The walk from the school building to the gymnasium required Chloe and Max to make their way through the campus, but it was late enough now that almost no one was around, certainly no one who thought to look twice at the pair of teenagers at a boarding school. With building keys in hand, the door was unlocked, and the pair of them strode in like they owned the place.
"Man, I can't wait to get me some of that heated water." Chloe enthused.
"Good thing I don't actually go to this school, or I'd be - I don't know - freaking out or something." Max spoke in a whinier tone of voice "'Oh Chloe, don't get me in any trouble!'"
The looked at each other, clamping hands over their mouths as they burst out laughing.
The quickly recovered, and Chloe stepped back towards the dual doors to the locker rooms., hands held up and out to the sides.
"So. Boys or girls?"
Max thought it was an odd question to ask.
Why would I want to look through the boys locker room?
"Girls, of course." she replied.
Chloe gave her an impish smirk, "Oh-la-la!". Max could feel her cheeks suddenly burning. Even she wasn't so dense as to miss the not-so-subtle implication in Chloe's tone.
Uh, um. Yeah. It's a cute joke!
"Let me check to see if the pool's heated." Chloe said, opening up the door to the girls locker room and making her way through.
"Hey, wait a second! We don't have any swimsuits! What do we do?" Max called out.
Chloe turned back. "If it were just me, I'd go skinny dipping! But since I know you're Miss Modesty, we'll swim in our underwear. Problem solved." And with that, she ran down until she disappeared into the pool area itself.
Max blushed furiously yet again, though she couldn't explain why. She and Chloe used to go swimming all the time in the summer when they were kids.
Nothing different now than back then. And you're an amazing swimmer, Max. I mean, you ought to be, given all the exercise you got in the Zion gym pool. Like there was a lot else to do.
Max wasn't in an immediate rush to join Chloe, instead choosing to dawdle a little while longer. Like in schoolhouse, she couldn't resist reading over the various after-school group posters, handouts promoting social awareness and environmental causes, and desperate pleas for missing items to be found. Ephemera of the life she so desperately craved.
I guess a pair of someone's favorite swim goggles or their tablet full of cat pictures means the world, when you're just a teenager who doesn't know anything else .
Max wandered around, her natural curiosity unable to prevent her from poking into a few lockers here and there, allowing her to bear witness to the delicious banality of student life. She grabbed a couple of towels from a nearby rack and started to head back. Paused, then smirked to herself, as she thought...
...let's play a little prank on Chloe.
She rewound back, just a few minutes. Unlocked the locker room door from the inside, and then popped out, arms outstretched as she tossed a towel towards Chloe.
"Ta da!"
Trying her best to be completely nonchalant, Chloe snagged the towel out from midair, and started to walk past her, giving her a knowing smirk. "Dude, it's getting old! Try and dazzle me with another trick."
Dang. Well, I guess she has seen me pull something off like that enough times to get used to it.
She briefly considered winding back, and telling Chloe to let her into the boy's locker room, but dealing with smelly gym socks and bad graffiti held no appeal for her whatsoever. She turned on a heel and instead made her way back to the pool, where she found Chloe splashing her hands through the water from the outside of the pool.
"Hey, see if you can find the lights for just the pool itself? Gotta set the mooood!" Chloe waved the other hand towards a central office in the middle back of the room, where Max easily located the breaker panel. She flipped the switches for the pool lighting, stepped out and caught a glimpse of Chloe, in nothing but her black bra and patterned briefs. She was treading water, and smiling radiantly in her direction.
"Oh yeah, baby! Feels like a hot tub!" Chloe enthused. "The perfect way to celebrate an awesome act of larceny against some corrupt asshole." Max tried to keep from gaping too much...
...again, not like you haven't seen Chloe in her underwear before!
Chloe smirked, clearly amused. "Don't tell me you're going to just keep staring like a zombie." She started to splash water over at her.
"Ack!" Max cried out, stepping back. "No fair!"
"Come and stop me, spook. Are you all creepy and scarred underneath your clothes from years of super secret Government training? C'mon, I wanna see!"
Max began to disrobe. She might not have a shit-ton of self-confidence, but she damn well knew that after endless years of hardcore body sculpting in the gym, she definitely had something to show off for the effort. Stripped down to her own cheap electric blue bra and panties, she smirked and struck a pose, clearly pleased by the effect it was having on Chloe...
