Chapter 06
As the days pass, the weeks pass, and the months pass, the time Chloe has been eagerly awaiting finally arrives: Summer.
School is let out with a wild celebration by all students and the cheering continues even as they thundered out the doors of the school. Chloe is equally jubilant and she rushes from her school towards the direction of Hoover Middle School at a breakneck pace.
As has become the norm, though, she did not have to run the whole mile to see her goal. A little over half way, she sees Maxine in a rush towards her too. They jump into each other's arms cheering about no more school and no more work. Maxine is especially blissful saying her workload will now drastically decrease and they can spend more time together.
In reality, of the two of them, Chloe will probably be the only one without any real work to do during summer. Her mother had asked her to help as an unpaid assistant at the Two Whales, but it is only four hours a day during the busiest part. Maxine, on the other hand, later told her that her parents had prepared a series of 'summer educational tasks' for her, including increasing all the extracurricular lessons she's taking now and adding some others for good measure, including the French lessons her father had long spoke of.
"So you'll be busy all summer?" Chloe asked in dismay.
Maxine looks visibly upset. "I hope not. They did let off a little when I asked if I could play with you too, but my mom says 90% of my week has to be spent keeping up. She's been kind of mad lately."
"Why?"
"My, uh, grades have been slipping and I've been getting more distracted."
"I'm sorry." Chloe says horrified. "I didn't mean to-"
"It's not you. It's the smartphone. The camera, I mean." She clarifies. "I really fell in love with it. I spend so much time with it now just taking photos."
Chloe could have guessed that even without her saying. Maxine has been sending her innumerable photos – most of which are of seemingly mundane things – and she shows her even more when they're together.
It doesn't stop the bit of guilt from going through her. After all, it was her who originally convinced Maxine that a smartphone was great. Truth was that though she listed many educational benefits at the time, the real reason she wanted Maxine to get a smartphone was so that they could use the many sharing apps together.
Simultaneously, she also feels elated that she helped brought something into the other girl's life that gave her happiness. Even if she may be as bold as to say the phone isn't the only thing and Maxine's room is proof of this.
Littered around the room is evidence that Chloe has been here. The manga she gave Maxine long ago rest near bedside. Her blue backpack – once plain and barren – now has crude drawings of yellow haired girls attached to it. Her wall is also lined with photographs the two took together.
Chloe's room is much the same. The perfume Maxine gave to her remains a treasured possession and lies securely in her clothing drawer. On her desk, alongside portraits of her parents, now sits numerous portraits of the two of them which was gifted to her. However, by far the most valuable thing she was given was something wholly unexpected.
During an end to an otherwise normal visit to Maxine's home where the two of them spent the entire time trying to create an original piano tune, she was stopped shortly before leaving by the other girl who runs upstairs and returns with her stuffed panda.
In a move that surprised both Chloe and her mother, Maxine holds the animal out to Chloe saying she would like her to have it.
Chloe sputters a bit. "But I thought Panda Bear makes you feel better? I can't take him, Maxine."
"I…don't think I need him anymore, Chloe. I haven't for a while now. So I want you to take care of my bear."
Hesitantly, Chloe takes the bear and thanks her. On the drive home, the toy seem to grow in importance and she holds on to it tightly. In a rare display, even Vanessa seem happy with what happened saying that she's glad Maxine no longer needs that silly bear. She just nods in silence.
At home, she rushes up to her room and spent an hour trying to find a suitable spot for her new treasure. Eventually, she places him on a desk near her bed so she can stare at him before going to sleep. Later on, her mom helps her wash the bear and she spends some time grooming it before placing him back in his spot.
He takes a minor spot in her room, but his importance is outsized. It feels almost a little weird to see it as such and she can almost see Vanessa's point of view, but it doesn't stop her from feeling so.
With that gift, Chloe had long thought that they had given as much of each other as possible. All of their thoughts, feelings, and spirit could be found in the gifts they gave. However, one day, Chloe realizes that there is still one last thing she wanted to share with Maxine.
It was an idea that had been brewing in her head. It came to her when she examined both hers and Maxine's rooms. Their rooms have now become filled with mementos of their time together and the things they've been through.
And as she sees all this and realize each have become a part of the other, she realized there was still something special that she had not shown to Maxine or, in fact, even spoke about. Hillside Home.
