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At 9:45 the next morning, distant buzzing brought Max from fitful sleep to consciousness. The night before hadn't been too hard, at least. Max and Chloe had stayed up late into the night, talking about lighthearted things and laughing. She glanced at her continuously buzzing phone with sleepy eyes. Victoria? Weird.
[12/20 8:33 Max. Come 2 the gallery. ]
[ 12/20 9:01 Maxine. Gallery. ]
[12/20 9:44 MISSED CALL]
[12/20 9:46 MAX COME 2 THE GALLERY U CAN BRING UR BITCH ASS GF JUST HURRY UP GDI ]
Max snorted a little and shifted Chloe a little to wake her with some protest. Chloe got the hint and started moving. "One day, you're gonna wake me up with breakfast in bed and flowers instead of an elbow to the kidney."
"Oh, shut up and get dressed. We need to meet Victoria at the gallery, apparently." Max stretched her sleepy muscles and arched off the mattress with a yawn.
Chloe, already out of bed, stared at Max's form. "Uh, alright."
Max threw a nearby pen. "Shut up, horn dog. I had a shower last night."
Chloe dodged and smiled her brand famous smile, holding a wad of clothes in her hands. "I'll be back in a minute."
Max nodded and picked up her phone again. Chilly air seeped through the window seal and board with plastic, but that was alright. Warm socks and loose pajamas were the cure. She slid the lock screen picture of her and Chloe laying in bed off to the side and typed in the password - Chloe's birthday. She clicked around, attended to other extraneous notifications, and opened a picture message from Brooke - all of them genuinely smiling together Friday night.
She felt herself smiling and saved the photo before going and responding to Victoria's urgent messages.
[ 12/20 9:50 sorry vic. just woke up uwu ]
[ 12/20 9:51 we'll be there as soon as we can! 3 ]
A minute passed with the background music of the pipes creaking from heating. The creaks in the house comforted Max now, unlike when she first moved in. Every groan sent her back to hearing the storm rip apart the town, but eventually, Chloe helped her remember how it creaked in their childhood and helped replace the bad memories with good.
Max continued laying in bed thinking for a moment before stretching again and preparing her sockless feet for the cold floorboards. Chloe would only take a second. Max rolled out of bed with a grunt, dug around beside the bed for a comb, and combed through her hair with the purple, gel handled brush. The dry air made her hair crackle with static, and she decided to hide her heinous bedhead under the guise of a put-together ponytail. She shrugged out of her oversized shirt and pulled on an equally large pixel heart sweater when her phone buzzed twice again.
[ 12/20 9:56 HURRY UR ASS ]
[ 12/20 9:56 But be safe. The roads are icy. ]
Max shot back a quick response. [ 12/20 9:56 o7 ] A little salute.
She had just pulled on her pants and started to button when Chloe walked in looking like she'd chosen her clothes for the crowd. "You look… Neat."
"How eloquent." Chloe snorted and rolled her eyes as Max buttoned the top button. "Victoria wanted us there soon, presumably, so we should go. We can eat brunch or lunch or elevensies or whatever the fuck when we get back."
The two left, scraping off the snow from the porch and David's fortified ramp, and climbed into Chloe's beat up pickup. Chloe cranked the truck and blasted the heater, presumably because of her thin shirt, useless vest, and the piles of snow everywhere. Max took it upon herself to DJ and clicked on some tunes that weren't too sad.
Chloe nodded along. The music wasn't exactly what Chloe usually listened to, but she enjoyed it nevertheless. Something about the contrast between the current acoustic indie hell and the clanging music Chloe most often listened to said so much about her personality. Chloe's spirit naturally floated down the path of least resistance, but she most often made things difficult for herself - Max wouldn't deny that. Sometimes Max wondered if Chloe chose a harder path as her own personal penance.
"Max, what are you thinking about?" Chloe's voice seemed a little tense.
"Huh? Oh, nothing. Just thinking."
Chloe grunted. Not a surprising response. Nervous tension in her shoulders somehow caused her tongue not to work and her words to be nothing but grunts.
A moment passed where the only sounds were a quiet acoustic riff from the speakers and the sound of the road, loud in the beat up vehicle.
"What do you think Victoria wants?"
Max shrugged but said, "Probably something to do with the reconstruction project. I wouldn't worry about it."
