Chapter Seventeen
A sudden impact on her butt rouses Max, the girl inhaling sharply as the spank jerks her out of dream land. She opens her eyes and scans Chloe's bedroom, knowing just where she is and who she's with, so she just smiles and stays as she is. Her mind comes up with a playful idea and she decides to go with it, seeing if she can get away with teasing Chloe.
"Mmmh, didn't work. I'm still asleep." She gives her soft response to the wake up spank, wondering how Chloe might react.
"Oh, shit, that won't wake your ass up anymore? It must have a defective part or something. I'll have to open it up and poke around inside." She grabs Max's shorts with both hands and suddenly yanks down to expose the girl's entire butt all at once.
That definitely worked, as Max squeals and flops like a fish to face upward and hide her naked butt on the bed, staring up at Chloe with an embarrassed but playful smile as she claws at her shorts to try and get them back up. "Such a perv!"
Chloe grins down at her. "Hey, you can't play Moral Max now, you were totally challenging me to do some pervy shit with that 'I'm still asleep' act. Besides, you have a picture of my butt in your phone. Don't even pretend like you deleted it. I know you want my booty, girl." She winks and rolls out of bed to stretch, purposely shoving her butt toward Max and wiggling it as she stretches.
"Tck, you tease." Max pulls the pillow from behind her head and throws it at that butt wiggling at her. "Of course I want you, that's not a secret. But you won't let it happen, you big meanie." She slowly pushes up to sit cross legged on the bed.
As Chloe walks over to her closet to sift through clothes she smirks. "You think I should just ravish you all day without any thought of how fucking awkward it would be to put you on that plane to Seattle tomorrow? And you call me a perv." She snickers as she plucks some clean clothes to drape over her arm. "Maybe I should. You saved Rachel's life, and mine, which was so brave and selfless… and you're like the smartest, most talented person I know. The more I think about it, the more I just don't think anybody is good enough for you… besides me." Chloe grins and throws in a wink at that last bit.
Max can't help but feel a surge of hope, as if Chloe is being very serious and just hiding her true feelings behind playful banter. She pushes off the bed to approach the taller girl. "Well, if that's how you feel, then let's do this. Let's just date!"
Chloe's expression shifts to worry as she sees Max switch from playful to serious. "Are you gonna torture me with this every day? My heart is still recovering from this fucked up week." She reaches her hand up to brush through Max's hair and over her cheek. "I care about you, but I don't feel like I'm in a good place right now. I'd be a shitty girlfriend, even if we did live in the same city… which we don't. You have to fly back to Seattle tomorrow. We have most of April ahead of us, then all of May, and most of June, at least two and a half months before we're done with the school year. I might meet someone, or you might… I don't wanna tie you down and keep you from enjoying what's right in front of you because you're stuck wishing you could be with someone that's far away. Maybe we'll get together over the summer… hopefully we can. But for now, let's just be realistic." She forces herself to break away, twisting to head to the door and exit the room with her clothes.
Chloe… don't you get it yet? You tied me down a long time ago. I've been stuck wishing I could be with someone that's far away for four years now. And I'm really starting to hate the word realistic. If she fucking tells me I'm not realistic one more time I'm gonna lose my shit! Ugh, calm down, Max, don't let anger take control. Just plan out your grand romantic gesture, believe in yourself, and wait for the perfect moment. You can still reach her.
Max digs through her suitcase to pick out an outfit for the day, then sits on Chloe's bed and thinks about what to say and how to say it when the time comes to appeal to Chloe's heart. She waits until Chloe comes back so she can take her own turn in the bathroom to wash up and get ready for the day, spending a bit more time pondering her grand gesture and working the kinks out of her speech. Once both girls are clean and dressed they head down to the kitchen to find Joyce.
"Good morning, Joyce. Any chance I could get another batch of those amazing pancakes?" Max offers her brightest smile.
Joyce returns the smile and nods. "Of course, darlin'. And for you, Chloe?"
"Oh, we went to this cool South American place the other day. How about you whip me up some of that? I want a chivito with chimichurri sauce on the side." She offers a mischievous grin.
"Child, don't play with me! I'll feed you dirt." Joyce shakes her finger at Chloe.
"Alright, chill! I'll take the same. Pancakes will do just fine."
Max and Chloe step up to offer their help, fetching ingredients and tools and making a little assembly line to get the pancakes going, then leave things to Joyce once it becomes a waiting game to flip those pancakes. They serve themselves coffee and set the table to be ready for the pancakes to arrive, happily digging in once Joyce sets the scrumptious things down in front of them. Then Joyce takes one of the two open seats at the dining table and adopts a forlorn expression.
