The mornings right before a road trip were usually hectic and filled with frantic energy, and this time was no different. It had been a while since any of them went anywhere farther than Arcadia Bay, and although Rachel wasn't coming along with Chloe and Max, the trio needed to disband for the weekend to regroup. It was thought of almost as a test run for Santa Monica, alongside other ideas Rachel had stored away for her own keeping, not letting either of them know what she would be up to doing the next two days. Though, neither did Chloe or Max.

Chloe had somehow managed to wake up earlier than usual that morning, practically jumping out of bed and racing around her room to throw clothes into a backpack that she ended up finding in the back of her closet. Her room was a mess of scattered clothes, boxes, and drawers left wide open, only making it harder to find just a single t-shirt. As Rachel sat half-asleep on her bed, she painfully watched her pack everything she needed away, even though she had told her the night before that it should have been done earlier. If this was how the big move was going to go, they needed a much better plan.

The short trip was a last minute decision that was mentioned in passing a couple of days ago, mostly because Rachel wanted to do some things alone without anyone questioning her. They were stuck inside of her own mind; things that she couldn't even get herself to tell anyone about. It was only becoming more difficult to hide any of it back the longer the time went on. She knew that Max would likely understand her problems the best, as they related more to the mystical side of things as opposed to real life drama, and bringing Chloe into it only sounded like a headache waiting to happen. They didn't talk about the Prescotts' barn burning down nor was anything strange about it brought up since, but Rachel understood that she wasn't alone in feeling like it was a wild experience. It was the notions hidden beneath expressions and choice of words muttered that clued her into a growing connection with no one other than Max.

Seeing how upset she had been after being visited by a version of Chloe that didn't technically exist, was by far the largest and most important reason for this weekend trip to happen. The fact that it had happened was strange enough to want to be further questioned at another time, granted she would want to talk about it in the first place, but there was something there that she wanted to ask her about when she had the chance.

Rachel had felt, and became increasingly aware, that she had taken Chloe away from Max during a time when she needed her the most, and always seemed to feel a pang of guilt every time they interacted. It got better as the time went on and the months spent together stuck in a household with limited space, but regardless, Max needed her best friend back in a way that she got to choose and under her own conditions. It wasn't fair for her to go through any of this alone. Even if Rachel and Chloe tried to be there for her, it was always difficult to know what she needed. She was a tough one to crack, a much different personality than Rachel was ever used to, but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Max just needed more patience, and maybe to be around people who took her seriously, but not too seriously, like she did.

Chloe had been out in the front of the house working inside the hood of her truck for nearly an hour. She was occasionally visited by Rachel or Max, who were both starting to grow more restless as the morning went on. They were both sitting on the steps now waiting for her to be done, talking about things she couldn't hear enough to make out. But as frustrating as it was to delay the trip anymore than possible, it was nice seeing them spend more time together. For years, she wondered how they would interact but at least it seemed to be going smoothly. It was like they were bonding over things Chloe could never do, in ways that she never had the chance to find out about. Maybe it just wasn't her business.

The truck itself had seen better days, but something was wrong with it as the engine was getting noticeably worse over the past few weeks. From smoke blowing out to the unusual noises every time it went over a pothole, it was only making Chloe more hesitant to go anywhere farther than a few hours away. This trip was going to set it on its last leg, although nothing she was seeing was pointing to that directly. It was more of a feeling; something that years spent together gave a sort of intuition. The latch was slammed shut after minutes of final checks as it seemed to be in working order. For now.

"Ready to get out of this friggin' town for a bit and have some quality Chloe time?" She grinned at Max who was only then making her way over, still evidently tired from the night. Chloe reached out to ruffle her shoulder to try to wake her up.

"I'm more than ready." Max yawned, then laughed at how loud it was, feeling a strange sense of rightness about the whole thing. It had been a long time since she had gotten one-on-one time with Chloe in this particular timeline, and the more she thought about it, the more it became apparent how long it had actually been. She desperately needed it. "Although…" She looked around and inside the truck, trying to find something in particular. "I feel like I forgot something."

Max went around to the other side of the truck where her own bag was sitting, beginning to dig in one of the front pockets. She sighed, then opened up the larger compartment when she finally went quiet like she had found what she was looking for. Chloe peaked in through the windows, but was quickly pulled away when she saw Rachel steadily walking down the front walkway and into the driveway, carrying a small red canvas cooler around her wrist. She had been in the house for longer than usual, which did make Chloe curious as to what she had been up to. Though now, it seemed clear what was going on.

"What's this?"

"Just a little something for your new life on the lam." Rachel reached down into the bed of the truck and placed the cooler down, only for Chloe to walk right over and unzip it to see what was inside.

"Holy shit," She was completely shocked. Sandwiches and snacks were packed away neatly, even ones she didn't even know her mom had stored in the kitchen. She couldn't even remember the last time she saw anyone get groceries. "How? Why?"

"If you don't like it then I'll have it." She narrowed her eyes before starting to zip up the cooler again and grabbed the strap around it, acting like she was going to bring it back inside when she really wasn't.

It took two to place this game.

"Hell no." Chloe smirked and clutched onto Rachel's lower back just as she was beginning to turn around, pulling her onto the side of the truck. The metal rang on the impact and it caused it to sway a bit, almost making her forget that Max was still sitting inside. "You're hella amazing." She muttered through her own heavy breath, gaze intensified as she peeked in through the back glass, hoping that Max wasn't sitting there horrified, but was relieved when it was the complete opposite. She seemed to be too preoccupied with her camera. Good. Chloe carefully leaned down to place a kiss on Rachel's forehead and cleared her throat, anticipating that she would probably get chewed out for it in the car ride if she chose to do anything more than that. "Don't have too much fun without us."

"I'll try not to." Rachel winked before pulling her by her arm gently for a proper goodbye kiss. It was a lot slower than Chloe was ever trying to do, a nice way to calm her own fire that was likely only coming out because of her leaving, but either way, but she didn't want to put on a show for anyone else. Neighbors or best friends.

The sun was out and shining brightly, and the day was already starting to heat up to unseasonal temperatures. Birds sat atop the nearby power lines, chirping away. It was arguably the most perfect day for a road trip. Chloe had gotten in the truck and rolled the window down as Rachel stood beside it. The time in Arcadia Bay was quickly coming to an end for that weekend, and even though saying goodbye was the hardest, it needed to be done soon or they would never leave.

"Since you have the whole place to yourself," Chloe peered up at the house for one final time before starting the engine up, rumbling to life. At least there was no smoke that she could see. Yet. "We better not come back to a different house."

"I think Joyce would appreciate it." Rachel smiled back, watching her shift back the gear into reverse and start to back slowly down the driveway. "Let me know when you get to Portland, okay?" She yelled, meeting the two waving back.

The truck vanished into the street, leaving her alone with herself and an empty house. An overwhelming amount of freedom awaited her now.


The cool air was blasting through the vents, ever so often kicking out and turning blazing hot for a couple of minutes before going back to cold. Then something kept rattling in the back but even though Chloe assumed that it was likely a bag rolling around, it sounded too similar to the rattle she heard many times before. Just another problem to add on to the future tab of maintenance. The radio was playing in the background of the drive, mixing nicely with the opened side windows as the truck cruised down the highway.

"I love seeing you happy, Max. It makes me happy." Chloe glanced at her, who had been so busy taking pictures for most of the trip that she remained relatively quiet, but noticed the Polaroid camera she was carrying was in fact William's. The same one she gave her months ago that was left to get covered in dust as opposed to being shot on.

It felt like some things were finally looking up for once.

"You're such a goop." Max sat back down after practically hanging out of the window with the wind blowing through her hair. A genuine smile appeared on her face, one that Chloe hadn't seen in years. "I figured that I would give this camera a shot again. It felt right."

"That's good." Chloe reached over and patted her shoulder lightly, keeping her other hand propped up on the steering wheel. Tears were starting to well up in her own eyes. She never would have thought that a stupid camera would make her get emotional, but it was. And badly. Watching Max act like herself again wasn't just reassuring, it felt like there was never any bad blood between them. Not like there was much of it anyways, but she could never tell. They didn't talk as much as either of them would have liked over the past few months, let alone years ago, so it always felt like she had to walk on thin ice around her. Now, it was like no time had gone by. She sniffed to try to pull herself together. "You always have to do what feels right, you know?"

"I do." Max just smiled up at her, playing with the camera in her hands as she waited for the images to appear on the paper.

