Chapter 6: Change of style

Still holding the piece of paper with Taylor's phone number on it, Max stood in the crowded floor and stared at it.

'Okay, let me get this straight. All those years I went to school I only found one friend, Chloe. All the others always treated me like shit or like I'm thin air. And now? Now all this crazy shit happens and suddenly I find a new friend on my first day in school? What the hell is going on here?'

Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted as someone pushed her so hard that the small girl lost her balance and fell to the ground, hitting it hard with a groan.

"Watch it, freak!" a male voice spoke aggressively.

'Ouch, should've known that this all seemed too good to be true.'

"S-sorry." she said automatically.

"Watch it, asshole!" Chloe's voice chimed and as Max tried to get up again, the guy who pushed her stumbled past her and landed on his butt. "Awww, little jerky made bouncy-bouncy." the blonde mocked with a childish voice, flipping him off, before she shifted her gaze towards Max. "Are you alright, Maxi?" she asked with concern, helping her friend up.

"Y-yeah, it didn't hurt that much." Max answered nonchalantly, but deep inside she was hurt and as she looked into her best friend's eyes, her own were welling up.

Chloe embraced the smaller girl into a hug, brushing with her hand over her back to sooth her. "Shh, I'm here, Max. This asshole won't do it again."

Cuddling deeper into her friend's shoulder, Max let out a deep exhale. "Thank you, Chlo. You're the best!"

"I know. You better use the chance and merry me, making sure that I'll always stick around." the blonde mocked with a big grin as Max stared at her with wide eyes and a deep blush.

"Dork!" she answered with a wry smile, giving Chloe a slight push.

Chloe's expression became dead serious again as she glanced over Max's shoulder at the guy who pushed her friend and was now sitting on the floor. "Whatcha looking at, Logan? Take a hike or I'll kick your tiny footballs over the crossbar!" she addressed to him and he took the message and left. Then she put her arm around Max's shoulder like a guardian. "C'mon Maxi, let's get some grub!"

The PA of the High school came to life with a cracking and the typical binging sound, making all students to pay attention. "Miss Maxine Caulfield, please report to the Principal's office. Miss Maxine Caulfield, to the Principal's office, please!" it chimed from the speakers.

"What the fuck does Hargrove want from you?" Chloe asked with some concern.

"I-I don't know." Max answered with a shrug. "Guess the only way to find out is to go there. But you can go on and grab some bite, before you starve."

"Nu-uh, Max. I can wait. Besides, I can get us some food and then we'll meet at our special spot." Chloe told her as they started to walk towards the Principal's office.

"Sounds like a good plan! I just hope that it isn't something serious." Max added in a low and concerned tone as they reached the office.

"Yeah, me too. But hey, you're Max Caulfield, the most peaceful human being on this planet. I don't think that you're in any trouble." the blonde said with a reassuring smile.

"Thanks Chlo! I'm so glad that I have you!" After she spoke these words, the smaller girl embraces her best friend into another hug. "See ya later!"

Chloe broke the hug and gave her another supporting squeeze on the shoulder. "Take care, Maxi! See ya in a bit!"

Both girls gave each other another smile, before Chloe moved on through the hall. Max stood now in front of the door, but hesitated to knock.

'Okay Max, keep calm! Chloe is right, I didn't do anything wrong and therefore have no reason to be afraid. But why would Principal Hargrove want to see me? Ugh, I better just knock and find out.'

The small girl knocked softly on the door and after a few moments a friendly "Come in, please!" chimed from the other side.

"Ah, Miss Caulfield! Principal Hargrove's already awaiting for you. You can go right through." the friendly secretary, an older lady with brown hair, told her with a smile.

Max went right on to the next door, saying a soft "Thank you." and knocked at it.

"Come in!" a strict female voice chimed from inside. Max opened the door and entered the Principal's office, holding the strap of her bag in a tight grip. "Miss Caulfield, please, close the door and sit down!" Principal Hargrove, a woman in her forties with very short cut black hair, commanded, not even lifting her gaze from the papers she was working on.