"Well, today's the day we say goodbye…" She sighs as she looks at a picture of David in her hands. "The funeral service begins at 3pm. You two can go out if you like, but please be back here by two to change your clothes and go to the cemetery with me."
Still wracked by guilt for what she's caused, Max reaches out to rub her hand on the woman's back. "Are you sure you don't want us to keep you company today? We could stay if you like."
Joyce takes a moment to consider it, then tears her eyes away from the picture of David to offer Max a small smile and the shake of her head. "Bless your heart for the offer, Max. But this is your last day with Chloe and I want you to spend it with her. You can keep me company at the funeral, but otherwise I want you to spend this day makin' a few more happy memories with my little girl before you fly back to Seattle."
"Alright, Joyce. I'll do what I can." Max feels the weight of loss emanating from the woman sitting beside her, and the claws of guilt scraping her heart once more. She considers telling Joyce the truth, admitting her fault, but decides the woman is going through enough on the day of David's funeral.
A minute of silence passes as the girls eat their pancakes before Joyce smiles down at the picture of David and speaks again, her voice soft and warm, but distant. "I'll do what I can." She repeats what Max said earlier. "You reminded me of my honeymoon with David. That's when he finally opened up to me about why he joined the military. David was a protector… he never wanted to shoot anybody, he just wanted to root out the bad eggs and protect the rest of us. 'I'll always do what I can to protect the helpless from the bad guys,' he said. I guess he got what he wanted in the end… he protected all you girls from those sick, twisted men. He's always gonna be remembered as a hero, now." Her tone shifts back to sadness. "I just wish he lived through it to see how thankful we all are for him… but that's not how life goes. You don't always get your way."
Chloe looks across the table and sees Max on the verge of tears, so she speaks up. "We're gonna get through this, mom. Just like last time. Be strong, OK? Tell me you're gonna be alright here if Max and I take off for a few hours."
Joyce sucks in a deep breath and exhales slowly as she gathers herself, then slowly pushes to her feet. "Don't you get caught up worryin' about me. Yall should go out after breakfast, just be back by two." With that she takes her leave, heading upstairs to her bedroom.
Max and Chloe try not to be too worried about Joyce as they finish their breakfast and clean up after themselves. But, Max is clearly feeling awful for causing so much pain, so Chloe offers the girl a very long hug. She calls Rachel while holding Max to see if the girl wants to spend time with them before the funeral, but Rachel informs her that she found a police notice slipped under her dorm door while they were in Portland, so she'll be spending the morning talking with the police. After learning it'll just be the two of them, Chloe decides to show Max some of her new favorite places.
Chloe drives them across town to park next to the train tracks so they can go for a walk along them, each trying to stay upon a rail and often reaching out for each other to hold hands and help the other keep balance. As they walk Max asks about Blackwell Academy, the Prescott family, the Vortex Club and Frank Bowers, trying to play catch up about the people and town around her. But soon Chloe grows tired of answering Arcadia Bay trivia, and of walking.
"You might be able to go forever Mega Max, but I need to take a break." Chloe twists and lies down between the tracks, using a rail as a pillow under her beanie and staring up at the little white clouds floating around the sky.
Max rests her head on the opposite rail so the two can still see each other as they speak. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, but I definitely can't go forever. Not physically or emotionally. This week has been insane and I almost ran home more than once."
"Sorry about that, Max. Insane seems to be the new normal for me. Sometimes it feels like this hick town is cursed, and I just wanna drop a fucking bomb on the place and turn it to glass." Chloe catches herself getting venomous and takes a breath. "But, railroad tracks always make me feel better… I have no idea why. So, coming out here is a nice escape."
Max smiles as she absorbs the atmosphere, the forest all around them and the sound of leaves rustling and birds chirping. "It's so peaceful here, how could you not like it? Thanks for taking me out here, Chloe." Her eyes land on a particular cloud and she points it out. "Woah. That cloud looks like a big eye staring back at us. What do you think?"
Chloe finds it and tilts her head left and right before responding. "Looks like a vagina to me."
Max closes her eyes and slowly exhales. "Of course it does. You're Chloe Price. I should have known better than to ask."
"You know you love it." Chloe playfully shoves Max's leg and grins at the girl.
Hmmm. Is this the moment? Should I pull the gift out and offer her my speech and all my love? No, it's too soon… the funeral hasn't happened yet. I feel like I should wait until after that. Maybe… saying goodbye to David will help make Chloe want me in her life. Oh my God, I caused David's death and now I'm thinking of how I can use it to my advantage! Yeah, this line of thinking ends now.