Chloe, being a person who had needed a lot of personal time, has come to view it as an important part of her life because it provided this time. She goes there to be alone, to think, and to generally 'recharge her batteries' so to say. She wanted to share that part of herself with Maxine.
So as the idea first appeared and continues to reappear in her mind, a hazy plan soon forms and, when summer arrived, she hints and teases Maxine about a special place she wants to take her to. When asked, she remains stubbornly insistent that it remains a secret as she wanted Maxine to really be surprised by it. Eventually, she promises to take her during the next time they have a sleepover.
Then the doubts begin to pile up.
It occurs to her that Hillside Home is really just a cave in the middle of nowhere and she goes there for solitude, not entertainment. What could Maxine see in it? As the doubts rises and rises, she, feeling unhappy and dissatisfied, just outright admits to Maxine what she wanted to show her expecting to hear disappointment.
"I want to see it." Chloe looks up in surprise. "If you like it, then there must be something nice about it. I want to see it."
"But it's really nothing. There's nothing to do there."
"Well, we can bring comics."
So it became the case that even though it is her special place and she was the one who originally wanted to go there together, Maxine became the bigger advocate of the occasion than Chloe.
Maxine gathered comics, leftover snacks Chloe kept in her room and newly baked ones from Joyce, and, on a whim, brought along the Bluetooth speaker William bought for Chloe's birthday. After that, she cajoles Chloe into showing her the way to Hillside Home and she was so insistent on it that they went on the promised day even though the skies looked threateningly dark and cloudy and the scent of rain is in the air.
When they neared the area where they have to step off onto a path of grass, Chloe checks the skies again to see it hasn't changed. If anything, it got worse. The temperature is also surprisingly chilly for summer. It has been a cool year so far to begin with, but it feels almost unnaturally so right now.
"Chloe." Maxine whines. "Lets go."
She nods and continues onwards the familiar unmarked path leading the two of them into a tree cluster. Maxine clutches her hand and stares around with wide, nervous eyes. Chloe squeeze her hand a little to offer comfort.
The area is noticeably darker than the outside. With the coming of spring and summer, the trees that used to be merely dead branches which allows light to scenically flow in has grown healthy with life alongside the ground coming alive with grass and flowers.
The result is an abundance of smells and sights everywhere but it also has an effect of blocking more light from coming through the treetops making the area look darker. Combined with the already small cluster of trees becoming even thicker and tighter with the new life everywhere, this ends up making the area more imposing. Lower visibility and lesser freedom of movement.
The sound of a rustling nearby makes Maxine shiver. She releases Chloe's hand in favor of clutching her arm and Chloe can feel her body shivering.
"It's not much further. Don't worry." Chloe assures her. "It's safe here. I've been here many times."
She continues forward more boldly to show her there's nothing to fear. They walk around the trees that Chloe has passed many times which now changed greatly due to the new foliage. The sight of Arcadia Bay, which used to still be partially visible during the colder seasons, has disappeared entirely.
A pinch of nervousness flits through her. Previously, she wouldn't mind all of this and, in fact, would have preferred it. After all, the appeal of this place was isolation from the outside world. In those times, though, she was alone. She has Maxine with her now and thoughts that didn't exist before now comes to mind.
What if Maxine gets injured while they're here? There would be nobody close to help and an ambulance would have trouble coming inside. Or what if there's some killer who took shelter here? He might decide to kidnap or, worse, murder Maxine. Even the thought was unbearable to Chloe.
She stops walking getting the idea that they should turn back and leave right now. Who cares about this stupid place anyway? She herself don't even remember the last time she visited. The two of them could go back to her home where they'll be warm and comfortable and safe. They can snuggle on the couch or in her room and watch TV or read comics.
"Chloe? Why did we stop?"
"Maybe this isn't a good idea." Chloe says. "I think we'll be better at my house again. Lets go back."
The brunette once again takes the rein to ensure the journey's success. "Don't be silly. We're almost there. We've been waiting for this. C'mon."
Now Maxine pulls on her hand leading the way even though she doesn't know where the location is. She simply continues in the direction they had been going. Chloe puts up some resistance but it withers immediately against Maxine's tugging and determination.
Though the area now is now fuller than before, it remains the same place and it wasn't long before they came to a clearing. Maxine pauses and stares around curiously. When she turns to look at Chloe, she nods confirming this is the right place.
"This is what you wanted to show me?"
"Yeah, it's called Hillside Home."
