Chapter 23

She was sharply gazing at a street map that was lying on the small table in front of her, trying to figure out which road her step-brother and his girlfriend could've taken. So far, they'd simply followed a hunch, but nothing more, and honestly, they could be anywhere right now.

Getting the car from Steph's parents had already consumed a lot of time as they had to convince them, and only after a lot of promises and pleadings they had been willing to hand over the keys. Sadly, it also hadn't taken long for the darkness to saddle in, so that Chloe and Steph had decided to take a break in the next available motel.

"Done!" chimed Steph's voice, ripping Chloe out of her deep thoughts. The young brunette was entirely naked, using her towel to dry her chin-long hair. "Any bright ideas?" she then added, taking a position beside her girlfriend.

Sadly, everything Chloe could bring forth was a sighed "No."

"Y'know," Steph then said, brushing with one hand soothingly over the other girl's back, "maybe your dad was right. We should leave this to the police, 'cause they've way more resources than we do. So, let's just go to bed and enjoy our stay here, and tomorrow, we'll head back to Arcadia and wait."

With a heavy sigh, the blonde wriggled away from her girlfriend's reach and started to walk up and down the small room.

"I-I can't," she answered with a headshake. "Wh-what if s-something h-happened and…"

"Then it won't matter where you are. I mean, we don't have any clue where they are. They could be right in the next room or at the other side of the state and we just...don't...know. Chloe, babe…"

Blocking Chloe's path and cupping her cheeks with her hands, Steph gazed deeply into her eyes in order to catch her full attention.

"Who do you think the cops are gonna call if they find Max? You? No, they're gonna call Will or Van, and if we're unfortunate, we're gonna be in the middle of nowhere with no reception and no idea what happened. You want that?"

Her words now seeping into the blond teenager's mind, Chloe eventually dropped her sight and shook her head. Of course she wanted to be there when they'd find Max.

"Then let's catch some Zs and then head home tomorrow, okay!"

Concurring with a nod, Chloe received a soft peck on the lips and was just about to take a shower as well as it suddenly knocked at the door. Both shared a stern glimpse, before Steph covered her naked body with a blanket and Chloe opened the door, finding an officer of the Highway Patrol standing behind it.

"Good evening, Miss. And sorry for this late disturbance!" he said. "We're lookin' for these two teenagers, who had rented a room down the hall. Have you seen 'em?"

As the officer pulled out the pictures of Max and Rachel, Chloe froze on the spot with wide open eyes.

Rented a room down the hall? This meant that they were sleeping in the same motel… Or at least, they had been, since they obviously weren't there anymore. Anyway, they weren't far away and Chloe was just about to continue looking for them herself as the officer's radio went off.

"This is Charlie-6 to all units. We found 'em. The truck crashed into a tree at mile 24, two miles south from the motel. Need additional units and an ambulance ASAP!"

Rachel's breathing was rapid and her heart was hammering in her chest as her eyes shot open from an intense dream. It had been the same nightmare she had already dreamt numerous times before.

This eerie voice, that strange man, the junkyard. Though there was a clear pattern, she never was able to decipher the meaning behind all this. Even her beloved stars hadn't been able to give her an answer.

Normally, she would wake up all alone, but this time, Max was at her side. And of course she used this opportunity and cuddled her sweaty body close to her boyfriend.

"Nightmares?" he said with a low voice as he pressed her closer. At this moment, and despite those bad dreams, Rachel was happy. She didn't regret what she had done, though it will definitely bring her a lot of trouble. She even was planning to take the entire blame for this adventure, just to avoid any punishments for Max.

"Mmh-hmm," she hummed in return, drawing random patterns over his chest. "What time is it?"

"About eight. You just were out for 30 minutes or so. Mind to tell me 'bout your dream? I, uh...I once read that it helps to talk about it."

For a minute Rachel stayed silent, just keeping on brushing with the fingertips over her boyfriend's skin, weighing if she should tell him her most intimate dreams. Since they started, she hadn't told anyone about them, not even her mom. Maybe this was the chance to finally share her deepest fears with someone.

