"Loveover" by Hindsight

Chloe woke up and instantly blared PissHead from her phone. She did not want to risk getting Joyce or David agitated by using her Hi-Fi stereo, but at the same time she needed some music to accompany her preparation for the day. I'm going to see Max again! Chloe thought to herself as she punched a fist into the air. Things had been cold to lukewarm between her and the brunette since they had been reunited, but with Max's declaration that they try being together again, Chloe could not help but be encouraged by that bit of news. Pulling a fresh tank-top, her old Bombshells jersey in fact, out of her dresser, Chloe closed it with a bump of her hip as she took of her sleep clothes and changed into something more suitable to how she usually presented herself. Make sure everything I wear is reasonably clean, first off. Second, be sure to brush my teeth and wash my face. Don't wanna look like shit, Chloe thought as she finished getting dressed, heading out of her room and into the bathroom with a speed that mildly surprised her mother when the younger Price woman beat the older one to the bathroom.

"I'll be just a few minutes, Mom. Want to make sure I'm decent, is all," Chloe said, the smile on her face getting an awestruck look from her mother that left Chloe looking at Joyce in confusion as she brushed her teeth, "What?"

"I haven't seen you this excitable in a while, Chloe. That's all," Joyce said, leaning against the doorway while her daughter rinsed out her mouth, "You and Max finally make up?"

"Kinda. Yes. I think," Chloe replied, a slight pause between each affirmation as she tried to put together what was going on inside her head. She saw many different outcomes from this morning, but for the first time since she was reunited with Max there was not a single negative thought or feeling, "We talked and sorta did the whole hatchet-burying thing. Gonna start fresh, try and move past the drama."

"I'm glad. You could do with a more positive influence in your life, and Max seems to have herself together."

"Mom, you haven't seen Max at a derby match. Girl's, like, multilayered – outside of derby she's a photography nerd and total hippie, but when it comes to derby she's practically bloodthirsty."

"But she's still attending school with the intention of graduating. She's working on her passions and empowering herself," Joyce replied, sighing when Chloe rolled her eyes at the mention of school, "I know, I know. You went and got your GED so you could attend college. I'm proud of you for doing that; to be honest, I wasn't sure for a while that you'd ever come close being in any school again. I'm just-"

"I know, Mom. Max is going through the motions while I kinda did my own thing and took fucking forever to figure it out," Chloe said before splashing her face with water. Drying off on her old pirate towel, Chloe turned to her mom, "Max's bound to have some influence, I'll admit, but at the end of the day I'm gonna be me."

Exiting the house with nothing save a quick cup of coffee, Chloe realized she had some extra time to kill as she figured Max would not be up yet and Joyce was still getting ready for work. Can't really try and snag free food if Joyce isn't there, plus Max probably is still snoozing, Chloe thought as she whipped her phone out from her jacket while leaning against the driver's side door of her truck.

Chloe: Max, u up?

Chloe waited a couple minutes, nearly sending another text before she smiled at the response she received.

Max: Am now. Jerk. What's up?

Chloe: I know it's hella early, but you wanna meet up b4 breaky? Skate park off Main St.?

Max: I know where that is. Yeah, sure. I'll be there in…30min…?

Chloe: Dang, girl, you gonna leave me hangin that long?

Max: SOME of us like to shower and get dressed in fresh clothes, Chlo. C U SOON

Chloe switched her phone off and checked the bed of her truck for a skateboard. Seeing her board, the bottom emblazoned with an enlarged version of her sleeve tattoo, lying in the bed next to her derby bag, Chloe grinned and climbed into the cab of her truck. Starting off the drive off with some Le Tigre as she hit the gas, Chloe sped off down the highway towards the skate park. Arriving with another fifteen minutes to spare before Max arrived, Chloe having made a run through the local McDonalds for coffee, the blue-haired punk sat on a bench at the park and chugged the last of her coffee before standing up with board in hand. Having put on her derby safety gear, Chloe began her time at the park with a few ollies and a tre flip before she took on the half-pipe that had been dug into the ground when they had built the park years ago. Not doing anything overly fancy, Chloe just glided from side to side, kicking on occasion for momentum as she listened to music through earbuds and her phone. Good way to start any day, a little bit of skating, Chloe thought to herself as she reached the end of the half-pipe and let her speed carry her to the rim from which she grabbed and spun to put her in a seated position where she had landed.

"Smooth moves," Chloe heard a voice call out to her over her music and removed the earbuds to look in the direction of the voice. Seeing who it was, Chloe was almost instantly to her feet, board tucked under her arm as she walked over to the brunette watching her from the same bench Chloe had previously occupied.