The young girl did what she was told and sat down onto a chair. She was very nervous, her hands all sweaty and her heart almost jumped out of her chest. To distract herself, the brunette took a look around the room. It was a standard-office; not really big and filled with file-cabinets and bookshelves.

Finally, the Principal raised her head from her desktop and looked at the small girl with a stern expression. "Miss Caulfield, you were always, what we call, a quiet student. Mediocre grades, a clean record, no trouble, ergo inconspicuous . But somehow that changed. Two months ago, your parents filed in that you would leave this school. But last week they suddenly changed their mind and a day later I received this." She took some sheet of paper and shoved it in front of Max, who identified it as a letter from Blackwell Academy, regarding the talent-program.

Principal Hargrove stood up, walked to one of her file-cabinets and rummaged through it until she found the file she was looking for, Max's file. With a loud thud it landed on her desk and she sat down again with a sigh. "You see, Miss Caulfield, before I got this letter, I've never heard of this program. Neither did anyone tell me that there's already a test-student, namely you. The school-board of Arcadia County and Blackwell just decided over my head to stomp such a program out of the ground, without giving ME the slightest hint!" she almost shouted.

Hargrove was now in fully rage and with every word she said, Max wanted to become smaller and smaller; wanted to disappear. She felt uncomfortable and on the brink of crying. The black-haired woman realized Max's condition, took a deep breath and tried to calm down.

"Miss Caulfield, I'm sorry that you have to hear this and I wish it would be different, but you accidently became a play ball in a struggle of authority between Blackwell, the school-board and our school. A struggle that's already raging for years."

Max's heart almost stopped as the worst-case-scenario crawled into her mind. She didn't care for school politics, but for her own and Chloe's future. "D-does this mean th-that the program is canceled?" she spoke in a low and almost shivering voice.

"No, Miss Caulfield, the board forces me to accept this program." A sigh of relief escaped the small girl. "But this doesn't mean that I have to support it. Therefore, and that is why I called you here, you won't receive any help from me. This means, you'll get no support from our side. No cut from homework, no free periods. You'll have to catch up the entire missed stuff all by yourself." She paused for a moment, seeing that Max was only staring at her hands, her dreams about to be destroyed; a heart-breaking sight. Hargrove sighed again, she didn't want to do it, but school politics are no different from real politics. They're a battlefield. A war with casualties and collateral damage. And if you want to win a battle you have to make sacrifices. "Miss Caulfield, I looked over you file and your grades, and frankly…" she sighed again. "…they're not the best and I don't know if such a program is the right way for you; at least not under these conditions. I recommend that you finish Junior High school first and then try to apply for Blackwell. This way we can assure that your grades won't become worse." the Principal told her in a soft and almost soothing voice.

Max stayed silent, still staring at her hands. Hargrove didn't know that there was more to this program than just becoming a student at Blackwell or fulfilling a dream. For Max it was about life and death of her best friend.

"Miss Caulfield, you don't have to give me an answer right away. Just think about it, okay?" The brunette girl just gave her a slight nod. "Okay. If you want to talk about this some more or need some help with your decision, you can always come by. Now, I suggest that you go outside and enjoy this sunny day. Good day, Miss Caulfield." Miss Hargrove spoke, shifting her focus on the pile of papers on the desk again.

Max stood up and walked out of the office, head still down. She felt depressed, unmotivated and completely empty. Tears were already forming in the corners of her eyes, but she suppressed the need to cry. She's already been bullied enough and having a meltdown in the middle of the hallway wouldn't exactly raise her reputation. For now, she just had one goal: reaching their special spot and see Chloe, her only bright light in these dark days.

Max and Chloe had a lot of special or secret places around Arcadia Bay. Places where the two of them could be alone; where they could do everything they wanted; where they could just be pirates. Behind a side building of their school were some old stairs nobody used anymore, because the entrance they're leading to has been barricaded a long time ago.

