Audio Recording Chloe Price Session 11-17-2008
"Did Max ever ask you to do something Chloe?
"Well yeah, she'd want to watch movies or swing or whatever."
"Like any friend would."
"Right."
"But did she ever ask you to do something you didn't want to do? Did she ever talk you into doing things?"
"Well sometimes I'd want to go outside but she'd say we had to play inside or vice versa. Or she'd want to go to the lighthouse or something. She could be bossy sometimes."
"But not too different from a normal friend."
"Yeah. Well, I guess there was this one game we played a couple times that she was insistent on."
"Yes."
"She'd write letters."
"Letters?"
"Yeah, and she'd have me deliver them."
"Deliver them?"
"Like, I'd steal stamps from Mom and sneak them into the mailbox. She'd dare me to. Kind of a weak dare if you ask me."
October 8 2013
Chloe woke up and immediately knew something was different this morning. She lay awhile, her eyes closed, trying to figure out what it was. She felt good, really good, and not just 'I got stoned last night' good. When was the last time she'd woken up this happy? Then she heard breathing, someone else's breathing. Oh, of course, that's what was different. She wasn't alone.
Chloe rolled over and looked at the woman sleeping soundly beside her. Rachel Amber might be the definition of perfection when she was awake, but when she was sleeping it was a different matter entirely. Her mouth hung open, her covers were haphazardly scattered around her, and the way she was sprawled out didn't look comfortable at all. Despite all that, she still managed to look unbelievably attractive in a girl-next-door kind of way. The fact that she was currently topless and the sheets were pulled down to her stomach definitely helped out.
Chloe smiled to herself. The night had started out rocky. As predicted, Rachel's parental visit did not go well. Rachel's dad didn't get along with Rachel's mom, Rachel's mom couldn't stand to be in the same room as Rachel's dad, and both of them thought Rachel was throwing her life away trying to be a model.
Luckily, the excitement of a freak snowstorm and some stoned sex helped mend the bridges. It's what made their relationship work so well, both of them liked running away from problems so they hardly ever fought.
Chloe watched as Rachel's chest rose and fell. The early morning sun shone through the tattered American flag, giving the whole room a red glow. It was easily the best morning Chloe had had in months. And yet something was still off.
Despite everything, despite how good Rachel looked in her bed, Chloe's mind wandered to a brown-haired girl standing beside a lighthouse. Chloe groaned and leaned up until she was sitting upright, her head cradled in her hands. Max was back, back in a big way and Chloe couldn't stop her. To be honest she wasn't even sure if she wanted to. That was the scariest part.
Chloe's mind was spiraling. Her whole life there had only been three people Chloe could really count on, who could talk her down from the cliff when life was more than she could handle. One was dead, one didn't exist, and the other was lying here beside her.
But Max was the problem and she couldn't talk to Rachel about it. She wasn't naive, she had seen the look Rachel gave her when they talked about Max. She had been terrified. And she'd looked way too relieved to learn her girlfriend wasn't schizo. The last thing Chloe wanted to do was change that opinion.
The easy answer was to blow off Max. There were a million reasons why meeting her was incredibly stupid, not the least of which was it meant lying to Rachel. And if she screwed up the only good thing that'd happened to her in the last five years...
But then she thought of the way Max looked at her yesterday during that crazy snowstorm. Not even Rachel had ever looked at her that way. She had to see Max. It wasn't because she was falling for her imaginary friend, not that. But some part of her had decided she needed Max back, had needed Max to look at her that way. She had to understand. She had to know why Max was back. And she couldn't tell Rachel about it. That meant there was only one option.
Fuck Chloe, what the hell are you doing?
At least one part of her plan was easy. She didn't have morning classes because the English teacher had had some kind of mental breakdown so she had plenty of time to meet up with Max. She felt for Mrs. Hoida, she knew all too well about breakdowns, but it was helping her out today.
She sighed heavily and rolled out of bed. She moved over to her drawer and pulled out a bra as she heard Rachel stirring behind her.
"Now what are you doing that for?" Rachel asked as Chloe hooked the clasps of her bra together.
"Because I have to go to class," Chloe said with a glance back at Rachel. She was leaning up on her hands and staring at Chloe, the angle doing very generous things to her chest. Chloe didn't know how Rachel did it. When Chloe got out of bed she looked like it, but Rachel had gone from a drooling, snoring bum to breathtakingly gorgeous in mere moments.
