The quiet songs of the morning flowed through the window from the birds that nested atop of power lines. A lullaby for a peaceful waking in Arcadia Bay. Warm rays of light casted themselves through the thin sheet of fabric of the American Flag, the ratty and beaten down makeshift curtain Chloe had hung up years ago. There was a stillness in the air, one that fostered the feeling of summer laziness. A feeling to stay in without responsibility. There were no obligations. Nowhere to go. Most of the residents in the town were presumably at home, as the sounds of cars passing by stayed at a minimum. The world was taking its time, appearing to be in no rush at all.

Chloe and Rachel lay entangled in each other's arms, soft breaths shared as they slept in from the craziness yesterday had brought. For the first time in months, they now seemed inseparable. A major turning point in their relationship was reached merely twelve hours ago, and while there was still so much more for both of them to say, things were–at the very least–finally looking up for once. If it wasn't for Rachel calling out Chloe initially about Max, even if that genuinely wasn't the issue anyway, the two would have been left with even more conflict, balancing on a thin rope across a valley of death. The only way out was to cross to the other side, uncomfortable conversations or not.

A strange vibration seemed to come out of nowhere, disrupting the solitude of the room. At first, Chloe could have sworn it was a part of her dream, feeling herself looking around when she actually wasn't moving at all. She began to stir about, as the noise only got louder and more clear in her awareness.

She rolled over to her side, gently unraveling herself from Rachel's arms, padding around the bed for the source of the noise. There. She found her phone hidden underneath the sheets, relentlessly buzzing as if someone was trying to desperately get a hold of her. Chloe couldn't see the number, or anything for that matter, as her eyes were closed shut, unable to adjust to the bright morning.

"What the hell–" She groaned as she was slowly waking up, voice groggy and heavy.

Chloe really didn't want to leave her warm, comfortable bed that she could probably stay in all day, but she knew she had to. Something about it felt urgent. Even with her eyes finally getting adjusted to the world around her, she still couldn't quite recognize the phone number. Oddly enough, she wasn't freaked out by someone randomly calling her, especially after everything that had happened over the past two months. It was a type of oblivion that was needed to get through the day now. Chloe quietly stood up, letting the phone continue to ring in her hand as she made her way out into the hallway to not wake Rachel up. She left the door slightly cracked open.

Nobody seemed to be home as the house felt a little too quiet that morning. Then again, her attention was only on one thing. Her finger hovered over the answer button. Waiting.

Fuck it.

"Hey, Chloe was it? This is Tommy Murphy. The guy selling the camper."

Tommy Murphy, the same guy Chloe had called yesterday to schedule a meeting to check out the camper and was also one of the Judge's apparent sons, was the mystery person that had taken her out of her lazy morning. Of course. She should know by now that people interrupting any moment her and Rachel shared was going to be a regular occurrence.

"Yeah, this is her." She yawned. It wasn't even that early. She just wanted to be next to Rachel and not talk to anyone else for a while.

"Great. I just wanted to make sure you were serious about the meeting today. I've…had some kids pull shit in the past. I didn't want to deal with that again."

He was a rather kind guy, carrying a sort of energy that traveled through the phone. Unlike the other residents of the more rural areas surrounding Arcadia Bay, he was shockingly okay with the suddenness of the situation.

"No, I'm hella serious about it man. I'm not here to waste your time either."

"That's what I like to hear." He let out a heavy sigh, with some background noise starting to pass through the speaker. It sounded like he was getting breakfast somewhere busy. "Alright, Chloe. Does eleven still work for you? That's…in a little under an hour."

Chloe smiled to herself. It was all happening just like she had planned. Her excitement was slowly starting to get the better of her.

"It works great. I'll see you there."

Nothing was actually going to happen today, because neither Chloe nor Rachel had enough money to even come close to buying the camper, but it was just another step forward in the plan. A proof that Chloe was serious. A commitment, perhaps.

She slowly made her way back into her room, closing the door gently behind her, only to see Rachel sitting up, half-asleep. Her hair hung over her face, tangled and messy.

"Chloe?" Her voice was tired.

"Mornin' sunshine." Chloe slid under the sheets next to her. "Sorry, I had to take that."

"Who was it?"

Rachel seemed genuinely concerned to have woken up without Chloe right there next to her. Almost like a reflex. An abandonment wound showing itself.

"The guy selling the camper." Chloe was still distracted on her phone, as it looked like Tommy had just texted her some extra details about the camper that was mostly paperwork and motorhome registration. Words that were starting to blend together, becoming fuzzy that was starting to give Chloe a headache.

"That's today…isn't it." Rachel cuddled up to her, looking like she was going back to sleep, not appearing like she was going to let go anytime soon. It was tempting to stay there forever.

Chloe brushed Rachel's hair back from her face, deciding to put her phone down for the moment. Tommy could wait. "At eleven."

She just sighed in response.

"Which is in an hour." Chloe gently reminded her.

"Five more minutes…"

"That's a dangerous game to play, Rach," Chloe leaned over to kiss the top of her head, only to look down at her eyes, now filled with the same amount of hurt she was carrying yesterday, only breaking Chloe's heart even more. She rolled her eyes. "Fine, Drama Queen. You win. Five more minutes."