As Max arrived, Chloe already sat there on the steps, some trays from the cafeteria, filled with food, beside her. The blonde girl lifted her head and smiled at her friend, but the smile faltered instantly as she realized that something was wrong. She got up in no time and walked towards Max, who started to sob as soon as Chloe embraced her in a soothing hug.

"What happened, Maxi?" she asked, caressing the smaller girl's back.

But Max doesn't answer her right away, she just wasn't able to form words between her continuous sobs. With every passing second that she was with Chloe; that she felt her closeness; that she heard her voice, the smaller girl calmed down more and more, until both girls stood there silently.

Chloe broke the hug and gave Max a comforting smile. "C'mon dude, let's eat something first." she said, leading the younger girl to the stairs.

Both girls ate their food in silence until Max felt ready and told Chloe about what happened.

"Hargrove's a tool!" was the only comment that came into Chloe's mind. "And what now? Are you gonna leave the program?"

Max shook her head frenetically. "No, if I abandon the program I'd have no reason to stay and I don't want to leave! I'll never leave you! I promised! This program is the only thing that keeps me here and if it means that I have to work my ass off to make it happen, then so be it." she spoke with a serious voice, giving Chloe a glare that showed her that she meant business.

The blonde's gaze dropped. "Max, why are you doing this? I mean, you could've been save and sound with your parents in Seattle; the mecca of art. But instead, you choose to stay here. You could've started a new life, at a school without the whole bullying-shit. And what about your dream of becoming a photographer? If Hargrove's right…"

"Stop it right there, Chlo!" the brunette interrupted her friend. "Yes, everything could've been easier or maybe better, but I wanted this. I decided to stay at your side, no matter the cost!"

"I already told you that you only have to merry me." Chloe joked with a wink, overplaying that she'd loved to jump at Max and hug her like crazy.

Laying her head on her friends shoulder, Max closed her eyes and enjoyed the closeness. "If this is the only way to keep you at my side, count me in!"

"Really?" the blonde responded with eyes wide open, clearly taken aback, because she wasn't expecting this answer.

"Mh-hm. Living together in our own place, sharing stuff, just the two of us and nobody else… it sounds kinda cool. But, of course, without the eww-stuff."

"Yeah…" Chloe scoffed weakly, with some disappointment in her voice and her face slightly blushed. "…without eww-stuff." Then she glanced at her phone and sighed. "Lunch break's almost over, we should head back."

"Bummer!" Max responded, stretched her limbs and stood up slowly. "I'd love to spent some more time with you, instead of having all this school-drama-stuff."

"Heyyy…" the taller girl spoke, ruffling through Max's hair. "You'll still have plenty of Chloe-time after school. We're living together, remember?"

"Yeah…" is everything Max answered with a warm smile as both girls left their special place.

"Ouch!" gasped Max as she played back an incoming volleyball and miraculously, it even landed in the field of the other team, earning her team a point and Max some encouraging comments.

'Wowser, my first point I ever made in this game. Maybe I should do Volleyball as an extra activity after school?'

The girl who served the ball now glanced at the small girl evilly, not willing to accept that someone like Max countered her serving. She aimed and served the ball with maximum strength. All Max could do as she saw this projectile of death heading her way, was to cover her face with her arms and wait for the impact. And it came. The force was so strong that the poor girl was thrown back, landing on her butt with a shriek.

'Holy crapers, that hurt like hell! So much for making Volleyball an activity.'

"Okay girls, time's up! Everyone, hit the showers!" the teacher's voice chimed through the gym.

With a groan Max tried to get up, her arms already red and burning, as suddenly someone reached her a hand. The brunette girl looked up and gazed into the blue eyes of a tall, auburn-haired girl. "Nice counter there…Max, right?" she said with a smile, helping her up.

"Th-thanks! But I think it was more luck than talent." Max responded with a shrug.

"Don't be so hard to yourself! It was great. I think with a little practice you could be really good."

