Chloe lay on her still-unmade bed, as she gazed across the room that had sheltered her and served as a sanctum her entire life. She was done packing already, not that there was much she needed to take with her: a few sets of clothes, her laptop and the fat pile of cash made up the majority. She was going to leave her phone behind, per Max's instructions, and other than some toiletries and a few personal knick knacks - including and especially a collection of photos - Chloe would be leaving her room almost exactly the way she found it.
Part of her was reluctant to leave, to the point of melancholy; she found it both confusing and annoying.
I suppose I did invest a lot of myself in this place. A hella ton of hours went into decorating it, putting my unique mark on it...
Maybe on the surface, it was just Christmas lights, and graffiti, and a bunch of posters, but her room was so much more than the mere sum of its parts. It was her private corner of the world, her queendom. A retreat from the fucking stupidity of the world: its meanness and corruption. No matter what was going on in her life, no matter how bad she was feeling, she could always retreat to this place, and feel a bit more at peace with herself and her life.
Assuming my asshole step-father wasn't just barging in...
And that, in an odd way, may have been the problem as well.
Chloe pushed herself up into a halfway sitting position, leaning back on her elbows as she took a second look around; sure, her room was comfortable, and of course she had good memories built up in it. But some of them, mostly the ones involving Rachel, turned bitter with time, although it was funny how a new love took the sting out of an old heartbreak. But as much as she could retreat when the going got rough, that was also what was holding her back.
Spent so much time here cooped up, especially right after Dad died, that I never challenged myself to fucking do better, to move on.
It wasn't like she was blaming her room for the path that life took over the past five years, but it was a symptom of the problem at large. It gave her the excuse to stop growing, to shut out the rest of the world and deny access to herself to all but a privileged few.
Can't believe I never saw that until now. Until this week. When Max came back and finally opened my eyes.
Chloe knew that once she stepped out the door, it'd be for the last time. She was almost certain she'd never see her room again. The memories though, she'd carry forever, and that was important. But it didn't change the fact that she was giving up something that, not so long ago, meant the world to her. The only thing that seemed real, the only thing that was distinctly 'hers'.
But she also realized that outside that door was Max.
Chloe smiled, falling backward as she hugged herself. They were a couple now! She couldn't believe her amazing fortune, how it all felt like destiny finally fulfilling itself. And given Max's powers, she was definitely willing to accept the existence of something like fate.
Max is this room, now. She's my sanctuary.
There was no way of knowing what the world had in store for the both of them. Right now, in this utter calm before the storm, Chloe couldn't help but feel upbeat and optimistic, two things that were very much lacking in her life until now. She tried her best to temper her outlook, to accept that there were going to be hard times ahead. Scary times, maybe even desperate ones. But none of that mattered. She'd do anything for her best friend and now lover. Her loyalty to Max was plain to see, even before this week: who else would have taken her in, listened to her crazy stories with a vaguely open mind, offer comfort and support?
...granted, I kinda fucking lost my way for a little while...so glad she forgave me!
But now that loyalty was absolutely unshakable. This wasn't some newly-spawned puppy love crush, nor was it like the needy relationship she had with Rachel, one born out of her desperate desire to soothe the terror of being alone. What existed now between the two of them was the ultimate culmination of years of friendship and sisterhood, taken to its logical conclusion.
Together, they could face anything. They were greater than the sum of the two of them apart.
Chloe took one last, loving trip down memory lane, before grabbing her oversized dufflebag. As she stepped out, she couldn't help but pause, and look back over her shoulder one last time, before closing the door.
"Well," she whispered to herself. "This chapter's finished. Time to get a move on."
After making a quick Google search to figure out how to do it, she'd programmed an email with a delayed send date; in two days time, it would reach her mother, and tell her the truth. Or at least as much as was safe to reveal.
After clomping down the stairs and briefly popping outside to toss the bag into her truck, she meandered into the living room, where she found her mother sitting on the couch and reading through a magazine. Her girlfriend was nowhere in sight, and after poking her head through the garage and out into the yard, Joyce finally answered, "She's in the bathroom, although I must admit it is adorable, the way you're immediately looking for her."
Chloe blinked. She knew that tone of voice, the one Joyce couldn't help but use when she knew far more than she was letting on.