"Right, forgot my little high schooler has class in the morning," Rachel said, her eyes dancing.
"Okay, that just sounds so wrong," Chloe muttered as she turned around and grabbed one of her abundant t-shirts. She quickly checked the front to make sure there weren't any cuss words and then threw it over her head.
"Wait, does that mean I had sex with a high schooler last night?" Rachel continued.
"You're enjoying this way too much you sick perv," Chloe said as she moved on to her pants drawer.
"Just be thankful you're so good at spooning, I've almost completely forgiven you for last night," Rachel said with the perfect amount of pout in her voice.
"Whatever, you're hella going to regret this when I have to spend the rest of the week doing nothing but homework," Chloe said as she pulled on one of her several pairs of black pants.
"Oh, I don't think you're going to get all of that homework done," Rachel said as Chloe heard her slide out of bed. Arms slid down the front of her shirt, tanned and perfect, until they came to rest on the edge of her jeans. "I can be very persuasive," Rachel whispered in her ear as she played with her jeans button. To say it had an effect on Chloe would have been a vast understatement. Rachel was good at what she did, last night proved that. But damned if she was going to let Rachel win.
"Yeah, well, you're going to have to step up your game Rach, I want grade A seduction, nothing less is getting you in these pants," Chloe said as straight as she could manage when her whole body was saying something very different. She turned to the side and slid out of Rachel's arms.
"You're no fun Chloe Price," Rachel said. She took a step towards Chloe. Chloe took a step back.
"Oh, I'm a fucking blast, don't lie to me. At least when I don't have classes. Which I believe you convinced me to do," Chloe countered. Rachel put her arms behind her back and swayed slightly. More of Chloe's resolve crumbled away.
"In hindsight, I may have made a mistake," Rachel said with a smile that could convince the fucking Pope to give up his vow of chastity.
"There should be some leftover breakfast in the fridge for you if you want, I'll see you after classes okay?" Chloe said, surprising even herself with her
willpower. Rachel sighed, admitting defeat.
"Yeah yeah, get to class little girl," Rachel said as Chloe turned and practically bolted down the stairs. Rachel smiled to herself, it was always cute when Chloe got amped up like that. She may act like the uncaring punk, but there was still an excitable little kid buried beneath that black and blue. Rachel turned to go fetch her clothes when she caught sight of Chloe's class schedule taped to the side of her blue desk. She paused a moment, reading the Tuesday line-up, her eyes lingering on the crossed-out morning class. The smile on her lips died as she frowned in confusion.
Chloe's eyes quickly scanned the booths and she spotted Max instantly, over on the right in their usual spot. They'd sat there so many times she'd have been stunned to find her anywhere else. Chloe closed her eyes a moment and tried to swallow all the doubt, nervousness, and guilt that came welling up inside her. She failed horribly. She opened her eyes again to find Max staring at her with a confused look on her face.
Fuck it.
"Chloe, how's it hanging?" Chloe suddenly heard beside her. It took everything in her not to jump out of her skin. She'd been so
focused on Max she hadn't even noticed Justin sitting there with Trevor.
"Pretty good, see you're making the best of the free morning," Chloe said with what she hoped passed as her normal smirk.
"You know it, bacon's almost as good as a morning bake."
"Like you haven't already done that today," Chloe said evenly as she brought her hand up.
"Ah, you know me too well," Justin said, smacking her hand as she walked by.
"Trevor," Chloe said with a nod. "Make sure he gets to class on time."
"I'll try Chloe," Trevor said with a laugh.
"So, Maximus, what brings us to this fine establishment today," Chloe said as she sat down across from Max in the booth.
"Maximus, that brings me back," Max said with a laugh.
"Well, if we're hanging again you better get used to it," Chloe said as she leaned back in her seat.
"So, we're hanging again?" Max asked.
"I'd call this hanging, wouldn't you? Not like I had much better to do today," Chloe said, though her mind instantly thought of Rachel topless in her bed. Fuck did she have better things to do today. But here she was.
"So, what did you want...fuck," Chloe said as she saw her mom heading towards their booth. How in the mother fucking world did you forget Mom was working here this morning? How did this never cross your mind?