"Hey Dana, are you coming?" a girl addressed the auburn-haired one.

"Yeah, I'm there in a bit." she answered, before focusing on Max again. "Sorry, I have to go. Me and the girls wanna go shopping. You can come along if you want to."

Taken by surprise, because of the sudden invitation, Max's jaw almost dropped.

'Again a friendly person, who even invites me for a shopping-tour? What is going on here?'

"Uhm…hello?" Dana said, flicking her finger in front of Max's face.

"Uh…th-thanks f-for asking, b-but I…uhm...I'm already meeting with a friend…s-sorry." Max stammered.

Dana just shrugged with a smile. "Alright, no biggie. Maybe another time. See ya!"

The gym was almost completely vacant as Max snapped back into reality. With a loud sigh she headed for the locker room, took her shower supplies and went for a long shower. She let the hot water run over her body, her eyes closed.

'What a day! I can't wait to get home, throw everything in a corner and chill with Chloe the whole evening. I think a movie and a pizza are in order!'

After the shower, Max dressed herself and took a look at her phone, seeing that Chloe had sent her a two messages.

Chloe: yo maxi, need 2 get something in town. wait for me home.

Chloe: p.s. prepare to get styled!

'Curses, I completely forgot that I asked Chloe to give me a new haircut. So much for chilling out. Well, maybe a change of style will give me some strength…or lead to the ultimate catastrophe. But I trust Chloe, so, everything will be fine.'

Another deep sigh escaped her mouth as she closed her locker, swung her bag over her shoulder and started her way back home.

As soon as she'd closed the front door, Max threw her shoes in the corner with the others, headed upstairs and into her room. There, she took off her jacket and her bag, and then changed into some more comfortable clothes: a plain t-shirt and some sweatpants.

The young girl took out her phone and the piece of paper Taylor had given her, saving the number and thinking about what she should write her.

'Taylor was really nice to me, despite the fact that she already knew about my reputation. I should definitely text her…but what should I write? Hmm…maybe I should keep it simple.'

Max: Hi Taylor! How are you doing? Here you have my number. :-)

Max lay on her bed, waiting for an answer. Seconds turned into minutes and minutes felt like hours, before, suddenly, Max's phone chimed.

Taylor: Hi Max. Pretty busy right now. No time for texting. Thanks for the number.

Out of disappointment, Max's heart almost dropped. But she wanted to play it cool, because in the end, both girls met each other just this very day.

Max: No biggie. We see us in school tomorrow anyway. You can text me anytime, though.

Max took out her camera to make a last 'before-the-haircut-picture' and as the token selfie emerged from her cam, her phone chimed again. Expecting it to be a message from Chloe, the brunette's eyes widen in surprise as she saw that it was another text from Taylor.

Taylor: Hey Max. Found a perfect location to take some awesome pictures. You know the old house at the end of Pine Street?

'She probably means the old mansion up the hill. A creepy place. A few years ago, Chloe and I dared each other to go in there, but even Chloe chickened out. It is said that a whole family got murdered in there and that people still just disappear when they come to close to it.'

Max: Yeah, know it. Scary place.

Taylor: Come on, Max! There are no such things as ghosts, just an old house. Pleeeease!

Max sighed, her fingers hovering over the keys. She wanted to make some cool shots and spend some time with her new friend. But was it worth to go near a spooky house?

'Definitely!' she thought and typed an answer.

Max: Okay!

Taylor: Great! Let's meet before school starts to catch the sunrise.

Max: I'll be there.

Taylor: See you then!

The door flew open rapidly and Chloe stormed in. "Surprise tickle attack!" she shouted and tackled Max onto the bed. The stronger Chloe held Max tight with one hand and tickled her with the other one.

Max's loud laughter chimed through the whole house. "Ch-Chloe…st-stop it! I'm…I-I'm…air…n-need air!" was everything she could say between her laughter.

Chloe stopped the tickling. She was laying on Max, face to face, their noses almost touching each other. "Ready for a haircut?" she spoke with a big grin.