"They're always the same," she began, her mind deeply in thoughts. "Though they vary in details, they're always about how I'd gain the fame I always wanted. I'd reach the stars for the price of being alone, only to end up at a junkyard, buried and tossed away like garbage that nobody wants anymore. And then…"

She paused for another moment, even stopping her movements.

"There's this voice...and this man in the shadows. He speaks to me, but I can't understand what he's saying. All I know is that he freaks me out."

Rachel actually awaited a reply of any sorts. A hug, soothing words or a simple kiss. But all she felt was how Max' cold, sweaty hand was cramping in her back, and as she backed away a bit she could see that he was pale and staring into empty space.

"I won't let that happen," he eventually spoke with a shivering, quiet voice.

"I know," Rachel answered, softly turning his head so that both looked at each other. "It won't happen, because I decided to don't reach for the stars anymore."

"No!" was Max' quick answer as he sat up. "Rach, you're an awesome actress. Don't give up your dreams. That's not what I wanted to say."

"Max," she eventually sighed and sat up as well, the blanket gliding from her body, "That's not what I meant. I won't stop dreamin', but from now on I won't put fame over you or my friend's. Because sooner or later, fame fades, while love and friendship will always prevail." She closed in on her boyfriend, kissing him passionately.

Rachel was indescribably in love, like she had never been before. Yes, there'd been this boy in Long Beach two years back. A cute, friendly guy. But he'd never come close to the feelings she had for Max. Powerful feelings. Feelings that seemed to be from another world. And only reluctantly she broke the kiss, because nature was calling, though that didn't stop her from ogling Max up and down once more with a wry smirk.

"Hold that...thought and just lemme take a leak!"

After giving him one last peck on the lips, Rachel got up and swayed into the bathroom to relieve herself. To her surprise, it hurt a bit, reminding her that she was possibly still sore from her first time.

'My first time!'

This thought echoed in her mind and let the young teenage girl smile. Thinking back, she came to the conclusion that it hadn't been as romantic as she had always imagined. No candle light. No cheesy date. No special ritual. Just a shabby motel room and the heat of the moment. But was it really that bad? Had it been a shitty first time because of this?

Rachel didn't think so. For her, this sudden act of passion had been far more intense and relaxing than any stiff, forced moment. And as she was washing her hands and gazed at her reflection in the mirror above the sink, she realized that something had changed. She looked the same, yet it was like she had some sort of aura around her...or was that just her imagination? But no matter what it was, she was just happy about it, so she closed her eyes as her hand glided down her body and stopped right above her womb.

Yes, they hadn't used a condom like her mom had told her, but Max had luckily paid attention, besides that it wasn't even the right time in her cycle. She was fine. At least, she hoped so.

Not willing to let her mood take a nosedive, she turned on the spot and went back into the motel room. She had just left the bathroom as it knocked heavily at the door.

"Miss Amber! Mr. Caulfield! Highway Patrol, open the door!"

Both teenagers gazed at each other with wide open eyes as they were frozen in shock. It knocked again.

"We know you're in there. Open the door, right now!"

Should they give up now, just giving in to their fate? It was simple. They just had to open the door and turn over to the authorities. But that was not what Rachel wanted, so that she was the first who managed to overcome her stupor as she grabbed Max by his hand and pulled him out of bed and shoved him into the bathroom, where their clothes were still piled up in the corner.

"Shit, we need to bail!" whispered the blonde, starting to dress, Max joining in a second later.

They had barely put on their undergarments as it knocked again, this time with full force.

"Open this door this instant or we'll open it!"

Now only dressed in their pants and t-shirts, Rachel opened the bathroom window and then said "We need to jump out there. Keep on dressing, I'll get our shoes and jackets!"

"Okay," Max agreed, closing his pants and putting on his hoodie.

Rachel snuck back into the motel room, grabbing their shoes and winter garments as quietly as possible as she heard the plinking of keys. Swiftly, she ran back and locked the bathroom door to hold them off for a bit longer.

