AI don't know what it is about this story that's giving me a nostalgic feeling. Maybe as I write it, I'll figure it out :)

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~I'll settle on the dust

Settle on the dust...~

"Chloe, are you up there?"

And just like that, Chloe's second of peace was ruined. She rolled her eyes and quickly got up from the bed to turn her music off, but she wasn't quick enough. As soon as she hit the off button, she could hear him yelling again.

"How many times have I told you to stop blasting that punk shit?!" he said.

"Dude, the music's not even on!" she snapped back, then added under her breath, "Asshole." It was bad enough that he got on her case about everything, but to cuss her out over her music taste was just one step over the line out of the many strides he took.

"I'm coming up there, we need to talk!"

"No fucking way!" Chloe mumbled to herself. She could hear David's thudding footsteps get closer and closer. Chloe rushed over to her window and stamped the blunt out on the sill before tossing it out. She was thankful she'd thought about locking the door to her room when the doorknob jiggled. She frantically tried to fan the smoke clouding up her room out the window, but she knew it wouldn't do any good. That guy had a nose like a goddamn bloodhound.

"Chloe, what's going on in there?!" David yelled. "Open this door!"

"I'm changing, that cool with you?!" Chloe snapped back. She turned the fan on in the corner of her room and hoped that would help.

"Chloe!" David was getting pissed off.

"Chill, my bra is stuck!" Chloe lied so easily through her teeth.

"Unlock this door now!"

"Shit."

Chloe stomped up to her door and unlocked it, yanking it open to reveal her stepfather. He was glaring at her like a hungry animal ready to pounce on his prey. Chloe stepped back when he forced himself into her room.

"What's going on in here?"

"Jesus, I was just trying on clothes. You're so friggin' paranoid." Chloe huffed. She crossed her arms and looked away from him.

"Yeah. Combat will do that to you." David said.

Chloe rolled her eyes. So many fucking excuses. She thought as she turned around on her heel. She sat down on the edge of her bed and leaned back on her hands, watching him walk over to her desk and look at it.

"One of my guns is missing." he said finally. Chloe took a breath and David looked at her. His eyes read obvious suspicion and anger. "Did you take it?"

"Oh, gawd, I didn't take your stupid gun." Chloe groaned. "You do know I believe in gun control-"

"Wait," David cut her off. He took a deep breath and his expression set in disgust. "Is that grass I smell? Have you been toking up in here again?!"

Busted.

"Oh yeah, guns, weed." Chloe got up from her bed. "You're trippin' balls."

"I am sick of your constant disrespect." David said. "Tell me the truth, that's an order! Whose is it?"

Chloe could feel every muscle in her arms and legs twitching in agitation. Her hands clenched defensively. Did he really think she had someone hiding somewhere in her room? Where the fuck would they be? The closet? If anyone was there, he'd see them for sure through the openings with his eagle vision and all that bullshit. Under the bed was too small and out the window was too steep for anyone to stay there for more than a few seconds if you weren't coordinated enough.

And if he wasn't so much of an asshole, he'd know that.

"Stop treating me and mom like we're your family platoon!" she said.

"Hey, leave Joyce out of this." David demanded.

"I wish you'd leave Joyce!" Chloe said, stepping to him. "Like now!"

She didn't see it coming. She felt the impact on her cheek and saw colors explode in front of her eyes. Her hand flew up to her cheek and, when she looked up at David, her gaze was stone cold. Her eyes began to water.

This fucker had just backhanded her.

Chloe dropped her hand and practically ran from the room, skipping stairs on her way down. She heard David call her name from her room and she shut him out, leaving out the front and slamming the door behind her. She reached into her pockets and pulled out her truck keys. She jumped in the cab, not giving her seatbelt a thought as she stuck the key in the ignition and turned the engine on. Chloe peeled away from the driveway and left angry tire marks in her wake.

Which brought her here. Parked at the edge of the beach and reclined in the flatbed of her truck. She had lit up another blunt and was staring at the ocean. The bloodrush in her cheek had faded, but she could still feel the sting of David's hand connecting with it. She felt her eyes threaten to water again and blinked.

That's the last time he puts his fucking hands on me. She thought, flicking ash to the side. Next time, I'll get the cops in there so fast. I'll be smart to have his ass arrested.