...who just stood there, gaping at her. Or treading water there, as the case may be. Her eyes, wide as saucers, acting as if she was seeing her for the first time.
"H-holy shit, Max! I mean I knew you got some muscles on you now, but you are ripped, girl! You are a - a total amazon!" Chloe laughed and then hooted out. "I mean, you're sporting Xena abs! Shit, I am hella jealous now!" She glanced down at herself, acting oddly self-conscious. "I mean...I'm not bad but...but no fair!"
Max struck a bodybuilder pose and said, "Oh sure. This? Was totally easy. All you have to do is a million crunches every day for five years, and you'll have your own set. Like I said, easy."
"Yeah, let me know when hard work comes in a pill form. Otherwise, pass."
Max rolled her eyes, stepped back, and then trotted towards the pool. She lept into the air, executing a perfect swan dive into the pool, the way she'd done countless times before. She quickly emerged from underneath the surface and shook the excess water from her hair, smiling blissfully. The water felt different this time. Clean. Purifying.
"Oh man. You know, I went swimming three times last week. But it never felt as awesome as it does right this second."
Because it was what she wanted to do. Something she chose entirely for herself. Sure, it was Chloe's idea, but she could have said no. She could have sat on the sidelines. Everything she did now tasted of freedom and self-determination.
"Mmmmm, welcome to my watery domain." Chloe drawled. "Duh duh - duh duh - duh duh duh." she added, invoking the theme to an old shark attack movie they'd watched years ago as kids.
Max could only roll her eyes. "Oh please, Chloe, you're talking to the girl who had to go cage diving with real sharks once. And who can easily take down four grown men in a bar fight. You think the Great White Chloe is anything for me to be afraid of?" For good measure, she splashed a handful of water at Chloe, who laughed and returned fire. Over the next minute, they splashed back and forth, like children again, lost in the carefree joy of the moment. As one, they eventually stopped, still silently smiling at each other.
At least, until Chloe's face suddenly took on a much more pensive expression. She maneuvered until she was floating on her back, staring into the ceiling. Unsure of what to do, Max followed suit, spreading out her legs and arms, buoyant in the water. Breathing deep and slow, letting a peaceful calm spread over her.
"Can't believe I'm about to say this but - uh - right before she ran off, I had this whole night planned for Rachel. I mean, what we're doing now: breaking into the gym and doing some night swimming."
"That was the girl who was your - your friend, and then she just up and ditched you?"
"Yeah." Chloe breathed. " She'd totally have loved this, being here, in the still of the night. I thought it'd be something really special, you know? The two of us but - " She shook her head a tiny bit, splashing an angrily hand about. "But you know what? Now I'm glad it didn't happen. I get to share something like this with my best friend instead. My real, first best friend. I mean, you never left me Max. You got taken away, but you never left me." She glanced over, gave her a meaningful look.
A hundred questions lingered on to tip of Max's tongue. Most of all, she wanted to know more about this Rachel girl; it was obvious she was special to Chloe, once upon a time. She'd have to be a blind idiot-child not to notice.
I'd like to find why. What did she have that made her so great? Because whatever it was, I could be that too, Chloe. I could totally do what...whatever it was that she..."
That strange ache in her chest returned. The nameless hunger, the one she didn't know how to satisfy.
She smiled instead, and sighed, "Her loss. And she wouldn't have appreciated it. Not like I do, at this moment." She stretched out again, losing herself in the lack of gravity, as she floated in the heated water. "Oh God, Chloe. I'm free. I really feel it. I'm finally free. And I'm never gonna let anyone take it away from me, ever again."
Chloe swam over onto her, smirking as she moved about in a lazy circle, "Don't blame you. God, Max. Seriously, I still can't imagine what it was like to be a prisoner. I mean, maybe Joyce and I drive each other crazy, but I would go hella psycho on people's asses if they did to her what happened to your folks. Sorry, sore subject, I know."
"It - it's okay, Chloe." Max whispered. "All that matters is that I'm here now, with you. That we're together, for as long as it lasts."
