All we have to do is walk in, and head straight to the counter.
Chloe was anxiously tapping the steering wheel in a rhythmic pattern, letting the time pass slowly with the minutes ticking by on the clouded little clock that was next to the radio. It wasn't even showing the right time, and probably never was the whole time she had driven the truck, but she got so used to looking at it that she knew what time it was regardless of what it showed. Rachel and Max were sitting beside her in her truck that had been parked just outside of the Two Whales Diner. They were all waiting for Chloe's word to finally go inside, but she remained silent the whole time. Nerves were running high, affecting each individual differently, as no one really knew what to expect.
With the meeting about the camper that was for sale already done with, it was now time for the second installment of Chloe's plan: acquiring the cash to actually buy it. She had even made a little presentation, feeling confident in her abilities to actually make it all work. But there was so much waiting on today, especially since Chloe had never brought up any of her ideas to Joyce previously. She kept it hidden from everyone except Rachel and Max; anyone else came second, regardless of who they were. Chloe was desperately trying to wait for the perfect time to show up to the diner and talk to her mom about the plan for the three of them to work as waitresses. She didn't have another plan or any other better ideas. It was all riding on this moment.
In the meantime, Rachel and Max were staying back, allowing Chloe to do whatever she was planning on doing without getting in her way. Neither of them spoke while they were all waiting in the truck, mostly out of feeling how on edge Chloe seemed. It was sudden, and a complete change from the person she was several days ago when she was completely adamant about buying the camper. Even if Chloe had wanted any help, though it was not expressed, they wouldn't necessarily know how. It was on her to figure it all out, which in turn was only making Chloe more stressed.
Just walk in…
Tension was thick in the air, weighing them all down as they exited the truck, beginning to make their way into the diner. The doors slammed shut, making an audible impact. With the bright sun in full force, the ground below was heated to unseasonable temperatures for June. A loud semi-truck roared past on the road nearby, drowning out the sound of the morning and random pedestrians that were loitering outside. The diner wasn't as busy as it usually was, at least by what Chloe could tell in the parking lot and how many cars were parked there, however, she had planned for that. She had consistently driven over every morning—when she could remember—to watch the exterior of the diner for a while to see what the environment was like. She kept notes in her head about the busiest times, the people that entered and when they left, and what were Joyce's busiest times where she would be the most preoccupied. Rachel and Max had no idea that she was doing this over the past week, and she wasn't going to bring it up either. Some things had to remain secrets. For now. While it was extremely time consuming, costing Chloe hours of her day to what most people would simply call people watching, it was all in an effort to make sure her plan worked out. In her mind, there was no other option. If she couldn't keep everyone happy, no one could, she assumed.
She wouldn't admit it out loud, but the plan to leave Arcadia Bay was the only thing that was keeping Chloe holding onto any hope of a better life. She was quickly approaching a crisis, even if her behavior seemed rather extreme a couple of days ago; a combination of manic happiness and recklessly agreeing to plans that were going to be difficult to ever back out of. She was dealing with more problems than she was sharing, and it was starting to become rather apparent as the time went on.
…and go to the counter.
With the door creaking open upon entry, the three casually made their way up to the front counter where Joyce was standing. The inside of the diner was exceptionally quiet, with the only sounds appearing from the jukebox on the other end playing some oldies music. A few older truckers were seated on the stools up front, enjoying their breakfast and steaming hot coffee. Joyce had been writing something down behind the counter, not noticing anyone else around. Chloe assumed that it was probably an order she had taken, maybe she made a mistake, but it was taking longer than usual. Chloe looked back at Rachel and Max, almost hoping that they would try to say something so she wouldn't always have to be the one to do the uncomfortable work, but it was her idea to begin with. Fuck.
She took a deep breath before approaching the counter.
"Hey, mom–"
Joyce looked up, appearing startled.
"Chloe?"
She peered around her daughter, only noticing the extra company she seemed to bring along.
"Rachel…and Max? You know you can just sit at a booth. I'll be right over." She gestured to the other side of the diner where nearly every single booth was empty.
Joyce could immediately notice how nervous they all looked, but went back to what she was previously doing in hopes someone was going to explain. Chloe shook her head as she watched her mom seemingly ignore her and become preoccupied in the task at hand. It was quickly becoming frustrating. She reached over and put her hand on the counter, trying to get her attention.
"No, we're not here for food. We…need to talk." Her voice was quiet, careful not to draw the attention of anyone else around.
Joyce reluctantly put her notebook away in the front pocket of her apron, giving all of her attention to Chloe. "Well, you're in luck as the diner isn't too busy right now. Go ahead."
There was a tightness that was appearing in Chloe's throat, a kind that wasn't just constricting, but was making her feel like she was choking. Nothing about the conversation she was about to have was going to be a big deal; she knew her mom well enough to know that she probably wasn't going to care. But, there was a small amount of guilt that was slowly making itself known as the days went on. Chloe could be overbearing about things she wanted, and the plan she carefully created was evidence of that. She was feeling herself crash hard from the aftermath of making a decision with Tommy that she couldn't undo. She wanted the camper, she wanted to leave with Rachel and Max, and she wanted to make new memories with people that didn't include being in Arcadia Bay. However, the stress was becoming consuming, almost feeling like she was taking on too much responsibility for something that was going to be more difficult than what she was ever able to do on her own.
Joyce was waiting, though was appearing more impatient as the time went on without anyone saying anything.
"We want to work here. All three of us." Chloe gestured to Rachel and Max, who had now made their way up to the counter alongside her. "Just for the summer."
She could feel herself holding her breath. A part of her almost wanted to just leave and forget this entire conversation for another time.
Joyce was taken aback. "In all my years of working here, you've never expressed to me that you wanted to work at the diner. You would always stand back with a ten foot pole if I ever asked."
"I know…but this time is different. We're going to be serious about it."