"Uh...not quite sure what that's supposed to mean," she said in a quiet monotone, trying her best to play it cool, as she drifted into the kitchen, where she opened up the fridge and leaned in, with the notion of grabbing herself a soda.
"I know about you and Max being a couple now. Or whatever it is you kids call it these days."
Chloe jerked up, gently banging the back of her head on the inside of the refrigerator. She swore under her breath. Carefully backing out and closing the door, she made a show of slowly cracking open the can, taking a measured sip, and then calmly stating, "Well. Yeah. We are. Not that I need your approval or anything. I'm an adult now and..."
"Oh Chloe, for God's sake," Joyce interrupted with a light sigh. "Stand down. Believe it or not, I'm happy for you both. I mean, part of me worries a bit, naturally. I'd be a lot less than thrilled if Max were some strange girl you'd just met on Monday, and not your best friend since you were five. As long as the two of you are happy, anything beyond that is none of my business. Since you are an adult, after all."
Chloe nodded, taking another sip. "So how'd you find out? Max say something?"
"Ohhh, she didn't have to. Granted, I probably wouldn't have suspected anything was going on between you two, but I just happened to look out the window at the right time. When you two were were all-but-attacking each other in the truck." Joyce smirked. "And then Max and I had a talk about what was going on."
Chloe fought to keep from spitting up what was going down her throat.
When Max finally felt up to leaving the bathroom, she came across Chloe, hacking and coughing. She ran up and asked in a sympathetic tone, "Oh sweetie! Are you alright?" Her girlfriend nodded, though she still sputtered a bit.
"Just told her you knew, huh?" Max asked, quickly putting the pieces together.
"Something like that." Joyce crossed her arms, smiling with kind bemusement.
Quickly regaining control of herself, Chloe slammed back the rest of her drink, making a point to loudly belch before turning to her. "Okay babes. I'm all packed, so, uh..."
Max couldn't help but see the blunette's eyes flick over towards her mother. She could only imagine what was going on in her head right this moment. That the full weight of this momentous decision was only just now hitting her.
"...so yeah. We should probably hit the road. You know. No point in hanging around..."
"So soon? You girls sure you don't want a late lunch before you go?" Joyce inquired. She took a breath, and then shook her head. "Ah...never mind. I'm sorry, Max. What was I thinking, I'm sure you've got a schedule to stick to and..."
"Nothing! I mean...nothing that's carved in stone. I've got general access tickets for the train, so they're good for the next few weeks, actually. There's no reason why we couldn't stay for a little while. I mean, we hardly got to talk that much, Joyce and..."
'While I'm sure you'll see Chloe again soon...' was the casual lie she was about to drop. Max found herself completely unable to go through with it. Torn between the tactical desire to play it safe, to not give Joyce any more opportunities to find out that something was going on behind the scenes, and the renewed sense of guilt welling up in her heart.
Chloe took her hand, and gave it a comforting squeeze. She looked towards her, swallowed, and in an uncertain tone asked, "Are you sure?"
Max could only nod in enthusiastic silence.
Joyce blinked, clearly not expecting the change in track, but greatly pleased all the same. "Oh! Well that's just wonderful. I'm so happy we'll have a little more time to spend together. Okay then. Why don't you two lovebirds have a seat at the table."
Max glanced over, taking note of the sour look on Chloe's face, turning away from her mother and sticking her tongue out. She hit her on the side of the arm in response, as if the say 'She's talking about us, doofus.' Appropriately chastised, the blunette gave her a goofy grin, and then leaned in for a quick kiss.
They sat close together, side by side, smiling at each other the whole time. Joyce came up, and said, "Alright, Max. What would you like to eat?"
She wasn't sure what possessed her, what gleeful, naughty impulse took hold, but Max found herself reaching under the table to grab just above Chloe's knee, looking up sweetly at the older woman, and answering with a nervous laugh. "Your daughter."
She rewound it back, of course. But Max desperately wished she could have taken a video of the look on both their faces. Instead, she settled for a grilled cheese with bacon, and the loud guffaw she managed to elicit from Chloe after whispering the details of the brief exchange against her ear.
"My goodness, look at the way you two are giggling like a pack of hyenas." Joyce remarked, returning to the table with their food.
"Oh! You know. We're talking boy bands, and hairstyles and...stuff" Max started, before breaking down into laughter again.
