Chapter 15

"Hide!" was everything Rachel managed to say before slamming shut the door again, leaving Chloe to find a spot to hide.

In panic she looked hastily around, trying to find a hiding spot, noticing that the only option was to crawl under the bed, which she did right away. Then, she listened to what was spoken outside the door.

"Mom, wh-what're you doing here that early?"

"Tracy has got her PMS and is suffering from some hellish headaches. She already took an Aspirin, but it doesn't work, so I came here to quickly pick up some of my painkillers."

"Shall I get 'em for you? So, you don't have to take off your shoes."

"Thanks, darlin'. But they're in my room, so I'll just quickly get 'em and be on my way again. Don't wanna disturb your li'l shindig."

The door swung open, and from under the bed, Chloe watched how Sera walked straight towards her wardrobe, opening the second drawer. And just now she remembered the bottle of painkillers and the purple object that had also been lying inside that drawer and was now still in her hand.

'Shit!'

For a moment, Rachel's mom rummaged through the content and took out the medication. But it took another moment until the grown up woman stopped her doings and turned towards her daughter.

"Alright Rachel, where is it? Please, give it back!"

"Wh-what are you talkin' about?" replied Rachel nervously, taking a step back. But her mom followed her, her voice getting stricter.

"You know exactly what I mean. So please, don't lemme ask for it again!"

"Mom, I-I really don't…"

"Listen, I get it that you wanna experiment a bit…maybe even practice, but not with my personal stuff! If you really want one I could order it online and…"

"Mom, I don't have a freakin' idea what you're talking about!" yelled Rachel back out of a sudden, which of course didn't help the situation.

Chloe stayed hidden, hearing how Sera stomped out of the room, past her daughter and called for Max, Steph and, of course, her. Some heated, distant chatter sounded, getting audible as Sera came out of the living room again.

"…-ere's Chloe? Toilet?"

"Mom, nobody was in your room. Stop being so paranoid!" called Rachel after her mother, who was now banging against the bathroom door.

"Chloe, open up!"

"MOM!" yelled her daughter once more, making her stop. "Why don't you believe me? Nobody was…"

"I'm not stupid, Rachel!" countered Sera furiously. "I smell the beer, and honestly, I would've let it slip, but that you violate my private space crosses a big fucking red line!"

This cooled Rachel's temper, evident that her tone was now way calmer, bordering desperation.

"Mom…"

Chloe felt sorry for putting Rachel in that spot. She alone had fucked it up and somebody else was now getting the heat for her mistakes. But why? Why had Rachel done this? Was she so dedicated to her friends or did she just want to save her own behind by covering up the truth?

No matter what, it was time to end this before things got even worse. So, Chloe decided to crawl out from under the bed, facing her fate in form of Sera, who was standing right close to the door as she opened it. Everyone was present, even Max and Steph, who were looking at her with a quizzical gaze.

Timidly and her eyes lowered, Chloe used sign-language, somehow forgetting that Sera didn't understand it.

"What did she say?" she asked, almost unable to control her anger as she ogled Chloe's scarcely, with her shirt dressed presence.

"She said that she's sorry and that the thing you're looking for is under the bed." translated Steph, also giving her girlfriend a sour glare.

A heavy silence hovered over everything. What was going to happen next? The only obvious thing was that everybody was angry at Chloe. Eventually, Sera spoke "Rachel, please show your guests out!"

It wasn't a polite request but a matter of fact. A simple command.

"B-but Mom…" her daughter tried to counter, but only received a stern glare that told her that this wasn't up for discussion, forcing her to obey.

After packing their stuff in silence, Steph, Max and Chloe left the apartment, whereas the latter one was dressed in her still with beer spilled clothes again. Only Rachel and her mother remained in the apartment and the young girl knew that a big storm was heading her way. At least, Sera waited until her friends had left the building before starting her ranting.

"I'm very disappointed in you!" she started to chide at her daughter, who had her sight fixed on her feet and her arms wrapped around her body. "Not only that you disobeyed my rules, but you also tried to cover it up by lying right into my face!"