Nursing what looked like a cup of tea, Max was decked out in a red t-shirt with a bull skull on it and jean shorts, her usual sneakers sitting beside her as she sported her derby skates. Letting the other girl finish her tea, Chloe plopped down next to Max and leaned back into the bench.

"S'up?" Chloe asked before smirking as she shook her head a little. "I mean, good morning. How'd you sleep?" Don't be so fucking loose, Price! Play it cool, but not that cool.

"I slept like a rock," Max said, a small grin on her face before she gently elbowed her companion, "Until someone woke me up. It's okay, though – my alarm would've just woken me up a few minutes later. What about you? You sleep okay?"

"Dude, I crashed so hard I don't even remember falling asleep," Chloe replied, tugging at her beanie a bit while Max discarded her cup of tea in a nearby trash can, "So, um, do you come here often?"

"Wow," Max said, giggling a little, before she sighed and put a hand on Chloe's leg, "This is awkward, isn't it? It's so awkward."

"It hella is," Chloe replied, laughing, "God, this shouldn't be so fucking hard. It's us."

"Yeah, but there hasn't been an 'Us' in a while, Chlo."

"Fair point. So, do you come here often? I'm actually pretty curious about that."

Chloe watched Max settle into the bench a bit more before she answered, the brunette shrugging as Chloe just watched on with rapt attention.

"I've been here a few times. Mostly to watch some of the girls on the team do tricks here or to hang out with Rachel."

"So, uh, you and Rachel were a thing, huh?" Chloe asked, immediately wishing she had not. She wanted this, their hanging out together again and starting fresh, to not incorporate other people into the equation. It's just me and Max versus the world, again, Chloe thought to herself, Or, that's what I fucking wish it were. Guess I'm damned either way. "I'm sorry. That's the last thing I want to talk about, to be honest."

"S'okay," Max said, reassuring Chloe with a pat on the leg, "We were, for all of a week. Never did anything, hooked up or whatever. We realized we were more like friends than anything more so we went with that instead. What about you? Surely you must be fairly versed in the ways of the world by now, Chlo."

"Me? Pfft, yeah. Uh-huh," Chloe said, stifling a laugh as she tugged at her beanie a little, "Nah, there was this guy years ago. A one-time sad shag, I was so depressed back then. But, no boys allowed since. Or girls, sadly."

"So what else have you been up to?" Max asked, bumping her shoulder against Chloe's as they sat at the bench overlooking the skate park, the clouds overhead creating shadows that played on the equipment.

"Uh, well I went to Blackwell for a bit…before I got expelled. I was in the Bombshells, as you well know. I went and snagged my GED, so I could go to Bay City College. I'm hella into science, but my artistic side – illustrations and design – that's my real jam. I designed my tattoo. You like?"

"I do, actually. I've thought about getting a tattoo this year, since I'm 18-"

"Look out, world. Max Caulfield is truly a rulebreaker-"

"Oh fuck you, you brat," Max said with a giggle, "Yeah, so I waited until I could get one legally by myself. It's not my fault that my parents are too overprotective of me…"

"Overprotective? They let you derby, Max."

"After a lot of fighting and arguments and shit between the three of us," Max said wistfully, thinking back to when she had first approached her parents about the idea of her doing roller derby. Looking at her phone, Max got up from the bench and offered Chloe a hand.

"Two Whales?" Chloe asked, figuring it was about that time anyway. She wanted this morning with Max to be fun, even if it was going to be a little brief due to both of their school schedules. Taking Max's hand, Chloe played the role of a smartass perfectly by being dead weight for a few seconds to let Max struggle a bit before she relented and sprang up with almost no assistance from the brunette whatsoever.

With Max taking the lead, having managed to narrowly avoid a few red lights that Chloe had not been as fortunate with, the brunette was the first between them to arrive at Two Whales Diner. Stowing her helmet in a side compartment, Max pulled out her camera bag and slung it over her shoulder before she leaned up against the restaurant's façade and waited for Chloe to arrive. Seeing her truck coming down the street, Max tapped on an imaginary watch with enough emphasis that she laughed a bit when Chloe responded to the teasing with a middle finger just before she parked her truck. So, here we are again. Chloe and Max… Max and Chloe, back in action, Max thought to herself as Chloe sauntered over in her direction.

"Took you long enough," Max teased further, yelping when Chloe responded by going in for tickles, "No, goddammit! No tickling, Chloe! That shit wasn't fun back then at it sure as hell isn't now!"

"Ease up, Caulfield," Chloe said, raising her hands defensively, "I was just fucking around. No tickles, I promise… Though, to be fair, you are hella ticklish."