As Chloe made her way eagerly down the stairs, she couldn't help but feel extremely excited about the meeting that was planned for this morning. She felt so ready for whatever the future held, and her little secret plan that she was keeping a relatively guarded secret was only the start. It was a small glimmer of hope for not only Chloe, but Rachel as well, that only seemed to appear in the heat of their struggles. A new chance for a different life, one that was lost beneath the storms of the past.

Max was in the kitchen washing out a bowl in the sink. Other than her, the downstairs was completely empty. Joyce and David were almost never around now, and while it wasn't such a bad thing, when they were home, they carried the feeling that they thought there were too many people in the house. It left Chloe with a sense of guilt, even when neither one seemed to voice their concerns out loud about the suddenness of Max and Rachel staying over. There were never conversations about that specific subject, but she could feel one brewing for weeks. Her mom could only stay quiet for so long.

Chloe rushed into the kitchen, mind so preoccupied in thinking about the plan that she nearly ran over Max.

"Mad Max!" She patted Max on the shoulder, making her flinch from thinking she was alone. "Big day today. You need to be ready in like...twenty minutes." Chloe went to grab a bowl and spoon, pouring herself a bowl of cereal.

Max looked at her, confused. "Okay girl wonder, what do you have planned now?"

"I'm going to let it be a secret. For now."

A wink was given, only leaving Max to feel a bit apprehensive. No one had told her anything that had happened yesterday, let alone anything about the camper, so she was in for a shocking surprise. That, combined with Chloe's randomness, was putting her on edge. It wasn't like Max didn't like it, she really only wanted Chloe to be happy, as it was her one and only reason for rewinding back. But, she knew something had to have happened yesterday without her, because Chloe's change in behavior was a little too sudden.

Wiping off her hands and making her way back into the living room, Max sat down on the couch while the TV was playing some old morning cartoons. Chloe followed closely behind her, sitting down at the other end. It felt like they were kids again.

"You were gone for a while yesterday." Max reached over for the remote to change the channel. "Where'd you two go?"

"We went on a drive around town." Chloe slurped a spoonful of her cereal, making Max cringe at the sound.

"See anything? Like…" She yawned, stretching out her arms. "I don't know. Anything interesting?"

"Max, I can tell you're still waking up." Chloe laughed lightly. "It's okay, you don't need to force small talk with me." She nudged her in the arm. "But no, it was raining the whole time actually. We didn't see anything cool. No robot ninjas or…anything like that."

Max elbowed her back. "You should've taken Rachel to that treefort we built when we were kids."

It was intended as a lighthearted joke, but truthfully, Max missed those years she spent with Chloe when they were both younger. There were no problems then, no legal drama, no rewind powers. Just pirate adventures throughout the land of Arcadia Bay.

Chloe stopped for a moment, visibility thinking. "Oh God, I remember that! It was like our secret pirate hideout."

"When life was so much easier." Max shook her head at the thought. Everything was so hard now, filled with pain and suffering. The past was the past. "Can't we build another pirate fort and just keep the whole world out?"

"I wish. But Captain Bluebeard is on another adventure now. There's no time for forts."

"Yeah? And where's Long Max Silver's invite to yarrr's adventure?"

Chloe narrowed her eyes at her, "Long Max Silver is already on the ship, what are you talking about? Did ye drink too much rum?" Her terrible pirate voice made Max laugh in a way she hadn't in a while.

Meanwhile, Rachel was walking down the stairs to join whatever Chloe seemed to be doing, only to overhear all of the ridiculous pirate talk and laughter coming from the living room. A part of her wanted to feel jealous, putting her back into a headspace that was hard to escape without plenty of tears and yelling, but she was physically exhausted from all of that. She was really only doing it herself; no one else was making her feel like shit. Rachel had the chance now to join in, making herself a part of what Max and Chloe shared, even though it was incredibly daunting. It was worth a shot to try and change the trajectory of any friendship she was going to have with Max, though, and it had to happen soon, especially if the whole camper plan was going into action. She couldn't bear the thought of living with someone for a while only to have it be tense and awkward. It just wasn't worth it to her.

"What are you two scallywags talking about over here?" She leaned over the back of the couch, putting her arms loosely around Chloe's neck. Though, it was rather possessive and Max took notice.

Chloe seemed a bit surprised, smiling to herself looking like she was planning something. "Arrrggghhh!" She started to pretend like she was being choked out. "An intruder has come onto the ship! Batten down the hatches!" She gestured to Max before turning around to face Rachel. "I'll make this wench walk the plank."

Rachel raised her eyebrow. "Wench?"

"Arrr."

"You're such a dork." She lightly pushed Chloe back.

Max was starting to distance herself from Chloe and Rachel joking around, feeling a weird twinge of jealousy that had been only growing larger as time went on. She didn't like the feeling, and she wasn't going to let it damage any sort of friendship she had with either of them, but it was hard. That, and her visions including the other version of Chloe that she sacrificed to the storm, Max still wasn't as willing to quickly process everything like the other two seemed to have. Trying not to let her thoughts eat away at her any more, she made her way over to the clock on the wall over by the fireplace, noticing the time.