"Hillside Home..." Maxine repeats wonderingly. "What did you do here?"
"Just hang out after school, really." Chloe stares up at the sky which is almost entirely blocked by the tree tops. "It was a lot brighter then. Also more spacey."
The area is smaller now due to the plant growth. They could hardly move for any decent length in any direction without coming up against a bush or fallen tree branch.
Maxine, noticing a cave, got on all fours and crawled in to take a look. "Did you go inside here?"
"Yeah."
"It's kind of small. I don't think the both of us could fit in here."
With that, it seems like this whole idea that originally got her so excited has now been confirmed to be really stupid. Chloe feels a decisive breath of sadness go through her which is muted as she had been expecting this to happen.
What the hell had she been thinking?
"Alright, lets settle down." The words surprise Chloe. "What comic do you want to read first, Chloe?"
"You…you still want to stay?"
Maxine nods. "Yes. We came all this way and this is your special place, right? Then I want to stay. So lets have fun." She looks around a bit worriedly. "I think we should have brought a flashlight, though. I didn't know it'd be this dark here."
Chloe jumps to help. "We can start a fire. I have a lighter with me."
Her friend likes the idea. Together using the limited knowledge of camping they have but being extra careful, the two forms a firepit encircled by large rocks and fill the middle with a combination of sticks, leaves, and some doodling paper they had with them.
After clearing the area a bit to ensure there's less chance the whole area would be set ablaze, Chloe tries to start it as Maxine watches quietly beside her.
The process turns out to be a lot harder than thought. The only thing that was easily lit up was the doodling paper, so she tried to use them as a conduit to set fire to the rest. Instead, what happens is that the paper would burn up rapidly while neither the leaves nor sticks would keep a flame burning.
After a few minutes of frustration, she finally lucks out when one branch is able to keep a fire. From there, she is able to use it to spread the fire bit by bit. A second branch is lit, a third, then some leaves. Eventually, a small fire appears which then turns into a bigger one.
When it became steady, the two of them cautiously put more materials on. Sometimes, it shrunk a little but then it grows again. It even becomes a bit of a game to do so as the two finds random objects to see how it burns. She would throw on a few mushrooms and Maxine would test different branches on it. This also serves a useful purpose of clearing the area as the two used only materials on the ground around them.
After the fire became large enough for the two of them to keep their distance, Maxine looks at it and frowns. "I still can't see much. We would have to sit close to the fire and I don't like that." She walks over and stands opposite of Chloe. "So lets play a game instead. Lets wrestle."
Chloe laughs. "Just be sure to stay away from the fire."
With that, Maxine rushes forward wrapping her arms around Chloe's waist trying to force her down. It isn't the first time they wrestled. This time will go the same as every time before. The much lighter Maxine will ultimately get overpowered. It wouldn't be any fun to win quickly, though, so Chloe plays along.
She falls backwards taking the both of them down to the ground where Maxine straddles her for a 'pin', but she grabs her and then the two start rolling trying to be the one on top. The little brunette struggle valiant but Chloe merely rolls her eyes in amusement. She forcefully turns them over with some measurement of effort then, using her weight, lies on top easily keeping the other down.
Maxine tries her hardest to push Chloe off or turn them, but couldn't. When her cheeks turn red from the exhausting effort, a bit of sympathy goes through Chloe and she intentionally turns slowly until Maxine is on top again where she immediately goes for another pin.
"One, two, three!" Maxine shouts. "I win!"
"Yes, you win." Chloe smiles. "What next?"
Frowning, Maxine lies her head down on Chloe's chest. "I don't know." She shivers a little. "It's getting colder."
Chloe wraps an arm around her hugging her close to share body warmth. She reaches up with the other arm to play with her friend's hair. Maxine remains quiet letting Chloe continue.
Lying there, soaking in the ambience of Hillside Home, an aura of calm blankets the two girls. Chloe glances now and then at the other girl.
"Hey, uh, Maxine? I wanted to thank you. For Panda Bear. I've sat him in a special place in my room."
"It's okay. I'm glad you like him."
"I'm still not too sure, though. Why did you give him away?"
"I told you. I didn't need him anymore. I have you now." Chloe stares up at the foliage blankly not answering. A moment later, Maxine speaks again. "Do you know why Panda Bear comforts me?"
"No. Tell me."