They spent the next two or three hours keeping Joyce company. Max did her best to gently deflect the conversation away from her past, while simultaneously keeping any answers about her future as vague and circumspect as possible. She was happy to let Chloe take the lead, as she seemed far more comfortable lying to her mother about her future plans, what sort of jobs she was already looking into, and who she would be crashing with while she got herself settled in Portland.
God. She's so good at lying to her own Mom. Way better than I could ever do it. Then again, she's probably had a lot more practice. Maybe she doesn't appreciate yet, how she might never see Joyce again...for reals.
All the same, Chloe and Joyce were laughing. They were joking, and enjoying each others company, in ways that Max could only imagine the two of them hadn't experience in years. That was the most important thing, as far as Max was concerned; if this was Joyce's last chance to see Chloe, she wanted those memories to be as pleasant as possible. Something to treasure for years down the line.
Max gripped Chloe's hand tightly for the rest of the visit, swallowing back the bittersweet lump in her throat, simultaneously regretting and elated by her decision to give Chloe and Joyce more time together. She found herself greeting the end of their lunch together with both terror and relief, as Chloe rose to start clearing the table.
Joyce deadpanned, "My God. Who are you, and what have you done with my daughter?"
Chloe laughed, "What, I can't be nice now? C'mon, you cooked us food, least I can do is clean up before I run off into the big wide world and start tricking people into believing I'm an actual adult."
More hugs were exchanged, and promises to call as soon as Chloe settled in. For Max not to be a stranger. For the two of them to come visit in the near future. All promises that would have be broken. Confidences that would ultimately need to be betrayed.
Oh God. Please...please let's get out of here. Now.
As the two of them opened the door to head off, the sun now having set, and twilight fully draping the Bay, they nearly ran headlong into David.
All three of them blinked; a heavy, nervous tension rapidly descended. Max was uncertain what to say, or who should speak first. She wasn't sure why, but this was a complication she felt needed to be avoided. But before she could think to rewind back, he smiled. He actually smiled, as if relieved, and leaned in to hug a supremely startled Chloe.
"Chloe!" he called out. "I'm...I'm really glad. Glad to see you. Uh. One of the cops I know...he told me about what was going on with Nathan Prescott, that you were one of the people he...that he violated. He said he probably shouldn't have mentioned it, but since we're family..." He blinked, suddenly aware of what he was doing, and backed off. "Is it true? Did he try to hurt you?"
Max glanced over to Chloe. It was clear she was perplexed, torn between the desire to deliver one of her usual acid remarks, and the need to make her final departing moments pleasant. She stiffened, then shook her head, dismissing David's uncharacteristic show of emotion with a wave of her hand. She took a deep breath and murmured low, "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine now. It was a bad situation, but it didn't bite my ass off."
Despite her rather flip explanation, Max could see the truth written all over her face. She was seething, obviously still upset over what happened, but doing her best to keep it hidden away from the world. Max knew enough about police procedure to realize that outing Chloe as a potential rape victim to her stepfather was a shitty, possibly illegal thing to do. She only hoped it was done out of honest kindness, and not out of some sick desire for the police to rub salt into Chloe's wounds.
"So where are you two...I mean...are you heading off somewhere?" David asked. His question started with his normal, interrogating tone, until it made a sudden veer towards the almost-pleasant.
"These two are off to Portland. Again." Joyce interrupted. "Max missed her train, or bus, and is making another go at it. Chloe, it seems, has decided to start taking some responsibility for her life, and is looking to move to the big city, so she'll be gone for a few days while she's getting herself set up." It was clear that Joyce was shining with pride, despite the casual tone of her voice, her arms crossed together in front of her.
David wore a confused, almost flummoxed expression on his face. It was a good few seconds before he recovered, and said, "Oh! Wow. Uh. Great. Great, Chloe! Knew you could do it. So this means we should celebrate. Right? Do you need to go right now? We could have dinner…?" He gazed over towards Max in particular, and added, "I was hoping we could spend some more time together."
"We ate, but thanks." Chloe interrupted. "We really need to get the jump on things...stuck around a lot longer than planned. Anyhow, I'll be in touch, okay? Bye!" Max felt herself being pulled along, as the pair of them quickly dashed over to the truck and jumped inside.
This isn't how Max wanted the end to come; a clipped, rushed farewell. She glanced over at the curiously longing expression in David's eyes, peered at him via the side mirror on the truck.