She nervously looked back over at Chloe, clearing her throat in discomfort. "Chloe, it's been over twenty minutes. You…told me to be ready…" She looked back up at the clock, now feeling like the attention was completely on her. Like she disrupted something. "...In twenty minutes."

"Yes!" She put her hand to her forehead, frustrated. "Shit, we're gonna be late. You two can wait in the truck, I–" Chloe was frantically moving around looking for something neither Max nor Rachel could figure out. She was in a hurry for one reason or another. "I need to grab something from my room."

Rachel looked at Chloe questioningly but because she didn't get a response, decidedly followed her request and went outside making her way to the truck. She was already feeling on edge knowing that even if she wasn't trying to cause it, there was an undeniable amount of tension held between her and Max. She wasn't going to let it get awkward. though. No. Just sitting in a quiet car with someone you were talking shit about. What could go wrong?

Max slowly followed behind, taking her time to get to the passengers side. Stepping in, it felt claustrophobic. More than usual.

"Did Chloe tell you what we're doing?"

"No." Max just shook her head, feeling slightly concerned at the fact that now Rachel seemed to be in on the plan. "She said it was a surprise."

Rachel laughed. "That…sounds like her. I guess I should keep it a surprise then, too."

At that moment, Chloe walked out the front door carrying something rather large, covered in an old red blanket. She could barely see where she was going; it was so big, taking up her entire wingspan. Rachel watched her the whole time trying to figure out what she was holding.

Chloe placed whatever mysterious surprise she had down in the bed of the truck, then got in the drivers side, proceeding to back out of the driveway. Nobody in the car spoke for a while. It was all a little strange.

As they were all driving to the parking lot where the camper was from yesterday, something in the bed made a loud clinking noise.

Rachel turned around to look, "Chlo–I think there's something wrong with your truck."

"What?" She took a glance in the rearview window. "I don't see anything."

"Then what was that noise?"

Chloe smirked. "A secret."

Max stayed quiet, enjoying the drive to a seemingly random part of Arcadia Bay. A more rural side. A place that seemed to have a completely different landscape compared to the town. It was slightly unusual, but what took her attention was how close Chloe and Rachel were acting. Their hands were held together the entire ride, with Rachel occasionally resting her head on Chloe's shoulder. But that wasn't the problem. Max felt like she was being left in the dark about everything, almost feeling excluded, even when she knew it wasn't true.

"Well," Chloe harshly pulled into the parking lot, whipping around the corner. "Here we are."

The three stepped out of the truck, left to wait for Tommy to arrive.

Max looked around, growing confused. "Is this the big surprise? An empty parking lot?"

Chloe was busy on her phone texting Tommy that they were there, leaving Rachel to go over and talk to Max. She tried and failed two times before that morning, and she knew she was avoiding Max on the ride here. It was starting to bother her more than she wanted to admit. She didn't hate her, and she didn't want to feel threatened by her anymore. But, little did she know that her attempts to get rid of that feeling resulted in her being overbearing with Chloe. Almost claiming her for herself, which in turn was making Max feel threatened. They desperately needed to talk about it.

Rachel sauntered over. "You're getting warmer."

Max tilted her head before looking around more. Nothing about this was making sense.

"Oh, ice cold." Rachel shook her head. 'C'mon Max, you're so close."

Max squinted in the distance only to notice the camper parked underneath some trees. Glimmering in the sun, waiting to be explored. Rachel went over and put her hand on her shoulder. "Well?"

Max's stomach instantly dropped. She could even see the for sale sign and everything. "Are you…buying that?"

"Maybe." Chloe shrugged as she began to walk over to them. She was trying way too hard to hide any sense of excitement she had. "But we have to make sure it's in good condition before we make any decisions."

Something on Max's face was a mixture of confusion and dread. Chloe and Rachel immediately noticed.

"Wanna go check it out?" Rachel glanced at Chloe, then to Max. She really was trying.

Max reluctantly nodded and they all made their way over to it.

"Wowsers." Max craned her neck upwards. "It's massive."

The camper wasn't just huge, it was…overwhelming. After all this time of trying to make everything right, trying to save Rachel and Chloe, dealing with the jury trial, and even her own mental health, this was extremely unexpected. Max didn't have a plan for the immediate future, not just because she was trying to make it through one day at a time, but because now her life had another person in it, Rachel, who was an entirely separate person with her own needs and wants. Previously, it was just Max and Chloe, a best friend duo that was inseparable. They were in it together. But now, Max had to navigate this a completely different dynamic, watching as it seemed like Rachel and Chloe had already made a decision. And it was a piece of metal that was staring at Max right in her face.

"Can't you see the three of us driving down to Santa Monica in this beast?" Chloe tapped the side, making the metal ring loudly. She was clearly envisioning a future that Max was intensely unaware of.

