Chapter Nine
"Max." Chloe whispers as she slides into the girl's bed. "Max, wake up."
Max gazes up to see her naked best friend sliding into her bed, the morning light from the window behind her making Chloe look so mysterious and beautiful. She blinks up at the blue haired beauty, wondering what's going on, but the answer is soon evident. Chloe crawls over Max to straddle her lap, pinning the young photographer on her back and lying atop her, breast to breast.
"I've been waiting so long for you to come back into my life." It's all the explanation Chloe gives before leaning down and planting kiss after kiss on Max's lips, her arms encircling the brunette's head to lock her into the kisses.
Max squirms, feeling all the soft, warm flesh of Chloe's body rubbing into her own, feeling her heart begin racing at the notion of making love to Chloe, but also the anxiety of knowing Rachel is asleep in the other bed. She feels stunned, trapped, unable to protest or push Chloe off as her body churns with arousal. Chloe's right hand travels down between bodies to rub between Max's breasts and slowly trail down her tummy, her touch electric. The anticipation grows as those fingers move down at an agonizingly slow pace, Max's body on fire with such a palpable need to be touched when those fingertips finally reach her panties. Then, Max feels a firm smack on her butt.
With a gasp and a jolt Max opens her eyes and sees her pillow and the wall that separates the hotel beds from the bathroom, her right cheek feeling the sting of being spanked. She twists around to see Chloe grinning down at her, not realizing the dream she just woke Max from.
"Morning, hippie." She smiles down at Max, the girl wrapped in a towel and her blue hair looking damp from a shower. "I can't believe you slept through the sounds of us getting up and showering. You were really out! And you look hella flushed right now… are you OK?"
Max groans as she flops her face back into the pillow, her mind waking up and body telling her so much. The fiery burn of arousal beneath her belly button is certainly no dream. The pressure on the inside of her skull and awful taste in her mouth is unfortunately real as well, reminders of the previous night that left her dehydrated.
Shit… I just had a sex dream about Chloe. My head hurts. I forgot to brush and floss last night because I was high. I'm not going to make it through the week at this rate. Between my body's urges and the substance abuse I'm bound to do or say something about my feelings for Chloe, or about future Max. I have to find a way to keep it together.
"Come on, it's your turn to shower. We've got adventures to go on!" Chloe grips Max's left arm and tugs a few times to try and rouse the girl, and that's when she sees it.
Max only had half a night's sleep after stressing about the message from her future self, so she forgot to thoroughly scrub her left arm during her Friday morning shower. On Saturday morning she was too hasty to finish her shower and deal with the note to David to remember to scrub thoroughly then. So, while a faded pink now, the message from her future self meant only for her eyes has survived until Sunday morning.
"It's real. Save Rachel and Chloe!" Chloe reads it aloud, adopting a very perplexed and disturbed expression. "Max, what the fuck is this? When did you write this? What's real?"
That did the trick to get Max up, the girl suddenly twisting to sit on the side of the bed and pull her arm away from Chloe. She stares down at the faded and blurred but still legible words on her arm. "Oh no…" She doesn't help her case at all as she panics and looks up at Chloe with all kinds of strain in her expression.
Fuck my life! I forgot to wash this off. Now what do I do? Think, Max, come on!
"Oh my God, Max! You're doing it again!" Chloe raises her voice, clearly quite upset. "You keep acting so fucking weird! Don't just sit there giving me guilty face, tell me what this shit means. Right now!"
The sudden shift in tone draws Rachel out of the bathroom to see what's going on. She has a snug white t-shirt on with California written in pink letters, then Dreamin' in blue letters below and a picture of palm trees and blue skies. Below that all she has on are a pair of teal panties half covered by the draping t-shirt, leaving her legs bare to fully show the black dragon tattoo on her right calf. Her hair is brushed and makeup done, though she's still holding her mascara in hand as she quietly approaches to stand beside Chloe.
"You weren't supposed to see that. That wasn't meant for you." Max holds her right hand over most of the message, even though it's too late to hide it now. "I can't explain it to you, Chloe. You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
Chloe throws her hands up in exasperation, becoming very animated and irate in her response. "Oh, cut the shit, Mystery Max! Nobody is impressed by this cryptic crap. Just fucking fess up! If you don't trust me with your secrets then I guess you didn't come to Oregon to be friends again. So why'd you come, Max?"
Max looks to Rachel, who seems worried about where this is going, but doesn't want to interfere at this time. "Chloe, I want to tell you everything. I really mean that. But this isn't the right time. I'm waiting for something to happen. Something big. Once I get word of that, then I'll explain everything, I promise. But I can't right now. Just wait a couple days, please!" She clamps her hands together as she looks up at Chloe, begging for her to relent.
Chloe growls through grit teeth and stomps in frustration. "I'm sick of this secretive shit! You're starting to remind me a lot of step-douche… do I have to wring the information out of you?"
Rachel steps between them to block Chloe from approaching Max, holding her girlfriend at bay. "Chloe, quit trippin'! Just wait a few days for her to be ready to talk about it. She made you a promise. Can you please respect that?"