Maxine licks her lips. "Don't laugh, okay? I like to imagine Panda Bear as sort of like a stronger version of me. Taller, tougher, and no one messes with him. He is kind of big…but bears are supposed to be, right?"
She becomes more animated. "That's also why I like him. He's perfect as he is. He's big, he doesn't have to do anything except eat bamboo – which is what he wants anyway – and he spends his days having fun. Him and the other pandas. They would get together, eat bamboo, and that's it."
Chloe digests this. "If…you're imaging Panda Bear as a stronger version of yourself, why isn't 'he' a 'she'? Why did you make your bear a boy instead of a girl?"
"I don't know. I guess it's easier to imagine him that way. It makes him feel more different than me."
"But isn't he supposed to be you?"
"Yeah…but…it's hard. He is supposed to be me, but I can't imagine myself in the same situation." Maxine slides off Chloe and lands on the ground besides her staring up too. "I'm not perfect the way I am. I can't just eat bamboo all day and have fun all the time. I wish I could be a panda, but I'm not. So instead, I sometimes like to stare at him and imagine him just sitting there eating and, somehow, it makes me feel better."
Chloe swallows. "So when you said you gave him to me because you no longer need him…?"
"Because you make me feel better now." Maxine nods. "You call me constantly and talk to me. I come over to your house and we have fun a lot. Oh, and…" She blushes a little. "You're taller than me and you're happy all the time. Your life is perfect. You're like a real life version of Panda Bear."
A tingling sense of disappointment makes its way into her realizing Maxine doesn't really know her at all. Or that is she doesn't know the 'her' that exists prior to Maxine's entrance into her life and the one that would no doubt return should she leave.
She intended to let the other girl believe what she will, especially if she takes some sort of comfort from believing it, but she must have noticed something on her face.
"Chloe, what's wrong? Did I say something bad?"
"No, nothing bad. It's just…" She sighs and decides to come out with it. "My life isn't as good as you think it is."
Maxine's eyes widen. "But it is good! I've seen it so many times and you shared so many experiences with me! You're the most interesting, beautiful, confident, and giving person I've ever met!"
She takes a breath. "Even, even if it isn't really the ideal that I might think, you're obviously a very happy person living how you want to live. If I hadn't met you, I might not ever have had a chance to experience so much."
She couldn't stop the abrupt outburst. "But that's just it! If I hadn't met you, I wouldn't have either!"
A confused silence. "Chloe, what do you mean? I don't understand."
"I mean just that. The only reason I'm so happy all the time, always doing something interesting, and am so giving is because you are here. If you never showed up, the 'me' you see now wouldn't exist."
"I don't understand. I didn't do anything. How could you have not be who you are if it weren't for me?"
Feeling dry mouth and a little nervous, Chloe tries to explain. "Maxine, before you came along, my life wasn't anything like this. You know what I used to do all the time? I would daydream throughout school, then, afterwards, I would go directly home and do things which I don't even want to do that much just because I have nothing else to do."
She gets up and gestures around her. "You see this place? This place I named Hillside Home? It's a stupid small cave in a small clearing in a random patch of trees. There are probably a hundred just like this in Arcadia Bay…and they're all empty because most people aren't pathetic enough to need it like I do. I need it because, before you, I didn't have any friends."
The admission was painful. For the longest time, even she refused to acknowledge that there wasn't anyone she would call a friend…and mean it. It's why whenever she was reminded of it – by her parents, by school – she would run to a place where she can ignore it. Hillside Home became special by that merit.
For that reason, the admission – in this place where she is supposed to be protected from it – was painful. However, strangely, it also felt freeing to be able to admit it. It also felt feeing that Maxine is here to hear her admit it.
Maxine looks more confused and troubled. "I don't understand. How could you not have any friends? You're so awesome to be around. So amazing and beautiful and confident. How could anyone not like you?"
Chloe chuckles with a hint of sadness. "You know you're the first person I've met who thought that about me? When you told me that I'm what you're supposed to look like, it blew me away. Before I met you, I didn't think my height and thinness was a good thing."
"I thought you were the cutest thing I've ever saw." Maxine's face reddens. "So I just couldn't understand why you want to look like me. In fact, there was a lot about you that I…I kind of wish I had."
Maxine gazes at her. "Like what?"
"Well, just about everything. It seems you do everything and are good at everything. Your grades are great, you can play the piano, dance, and are also taking foreign language lessons. I think the best I can do is a few phrases in Japanese."