"I'm sorry!" was the blond teenager's quiet response, but Sera's answer to that was just a cynical scoff, which eventually peaked into another scolding.

"Good gosh, I'm feeling so embarrassed and betrayed! How could you do this to me?!"

Now being made responsible for this incident, Rachel's hands clawed deep into her arms as anger began to rise within. Agitatedly she raised her sight, saying "It wasn't my fault! Chloe…"

"You were responsible, Rachel! Not Chloe, you!"

"But that's fuckin' unfair!" complained the young girl. "How can it be my fault that Chloe's such a stupid cunt?"

"Language, Rachel!"

As Rachel's anger was now reaching unknown heights, the tone got louder, which eventually heated the fight even more.

"Fuck language!" she yelled, her face turning red. "She's a stupid asshole! And I only tried to cover this shit to keep Steph and Max out of it."

"This doesn't undo that you were lying to me and I got embarrassed in front of my own daughter!"

"Oh geez, so you have a freakin' dildo, so what?"

"It's fucking embarrassing for me, Rachel! And the fact that Chloe found it by rummaging through my personal stuff makes it even worse. What was she doing in my room anyway?"

"I dunno. Maybe she was searching for some clothes she could put on, since she'd been too stupid to open a fucking can of beer. Or maybe she just wanted to fuck herself. Now, let it drop, will ya! You already ruined the party, now take your stupid pills and leave me the fuck alone!"

Being faced with such snarky adolescent behavior, Sera lost it, hissing "That's enough! Clean up that shit and then go to your room! You're grounded for two weeks."

"Grounded?!" exclaimed Rachel, now literally screaming out of anger. "How old am I, twelve?!"

And Sera's answer wasn't any less heated as she yelled back. "Yes, grounded! Two weeks no phone, no internet and no Max. Now, gimme your phone and computer!"

"NO!"

"GIMME YOUR FUCKING PHONE!"

"FUCK YOU!"

For a moment, Sera went silent in shock, gazing at her daughter with wide open eyes. Moments passed until she managed to regain a bit of her composure. Still, she was now very angry at her rebellious daughter, hissing "Gimme your fucking phone or I'll send you back to your father!"

Now it was Rachel, who went silent upon this threat, yet not because she didn't know what to reply, but because something snapped inside of her. "You want my phone?" she asked rhetorically with trembling lips and teary eyes, pulling her phone out of the pocket before smashing it so hard to the ground that bits and pieces were clattering around. "Here, you got it!" Then she stormed into her room and threw her laptop out of the door. Luckily, it got caught by Sera mid-air. "I never thought that you'd be so yellow and play that dirty card. Now piss off and fuck yourself!"

With these last words spoken, the door slammed shut with a loud bang right in front of Sera's face. She could hear the loud sobs of her beloved daughter through the wood that was physically separating them now. Had it been wrong to be so strict to her? Had it been wrong to make her responsible or to threaten her to send her back to her father if she wouldn't cooperate?

Honestly, she didn't know, hence she was actually being a real mother for less than a year. She felt left alone and overwhelmed with this situation. That her daughter could've such an explosive temper was something the mid-aged woman had become aware of right early. But she had never experienced such an outbreak.

Sera's eyes welled up as she walked back in to her room, the fight with her daughter echoing through her mind over and over again. Barely had she managed to call her friends to tell them, that she wouldn't join them for the party. The night was over, and she somehow felt the need to escape again.

Cold winter-winds were whipping over Max, making him bury his hands deep in his pockets. But it wasn't primarily the coldness that made him shiver. No, mostly he was trembling out of anger.

Normally, he was supposed to sit in Rachel's apartment right now, cuddled into a blanket with her on the sofa, watching a movie or something. Instead, he was in this cold weather, freezing and being mad at his step-sister, who was walking right beside him.

Steph – wanting to head back to Blackwell since she was pretty mad at Chloe as well – had already parted ways with them after leaving the building. So, it was just the two of them.

Suddenly, Max felt some soft bumps on his shoulder, causing him to look at Chloe with an agitated glare.

I'm sorry, dude! she mouthed silently, her demeanor saying that she truly meant it. But Max wasn't in a forgiving mood, grumbling "Fuck you, asshole!"