Chloe went back to bobbing on her back in the water, "Yeah. Still, it's too fucking bad you can't stick around. I know I joke about making the world bow down before us, but better than that, we could be BatMax and Blue Canary for real. Taking on all the shitty people in this town, making people's lives better. Make a difference, giving hope to people who actually deserve some! Like what you did for Kate!" She brightened up. "That was so amazing! I wish I could have seen it, you know? When you were talking to her. I mean, think about it! There's this girl; you didn't know her, you didn't know anything about her, other than she was feeling so tormented, she was about to kill herself. You came screaming back from the future, literally taking hours off your life, just to keep hers from ending forever. Max, if that's not superheroic then - I - I just don't know what the fuck is."
With that, she blushed and swam towards the edge.
Max fell a heat creeping into her cheeks. She smiled joyfully, and suddenly felt the urge to take off at top speed. She dove again, smoothly, swiftly making her way to the other end of the pool, before turning around and swimming back. Never coming up for air until the end.
Chloe immediately splashed her, and laughed. "Now you're just showing off! On the other hand, you got it? You should flaunt it!"
Max made her way over to Chloe's side, and propped her head up on her hands as they gripped the concrete apron.
"Yeah. That'd be nice. Arcadia Bay's Dynamic Duo, fighting back against the forces of oppression and boredom." she murmured, picking the thread of the previous conversation back up. "I guess I'll have to be more like The Hulk, now. You know, like the re-runs we used to watch, from that really old version they had in the Seventies? I mean, that's kind of romantic. On the run from an uncaring Government, possessed of incredible power, helping someone out each week before having to make a break for it.
Romantic...lonely too. Oh God.
She was already desperately missing Chloe, even from two feet away. Her smile. Her awesome hairstyle. Those tattoos...so cool!
You're going away to keep her safe. Just remember that. Keep telling yourself.
Looking away, Max continued, "On the other hand, it's probably best I keep as low a profile as possible. Not get involved. Not use my powers so much anymore. I mean, that's so weird to say, because they're a part of me. Like a leg or my sense of smell. When I was in Zion though, I felt like I'd taken them to the total peak. But it seems this whole week, ever since I started my mission, my powers keep screwing up or failing me at the worst times. Maybe this is life telling me I need to stop using them so much. I mean, shit, it's literally killing me." She turned back to Chloe and asked quietly, "What happens if it turns out I'm not as strong or as capable as people think I am? I got lucky with Kate. Really, I was fucking terrified. For the first time since my powers emerged, I couldn't take anything back. I didn't have control of that situation. What happens if someone needs my help, and I stumble? What happens if I let them down and fail?"
Chloe floated over a little closer, next to her, tilting her head to the side, and murmured, a winning smile on her lips, "You didn't stumble when you saved me from Nathan, Max."
Closing her eyes, and taking a deep, contented breath, Max sighed, "I could never fail you, Chloe. You make me feel like I actually know what the hell I'm doing right now."
"And you make me feel like there was actually a point to staying in Arcadia Bay this whole time. Like it was all about waiting for you to come back to me. You're the smartest, most talented person I've ever known. Of course you saved Kate, even without your powers. I bet there isn't anything you couldn't do. If the government fucks gave you a fair chance, you'd be their best agent, because...look at who they had to start with. You'll be great Max, a star."
"Better than Rachel Amber?" Max asked. There was a peevish tone to it, much more than she intended. She glanced away, looking embarrassed.
"Oh please!" Chloe sighed with exasperation, rolling her head along with her eyes. "Dude, I was never her groupie, even when we were still friends. Besides, forget me, what about you? I bet you had - well, there were teenage boys at your base too, right? I bet they were all trying to impress you, and get you to look their way. Probably all - " And at this, Chloe lowered her voice down, adopting a 'bro' accent, "Max. Hey Max! Check out how many squat thrusts I can do! Watch how awesome I can shoot this target! Max, Max! I can totally melt this car down with my eye lasers!"
Max immediately burst into peals of laughter, before shaking her head emphatically. "Nooooo. It was just me. Most Special's don't Emerge until later in life. I'm the youngest one ever, or so they tell me. And besides, ugh! No! Even if there were boys my age hanging around the building, instead of all the creepy and gross guards and scientists, I wouldn't given them the time of day. Because I'm be way too cool for them."
"Besides," Max added. "You're way more the bro killer. 'Tats and tuuuude."