Max twists around so her head is on the same rail as Chloe and snuggles up close to the girl, carefully pulling her camera out of her photography satchel without revealing the surprise gift she has in there. As she holds the camera high and leans in Chloe does the same, smiling and pressing her ear and cheek to Max's so she can take a nice picture of them lying on the tracks. Once their legs are rested up they continue their journey, Chloe leading Max to their next destination.
When Max scrunches up her nose and asks what smells, Chloe just points ahead at the junkyard. She walks through it and shows Max all the old, interesting things left there, which of course Max has to take pictures of. But, when Chloe enters a little square building and points out what's inside Max lowers her camera and stares with an open jaw.
"Oh, wowser. The elephant on the yellow rug! The Welcome to Hell poster!" Her eyes scan to her left and she sees the dart board and the scores written on the wall beneath it. "The dartboard where Rachel totally kicks your ass!"
"Hey, hippie, shut your trap! I let her win cause I was in love with her. I'm hella good at darts, damn it!" Chloe protests while stomping her foot on the ground and putting her hands on her hips.
Max just grins and pulls the darts out of the board. "Oh yeah? Prove it, then."
The two of them enjoy competing playfully, not really following any official rules and just making it up as they go. It turns out to be a nice bonding experience, as if Chloe is welcoming Max to the junkyard hideout and the darts game is being used as a sort of initiation. In the end Max concedes her defeat, partly because she doesn't understand the rules behind scoring in darts, but mostly because she wants Chloe to feel happy. With lingering smiles the girls sit on the plank that's lying atop a few cinderblocks below the yellow rug, relaxing on the makeshift bench.
"So, this is your new pirate fort, huh? I like it, First Mate Price. You've collected some fine booty." Max wraps her left arm behind Chloe's back and leans into her.
Chloe grins and swings her right arm over Max to rest the forearm on the girl's shoulder. "Aye, Captain! We've got twenty barrels of rum in the cellar and twelve cannons on the roof! The wenches are on the way, so drink up me hearty!"
Max laughs and looks up. "You couldn't fit twelve cannons on this little place. And the only wench I need is right here." She twists to plant a few tender kisses on Chloe's neck and cheek.
It makes Chloe squirm a little as she receives kiss after kiss. "Down, girl. We talked about holding off, remember?"
Max reaches across herself with her right hand so she can cup Chloe's cheek and pull the taller girl into facing her. "I remember you telling me to loosen up and enjoy myself this week… several times. So, now it's your turn. Can't we just enjoy kissing a little?"
Chloe blinks as she fights with her conflicting thoughts and emotions, then sighs. "Oh, fuck it, why the hell not?" Her eyes drift shut and she leans down to lend Max her lips.
Max takes advantage of the opportunity and puts everything she has into those kisses. While her right hand gently pets along Chloe's cheek and her left gives a nice squeeze around the girl's body, her lips mesh with Chloe's and pluck at them passionately. Her kisses are better than last time, able to trap and tug on Chloe's lower lip to let it flick back into place each time it's released, even daring to trace the tip of her tongue along those tender pink lips. She's elated to hear a few quiet hums of approval from Chloe, both girls opening their eyes slowly to just stare at each other with soft, relaxed smiles after the kissing ends.
"See, that wasn't so bad." Max lets her hand slide off of Chloe's cheek. "Now you know what you'll be missing out on if you don't wanna date me." She can't help but grin as she teases Chloe.
Chloe raises her brows and smiles down at Max for a second before reacting. "Max Caulfield, are you sexually enticing me? I think you are. Mission accomplished. You're now a hell-raiser." She lightly bops Max on the nose with a fingertip and rises to her feet to check her phone.
"I'll just tell myself that it worked so I don't feel dumb." Max reaches out to play with Chloe's dangling suspender while the girl's going through her phone.
"Oh, it worked, Magician Max, you definitely cast a spell on me. But, we still don't live in the same city, so don't get any ideas." She reaches down to collect the hand playing with her suspender and pulls Max up. "Come on, let's get back to town and grab some lunch."
"The only lunch I need is… right here…?" Max looks around awkwardly as she tries and fails to reuse the wench line while being led out of the hideout.
Chloe laughs aloud and shakes her head. "You're so adorkable. Stay exactly the way you are, Max. Seriously."
By the time they make it back into town it's well past noon, and lunch options are limited. With Joyce on grief leave the diner won't be very good, and they don't feel like eating fast food. So, the girls drive to the little food mart in town to buy some fresh fruits and a box of granola bars to snack on. They head across the street and into the gas station to take turns playing the Pac-Man machine in there while the one watching munches on fruit and granola. Of course Max has to take a picture of Chloe while she's having an intense Pac-Man experience, capturing it forever. But, soon 2pm starts to close in and they have to head home to get ready for the funeral.