Chloe blushes a little. "I, uh, also love your house. It's incredible. It's huge and it's beautiful."
Maxine gives an unsteady smile. "I will give you the house, but everything else? You don't want it. Chloe, haven't you been listening to me?"
"Huh?"
"I don't want to do all those things. I hate doing all those things. I can never do anything I want to do. I don't want to play the piano and I don't want to know French." She sighs heavily. "All I really want to do is ready comics all day and eat Joyce's brownies."
Wincing a little, Chloe continues, "I knew…you didn't really enjoy those things, but I still think it's amazing. You are the only person I know who can play the piano and I still like to replay your Amazing Grace every now and then in my head."
"When I heard you were learning French, I was tickled. You see, my parents sometimes mentioned this stupid little idea of going to Paris. I was thinking we could take you along and have you translate for us." She tries to insert a bit of humor into it. "You see, learning French is an investment into the future."
"You sound like my mom just then." Maxine mutters angrily surprising her. "I don't want to learn French, Chloe." The brunette turns to her looking more intense. "I would tell you about my life before I met you, Chloe, but thing is that I think you can already guess it. It looks almost exactly like what you've been hearing."
"Instead, let me tell you what my life has become like after I met you and why I love it so much more than my old life."
"After I get out of school, I then stand in the front trying to decide whether I'll go to your house or mine. Which I choose depending entirely on how upset I think my mom would be if I did go to your house."
"If I do go home, I then try to study or practice my lessons, but now, I'll do it with the smartphone I got glued to my side counting down until you contact me or until I think I can contact you."
"I used to spend most of my time in my room bored and try to go downstairs to look outside only to be shooed back upstairs or called by my parents to do something else." Here, her intensity lightens into a slight humor. "Now it's the opposite. My mom has been trying to move a lot of my study materials and lessons downstairs while I try to insist I need to be in the room."
"Why? It's all because of you."
Chloe got the idea. "Because your parents are worried we're spending all our time on the phone, right?"
Maxine nods. "Yes, Chloe. They want me downstairs so they can see I'm working. Before you, I would always – like a good girl – do as I'm told. Before you, I never ignored my books or lessons and I've never talk back to my mom to get her to let me do something else. That's how much you've changed things for me…and I like it this way so much better."
"I hate my old life, Chloe." Her vehemence surprises the other girl. "I don't like having to do all those things and I hate how my mom keeps making me do them. I hate her."
Those last three words seem to echo in the air. Afterwards, Maxine's face pales and she shakes her head a little as if unable to believe her own words. Chloe slides over a bit wrapping an arm around her friend.
"No, I don't hate her. I love her, Chloe, I do. I…just wish she wouldn't do this to me. I wish she was more like your mom. I wish my dad was more like yours too."
"Maxine, stop it. I like your mom. I like your dad too."
A pause. "Why?"
"Your mom is always around." She leans on her elbows a little. "Think of all the times you've been to my house. Haven't you ever noticed how my parents frequently aren't there? Did you notice they were nowhere around today when we left? Do you remember your first visit where your mom had to come a certain time just to catch my parents?"
Chloe continues, "My parents are never around, Maxine. Their jobs are their lives. I have so much freedom because they can't be around to watch me. Do you remember our first meeting? At the Two Whales diner? What did you think of having a birthday party in a dingy little diner?"
Maxine stumbles a bit. "I actually thought it was kind of neat."
"I hated it." Chloe admits. "I was embarrassed by it. I wanted a birthday at my house with my parents spending the whole time with me. Instead, we had it at the Two Whales because my mom couldn't get off work. Did you also saw when my dad came and noticed how we had to leave quickly? It's because he had to get back to work."
"Work, work, work, fucking work. We have furniture and stuff at home meant for us to use together as a family but we never do because we're hardly ever together. I hate it, Maxine. I hate it!"
Falling back in exhaustion, Chloe takes a moment to breathe before continuing. "That's why I like your parents. Your mom and dad are hard, but they're around. With me, all you ever get is loneliness."
"But with me…" Maxine whispers. "…all you ever get is suffocated."
The two of them gazes into each other's eyes for a while. Chloe was the first to let out a small laugh then Maxine follows suit. They both burst into full blown laughter for an unknown time before it died down. Beside them, the fire crackles and dies down a bit.
Maxine reaches over tracing a finger along Chloe's collarbone affectionately as the latter sighs in peace.