"Chloe, that sounds amazing but…" Max looked at both her and Rachel unsure of what to even say. "But I don't want to intrude. I mean, clearly this is your thing and I appreciate you bringing me here—"

Max was starting to back away, almost feeling a sense of rejection. She knew about Chloe and her plan to get out of Arcadia Bay with Rachel; it was one of her motives in trying to find her in the previous timeline. It wasn't that though, it was a combination of miscommunication and secrecy about something rather important that Max hated not knowing about. This plan involved all of them.

"Max Caulfield." Rachel narrowed her eyes. "Do you really think we would bring you all the way out here to show you this camper, just to leave without you? That would be hella rude."

"Yeah, Rachel's right. We would love for you to come with us, but…" Chloe put her hand on Max's shoulder. "It's up to you."

Rachel reached over, following Chloe's moves, trying to bridge the gap between her and Max. "And you don't have to decide right now. Think about it, yeah?"

Just then, a blue sedan pulled into the parking lot, driving closer to the three before parking nearby. Tommy. He stepped out before turning around to look for some paperwork he had brought. He had a tattooed sleeve on his left arm.

"Hey." He reached out to shake Chloe's hand, only appearing a little shocked to see more people showing up than he had thought.

"I'm Rachel." She reached out in greeting.

"Max."

He proceeded to shake their hands before pausing and taking a step back. "Now hold on there. Those names sound…familiar."

Chloe gave Rachel a concerned look.

"You're the three that escaped from that psycho serial killer, right? And the Prescotts?"

Chloe kicked some dirt around on the ground, not wanting to get deeper into the story for yet another time. "Something like that."

"I–I'm really sorry about that." He was starting to play with the papers in his hand. "That must have been terrible."

Tommy watched as the three were quickly becoming uncomfortable, deciding to change the subject by pulling out the set of keys for the camper. Nobody wanted to further talk about the past, and luckily, he understood.

"Right. So this is a 1998 Airstream Safari." He began to walk to the front door, starting to unlock it with the key. "Twenty-Five feet long. Brand new tires put on…I'd say maybe a few years ago. There's a working air conditioner and heater, depending on where you plan on taking it."

"California, actually." Chloe remarked.

"Is that so?" He opened the door, pausing on the first step. "Well, don't take out the heater just yet. You know how cold the desert gets at night." He laughed before gesturing for them all to enter.

Immediately upon entry, the camper seemed to be in bad condition. Though, it was expected. There were no furniture or decorations. If anything, it looked completely demolished. Rachel clutched onto Chloe's arm, following her inside. There was quite a bit of work to be done, evident with it looking severely outdated and a bit run down, however it was definitely large enough for three people to comfortably live. Max hung back, leaning in the door frame.

"Now, I will be honest, this thing is in rough shape." Tommy pointed to the missing cabinet doors and chipped wood. "It was passed down in my family, and you know, over the years has seen some wear and tear." It was completely stripped down, almost like someone got a little too overconfident about remodeling it and decided to quit before they even started. In other words, there was a lot of opportunity to design it however they wanted.

"The gas stove needs to be repaired, as well as…" He walked to the bathroom, pointing to the mildew on the floor. "A total gut job for the bathroom."

"Yikes." Rachel muttered under her breath.

Chloe leaned against the kitchen counter behind her. "What happened here?"

The bathroom was completely pitted out. While everything was still intact for the most part, it was disgusting. It wouldn't be a huge problem to fix, mostly just a lot of disinfectant and cleaner, but it would take a while to get rid of all of the problems it had. It was really small too, maybe four feet deep with a tiny shower tucked away.

"A flood, actually." Tommy sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "So as you can assume, it does have some water damage."

Water damage wasn't the only problem. It was becoming clear that this was a costly project, one that Rachel was definitely feeling unsure about. She watched Chloe thinking meticulously, watching each gear turn inside her head about everything that was being said. It was amusing to see her try and figure out all the problems. Meanwhile, Max had made her way inside and was busy snooping around, opening cabinets and hidden compartments that were by the front end.

"So if you were to fix all of this…" Chloe crossed her arms. "How difficult do you think it would be?"

"Well," Tommy laughed, "It's definitely going to be hard work, but I think you could do it. If anything, I'm the most hesitant about the flooring."

He pointed down at the plywood that laid beneath them. It was slightly damp in some areas, sinking in others, and was turning black around the edges. Chloe stood back to think. She knew she could do it, maybe bring David into it to help. She shuddered at the thought. Their relationship was extremely strained, even if he did help at the lighthouse and try to protect Max from the police station. He still wasn't the most friendly person ever since, though.

"The floors will need to be ripped out completely," Tommy gestured to the corners. "As you can see it's starting to rot there. You would probably use a composite type flooring—like vinyl. As well as some kind of moisture barrier around the entire trim."

"Is that expensive to do?"

"Depends. If I had to guess, maybe a grand?" Tommy glanced over at Max who was still inspecting the main seating area up front. "But, I'm going to let you three look around without some old guy in your business. If you have any questions, I'll just be right outside." He stepped out the door only to close it shut behind him.