"Chloe, good to see you up and out of bed before class. Where's Rachel?" Joyce asked as she reached the table.
"Uh, still at home," Chloe said.
"You left her at our house while you came here to sneak a free breakfast?" Joyce said, her face instantly turning sour. Across from her,
Max watched her and Joyce with a strange expression on her face. Chloe couldn't quite place it, but she didn't look happy.
"Well, I…"
"Because I'm sure you don't mean to pay for any of the food you're about to ask for?"
"I thought that was just one of the perks of the job, free food for the family?" Chloe said with a winning smile. Joyce leveled her best Mom glare in return.
"Toast and some bacon, that's all you get," she said finally and walked off.
"Whatever," Chloe muttered.
"I kinda miss the days she'd pretend to talk to me when you were younger," Max said after she left.
"Feeling nostalgic?"
"I suppose I am. I've missed Arcadia Bay, missed you."
"So, what does that mean? You're in my head or something right, does that mean I'm feeling nostalgic?"
"You're nineteen now, that's the first year you get to feel nostalgic," Max said with a smirk, some of her melancholy draining away.
"Nineteen, but still in high school. Pretty sure that disqualifies me."
"It's good you're finishing now though, I was happy to hear that."
"Oh yes, it's been a blast," Chloe muttered.
"So, Rachel spent the night?" Max asked suddenly. She put her hands on the table and glanced out the window, trying to look uninterested. Chloe knew better, she knew Max too well for that. What she didn't know was why Max cared.
"That's what girlfriends do," Chloe said.
"Sorry to drag you away from her," Max said with a glance her way.
"Hey, a promise was a promise, not a big deal," Chloe said as she glanced over at Joyce. Luckily Joyce still had her back turned to them, but this was getting dicey. If she saw Chloe talking to an empty booth seat…
"Did you have to pick this diner though? It couldn't be more obvious I'm talking to myself," Chloe said.
"Some people say talking to yourself is a sign of intelligence," Max countered.
"My therapist would disagree with you, and so would my Mom," Chloe said meaningfully as Joyce turned back towards them with a plate of food.
"Here you go, make sure you're not late for class," Joyce said as she put the plate down. True to her word there was only a slice of toast and two lonely strips of bacon.
"Thanks," Chloe muttered unconvincingly.
"You're welcome," Joyce said firmly and then walked away.
"Look, Chloe, I know I'm causing you problems being here. Imaginary friends don't usually stick around into adulthood," Max said sadly as she watched Chloe slowly eat her bacon strips.
"Well that's very considerate of you Max," Chloe said a bit more irritable than she meant to. The whole situation was making her uncomfortable.
"I know, and everything you said last night was true. I've not been the best of friends to you, and I know I did a number on you when I left."
"These are facts."
"But everything I did was for a reason. This week, it's the reason." Chloe sucked the grease off her fingers, staring at Max with a blank expression. She picked up her piece of toast.
"Oh, this should be good," Chloe said.
"Chloe, I have to tell you something and you aren't going to believe it." Chloe waved her hand impatiently, prompting Max to continue.
"I can predict the future," Max said. Chloe paused, toast half in her mouth.
"You can…"
"Predict the future," Max finished for her confidently. Chloe stared at her for a moment and then sat the toast down on her plate.
"Seriously, that's what you went with? Five years and that's the best you could come up with? And what does predict even mean? Isn't it supposed to be tell the future?"
"I can predict. I've already changed some things so it doesn't always go how I think it will."
'So, you finally get the chance to explain everything and you go with 'I can kinda sorta tell the future maybe'?"
"Yes?" Max said with an apologetic smile.
"Huh, I really thought my imagination was better than that," Chloe said with a shrug. She glanced back over at Joyce and noticed she was walking back towards her booth again. She picked up her toast and shoved it into her mouth, trying her best to look like someone who wasn't having a conversation with herself.
"You never believe me, not at first," Max says with a smug smile. "But you will." Chloe kept her mouth shut as Joyce walked by and waved at her. She was already regretting this decision. This was the reason she skipped out on Rachel, so she could come here and confirm she was losing it?
"The trucker bumps Joyce as she walks by, breaks the mug," Max said suddenly, her eyes on Chloe.