Max was already entirely dressed and was now putting on his winter shoes and jacket while Rachel's button shirt was only held close by one button and her boots stayed open. But there was no time anymore, evident as they heard how someone was stomping into the room.

Quickly, both jumped out of the window and started to run through the snowy-muddy forest towards their vehicle. More than once they looked over their shoulders, fearing that someone would follow them. But to their luck, nobody was in sight.

It was very cold, the ground partly frozen and slippery, so that it took them a while to reach the truck.

They had found them. Quicker than Rachel would've anticipated. She had hoped that Max' message would have calmed their parents enough so that they wouldn't involve the police. But it had been a false assumption, and that made her furious! She wasn't ready to go back. Not yet! She needed more time with Max. She needed more time without all that drama at home. She…

"RACH, WATCH OUT!" screamed Max out of a sudden, bringing Rachel back from her thoughts. Actually, she had been so much distracted and in rage that the young girl hadn't realized how she had kept on punching the gas.

In slow-motion she now had to witness how, due to the ice on the street, she lost control over the truck.

She punched the brakes, but nothing happened. She turned the wheel, but the truck kept its direction with full speed, only stopping as it slid off the road and hit a tree with full force.

They followed the Highway Patrol car. The roads had become very slippery so that the two-miles-drive felt like it took hours.

Patience wasn't one of Chloe's virtues. Never was, never will be. Causing her to curse every few seconds while hitting the steering wheel with clenched fists. Only Steph's soft touches managed to calm her down for a short moment.

Finally they arrived at the accident site and as Chloe saw the entirely devastated truck, she simply hit the brakes and froze in shock.

"Oh my god!" gasped Steph, covering her agape mouth with her hand.

For Chloe, this sight was simply traumatic as the pictures of her mom's demolished car reappeared in her mind. She remembered how her father had told her under tears that her mom was gone, crushed by a semi-truck.

Not fully aware what she was even doing, the strawberry-blonde fumbled panicky for the door's handle and wanted to immediately jump out of the car, but got held in place by the seat belt. Screaming and lashing out, she tried to open it violently, the straps hurting her in different places. Only thanks to Steph she was eventually able to free herself from these restraints and could now run towards the crashed vehicle.

"MAAAX!" she screamed, the fear of having lost another beloved person filling her eyes with tears and her mind with desperation. An officer wanted to stop her, but she simply pushed him aside and kept on running, and as she reached the truck and gazed into the cabin, she froze once more in horror.

Rachel wasn't there anymore since the driver's seat was empty, but Chloe didn't care about her. What really freaked her out was Max. He was still sitting in his seat, limp, unconscious and only held upright by a long piece of metal that the force of the impact had caused to pierce through the dashboard right into the teenage boy's body, impaling his chest. Blood was running along it, underlining the severity of this injury.

"Max," she whispered with shivering lips, trying to crawl towards her step-brother, but got pulled out of the vehicle.

She screamed, lashed out again in blind rage, hitting the person that was hindering her from helping her step-brother. Eventually, it was a kiss that let her stop and lifted this red veil that had been blinding her sight. She focused on a pair of beautiful green, watery eyes. Steph's eyes. And just now she became aware of her surroundings.

A fire truck was standing close by, a group of firefighters emerging from it, equipped with heavy machinery.

"He's still alive!" spoke Steph with a shivering, yet calm voice. "They need to cut him out and bring him to the hospital. Rach is already on her way there."

Rachel! Just hearing this name let the rage inside Chloe boil up again. It was her fault that this happened. Her fault that Max got hurt. And she would never forgive her for that!

"M-Max!"

Her voice was coarse and faint. Speaking was hard. Only slowly Rachel regained consciousness.

At first, she could move her limbs, and then open her eyes. The blur in her sight vanished next, and then came the pain.

Her body hurt. Every movement was agony. When she finally was able to move her head again, she realized that one arm and one of her legs were in plaster, plus the other leg bandaged.

She remembered the accident. How they hit the tree. But after that, only darkness, until recently.

Once more Rachel looked around. She was alone in a small room, which definitely belonged to a hospital. But more than that she didn't know.