It used to be a crutch, one given from an unusual circumstance that neither of them could have expected. The camera was brought out during a lengthy conversation months ago, one that Max never wanted to relive again with her own parents. Life was different now and letting a piece of plastic dictate her own journey wasn't something she wanted to do anymore. It was clear that what happened, happened; justice was served in an unfulfilling way, but enough to make them all reconsider their options moving forward. Now, it was time to forge their own paths.

"Happy Chloe, happy life." Max smiled softly. "Or something like that."

"Ha! Now you're getting it!" Chloe blurted out, surprised by the random but oddly true statement. Sure, maybe the saying didn't really go like that, but the meaning was still there.

The photos taken from the road were just starting to become fully developed, prompting Max to flip them over and check them out. One was of Chloe driving and pretending not to pay attention to anyone taking her picture, and the others were of the blurry trees on the road they were still on. It felt so good to be doing it again. Luckily any skill she thought she had left seemed to have transferred over even with the lost time.

"So did you have anything planned, or are we just going to do whatever?"

Nothing was said since the first time the trip was brought up at the beach and while Max didn't really mind, her curiosity was starting to get the best of her. Chloe just sat still for a moment, tapping the steering wheel as she was deep in thought. Or trying to be. Max was watching her closely, but she seemed to be playing her cards just right to not let her in on any secrets. It was a good thing Portland wasn't very far away.

"I did have one thing in mind," She muttered, eyes still fixated on the road ahead. "But I'll wait until later to tell you. And no," A faint smile spread across her face as she reached out her finger in front of Max, holding it there dramatically. "Nobody knows but me."

"Cryptic." Max leaned back in the seat and put her feet up on the dash, closing her eyes as the wind poured in through the cracked window. She could get used to this. It wasn't a common occurrence for her to be in her truck, especially not going on long drives or anywhere fun. "I heard that there's this new coffee shop downtown," She mumbled, eyes shut tightly as she was struggling to keep herself awake. There was something so soothing about car rides without the stress of time. And they had all the time in the world. "We should try it out. It's like handmade or something."

"Max," Chloe looked over at her and chuckled at how painfully slow she was talking, almost to the point of being delirious. It was barely ten in the morning. " All coffee is handmade. Maybe you're thinking of home made."

"No, sometimes it comes in a bag from a store." She stated matter of factly, grinning to herself. She knew that nothing she was saying was even making sense. "Wait, I think you're right."

"I mean, it's still a coffee bean, right? I'm pretty sure it's the same thing, though."

"Well, whatever it is," Max yawned and reached out to play with the now developed Polaroid pictures, creasing the edge of one with her nail. Only one eye was being opened at a time, like the sunlight was too harsh for her to completely be awake. "I need something to wake me up."

"I'm on it." Chloe nodded, shifting the gear up and over to the next one. She pressed hard on the gas to keep up with the ever changing speed limit of the highway, trying to avoid the annoying construction that seemed to be everywhere. "Come hell or high water, I'll get you your homemade coffee from that place."


The house was quiet; a type of quiet that was not present the past couple of months, let alone for as long as she could remember. There was practically no way for anyone to show up now, especially without warning. No reason for intrusion. No questions or judgments to be made.

Rachel had made it back up to Chloe's room, wandering about. For the first time since the drama from the lighthouse, she actually had time to think and take as long as she needed. There wasn't going to be anyone hanging off her now— not like that was unwanted, but it was mostly out of her own fears of letting herself go again. She never allowed herself to be free, worried that if she was left alone for just a second that somehow she would end up in the same place she did before. The darkroom and Mark Jefferson lingered in the background of her subconscious, even if she never dared to bring it up again.

She had gone too far and she knew it. That story was a mere chapter in her own book, one that could never be erased but only looked back upon for reflection. While things appeared a bit brighter now, accepting it never got easier. The change from her life previously was too drastic, too much for her to ever come to process. She honestly didn't know how Chloe and Max had done it, or maybe, she thought, that they were just better at hiding it.

Chloe's room wasn't any different than it was two hours ago, but everything about it was bringing on a sense of comfort that was hard to replicate. It felt incredibly empty without anyone in it. Rachel truthfully didn't have many plans for the next two days to herself, not thinking too far ahead just in case something happened. She didn't know what specifically she should be worried about, but with how much drama plagued the town recently, she had every reason to be cautious.

The glass money jar rested on top of the stereo speakers with several hundred dollar bills visible at the bottom. She traced her finger over the taped-on label reading 'Bye-Bye Arcadia Bay', now beginning to fade away from the sun hitting it during the day. The glass was warm to the touch. The last time any of them checked and counted every single dollar inside was only several days ago, with the amount totaling to just over three thousand dollars. For the three of them working together and combining tips and paychecks at the end of each week, it certainly wasn't a lot of live off of. Although, the envelope Rose gave her two nights ago was still zipped inside her backpack. She was the only one who knew about it, only making every single decision made since feel more weighted.

For one reason or another, Rachel felt metaphorically blind, feeling around until, every now and then, she would come across a brief, shimmering beam of light that made everything make sense, but those moments were few and far between. Feeling around in an unknown and never-before-felt situation was quickly becoming exhausting when there was no one else to tell her what to do.

Each step towards her bag felt heavy. She could have sworn that the posters hung on the wall were watching her every move, especially since she was about to do something that she planned on doing from the moment she came into contact with the money. She had mulled it over all night, carefully evaluating her options on what to do with it. The padded full envelope was carefully taken out and brought back over to the glass jar. A loud crinkle of paper caused her to look behind her quickly, used to having people in the house as she retrieved the three stacks of bills. The feeling of twenty five thousand dollars laying in her hands like it was always meant to be there was never going to get old.

There was no reason for the money. No commitment.

If it had been given three months ago, it would have been a different story. It would have likely been spent in under a week, if not faster, done hastily under last minute decisions.

But now, she wanted to start slowly with how much she would put inside of the jar, because if it was a noticeable amount, it was going to get someone's attention. She fanned out one of the bundles and pulled out seven grand to stick inside. It was quite a lot at once, and even though she could have stuffed the entire envelope inside and waited to see Chloe's reaction when she returned, the problem was just that. Her reaction.

Rachel knew her more than Max, enough to know that if she found out about twenty five thousand dollars suddenly appearing overnight that it would cause her to recklessly spend it just as fast as she would. It was a risk she didn't want to take and was the exact reason she refused to tell her about it since receiving it. Anything fun would have to be bought later or at least until they got to Santa Monica. The move was the only thing that was on her mind, so much so that it clouded her vision entirely.

If it wasn't for the money, they wouldn't be able to leave until the end of the year. Aside from the time to fix up the camper once it was bought and the idea of a future apartment, only made her more selective in how often she would steadily add cash to the fund. And the potential storm Max warned about was a looming threat that had to be dealt with before any of them did anything. It was serious enough to make her question the immediate months ahead and it was going to be resolved before any of them stepped foot in southern California, whether Max and Chloe liked it or not.


The coffee shop on the corner of the block was quaint and had a charming atmosphere that contrasted nicely with the brick and cement of the city, reminding Max of the ones she would go to in Seattle. It was bringing memories of that life she had there, the one that she threw away and never explained further to anyone other than her parents directly over several phone calls. She had no idea what had happened after she left for Arcadia Bay and would likely never find out unless she asked. Her old friends were ghosted just like Chloe had been, but life had gotten so hectic for her to remember to message back until it was too late. She was starting to believe that it really was past the point of no return with anyone there, enough to hesitate to reach out.

The inside of the shop was packed full and nearly every seat was taken. A dog, what appeared to be some breed of chihuahua, was on a leash next to a woman with her laptop who was busy writing an email. She sat near to Chloe and Max who were patiently waiting by the counter for their own drinks. An inviting aroma of freshly brewed coffee blended in with the hustle and bustle of the long line that was now thankfully behind them. There was a glass case near the front that housed several different pies, from cherry to huckleberry. Max really wasn't wrong about the 'handmade' sentiment from earlier, that really was the shop's trademark.

Chloe had gotten a black coffee with about three shots of espresso too many, and Max ordered some kind of frappuccino with caramel drizzled on top. Another barista, different from the one that had initially taken their order, whispered something to one of the workers and kept catching Chloe's eye a couple too many times before she handed over the drinks. With a few 'excuse-me's' later, the bell tied to the door jingled as they both walked out with their drinks in hand, returning to the street once more that was lined with small businesses.

The outside was alive with activity—people on bikes cruising down the sidewalk, cars honking in the distance, and the iconic hum of city life that was such a contrast to the small ocean town they were both used to.