"What?" Chloe asked with a mouth full of toast. Behind her came the crash of broken ceramic followed by a masculine "Oops." Chloe's eyes scrunched in confusion.
"Did you break another cup? Really? No refill for you!" Joyce said as Chloe turned towards her with a look of horror.
"Max?" She asked while she watched Joyce move on.
"Police's radio goes off. His partner leaves without him," Max continued, still watching Chloe.
"Shit, now I gotta take this call and leave my breakfast," the police officer said as outside the police car's sirens went off. Chloe's head whipped around to look out the window as the car took off onto the street. Her mouth gaped open as half-eaten toast fell into her lap.
"Trevor and Justin get in a fight, your Mom has to break it up," Max said. Chloe turned to Max, staring at her like she'd just sprouted tentacles out of her head.
"You're a dick," came Trevor's voice.
"Don't slap me bitch!" Justin retorted. Chloe didn't turn around this time, her eyes were on Max who stared back at her in utter calm.
"Take your fight club outside!" Joyce said, breaking the two up.
"Max, how are you…" Chloe began
"A roach crawls on the jukebox," Max interrupted. She didn't turn around, continuing to stare at Chloe. Chloe's eyes flicked to the jukebox. "The song switches...now," Max said as the music suddenly lurched into a country ballet.
"Good, none of that changed. I'm a little impressed I remembered it all. It's been awhile," Max said quietly as Chloe slowly turned back towards her. "Well, what do you think? Still say kinda predicting the future is lame?" Max asked with an innocent smile.
Chloe jerked up to her feet as if struck by lightning. Using the pole beside the booth to steady herself, she slowly backed away from Max, her eyes bugging out of her head.
"You're causing a scene Chloe, you should probably sit back down," Max said calmly. Chloe shook her head before glancing around. Most of the diner was staring at her now, including a concerned looking Joyce. Chloe looked back at Max. She had a concerned look on her own. She slowly gestured towards Chloe's seat, inviting her back into the booth. Chloe turned and ran for the door.
March 24 2008
"Hey Max?" Chloe asked as they lay back to back in Chloe's bed. They'd already spent most the day together, but tonight Max said she could spend the night. Chloe loved it when Max spent the night. Her bed always felt so empty when Max wasn't there.
"Yeah, Chloe?" Max asked. Chloe could hear her breathing slightly behind her, feel her warmth pressed against her back, could feel the girl's toes as they lightly brushed her leg. There wasn't anything weird about it, it was how they'd slept for as long as Chloe could remember, but for some reason the sensations tonight were keeping her up. Not that she would complain, the last thing she wanted was for Max to stop.
"I was thinking, about stuff Dad said to me yesterday."
"Oh?" Max asked, sounding curious. Max had always liked Dad a lot. Sometimes she'd talk to him, tell a joke Chloe just knew he'd love, and then almost look sad when Dad walked right past her. When Chloe was younger she'd tell him what Max had said and he'd always find it really funny and say something like 'Max is pretty clever' and that'd cheer Max up a little. These days Chloe didn't tell him. She tried not to bring up Max at all.
"It's just, I know I've asked you before, but are you sure you're not real?" Chloe asked, already knowing the answer.
"...What do I always say?" Max asked after a moment.
"You're a real friend even if you're not a real person. That's still lame as hell by the way."
"I thought it was clever…"
"It's just...you feel real. Right now. I feel you laying here with me. You're my best friend. I just…it would be so much easier if you were."
"Hey Chloe," Max said, shifting in the bed beside her. Chloe turned over and looked into the younger girl's blue eyes. Just for a moment, then she glanced down. For some reason making eye contact with Max lately made her feel nervous.
Max leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her. Chloe couldn't feel it though; Max might as well have been air. That was the weird thing about her, sometimes she felt so real, and other times she felt like a ghost.
"I'm sorry I can't be more real for you, Chloe. I really wish I could. You hella deserve it." Chloe laughed softly at Max's hella. She said it so often even Chloe had started using it.
"It's okay Max, you're real enough. And you're still my best friend, no matter what."
"No matter what huh?" Max said softly, sadly for some reason. Chloe pulled back from her and gave her a stern look.
"Of course, I hella love you, idiot," Chloe said with a laugh.