Chloe didn't even think about texting or calling Rachel about what happened. She'd tell her for sure, but in that moment she wanted to be alone and away from the town. She'd taken out whatever CD was in her glove compartment and popped it in the player, turning the volume up as loud as it would go. The song was 'Something Good' by Alt-J, one of Chloe's favorite songs. She tapped her foot to the beat, humming softly. The smoke of her joint whizzed up into the air and she watched it with contentment. This was exactly what she needed. It helped soothe her troubled mind and actually allowed her to think about other stuff.

Other stuff like Max Caulfield.

Chloe Price was no stranger to love. She's experienced all kinds of it. Family love, best friend love, fling love, lover love. And she's had her heart broken by each. She thought she could no longer be taken by surprise when it came to it. So why is that, when this girl crashed into her with her skateboard, she felt so...strange? It was difficult for the punk to comprehend. She certainly wasn't feeling love for a girl she just met, was she? Chloe wasn't a firm believer in that 'love at first sight' bullshit. Not anymore, anyway.

Thinking about Max made Chloe wonder why Rachel hadn't gotten back to her about how Max's wrist was. She may not be the nicest of people, but she still had a heart. Rachel had to of seen the girl by now.

That's when Chloe's phone vibrated in her pocket.

Think of the devil.

Chloe reached into her pocket and took her phone out, turning the screen on before unlocking it. She frowned when she saw it wasn't Rachel, but rather a number she didn't recognize. Her brow creased and she sat up more, unlocking her phone.

Oookay, who the fuck is this?

The bluenette prayed it wasn't one of her old flings that happened to dig up her number and was looking for a good time. She really wasn't in the mood. She put her joint to her lips and took a hit as she opened the message. What she read made her choke and cough on the smoke.

(555)xxx-xxxx: Hey, Chloe. It's Max. Rachel gave me your number because she said you wanted to know how I was and figured I could tell you myself. I'm fine, my wrist is only sprained. My brace will be off by Saturday. So, um...yeah. Maybe I'll talk to you later?

While Chloe was glad it wasn't anything worse than a sprain, she couldn't help the anger and sense of betrayal filling her. Why the hell would Rachel was give her number to Max without consulting her first? Not that she minded. Well, she did a little. Did she? Whatthefuckever, she needed to talk to Rachel.

Now.

Chloe finished off her joint and tossed it aside, climbing off the back of her truck and shutting it. She didn't think about answering Max back. In fact, she'd completely forgotten the thought when she got in the truck and started in the direction of Blackwell. She tapped her fingers against the steering wheel, biting the corner of her lip. She reached Blackwell in a matter of ten minutes (this time parking in an actual spot) and got out. She knew the expression on her face wasn't a nice one by the way people were looking and stepping out of her way. Chloe also made sure to keep an eye out for more girls on skateboards.

The girls dorm came in her view and she picked up the pace. She jogged past a few Vortex Club members, ones she recognized but only because of Rachel. Victoria, Taylor and Courtney chatted amongst themselves and Victoria happened to look over in time to see Chloe rush by.

"What, is there a sale on weed or something?" she taunted.

Chloe gritted her teeth but ignored her as she walked into the girl's dorm. She went straight for Rachel's room, hyperaware of the fact that she could run into Max at any given moment. She all but kicked Rachel's door in, no matter how bad she wanted to, and knocked rather loudly. The response was rather instant, like Rachel was expecting her. The girl in question answered the door and gave Chloe the most shit-eating grin ever.

"Hey, Che." she said casually.

"Explain yourself now, Amber." Chloe practically growled.

"Explain what?" Rachel knew she could see right through her, but it was too much fun to see Chloe all worked up.

Chloe glanced up the hall to make sure the coast was clear before shoving her way in past Rachel. Rachel shut the door and looked at Chloe expectantly, her grin never leaving her face. Chloe took a minute to get her thoughts together.

"Why the hell did you give Max my number?" she said through her teeth.

"You wanted to know how she was." Rachel shrugged nonchalantly.

"From you!" Chloe exclaimed. "I did not give you permission to give my number to her!"

"Well you didn't say not to." Rachel said.