"Jerk."

"Jackass."

The girls laughed at each other's insults before heading inside.

Max smiled at the wafting scent of eggs, bacon, waffles, and other various foods upon having entered the diner. Mostly, however, the scent of coffee drove her to the same table she and Chloe had occupied, Chloe right behind her as the girls nestled into their respective sides of the booth. Max was a little disappointed that Chloe had not sat next to her, but at the same time she figured that Chloe was probably thinking the same thing. Getting up from her seat, Max walked over and climbed into Chloe's side of the booth. Now our side, Max thought with a little satisfaction as the punk went from being all splayed out in the seat to having to accommodate Max and her bag. Seeing Joyce approach with a pot of coffee and two mugs, Max smiled warmly at Chloe's mother.

"Hey again, Joyce," Max said, giving the older woman a little wave while Chloe was preoccupied with the menu and its contents.

"Things look better between the two of you," Joyce said a tad warily, her smile a guarded one, as she laid out the mugs and poured each girl a cup of coffee, "Y'all make amends?"

"We're back in action again, Mom!" Chloe said exuberantly, the smile on her face so out of character to Joyce that Max had to stifle a giggle when Joyce's jaw dropped a smidge. "I don't suppose that-"

"Relax, Chloe," Max said, looking over to Joyce, "Breakfast is on me today."

"Nonsense! You two are finally friends again? Breakfast is on me," Joyce countered, "A Belgian Waffle for the hungry gal and a bacon omelette for her pal, right?"

"It's like there's this psychic link between us all…," Chloe joked before Joyce smiled more genuinely and left with a little bit of a spring in her step, "Okay, so now that Mom's occupado for a bit, what do you want to do today?"

"W-What do you mean?" Max asked, furrowing her eyebrows a little, "It's a school day, Chloe."

"So? The shy, cliché geek can't skip one time in celebration over us being friends again?"

"…One day in and you're already leading me off on some adventure. Things really haven't changed all that much, huh?"

"Nope!" Chloe said with a cheerful grin. "I'mma take you out to all my favorite hangouts. We'll get a little high, have a hella lot of fun. You'll love it."

"Chloe, I only smoke weed for medicinal purposes. I might get a slight buzz from it but I've never gotten high like you do," Max said, the hesitation in her voice crushing her a little as she saw the disappointment etched on Chloe's face, "…Alright, alright. I'll smoke a joint with you. A real one, and not the tiny ones I use for my anxiety."

Chloe raised her arms in triumph and cried out in victory as Max just sat there with her face reddening from all the attention. It was one thing when she was on the track; she could handle being watched or stared at because the track made her more alive than nearly anything else she knew. But outside of the jams and the camaraderie, she was just "Plain Max Caulfield". At least, that is how she saw herself. I'm one day into being genuinely friends with Chloe and she's already getting me to try pot for reals. This is… Wowser, what have I gotten myself into? Max thought as she watched Joyce return with their food, a wide grin on her face that applied something of a balm to ease Max's worries. Joyce would never forgive Chloe if we did something too reckless, went too far on one of Chloe's stunts. Let's just see how this plays out.

Max cut up a bite-sized portion of the waffle and devoured the rest shortly thereafter, side-eyeing Chloe as the punk practically inhaled her omelette, toast, and extra bacon. The coffee long gone and replaced with refills, both girls had stuffed themselves in a matter of minutes. Pushing her plate away, Max patted her satisfied tummy and looked over in amusement to see the look of hunger still on Chloe's face. Some things never change, Max amusedly thought, She could inhale a freight train, I swear to Dog.

"Dissatisfied?" Max prompted her friend, motioning to the plate that looked as though it had been practically licked clean.

"Dude, if Mom is buying then I…might just grab a muffin. Y'know, for on the go," Chloe admitted unabashedly. Max did not need to be reminded that Chloe gave zero fucks what people thought about her. Except for me. She cares what I think, Max thought.

"You're ridiculous."

"You're lucky this isn't all going on your tab, Caulfield," Chloe said, a hint of amusement in her voice.

Sliding out of the booth, Chloe immediately behind her before she stopped to point at an oversized blueberry muffin in the display case, Max rolled her eyes and chuckled to herself a bit. Waiting for Chloe at the door as Joyce almost reluctantly gave her daughter the muffin, Max could not help but grin as Chloe arrived to greet her at the door with said muffin in a paper bag.

"Freedom!" Chloe exclaimed, holding out her fist.

"So what now, 'Fearless Leader'?" Max teased, bumping Chloe's fist with her own before they slapped hands and fist-bumped again. Our old special handshake, Max reminisced as Chloe lead the way.