"I'm sure you will be, because we don't tolerate any funny business around here. The Two Whales Diner has a reputation, of sorts." She glanced around the diner at the three customers that were comfortably minding their own business, finding the morning paper more exciting than three teenage girls asking for a job.
The reputation in question didn't really exist, but Joyce wasn't wrong for being cautious. Aside from Max, she knew over the years the kind of trouble Chloe and Rachel had been in, and everything that had happened since the end of April wasn't any different. The potential of one of them disrupting the atmosphere and making Joyce's job more laborious than it already was, either by not doing what they were supposed to be doing or even worse, not showing up at all, was too much to think about. They all unfortunately had to regain her trust again, and it was making her feel reluctant to even consider it.
Max stepped forward to the counter with her arms crossed, joining Chloe. "We understand, Joyce. No funny business."
"Well…" Chloe glanced down at Max, raising her eyebrow at her.
Joyce immediately gave her a look that indicated that she was clearly not in the mood to joke around.
"Right," Chloe sighed, "No funny or unfunny business." She was starting to feel frustrated at where this conversation was headed.
"May I ask why you want to work here?" Joyce leaned across the counter. "This all seems so sudden."
"We were planning on going to Santa Monica." She cleared her throat, nervousness bursting at the seams. "To live there."
Chloe glanced over at Rachel, who reached over to grab her arm in support. She was still letting Chloe do her thing, but she could already tell something was going on with her from the minute they walked in the diner. It was more of a feeling than anything, a silent intuition she carried about her. She couldn't help but wonder what was going on inside her head all the time, and she often felt that way. Chloe Price was a mystery; one she still struggled to figure out years later. There was so much that she hid from the world. So much that needed to be shared.
Joyce stepped back, taking a minute to process what was just said. From everything she assumed Chloe would be bringing up to talk about, that wasn't even on the list.
"And when were you going to tell me this? Chloe, this seems disastrous."
"Mom, I've got it handled. We already talked to this guy about a camper, and–"
"A camper?" Joyce rubbed her hand against her forehead. "You've already been through enough lately, haven't you? When are you ever going to just relax for once."
"I've been relaxed!" She struck her fists against the countertop, getting a glare from the nearby trucker. "We all want this. Nothing bad is going to happen."
Joyce just shook her head. It was all so much to take in. She didn't know the whole story yet, including everything from budgeting, to repairs, to what any of their lives would look like in the future. Chloe could feel her heart becoming heavy, watching as her mom appeared to be refusing to go along with her plan. It was unexpected and unlike her, making it hurt only more so. Rachel and Max stood nearby, but they weren't saying anything. It felt like everything was crumbling at the seams. Maybe Chloe shouldn't have spent so much time during the week watching the diner like a hawk, wasting all of her time and energy on getting the timing right for her mom to agree to the plan. Maybe the entire plan was a useless idea to begin with, one that seemed better in thought than in action. Maybe this was a mistake from the start.
"Please. Just let us help out around here for a few months." Chloe was pleading, reaching out across the counter, only for Joyce to walk away ignoring her. She went into another area of the diner, completely disappearing from everyone's sight. To Chloe, she was done for. "Mom…"
"Hey," Rachel leaned in to get closer, wrapping herself around her waist. "Maybe we can try somewhere else. The plan hasn't failed, Chlo."
Her eyes were sympathetic, holding an amount of understanding that Chloe hadn't seen in a while. But there wasn't another option for her. There wasn't anywhere else she wanted to go. Half the reason she wanted to work at the diner was because her own mother was the waitress there, and had been for years. She knew that she could get out of a lot of annoying tasks and odd jobs for that reason alone, and that definitely couldn't happen at any other job. It was a cheap attempt at getting out of working hard like the rest of the world, and by the looks of it, was failing right in front of her.
"Yeah, I mean, it's summer. I'm sure a lot of touristy places are hiring right now." Max added, even if she had no idea if it would help. Aside from the other two, she was in no hurry to find any sort of job, only agreeing to the diner because it seemed like that's what Chloe wanted. She didn't care what anyone decided to do, actually. Max was just along for the ride.
Casually making her way around the corner, Joyce appeared from one of the back rooms carrying a handful of aprons. At least that's what it looked like from a distance. The three just stood there staring at each other, not quite knowing what to say. They didn't want to believe that they could be for them. It had to be a mistake, right?
"Here," She placed the aprons on the countertop for them to take and tie on. Chloe was speechless, reluctantly grabbing one feeling like there was still a catch. "You can help clean the tables and organize the stock in the back for a little while. I have to take care of a few customers first."
Joyce was already heading back to the kitchen, ready to fulfill the orders she was waiting on, but turned around at the last minute almost appearing like she had forgotten something.
"And, Chloe," She looked at her daughter straight in the face, tapping the countertop in a way to serve as a reminder to her before walking away, "We need to talk about this later."
"Of course."
The three made their way to the back of the diner where all of the promised stocked food was. There was a wire shelf with some canned goods, alongside some lockers. Barely five cans of anything. So much for inventory. A refrigerator was tucked away in a corner next to the cleaning supplies. Nobody quite knew where to begin, or what went where. It was a bit of a disaster.
"Believe it or not, I've actually been back here before." Max muttered under her breath. She wasn't even sure if anyone was listening, but it was better than the silence that was taking hold. She stood in the middle of the room with Rachel, both watching Chloe wander around aimlessly. "Although, it's definitely better when there's not a huge tornado coming to wipe out the whole town."
Chloe had made her way over by the canned goods, stacking them in a manner that Joyce was going to be annoyed with later. She was acting disinterested, even though everything she wanted to happen, like working at the diner, was happening. She should be feeling excited that it was all working out according to plan. Not whatever this was.
She sighed. "You know, I'd rather not think about being trapped in a diner if that storm ever happens."