Chloe was obviously worrying about it. She chewed on her lower lip and ran a hand through her faded hair.
"What is it, Chloe?"
"Honestly, Max? I'm worried about her being a little snake and taking credit for your work. I don't care if you guys kissed and made up or whatever." She paused, rethinking her last sentence. "Well, if you kissed, I would care for an entirely different reason."
Max elbowed Chloe again, taking her hand and resting it on the seat between them. "You don't have to worry about that. Victoria can be mean and cruel to those that stand in her way, but when there's good work, she doesn't fuck around. She gives credit when credit's due."
Chloe grumbled again, but Max's words were enough to placate her for the moment. She wondered if her friendships upset Chloe sometimes. Chloe spoke again, surprising Max a little. "I don't know if I trust her." She paused. "I don't want her to hurt you."
Max's phone buzzed impatiently once more, and she released Chloe's hand to check it.
[12/20 10:21 how far are u?]
Max rolled her eyes and shot off a quick [12/20 10:22 should be there in less than five! ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ]
Victoria: [12/20 10:22 u better not be texting and driving. see u in a few.]
Chloe grunted again. Max didn't speak grunt-and-mumble fluently, but she could tell what that meant. What does she want, now?
"She was just asking how long it would be." Max offered her hand back.
"Since when are you guys so chummy?" Chloe didn't accept Max's hand. "Why couldn't she bother someone else?"
"Chloe, why are you worried about this?" Max rubbed her eyes and pried Chloe's hand off the steering wheel and held it fast. "There's nothing going on between me and Victoria, okay?"
"You just suddenly start being best buds with her, and I don't really know what to expect, okay?" Chloe took the turn into the gallery's parking lot a little too hard.
"Victoria called me flat ass drunk and apologized for being a dick, Chlo. She isn't trying to get in my pants. She just needs a photographer for the reconstruction exhibit, and I mean, if it makes you feel better, almost everyone at Blackwell is chipping in to help. Without her influence, we wouldn't get half the publicity and help from other towns and relief efforts." Max fiddled absentmindedly with her phone while applying the death grip on Chloe's hand. "I'd like to be better friends with her, and if this is the way, then so be it."
Tension eased out of Chloe's shoulders as she parked the truck. "I… I trust you, Max. Just try not to get hurt, okay?"
Max eased up her grip and leaned forward to Chloe. "How can I get hurt when my knight in shining armor is here?"
Chloe smiled slightly and cut the engine before leaning over to Max. "I prefer something like your Dark Knight. I'm far from shining."
Max kissed her. Lightly but reassuringly.
Love turned out to be give and take. Sometimes, one person took from the reservoir one day, the other could take another day. Sometimes both could take at the same time, but there was always giving. Giving support and care. And… Love. Sometimes it was hard to do things by themselves. Together… Together it was easier. Max knew that, and as far as she knew, so did Chloe - even if it was hard for them both.
Chloe squeezed Max's hand, looking a little brighter than before. "Sometimes, it can be tough, you know?"
"Boy, do I." Max snorted and popped the latch on the truck's door.
Chloe's smile faltered just slightly, Max noted, but that would be something for another time. Right now, they needed to satiate Victoria, the angry beast.
Max always felt slightly dazzled walking into the Chase's gallery. The white walls lined with such beautiful paintings and photographs… She muttered, "Wowser" quietly under her breath and subconsciously reached for Chloe's hand. She just wanted to share the wonder and admiration she felt so desperately. And, holy shit, she would be featured here. Soon. As a large part of The Arcadia Bay Reconstruction Effort Exhibit. Well, that was the name in progress. Victoria said it was too lengthy and should be shortened down.
"Imagine it, Chloe. One day soon, Blackwell's finest will be in this gallery, and I'll be here too."
Only from the corner of her star spangled eyes did she see Chloe give a sad smile. "You're Arcadia Bay's finest, Max. Oregon's. The world's finest."
Max turned to Chloe and sheepishly tugged on the sleeve of her sweater. She started a little when Chloe's warm, soft, vibrant lips touched hers. Cherry lip gloss? Nah, Chapstick. Chloe was too practical for lip gloss. She subconsciously reached to touch her fingertips to Chloe's wind-chapped cheek.
Chloe pulled back when the clack-thump of boots on tile drew near.
