing Mr. Jefferson pacing nervously next to the open gate, Max ran over to him.
"What's going on?" Max asked, anxious as students continued to run by.
"Kate is on the roof of the girls' dormitory, Max. I think...I think she's going to jump," Mr. Jefferson said, wiping his sweating palms onto his pants.
Looking at Mr. Jefferson in shock, Max ran through the gate and into the courtyard leading to the girls' dormitory. Max saw some of the students looking in horror, with a scattered few pointing their phones up towards the roof to record the events occuring. Ugh, Victoria. This is the type of crap that will not win you any credit. Max saw Juliet holding Dana as both girls were crying in terror.
"What the hell is happening?" Max asked the two girls.
"Someone put up a video-" Juliet started before getting cut off by Dana.
"It's not just the video, Juliet. Victoria and her friends have been giving Kate shit for the video ever since it popped up. I bet one of them actually put the damn thing up, too," Dana said as she wiped at her face.
Looking around, Max's mind raced as she tried to think of something. An idea coming to mind, Max ran back out the gate and through the breezeway to the sidewalk. Running around the campus, Max came to the wall opposite the girls' dormitory. Scaling the wall, Max peeked over the edge to see no one was around. Flipping over, Max softly landed on the grass and broke into one of the rooms on the bottom floor. Coming out of the dorm room, Max ran out of the hall and up the stairs as the people outside grew more anxious with the noise they were making. Sprinting up the last couple of flights, Max quietly opened the door leading out to the rooftop. Seeing Kate teetering on the edge of the roof, Max was about to sprint over when Kate spotted her out of the corner of her eye.
"What are you doing here, Max? This isn't any of your business," Kate said dejectedly, now facing Max on the roof's edge.
"I don't know what happened to you, Kate, but killing yourself is not the answer," Max said, taking a half-step towards Kate.
"How do you know? You don't have people leaving you messages on your door or calling you a 'viral slut' as you pass them by in the hallway? My mother's heartbroken, my sisters won't talk to me, and my dad just tries to tell me that things will get better! How? How will things get better?" Kate cried, tears flowing down her cheeks.
"Kate. A...a few years ago, I-I nearly killed myself," Max said, realizing she was going to have to tell this terrified girl something personal to get her to understand, "Something...something terrible happened to me and I wanted to die. I almost did."
"...What stopped you?" Kate asked, calming down a little but still standing on the edge of the roof.
"Someone I trusted," Max said, remembering both the first and last time she had seen Henri's face, "I trusted him, and he stopped me. Told me that we don't let our pain, our problems control us. We push through the physical, mental, and emotional trials in our lives so that we control them. I am my own person, just as you are yours. Don't let what others say make this fatal decision, Kate. Take control, fight back!"
"...I want to believe you, I really do. It all just seems so pointless," Kate said, her voice hollow as the tears started back up, "My life is over. You don't even know what it is they're harassing me about-"
"And I don't care. I care about you, about the sweet girl I saw in class the other day, the girl who had the amazing eye that showed me how much she cares about other people," Max said as she cautiously took another half-step.
"...You saw my photo? I didn't think it was any good..."
"Your heart shows in your work, Kate. You have an eye that relays just how large your heart is. Don't let one thing in your life decide that it is over. Come down, come with me, and beat back the bullies," Max said, walking over slowly with a hand outstretched.
Max watched as Kate began to reach out, her eyes widening as a crack of thunder from an approaching storm startled Kate. Her feet slipping from the surprise, Kate fell backwards and began to fall. Max felt the world go into slow-motion as she began to run the short distance across the roof to where Kate was beginning to fall. Jumping with her hand still outstretched, Max watched as Kate passed out of sight and stretched herself as far as she could go.
"Gotcha!" Max said as she grabbed onto one of Kate's sleeves. Hearing the crowd down below gasp, Max looked down frantically and smiled in relief as she saw that Kate hadn't slipped out of her sweater. Seeing Kate clutch at her hand with all the strength she had, Max gingerly began to pull back onto the roof with Kate in tow. A head, then shoulders, and finally a torso; Max scrambled over and pulled Kate the rest of the way onto the roof as it began to rain.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Kate said as Max held the crying girl to her chest.
"You're here, Kate. Don't be sorry. Just be."
David was the first one to make it to them, looking at Max with a mixed expression as she helped Kate to the stairway door. Not giving David a single thought, Max ignored him as she focused on helping her new friend down the stairs. I'm going to keep an eye on you, Kate Marsh. You, Dana, Juliet. Something's going on here and I don't like it. Making it to the door leading out onto the courtyard, Max looked out the window and saw the students and teachers gathering and peered down at Kate. Huddled in Max's arms, Kate began to cry again as she heard people on the other side of the door.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Max," Kate said, looking up at Max with red eyes.
Looking down at Kate with a warm smile, Max lightly kissed Kate on the forehead and led her out through the back door, the emergency alarm going off. Hearing the commotion from the other side of the building increase, Max slowly escorted Kate from the back of the dormitory to the breezeway. Seeing an older, bald gentleman that Max recognized as Principal Wells, Max signaled him with a wave of her free hand and watched as he came running with a paramedic. Max stopped walking and pulled out her phone.
"May I have your number?" Max asked Kate softly, seeing the girl look up at her in confusion.
"Why?" Kate asked in a sad tone as she watched the paramedic get closer.
"I haven't been back in Arcadia Bay for a very long time, and I think we could both use a new friend," Max said with a smile as she saw Kate's eyes briefly light up. Max watched as Kate punched in a series of numbers and hand the phone back to her with shaking hands. Kissing her on the forehead again, Max let the paramedic take her as Principal Wells approached her.
"Thank you. It's Ms. Caulfield, right-" Wells began to say only to be cut off by the sound of someone yelling "Max!" from the other side of the courtyard.
Leaning over to look behind Wells, Max began to cry as she smiled at the sight of Chloe standing at the entrance to the school's parking lot. Nearly knocking the principal over, Max ran across the courtyard as fast as she could without raising suspicion and let herself get lifted up as Chloe took Max into her arms.
"Oh fuck, man. Holy fucking shit! What happened? I saw some cops pull in while I was waiting for you, and then an ambulance. Jesus fuck, Max, what the hell-" Chloe said before being interrupted by Max's lips coming into contact with her own.
Max cupped Chloe's face with her hands as she kissed Chloe with desperation, her body shaking as she fought off the urge to sob. Tears running down her cheeks, Max watched as Chloe opened her eyes and pulled Max back. Pulling her beanie off, Chloe wiped at Max's face to get rid of the bloody tears before anyone else saw.
"Max. What happened?" Chloe said, dabbing at Max's face softly while keeping her gaze locked onto Max.
"...That girl over by the ambulance? She tried to kill herself, jump from the roof," Max said, her body shaking as she choked back a sob, "I-I talked her down."
"Oh my god, Max. Just...fuck. Are you okay?" Chloe asked, leaning her forehead onto Max's as she gave Max Eskimo kisses.
"No. No, I'm not okay Chloe. I'm far from fucking okay. But I can be. Please, can you just hold me? Just...just help me to try and not make this day not be so damn terrible?" Max pleaded, her eyes watering clear tears as she leaned her head onto Chloe's shoulder.
Chloe held onto her as Max wept, not only Kate but for herself, terrified of losing everything she held dear.
Author's Note: I've lost friends and other loved ones to suicide, both from my time in and out of the military. I've also thought of suicide before myself. If you are hurting, or someone you know needs help, call 1 (800) 273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Don't let whatever is keeping you down take you out.