"Oh God...let's gun it, BatMax. Sorry about the step...eh. Whatever. Probably all tingly and excited, thinking he was gonna get another chance to hang with his Battle Buddy-for-Life or something. I mean, geeze, did you see him? Acting like he's actually happy to see me or something? Shit. It took him finding out what...what happened with me and Nathan, for him to act like he gives a damn."
"Y-yeah. I guess. And you know, maybe David really is glad to know Nathan didn't kill you, like he did with Stella."
Chloe snorted, and shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, well. Whatever. I'm sure in a month, he'll turn my room into his new man cave. He's...he's welcome to it." she said, muttering out the last part softly, as if sputtering to a halt. "C'mon baby, let's not drag this shit out."
Max could see it in Chloe's eyes. The dawning realization. She reached over, taking her hand and bringing it up to her lips, kissing the fingertips as the two of them drove away from the house the two of them spent most of their lives growing up in.
As the truck pulled onto the street and sped away into the distance, Joyce turned to David and said, "Well, are you back long enough for dinner? I figured they'd have you putting in overtime tonight for that dance at Blackwell."
David blinked. He didn't respond at first, as he focused intently on the truck until it finally disappeared in the distance. Without answering the question, he turned into the house, and muttered off-handedly, "'Scuze me...I need to make a phone call."
Max sighed softly, staring out the window and marveling how much had changed in a single day. There was still melancholy about what she was leaving behind, and anxiety about the future that awaited her, but now, she wasn't alone. Although, under normal tactical considerations, allowing Chloe to join her was a huge mistake.
But this is anything but normal. This is Chloe. This is the girl...the woman, I've been fighting for almost my whole life. One way or the other. She gave me hope, during my worst years at Zion Control. That someday, I'd see her again.
Chloe Price was her strength, her beacon in the night. Her lighthouse on rocky shores. Everything yesterday that was screaming at her, warning her that she was making the biggest mistake in her life by walking away from her now hummed in contentment. There were no guarantees of a bright and rosy future together. But there was hope, where hope was previously lacking.
As long as the two of them were together, there would always be hope. Heaven and Hell could rise against them both, and Max would gladly face the fight, with her true love at her side.
Chloe glanced over at her sideways, and laughed low. "Look at you."
"I can't, silly. Why...what do you see?"
"The smile on your face. The way you're lookin' at me. It's hella-dorbs. Gal could really fall for someone who looked at her like that."
"Yeah well, don't get any ideas. I already have a girlfriend." Max giggled.
"Oh yeah? Cool. I bet she's pretty awesome though. Awesome enough to be worthy of you."
Max leaned in quick, to give Chloe's earlobe a quick peck. "You have no idea."
Max turned back to glance out as they passed through downtown Arcadia Bay, one last time...
Oh shit!
"Chloe! Chloe, please stop! Right here." Max called out.
"What. Where?! Shit, wait...do you mean the hospital?"
Max nodded frantically.
She missed her opportunity yesterday, her chance to be a good friend to someone who desperately needed one. They didn't even pass the hospital last time; Chloe took a different route, in order to allow Max to see her old childhood home.
This has to be fate, right? One last time to gain a little good karma. I mean...it's only a few minutes. We can't be in that kind of danger, where just a half hour at the hospital is going to make or break our ride to freedom.
If it was a risk...well...Kate deserved that she take the shot, all the same.
"Kate's here, according to what people have been posting on Facebook, right? Look, I just wanna dart in and talk to her. Make sure she's doing okay."
She could see the struggle written all over Chloe's face, caught between trying to be a good, supportive girlfriend, and Max's voice of reason.
"Don't worry. I won't be gone long. I promise I'll rewind back as much of my coming and going as I can, so I'm hardly on any camera feeds or seen by nurses. And once I'm done, we're leaving, so...it'll be fine. Trust me." Max said, leaning in to rub Chloe's arm reassuringly. Clearly the other girl wasn't happy about it, worrying at her bottom lip. But she nodded, and murmured low. "Okay. Just...I should probably stay here. Keep a look out. Less risky that way, right? Although shit, I don't have a phone anymore, so...I guess I'll just come run in and find you, if shit hits the fan. Then you can rewind back."
Max nodded. "Yeah. Good idea. Great! Okay, I won't be too long. I promise! But thank you. This is really important to me..."