"Chloe," Just as Max was adjusting the strap tied to her Polaroid camera around her shoulder, she noticed something written on the side of Chloe's drink. She pulled her arm down to look closer, even though she was already downing her coffee to a level that Max knew that she would be completely wired later. "There's a phone number on your cup."

"What? Really?" She surprisingly turned the cup over, eyes going wide at the sight of a number written in sharpie clear as day, "Oh shit," The sticker was peeled off before crumbling it up to slip into her pocket. She barely gave it a second thought. "I knew that girl inside was flirting with me."

"And I thought I was dense." Max teased, shaking her head in amusement. "We haven't even been here for ten minutes and you're already getting hit on? That's next level."

"Yeah, but I've got everything I already need waiting for me back home." Chloe softly smiled, in a way that was clear who she was thinking about. She was already starting to walk along the pavement and Max followed by her side, glancing in each of the windows of the shops they passed by.

A record store was coming up on the left with a glowing neon sign hanging from the side of the building. The subtle sound of music played from the opened door.

"You two are so adorable," Max pressed her hand against the glass before starting to walk in. She didn't even own a record player, and neither did Chloe, but the neatly displayed rows of vinyls were too satisfying to ignore. "I'm really happy for you, Chloe."

She meant it honestly, and even if it came across that way, it was so weird to be finally talking about it out loud. The discussion of what Max thought about Chloe and Rachel being together was left behind closed doors like a secret never meant to be discussed. She hoped that it wouldn't be a big deal, but never speaking about it always seemed to make the introduction harder to start.

"I'm glad you approve." Chloe smiled briefly as she trailed behind her, finishing off the remainder of her drink before tossing it in a garbage can. "But it doesn't bother you, does it?"

"Why in the world would it bother me?"

"I just don't want you to feel left out." Chloe was starting to look on edge, flipping through the random music genres just to keep her hands busy. She had expected the conversation to be about Rachel and the truck, considering how handsy they both had been in the driveway, but it never came. Max remained focused on the indie section so much so that she didn't realize the other people entering the shop and joining them at the stand. Chloe was almost overcompensating, trying to read what was in her mind to be safe from any sort of backlash. "I didn't even realize how painful it probably is to see Rachel and I together."

"It's not like that at all." Max just looked at her and shook her head to show that she really meant it. For a while, especially when she first met Rachel, she always felt a bit uncomfortable just because she wasn't used to their dynamic together. Then the added visions and feelings of an alternate reality out there where another Chloe existed made her feel like she was longing for something that didn't exist. But regardless of the strange supernatural aspect, being upset by it was something that was completely off the table. Max paused what she was doing for a moment and laughed, only after noticing the look of utter fear coming from her. It was nice to know that she cared enough to ask, but she had nothing to look so uncomfortable about. "If you really think that seeing you two together bothers me, then I'm seriously going to worry."

She didn't respond, carefully walking around the creaking floorboards of the shop with Max until they passed by the counter where an older gentleman stood. He must have been the shop's owner, too engrossed in conversation with this woman buying several records to say hello. A couple of chairs and a couch sat by the front where headphones attached to record players laid for anyone wanting to test out their album of choice.

"Don't let me stop you from loving Rachel as much as you were able to love me in the other reality." Max said quietly as a twinge of emotion was starting to be felt in her chest. It wasn't necessarily sadness, more like a loss of a life she was never going to live again, but it was hard to tell what it was. These types of conversations were never easy and they never seemed to get any better for her either. She didn't even realize that Chloe was feeling the same way. "That's not saying that you don't now, but, you know, it's different."

Chloe nodded cautiously and without saying a single word, followed Max out of the shop and back into the street. The place was starting to get crowded, and having a somewhat serious conversation that had been waiting for months to be said inside of there wasn't the best spot for it.

"Chloe, I knew exactly what I was getting myself into when I came back. If I couldn't handle it, then I wouldn't have done it to begin with."

She couldn't tell if the reassurance was working or if it was only making everything worse. When something bothered her, especially for something like this, Chloe liked to hide it behind a wall in hopes that she wouldn't make anyone else feel bad. But that wasn't even possible because there was no problem to begin with. Max's jealousy that she felt at first was never because she didn't like them together, it was genuinely out of being thrown into a new and uncomfortable environment that she wasn't sure how to navigate. As the months went by and after learning more about each other in ways she would have never predicted, those feelings vanished for the most part.

A large banner hung between two lamp posts a few feet away, displaying a message for the Summer Festival downtown that was happening that same weekend. There were already lines starting to form just outside of the gates in the near distance, making Max's curiosity peak even more. Without anything else to do and not wanting Chloe to feel down about her anymore, she pulled her along to go see what was happening up ahead.

White tents and booths lined the pavement. A fountain rested in the middle and live music played from the big stage. There were even more people there than Max had expected, but it only made sense with how packed the coffee and record shop had been. Kettle corn was being cooked from a trailer, some kids were running around with shaved ice dripping down their shirts, and freshly made funnel cakes were placed on a table for sale. This was a large event, larger than anything that was ever in Arcadia Bay. As they both walked along, taking in everything around, one booth in particular caught her eye.

"We should probably get Rachel something while we're here." Chloe added causally, walking alongside Max over to what seemed to be some sort of jewelry stand. There was an older woman with her back turned to them, helping out the customers on the other side of the table.

"Good idea."

It looked like dozens of different necklaces and rings were there, spread out evenly across a red velvet tablecloth. Max saw a dream catcher necklace in front of her, one that looked like the one she owned but didn't have with her since it must have been lost at home in Seattle. The threading on it was a lot more genuine on this one, however, almost appearing like it was made through many hours of labor as opposed to being store bought, that didn't come with the added guilt of who likely made it. Chloe joined by her side, feeling out the metal rings tucked away carefully in a case. Some of them were hundreds of dollars while others were much cheaper. Though, it seemed like anything she picked up was going to cost her.

Hanging up above them were different feathered earrings that looked like they could also be a sort of necklace as displayed on some of the mannequins off to the side. Some were so large that they tickled the top of Max's head every time she moved. But there was one that was distinctly similar to the one Rachel wore every single day, calling her closer to it. She reached out to feel the texture between her fingers. A half cut blue feather was on top with a full length white one behind, and a gold metal clasp holding them together that was bound tightly by a black cord.

"A symbol of growth and protection." The elderly saleswomen finally turned around to greet them, wearing a feather necklace herself with beads wrapped around her wrists. She carried a calming aura to her, something that seemed non-threatening but unusually interesting. "Bluebirds are a sign of growth and having a connection to the Earth. It's also a beautiful shade of cyan, isn't it?"

Chloe blinked.

"I apologize if this comes across as intrusive," The woman reached out for Max's hand, taking the earring from her and began to wrap it in tissue paper. "But are you two from Arcadia Bay?"

Max and Chloe shot each other a horrifyingly confused look, not sure if they should both just leave or stick it out and see what she had to say. It was one thing to mention that they looked like tourists, but specifically calling out the town was extremely odd.

"Yes," Max nodded reluctantly. "We are."

"That town has always felt mystical to me. Almost as if there are forces there that are, dare I say, out of this world." She winked before placing the earring in a paper bag then went over to the credit card reader to type something in. It made a loud beep then a receipt shot out which was promptly thrown away.

"I know exactly what you mean." Max shared a knowing glance with the woman as she watched her ring up the earring for free. It was completely unexpected and random. She seemed nice, that was for sure, but neither of them showed much interest in anything to look like they were going to buy it.

"It feels like I'm the only one that doesn't get it, you know?" Chloe had leaned against the tent's support pole and sighed. This day was already weirder than anything that had happened in Arcadia Bay and that was saying a lot. "It's like I'm left out of whatever is happening."

"Maybe that's not your purpose."

She raised her eyebrow.

"Sometimes others need you more than they could ever provide for themselves. You must bring people together." The woman smiled but paused midway through, trying to find the right word. "A mediator, I suppose."

"Uh...what?"

"Can I feel your hand for a moment? I'm terribly sorry, it's just," She placed the paper bag next to her on the table and reached out with her own hand. The beads rattled together, showing the complexities of the design even more so the higher she held them up. "There's something very rare about your energy that I haven't seen in decades."

Chloe turned to Max and glared at her like she was trying to signal for her to get the hint to leave, but she only giggled back. The older woman was waiting and without any other reason to go against it, she stuck her hand out to meet hers. She couldn't be that bad, Chloe assumed, unless it was some kind of scam to steal money from her, but she was going to be mad at the small amount of cash that was left in her pockets.