Breaking the gaze, the smaller girl blushed upon the more than intimate closeness. "Chlo, I-I don't wanna be rude, b-but you're kinda heavy."

"Yeah…" the blonde responded and got up. "Sorry for the attack, but I couldn't withstand the urge to hear you laughing. So, ready to change your style?"

An inner nervousness was spreading inside the brunette girl. Her hands became clammy and she had the need to hide under her blanket. "Well, as ready as I can be." she responded with a shrug, getting up, too.

"Don't worry, Maximus. I won't overdo it, promised!"

"I trust you, but you know that I don't like changes so much."

Chloe had already prepared a chair and everything she needed in the bathroom. "Okay Maxi, take off your shirt and sit down." the blonde spoke and signed Max to sit down, who, however, blushed beet-red and embraced her body with both arms.

"W-why?"

At first, the older girl was just surprised by the question, but then sighed and nodded in acknowledgement. "Chill Maxi, I just don't want your shirt to be full of cut hair, because it's itching like shit. And I promise that I won't stare again. Here…" She turned around and brought forth her pirate towel, handing it to Max. "You can cover yourself with my towel. I even turn around until your done." she said and turned her gaze away from her friend.

Max took off her shirt and sat down. "Ready."

Turning around again, Chloe nearly stumbled backwards in surprise as she realized that Max hadn't covered her chest. "I-I thought you wanted…" she began, but was interrupted by her friend.

"Chlo, you already saw me naked this morning and as I already mentioned, I trust you. By the way, there's nothing up here that is worth hiding." Her last words were dripping with disappointment and her gaze dropped.

Instantly, Chloe placed her hand on Max's shoulder, giving her a warm and reassuring smile to comfort her. "In time, Maxi, in time. Just be patient, okay? But for now, lets take care of your hair! Any wishes?"

"I think I want a generic bob."

Giving her a skeptical face, Chloe just shook her head. "Nope, no boring bob. Not as long as I'm doing your hair. My idea is that I cut your hair a little bit shorter than chin-long, then I would take some hair gel and do a messy-style aaand last but not least…" She pulled out a tube from a plastic bag. "…some color!"

"Hair dye! Y-you wanna put dye in my hair?" Max gasped.

"Well, yeah! At least one or two streaks, not everything. C'mon Maxi, it will look great!"

"I-I don't know. What if my parents won't approve with it and totally freak out?"

Chloe looked at her for a while, obviously weighing the odds of Max's parents to go all ballistic on them, but finally came to a compromise. "Okay, first of all, this is just instant-dye, it will wash out after a week. Secondly, I will take the full blame for this. So, if your folks freak out, you'll be in the safe-zone and I will get the shit. Hell, I'll even be at your side when you tell them."

Now Max was the one who thought about every possibility. "O-okay. B-but just one streak." she said with some concern.

The brunette girl's answer painted a wide, mischievous grin on Chloe's face. "Fuck yeah!" she cheered. "But I have one last request. You have to close your eyes until I'm finished!"

Another big sigh escaped Max's mouth as she shut her eyes. "Fine."

"Alrighty then…let's start!" Chloe said and began her work, while she hummed one of her favorite rock songs.

'Jeez, I just hope that Chloe doesn't mess around with my hair too much. Normally, I don't like radical changes, but I think it is time to take a big step forward. My life has changed completely in merely a few weeks and I think that I'd survive a new hair cut and some dye. I just hope that mom and dad won't freak, 'cause I'd never hear the end of it. Gosh, Chloe really brings out my rebellious side…Well, at least as rebellious as I can be.'

"Ooookay. Done!" Chloe spoke after some time, although Max couldn't tell how long it actually took.

"Can I open my eyes now, 'cause it's hard to not fall asleep." the brunette mentioned with a mixture of annoyance and curiosity.

"Nope! We have to wait until the dye has settled in, then we have to wash your hair and dry it. So, just relax while I put some dye in my hair too."