"I love you too Chloe Price," Max said, only she said it a lot more seriously than Chloe. Chloe felt her cheeks burn and thanked God it was dark right now.
"Whatever Maxipad, now quit with the mushy stuff and let me get some rest," Chloe huffed out before laying back down.
"I think you started this conversation," Max said with a laugh before settling down beside her. It took another hour before Chloe fell asleep, with the feeling of Max's toes on her leg.
October 8 2013
Chloe wasn't surprised when she heard the sound of crunching feet approaching her junkyard hideout. It was only a matter of time before one of them showed up. The only question was would it be Rachel or…
Max peeked her head around the open doorway. Her eyes scanned the room slowly before settling on Chloe. She waved her hand shyly. She stayed by the shack entrance, looking nervous. She was a smart girl.
Chloe took one last drag off her joint, Rachel had hidden their stash here so step-douche couldn't find it, before putting it out in the ashtray.
"I see you're processing," Max said. She talked slowly and quietly as if Chloe was a deer that might run off at any minute. Which, all things considered, Chloe guessed was fair.
"I thought you couldn't follow me," Chloe said finally.
"I didn't, but I hoped you'd be here," Max replied. Max waited, her eyes avoiding Chloe as they combed over the room. Chloe sighed. Whether she meant to or not Max was blocking the only exit so it wasn't like she could run again. And…maybe she'd had enough time to process everything, or maybe the weed had dulled her sense of fear and self-preservation, but she really was curious.
"Fine, fuck, just come in," Chloe said as she slumped against the ruined couch. Max nodded in appreciation, a small smile brightening her face, and she walked in.
She moved slowly around the room. She didn't touch anything, just looked over everything, taking it all in. She stopped at the graffiti sign across from Chloe, the one that read 'Chloe was here. Rachel was here.' She stared at it for a long moment as if considering something. Finally, Chloe couldn't take it anymore.
"This spot is kinda Rachel and I's hide-a-way, a spot only for us," Chloe said. Honestly, it felt a little wrong having Max here, like she was breaking some kind of covenant. Not just with Rachel, but with herself. This was the one place she could run from all her problems. Blackhell, step-douche, mom, she could run away from all of them here. And Max. Max had never come here, the one place in Arcadia Bay she didn't have memories of her. Until today.
"Sorry for intruding," Max said quietly. She turned away from the graffiti and back to Chloe. She looked a little shy, maybe a touch uncomfortable to anyone else, but Chloe knew her well enough, even after all these years. She was close to crying. Chloe could tell from the way she was drawn in on herself, the way her eyes stayed glued to the floor, how her hand clawed anxiously at her elbow.
"It's, it's fine okay? Don't worry about it. Would have shown it to you eventually anyway. Can't keep the coolest place in Arcadia from you," Chloe said gruffly. God, one puppy dog look and I fold over like a damn paper crane.
"Really? Thanks Chloe," Max said, her whole face lighting up. The smile on her lips dispelled the last of Chloe's reservations.
"Yeah, yeah, sit the fuck down so we can talk Caulfield," Chloe said with a wave at the chair. Max walked over and sat, looking a little too innocent for this
trashed out den.
"I do like this place Chloe, it suits you," Max said.
"A junkyard suits me? I'm not sure how to take that."
"Says the girl with the skull and butterflies tattoo."
"Hey, I like my tattoo!"
"I do too,"Max said with a smirk. A suggestive smirk. Wait, was that a suggestive smirk? Fuck, Chloe did not need this right now.
"So, spill, what the fuck happened in that diner?" Chloe said, moving away from the increasingly uncomfortable banter.
"I predicted the future," Max said simply.
"Yes, I understand that. But that can't happen. You can't do anything real and you sure as fuck can't predict the damn future."
"But I did." Chloe worked her mouth a few times and then leaned forward.
"Max, you're not real," she said to Max, practically pleaded it.
"I know," Max said.
"But if you can predict the future, then that means...you have to be real, right?" Chloe slumped back into her couch, her hands covering her eyes. "Or I'm even more fucking crazy than I thought," she muttered.
"What if I can't predict the future? What if you can and I'm just a way for you to tell yourself?" Max said. Chloe brought her hands back down and leveled a glare at her.
"Is that supposed to make me feel better? Either way, I'm the crazy girl talking to herself," she said.