"You're being hella aggravating right now, Rach." Chloe said. "Why are you trying to play matchmaker?"

Chloe regretted her words as soon as she saw how Rachel's features lit up at them. "Aha! I knew you liked her!"

"I didn't say that." Chloe grumbled.

"Then why use the term matchmaker?" Rachel said.

"It doesn't fucking matter alright, you haven't answered my question!" Chloe said.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Because I know you, Price. I saw and heard how you acted towards Max this morning. You only ever acted that way to one person, and that was me." Chloe looked at the floor and rolled her knuckles.

"That doesn't mean shit." she said softly. Rachel almost didn't catch it.

"I swear you and Max are so..." Rachel shook her head. "You're both so full of it. Did you even answer her?"

"Well, um..." Chloe rubbed the back of her neck.

"For fuck's sake." Rachel said. She held her hand out. "Give me your phone."

"For what?"

"Obviously you two need a moderator. Give me your phone."

Chloe's hand tightened around the device. "This isn't a good idea."

"Why not?" Rachel said for the second time in the past hour.

Chloe sat down in the chair at Rachel's desk. "Let's say I was starting to like her. Let's say she even likes me back. What then? You know my reputation, Rachel. You know how everyone in this goddamn town sees me. A juvenile delinquent who is shockingly not dead by now. I scare pretty much everyone." Chloe paused. Rachel waited. "If she were to date me, or even just hang out with me, do you know how much shit she'd get for it? Why would I do that to her?"

Rachel sighed. She'd known Chloe for years. She knew she was right. Max would get all kinds of flack just for being seen around Chloe because no one in Arcadia Bay knew how to keep their noses out of other people's business. This town had seen Chloe's transition from a smart young girl to a trouble making teenager same as Rachel had. They didn't care if it was because of her father passing. That didn't justify it.

But Rachel also wasn't an idiot. She had intuition, and she always trusted it. She may not of been the one to save Chloe when their time had come and gone, or the one to take all the pain away. In fact, she knew she was one of the many that made it worse. And Chloe stayed. If Rachel knew anything, she knew that Max could be the key to helping her best friend find the light again.

"Look, Che," Rachel started slowly. "I want you to be happy. And I think that Max can help with that. Max isn't judgemental and she doesn't care about people's backgrounds. You trust me, right?"

"What kind of question is that? Of course I do." Chloe said.

"Then text her back." Rachel said.

Chloe stared down at her phone screen, Max's words looking right back. She didn't ignore the rush of concern and curiosity that washed over her. She didn't want to get this girl in trouble. For once, she actually cared. If Rachel was right that Max was different from everyone else...could she let her in? Because even if she didn't hurt Max, she could end up hurt by Max. Did she really have it in her to let sosomeone in again?

"If I do this..." Chloe whispered. Rachel put a hand on her shoulder. "You'll help me, right?"

"Every step of the way." Rachel promised.

Chloe smiled. With Rachel by her side, she had a feeling it would all be okay. Her fingers worked faster than her brain and started typing a response to Max's text, adding her number to her contacts afterwards.

Chloe: That's good to hear. I'm actually glad Rachel gave you my number.

"See? You're even using proper English when texting her!" Rachel shoved her jokingly, making her laugh a bit.

"Shut up." she said. She sat back in the chair. "Now what?"

"Now you take things slow. Or at whatever pace Max is comfortable at." Rachel smiled. "I should probably mention she's a virgin."

"You're ridiculous, but thanks for the tip." Chloe said.

Her phone chimed and her breath caught. Max had answered her.

Max: Really? Cool :) I have to get to class now, but let's talk later.

Rachel, who was reading over her shoulder, laughed. "And so it begins. But speaking of class, I have that too. Think you can manage while I'm gone?"

"Yeah, I'll probably just chill here for a bit." Because there's no way in hell I'm going back home right now. Chloe added in her mind.

She watched as Rachel gathered her things and returned the smile she received when the girl left. Then she gave her attention back to her phone.

Chloe: Definitely

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I'm probably jinxing it by saying this, but I'm on a roll with this story! It's coming along better than I expected :) Next chapter will have another Pricefield meet up and Rachel will hopefully get a break because she's played such a major part in the last two chapters.

CaptainVampireQueen awaaay!