Chloe huffs and backs away, shaking her head and giving a very dark look. "Her promises don't mean anything." She twists and marches over to her suitcase to pluck out some clothes, then enters the bathroom and slams the door behind her.
Rachel sits beside Max and raises her right hand to offer the girl a soothing back rub. "Don't worry, Max. She'll get over it. But, what got her so upset, anyway? I missed it."
The sharp pain of Chloe's last words stabbing into her is all Max can focus on, all she can care about at the moment. So she just twists her left arm over and puts it in Rachel's lap to let her see the message through time.
"Um… did you write this? Sorry, I don't know your handwriting yet." Rachel seems a little disturbed at seeing her name written on Max's arm, but keeps her cool.
"It's in my handwriting. But I didn't write it." Max quietly answers, honest but not totally forthcoming.
"Woah… that's gnarly. You just gave me chills…" Rachel looks down over her bare arms and legs at all the goose bumps rising up.
Max takes a deep breath and sighs, looking down at the two soft hands holding her arm and seeing the little black star tattooed on the inside of Rachel's left wrist. She reaches across herself with her right hand to hold Rachel's hand up so she can better inspect the tattoo. "Let's not talk about it anymore. I'll explain when the time is right. How long have you had this?"
Rachel hesitates, but gives in as she accepts the topic hop. "That was my trial tattoo. I got it the day after I turned eighteen to see how the process goes. Then, a month later, I got the tattoo I really wanted." She stands and turns to the side to prop her right foot on the bed next to Max's left thigh.
Max leans her head left and right as she looks all around Rachel's shiny, pristine leg, thinking just as much about how perfect Rachel's body is for modeling as she is about the tattoo. It's all black ink, a dragon's tail starting on the shin near the ankle and wrapping around the calf, then curling up along the outside of the right leg, the dragon's head on the upper calf. She nods and smiles a little, then slowly pushes to her feet.
"It's beautiful and badass. Just like you, right?" She softly pokes Rachel in the belly as she walks past the girl to the suitcases.
"Hah, yeah right. The tattoo is, but I'm not. I can party hard, but Chloe's the real badass here." Rachel pulls her foot off the bed and heads to her own bag to find a pair of socks and pants for the day.
"Well, hopefully not too much of a badass. This day will be hella awkward otherwise." Max tries the word out as she piles up a full set of clothing.
"Um, please don't start using that word. I give Chloe a free pass because I love her, but SoCal girls really aren't into the word hella. It's so Northern." Rachel wiggles into a tight pair of blue jeans as she responds, then slips some little white socks on and fetches her Converse shoes.
Chloe comes out of the bathroom in her dark blue beanie, red tank top with a flaming skull graphic on the front, little black jacket and black jeans, with her patented suspenders dangling around her thighs. Awkward silence follows as she and Rachel put their shoes on while Max shuffles into the bathroom to set her clothing pile on the counter next to Rachel's elaborate makeup kit, then looks herself in the mirror.
Way to fuck everything up, Max. All you had to do was wash your arm, but no, that's too hard. Now Chloe's pissed. Or maybe she was pissed all along and just kept it on the inside. I did almost kill her by accident. Is she happy to have me back in her life, or am I just upsetting her? I don't know my best friend anymore. How many more things can I screw up this week? Ugh, just… keep them from going back to Arcadia Bay. That's all you need to focus on right now.
Questions and problems swirl in her mind as she tugs her bra and panties off from yesterday and hops into the shower. The self-conscious questioning is only interrupted when she's washing herself, her hand rubbing between her legs to clean but feeling a needy zip of pleasure.
Oh, fuck you, hormones! After that drama you still won't leave me alone? I guess I can't ignore it after that dream… at least Chloe was distracted by the writing on my arm and didn't realize how horny I woke up. That would have been so embarrassing… especially if she found out it was about her.
With a sigh Max gives in, sinking down into the tub and extending her shower by a few minutes to give herself an intimate massage and release all those unwanted hormones. And this time she doesn't forget to thoroughly scrub her arm, fully removing that permanent Sharpie marker from Thursday. After drying, brushing and flossing, Max puts on her daily outfit and leaves the bathroom. She feels a pit in her stomach when the room is empty, the girls having gone down to the hotel dining area to order breakfast without her.
And once again I'm the awkward third wheel here. Got a hole to dig myself out of.
Max picks up her camera and sees there's one picture left, so she heads out to the balcony to take a selfie with Portland under the morning light as the backdrop, then reloads the film. After putting her shoes on and equipping her photography satchel she plucks up her cell phone to see a text from Rachel confirming what she already knew, that they're in the dining area. She tucks her phone into her blue jeans and adjusts her white t-shirt with Hawt Dawg Man on the front saying "Idea!" Then she grabs her light blue fleece to fold over her arm and heads down, taking the elevator to the lobby and walking to the dining area to find Chloe and Rachel.
Rachel smiles and waves at Max as she's approaching. "Hey, we ordered you pancakes and coffee. Hope you're cool with that."
Max returns the smile and nods. "Yeah, I love pancakes. Thank you." Chloe and Rachel are sitting across from each other at a table for four, and after an awkward hesitation Max decides to sit next to Rachel and give Chloe a little space.