Chloe laughed through her nose, and whispered. "I know, baby. Come back safe, okay?" Chloe pulled the truck into a space near the back, where it could remain inconspicuous without looking like it was trying to hide.
They shared one more kiss, before Max hopped out of the truck. She took a few steps, and then turned back, waving at Chloe with her fingertips, before walking around to crouch out of sight behind the truck, making a note of the time in order to give her a place to rewind back to, and then continued on towards the hospital. As she crossed the distance to the main building, she forced herself to resist the urge to run; not that she was feeling afraid, quite the opposite. She was so grossly, disgustingly, ridiculously happy, and it was all she could do to keep from skipping and running from place to place.
Okay Max. Chill here. Seriously, really. Play it cool. Gotta be Michaela one last time. For Kate's sake.
She was relieved to find that Kate was still registered at the hospital, and that neither she nor her family chose to opt-in for the additional privacy protections that prevented any person off the street - say, a certain young woman with dyed black hair - from finding out what room she was staying in. Not that the nurse would remember. Not after Max stepped into the bathroom of a conveniently empty room on Kate's floor. Rewound back, and then walked as quickly yet inconspicuously as possible over.
She knocked on the door, then decided to let herself in. The room was bright and airy, despite the fact that the sun was now fully set. There was a small vase with a lovely arrangement of tulips, and a balloon bouquet cheerfully emblazoned with any number of encouraging sentiments. Kate was looking well, dressed in a white t-shirt embroidered with flowers, and a pair of loose scrub pants. The finished remains of a hospital meal were set aside on a tray near the bed. Kate herself was sitting cross-legged on the chair, scribbling away at a drawing pad on her lap.
The blonde girl looked up, her face immediately bursting into confused surprise which then morphed into a smile of delight. Placing the pad down, she rose, and trotted over to give Max a hug.
"Mack!" Kate called out. "I...I can't believe you're here. I thought...I really thought I'd never see you again." She paused, pulling back from the embrace, and added. "This is going to sound weird, but part of me almost wondered if you were actually real."
Max smiled in return, laughing lightly. "Oh Kate. Of course I'm real! What's that supposed to mean?" She paused, and the recalled. "Uh. Right. You mean with the whole..." She groaned, bowing her head and nervously scrubbing at the back of her head. "S-sorrrrry. About that. Really, I am. But you know, I have anxiety issues? And no offense, I mean...this isn't on you or anything, but...but that was a really intense situation, right? When the door opened behind me I just..." She shook her head and gave an elaborate shrug. "I panicked. Like, major freak out, and...wow. Did you see me? I never thought I'd ever get a chance to try out my gymnastic skills that way. Gosh. So stupid. I mean, I could have gotten hurt, for cereal." She covered up her face, to hide an embarrassed blush that was only partially feigned.
Kate took her hand, gave a little bounce, and shook her head emphatically. "No. No, it's okay. All that matters is you came back. I finally get a chance to tell you how sorry I am. I feel so ridiculous."
Max gave a slight frown, and shook her head. "No way. Nuh uh. That wasn't on you. None of it was. Other people were to blame, you know? Don't let anyone ever make you feel small, or a victim, because...because you had a moment. You know...you got pushed to the brink. But it was all on you in the end. You didn't jump, Kate. You made the choice."
They walked over, each taking a chair at the table near the back. "I don't think I could have done it alone. I'm so grateful to you for coming up to the roof to talk me down. Mack, I felt so lost and alone. So imagine how it felt, when someone I didn't even know, who didn't know me, came to my rescue. You cared so much, and you were trying so hard. It made me realize I wasn't alone. That I'll never be alone. Thank you." She paused, and then reached over to grab a nearby newspaper. "And look! Look what happened today! Did you read this already?"
Max made a cursory glance over the headline, and nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I mean, I saw it online. That's...that's so insane, isn't it? But Kate, this must be like total vindication! This Nathan guy confessed that he drugged you. He even said that what he did to you was the last straw, that it made him so guilty. He and...I guess one of your teachers was doing crazy shit with him? I mean wow. I hope Blackwell isn't always like that. Honestly, my mom is already freaking out about me possibly attending. But everyone knows you were telling the truth. No one can deny it, not anymore."