All dressed in black, the three women enter Joyce's car and drive down to the center of town where everyone planned to meet. A train of vehicles forms behind the hearse and they all slowly make their way to the cemetery at the outskirts of town. There are well over a hundred people in attendance, many affiliated with Blackwell Academy as faculty, students or parents of students, but also people who just followed the news and wanted to honor a local hero. Joyce struggles to make the walk to the casket, but with Chloe taking one hand and Max taking the other, the girls are able to help the grieving woman approach the final resting place of David Madsen.
Once everyone is in position and quieted the eulogist offers his speech. He starts at the beginning, outlining David's struggles and triumphs from childhood onward, and the heroic nature built into him that led him to join the military. He served from 2000-2008 in both Iraq and Afghanistan, his efforts to protect the helpless civilian base of those countries from the militarized terrorist factions. But, after witnessing years of death the horrors of war left him with PTSD and he had to leave the military. Seeking peace, he moved to the tiny, quiet town of Arcadia Bay, where he thought he would be free of horror, but that was not his destiny. Horror was hiding beneath a barn and preying upon helpless girls in the tiny town. David laid down his life to protect Arcadia Bay from terror, proving his heroism and earning a special place in the hearts of all its citizens. His sacrifice likely saved the lives of aspiring young ladies attending Blackwell Academy, and he should never be forgotten.
Many attendees sob and some others offer their own personal eulogies as well, though Joyce is too torn up to speak publicly, and Chloe just isn't comfortable with it. People are allowed to approach the casket and say their private goodbyes, and that is something Chloe is comfortable with. Max stands close enough behind the girl to hear her, next in line to say goodbye.
Chloe drops to her knees and puts a hand on the casket, her speech labored as she cries. "You asshole. Why'd you have to go and die like that? My mom needed you…" She wipes her wrist over her eyes and sniffs. "I'm sorry I was such a bitch all the time. I'm sorry we never got along. I didn't know it was gonna end like this. But thank you for confronting Jefferson… for your part in saving Rachel. I'll make sure she lives a really good life in your place… Goodbye, David." She pushes off the casket and covers her face with her hands as she rushes off, looking for a place to hide so she can weep.
Max takes her place, kneeling and folding her hands in her lap as she stares at the box that contains David, quietly letting the tears flow.
You're probably in heaven right now for what you've done. Which means you know by now that this is all my fault. I wish I knew what to say to you. That I'm sorry I got you killed… or thank you for following my note and stopping those criminals… or that I promise my future self will undo this and let you live on. I don't know if she will… it's not up to me. Please, forgive me, David. I'm just a dumb kid who was given too big a task to handle. I did my best, but it wasn't good enough to save everyone. I know you wanted Chloe to succeed in life… to stop being into punk culture, smoking pot and hanging out with the wrong kind of people. I'll do my best to help Chloe turn into the wonderful woman you and Joyce always envisioned she could be. Hopefully I can earn your forgiveness through helping Chloe. Goodbye for now, Mr. Madsen. But, who knows… maybe I'll be seeing you in seven months.
Max rises and slowly walks away, her sad eyes scanning the crowd. She finds Chloe and Joyce standing under a tree holding each other as they cry. Then her eyes spot the familiar face of Rachel, so she approaches the girl and offers her a hug. The two of them make their way out of the crowd to stand in isolation so they can speak.
"Thanks for being here, Max." Rachel expresses her gratitude as she rubs Max's back. "I know you probably feel responsible, because of the letter. It's so heavy… a lot of people would have bailed. You're being so strong and brave for Joyce and Chloe. That's really cool of you."
Still thinking about what might happen on October 15th Max shrugs and gives a vacant look. "Can't run away from time."
It takes a few seconds for Rachel to realize what Max means, and her response is a very tight hug and a warm promise. "You'll live forever in my heart, Max. Chloe's, too."
In time, the service is concluded and the casket lowered into the ground. While the attendees leave Max, Rachel, Chloe and Joyce linger under that tree. Chloe asks about the police and Rachel informs her that it was just questioning about Nathan Prescott and Mark Jefferson, since a red binder was found in the barn basement with her name on it. Joyce is disgusted to learn that Rachel was the next planned victim, but the girls already knew from the letter, though it's still sickening to hear about the binder. After a long group hug they all depart, Rachel heading back to her dorm and Joyce driving home with Chloe and Max. It's only around 5pm, but Joyce and Chloe are feeling so emotionally drained they just want to stay home. Sitting in Chloe's bedroom watching the blue haired teen sulk invokes a great deal of anxiety in Max, knowing she has to find a way to lift Chloe out of her depressed state if she's going to have any chance to win her heart with the grand gesture she's been waiting to give.