Max wasn't very talkative about her time in October ever since she initially opened up about it. It wasn't necessarily intentional, she just felt like the more she brought it up, the more everyone else around her acted weird about it. She could never quite tell if they thought she was crazy, or maybe it was too much to wrap their heads around. Either way, there were no discussions about anything, which left Chloe and Rachel to awkwardly dance around conversations with her. But, there was so much that still could happen, and Rachel didn't like the idea of it at all.
"Do you think it will?"
"I hope not." Max sighed heavily. This was a conversation she was dreading; trying to put off the entire time she was back in Arcadia Bay. "But, the good news is that no matter what happened, neither of you were in here with me."
"Right," Rachel nodded, grinning to herself as she was lost in thought. "I was probably hanging out in the afterlife, avoiding all of the freak natural disasters that you were causing. Sounds like a win to me." She winked.
Chloe turned around, frowning. "Uh–what?"
"You heard me. And by the sound of it, you were with me too. So win-win."
Max shook her head. "Not then…Chloe was up at the lighthouse waiting for me."
"Oh."
Max was starting to pace around the room, thinking to herself. It wasn't the most enjoyable experience she had in this particular stock room, as just her trying to enter the diner during the storm was difficult enough. Hell, one of the times it blew up from a trail of gasoline lit from fire, only to be stopped by yet another rewind. The more she was back there, the more she could hear the wind rattling against the windows; the screams of people outside running for their lives. The tornado only got closer and closer as everyone was preparing for the worst, knowing that it was probably going to be their last day alive. It was horrifying.
"But I don't even know if I caused the tornado, Rachel." Max slowly walked over to the corner near the loading dock where trucks would deliver the food, only to find a stack of newspapers all dated recently. Before, the front page featured an article written by Juliet Watson about the bullying problem at Blackwell. This time, it was something much different. It was about the Prescotts. Max almost forgot to finish speaking, becoming distracted by the news. "...That's the problem."
"Wouldn't it be funny if I made it happen somehow?" Rachel was leaned up against the wall, apparently not wanting to do anything else. "If I did, then I would call it something badass like…" She held up her hands to visualize whatever was in her mind. "'Rachel's Revenge'."
A small laugh was heard from the corner where Max was standing.
"Okay, no." Chloe harshly turned around, glaring at her. "That's enough, Rach."
"What, you don't like the name?"
"No, I don't want to hear you joke about being dead." Chloe's tone was biting, creating an uneasy tension in the room. "I don't even want to think about me or you being anywhere else but here. Max, that was a shitty thing to bring up. Thanks." She sighed.
Max turned around, only to be more confused. She was so lost in reading the newspaper that she wasn't even aware of anything else going on around her. ' Gone Without A Trace: The Sudden Disappearance of the Prescotts ' was written in bold lettering across the front page. Dated five days ago from today.
"That was a bit harsh, Chloe," Rachel narrowed her eyes on her. "Don't you think?"
She didn't respond.
"Chloe?"
Still nothing. She was giving her the silent treatment. Rachel rolled her eyes.
"C'mon, Max," Rachel was making her way over to the girl that was tuning the whole world out, distracted in reading something probably irrelevant, she assumed. "Joyce said we could clean the tables."
Max was feeling sick. Any voices around her turned to an echo, a muddied version of words.
Breaking News: The Infamous Prescott Dynasty Vanishes Amidst Controversy
The publicly admired and notorious Prescott family left Arcadia Bay without a trace late Saturday evening, igniting fear in the public of potential vendetta. Following the high-profile trial where three teenage girls accused the Prescotts of kidnapping and harrowing drugging at a family owned facility, Sean Prescott and his son, Nathan, have not been located by the local police. They are considered armed and dangerous. Law enforcement urges all residents to stay vigilant, and to report any sightings or potential leads to them immediately.
"I'm sorry. I–" Chloe looked down at the floor sheepishly. She was acting way too random. "What are we doing?"
The room felt like it was being held together at the seams. Rachel could feel herself holding her breath.
"What do you mean? We're following your plan."
"I know," Chloe shook her head. "Sorry, I don't know what I'm talking about."
Rachel walked even closer to her, steadily growing more concerned. "Is everything okay? You're acting hella weird." She reached over to grab Chloe's arm, only to be met with little interest back.
"Yeah," Chloe was having a hard time meeting her gaze, acting nothing like herself. She was visibly uncomfortable. "I'll meet you out there in a minute…just have to finish stacking these cans of…beans."
She held the can in her hand, noticing that the label was chipped off and the edges around the top were starting to rust. It must have been sitting back there for a while.
"Don't get too carried away with that. Save some fun for the rest of us." She nudged her in the side to try and lighten the mood, but it wasn't met with the typical joke back. Not even a smile.
A hand appeared on Max's shoulder, pulling her out of her thoughts.
"Max, are you ready?"
"Yeah," She nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready."
Max could hardly think of anything else. All she cared about was that newspaper. It had to be real, as there were stacks of it laying on an empty crate. The Prescotts left town, never to be seen. It was all happening again. Everything she feared was coming true. There were so many thoughts, so many feelings and difficult to process emotions flooding her mind that everything else felt dreamlike. She was being carried by her body, not consciously moving it, when she looked down to notice her hands holding a couple of rags. She didn't even know how they got there, let alone when she had time to grab them.
Rachel was walking beside her, both making their way out into the main eating area of the diner. Max wasn't listening to the conversation Rachel and Chloe were having previously; she didn't even hear them, let alone know they were talking.
The Prescotts are considered armed and dangerous. Missing. Potential revenge.
The squeaky door hinge opening made Max snap out of the nightmare that was intruding her mind for a moment. She was being pulled back into reality, only watching the quietude of the diner take hold. No, it was a little too quiet. Shit. She hadn't said a word to Rachel in a while, almost forgetting where she was at.
"I have to admit, 'Rachel's Revenge' was a pretty cool name."
Rachel turned around, smiling. "I bet it's hard to impress Max Caulfield. I'm going to feel good about that one."