"We each can't have what we want." The brunette says. "But I think we can get a taste of it in each other."
"Are you happy with just a taste?" Chloe says.
"No, but it'll have to do."
"Likewise." Chloe looks around in distaste. "After our, uh, talk just now, I'm really wondering why I bothered to bring us here."
Maxine stares around. "So you don't really like this place? I don't think it's so bad. It's kind of nice, really, to just be away from others for a little."
"That sounds familiar." An idea hits Chloe. "Do you really like it? Maxine, I want to gift it to you then."
"What? You're giving me this entire area?"
"Yep. It is mine, right? I named it. Now I'm giving it to you. Chloe's Hillside Home is now Maxine's Hillside Home."
Maxine stares at her wide-eyed and uncertain. After a moment, her eyes clear and seem more determined. "Alright, thank you. Are you really sure?"
"Positive. I haven't been to this place for a long while anyway. Nowadays, I rather spend time with you any day of the week."
This earns a bright smile. "Then I think I'm going to put up photos here."
"Hey, your place."
"Right, my place." Her smile widens. "Also, since it's my place, I think I should determine what we do next."
"And what does my host have planned?"
"A dance."
She blinks. "You want to dance? Here?"
"Yeah. My mom's been making me get dancing lessons and I think I'm getting better, but I want to try it out. Help me, please?"
The two gets up. Chloe stares around hesitantly wondering how they're going to do this while Maxine goes to get the Bluetooth speaker William bought for Chloe. She brings it over.
"Play some music? Something for dance."
"Sure."
She had no idea what 'dance music' is or even what kind of specific dancing Maxine wants to do. So she simply plays something upbeat and simple off her phone. Her friend smiles nodding in approval at the choice and beckons Chloe over with her hands. Obediently, Chloe goes over.
Grasping each others' hands, Maxine leads the entire way keeping a fast pace but still easy to follow dance routine. She tries to imitate and, after several missteps, she slowly begin to catch on and the two create a rhythm. She never achieves the same gracefulness of movement like Maxine but the latter doesn't seem to mind.
The speaker reverberates through the empty clearing sounding louder than it might have otherwise considering its small size. Chloe drinks in the song, which now sounds better than she remembered, as the dance becomes more intense and movements become larger.
The two licks near the flames of the campfire a few times but it only causes giggling. They dance, twirl, and eventually break apart to perform their own solo acts around the fire. This scene of careless dancing continues for some time as the music changes and they went from a defined rhythm is one decided largely by their own whims.
Their merrymaking was interrupted only at the sound of raindrops from the top. Chloe stops and stares above in worry. The top was so thickly covered that not much water was getting through, but it seems like the rain might get heavier. From past experience, she knows that if it gets heavy enough, the leaves will bend and they'll get soaked.
"Maxine, we should take cover."
The other girl nod and they begin gathering up their supplies and putting them away. The rain quickens causing them to hurry. Small droplets started to seep through when they had just finished and tossed the supplies inside of the cave.
"It must be raining pretty hard for it to come through." Chloe mutters. She looks over. "Maybe we should stay until it calms down a bit."
A few droplets lands on Maxine's face making her flinch. "Where, though?"
"Inside the cave."
"But we won't fit."
"We have to try."
She gestures for Maxine to go in first. When she was in, Chloe already knew it would be way too tight. If they hadn't needed to protect their supplies, they might just both barely fit in, but now, it wasn't possible.
Feeling a tug on her hand to come in, Chloe bites her lips and bends down to try despite feeling it wouldn't work. She squeezes and pushes against Maxine trying to get in. The end result was that half her body is in but her back is exposed to the outside and she could feel rain hitting it. Rain that is slowly increasing in intensity.
"You're not fitting in." Maxine says in concern. "Here, lets do this."
The smaller girl surprised Chloe by climbing on top of her, then gesturing for Chloe to scoot in. Doing as requested, she is able to fit all the way in thanks to the now freed space. Minutes later, a threshold seemed to have been crossed as treetops flatten and allows a barrage of rain to come through.
The campfire, which had been weakened already, is killed immediately. Now with no campfire and the moon and stars hidden by rain clouds, the area is near pitch darkness. Involuntarily, a shiver goes through Chloe even though, inside, she isn't the slightest bit afraid.
She blinks when she feels more shivering against her. She glances down at darkened figure of her friend but couldn't make much from her face.