Chloe chuckled, "You did not just say that. Plus, I am not down with these Arcadia Bay hillbillies. Once you're gone Max, I am too. I can pay Frank off, and then leave this shitty little craphole forever. I just wish I was going in the same direction as you."
Max bit down on her lip and nodded, prompting a half-smile from Chloe, "Don't look so sad. I may not be there with you in person, but I'm never leaving you in spirit. Not ever. And who knows, maybe we can cross paths every now and then. You know, like a comic book team up."
Max pushed back slowly away from the edge, "Now I think I'm getting cold in here."
Chloe followed behind, her voice a bit more somber, "Because we're yapping, instead of attacking each other, otter versus shark style. Anyhow, I think I've had my pool experience for the year. Thanks Max, but let's jet."
A few minutes later, they were mostly toweled off and back in their clothes.
"Ugh, the chlorine's the worst part." Chloe grumbled. "Not to mention the damp underwear."
Max snickered. "I've been through worse. Besides, you look cute with your hair soaked in chemicals."
Chloe grinned crookedly, "I guess that goes for both of us now, Little Miss Ravenlocks."
Suddenly, a beam of light cut through the darkness, as footsteps echoed out from the far side of the room. Max immediately sprang into action, grabbing Chloe's hand and leading her out, making sure to fight the urge to panic, and keep her friend from simply bolting blindly. In short order, they were able to make their way over to the front door.
And that's what you call a clean getaway! Sorry Guard, if we were just normal dumb teenage kids, we might have panicked and screwed up, and you would've caught us. But you'll have to do better than that to nab Agent Caulfield.
Max nudged Chloe's side, pointing out another security guard patrolling the parking lot. "I'd just like to point out if we took your truck, we'd be totally screwed right now; they'd so know you were here. Just remember that when we're marching back through the woods for the next fifteen minutes."
As they crossed through the tree line and into the comforting embrace of darkness, Chloe hissed back, "Shit, you don't have to tell me twice. Hah, flawless victory!"
"Yes! No one's home!" Chloe called out as they made their way back into the house. "I'll bet you the stepdick was one of the guards we totally ghosted away from." Max glanced over, grabbing a note pinned to the fridge with a magnet, and holding it out to the bluenette.
"Dear Chloe, Daphne is sick, have to pick up her shift, won't be back until late. Be good, there's money on the counter for pizza for you and Max." Chloe then punched a fist up in the air. "Yes! Time to warm up the brownies and start the party right!"
An hour later, one very large pizza had been ordered and partially devoured, followed by brownies freshly reheated in the microwave.
"Okay, so just start out with one. A small one. I know they smell awesome, and dude, they are gonna taste even better, but believe me when I say you need to wait a while and see how it hits you. Especially with stuff this strong."
"Oh God, don't worry. I don't think I could eat much more after...I mean, damn, I can't believe we just destroyed almost half that pizza together."
"I doubt that other half will be sticking around by the time the munchies set in!" Chloe cackled. "Anyhow, while we wait, allow me to present you the start of tonight's entertainment!" She pulled another bootleg DVD off from her shelf and waved it around.
"Heavy Metal? Don't think I know this one."
"Nineteen eighty-one or something. Hella ancient, but pretty cool! I mean, hella bad in a lot of parts, but in a good way!"
"Well, the half-naked warrior woman with the sword and the white hair is promising." Max glanced over towards Chloe's bed, then back to the TV. Gave a mischievous smile and said, "You thinking what I'm thinking?"
Chloe blushed and rubbed the back of her head, stammering, "Whoa, uh...I'm not sure..."
"No! We should totally do it! We can build a pillow for like we used to do when we were kids."
"Oh." Chloe blinked. "I knew that." She muttered softly, before changing tracks and proclaiming, "Yes! Let Fort Awesometown rise up anew! Bigger, badder, better than before.
Between building the fort and changing clothes for the evening, they were halfway through the movie before the brownies began to kick in.
"Dunno 'bout this, dude. You are - you gotta be way more fucked up than me right now. Don't think y'know what you're doing." Chloe droned, her head floating breezily on a THC wave.
"C'mon, Chloe..." Max moaned. "I wanna do it. It's something we should have tried as soon as we got back together."