Max laughed. "Coming from Rachel Amber ? Yeah, I feel the same way."
"You act like I'm some kind of celebrity…everyone in this town does." She sprayed some cleaner on the table. "It sucks."
"Really? I thought you would've liked all of the attention." Max reached across the table, wiping the cleaner off with her towel. They were creating a little system that was making it go a lot faster. Rachel sprayed, Max wiped.
"I did when I was younger, but when everyone acts like they know you…it causes a lot of problems."
"I can only imagine." Max wiped down the next table. "When I was at Blackwell, you were everywhere. On posters, I mean. Nobody would shut up about you…trying to come up with what happened. But," She shook her head. " You matter, Rachel. You're so much more than a girl in a missing poster."
Rachel stood still in place, her gaze fixed on Max as her words were sinking in. It wasn't just the fact that she was seemingly opening up to her about other aspects of her past, it was more than that. Aside from the touchy-feely shit she was told by Chloe over the years, nothing came close to hearing that she mattered to someone that barely knew her. And it wasn't fake. Max wouldn't lie about something like that. Previously, Rachel would've loved the thought that everyone at Blackwell was obsessed with her disappearance turned to killing, relishing in that as some sort of power move. But now, that was the last thing that mattered.
"You're my friend. And I'm taking that with me wherever I go." Max continued, as she was too busy cleaning the tables that lined the diner's interior to notice the look appearing on Rachel's face. As she turned around, she almost thought that she said something wrong.
Rachel dropped everything and rushed over to hug her.
"I know how hard it's been for you here…I'm sorry I've been acting so weird around you lately. You don't deserve it."
Max was taken aback. She didn't think she said anything of value, let alone anything that would warrant Rachel to be so aggressively friendly to her. Oh, she had no idea.
"You don't deserve any of this shit you've been pulled into."
"Neither do you or Chloe. I feel like all I keep doing is fucking everything up." Max looked down at the floor, almost feeling embarrassed. She carried so much guilt with her every single day she was there.
The two went back to cleaning, a mindless activity that was so much better than staying stuck in a cold, dark room with nothing to do. Another spray of cleaner. The squeak of a rag dragging itself across the surface.
"No, Chloe and I have our own problems that have nothing to do with you, Max." Rachel glanced behind her at the back room where Chloe still was. She didn't like how weird she was acting. "If anything," She reached over to Max's shoulder, "You only showed me how fucked up my life was before you came here."
"I didn't know…"
Rachel shook her head. It wasn't the easiest task to talk to Max, but she was trying. "And that's exactly why I'm so glad you're here with us. You've changed both of us in ways I didn't even know were possible. You're a badass, Max. I'm glad you're my friend."
Max looked back up, her eyebrows drawn. "Are you sure you aren't talking about Chloe?"
"No way. Nothing is more badass than using superpowers to save someone you didn't even know. By this point, you have all of us beat, Max."
"I like that," Max smiled. "I'm like some kind of superhero, then."
"Oh, definitely. I can see why Chloe calls you SuperMax."
The sound of heels clicking filled the room as Joyce was making her way over to them. She was walking rather fast, causing the few other customers sitting up at the front counter to glance over in her direction. The three were so lucky that the diner wasn't busy today, and it was all because of Chloe's planning. She really nailed the timing, and it was impressive. The entire time, though, she was beating herself up over every decision she made, relentlessly going back and forth if she could've done anything differently. She didn't want to admit it, but working at the diner was definitely out of her comfort zone, as would any job she would've done be. She was so used to being sad all day long in her room, desperately pining for a text, or maybe if she got lucky, a picture of some sort, from anyone that cared. Chloe didn't know what to make of anything now, because it was looking like things were starting to work out in her favor. But anything that was going good always came at a price.
"Where's Chloe?" Joyce seemed like she was in a hurry, desperation filling her voice. To her, it was only the first indication of Chloe not taking the work seriously, only further proving her point that this summer job wasn't looking promising for anyone involved.
Rachel pointed to the door that was next to the kitchen. "In the back."
It was rather strange that Chloe didn't appear like she had promised, and it was making Rachel feel on edge. She couldn't have been stacking cans of beans for this long. It was impossible. Joyce impatiently walked into the back room, only to reappear with Chloe who only seemed more annoyed as the time passed.
"Hey," Rachel leaned closer to whisper. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm good." Chloe smiled back but it was the fakest smile Rachel had ever seen. "Promise."
She frowned in response.
"Because we are so short staffed," A click of a pen, followed by Joyce writing something down in her notebook. She looked around, then glanced into the kitchen at the cooks. "I'll have to train you all to wait tables at another time. But for now, it would be very helpful if you could just go around the diner with a rag and clean anything you see. It could use a good polishing in here."
It was what Rachel and Max were already doing, so they could easily handle the task. Chloe, on the other hand, was receiving a frustrated look by her mother, who reached over to hand her a piece of cloth for the job.
"We're on it, Joyce." Max smiled.
Rachel and Max had split up, now working on opposite ends of the diner. The job was able to get done even faster now that they each had their own bottle of cleaner. Chloe was wandering around, first stopping at the jukebox to change the song a couple of times, then made her way over to Max who seemed like she was rather preoccupied.
"Hey."
Max was a little too distracted with cleaning all of the nooks and crannies of the table, not minding Chloe any attention. She nudged her in the side.
"I…saw the news, Max."
She froze. She really didn't want to talk about it, mostly because she didn't even have time to process it.
"Maybe it's fake." It was a lie, but she didn't care. Anything to deflect the fact that it was in fact real. Max reached across the table, brushing Chloe's hand off to wipe it down. "Some asshole probably paid a journalist to write a fake article. It happens all the time."
Chloe shook her head. "I doubt it. Nobody in this shitty ass town would go through the trouble of doing that."