"Hey, are you alright?"
"…it's cold. I'm scared."
"Don't be. I'm here."
Maxine continues shivering. Chloe feels disappointment knowing she was unable to offer solace. The two stare outside into the darkness listening to the falling rain. At some point, Chloe turned back to the other girl on top of her and stares at her outline in the darkness. The outline turns to gaze at her too.
Even in the darkness, she could see the glowing blues that has become so familiar to her. The entire trip was not ideal to begin with and the rain only served to dampen the experience even further.
Still, they had fun and, more importantly, they learned a great deal about each other. Before coming, Chloe thought she knew almost the entirety of who Maxine Caulfield is only to realize she may not have even scratched the surface. Tonight, she peeked into the inner core that makes her friend who she is and feels privileged to do so.
A thrill goes through her knowing she herself also still has much to offer.
Hillside Home – a place where Chloe used to go to isolate herself – has become a place she used to open herself up to another and that other person likewise opened herself up to Chloe. They are both vulnerable, but, in the end, will only come out stronger for the experience as exposure breeds strength.
Here, in this clearing, it is only the two of them. The rest of the world is hidden and blocked by thick trees. In this clearing is their world where only the two of them matter. Hillside Home has been given to Maxine, but truth is that it both theirs. Their home was where they got to know each other, but this home is where they got to know each other.
Somehow, sometime, without meaning to, Chloe leans up to the outline and presses her lips against the other.
When she leans away, she can feel embarrassment seep through her and she turns away unable to face those eyes anymore.
A moment later, Maxine rests her head on Chloe's chest. She stiffens a little at first before hesitantly raising her arms and encircling them around the other girl. They remain like that listening to the rain outside.
When she opens her eyes again, she is vaguely aware that the rain stopped. The area also seems a lot brighter than it should be. Peeking outside, she sees small slivers of light pierce through the treetops and flinches. This means they had been here the entire night.
Joyce and William aren't going to be happy. If Vanessa and Ryan finds out, they won't be either.
Maxine is still snoring lightly against her chest causing Chloe to smile at the appearance. She shakes Maxine lightly until the girl drowsily opens her eyes and looks around. When she turns her eyes up to Chloe, she smiles in return.
"Hey Maxine, we have to go now."
She nod and gets off her. She crawls out the cave blanching at the wet ground her hands and knees touched, then turns around to help Chloe out. Dragging their supplies out from the cave and dusting everything off, they were now ready to head home.
Chloe hesitantly touches Maxine's hand and the other quickly gets the idea returning the gesture with a firm clasp. Now together, the two start the trek back home.
The walk back out is much easier than the walk in due to daylight and their eagerness to back to the comfort of home. Taking out her cell phone, Chloe flinches seeing the numerous missed calls and messages that grew increasingly panicked and angry. She turns to Maxine.
"My parents are really mad."
"Are we in trouble?"
From past experience, Chloe knew the answer is 'yes'. There was one or two times in the past in which she made William and Joyce worried like this and their reaction was yelling and grounding.
However, she is almost certain that Maxine would not be punished, and she wonders if they would let her off the hook at the same time feeling that it would be fairer that they both would get off instead of only one being let off.
"I think they might forgive us." This earns a smile. "Now c'mon, lets go home."
They leave the forest coming out into a damp and quiet Arcadia Bay and begin the trek home nearly uninterrupted by the presence of anyone else. For the moment, it seemed they had the entire town to themselves.
Chloe's mind drifts to the future and she wonders where they'll go from here. She would like to spend as much of the rest of summer with Maxine as possible. Then there's her birthday in September to worry about – what should she get her? What would work?
Then there's Halloween. What should they dress as? She wants their costumes to be complimentary and matching, but maybe it's better to each go as their favorite persona? What would Maxine like?
And for her next birthday, her parents usually try to do something small and special for her, but she was already thinking that maybe they can recreate their first meeting at the Two Whales. This time, she and Maxine, her parents, and the Caulfields can be there to celebrate together. That would be nice.
Then what beyond that? She wonders what they would be doing a year or two or five down the line. Would they even still be together then?
Chloe glances over at Maxine and a strange feeling passes through her. She tightens the grip on her hand.
"Maxine, stay with me forever."
Her voice comes out in a bit of a quiver. The other girl looks at her and gives a small smile and inches closer to her. The two walk back home together their feet sending small splashes of water along the way.