"Max!" she once more spoke as worry about her boyfriend crawled up her mind. Was he okay or was he injured? She needed to know. So, she looked for the red call-button, pushed it and then waited until a nurse and a female doctor appeared, doing a checkup on her.

"Miss Amber, how're you feeling?"

Rachel was aware that this was just a rhetorical question from the doctor. How was she supposed to feel right now, lying in this fucking bed, bandaged and in pain? Shiny? Shitty? Like crap?

She eventually decided to ignore this question for peace's sake, returning "What happened?"

"Well," spoke the mid-aged woman in a white coat, "you were involved in a heavy accident, and broke your right arm and right leg, plus received some nasty cuts and a concussion. But apart from that and some additional bruises you're pretty much fine." She scribbled some notes onto the clipboard before putting it back to its holder beside the bed. "You had a big guardian angel at your side, Miss Amber. Your boyfriend wasn't that lucky."

Hearing the doctor's babbling and feeling pretty tired, Rachel had almost fallen asleep again, until she heard about her boyfriend. "Max!" she gasped, her eyes shooting open. "How is he? Can I see him?"

With a sad demeanor, the doctor gazed at her, saying "His injuries were too severe to treat him here. They had to fly him to Portland. That's all I know, I'm sorry."

Desperately, she let her head fall back onto the pillow and closed her eyes. Max was severely injured, and it was her fault. She had this stupid idea. She stole the truck. And she crashed it against a tree. Everything was her fault alone. And if Max would die, she would have practically murdered him with her stupidity.

She waited until the nurse and the doctor were gone and started to cry out her desperation with loud and heavy sobs until she was floating in darkness.

"Rachel, sweetie?" it suddenly chimed beside her and once more her eyes shot open.

It was Sera, who was standing beside her bed, brushing with soft, soothing strokes over her hair.

"Mom…" replied Rachel with a brittle voice, teardrops once more rolling down from her eyes. "I'm so sorry! So, so sorry!"

"Ssh, it's okay, sweetheart!"

Her mom's words were soft and without any scold. She wasn't mad at her daughter, just glad that she was alive.

Time passed. No matter if Rachel was sleeping or crying, Sera was there for her until a nurse told her that her visiting time was almost over. And though the young blonde was exhausted, she soon realized that something was bothering her mother.

"Mom, just say what's on your mind. I can take it. But what I can't take is when people are lying to me," she eventually said sternly, almost expecting that her mother was simply holding back her anger. But it was way worse.

With a heavy sigh, Sera's demeanor darkened. "I wanted to wait with this until you'd feel better, but…"

"Just spill it, Mom!"

Feeling that her daughter was on the edge because of all this psychological pressure and that she couldn't avoid this topic indefinitely, Sera eventually decided to speak out the plain facts.

"Your father demands that you'll spend the next months in Long Beach with him as soon as you're out of hospital."

"What?!" she barked back furiously, her eyes burning with rage. "No fucking way!"

"Rachel…" her mother replied quietly, trying to calm her down, but to no avail.

"No! I hate him! I don't wanna go to Long Beach! I wanna stay here, with you and…"

"He doubts my custody," she eventually intervened loudly her daughter's rambling. "He blames my influence on you for what happened."

"That's bullshit! I…"

"It doesn't matter what we want or say. He has already made up his mind and threatened to go to court if necessary. You know very well what that would mean."

Now realizing that her doings had led to this and that there was no way around it, Rachel's anger dissipated within a second, leaving behind once more only desperation and sadness.

"Mom…" she said once more, looking with welled up eyes at her mother, who wasn't feeling any different.

"I know…" she answered with a sniff, taking her daughter's hand in a strong hold. "Principal Wells has already agreed to suspend you for the remainder of the semester. You'll stay at your dad's until August, getting tutored by…"

The rest of her mom's words faded as Rachel retreated in the deepest depths of her mind.

Max' fate was unclear. It was possible that she would never see him again. She was doomed to live with her hated father for almost eight months, leaving her mom all alone. She had no friends in Long Beach anymore. And all this happened because of her stupidity. Rachel hated herself for that and would never be able to forgive herself.