Kate took a deep breath, and let it out, a soft, pained smile drawing across her lips. "I've...I'm trying to look at it all as a challenge. That God was testing me. Testing my faith and...I just." She shook her head, and then gave a light laugh, blinking away a couple of tears. "I can't believe it. It's like a fairy tale, Mack. I'm trying my best to remain humble. I think maybe that's the real test now. Because it's...oh." She stopped short. "I'm sorry, I know so little about you. Do you know much about the Bible?"
"Oh. A bit? I studied it, but only as a historical document, you know, a year or two ago in school."
Kate blinked, then narrowed her eyes, suspicion creeping into them. "Wait a second. I thought you said you spent the last five years being held prisoner by a cult?"
Fuuuuuuuuuuuu...
Max quickly rewound, bitterly chastising herself for slipping up so easily.
"...know much about the Bible?" Kate repeated.
"A little? Not any more than any other person knows? Sorry, but Dear Old Dad was more into weird New Agey shit with that...that c-cult...and...uh." She hugged herself.
"Oh...I'm sorry." Kate breathed out. "Is this too painful for you?"
Max quickly shook her head, intentionally putting in a pinch too much enthusiasm. "No! I...I wanna hear what you're thinking."
"Well, you know about the Hebrews escaping from slavery in Egypt, right?" Kate inquired.
"Oh sure. They made a movie about that, right? Prince of Egypt? Ha...I loved the music in that."
"There's this part, near the end. The Hebrews are celebrating the death of the Egyptians who were pursuing them across the parted Red Sea. And the Angels in Heaven wanted to sing as well, but God chastised them. He told them, 'The work of my hands is being drowned in the sea and you want to sing songs?' Anyhow, the point is that even God doesn't celebrate the downfall of the wicked. I don't want to give into pride. Or wrath." She swallowed hard. "Sometimes, it's harder than I imagined."
Max reached out and squeezed Kate's hand. "It's natural, Kate. Human nature, you know? To be angry at people who hurt you. And a lot of people hurt you. I don't mean to rub it in, but it's , now everyone is sorry, and acting all repentant, but..." she sighed heavily. "I guess the point I want to make is that you are amazing. A lot of people would be angry, you know? Furious. And who could blame them? But the fact that you're trying to be gracious in victory says a lot about you, as a person. I'm really proud of you, Kate."
Kate looked down, smiling with embarrassment. "You should see all the letters and postcards, now. I...I gave most of the flowers away to the other patients here, because they need them more than me. I'm keeping the balloons though!"
Max laughed. "Heck yeah, you should keep them!"
They fell into a sudden silence. She swallowed, and was just on the edge of asking Kate about her parents when the other girl beat her to the punch.
"M-mack? Can I ask you something? Something that will sound really strange, but...but I need to know. I'm sorry...I might never get another chance."
"What? Oh. Sure, Kate. You can ask me anything."
Kate closed her eyes, and breathed in sharply through her nose. She scrubbed her hands together and spoke in a low voice. "The other day. When you helped me...saved me. And then you ran. I saw the whole thing. The security officer, I think he was only focusing on me, but I looked after you as you jumped and rolled around. I...I saw you disappear. One second you were there, the next you were gone."
Max felt a tight, hot knot of fear twist in her throat. She had to rewind back a couple of times to comfort her face into an appropriate mask of confusion.
"Whaaaat? No, no...I just ducked around the other side of that chimney. You must have missed it or something."
Kate didn't respond at first, and for a moment, Max wondered if she managed to convince her that her eyes were playing tricks. Instead, she responded, "I know what I saw. And I asked around, made a couple of phone calls. No one at Blackwell knows anything about a visiting applicant, not one with your name. No one remembered ever seeing you or talking to you. At all. And...and..." she looked up, gazing sideways at her, not full on. "You said your name was Michaela. The feminine of Michael. You came out of nowhere, at my darkest hour, and helped me through this great trial. And now a miracle happened...and..." she waved a hand back towards the newspaper.
"I just want to know, Mack. Is it...are you...?"
Max blinked rapidly.
Oh shit. Oh helllll no! The last thing I need is for Kate to think I'm...wow!
She was pleased that she managed to maintain an easy, almost bemused air, as she reached out to grip Kate's shoulder. "Listen to me. I'm...I'm not divine or special or...or whatever? Really, all you need to know is that I'm someone who was in the right place, at the right time. It was in my power to try and save a life. To reach out and comfort someone who was in desperate pain. Whatever I am, whomever you think I might be? Does it need to be anything more than that? More than what I just told you?"