The blunette gave a soft, giddy giggle through her nose, "I know. 'Cause like, I agree. But you're hella stoned, Max, and it so doesn't feel right. I'd be taking advantage. Plus, after what happened the last time I tried, I'm feeling really - uh - gunshy."
"For cereal, we should doooo this. I wanna. I wanna do this with you. It has to be you. No regrets, I promise."
Max was kneeling on the bed in an oversized My Little Pony sweatshirt which fell just a bit off on shoulder. Cradled in her hands was William's old camera - now hers.
She explained, "So I take the picture, and in a few days, I'll zip back into myself, and tell you the lottery numbers for Powerball or something. You buy a ticket, but you can't - you can't keep it. Because Damocles would figure it out, you know? The'd suspect something was up if you won a ton of money after I escaped. So, uh, you just go and give it to someone that'll be really helped out by it. Like, oh shit, Kate! We could..." Max shook her head. "No. Too close to us now."
Chloe blinked, fighting the overwhelming urge to just peacefully zone out and stare at Max as she fumbled with the camera; she was feeling no pain. The music playing in the background was the best thing, the Christmas lights on the walls sparkled like tiny diamonds, and it felt like their awesome sleepover was going to last forever, in the best way possible. They'd already had a rather deep and intense conversation about what happened when Max changed the past on her behalf, and Chloe's slow by inexorable ascent towards coming to terms with the loss of her father, and how she'd let it define her life for the past few years.
Now they were just fucking around.
"There's ah - homeless lady. Always hanging 'round back of the diner. Betcha she could use it."
"Yesssss! This is great. This is gonna be an awesome Batmax and Blue Canary moment. The universe is gonna be good with this, because we're not trying to do anything to help ourselves. Okay, so you ready? You ready? Reeeeadeee? Be ready, damnit!" Max giggled and crawled over, wrapping a familiar arm around her, and hoisted up the camera.
"So you just click the camera, and if this works, you should be instantaneously possessed?"
"Ugh! Soooo fucky creepy when you explain it like that." Max shuddered. "But yeah!"
"So what we gonna say."
"Say?"
"Yeah doof. When you take the picture?"
"Oh!" Max brightened. "Uh...karma!"
They mugged up for the camera, making duck lips at Chloe's instance.
"Karma!" they both called out.
Chloe dissolved into giggles, unable to help herself, snorting and chortling with glee. But when she looked over at Max, the other girl had a deadly serious expression on her face. She reached over, grabbed her shoulders, and locked eyes with her, expression drenched in fear.
"Fuck! Chloe. Chloe I know you're stoned, but you have to listen to me, alright? This is really important. It's Sunday, and I'm halfway to Mexico. But everything's going wrong. They're right on my heels, and I'm scared! These guys - gonna capture me in another day or two at this rate. I need you to pay attention. Please...begging you. You're my only hope!"
Chloe's heart, already beating above the normal rate due to the cannabis in her bloodstream, was racing now. She shot up on her bed, and nodded. "Oh, oh God! What, what is it Max? Who's gonna...is it the government? Dude, please, just tell me what I need to do to help you! It's gonna be okay, I promise! We're gonna..."
She was set on the edge of panicked tears.
Max leaned in close, like she was going to whisper something in her ear, as if afraid someone was listening in on them.
"Chloe...it's - it's the aliens!" A snort of mirth broke through her stony facade. "The allllieeeens. Space Amazons! Wanna make me a love slave for their queen. Save me, Obi-Wan Canoli!" Max fell onto her back, gripping her face and howling with laughter, trying her best to keep from making noise enough to wake up David and Joyce across the hall.
A stab of intense emotion cut through her sternum. Rage, relief, anger...
"What? Fuck you, dude! I was really, really scared! Jesus, I thought I was gonna have a serious heart attack! I still might! Ah! Ah, GOD! FUCK!" She ran her fingers through her hair, and tugged at her locks in frustration.
She should have been furious. There was a part of her that wanted to break down into tears, unable to believe that her best friend toyed with her so cruelly.
But then it struck her.
"Oh my God. Aliens..."
She fell down onto the bed, next to Max, and starts to dissolve into her own spasms of laughter.
"Alieeeens! You have to say the eeeee part. Makes them extra alieeeen!"
"Space Alien Amazons!"