Rachel ran her hand across the counter, covered in a thick layer of dust and dirt. "Chlo, this looks like a lot of work. I think we should find a different one."

Chloe looked at her with such a sad expression on her face that Rachel reached up and held her face, rubbing her thumb across her cheek.

"I still want to do this, I just…" Rachel looked around the camper. "This is going to cost a hell of a lot more money to repair than what we're paying for it."

"Maybe I can get him to lower the price."

It was a hopeful wish, one that seemed a little naïve, but Chloe wasn't going to stop at making this plan a reality. She had no idea what it was going to look like inside yesterday, expecting something a little nicer than what was presented. There was still an entire secret project she had been working on that was covered in the back of her truck, waiting to be revealed. Now, it appeared like that wasn't going to happen, or at least how she thought it would. In all of her research online, nothing prepared her for the disaster that lay in front of her very own eyes.

In the meantime, Max had made her way to the back end of the camper where the bedroom was. There was an old mattress, but other than that it was completely bare. The water damage did only seem to affect the bathroom and not any other area, which was a good sign. However, there was a lot to be installed. New lighting. Definitely a new mattress. New cabinets, paint, trim. And unless they all wanted to share the same bed, Max was going to have to sleep up front, leaving the seating area to be a convertible bed, adding to the cost. She sighed before walking back out into the main area to meet with Chloe and Rachel.

"Find anything back there?"

"No." Max shrugged. "Unless you think a gross old mattress is exciting."

Chloe raised her eyebrow suggestively at Rachel, who only rolled her eyes back.

"So what do you think, Max?" Rachel walked closer to Max only after noticing her reluctance. She definitely felt the same way about the whole thing, too. "Does the idea of all of us traveling down to Cali sound fun? Even just a little bit?"

"Yeah, it does." Max smiled to herself. She really did want to go through with it, even if it wasn't in this specific camper to begin with. "It really does."

"But…" Chloe added, feeling like Max had more to say. Oh, she did.

"But there's so much to plan if we actually go through with it. What are my parents going to think?" She looked at her, "They were cool with me staying at your house, but this…this is gonna make them freak."

"So don't tell them." Chloe shrugged.

"Or you can tell them that you're not doing it alone…" Rachel reached over to gather Chloe and Max in some kind of group huddle. "And that we have a plan. Right, Chlo?"

"Right. There's no way this will backfire on us. I'll make sure of it."

Max still wasn't feeling relieved. "What about school? Blackwell? College?"

"I've got that covered too, Mad Max. I already looked up how to install internet and shit in here, so you can do it online if you want."

The air went still as Max didn't initially respond. Chloe glanced at Rachel with a worried expression washing across her face, concerned that she said something wrong. Maybe she said too much. Maybe not enough. Should she keep talking?

Max started to laugh to herself, breaking the silence. The two were holding their breath waiting for her to say something.

"You're so crazy, Chloe." She shook her head, before looking up at her happily. "I love it."

Chloe let out a long exhale, grasping onto the countertop to steady herself, with Rachel starting to feel the weight lifting off her shoulders.

"Thank God." She laughed in relief. "I've been mentally preparing myself all day for you to say no." She reached over to her, embracing her in a hug. "I don't even know what I would've done if you didn't want to come with us."

"That would never happen, Chloe. Never."

"Good."

After seeing everything the camper seemed to offer, they all walked out to meet up with Tommy again, who was leaning against a tree on his phone. There was a lot to talk about.

"So, do you have any questions…concerns…anything?" He put his phone away, meeting the three halfway. He couldn't quite read their expressions.

"The concern is the price." Rachel harshly said with her arms crossed.

Tommy narrowed his eyes on her. "You do realize that these campers sell for upwards of fifty grand, right?"

"So?" Rachel stepped back, only for Chloe to take over. She couldn't let anyone talk to her like that, even if his intentions weren't that bad. "The inside is a total shit pit, Tommy."

"I know. Look, I tried to list it for a good deal but…" He looked around nervously, fidgeting with the paperwork that he was holding onto the entire time. "I'm going to do something I promised I was never going to do. So listen up."

Chloe, Rachel, and Max all simultaneously looked at each other concerned as to where it was headed.

"With you three going through what you went through, I feel like it's my due diligence…or something like that…" He grimaced at himself. The guy had an air of awkwardness to him, not necessarily uncomfortable, but in a way that appeared like he was trying to fit in with 'today's youth' a bit too hard. "I'm going to offer you a better deal. You're young, you should live life to the fullest right now. Not deal with whatever shit you just had happen." He pointed his hand up to the 'for sale' sign. "I'm going to lower the price down to ten thousand."

Chloe froze. She was hoping to try for a thousand or two, not five thousand dollars knocked off. This was huge.

"Hopefully that should help cover some of the cost of the repairs."

"Shit, Tommy. Are you sure about that?"

Rachel gave Chloe a look to prompt her to stop talking because she could potentially ruin a good thing. She didn't want him to take back the deal, even if it didn't seem like it was going to happen.

"I'm completely serious." He turned around to gesture to Chloe's truck. "That's your truck right?"