"Finally!" A higher voice with an annoyed edge filled the foyer. "You took long enough."
Max, disappointed in Chloe's withdrawal, looked up to the second platform and found no disappointment there. Her jaw dropped open slightly. Victoria always looked good, but she looked… really good. The midnight blue she wore was a very good color on her - accentuated her eyes, hair, and pale skin. Chloe shifted uncomfortably, and Max felt Chloe's hand get clammy. She was nervous. Pretty girls always made Chloe nervous.
"I see you brought your junkyard dog with you." Victoria leaned on the steel-and-glass railing, letting her particular position provide perfect fanservice through the glass were it cooler weather. The dress she wore - though short - layered over grey leggings.
Max felt Chloe turn slightly to the side and mumbled, "Yeah, this dog is one that bites, though."
Max squeezed Chloe's clammy hand. "Hey, Victoria. I wasn't even awake when you sent the first few messages. Or called."
"Obviously. Now, come up here. I want to talk to you about the reconstruction exhibit." She walked off, leaving Max and Chloe to climb the stairs to follow. "And I know my ass is fab, but stop staring."
"Max, I… Think I'm going to wait in the car." Chloe blew out a breath and had started fidgeting. She needed a smoke, obviously.
"Listen, if you need to go smoke, go ahead, but please come back in after." Her voice was soft, but honestly, she was worried. She didn't exactly want Chloe to go out and smoke, especially after she talked about wanting to quit, but she tried to understand that every day was a victory and every day came a little closer to her quitting.
Chloe leaned in and gave Max a more chaste kiss than before. "I'll... manage without. Let's just… Do what we need to do."
Max nodded and pulled Chloe along up the stairs and to where Victoria stood in front of a collage showing Arcadia Bay as it was before. They were all Victoria's pictures. Honestly, Max often couldn't argue with how well Victoria could position and capture a shot. No wonder Je- Stop there, Max. -fferson liked her.
Well, shit.
She started sweating in the large sweater and wished she'd worn a tanktop underneath. She couldn't stop him from creeping into her thoughts. He'd always be there. He'd be right there behind every corner in any gallery. He made sure Max never took another selfie - even her lock screen came from Chloe's phone camera.
Chloe felt Max tense and squeezed her hand softly. Victoria didn't seem to notice. "Max, I want you to do a companion piece to this."
Max choked on her own spit and coughed until she was red in the face. "You want me to what?"
"You heard me, Caulfield. I want you to do your own companion piece to my pre-storm Arcadia Bay." She shrugged, as if she hadn't heard Max's outcry and choking. "You have a way with lighting that I like, and I feel like it would be invaluable to the exhibit. Daniel can do his drawings and whatever he does." She shuffled. "I figure Kate would want to contribute, too, but I don't know how to approach her."
Chloe nodded a moment, the wheels turning behind her eyes. "We can talk to Kate for you, or at least get you guys together to talk."
Max looked up at her with a look that said, Seriously?
Chloe looked down at her with a tense smirk that said, in response, Seriously.
Victoria turned from them to look at her own collage. She seemed very very interested in her own work, all of a sudden.
"Yeah," Max agreed. "We can get something arranged with Kate. Maybe Brooke can help get the word out with some graphic design or something?"
Victoria pulled out her phone and started tapping away, presumably texting Brooke. "It's done," she affirmed. "You get Kate on board, and I'll handle the rest."
She eyed Chloe again, scanning her from her shoes up. "I don't know what you could contribute other than your... distinctive... weed stink, but if you can find something useful, you're welcome to try."
Chloe's eyes darkened, and she abruptly announced, "I have to piss."
She dropped Max's hand and walked off, leaving Max and Victoria together.
Max nervously pushed her hair back before remembering it was held fast in her ponytail. "Victoria… Could you try to be nicer to Chloe? It's pretty lame to treat her like that. She doesn't deserve it."
Victoria grumbled and folded her arms on her chest. "She makes me nervous, Max."
"Then talk less. You have less of an opportunity to be a bitch."
"Fair enough, Maxi Pad."
Max grimaced. Of course, Victoria would never let Max go unscathed. Even after they'd had a potential breakthrough at the Vortex Club party, Victoria had only put up more walls between them. They'd come within a stone's throw of being friends more than once since then, but it always ended the same way. "If I'm not mistaken, this time it was your idea to try being friends."