"You'd be surprised." Max looked up at her sympathetically. She wasn't trying to ignore her, but even mentioning the newspaper at all was giving her chills. Max sighed, before leaning back on the table. It was so sunny outside, but the world felt so bleak and depressing now. "Chloe, I think I might know what's going on, and I need you to listen to me."
Chloe felt like she had stopped breathing. Why was Max so good at sounding ominous? Forget time travel, she should write a thriller novel. She was looking at her dead in the eyes with such an intensity it felt like time had stopped.
"There is some weird and unexplainable shit that is going on in this town, and I feel like it's all connected to me."
Chloe looked like she was going to say something, but Max shook her head.
"Listen, I'm just as freaked out hearing about it as you are, but Chloe," She reached over to grab her arm. "I keep getting visions. Sometimes they're repeating ones, other times they're so short I don't even remember. But something is going on."
"Is it because of your powers?" She leaned in closer, speaking close to a whisper.
"I don't know. Probably." God, she was being so cryptic and Chloe hated it with every fiber of her being. "It's a feeling I get sometimes…I just thought I would tell you." Max went back to spraying down the next table, resuming the monotonous routine of the job.
Chloe just stood there, anxiously chewing the inside of her lip. This was only adding onto her stress even more. She shook her head. "Well, I appreciate you telling me, Max…but you need to let me know if something happens, understand? I'm not going to have you deal with all of this shit alone."
Max turned around, nodding. "I will, Chloe. I will."
A heavy downpour had crept its way into the sky, painting the world in shades of gray and dark blue as everyone was making their way into the house. The brooding clouds in the distance weren't the only contributing factor to the tense feelings that were brewing all day long. It had been a rather long afternoon, and although the diner was not as busy as anyone planned on it being, there was still a lot left to do there. Joyce was particularly feeling stressed because not only did she have to work her portion of the job, but she also had to show Chloe, Rachel, and Max how to do everything as well. The diner was incredibly understaffed this week, leaving a heavier workload on everyone involved.
"You three were a lot of help today," Joyce held the door open for everyone as they were all escaping the rain, soaked hair and wet clothes becoming the new attire. "Thank you."
Chloe tiredly sighed. She was glad to be home. "That's what we're here for."
"No, you're only doing it to leave. Which is fine, but…" Joyce grabbed onto Chloe's arm, making her pause. "Just be honest, please."
"Yeah. Got it."
Rachel and Max were already making their way into the living room, both sensing an uncomfortable conversation Chloe was about to have with Joyce. They could feel it coming all day, and while Rachel was desperately wanting to listen in, she stayed back in the other room. Chloe was still hanging out by the entryway, hanging off the railing trying to wait for the right time to head upstairs to her bedroom. She just wanted to be alone for a little while and think about some things that had been bothering her. She rarely got any time to herself anymore, which in its own way was nice, but sometimes she desperately needed it more than she let on.
"David should be home soon. I have some pot roast in the slow cooker, it'll be ready in an hour." Joyce had pulled out her phone from her purse, distracted with texting what appeared to be David. She was walking into the kitchen barely looking up to see where she was going.
"Sounds good to me." Max's voice carried across the downstairs.
It had been a while since any of the three girls had been around David, with their last time seeing him being the day of the trial against the Prescotts. He was distant and clearly dealing with something rather important. It was definitely bothering Max, mostly because she knew about his involvement with the darkroom. And now the eerie newspaper article that she had read earlier? This was shaping up to be an intense day. Chloe, on the other hand, was honestly starting to believe that maybe her mom had finally made the decision to stop being with David, maybe leaving him on the curb for someone else to be with. It was getting to the point where she was forgetting that he was even around.
Chloe rolled her eyes. "Great. Can't wait for Sergeant Asshat to lecture me about something I didn't do."
"Chloe." Joyce turned around with an irritated expression washed across her face. She didn't have the energy for any of her behavior or name calling right now. "You will be nice. You will be respectful. And you will talk to him."
Hopping off the bottom ledge of the steps and leisurely making her way into the kitchen, Chloe walked in, standing in the doorway. She had gotten the same lecture over and over again throughout the years, and it still didn't change anything. David wasn't just an asshole sometimes, he made his appearance known through his hardened demeanor and bad discipline techniques. And being a veteran wasn't an excuse. Chloe still would never let go of all of the times he would get in her business, like when he would bust her for smoking pot in her room—which had happened so recently that Max had been in the room with her, witnessing it all. David was holding a lot back then, and Chloe could feel it. When he was alone and pushed to an extreme, David could be ruthless, bearing on the line of abuse only to blame it on the after effects of being at war.
"Are you serious? This is such…"
Joyce sharply turned around. "What, Chloe? Such what?"
"Nothing. Forget it." Chloe waved her off.
Joyce was now over by the sink, planning on washing the piling up dishes that lay nearby. She turned the faucet on, letting the sink fill up before putting a few pumps of soap into the water. Chloe was already facing the other way, expecting the conversation to be done while she tried to make her way up the stairwell for a second time since she got home.
"Chloe, can we talk for a minute?" Joyce's voice echoed in the kitchen.
Chloe groaned and turned right back around.
Back in the hallway, she glanced over into the living room where Rachel gave her a confused look across the room. She seemed like she wanted to say something so badly, but didn't because she was afraid to bother Joyce. Max was still standing by the sliding door, watching the rain continue to pour down outside in the backyard. It was really starting to feel like everyone in the house was listening in, waiting for Chloe and her mom to talk. It was annoying.
"What?" She was back to leaning in the doorway, arms crossed. She kept catching Rachel wandering around, glancing back and forth in her direction.
"We need to discuss the three of you working at the diner." Joyce dropped a few plates into the filled sink, making a loud crash. "Explain to me your plan about leaving."