"Yes, okay," The woman nodded quickly to herself, thinking. Her eyes were tightly closed and every so often whispered sounds that were not in any language they could understand. "Oh," She gasped, running her thumb in the middle of Chloe's palm. "You have a very important purpose in this lifetime. Very, very important."

Chloe was frozen to the ground. She could feel some sweat starting to drip from the hairs around her face, but it wasn't that hot out.

"You are the sole reason behind it all," The woman moved her hands fastly around her wrists, then into a ball like she was conjuring some kind of force. "The beginning, the middle," Some gibberish was said in a way that was almost terrifying. "And the end."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Chloe desperately pleaded, feeling at her own wits end of whatever was going on. Max wasn't helping and the woman was saying things that were making her feel put on the spot. She was only feeling more uneasy the more she stood there.

"My guides won't allow me to tell you." The woman shook her head sharply.

"...Your guides? Where are they?" Chloe looked around in the sky, but there was nothing to be seen. It felt like she was going to get possessed by her. "Max, help me out here." She said under gritted teeth, hoping no one else could hear.

Max remained silent as she sat back on the jewelry table to rest in the shade. She wasn't going to stop whatever was happening because frankly, seeing Chloe get subjected to something that didn't make sense to her was a good learning opportunity. She assumed that Rachel had her moment of revelation already, but now it was her time. She smirked at how noticeably tense Chloe was getting, hand taken back by the woman for a second time.

"They do want you to know that, for whatever reason, you should get a refresher on some history lessons. And keep a journal." The elderly woman lightly laughed but stopped in the middle of her supposed download. "Oh, that's really interesting."

"Shit, is it something bad?" Chloe searched her face for an answer to her confusing statements, but she remained as stiff as a board.

"No, I'm now seeing an image. It's of a younger couple, one who looks like you, and they are blinded by this bright light in front of them." She firmly grasped Chloe's hand in a way that was different. She wasn't reading her palm anymore to manipulate her, she was legitimately seeing something in her mind's eye. Something extremely lifelike. "They are holding onto each other, bracing for the impact that they assumed was going to come, but the one that comes isn't what they expect." The woman took a long and drawn out breath like whatever she was observing was hard to watch. Her words were becoming strained. "It's another couple who looks identical to you and the other person you are with, but they are now walking in through a door, inviting you two inside. They tell you that 'they were there all along. There is nothing to be afraid of.' And," She briefly wiped her eyes as tears were pouring out without any reason. "I'm distinctly hearing, 'There's more of us.' Over and over again. 'There's more of us.'"

Both of them were completely still, almost forgetting that they were out in public. Tears were starting to form and trickle down Max's face until the woman was able to compose herself enough to grab her tissue. She looked to be more impacted than Chloe had been, too shocked by the strange information to process it. She really needed to explain whatever was going on more clearly, but it wasn't looking like that was going to happen. The bag holding the neatly wrapped earring was given back over to Max, who was already starting to dig out some cash before the woman put up her hand to stop her.

"It's all yours. I have a feeling that this is for someone special." A sincere smile was given as she reached out to gently touch Chloe's arm, with tears still stained on her cheek. "I want you to believe in yourself, even though I know how difficult it is."

The only thing she could do was nod back. Words weren't even coming to her mind to speak. Everything was happening too fast.

"Have a wonderful day." The woman added as they both quickly walked away.

Max and Chloe were passing through the rest of the festival, not sure how they even got there in the first place. The early morning was a blur by this point. The people around didn't even seem real. Each tent felt like a maze that they were trapped in, too preoccupied by their own thoughts of the experience with the saleswoman. It was certainly odd, but she was strangely accurate to feelings only Chloe could confirm on her own. She had never done something like that and she wasn't sure she would ever again.

Somehow, they both were able to reach the entrance gates, even though it seemed like they were walking in the exact opposite direction of them. This festival felt like something from the twilight zone, carrying each of them by the napes of their necks and guiding them to where they really belonged. The groups of people that were once packed in by the entrance were now completely gone. The streets just outside of it were barren.

"Max," Chloe leaned in closer to her to whisper. "What the actual hell was that."

"Welcome to the club of never knowing what's going on." She shoved the bag she had been carrying into her arms, smirking as it took her by surprise. "I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually."

Chloe dug inside to pull out the earring and inspected it closely. The metal clinked in each swaying movement back and forth.

"So, should we go find you a journal now?" Max looked at her mischievously. Sudden emotions or not, it seemed like Chloe was sent on some kind of mission by the woman. She would never miss the opportunity to poke fun at it, though. "Or do you already have a secret one locked under your bed?"

"Great, I knew I should've hid it somewhere else." Chloe said sarcastically before grasping one of the metal stop sign posts and swinging herself around with the bag still in her hand.

They were both heading back in the direction of the hotel previously checked into when they arrived, and Max didn't mind because they needed a break from whatever just happened. A moment to recuperate. The seriousness of the conversation with the woman was starting to wear off, but it still wasn't something Chloe could easily process. It couldn't have meant nothing.

"No, but really, I do have one so secret that nobody will be able to find it."

"I can believe it." Max watched her climb onto one of the benches near the road and jump off of it. Those espresso shots from earlier were not doing her any good. "Don't you remember those letters we wrote to each other in that time capsule your dad found? I always knew that you had it in you."

"God, yes." Chloe groaned, thinking back to when they wrote to each other when they were younger, notes mostly filled with terrible wrong predictions of how their futures would go. If only they knew what was really going to happen. "But I was like fifteen, so it didn't last very long."

"Now I definitely need to see it."

"We'll see about that."


"You're pulling in all of the particles from your surroundings…"

The phone's speaker was blaring loudly as it rested against a soda can, displaying the fifth YouTube video of the afternoon that Rachel could find. The temperature was only getting warmer as the hours passed by which only made it more gruesome to be outside. Sweat was dripping down her forehead. Kids were screaming from a few houses down from what sounded like a pool party that had been going on for as long as she was out back. The loud splashes of water were only a frustrated reflection of how dreadfully hot it really was. She was about ready to crash the party herself just to cool down. And yet, feeling out of any other options, she had no choice but to do what she was doing.

Rachel felt half ridiculous, but, oddly enough, half confident that something would happen again. Whatever seemed to have taken place over a week ago at the barn was not forgotten like she had let on to anyone else. The small amount of alone time that she had given herself was going to be her last chance to try something so crazy that she didn't want to believe could work. It was a part of her reasoning for getting Max and Chloe out of the house, and the added bonus of Joyce and David suddenly leaving was only making it a more ideal situation.

It wasn't easy trying to find a video to explain the strangeness that lingered in her entire being for years; an unspoken energy force that was never acknowledged enough to press further. It was next to impossible. After nights of lingering on online forums and secretly going on Chloe's laptop to do some last minute research on what could possibly be wrong with her, Rachel had landed on something rather interesting.

Pyrokinesis and aerokinesis were the only ideas that continuously kept popping up on every search.

It was the best guess she had, although it seemed ridiculous on its own to say out loud, and while hearing Max having strange time traveling powers on its own was crazy, the thought of having them herself was proving to be more overwhelming than she planned for.

"You have to let yourself go and let the energy flow through you."

The guy in the video was breathing in and out in a deliberate way after he gave his overly long intro. He swung his arms around, saying that it was to warm up the energy, but regardless, it lasted about five minutes too long. How the video got over twenty thousand views was a mystery in itself, but the mere fact that something like that was able to be watched by so many people was impressive. If he could do it, maybe she could.

Rachel slowly backed up from her phone and stood in the middle of the yard. She had gathered a small pile of old leaves and other objects and put them several feet away on the grass, thinking that she would be able to move them, even if she truthfully had no idea what she was doing.

She held out her arms in front of her and spread out her hands as if she were leaning against an invisible door, following the movements on the video and steadily focusing on the leaves. It was a good thing that no one was able to see her, graciously given by the privacy of the white fence that lined the backyard, as they would most likely think that she was completely delusional.

"I accelerate everything around me and direct it."

Wind was starting to pick up around the guy in the video, even more so as he waved his arms around in a circular motion and directed it into a single location. She watched as the air was clearly present, swirling behind him effortlessly like it preferred him more. He was connected to the elemental forces of nature and she wasn't. It was starting to get on her nerves.

Rachel pointed back to her own target and focused on the leaves with the intensity of a laser beam; it was so harsh that she could burn a hole right through them. A couple of grunts and weary sighs after minutes passed of straining every bit of attention she had left in her. This was the last straw.

"Point. Aim. Direct. Push out."

Every muscle tensed tightly as she held out her arm one more time, taking more control over her own breath.