She nodded proudly. "Yeah, I actually fixed it up from the junkyard."

"See what I mean? You can absolutely repair any issue this Airstream has. I have no doubt in my mind."

Chloe stayed back, anxiously tapping her foot on the ground. "But there's a bit of a problem…"

Tommy tilted his head, confused.

"We don't have the cash right now to buy it."

"So you were just wasting my time then? Is that what this is?"

"No? I–" Chloe started to get heated, getting closer to Tommy before Rachel pulled her back by her arm.

"I'm just giving you shit, Chloe." He laughed, making Rachel glare at him. "Here, I'll do you even better. I really don't want to deal with this camper anymore. It's taking up space and I'm tired of paying fees just to sell it." He started to walk over to the 'for sale' sign on the window. "So, how about I take off the sign and hold it at my house until you're ready to pay." He ripped off the sign. "You seem pretty adamant about it, and I'm willing to take the risk that you won't ever pay me back."

Chloe looked at Rachel for some indication of going through with the offer, but she remained silent.

"Give me until August. Three months and the money will be yours." Chloe confidently stated.

Rachel stepped back, shocked. Max was speechless the entire time. She didn't realize anyone was actually going to buy it, let alone Chloe being so sure about it. There were so many problems, so many repairs that needed to be done to the camper that it not only seemed like a rushed decision, but it was ridiculous.

"Alright. I can handle that." Tommy smiled before reaching out his hand to Chloe. "Pleasure doing business with you." They both shook hands. "And you have my number, so if anything happens, or…whatever…just let me know."

"I will." Chloe waved as Tommy made his way back to his sedan, carrying the 'for sale' sign under his right arm. She was beaming with excitement before turning to Rachel, immediately making her change her expression.

"Are you serious?" She hissed. "Chloe, what are you doing?"

"Getting us out of Arcadia Bay for good. Just like you wanted." She narrowed her eyes at her before reaching over to her earring to play with it, trying to lighten the mood, but Rachel was finding it annoying. She pushed her arm away.

"What, do we get any say in this?" Rachel gestured to Max. "Or is it reserved for only Chloe Price?" She huffed, crossing her arms.

"God, Rach! Of course you two get a say in it!" Chloe groaned. "I'm going to explain everything. You just—" She was suddenly acting nervous, glancing between the two and the back of her truck. "You just have to trust me."

"Alright, fine." Rachel sighed before throwing up her arms in frustration. "I don't want to argue."

"Let's go, you two." Chloe was already walking back to her truck, waving for Rachel and Max to follow her. "It's time for part two of the plan."


Rachel was beginning to feel a knot in her stomach as she watched Chloe drive into the Culmination State Park. The same park she took her to the first day they spent together. Standing up at the overlook, looking in through the viewfinder, playing a game where they would come up with stories about the people down below. Laughing and enjoying the little moments they had together. That was all until Rachel saw her dad kissing a strange woman beneath the tree, a woman that was definitely not her mom. Or so she thought. It shook her to her core, changing the course of the next three days indefinitely.

The park held a lot of uncomfortable feelings for her, especially since it was completely burned down in a forest fire that she caused. An impulsive, irrational decision made in rage over a life that was destroying itself right in front of her eyes. A sense of comfort she confided in, a father she trusted and loved so dearly. That day forever changed Rachel in ways she didn't always want to think about, as so much went downhill after it. So much that didn't even involve her, until it did.

Three years later, there was evidence of nature starting to repair itself since then, but the park was never going to be the same for a very, very long time. In the end, it all pointed back to Rachel.

It was precisely the reason why she didn't come here often, since that particular day still seemed to haunt her memories, clinging onto the past with vengeance. It felt like no matter where Rachel went, or who she was around, problematic events followed her, almost like some cosmic energy didn't want her to be happy. Everything was such an uphill battle, fighting for what she wanted her life to look like, even if it had changed drastically since she was fifteen.

The park seemed to be flooded with people in all corners. Families having mid-day picnics, students taking time during their summer break to get some fresh air, and couples holding hands as they walk along the path.

"Out of all of the places in Arcadia Bay you could've gone," Rachel leaned back in the seat with her arms crossed, watching as Chloe seemed to be hitting every bump in the road as she made her way well into the park. "Why here?"

Chloe smirked. "I thought it would spark something in you."

"Oh, I'll show you a deadly spark." Rachel lightly pushed her in the arm.

"Yeah? Just…try not to burn down the whole forest again, okay?"

"I didn't mean to. It was an accident."

Chloe laughed to herself. "Uh huh. Sure." She put her arm around Rachel, drawing her closer. "My little arsonist."

"Woah Rachel," Max had been zoned out the entire car ride to the park, but quickly came back to reality after hearing the conversation the two were having. "You did that?"

"What? Burned down the whole park?" She turned around to face Max. "You could say that I...got a little heated."

A growing smile was appearing on both Chloe and Rachel's faces, almost an inside joke now that they shared, but Max sat frozen in shock. It was something she was definitely not aware of, only making her grow more curious about the entire situation, but decided to hold back. She didn't have to be so nosy all the time.