There was a lot she could say, everything from a detailed description of the exact road map down to Santa Monica, to how Chloe was going to get everyone's lives planned out to be ready in time to leave…despite there not being a specific time frame she had set. Initially, it was planned for the end of August, merely three months away as that was when she would hand over the cash to Tommy. But Chloe didn't account for how much time it would take to even repair the camper, adding on more time to the vague plan she was desperately trying to hold together all on her own. She had promised Rachel and Max that by the end of the year they were going to get out of town indefinitely, but there were still so many details she still didn't know.
She took a deep breath before answering. "We found this camper for sale, and so I called the guy selling it to meet with us."
"And how much is it?"
"He lowered it to ten thousand."
Joyce slowly nodded. She was thinking about all of it, Chloe could tell. It was hard to judge what she was going to say about it, though.
"So, you're working at the diner to make money to buy the camper. Correct?"
"Yeah, but it'll need to be repaired before we leave." Chloe glanced over into the living room, watching as Rachel and Max hadn't moved since the conversation started, almost appearing like if they shifted an inch, they would alert Joyce into knowing that they were listening. Chloe laughed to herself at how ridiculous they were acting.
Joyce was still distracted with the dishes, however it was looking like she was close to being done. There wasn't that much anyway. The sound of the remaining silverware clinking together was heard.
"And do you know how to do that?"
"What, repair it?" Chloe frowned. "What do you think, mom?"
Joyce turned around, hands covered in soap. She shook her head. "We're just talking, Chloe. I don't need an attitude."
She sighed. Her mom was right, and maybe she shouldn't be giving her such a hard time after she had just offered them all the opportunity to work at the diner. Chloe started to walk closer, now leaning up against the refrigerator. "If I could do it to my truck, then I can't imagine it would be any different."
"An engine isn't the same thing as a travel trailer, Chloe. There's electricity…water…heating." She turned to the side to face her. "Why don't you ask David to help you with it? I think it would be good for both of you to do something together."
Chloe gritted her teeth. "Like I'd let him get within fifteen feet of me."
"...When we talk about this together at dinner." Joyce frowned. "I thought you would be happy that I let you work at the diner."
"I am." She sniffed, playing with an old brochure for the Two Whales Diner that was taped on the fridge. It had been there for a while, already showing some wear from the time that had passed. "I'm just…overwhelmed right now." She muttered under her breath, bending the corner of the paper in boredom.
Chloe hated more than anything admitting that something was wrong with her, and even more so to her own mother. She was barely holding on, almost starting to feel a mixture of some kind of breakdown and the usual numbness she always felt creeping up. Rachel was making her way over, leaning against the countertop where the bar stools sat. Nobody noticed her yet.
"Then why don't you go relax." Joyce grabbed a towel that hung over the handle on the stove, beginning to dry the dishes. "We can discuss this when David comes home."
Chloe shook her head. "No, forget I said anything. So you're okay with us working there?"
"Of course I am, but like I said earlier, there will be no messing around. You'll have to work in the back until one of us has the time to train you all to wait tables, but until then, I think you'll do just fine." She turned around once more, only to find Rachel sitting nearby trying not to pay attention but she wasn't hiding it very well. "Chloe, I've always been okay with whatever you wanted, as long as you were happy. I don't want you to forget that. Whether that includes who you're with,"
Joyce visibly tilted her head to glance at Rachel again, this time more blatant, making Chloe follow her gaze confusedly only to feel her face get hot. She didn't realize Rachel was sitting right there the whole time, listening in on the conversation even more than she had thought. Oh, and Joyce knew all about their relationship, too; it was so obvious that she was starting to get concerned that no one was saying anything. She put her hand on Chloe's shoulder.
"...Or your plans for the future. I'll support you no matter what, you just have to tell me what's going on in that brain of yours sometimes."
"I know." Chloe mumbled as she looked down at the ground, feeling so embarrassed she wanted to crawl in a hole deep in the ground never to be seen again.
Joyce reached over to give her a hug. "I love you."
Chloe groaned. "Yeah, love you too, mom."
Without wasting another moment, Chloe immediately stormed out of the kitchen, avoiding everyone in her way. She couldn't look back and see what anyone was visibly thinking about her. It was all too much. She needed to be alone right now.
"I'll call you down when dinner is ready." Joyce called out, but by that point it was too late. Chloe was already long gone on her way up to her room, the door was heard shut all the way from downstairs.
Rachel slowly peeled herself away from the kitchen, now taking the opportunity to go see why Chloe was acting so weird earlier. It wasn't like her at all, and even worse was that Chloe was usually the one defending Max whenever Rachel was complaining about her, so her blow up in the stock room was entirely uncalled for. Chloe clearly needed space and while Rachel knew it, she wasn't going to let her get off the hook so easily. Not after everything they went through and the tough conversations that happened over the past few weeks. They had come so far with each other that it wouldn't even make sense for neither one to talk to the other about whatever was going on. She began to make her way up the stairs.
As soon as Chloe reached the top of the stairs, hand already gripped on the doorknob, she shut the door behind her, sinking into the safe haven that was her room. Today was especially overwhelming for her for many reasons, and a lot of it was because of her own decisions...or even lack thereof. The diner. Working. Her mom acting oddly accepting of everything. Max. Chloe knew she was being too hot and cold all day, putting everyone else around her on edge, but she couldn't help it. There wasn't anything she could do about it—or so she thought—other than running away from her problems. It was a coping mechanism she used before, and she would continue to use it no matter if it upset anyone else. It was just how it was.
She headed straight for her bed where she collapsed face down on it, body heavy on the impact. Her arms were sprawled out in defeat, almost acting as a mirror to how she was feeling; she felt nothing but at the same time, was feeling everything too much. Her mind was racing but was still too quiet. The rain outside, heard from the opened window, was beginning to let up, but even that was too loud. It felt like her ears were ringing. She usually navigated the world on a careful balance between her extreme highs and lows, experiencing each one so intensely that when she would let it get bad, it would throw her off center for a while, disrupting her whole day.