Victoria narrowed her eyes. "This time?"
Max felt herself begin to sweat more heavily and wished she'd applied more deodorant. "It doesn't matter," she amended. "All that matters is you treat Chloe like you would treat me."
"Like she even deserves to be treated like a second rate photographer," Victoria sneered.
She was not making things easy on the whole friendship front.
Max put her hands up and looked over toward the bathroom, from which Chloe had not come back. "Listen, Victoria, I don't want to fight. I just want to be friends, but it's a little hard when you treat my girlfriend like shit, okay? I want to help with the reconstruction as much as anyone, and I want to help you, but you have got to be a little nicer. If you alienate Chloe, you alienate me." She hadn't realized she'd stepped up to get in Victoria's face, fists balled at her sides. She was ready to go if things got physical. "You're too damn insecure to let Chloe even have the slightest bit of confidence around you, and it needs to stop. She even offered to talk to Kate because you're too chickenshit to do it yourself, and you still treat her like shit. Just because she isn't you doesn't mean she's any less than you, alright?"
Victoria took a step back and looked appalled and… hurt? Jesus, Max, way to be horrible to someone who wants to be your friend. No. No apologies. Chloe had been put through enough.
"Max, I-" She swallowed and rubbed at her collarbone. "I'll back off."
The fire that sparked in her hadn't left. "Think about it. I'm going to get her, and you're going to be on your best damn behavior when we get back."
She didn't look back to see whether or not Victoria acknowledged her statement. Chloe would always be her top priority.
What she found in the bathroom didn't exactly inspire compassion toward Victoria. Chloe sat on the pristine, stylish floor of the bathroom, head in her hands and rocking back and forth ever so slightly. Her face was pale and her eyes glassy. She didn't look like she'd been crying - her face would have been splotchy red and under her eyes would have been swollen. She looked… how Max knew she looked when she was in Max-patented Brain Hell. She actually had no idea what to do, so she sat beside Chloe and touched her shoulder experimentally. Chloe flinched away and looked at Max like a trapped animal.
Max quietly muttered, "Chloe…?"
Chloe's eyes slid away from Max's and focused on nothing in particular. "Leave me alone, Max."
Max flinched away and started to scoot away from Chloe a little. Chloe looked back at her angrily. "How long have you been letting her talk about me behind my back?"
"What? Chloe? What are you talking about?" Max recoiled and felt her mouth run dry.
"I always knew she was horrible. Of course, I'll never be able to break into this arena, but she didn't have to point it out. I don't fit with you goddamn artist types. I don't fit in with anyone. It's more clear by the day of that fact. She's probably been talking about me since Rachel." She scratched at her wrist and forearm. "Fuck, I just wanted to fit with Rachel, but I never belonged anywhere with her either. She had all this and you do, too. I'll just never fit in this fucking hell of Arcadia Fucking Bay. Hell, it didn't even want me. It only wanted me one fucking way - dead, Max. You stopped it, and I'm just pissing life away still I-" She broke off, burying her face in her hands and shuddering in a form of dry, silent sob.
"Chloe…" She didn't exactly know what to say.
"Forget it." Chloe shook her head. "I need to shut the fuck up. We have a job to do."
Max hesitated. "Chloe, we should probably talk about this…"
"We'll get to it some day." Chloe stood and shook out her right leg - must have fallen asleep. She took a deep breath and slapped her face some. Almost instantaneously, it was like she never had the moment just ago. Chloe changed surprisingly fast - from so distant to seemingly fine in less than a few seconds. She'd done it more than once in their time together, but they never did get around to talking about the root of the problem.
Chloe walked out, leaving Max in the bathroom alone with her thoughts. She continued sitting there, wondering if this was a big enough thing to rewind over. She could. Chloe would never know the difference. If she got a nosebleed, it wouldn't be so bad. She could always make a cover story about the dry air drying out her little no-. No. She couldn't. Well, she could, but she shouldn't. She didn't do that anymore. Sometimes it was easier to fight the urges. Other times it wasn't. This was one of the times it wasn't easy.