The food comes out less than a minute later, Max having almost perfect timing, and the girls are eager to put down some calories. During breakfast Rachel is the one that breaks the silence.
"So, how are we gonna do this? Yesterday we all made lists of things we wanted to do, places we wanted to see, but how do we decide on when to do what? I'm psyched to complete my list, but I don't wanna step on either of your toes. Any ideas?" She glances between the two as she munches on some hash browns and drops a lemon wedge she ordered into the ice water that was brought out for her.
"Well, we could break the days into three slots." Max replies as she cuts her pancakes. "One of us could decide what to do between breakfast and lunch, then the second between lunch and dinner, and third gets the night slot." Her eyes roam the table to see no other lemon wedges. "Sorry, did you specifically order a lemon wedge to put in your water?"
Rachel gives Max a surprised look, then shrugs her shoulders. "Yeah. So?"
Max glances down at the umbrella hanging off of Rachel's belt loop, then laughs and shakes her head. "You're so weird."
"What? No! Fucking… go to Long Beach! I'm normal, I swear." Rachel's protests just make Max laugh harder, which makes Rachel laugh, and even gets Chloe to start smiling again.
"Yeah, we're all totally normal here." Chloe says sarcastically, then points at Max. "And you have the right idea. I like the time slot thing. Let's get down to bidness and plan our day."
And, just like that, Chloe's back to her usual self, much to the relief of Max and Rachel. The three discuss what they want to do, and after checking the favorable forecast for the day Max and Rachel both agree they want to spend the daylight hours in Washington Park, while Chloe gladly accepts the evening slot.
After breakfast the three head out of their Courtyard Marriott hotel and walk south a few blocks to hop on the Metropolitan Area Express, or MAX, light rail. Chloe makes sure to exhaust the coincidence that the transit system is named MAX, and starts calling Max "The Conductor". After taking a couple of silly train selfies with Chloe and Rachel, the light rail arrives in Washington Park.
The World Forestry Center is right across the street from the station, so Max and Rachel decide to go check it out with a reluctant Chloe dragging behind. The museum is very informative about the forests of the Pacific Northwest, but after half an hour Chloe is bored out of her mind and starts making inappropriate sexual references about every piece of wood in there, of which there are many. When a mother hears one of those jokes near her small children the girls have to flee the scene to avoid being kicked out, Chloe feeling quite accomplished after they escape.
A sign says that across the parking lot is the Portland Children's Museum. Max playfully suggests that Chloe wait in there with her peers while she and Rachel visit the Oregon Zoo, which earns her a laugh and a bop on the shoulder. The three check into the zoo and spend a few hours walking around looking at all the animal exhibits, taking some pictures, and constantly trying to convince Chloe that she's not allowed to throw things at the animals to "make them do something". They have a quick lunch at the zoo, then head back out.
The girls take a bus to the other side of the large park and make their way into the International Rose Test Garden. Roses every color, shape and size imaginable are planted in seemingly endless rows, and in their Spring bloom the sights and smells are absolutely enchanting. Chloe's childish antics are stowed as even she is mesmerized by the beauty of this place. Max is glad she brought extra film because she goes through a lot of pictures at the garden, snapping plenty of selfies as well as shots of Rachel and Chloe in front of the bountiful and gorgeous displays of roses.
Rachel desperately wants to see the Portland Japanese Garden across the way, so the three of them walk down the road to make their final stop in Washington Park. The serene tranquility of the garden transports them to a faraway land, and when they discover the waterfall Max has to excuse herself while Rachel and Chloe become enraptured by the romance of the place and start making out. Max takes some pictures of the wonderful teahouse nearby, and when Chloe and Rachel are finished with their romantic canoodling the three link up and head out.
By the time public transit has them back in the city center it's dinner time, and Chloe just tells the other two to follow her. Max is glad to see Chloe happily striding down the street, the day seeming to have eroded away her morning agitation. After stopping into the Portland City Grill for some scrumptious American cuisine, Chloe leads the group to the Ground Kontrol Classic Arcade. The upbeat retro gaming environment is a world of fun for them, the entire evening melting away under the flashing lights and sound effects of pinball machines and arcade games.
Chloe runs into a nearby gas station on the way back to the hotel to buy another six-pack of beer, but this time Max refuses the alcohol and instead runs to the bathroom to brush and floss immediately. So, Chloe and Rachel each have three beers in the hotel room while Max is busily scribbling away in her journal, and also surfing the web on her phone, concerned that there's no news from Arcadia Bay. Chloe distracts Max away from her worries with a joint, and the girls enjoy another late night of getting high and laughing at whatever's on TV. In the end, when the lights are out and the TV off Max finds herself being the last one awake this time, staring at the ceiling and thinking.
That was such a good day, not counting the morning drama. I think Chloe's OK with me now. I just have to figure out how to tell her the truth later this week. How is she going to take it? And why isn't there any news from Arcadia Bay yet? What's the meaning of all of this? Woah… I'm so fucking high right now. Yeah, go to sleep, Max. Figure things out tomorrow. And try not to screw anything up.