In and out.

Thoughts were being cleared from her mind.

An unexplainable feeling crept up inside of her stomach. It wasn't from the stale bread she found in the kitchen from lunch, it was something emerging. A beginning to something that couldn't be created nor destroyed.

Rachel could have sworn that a single leaf moved, then another. Her face lit up when the pile moved again. She watched her arm shake the longer she had it out in front of her, feeling more than proud of herself, until from behind her opened hand a bluebird hopped out of the leaves and dug into the dirt for something to eat. The video kept playing, but it was only a murmur at this point. There was not a single gust of wind around. So much for figuring out her spontaneous superpowers.

It was like that bird was mocking her. She glared at it, watching its every move until it finally flew away only to land on the telephone wire. Reality was setting in again and the setup she had laying out in front of her looked more like a joke as opposed to something meant to be taken seriously. She dropped down into the grass in utter defeat.

She needed someone with experience to talk to this about, one that wasn't faking it for the internet. Someone who would likely not judge her for what she was doing because she had some of her own.

A real superhero.


"Oh, no way," Chloe quickly turned around on the bench with her ice cream cone in her hand, trying to find the source of the mysterious music playing from somewhere down the road. It sounded all too familiar. Her neck was craned all the way to the side like it would help her hear better. "Is that The High Seas ? This day is legit getting weirder and weirder."

"What's that?" Max asked, trying to follow her train of thought but was starting to realize that it was a lot deeper than that. She had gone inside to order the dessert for the two of them, feeling like she had to make up for earlier and pay back, and she had to make sure to get Chloe's favorite flavor that she remembered after so many years: coffee.

For a day filled with so many coffee beans and strange fortunes, it was definitely one of the better days she had in a while. The music was faint, but clear enough to tell that it wasn't coming from someone's car.

"This indie band." Chloe mumbled before facing the front of the ice cream shop again, only to notice the groups of people walking by wearing pirate themed costumes. It looked like they were headed to the show, or maybe it was some kind of bar crawl. "I think you'd like 'em," She wolfed down the rest of her cone loudly, giving herself a brain freeze on the remaining chunks of ice cream. She held onto Max for a moment to gather herself, before blinking slowly as she started to come out from it. The coldness was making it difficult to formulate any words, lining the back of her throat like ice. "You're into that kind of hipster stuff."

"Apparently you are too." Max smirked. "Gotta be one to know one."

"Yeah, yeah." Chloe waved her off and stood up, reaching out for her hand to help pull her forward. After sitting on those uncomfortable metal benches for so long, she was glad to finally get up and move around. It was like whoever designed them didn't want people to actually sit on them.

The music was only getting louder and people were starting to line up outside of a venue up ahead in the distance. Laughing and yelling, then someone shredding a guitar was heard so clearly that without anything else to do, Chloe was already starting to walk in that direction instinctively, pulling Max by the wrist with her.

"Sounds like they're only a few blocks away," She pointed up to the approaching group wearing large hats and vests adorned with jewels and gold. They looked like true pirates. "We should go check it out."

A nod from Max was the only confirmation she needed.

The band was playing inside of a bar, but for some reason there was nobody outside to check IDs. It wasn't like Max had a fake ID, and even though Chloe always kept one with her, she didn't want to risk getting in any trouble on this trip. For the sake of both of them, they didn't need it. They were lucky enough to not have a run in with a bouncer, and they weren't going to take any more chances with that if it looked like it was free to enter. Chloe quickly checked around the side of the building where she saw a side door that was cracked open just enough to slip inside. Nobody would even know that they were in there, she hoped, and it wasn't like they were going to stay there all night. Just a few minutes. Or more.

"Holy pirate." Max's eyes went wide at the huge nautical themed decorations covering every square inch of the place. She was still in the doorway, but was taken aback by the elaborate costumes that people were wearing as they walked, more like pushed through the masses, carrying drinks ordered at the bar. They seemed to only get more impressive the more she looked into the crowd.

Colorful lights were shining in all directions and a large group was formed around the center stage. The band was playing a song that Chloe couldn't recognize, so she figured it was probably a new one since it had been years since she last heard their music. The energy in there was electric. It was so weird being back in a place like this, especially so with Max.

"I was not prepared for this." Chloe muttered, but realized that she probably didn't hear it because the speakers were not even a foot away from their ears.

Some guy who was excessively drunk was stumbling around, bumping into everyone, until he nearly crashed into Max, causing Chloe to pull her to the side at the last minute. She was going to get swallowed by the crowd if Chloe ever decided to let go of her, but it did seem like there was an open spot across the room near the bar counter. If they kept their heads low, then no one would suspect a thing.

Chloe led the way through, not giving anyone around attention if she happened to run into them. They were all so drunk anyways that they wouldn't even remember it in a few minutes. Max was barely holding on to her hand, following her stride into the space that looked like it was waiting for them. She was enjoying it more than she let on, and the camera tied around her neck was only a reminder at the right opportunity, she had to take a picture of this moment. It was a chance that couldn't not be taken.

"You're a ghost in your own time; a spirit of a forgotten mind. You're here with me, but you're years away and I wish you'd cross the veil and stay."

"Well, shit." Chloe leaned back to finally catch her breath. "If only they knew."

"...Kind of hits the nail on the head, right?" Max watched the band continue to play on the stage but was starting to feel emotions start to overtake her in a way that came on strong. It wasn't a kind of anxiety or panic she was used to, and it wasn't the looming dread that came before a time-related mess. Her body instinctively braced itself but nothing came of it.

There was something so recognizable yet unsettling about the song. It was reading into her own thoughts and were projected into the speakers surrounding the stage.

"If you choose to go, I hope you know, I'll love your ghost. I'll love your ghost."

Max was chewing her lip, zoning out in front of her. The beat of the drums was seemingly syncing with her own heartbeat. The room felt stuffy, worse than it did when they first walked in. Chloe steadily watched her, knowing exactly what she was thinking about even after making a point to make her promise that she wouldn't think about it. Not her, not the storm, not her freaky powers.

There was a cardboard box sitting on the ground next to her filled with a bunch of shirts of different colors, all marked with The High Seas logo. With no sign saying how much they were, and wanting to desperately find something, anything, to distract Max, she reached down into it and pulled one out.

"Hey," She dangled the shirt in front of her eyes. "Want a free t-shirt?"

Max nodded, taking it into her arms. She hesitated on actually putting it on, then contemplated going to one of the stalls in the bathroom that was nowhere to be seen, but navigating through the sea of people sounded like the last thing she wanted to do. The shirt was pretty cool, though. It wasn't like anything else she had and if anything, it was a nice memory to keep. It wasn't everyday that you could walk into a show and find random merch laying around for free.

Whatever feelings she felt were already starting to go away, making her assume that it was likely a passing sensation. As much of a relief as it was, she just hoped that it wouldn't come back.

The lighting in combination with the overall atmosphere was making it an ideal spot for a picture. Without wasting another moment, and with the fear of someone catching them in there, Max held up her camera and pulled Chloe in with her for an impromptu selfie.

"The dead are walking. The dead are walking. Their flesh may fool you but their hearts have stopped."

"You know, in the modern age, people have these camera devices with screens on them." Chloe joked after she was struggling to get it to work properly, making it look a lot more difficult than something that could be easily done in a matter of seconds if she just used her phone. The shutter button kept getting stuck, then her arm wasn't stretched far enough.

"Shut up." Max scoffed, even if it was done under a smile. She almost had it. The picture was right there, but it genuinely sounded like something was broken. She took it back down and placed it on the nearby countertop to inspect it closer. "It always used to work fine when it was just me."

"Oh, well then I wouldn't want to ruin a MaxField masterpiece." Chloe had started to walk away after seeing a familiar face up by the front, one that she hadn't seen in years, but she stopped, not allowing herself to wander off too far. Though, the beanie combined with the impressive stage management skills was only making it more apparent who it was. Someone she hadn't seen in years.

"Get your butt back here, Price. We're taking this photo."

Max held up the camera for a final time before the flash went off, momentarily blinding them, and out shot the picture. She shook it in the air before handing it over to Chloe.

"It's for me?"

"Mmhmm." She hummed proudly, feeling relieved that it actually worked. Talk about bad luck if it didn't.

Some girl off in the distance was yelling loudly as she pushed through the crowd, carrying a big box of cables in her arms. She was determined to make it wherever she was headed, commanding everyone in her way to move—and do it fast—until she rushed through the gap where Chloe and Max stood. She briefly bumped into one of the lonely bar stools, causing one of the audio cables to fall out onto the ground. Chloe bent down to pick it up, but when she went to hand it over she froze in surprise when their eyes met.