She stood, and her hands shook uncontrollably, causing her to fumble with the twist knob on the sink. A little cold water would help ground her. If she could just… turn… the knob… Her breathing was too erratic. Her throat felt tight, and time seemed to slip backwards and sideways. She needed to calm down before -
She was only vaguely aware of Chloe standing beside her, guiding her hands to the sink fixtures and dabbing a paper towel on Max's face. She didn't remember Chloe coming in. Max looked around nearly blindly, trying not to slip into panic. She couldn't focus on anything - anything other than Chloe. She was okay, though. Chloe was there.
Chloe's voice was nothing more than a hushed whisper. "Are you back in the land of the living?"
Max nodded and looked in Chloe's pristine ocean like eyes. She reached for Chloe's face. "Are you alright?"
Chloe pulled back. Ouch. "Not now." Her voice stayed firm, but her well groomed eyebrows pulled together in worry. " You never came out of the bathroom. I got worried after about ten minutes."
Victoria cleared her throat. She stood in the doorway, a worried scowl taking over her usually bitchy scowl. "I followed," she added, not wanting to be left out. "Max, are you alright?"
"I'm… not feeling the best," Max admitted.
"Is 'no shit' considered rude?"
Chloe laughed - a genuine chuckle. Maybe there was hope for them. "Probably, but I don't think it counts right now."
Victoria smiled slightly, changing her expression only a fraction of a millimeter. "You should probably go home, Max. It's only a few days before Christmas, and you shouldn't have to be sick on Christmas. Go get some rest."
"I'm fine," Max protested, but her words were slurred. Her pulse pounded in her head and her eyes hurt like before… Oh, god… Her head. "I think it's just a migraine."
Max noted how Chloe's eyes narrowed and her hands went stiff, but focused on Victoria instead. "Do you have any ibuprofen?"
Victoria snorted. "I've got Lortab, if you want it." She did her shifty eye thing. "I got my dad's prescription refilled just in case something came up. I'm not Nath-"
Her hand went to her mouth, and her eyes went misty. Max could practically feel the hurt radiating off of Victoria. It wasn't hard to notice from the almost invocation of her dear dead friend's name. The way her shoulders sagged. The way her clear eyes almost immediately looked bloodshot. The way the tip of her nose went red. It was a bitch to lose your best friend. Max would know.
To Max's surprise, Chloe left her side and stuck her hand out to Victoria. "Truce?"
Victoria offered the slightest shake of her head to rid herself of those pesky emotions, it seemed, and took Chloe's hand. "I, uh… Yeah. From earlier. I'll be nice if you are, and I'll… be back with that Lortab."
Chloe knew when to let someone go cry somewhere for a minute and nodded. Victoria excused herself politely from the room.
"Oh my god, they fucked."
Max choked. "CHLOE, OH MY GOD."
Chloe cackled a little under her breath. "They totally fucked." She rubbed Max's shoulder caringly. On some level, it bothered Max that Chloe could be so bad then turn on a dime to help her feel better. "I harbor no remorse for ragging on someone who drugged me and photographed me in a compromised situation."
"Yeah, but come on. Victoria is clearly hurting. She didn't know about any of that." Max felt a smile pull at the corners of her mouth despite her attempt to keep composed. "Be nice. I chewed her ass off for what she said to you."
"Oh, I know." Chloe flashed her patented shit-eating grin. "She divulged all the juicy details while you were off fuckin' around in here."
Max's smile faltered. Chloe's words could really hurt.
Chloe seemed to notice. "Anyway, Victoria and I... came to a mutual understanding that, if we both care about you, we'll play with each other." Her face turned a little red. "Play nice with each other."
"That was Freudian." Max giggled, the rest of the distant feeling fading from her mind and body. The fingers were the real indicators. Once feeling returned in them, she knew she was on the mend.
"Stuff it, Ms. I'm-subtly-looking-up-Victoria's-skirt. I guess neither of us are immune to the gay thoughts."
Heat rose in Max's cheeks, and she looked away from Chloe's brilliant, sparkling eyes. Oh, she could get lost in Chloe's eyes, but… now wasn't the time. She leaned in partially for a kiss, which Chloe did not reciprocate. Max backed away slightly.
"Uh, we should find Victoria, I guess."
"Yeah," Chloe agreed, seeming not to have noticed Max's intent. "That sounds like a good idea."
"Hey, Chlo, are you alright?"
"I'm thinking. I may or may not have really fucked shit up, man." She didn't look perturbed, though. More likely than not, some shenanigans were going down.