After some more time went by, and Max really almost fell asleep and off the chair because of exhaustion, her hair was finally ready. Chloe placed the smaller girl in front of the mirror, embracing her shoulder. "Okay Maxi, ready?" Max nodded cautiously. "On my mark! Three…two…one…mark!"

Max opened her eyes and at first, everything was blurry and blinding. After some blinks, the reflections in the mirror became clear and she could see her hair. She covered her mouth with a gasp, clearly taken by full surprise.

"Looking great, huh?" Chloe said with a big smile.

Lacking words, Max just nodded and brushed with her fingers through her new-styled hair. It was like Chloe had told her. Chin-long, messy-style and one bright orange-dyed streak.

'Wowser! That is the first time in my life I actually feel like I'm cool. If this doesn't give me some confidence, nothing else will.'

"I'll take your silence as a compliment, then?"

A nod was everything Max could reply, but as she shifted her gaze to Chloe, her eyes became wide in horror. The brunette girl gasped as she's reminded of her last vision. "Ch-Chloe…your hair! Wh-why are you having a blue-dyed streak?"

Completely taken by surprise, Chloe gazed at her friend quizzically. "Uhm…you know that blue is my fav color, right? Why are you so freaked about it? I mean, does it look shitty or…"

"No…no, but…" Max stammered taking in a deep breath to calm herself down. 'Okay Max, calm down! This blue streak doesn't confirm your vision. Chloe was older and had more than one dyed streak. And remember, you stayed at her side; you stopped it from happening!' she thought, now trying to give her friend a warm smile. "Sorry for my stupid reaction, I was just overwhelmed how cool you are looking now."

Chloe gave her friend another tight and long hug. "Thanks Maxi!" The taller girl broke the hug again and glanced at Max with the warmest smile possible. "So, how about a movie and some grub?"

For Max it was like her prayers had been heard. "Are you reading my mind?" she joked.

"I just know you long enough, Miss Eat-a-lot." Chloe mocked back.

Giving her a soft push on her shoulder, Max rolled with her eyes. "You know that this is my upcoming growth-spurt."

"Yeah, right. You say that for two years now and you still haven't caught up to me. Look at the growth-chart my dad…" Abruptly, Chloe went silent, staring into empty space, her eyes welling up.

Not wasting any time, Max instantly pulled Chloe into another tight hug, rocking her. She knew that no words were needed in this situation, because it wasn't the first time Chloe had this kind of attack. The only thing that could bring her back was closeness; someone Chloe could hold on to. And the only person suited for this was Max.

With every passing moment, Chloe calmed down more and more. She became more relaxed, her breathing steadied and she returned the hug. This was the sign for Max that everything was okay again. "How about we order a pizza, hmm?" the brunette girl whispered into Chloe's ear.

"Sounds great." she answered in a low voice with a sniff. "My treat."

"Bite me! My treat, 'cause you already styled my hair and while we're waiting for the grub, I wanted to skype with my parents and show them my new hair-cut."

Chloe instantly broke the hug again. "You're shitting me, right?"

Now Max was the one with the mischievously smile. "Nope! I just want to bring this behind us. I mean, it doesn't matter if we tell them today or tomorrow, am I right?"

"Yeah, you're right." she sighed. "I suggest that you take a shower now and I'll order the pizza. The same as always?"

"And again, you read my mind."

A beeping sound chimed from Max's new laptop, signaling the girls that there was an incoming call. Both took a seat in front of the computer. "Ready?" Max asked.

"Ready!" Chloe answered her with a nod.

Max clicked the symbol to take the call and after a short moment the faces of Ryan and Vanessa Caulfield appeared on the screen.

"Hi mom, hi dad!" the small girl greeted them with a sweet voice.

"Hi kiddo, hi Chloe!" Ryan greeted back with a warm smile.

Vanessa instead, just leaned towards their screen, taking a closer look. "Maxine, what happened to your hair?"