"Amazons!" Max repeated.
"Amazons!" They said a third time together.
"From beyooooond the moooon." Chloe added.
It was almost five minutes before they were able to stop laughing, tears running down their face. Max rolled off the bed with a whump.
"Ouch shit! I did it again! Ha ha!"
"Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, thing I'm gonna pee-hee-hee!" Chloe declared, crawling off the bed and across the floor, towards the door.
"Cwo-wee!" Max cried, reaching out, completely on her back and looking at her upside down. "Come back! Save meeeee."
"Dude, I gotta hella wiz. And I seriously need pudding cups."
"Yes! Oh shit yes! Pudding cups! The aliens won't get us if we have - oh God, do we have any more of that pizza left?"
Leaving Max to hungrily scarf down the cold remains of their extra large pizza, Chloe made her way to the bathroom, rubbing her eyes and making it to the bathroom, just in time.
Oh damn. Max. We're having an amazing night. Sucks you have to leave tomorrow, but...shit. You're leaving me a better person. You set me seriously right. My guardian angel. I am gonna make you so proud, when I get out of Arcadia Bay, and make something of my life at last.
She glanced down at herself and smiled as an idea immediately seized her. Something she could give Max, to make what was probably their last night together eternally memorable.
A few minutes later, she returned, tossing a pudding cup towards Max, who totally fumbled, causing the plastic container to bounce upward and bonk her gently on the forehead.
Chloe focused on eating her own, completely lost in the luscious texture, the cool chill against her tongue and teeth, the taste of chocolate spreading decadently across her tongue. She cracked an eye and smiled to herself, watching Max having a similar religious experience with butterscotch.
"Hey, so Max?"
"Hey, so Chloe? Wazzuuuuuup?"
Chloe put down her pudding cup, reached around behind her neck, and slowly lifted up her bullet necklace. Three shells, something she'd made with materials she'd picked up from an army surplus store. Crawling over, she draped it over Max's shoulders and smiled.
"For luck. So you don't forget about me, when you're running away from the aliens, and whoever.. And because it's the only meaningful thing I have left to give you. This'll never be enough for everything you've give me. Everything you've done. Because - because maybe you're convinced you can't do anything good with your powers in the long run; but you made me a better person, so don't ever doubt yourself, okay?"
Max was clearly stunned. She reached down, tracing the brass casings, stroking them with her fingertips. Blinking, swallowing hard against a forming lump in her throat. She quickly broke down into soft sobs, before flinging herself in Chloe's direction, hugging her with all her might.
She was still hugging her tight through most of Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle.
Max spent most of the movie fiddling with and staring blissfully at her new necklace, and Chloe spent most of that time staring at her friend. It was almost five in the morning by the time they were ready to crash out, losing the battle against the need to sleep.
"Hey. Chloe?" Max murmured, head resting on her shoulder, their faces close together.
"Yeah, dude?"
"Y'r my best friend, forever 'n ever. I love you."
And just like that, her eyelids fluttered closed. And she was asleep.
Chloe stared at Max. Memorizing every detail of her face, the infinitely peaceful expression on it. Gave an emotional sniffle, as it struck her that this might well be the last truly relaxed and undisturbed sleep for the rest of her life.
She enfolded Max protectively in her arms, and stared out into the darkness of her room, trembling, tears streaming down her face as she silently sobbed.
How am I going to live without you, Max? How the hell do I do it?
It was clear there was a decision she'd need to make tomorrow.
A/N: Hey kids, it's Black Swan Saturday. Lyta and Cory are in your Internets, making the words you read!
Can you believe it? The Tuesday arc is almost over. Whew! Not quite though, but almost! Next week brings us back to that exciting, magical, faraway kingdom known as "The B-Story". That one may or may not be the last chapter of the arc, after which, we go on hiatus for a few weeks. But there will be more details by next Saturday, for sure. I actually just finished writing the first draft of chapter 28, but we're running into some issues with chapter 26 that need to be cleaned up first; that one will either be the capstone of Tuesday, or the start of Wednesday.
And oh God! I almost forgot, we crossed the 150K milestone this weekend. I think this makes us the third longest LiS story on FFN. Neat.
Anyhow, have a great weekend, and enjoy!
P.S. Sorry, not sorry about all the teasing ;-)