"Steph?"

Steph Gingrich, the girl that unexpectedly left Blackwell to go back to Seattle, leaving Mikey and Chloe to pick up the pieces and try to communicate with her as she went MIA, stood face to face with her again. She was dressed in all black and wore some kind of headset slung over her beanie. A small name tag clipped onto her shirt read 'Road Crew'.

"Holy shit. Chloe." She dropped the box to the floor and reached out to give her a hug. It had been so long. So many years of living under the radar from each other that she was the last person she ever thought she would bump into. "It's so good to see you."

Chloe didn't even know what to say. It was all so sudden.

Max stood back, giving them their space even if she had no idea who Steph was and was hoping that she would eventually find out. Though, she wasn't unnoticed like she thought she was.

"Who's this?"

"This is Max Caulfield. Part time superhero," Chloe put her arm around her shoulders as she stood tall, declaring loudly like there was no other answer to give. "Full time best fucking friend."

Max shuddered at the mere mention of being called a superhero, even if it was true. The entire meeting felt like she was on the outside looking in; being so used to just hanging around a couple people at the time, meeting anyone new was becoming a struggle.

"That's quite the introduction," Steph reached out and shook hands with her, not appearing fazed about anything Chloe had said. "You must have a lot to live up to."

"That's putting it lightly." Max laughed softly, already starting to feel all of the doubt she had start to wash away. Maybe it wasn't going to be so bad after all.

Steph bent over and picked up the box of cables again, securing it tightly at her side. Her headset would beep every so often and then someone on a radio would talk. It was distracting for everyone there, not just her. A group of guys had turned around at the obnoxious sounds, loudly letting her know that she was bothering them, but she was so unaffected by it that no words were even needed to shut them back up. It was quite a sight to watch.

"So, what are you doing here?" Chloe asked, eyes roaming across the venue briefly before putting her attention back on her. It was clear that she was doing some sort of management for the band, knowing that she was damn good at it, especially after remembering the Tempest years ago. She always did seem to have a knack for this kind of stuff, so it wasn't that surprising to see her back in her element.

"This is just a side gig before Izzie and I head out on tour for our band." Steph shrugged nonchalantly before taking a look at the large clock that hung on the wall, realizing how fast the time was slipping away from her. She was running behind schedule and there wasn't any time to waste.

Making sure the box wasn't going to go anywhere under her arm, she gestured for the two to follow her into the back of the bar.

"You're part of a band? Steph, that's hella cool."

"Yeah, we're in a group called Drug Store Makeup ." She reached down to move a long cable that laid across the ground, all coiled up and ready to trip someone if they weren't looking. She was barely looking at where she was walking, effortlessly maneuvering over spilled drinks and belongings scattered about. "We're usually doing gigs in Seattle, but you know," She briefly turned around to hand Chloe another box resting on a side table that was filled with old CDs. "Tour and such."

The back door creaked open, revealing a large storage space with a loading dock meant for semi trucks, but the only car backed into it was a white van. Chloe and Max stood back while Steph went over to it and unlocked the doors, crawling inside to drop off the box she had been carrying.

"I need all the help I can get right now." Her voice muffled until she reappeared again, brushing some dust off her pants. Her focus was entirely on the job at hand, regardless if anyone else was there with her, she was going to get it done. She signaled for Chloe to hand over the box of CDs and took them straight back into the van again, stacking some of them on top of each other.

Max shot Chloe a look of concern, wanting to say so much but was interrupted by Steph calling out her name from inside of the vehicle.

"Max, it would be amazing if you could take some of those containers and stack them inside the van." Steph gazed out the back door and pointed across the room at the plastic bins that were labeled neatly, all housing some kind of equipment. Everything from audio to video to musical instruments. "Don't worry, most of them are pretty light."

She swallowed hard, not prepared for the work waiting out in front of her. There were at least twenty or more boxes sitting off in the corner that didn't look like they had been moved in years. Cobwebs and dust bunnies were already visible from where she stood. It was overwhelming.

"This won't take long." Chloe said through a reassuring smile, even though she could sense Max's uneasiness about it and she honestly didn't blame her. They really did have their work cut out for them during a time that was supposed to be anything but stressful. "And if it does," She briefly looked up at Steph, who was now finishing another call over the radio and was too distracted to hear anything else. "I'll get us out of it."

"And Chloe," Steph's commanding tone brought her attention back, causing her to stiffen almost immediately. It wasn't the best idea to be on her bad side when she was in the middle of something she deemed as important, especially after so many lost years. She clicked something off on her headset and was already guiding her into the neighboring room. "I need you to help me with the heavy lifting. Those tables need to be folded up and put in the van alongside the boxes."

As Max had gone over to the containers to do what she was instructed to do against her will, Chloe followed Steph closely behind into the room where several large card tables were waiting. It looked to be a type of break room or even extra storage for the bar. It was relatively similar to what the back of the diner was like, with lots of metal shelving and clearly labeled items displayed.

"What are the odds that we would run into each other? And here , out of all places." Chloe took one side of the table that rested against one of the walls and bent down two of the legs, snapping them shut easily.

"Right?" Steph took a hold of the other end and proceeded to walk back with her to the van. The loading dock step seemed a lot higher when carrying something heavy, and a few extra efforts were needed to push it into the back. It was a good thing she wasn't doing it alone. "The last time you and I were in Portland was for pride."

"Oh, shit. That was like years ago." Chloe exclaimed, causing her grip on the table to slip and make a loud noise as it hit the bottom of the van. She winced, hoping that Steph wouldn't be mad and potentially dent the car, but she just shrugged like it was no big deal.

They both went back into the other room, doing the process all over again until they were left with the remaining one.

"I'm really going to miss Oregon." Steph groaned under the weight of the table that seemed much larger and heavier than the others. Even if she had help, it wasn't making it any easier to lift. "Izzie and I are going to tour in this small town in Colorado called Haven Springs. I don't know, after living in a small town for years, the city has treated me well."

"But it's just for tour, right? It's not like you'll be living there." Chloe was barely able to carry the table much farther. The van was only several feet away by this point, but every step she made was painful. Sweat was dripping down the side of her face.

"That's very true." Steph nodded, giving it one more push to slide it in with the rest of the tables.

It was ridiculously hot in there and not a single water bottle was in sight. Chloe decided to use the bottom of her shirt to wipe off her face, glancing over at Max who had tied the free t-shirt around her waist. It would have really come in handy right then, but it seemed like she was dodging the entire situation a little too well, moving the same box around and avoiding any and all eye contact. She laughed to herself at the sight. It was irritating how good she was at staying clear of problematic situations like the one she had gotten them in.

They both stepped back out into the storage room, shutting the back of the doors to the van and locking it shut. Steph had wandered off to the side to take yet another call with someone, this time filled with annoyance and several curses like they had done something majorly wrong. She paced around, bumping into the extra chairs and storage crates before a loud beep went off. Chloe was already starting to walk towards Max and signal that they were free to leave now, until she was stopped midway.

"Hey, can we talk outside for a second?" The tone in Steph's voice was concerned, bearing on somber. Her demeanor had completely shifted from what it just was moments ago, putting aside her management face for something much more serious.

Chloe reluctantly nodded and followed her down the stairs and into the back alleyway, closing the door behind them. A completely dark sky only showed how late it really was, with a fair share of dogs barking off in another building. It was still out, not even a breath of air to be felt. Steph continued walking as far away from the bar as possible, ending up near some of the dumpsters and chain link fences that lined the property.

"Chloe," Steph sighed heavily and crossed her arms as she leaned against the fence. She hesitated to even bring it up, lowering her voice so that nobody else would be able to hear her. "I saw you guys on the news."

Her stomach sank and then twisted up into knots. She didn't even want to respond, too angry that out of everything else they could have talked about, somehow what happened in April was still being brought up. It didn't matter where she went or who came along for the ride, the past was never going to be forgotten. Chloe had ignored the glaring fact that their story had been broadcasted nationwide, hoping that if she just pushed it to the side like every other problem she had that it would just go away. But that was never going to be the case.

"That looked like some scary stuff." She added, taking off her headset and twisting the microphone. She was visibly uncomfortable, a kind that was rarely shown to anyone else.

"You have no idea." Chloe sniffed, kicking some rock with her shoe. It hit one of the dumpsters, clanging and ricocheting off the side. It was about the only thing she could say without adding any more detail. She turned around to check back at the door to the bar, somewhat hoping that Max would use her skills to get her out of the conversation, or at least be with her during it so she wouldn't have to explain it all over again. Although, she really didn't blame Steph for wanting to know about it; it was a big deal and shouldn't have been taken so lightly.