Brushing through her hair again, Max averted her parent's gaze. "Yeah, this is why I wanted to skype with you. I…uhm…I got a new hair-cut. And…and Chloe too. S-so, what are you saying?"

Vanessa and Ryan looked at each other for some time, like they were discussing their answer telepathically.

'Please don't freak! Please don't freak! Please don't freak!' Max thought, searching with her already clammy hand Chloe's and squeezed it after she found it.

Chloe watched Max from the corner of her eyes as she suddenly felt her friend's hand. She knew that Max was pretty tense and therefore she was ready to support her if necessary.

"I think…" Max's dad began, now turning his head towards the cam again with a warm smile. "…you both look very cool!"

"I agree." Vanessa added surprisingly, although her smile was more forced than warm. "You two look so cute! Who did it? Mr. Edwards?"

"Uh…nope, that would be me." Chloe said, shyly waving with her free hand.

"Well, I think you got talent, Chloe." Ryan praised his daughter's friend.

"Thanks!" she returned with a big and proud grin.

"How was your first day in school after 3 weeks, Maxine?" Vanessa changed the topic.

"Same as always." was Max's plain response.

'I know that this is just my I-don't-wanna-talk-about-all-the-shit-that-happens-in-school-answer, but I neither wanna talk about Taylor nor the other shitty stuff.'

"Max…" her dad said seriously. "You know that you can tell us everything. So, is there anything you want to talk about?"

Again, Max averted her parents gaze. She was about to tell them about what Principal Hargrove told her as, suddenly, Chloe intervened. "Okay, listen, Max is pretty busted. She had a long day and just wants to hit the sack. Right Maxi?"

Thankful for her support, Max entwined her fingers with Chloe's and brushed over her hand, making the blonde blush a bit. "Yeah, nothing happened that can't be told another day. Mom, dad, I'm really very tired and I have to get up early, so…"

"That's alright, kiddo!" Ryan said.

"Yeah, no worries, munchkin! We'll just talk tomorrow again, okay?" Vanessa added.

Sighing internally that she'd dodged that bullet, Max gave her parents a warm smile. "Thanks! Well, see you tomorrow then. I miss you two!"

"We miss you too, my little munchkin. Always take good care of yourself, listen to Joyce and Chloe…please, keep her safe!" Vanessa said with some tears in her eyes.

"Will do, Vanessa!"

"Good night!" Max spoke with a joyful voice, despite she felt super sad.

"Good night!" Max's parents singsong in unison, waving before the screen went black.

What followed was a moment of silence, broken by Max's sobs after some time. Chloe reacted without hesitation and took Max into a comforting hug.

"I miss them so much, Chlo." the brunette cried into her best friend's shoulder.

"I know, Maxi." Chloe whispered, petting her back. "Why didn't you tell them about what Hargrove told you?"

Max broke the hug, looking into Chloe's deep-blue eyes sternly. "Because it would've been a reason to move to Seattle."

"Max…" Chloe sighed, gazing at her lap. "Maybe it isn't such a bad idea for you to move back to your folks." She raises her sight again to look into the, with fresh tears filled and unbelief radiating eyes of Max. "I-I see how you're hurting; how you almost break under this pressure. Damn Maxi, I can't take it anymore, seeing you like this! I…I lo…" Chloe exhaled deeply, stood up and was about to leave the room, but decided to stay anyway. "I like you too much to see you in this pain!"

Max sat there in silence, overthinking everything. She closed her eyes and in a matter of milliseconds the pictures of her visions came into her mind. "NO!" she shouted at the blonde girl, who startles because of this sudden outbreak. "I can't and I won't leave you! Dammit Chloe, you know very well that we need each other! That I need you!"

"Yeah…" was everything Chloe said as she opened the door and wanted to leave, but she turned around one last time, her eyes misty. "I need you too! G'night, Maxi!" After she closed the door, Chloe leaned against it, tears running down her cheeks. "More than you know." she whispered, inaudible for Max.