Kate didn't seem convinced. Max could see it in her eyes, the intense personal struggle, just beneath the surface. She could only imagine what it must be like, to be in Kate's shoes, utterly convinced she was in the presence of the truly supernatural, and totally unsure how to proceed. It was all Max could do to keep from squirming nervously in her seat. A good ten seconds passed, before she found herself taken by surprise as Kate leaned in, crushing her in another ferocious hug.
"Th-thank you, Mack! You are...you're amazing! I promise you, I'll never forget what you did for me. I'll never stop trying to live up to your example."
Okay. She's not gonna press the issue. I'll take that as a win. Also: awwww! Oh my God, Kate. You are the sweetest!
Max swallowed against her tight throat, and gave a shy smile in return. "Hey...hey I'm just...uh. Anyhow, enough about me, how's your family? They treating you okay, after everything that happened?"
"Yes. But it's like they think they have to protect me forever. They're so upset, especially my mother. I know they feel guilty, even though they didn't do anything. They're going to come pick me up tomorrow..."
"That's great. It sounds like everything is going to work out just fine, then." Max glanced down at the table, and smiled. "Hey...you do this? You draw? These are really great!"
Kate grinned in return. "Thank you. The nurse was nice enough to give me a pad and a pencil. My work...it'd gotten really dark for a while, but now, I'm feeling so inspired. I have an idea for a new children's book, about bullying. I was thinking it would be nice, to mix my drawings with some real life photographs. I just wish I knew a photographer I wanted to work with. The other students at Blackwell...some of them are great with a camera, but there's some hurt feelings I need to get over first."
"Oh?" Max brightened up. "Funny, I just started getting back into photography. Uh...um. Was part of the reason I was looking at Blackwell. Although...I...there are some other schools my Mom and I are considering too..."
Kate was quiet for a moment, and then suggested, "Well, if you came to Blackwell, maybe we could work on it together?"
The sharp, keen pain, of a life she was forever cruelly denied stabbed through Max's chest like a blade. She suddenly burst into tears at this, and she had to rewind back several times in order to give herself enough leeway to clamp down on her emotions.
Shit! The way Kate is looking at me...I must be getting sloppy, probably gonna starting looking like a skipping movie clip if I'm not more careful!
"Y-yeah. I...look Kate, I'm not sure if I'm gonna be at Blackwell next semester. There's stuff going on, and the decision isn't fully mine. Not really. But..." she reached out, first thinking to squeeze the other girl's hand, but couldn't resist, shifting to embrace her close, and intensely relieved that Kate gladly went with it.
"I would totally do it, though, you know? Be a student, and be your friend, and we would do epic things together."
They chatted away for a little while longer, Max unhappily mindful of the time. She couldn't believe how quickly she bonded with Kate, barely knowing the girl. As much as it hurt to have made a friend and then abandon her...
I made the right choice, coming here. I would have hated myself if I passed this opportunity by.
"Thanks again for visiting me, Mack. You know how to get a hold of me so...keep in touch. Okay?"
"I'll try my best. I promise. One way or the other, I know you're gonna have a great life, Kate."
Reluctantly pulling away, Max forced her feet to move ahead, towards the door, down the hall, and out of Kate Marsh's life forever...
...and when Kate rushed out a few moments later, she called out, "Mack! Hey Mack, I forgot, I meant to give you something." A picture was clutched in her hands. She stopped by the nurses station and asked, "Excuse me. Did you see another girl passing through? Short black hair, plaid shirt. She was just visiting me."
The nurse looked up with a quizzical expression. "I'm sorry. I didn't see anyone like that. Are you sure?"
"Yes! She would have just walked down this way barely thirty seconds ago."
"Sweetheart," the nurse started, kindly. "I watch this hallway like a hawk. I promise you, the last visitor to pass by me was over ten minutes back."
Kate stared out incredulously towards the exit, blinking in confusion.
Max rewound back, taking advantage of the same bathroom trick a second time; all the better to keep from being seen by the duty nurse. She walked around from behind the truck, and hopped back into the passenger seat.
"So...how did the visit go?" Chloe asked, relieved to see her return.
Max leaned in, hugging her close and kissing her cheek. "Great. It was fantastic. It made me happy, and really sad though. But thank you, Che. I mean it. I know this was probably boring for you, waiting out here in the truck."