Deep down Chloe felt an emptiness, a kind that was all consuming and could easily drag her down into it, that showed up immediately after William died. It stayed with her for years, going in waves throughout her life. She tried so many different distractions and vices to numb the feeling, but no matter what, it was always waiting in the background like a dark and looming shadow. Ever since Max showed up at the lighthouse in April, Chloe desperately tried to hold everything together for the sake of the group, securing it with metaphorical tape and old rope. However, it was starting to burst at the seams again and the worst part of it all was that nobody knew this about her. She was convinced that Rachel and Max needed some kind of leader, even if they never expressed it or acted like it. Maybe it was some weird sense of control, or maybe it was because Chloe never asked for help ever since then. Her attempt to be the strong one and constantly show up for everyone else and their own problems were only making hers worse. She needed someone now, or things were going to get so much more difficult.
The door was heard creaking open with Rachel entering the room, only to see Chloe looking like she was half asleep on her bed. She didn't move at all or turn around at the noise of her walking closer. She was starting to feel tense.
"Chloe?" Rachel's voice was soft. Not demanding or upset. She stood back a ways, trying to judge the situation.
"...what?"
Rachel slowly walked over to her, settling herself on Chloe and straddling her with her legs. With a slow and gradual touch, she reached down and started to massage her back, running her hand across all of the contours and curves, feeling all of the hidden knots and tension Chloe had been carrying all day. Rachel had never done something like this before, and honestly, it was kind of nice. Something she should do more often.
"Talk to me." She moved up to massage her shoulders. Chloe must have been insanely stressed out because they were so tight, it was starting to make her hands cramp up. "Tell me what's bothering you."
"Well, doc…" Chloe sighed. She was loving the attention, though. "I think I fucked up."
"How?"
Every movement was soothing for Chloe, even though she wasn't saying it out loud. She almost forgot to speak as she could feel her mind being quieted for the first time in a while.
"I was being impulsive…" She started to roll over, but grabbed onto Rachel to keep her in the same position. "I shouldn't have told that guy that I wanted the camper."
Rachel frowned. Chloe admitting to potentially backing out of the plan was making her body feel heavy; air becoming thick and it wasn't because of the storm. It was all just like before. Years ago. It was something that Rachel, unlike other parts of her past, had a hard time repeating out loud again as it was still a bit too fresh in her mind. So many hopes and dreams shared together, all suddenly planned on the second day they spent together. Time after time, there were obstacles that only seemed to show up more frequently. The sole reason she even got with Frank to begin with was because Chloe was hesitating badly, admitting to feeling guilty for leaving her mom behind. The money was partially there. An escape vehicle ready. Bags packed. Rachel was ready, but Chloe wasn't. The same thing seemed like it was happening again, and while it was starting to bother her, Rachel tried to hold back on saying something about it.
"Are you getting cold feet about leaving?"
"My feet aren't cold." She smirked. "They're…room temperature."
"You're such a dork, Chlo." Rachel pushed her back lightly, laughing. "No, but really, what's going on?"
"I still want to leave…" Chloe reached over to grab her hand, holding it tight in hers. A part of her didn't even want to continue talking, almost afraid of opening up. Weird fears and anxieties were creeping up all day today, making themselves known for the whole world to see. "I just feel like I'm doing all of this shit by myself. Nobody is helping me, Rachel." She looked at her in desperation, but was only met with an eyebrow raise.
"But I thought it was 'Chloe's Crazy Plan' for a reason?" Rachel playfully poked her in the forehead, trying to lighten the mood a bit.
"Yeah…as a joke."
"Okay," Rachel's voice softened. "So how do you want me to help?"
It was the question of the year. After so much time, so much mental anguish of having to do everything herself, it was all waiting on this moment. To anyone else, especially Rachel, it wasn't even a big question, let alone something she would think Chloe would be stressing over. She just laid there, with no idea how to even respond.
"I just should've thought about it more…that's all." She shrugged. "I didn't expect my mom to let us work today . I was nervous as hell, in case you couldn't tell."
A grin was spreading across Rachel's face. "I just assumed you were really into canned beans. I didn't want to judge."
"Yeah, I bet." Chloe rolled her eyes. "Thanks for helping me with that."
"Chloe, there were like five cans. How could I have helped you with that?"
She groaned. "No dumbass, because I was shitting bricks worrying about working and you didn't care."
"I tried talking to you, but you pushed me away."
"Because I'm freaking the fuck out, Rachel!" Chloe sat up as she was starting to feel annoyed. It was like nothing she was saying was being heard, only to be dismissed as a joke. There was always time for that, of course, but not right now. "You're putting so much pressure on me to leave that I feel like if I'm not the strong one all of the time, then we'll all fall apart."
Rachel just looked at her. "That's not true at all. You don't have to be the strong one, Chloe."
"Yes I do. I'm like the glue that holds us all together."
"That is the weirdest thing I've ever heard you say, you know that right? I guess I know who to call if I'm ever doing an art project."
Chloe threw her head back in annoyance. She was smiling, but was trying so desperately to hide it. "Just take me seriously for one time, Rach..."
"I am," Rachel sat back a bit, crossing her arms. "Chloe, there's no pressure to do anything. And don't try to put that on me because you were stubborn about it from the start, so don't even go there."
Chloe just remained in thought. It really didn't matter what anyone told her, she knew that someone had to have it together. Maybe not all together, but partially. It was a discussion for another time though, mostly because there wasn't anything else she could say. She couldn't keep begging for Rachel to somehow take over, taking charge in an idea that she never even came up with initially, as she really wasn't in the position to do so. It was a lost cause at this point, and Chloe knew it. She either had to get over it and just deal with herself being reckless at times, rushing into decisions and hoping for the best, or she had to let the Santa Monica dream go once and for all. But who was she kidding, the second option wasn't ever going to be considered.