Not being used to get treated that way by her step-brother, Chloe stopped him, signing What's your fuckin' problem?

"What my problem is?" he yelled back. "How about that you ruined the night and brought a lotta trouble to Rachel?"

Oh c'mon, how bad can it be?

The push came sudden and it came hard, taking Chloe entirely aback as she stumbled backwards. But what hit even harder were his words.

"Why? Just fucking why can't you just don't screw things up once, huh?! It's the same shit, over and over again. No matter in what reality, you can't stay outta trouble, and that's why you'll always piss other people off and will die all alone, because you're gonna fuck over everyone who ever loved you."

With wide open, welling-up eyes the teenage-girl looked at her step-brother. The truth hurt, Chloe knew that. But hearing it from the person she considered her soulmate, ripped a deep crack into her heart. Was she really such a bad person? Did she always hurt those she loved? Would she really die alone?

No matter what the answers would be Chloe couldn't endure to look Max in the eyes anymore, feeling entirely ashamed upon her behavior. So, she ran away. Where to? She had no idea. Everybody she'd consider her friend didn't want to see her at the moment, so there weren't really any options left.

Eventually, she wandered around the streets of Arcadia Bay, avoiding dark corners and alleys. From time to time, her body got shaken by heavy sobs as another wave of sadness was rushing through her mind. She passed other party-goers or people, who were on their way to a nice spot that would give them a good view over the upcoming fireworks.

But this all didn't matter to Chloe. She just felt empty. Actually, so empty that she couldn't even manage to form a single thought. Away! Just away! This was everything she could think about, distracting her so much that she didn't even realize that she bumped into a group of drunken teenagers.

Complaints and curses were shouted at her, and she wouldn't have minded until a sadly too well-known face shoved into her sight.

"Well, if this isn't my slut of ex-girlfriend?!"

Eliot Hampden, her abusive ex-boyfriend.

In horror, Chloe took a few steps back. Normally, she wouldn't have cared and just ignored him. But right now, in her vulnerable state and he being drunk, the blonde didn't really know how to handle this situation.

Another, way taller boy with raven-black hair stepped between them, saying "C'mon, bro, let her be and just party. It's New Year!"

"Guess you're right, Terry," concurred Eliot after a moment, giving Chloe a scornfully snort. "This slut ain't worth it. Her pants are so full that she can't even speak up for herself."

She heard the mockery and it hurt, especially since she wasn't able to talk at all, even if she wanted to. But Eliot didn't know that and it was even doubtful that he was interested in that fact.

The group walked past her. Snickering and taunting. The boy with the name Terry, an associate skater and also a student at Blackwell, gave her a nod paired with a smirk, his blue eyes locked on her as he gave her a wink.

A shaky breath of relief left Chloe's mouth as she thought that the situation was over. But that was a false assumption, since Eliot turned around one last time and yelled "Hey Price! The scar suits you. I'd love to congratulate the guy, who beat the shit outta your brain and gave ya a good shag!"

Chloe froze as a shock went through her body. The flashbacks she had tried to forget over months of therapy appeared in front of her eyes again. The pain. The helplessness. The filth of being abused like this. It all stacked up with the memories of all the bad experiences with Eliot. The beatings. The humiliation. The taunts.

Her breathing was labored and her body shook. It was boiling inside of her like a volcano right before the eruption. The pressure was unbearable. And eventually, she let it out.

"MOTHERFUCKER!" she yelled surprisingly and tackled her ex-boyfriend to the ground. Sitting on his torso, she let her fists hammer into his face, releasing almost two years of abuse in one big blow.

"YOU…FUCKING…MOTHER-…-FUCKER!"

The other boys tried to intervene. Tried to drag her away from the already bleeding and crying boy. Eventually, they managed, but with big effort, since the raging girl fought like a lion, freeing herself out of their grasps multiple times.

In the end, all her strength was depleted and she sank to the ground, crying a river. Everything became a blur and meaningless. Even as the police took her into custody in the bright, colorful lights of the fireworks, she didn't care. She just wanted to die so that the pain would end.