Max swallowed, a sinking feeling settling into the pit of her stomach. "Tell me after we catch Victoria?"
"Yes, we wouldn't want to keep Princess waiting," Chloe sneered and walked away. Max followed her out this time, the sinking feeling remaining deep in the pit of her stomach.
Their footsteps echoed eerily in the empty room. Even at this early stage, it seemed as though the gallery was nearly full. Maybe that was just a trick of perspective, or maybe many of the photographs were merely placeholders. Max tried not to think about the devastation contained in the frames.
Finally, Chloe stood beside Victoria, who was staring forlornly at a black and white photo. Max didn't need to read the plaque to know whose it was. The subject was Victoria - her face obscured slightly, dramatic makeup emphasizing her eyes and lips. A portion of her arm covering her more explicit chest bits skirted the edges of the photo, and her back took the main portion, spine standing out as soft shadows against milky white marble. Her hair somehow looked dark. Lighting. Incredible lighting.
Neither of them turned to Max, who almost felt like she was intruding on some private, silent conversation.
Victoria took a breath like she was going to say something, but instead of something meaningful, just said, "If you two weren't such losers, I would explain a few things about Nathan, but we aren't here about him, are we?" She turned sharply. "Take the fucking Lortab and get out. Take pictures. Bring them back before February. You have my number."
Chloe took a few pills from Victoria's hand and said, "You tried. You're not as big of a bitch as you could have been. Thanks."
"Just leave me alone." Victoria's voice was… cold. She looked so lonely. So much darker than the photo before them.
That seemed to be the phrase of the day. Chloe walked away and pulled the sleeve of Max's sweater. Max muttered a quiet thanks to Victoria, who didn't respond.
They walked out to the truck, and Chloe dug around in her behind-the-seat stash for a water and tossed it to Max. She climbed in and placed a single pill in Max's hand.
"While I wouldn't normally recommend self medication to deal with life, take the damn pill."
This time, Max didn't argue. Her head still throbbed like someone had hit her with an aluminum baseball bat. Or a tree branch. She swallowed and gave a weak laugh. "You don't recommend self medication?"
Chloe's brows furrowed, her mouth turned at the corners, and her eyes darkened. It had become, more often than not, her resting face. Chloe seemed… very unhappy lately. The night with the movie, for instance. They wanted to do something fun and interactive, but it still turned sour at one point. They just butted heads. It was almost like some kind of rift cracked open between them and sucked away their happiness. At D&D, Chloe seemed almost okay. She'd seemed like her normal self, but any other time, it just seemed like her brooding had taken over the rest of her personality.
Honestly, Max couldn't blame her.
Shock jolted through Max's chest as Chloe turned and planted a firm kiss on her mouth. She didn't resist it. After such… distance in the gallery, it was really a welcome gesture. Of all her kisses, usually so diverse in nature, this one boiled down to desperation and fear. Maybe anger touched it. Max couldn't tell. Warm breath in the chilly truck warmed Max's heart and helped her think that maybe it would be alright. Maybe she was just reading too much into things.
Chloe pulled away first. It seemed like that happened more often. Yeah, reading too much into things.
"Be straight with me, Max."
"Seeing as how I'm gay as hell, I'll do my best."
Chloe didn't smile this time. Yikes. Huston, we have a problem. "Did you rewind?"
All jokes were sucked from Max's lungs along with air. "Oh, god, Chloe… No. I didn't."
Chloe nodded ambivalently. "Your head normally clears up if you didn't, but it stuck this time so I… assumed the worst."
Max looked at her hands folded in her lap. "I wanted to because I know I said the wrong things in the bathroom, and it was… so hard not to just… fix it. But I didn't rewind, I promise. You know I can't do that ever again."
Chloe nodded grievously. "I trust you." She got quiet for a time, and Max knew she was thinking, filing away some information into her memory. Eventually, Chloe sighed in frustration and nearly slammed her head against the back of the truck. "I might have fucked up with Victoria."
"Um… How bad?" Max could feel the edges of her mind getting fuzzy from the medication. When it came to heavy medication, she was a leaf. Even ibuprofen worked fast and hard on her.
"I might have tried to fix things by saying that we would set up a meeting with Kate and Victoria."
"You WHAT?"