"Park your moped in my truck bed and find out, sistah," Chloe replied as she eagerly walked over to the Vespa parked next to her truck.

Working together, with a little bit of elbow grease, they managed to get the scooter into the bed of Chloe's truck. Climbing into the passenger seat with Chloe already revving the truck's engine, Max warily looked at her friend before sighing and giving the blue-haired girl a heartfelt smile.

"Let's see," Chloe said as she pulled out of the parking lot, the truck hanging within the exit out onto the street, "Skate park? Did it. Cannery? Multiple times. Hmm, well, David Dickbag is off patrolling BlackHell so if you wanna start our day together right it's by getting lit in my room with some hella tunes playing in the background!"

"You yank me out of school, and our first stop is your house?" Max teased, folding her arms in mock contempt, "I am disappoint."

"Hey, it's the first stop. Of many," Chloe fired back, turning out onto the street as the girls headed for the Price-Madsen residence.

Graffiti, posters, and roller derby paraphernalia plastered the walls of Chloe's room as she entered with Max right behind her. Chloe looked over her shoulder at the awestruck brunette and turned around with open arms as if to signal for Max to take it all in. Home shit home, but at least this room is mine. Have a lock for the door, a key – everything I need to keep the world out when I want to, Chloe thought as she sauntered over to the bed before plopping down on the mattress. As excited as she was to have Max in her room after all these years, Chloe was also a little hesitant. Not just anybody got to enter her domain; aside from Rachel, not even her mom really ever came into Chloe's bedroom unless it were absolutely necessary. And Rachel doesn't come over as often anymore now that she has Frank to keep her busy. The fuck she sees in that guy, I've no goddamn clue.

"So? My digs get the Maxine Caulfield seal of approval?" Chloe asked, smirking when she caught the nasty look Max gave her. "Chill. I remember – 'Max. Never Maxine.' I'm just giving you shit, Maxaroni. No need for shitty glares."

"I…like it," Max said, pausing as she looked around some more, "It's very Chloe Price."

"How non-committal of you," Chloe joked before poking around underneath her mattress for a metal box.

With Max sitting next to her, Chloe opened the box and pulled out a mixture of things – photos, notes, CDs – before finding a stack of letters. Handing off the letters to Max along with a CD, Chloe took a deep breath before speaking. She wanted to get this right, even if the letters made Max think less of her.

"They're letters I wrote to you…," Chloe said, pausing as she played with her bullet necklace some, "I, uh, I'd write to you whenever I was feeling lonely or like I needed an outlet."

"Chloe…"

"Let's not make a big deal of it, m'kay? Read them when you can, yeah? Just not here and now," Chloe said, flashing a smile both the girls knew to be a fraud as the punk got to her feet and proceeded to insert the CD she had nabbed from the box into her Hi-Fi system, "Remember this shit?"

"…That's the CD I burned for you!" Max exclaimed, turning Chloe's false bravado into sincere happiness as the blue-haired girl nodded in reply. "But that was so long ago. I can't believe you kept it, after everything that-"

"Dude, stop," Chloe said, walking over to put a hand on Max's shoulder, "Let's not talk about that day, y'know? I hella just want to spend time hanging out with my best friend again, and…and I don't want the mood to be spoiled. I'll crank some of your tunes, we'll get lit, and just hang out like we used to. Yeah?"

"Sounds good," Max said, Chloe nodding in affirmation as she played the first track and promptly snagged a joint off her desk, "I can't believe you just leave your shit lying there like that. If your stepdad-"

"If step-prick ever had the chance to come in here, I'd knock him on his ass. Even if I needed a, I dunno, steel pipe or whatever," Chloe interjected before flashing her key ring, "Besides, I'm the only one with a key for my bedroom. I practically had to twist my mom's fucking arm to get it, but I need some privacy in this goddamn town sometimes."

"I like the derby posters," Max said, Chloe taking note that Max had opted to change the subject, "Are these from jams you went to?"

"The older ones are from matches I watched, yeah, but the others are from games I played in," Chloe remarked, "Good times. C'mon, Max. Let's get lit!"

"I-I don't know, Chloe," Max replied, wincing under Chloe's look of disappointment, "I know I said I would but…but I just-"

"You just need to sit there and take a few drags of the real shit, the genuine article," Chloe countered, lighting up the joint as she danced a little in the middle of the bedroom. Taking a drag from the spliff, Chloe walked over and all but shoved the joint into Max's face, "Open up, Buttercup."