Pulling into an open space underneath a large tree covered in shade, Chloe parked the truck and the three got out. Part two of the mysterious plan Chloe made was underway, and for the most part, neither Rachel nor Max had any idea what was to come.

Rachel and Max decided to sit down on the grass as Chloe stood up by the bed of her truck preparing something she kept trying to hide all morning. She was acting so confusing and strange, especially leading up to this exact moment. Max was trying so desperately to just go along with it all, not try to question anything. It was becoming rather difficult, though.

Chloe cleared her throat.

"Ladies and…" She looked around. "No gentlemen. I now present to you…" Chloe reached down in the bed to move a few blankets out of the way, grabbing a janky piece of cardboard covered in drawings and maps. "Chloe's Crazy Plan!"

Rachel choked out a laugh.

"Now, this is a once in a lifetime experience. A plan so crazy…you might need to go to therapy."

Rachel squinted at the board, not sure what to think of it. "When the hell did you do all this?"

Chloe winked back. "Don't worry about it, Rach."

Rachel and Max just looked at each other in complete confusion. If this was the 'secret' she was hiding all morning, things were about to get interesting.

"This is the camper. And this is how much it costs." Chloe pointed to the printed out pictures on the board. "Actually, wait. Let me fix that." She scribbled out the original price with a pen, then looked at both of them, eyes glimmering. "So, you might be wondering, 'Oh, Chloe, how ever will we pay for it?'" She put on this weird voice only for the two sitting down to laugh. "Well, don't you two lovely ladies worry about that one. Because I've got a plan. A crazy plan, if you will."

"Oh my God." Max groaned, hiding her face behind her hands in embarrassment. "Chloe—"

"The minimum wage in the beautiful state of Oregon is exactly $8.95." Chloe pointed to another paper. "And one place that pays that amount is none other than the Two Whales Diner." She pointed again to another sheet, printed out poorly with faded ink of the Diner's logo. "Sooo…there's three of us. We work…five days a week for three months. So $8.95 times three, times five…"

While Chloe was busy doing the math inside her head, gesturing and making little noises out loud as she thought, Max stood up to look closer at the board. It was so random and unexpected, but she couldn't help to think that it was rather endearing. Chloe had clearly put in some effort into making it, taking time out of her day to research and print out everything, let alone design it into a poster.

"It would be around $13k." Chloe finally answered. "And that's not including tips."

For the first time in a long time, Max watched as Chloe was genuinely happy about something. It wasn't just a little art project or a joke, she genuinely meant everything she was saying.

"That's a lot of money. Money that we don't have right now." Rachel added.

"So we would have to work eight hour shifts…" Max closed her eyes to think. "...for five days a week, for three months?" She shook her head. None of it wasn't adding up. "Chloe, that seems like a lot. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea, it's just…"

"Max is right, Chlo. Either you fucked up the math somehow, or you really expect us to work that long."

Chloe let out an exasperated sigh. "Rude. I didn't fuck up the math."

"You still have to repair it, you know." Rachel narrowed her eyes on her. "Who knows how long that'll even take."

"Obviously, Rach." Chloe crossed her arms, leaning back on her truck. "Yeah, it might take a little longer than I thought, but we'll be out of here by the end of the year. I can promise you that."

A moving goalpost. It wasn't exactly what anyone wanted to hear, but it would have to do for the time being. Chloe was pulling out all of the stops to persuade Rachel and Max that she was taking this seriously. The stupid cardboard presentation was merely a means to a way. It wasn't really that serious. Besides, nobody was even looking at it closely, appreciating the horrid drawings she did because it was done in the middle of the night.

Rachel stood up to get closer. "Then what? Do you even know how to fix it? I want to trust you so badly, I…I just don't want to get my hopes up again."

Chloe reached out to hold her in her arms. "I'm going to work my ass off to get it done, however long it takes. Even if I have to make Dick-tator David help me." She leaned over to kiss the top of her head.

"Max," Chloe gestured to her, who still wasn't acting like she knew what to do with herself whenever Rachel was around. They would all have to work on that, but Max was stubborn. "Why don't you grab the other surprise from the truck…it's underneath the pile of blankets in the back."

Max walked around to the side, only to uncover a glass container with a label attached to it saying 'Bye-Bye Arcadia Bay'. She laughed to herself before carrying it back over. "Is this it?"

Chloe nodded. "This is where we'll put all the money we make. As you can see…we have a ways to go."

Max thought for a moment. She did have a bit of money saved up for her senior year at Blackwell, as well as the possibility of getting her parents to chip in a bit. Maybe they didn't all have to work for countless hours all summer. "Hey, I have some money from my savings I could chip in."

"Me too." Rachel added, referring to the cash she had kept from when Chloe stole it from Drew's dorm. She had it locked away in a desperate, lost hope of leaving. "I may or may not have a few thousand stashed away."

Chloe's eyes widened. "You still have it? Are you serious?"

"Yeah," Rachel nodded before glancing around the park. She was looking for something, eyes scanning the immediate area. "I knew how much it meant to you, so I hid it somewhere neither of us would want to go so we wouldn't spend it."