"And Rachel…" Steph cleared her throat, then twisted the little microphone again. The plastic was only squeaking worse every time she did it.

Just the mere mention of her name sent Chloe off the edge.

"What about her?" She snapped, crossing her own arms and not letting her eyes off of her. She didn't need to be overanalyzed over Rachel, and it sure wasn't going to happen the one time she wasn't there. Tension was quickly filling the air.

"Easy, I'm not going to say anything bad." Steph reassured, holding out her hands in surrender. She stood there awkwardly, realizing that maybe it wasn't the best topic to bring up considering how close the two were in the past. A full on fight wasn't on her cards for the night and it wasn't going to look good for the band. "I saw who she hung around. Those Vortex Club parties are no joke." She shrugged, trying to de-escalate the conversation. "I just hope she's doing better now."

"She's alive and well." Chloe hissed, then realized that she really didn't mean to be as intrusive as she sounded and started to feel uncomfortable. Steph cared about Rachel too, and it wasn't like they never talked so it wasn't fair to just not talk about it just a little. She bowed her head down and reached into her back pocket for her pack of cigarettes, taking one out. She avoided smoking the entire day with Max, not wanting to do it in front of her, but desperate times called for desperate measures. "I've been with her the whole time," The lighter flicked. "I haven't let her touch anything since."

"That's good. I can't even imagine what any of that was like for you." Steph shook her head slowly. So much of it was uncharted territory for her. Too many bridges burned and others to cross. "When I saw you three on the TV, I just felt so guilty. Like I should have done something."

"There was nothing anyone could have done differently." Smoke swirled up in the air around them as she took another drag. "It was just a fucked up situation. No matter how you look at it."

The air fell still again. Any lingering unease seemed to have vanished and all that was left was a silent understanding. It wasn't an easy subject to talk about, both of them knew it quite well. The past was something like a nightmare and a beautiful dream all at once. It was something that neither of them would have ever wished upon each other, but at the same time, were equally glad that it didn't go so much worse.

"So I'm assuming that you two are still seeing each other?"

"Make that officially seeing each other." Chloe dropped her cig on the ground and snuffed it out with the bottom of her shoe. Just saying that it was official was enough to make her feel too many emotions that all had to do with the one person that was stuck at her house, alone, doing god-knows-what without her. The words never got easier to say out loud.

"Was it not official before?" Steph raised her eyebrow. Too many years of seeing them together made it seem awfully like they were dating. "Chloe, you literally called Rachel your girlfriend in front of me. And Mikey."

"Yeah, I did." She coughed, feeling strained against her own breath. "Then I didn't."

"Ah, so it's complicated. Gotcha." Steph nodded. A messy relationship was something she was painfully aware of. Too aware. "So when are you gonna tie the knot?"

"I–" Chloe choked.

"Kidding. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay back in the 'Bay." Steph said, though was sensing that their conversation was coming to an end as Chloe's phone made a noise like someone had texted her. She took it out and started typing, every so often looking up. "If you ever want someone to talk to about it, just know that my door…or phone…is always open. I still have the same number as before."

Chloe slowly nodded and started to walk away back to the bar, still glued to her screen, until Steph called out at the last minute.

"And hey, call me when you get that wedding registry made." She jokingly held up her hand to her ear like a phone. "I know some people who can hook you up. I also make a killer DJ."

"Yeah," Chloe turned around and smiled at her, hand on the door handle. "You might be waiting a while."

"I won't hold my breath."


Rachel: I miss you

The message sat in the emptiness of her phone for hours, now getting to the point where she wasn't expecting a response back. Chloe was probably so busy hanging out with Max and wasn't able to take a moment of rest because they were just so busy having fun without her, but she knew that it was a lame excuse. Rachel almost felt pathetic for feeling that lonely, even if it had only been twelve hours away from each other, but she was. The day had quickly come to an end and she managed to go back up to Chloe's room, taking advantage of the entire bed without any stolen sheets pulled off to one side when she would wake up. Weird creaks and sounds filled the empty household as she laid back and stared up at the ceiling.

From the failed superpower training to being a little too nosy in searching around the house, aside from the security cameras that were still being displayed on the tv in the garage—which was a dreadful reminder of the privacy none of them had—she felt an emptiness in her that wasn't going away. She never wanted to be clingy, but it was as if the forces of nature kept bringing her back to Chloe like they weren't allowed to be with anyone else. It didn't matter how many times she tried to get away and move on over the years, it was always the same conclusion.

Her phone that rested off to her side started to ring, with a familiar face appearing on the screen wanting to FaceTime. She eagerly grabbed it and pressed the green button to accept the call. It was like she had read her mind from miles away.

"There's my favorite girl." Chloe's face instantly lit up as soon as she saw her, but looked closer at the recognizable sight in front of her. "Is that my shirt?"

"It smells like you. And it's comfy."

"You look damn good in it." Her voice carried through the speakers in a low husk, in such a way that made her blush. It wasn't the first time Rachel had stolen her clothes, or vice versa, but it definitely wasn't often.

There was nothing important about the shirt as it was found laying off one of the drawer handles from the frantic packing earlier that morning. It had one too many holes and stains on it, and one more wash was going to turn it into shreds, but it definitely wasn't going to stop Rachel from taking any more while Chloe was gone. If anything, she was already scouting out more to add to her limited clothing collection taken from her house months ago. The dark closet was open and waiting for her, but the thought of actually getting up and turning on some lights was not going to happen any time soon.

Chloe was seemingly back in the hotel, sitting on one of the beds. Paper scratches and eraser sounds were being heard from underneath her, but Rachel couldn't tell what she was doing from the other side of her phone other than assume that she was drawing or writing something.

"How was your day?" She asked plainly. There were so many other questions that she truthfully wanted to know more of, but without knowing what was happening around her, like Max sitting across from her listening and waiting to be called out, she held back. Though, just hearing Chloe speak was enough to be comforting and put her at ease, just like the shirt had been after the tiring superpower training turned embarrassing reminder that she was trying too hard. It used up all of her energy, going for hours on end for no results.

"Hella batshit insane," Chloe dropped her pencil on the ground, groaning as she bent over to grab it, "I would tell you, but I wouldn't even know where to begin."

"You can tomorrow when you get back." Rachel was steadily watching her, but it seemed like Chloe was too focused on what she was doing than wanting to have a conversation. Granted, she didn't really either as just talking about random things was good enough for her. But if she genuinely believed that she was strong enough to survive even a day alone, she was severely wrong. Maybe her clinginess on Chloe was her superpower all along. "Is Max there?"

"She's knocked out cold." She picked up her phone and showed the other side of the hotel room where Max lay resting on the bed, sound asleep. The poor girl didn't even look like she was breathing as she was so exhausted. Chloe spoke softly the entire time just to make sure that she wouldn't wake her up. " She almost fell asleep walking back to the hotel."

"I don't blame her," Rachel yawned and stretched out her arms widely. Max's tiredness was quickly wearing off on her. "I'm about to do the same."

"Want me to go? I don't mind."

"No, stay." She insisted as she rolled over to her side, propping her phone up on the other pillow. "I like hearing your voice."

Chloe went silent for a little too long, eyes darting between the screen and the paper on her lap. She had the lamp next to her turned on that was showing more of her expressions than she probably realized.

"Now I can't think of anything to say." She tapped the pencil against her lips like she was lost in thought.

"Why don't you…" Rachel drew out the words slowly, letting out yet another yawn. It was like the more she did it, the more they came. It wasn't terribly late either, but being in bed was only making it harder to stay awake. "Tell me a story."

"Wait, really?" Chloe stopped immediately when she saw her reaction. She was being completely serious and there wasn't an ounce of doubt in her request. Quickly shutting the cover to the notebook hidden just out of frame and leaning to the side like Rachel had, she got tucked underneath the bedding. There was something about laying that way that was starting to make her tired. Cursed comfy beds. "Should I just make something up?"

Rachel just nodded.

"Okay, yeah…" This was going to be a lot harder than it looked. Chloe sighed. "Once upon a time in a land far, far away, there was this girl."

Her eyes were already feeling heavy against the pillow as she sunk deeper into it. She didn't really think Chloe would do it, but at the same time, knew that at a moment's notice, she would do anything for her unapologetically so it wasn't that surprising. The string of Christmas lights across the room was the only source of light in there, painting the room in colorful hues, which stood out against the pitch black sky that was taking over the night from out the window. The night was silent and calm, just like the rest of the house was. It was peaceful.