Rachel had moved over to sit next to Chloe now, not expecting there to be much more to talk about. The room was rather quiet, especially since the heavy rainstorm had passed through, filling the air with an earthy smell that was comforting.
"I saw you were talking with Max."
A simple statement that seemed to come out of nowhere. Chloe's voice was lower than usual, as she was zoning out while saying it. Something she did when there was more meaning behind the questions than she wanted to let on. Rachel shifted uncomfortably. It wasn't like she did anything wrong earlier, but the thought of yet another accusal about Max was making her tense up.
"And?" Rachel narrowed her eyes.
"…what'd you talk about?"
She pulled herself out of her thoughts, turning to face Rachel. Chloe didn't seem very upset about it, though. It was something in her demeanor that showed that was asked more as a random question rather than a criticism, but there were still subtle undertones of something else. Rachel took notice.
"Is this what I think this is?"
Chloe just looked at her.
"Are you…jealous, Chlo? I knew this day would come." Rachel shook her head. Everything was starting to come full circle. It was about time. "I fucking knew it."
"No," Chloe turned away as she let out a light laugh. "I'm not jealous. Just curious."
"Hmm…I'm not sure I believe that."
"What do you mean?" Chloe asked softly.
"You gave me so much shit for feeling that way…but you were covering up your feelings all along, weren't you?"
"What?" Chloe frowned. "No, I'm glad you two are getting along…"
Rachel smirked, poking her deeper in the arm with each word she said. "Chloe Price can't handle seeing her girlfriend talking to anyone else. She tries so hard to act all tough and mean…but I know who she really is." She winked. Chloe choked on her breath. She was getting incredibly flustered and it was funny to watch. She was too easy, but Rachel loved it. "Anyways, Max was telling me about October. I mean, if you want to know so badly, why don't you go ask–"
She cleared her throat. "Girlfriend, huh?"
"Are you feeling okay?" Rachel looked at her confused, reaching over to check her forehead with the back of her hand. "I thought you were the one calling me that from the very beginning. You went on this whole speech about how you only wanted me…the one and only Rachel Amber…who, mind you, is just stunning…with you… forever ." She whispered the last word for effect.
Chloe sarcastically rolled her eyes. "That was a bit dramatic."
"You know it's true." She laughed softly. "Although, I have to say, this memory loss of yours is concerning…Should I take you to a doctor? It sounds like you might have early onset dementia."
"I was just giving you shit." Chloe teased, pushing her back. "I know what I said in the truck. I like to test you to see if you still want me."
"Seriously?" Rachel raised her eyebrow. She was getting annoyed with the whole back and forth. "Ask me one more time about it and you'll be someone else's problem to deal with." She reached over and pulled down her beanie over her face.
"I've just been a little busy lately, if you couldn't notice."
"So let me help." Rachel bit her lip. She was playing with the bullets on her necklace in a way that was becoming distracting.
"Why are you making this so difficult…" Chloe sighed, gently pushing her hands away. "I just wanted to be alone for a minute."
"Alone? From me? You're not getting rid of me that easily."
Chloe sighed again, this time in more annoyance. "Please…you're driving me crazy."
Rachel still wasn't bothered by anything Chloe was saying. She wanted to see how far she could go. She leaned closer to start kissing her neck.
"I like crazy."
She moaned under her breath. Hair was being pulled; hands threatening to roam like it was some kind of map, exploring an untraveled road. But Chloe wasn't having it, coldly deflecting any attempts Rachel was making. It was starting to get frustrating. She gently grabbed her face in a way to pull her back, holding her in place. Rachel was crossing into dangerous territory.
"You're not gonna give up, are you?"
Rachel shook her head before lying back on the bed in defeat. She would try again later. Oh, most definitely.
"Fine." Chloe sat up, stretching out her arms. "You can stay, but I need to sit in silence for a minute."
Rachel frowned. "You're telling me you don't want to hear my voice, which I reiterate must be just mesmerizing, talk your ear off for hours?" She batted her lashes. "Fine then."
Chloe pinched the bridge of her nose. "I have a raging headache right now, Rach. My head feels like it's on fire."
Rachel raised an eyebrow at the thought. "Fire?"
Fire. She loved fire, fire of all kinds actually. A spark here. An entire inferno there. A forest fire was one thing, but the kind of fire Rachel loved was the kind she could ignite in Chloe in such a way that was almost hypnotizing to watch. Oh, she was just trying to do just that, but the match must've burned out. What a shame.
"Yeah," Chloe lightly laughed. She had something much different in mind. "Kinda like that episode in SpongeBob where he can't remember his name…and…" She scratched her head trying to think of what actually happened in the episode, but it had been so long she just gave up. "Nevermind…" She started to laugh even harder. "Sorry, that was so fucking weird to bring up. I don't even know why that reminded me of it."
Rachel just looked at her confused, slowly shaking her head. "I've never seen SpongeBob."
"What?" Chloe instantly sat up. "There's no way."
"I wasn't allowed." She shrugged. "I was more of a Disney kid anyway."
"That's insane. Who hasn't seen SpongeBob?"
"I thought you didn't want to talk?" Rachel smirked.
"I got distracted." Chloe leaned back to close her eyes. This was all so ridiculous. Maybe she just needed to talk to Rachel all day, joke around or something. It was completely making her forget about any of her concerns about working at the diner and the mysterious information Max was telling her, and it was desperately needed. She grinned. "And I totally would've guessed you watched Disney. You're way too into theater."
"What can I say, you can't go wrong with a good musical." Rachel winked back.
"Yeah? Name one."
"Really?" Rachel just looked at her. "You've never watched High School Musical? It's a cult classic for a reason."
Chloe paused, thinking. "I'm sure I did with Max. I don't know…it sounds familiar."
"Then I guess we both have shows to watch together."
"Hells yes." Chloe's eyes lit up in a way she hadn't seen in a while. "You and me. Tonight. Movie marathon."
"Deal. But I'm going to hold you to that."