"I'm just saying, the way of it doesn't matter. We don't have time. I wasn't being dramatic. This week matters, things are going to happen. I need your help to stop them."
"What? What's so special about this week? What happens?"
"Not just happens, happened. I've already changed things, it's why it's getting harder to know what will happen."
"Changed? What did you change?" Chloe asked. She was pretty sure she wasn't nearly stoned enough to make this conversation make sense.
"The bathroom. I stopped you from going there to meet Nathan remember?"
"Yeah, so?"
"So? You saw Nathan. He had a gun," Max said, giving Chloe a look that Chloe found a little offensive.
"Wait, do you mean?" Chloe asked, unable to even say it out loud.
"You were supposed to die in that bathroom, Chloe. I've seen it. I couldn't let that happen," Max said. The way she said it was strange. There was steel in her voice. Chloe had never heard her talk like that before.
"So, what, you came back to save me?" Chloe asked, trying to follow all the implications of what Max was saying.
"Kind of," Max said evasively.
"Kind of? Wait," Chloe said as something finally clicked in her brain. "How long have you known about this? How long did you know about the bathroom?" Max paused. It was all Chloe needed to see. She flew up from her seat and started walking towards the door.
"Chloe, wait!" Max called out behind her. Chloe whirled around.
"Why? Why didn't you tell me something? Why did you leave for five years if you knew what was going to happen?"
"I didn't have a choice Chloe. I couldn't tell you," Max said. She pulled her knees up onto the chair, hugged them against her body as tears started streaming down her face. Chloe was too pissed to care.
"Like hell you couldn't tell me! You just told me now!"
"I could only tell you afterward."
"Oh, how fucking convenient for you Max. It was only my life on the line. But I'm sure that…"
"I couldn't tell you, Chloe!" Max screamed suddenly. She looked up at Chloe, her eyes puffy and shining. Chloe could feel them boring into her, pinning her where she stood. Max stood up and advanced on her.
"Do you think I liked keeping that from you? Do think I enjoyed ten years of torture waiting for this to happen? Every day I wanted to tell you but I couldn't. Because I knew about the bathroom. I knew if I didn't tell you anything then you'd most likely end up there. And I could be in the right place at the right time to make sure you survived."
"I don't understand," Chloe said quietly, her body in complete shock. Max had never yelled at her. Hell, she'd never even raised her voice at her. Max looked at her and instantly her face relaxed. She reached out and put a hand on Chloe's shoulder, which Chloe couldn't feel at all.
"I'm sorry Chloe, I'm not mad at you. This isn't your fault. I'm just...I'm trying my best. What don't you understand?"
"Why would it matter if you told me about the bathroom beforehand? I could have skipped it entirely, even without your help." Max nodded as if expecting the question.
"It's hard to explain Chloe. This week, something about it is fucked. I don't know what. I was afraid if I warned you about the bathroom and you didn't go there, something else would take its place. I wanted the disaster I could prevent instead of the one I didn't see coming."
"Wait, are you saying it was like Final Destination or some shit? Like I was destined to die?"
"I don't know Chloe. I don't have any answers. I'm doing the best I can, which frankly isn't all that great anymore. It's why I need your help now."
"My help?"
"Yeah, why do you think I'm telling you all this?" Max asked.
"Because you're my friend and friends tell each other everything?" Chloe retorted. Max paused. Then she smiled, some of the tension draining from her tear-streaked face.
"Touché. Does that mean we're still friends?"
"Well you did save my life, I suppose I can give you a shot."
"Thanks Chloe."
"You're damned welcome. It's not every day I let people swoop in and rescue me. Feel privileged."
"I am truly honored, never has such a gift been bestowed unto me," Max said, bowing deep and causing both of them to start cracking up.
When the laughter died down Max glanced over at the door. Chloe followed her gaze but didn't notice anything.
"What's up?" She asked Max.
"Nothing, just thought we might have a visitor. Looks like I took care of that though. Fancy a walk?"
"What?" Chloe asked. Every time she felt like she got a handle on this conversation Max switched directions.
"The train tracks. Let's go for a walk Chloe," Max said with a smile. She held her hand out. Dazed, confused, high, and completely out of her depth, Chloe took it. It felt warm in hers.