Chloe followed her gaze, growing slightly concerned. "So where is it?"

"Do you have a shovel?"

"No, I…" Chloe choked out a laugh. "I don't have a shovel."

Rachel turned around. "Max?"

"Shovel-less." She shrugged.

"Damn."

"Why do you need a shovel, Rach? Are you planning on burying us or some shit?" Chloe was trying to lighten the mood, but it didn't seem to be working. Rachel was way too distracted.

"No." She shook her head. "If you go down, I'm going down with you."

Max winced at the thought.

"Sorry, too soon?" Rachel sighed. It felt like she was always walking on eggshells around Max. "No, I buried the money here. At this exact spot, actually." She started to walk around the area, looking closer at the surroundings. "This is the tree I burned down, remember? I snuck over here one night and stuck it somewhere…Of course, I don't remember now…"

Chloe frowned. "It's been three years. Someone probably stole it, Rachel."

"Hindsight's twenty twenty. I see now why that wasn't the best idea." She glanced back up. "So are you going to help me look, or are you just going to stand there and look pretty?"

Chloe rolled her eyes before making her way over.

"You too, Max. I need all the help I can get."

They all started digging around in the dirt, anxiously trying to find the supposed money that was buried. Making patches in the grass, dirt flying everywhere. Some passerbyers gave them disapproving looks at the sight that was in front of them. It did look a bit strange, though, especially with the fact that it was a public state park and they could get in big trouble if anyone turned them in.

"It's like we're plundering secret treasure." Chloe muttered, not thinking anyone would hear her.

Rachel winked. "Buckle swash."

As the search continued, it was starting to look hopeless. The money wasn't really a necessity for the plan as Chloe's idea to work at the diner was going to be enough, but the fact that thousands of dollars was hidden somewhere in the park was making them all feel a bit desperate. Who could say no to buried treasure?

Max was beginning to lose hope, frantically trying to help, until something caught her eye. At first, it made her step back as the sight was eerily similar to the one in the junkyard. A small corner of plastic poked out beneath the soil.

"Hey, I–I think I found something." She mumbled as her hands were buried in the dirt. She had found a ziploc bag with a white envelope inside. It looked promising.

Chloe and Rachel made their way over to investigate as Max took the bag out. It was slightly damp and completely covered in mud, indicating the wear and tear of it being years since anyone last saw it. She handed the envelope over to Rachel to open, only watching as she pulled out a large stack of cash. Easily two thousand dollars, if not more.

"Holy shit, you actually found it. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it looks like you have another superpower, Max." She nudged her in the side.

Chloe stood up, brushing the dirt off herself, before making her way back to the truck to grab the money container. They were all a little shocked to have found anything, let alone the actual envelope. Luckily the area that it could have been in wasn't that big, so eventually they would have found something.

"And I have…" Chloe dug in her pockets for change, only to pull out a few coins. "Eighty-six cents." She put it in the container. "That's right. Livin' large in Arcadia Bay."

"We all have to start somewhere." Max added.

"Damn straight." Chloe put the envelope in the container and closed it shut, before making her way back to the truck to continue her plan. She flipped the cardboard over to show the other side.

Rachel immediately laughed after noticing the drawings. "Chloe–"

"This is the exact route we will follow down to Santa Monica." Chloe interrupted, smiling. "It's a fairly straight shot there. Head down Highway 101 along the coast as promised. Go through San Francisco…"

"No," Rachel stood up, shaking her head. "I'm more concerned about these drawings of yours…" She was trying so desperately to hold back from laughing any more. "Were you drunk when you made this? These—"

"Are amazing, you mean? You know what they say, most artists work best at night."

"So you did do this last night! Ha!" Rachel poked Chloe in the arm, grinning. "That makes so much more sense now."

"What?" Chloe furrowed her brows. "Why?"

"You didn't fall asleep after like you usually do." Rachel suggestively winked. Max knew they were touchier than usual that morning, and now it was all making sense. Huh.

Chloe blushed. "I wanted you to know that I was serious. Even if I couldn't see jack shit when I made this."

Rachel laughed. "It's cute. Especially this one." She pointed to a group picture in front of the camper Chloe drew with an old crayon. "Really loving your interpretation of me. Very artistic." She nudged Chloe in the side.

"I like to stick to realism."

"Maybe you should lower your expectations."

Chloe cleared her throat to try and change the subject. "Okay, so I did good? We like Chloe's Crazy Plan?"

"We love it." Max smiled.

"We love crazy Chloe," Rachel reached up to kiss Chloe on the cheek, arms around her neck. "And her plan."

"Well, thank fuck for that." Chloe began to put everything away in the bed of the truck, now feeling rather relieved about everything. "Because, honestly, after all the work I put into this plan, if you'd asked me to choose between it and you two, I can't guarantee I wouldn't have picked the one made out of metal."

She shut the back door before pulling out two cigarettes for herself and Rachel. "And now," The lighter flicked and a spark ignited. "We can all be hella best friends forever."

Max laughed. "You know, it does have a nice ring to it."