Chloe shrugged and gave an affable smile. "It's easy enough, waiting for my Maxima to come back to me."
"Well, I promise, we're done with Arcadia Bay. Time to hit the road. We'll...we'll make a big thing out of it, you know? Take turns. Drive all night. We won't stop in Portland, we'll cruise all the way through Washington State or...or something."
Chloe lit up, and laughed. "Yeah! Road trip, woo! Let's burn rubber." Gunning the engine, Chloe made a show of peeling out, tires squealing as they tore out of the parking lot, to begin their adventure at last.
Or at least for the next five minutes.
"Chloe, stop! Please? Pleaseplease..."
"Holy shit...baby? Please tell me you're just fucking with me now?"
Max shook her head, pointing frantically at Blackwell as it came up on the righthand side.
"You...seriously, are fucking with me? What...no? Whyyyyy? Why Black-hell?"
Max turned, gazing longingly out at the school. "I just remembered...there was a poster the other night, when we broke in the Principal's office. They're having a dance tonight, Chloe. Right now! An honest-to-God school dance. All the fucking time I was in captivity, one of the things I wanted more than anything was to go to one, like any normal kid. Better yet, go to one with a date. And...and..." she swallowed hard, turning back to Chloe. She choked down a sob when she realized the blunette was already turning into the parking lot.
"Oh fuck...thank you! Thank you, Che! I know this sounds crazy, I know this seems like the worst idea but...but it's not like the Feds are gonna bust into a whole school to come looking for us. Not like anyone there knows me. We'll just go for an hour. No more than two. And then we go back and drive. All night, just like I said. Last thing. This is totally it...I pr..."
Chloe reached out, placing fingers on her lips in an effort to playfully hush her. "Sweetie. Let me just say...I can probably think of a million reasons why this is the worst idea in the history of everything. And there's only one reason why I can think of to do this. Know what it is?"
Max blushed, and muttered around Chloe's fingertips. "Because I'm so sweet and adorable?"
"Heh. Yeah. Because you're so hella sweet and adorable. Because I can see how happy it'll make you. And making you happy is worth a million bad ideas. Also, I remember that it's still technically your birthday today."
"Oh my God. Best girlfriend ever." Max breathily remarked.
Their lips met in a brief but intense kiss, before Max lept out of the truck, ran around to grab Chloe's hand possessively, and all but bounce her way towards the school gymnasium.
As she watched from inside her SUV, Rachel breathed out, "No. Fucking. Way. Gotta be absolutely shitting me. How lucky did we just get tonight?"
She pulled off into the far side of the parking lot at Blackwell, pulled out her cell phone, and started to text.
9PrincessInAmber: OMG babe. Bestest news evar!
VickyVicious: That tracker thing he put on the truck actually works?
9PrincessInAmber: Totes. Been chasing it down. Finally caught up to our ladies. You won't believe where they be going.
9PrincessInAmber: Literally: walking into your dance party at the school.
VickyVicious: ...I don't fucking believe it.
9PrincessInAmber: IKR? I'll be there in 5, tops.
Rachel smiled to herself, as she slipped out of the car and made her way towards the gym.
Five million bucks, and maybe a slice of personal redemption...here I come!
A/N: Heeeeeyoooo! It's Black Swan Friday! Lyta is running out of clever ways to essentially say the same thing over and over, and NQW continues to buff and polish like a boss!
Ahhh Kate. You precious, precious cinnamon roll! One of my regrets is that I don't get to use her more in this story.
I just found out that it's TM Calypso's birthday today, so Happy Black Swan Birthday to them!
There is an old school literary Easter egg in this chapter somewhere. Whoever correctly guesses it first - and all guesses have to be submitted via review in order to keep it fair - gets...uh...more than honor, fame and glory, right? How about a little cameo mention in an upcoming chapter? Not that there are too many of those left!
I've been working like a fiend on the finale this week. Literally, I've written close to 14,000 words since I started on Tuesday. I suspect that this thing could bulk up into a 20K - 22K monster. Which means I have to ask all of you folks in the audience a question: What is your preference? To publish the finale in three parts, over the course of a week (Monday - Wednesday - Friday) or drop a big huge single chapter all at once? Let me know, please!
Anyhow, this is probably the last of the really "fluffy" chapters. Shit starts getting increasingly real from this point on. See ya next Friday!