"And," Chloe stuttered, not really thinking it through. "And she lived up in this castle alone. There were, like, alligators and shit outside guarding her. And she had this pet dragon. And an army of robot ninjas. And—"

"Okay, okay," Rachel exhaled, laughing. "I get it."

"Everyone in the town wanted her, but they didn't realize that she was actually…" Chloe paused and smirked. Rachel technically never told her what kind of story she should tell, so she leaned closer to the screen to whisper for a greater effect. "A giant werewolf."

"Are you calling me a werewolf?" Rachel narrowed her eyes on her.

"I never said the story was about you."

"Uh huh. Sure." She wasn't going to believe it easily, especially with how funny Chloe apparently thought it was on the other end. She would never outwardly admit it, but she did really like being told a bedtime story, even if it was more ridiculous than sweet. Although, she should have known better, even if Chloe did have her painfully romantic moments, they were few and far between. If this was the story she was getting tonight, she better just lay back and deal with it. "Okay, so what happened next?"

"Every night she turns into a werewolf and goes out and eats people in the town. She doesn't want to, but she has to because she'll die if she doesn't. Something about werewolf rules." Chloe grinned as she held up her hands the best she could without being trapped by the sheets that were only feeling more constricting the more she lay there. And hot. "One day, she runs into this knight in shining armor who gives her some potion to un-werewolf herself. And when the knight takes off their helmet to finally reveal themselves, the girl instantly falls in love. Like a little too quick…but anyways…" It was becoming way too clear what was happening. Rachel was completely focused, eyes glimmering, only putting more pressure on her. Chloe cleared her throat unsteadily. Being watched while making something up as she went along was something she was pretty good at, but it didn't make it any easier to speak. "So this knight is actually this other girl, super badass and fucking sexy, and she has blue hair that's magic and can turn into different weapons to fight off the monsters."

"I knew that was going to be you."

"Then they ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after." Chloe quickly added the ending and fell back on her own pillow, sighing exasperatedly. It was a lot of work, fun, but not something she thought she was going to have to do that night. " The end."

"This knight sounds pretty hot, I just wish I knew somebody that fit that description." Rachel said slyly, but Chloe wasn't even facing the phone anymore. Her head was now completely out of frame.

"You'll only meet her if you turn into a werewolf." She said from what sounded like across the room before fumbling her phone in her hand, making it seem like she was on a boat. So much for going to sleep. " Did you not listen to the story? Geez, Rach."

"Oh my god," Her breath caught in her throat as she pretended to be shocked. "I think I'm talking to her right now."

"No way." Chloe teased back, though it was becoming apparent that she wasn't in the room anymore. And with the loud noises echoing through the speakers, she likely wasn't even in the hotel. A car whirled by but it was at a distance, or even down below from where she was.

"So are you going to ride off into the sunset with me, as promised?" Rachel brought her phone closer to her face, squinting at the darkness around Chloe but nothing in the background came out clear. She was being antsier than she usually was at night, even though that wasn't saying much, only leading her to believe that she must have had something she wasn't supposed to. Like way too much caffeine.

"I don't know where I'm gonna find a horse, but maybe I'll steal one from somewhere." She leaned against the metal railing, revealing the stars above her in the sky.

A lighter flicked, then smoke filled the air. Chloe was clearly taking a smoke break and wanted to do it outside of the room to probably not get in trouble by the staff. Okay, Rachel could handle that. Yet, everytime she put more weight on the railing, the metal creaked so loud that it made it seem like it was going to break. Her body went stiff at every sound. She really didn't need a medical emergency to deal with.

"I always wanted to ride one." Rachel tried to say normally but it came across more tense than she wanted.

"Me or a horse?"

The railing creaked again, this time even louder.

"I already know what you can do."

"Save a horse, ride a cowgirl." Chloe took another drag and turned around to now hang her arms off the ledge. Somehow it only made it worse to watch.

"I've saved a lot of horses then." Rachel shyly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, but Chloe wasn't paying attention to her as she was too focused on looking out at the tall buildings in the distance. Little squares of lights could be barely seen from where she was standing. Rachel shifted over onto her back and shut her eyes, taking her phone with her to hold up. "I just remember when I was younger and I would see these groups of people riding them along the beach. It looked fun."

"In Cali?"

"Yeah."

"I'll take you on one." Chloe put out her cigarette on the pavement and started to leave the rooftop finally. Her footsteps followed in every room she entered. First was a set of stairs, then an elevator, then a hallway lined with carpet. She was walking a little too fast and had nearly bumped into some picture on the wall.

"You better be keeping a list of everything you're promising me."

"Maybe that's what that old lady was telling me." A door handle clicked open. "Huh."

"Are you hanging out at the nursing home now?" Rachel raised her eyebrow, watching as Chloe entered back in her room where Max was. Some keys were dropped onto a table nearby.

"No, I met her at this festival here with Max. She told me to keep a journal for some reason."

"Well, now you can put one to good use."

"I guess so."

Chloe's phone had been thrown onto the bed with the only view Rachel now had was of the ceiling. She sat down at the edge and started kicking off her shoes.

"You just can't sit still, can you?"

A squeak of the mattress springs, then a click of a light switch. The white paneling above was only so interesting to look at as Chloe was completely out of the camera. Rachel could hear the distinct sound of a bag of chips being opened and something was zipped back up afterwards. It must have been the cooler of food she packed for them earlier.

"I probably shouldn't have had a huge cup of coffee this morning. And then again at lunch."

She crunched on a chip loudly causing Rachel to immediately lower the volume because it was right in the speaker, piercing in her ears at every bite. She loved her, but this was starting to get annoying.

"I'm three shots of espresso deep and I feel like I could go run a marathon or something."

"Chloe, you can barely handle the stuff at the diner." Rachel sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. Chloe and coffee wasn't a good combination, even though she had it all the time despite complaining how gross it tasted. She would insist on taking every single sugar packet tucked by the napkins and pouring it in every time Joyce would offer the three coffee at the diner while they worked. It definitely wasn't the drink Rachel would have picked out for her, as espresso on its own was awfully bitter. "Those shots are like pure caffeine, you do know that right?"

"Look, I heard someone in line order it and I wanted to sound cool."

"I think you got a little carried away with it."

"The thought occurred, yeah." Chloe brought out a notebook she had earlier and held it up with several pages torn out and edges wrinkled. She started to flip through each piece of paper until she landed on the one with the drawing she had been working on. "This is for Max," She moved the notebook closer to her phone to show it off, talking as quietly as she could like it was some kind of secret. " I want to get it finished before she wakes up and sees what I'm doing."

"Is that what I think it's for?" The image was blurry and hard to see, but as Rachel squinted at it to try and understand what it was, it only became more clear with the details in the line art and vivid colors.

"Yup." Chloe nodded. "I don't know if she'll go through with it, though."

"I bet she'll love it." Rachel yawned again and stretched out her arms as she sat up. Forget about a story to put her to sleep, she had gone on a full adventure without even leaving the bed. "You're so damn talented," She said with her voice growing softer. "I just wish you knew that."

"You're only saying that to make me feel better." Chloe's face got visibly red as the notebook was quickly shut again and placed off to the side. The way she got embarrassed was endearing, especially so when she was called out on it. And now, she had nowhere to go to escape except to hang up. Maybe being out of town did have its benefits.

"You know it's good, so I don't even want to hear it." Rachel challenged her back with an eye roll. She had seen what she could draw over the years, evident enough with the graffiti plastered across the walls at Blackwell. It was no surprise that Chloe had talent for it, and even if she would never outwardly admit it, she was going to make her see it one way or another. " And you're drawing mine next."

"Right." Chloe sighed and finished the little bag of chips that were still being snacked on, crumpling it into a ball. " But I'll send you a picture of this when it's finished."

In the background, Max seemed to have moved around in her bed, stirring back and forth. She mumbled something but Chloe couldn't understand it. Her arm twitched, then her leg shot out. She was in the middle of some kind of a dream, and hopefully not a nightmare, but the whole thing was putting her on edge.

"Shit, I better go." Chloe reached out to take the notebook and hid it under her pillow in fear of Max seeing it. "I'll talk to you tomorrow. Don't let the bedbugs bite." She winked. "Really. I don't know what's growing in there, so be careful."

"I'm used to it." Rachel laughed, but it was more of an exhale than anything else, and rolled over to her side again, pulling the old blanket over herself that desperately needed to be washed. But that was also its appeal. "Love you."

"Love you more."