Chloe watched Max inhale and wagged her finger when Max almost immediately made to exhale the smoke. Nodding after a few seconds, Chloe grinned when Max let the smoke out and the punk saw an immediate calm start to roll over her friend. Sitting down beside Max, Chloe took the joint back and took a longer drag than the first, blowing out the smoke after a good amount of time in rings. She wanted to spend time with Max, sure, but she also wanted to see the brunette loosen up. Things are still a little awkward between us, Chloe thought as she offered the joint to Max again, winking when the brunette pursed her lips as Chloe waggled her eyebrows.
"Y'know," Chloe started as she took the joint from Max after the brunette took another reluctant drag, "It'd be dope as fuck if we were on the same team. In derby, I mean."
"Yeah, that would be sweet," Max said, nodding as Chloe watched her friend recline on the bed, "So many years… I wish they'd never happened, Chloe."

"C'mon, don't-," Chloe said before she took her beanie off in frustration. Getting down on her knees in front of Max, Chloe took the brunette's hands in her own, "Max, I am so fucking sorry. I wish that day had never happened. Ever. I just want it to be like when we were tweens, hanging out and going on sweet-ass adventures. W-We could go to Portland for, like, a day trip. Stock up on beer, weed, and donuts!"

"That sounds fun," Max said, surprising Chloe with a gentle touch to the other girl's cheek, "But sadly we aren't little kids anymore."

"…I know, Max. I know," Chloe said, her eyes twinkling as her body reacted against her will and started to tear up, "I-I know I'm kind of a fuck up and a loser for pulling such awful shit on you so long ago, but I will do anything to make it up to you. Anything."

Chloe watched Max ponder her words, the blue-haired girl searching her friend's unreadable expression. She needed to know, desperately, what was going through Max's head. What had started out as a casual, fun hangout was turning into something incredibly serious and Chloe needed to know where it was heading. I…I don't know what I'll fucking do if this all breaks the fuck down. God, I shouldn't even have fucking brought that day up. Nice one, Chloe. Dumbass, Chloe thought before she felt Max caress her cheek. Looking up from where she had been staring at the floor, Chloe barely had time to take a breath before Max's lips were on hers.

The kiss was unexpected, to say the least, and Chloe's mind was so frazzled by it that all she could do was pull away after no more than a few seconds. Eyes wide as a hand went to her lips, still feeling the taste of maple syrup from Max's breakfast as a result of the kiss, Chloe was at a loss for words. Getting up, stumbling backwards so that she tripped and fell on her ass, the punk cursed at herself and tried to get up only to look up and see Max standing over her with an offered hand.

"Is it really so hard to believe that I might try to kiss you, see what happens?" Chloe heard Max ask, the blue-haired girl unable to look her friend in the eye after making such a display of herself to the one person who she actually gave a shit about when it came to opinions of her, "Chloe, I may have been mad as fuck at you, but that doesn't mean my feelings for you ever changed…"

"…But I was an asshole, Max."

"We've both been assholes to each other. Let's be honest about that, at least," Max said, reaching down to take Chloe's hand and help the punk up."

It took Chloe a moment for her brain to fully process what had just happened. What did just happen? Chloe asked herself. Was Max 'testing the waters' or was there more to it than that? The kiss… It felt so real, like there was something amazing as fuck behind it… Standing up under her own power now as she still had a hand to her lips, feeling her face heat up from blushing hard, Chloe put her hand down and tried to pass off one of her crooked grins.

"D-Damn, Max. You're hardcore-" Chloe started before she saw the serious look on Max's face, "Uh, I mean, that is… Fuck, dude, you kissed me. Like, I'm kinda hella blindsided here, if we're being real."

Chloe watched Max take in her words, saw the brunette nod, and felt a little more at ease when she saw Max's expression lighten up some. The brunette walked over to Chloe's bed and caught the punk by surprise when she spun on her heel and took a photo with her Polaroid camera as she pulled it out of her messenger bag. Realizing she had been caught on film with her blushing, bewildered face, Chloe immediately crossed the space between them to try and snag the photo but stopped when Max slipped the Polaroid into her bag with a pleased smile. Try that again and see what happens, Caulfield, Chloe thought before she walked over to her desk chair and plopped into it, removing her half-smoked spliff from the red Oregon ashtray. Lighting the marijuana back up, Chloe took a long drag before setting the smoldering joint in the ashtray as she shook her head.

"I'm so fucking confused right now," Chloe admitted, the tone of her voice akin to that of confession, "I mean, we go from not being able to be within the same general area for days and now you're mackin' on me something fierce, Max."

"H-How else do you feel about it?" Max asked, Chloe reading the look in the other girl's eyes. She could tell that Max was hanging by a thread for an answer, but Chloe did not know what to say that might alleviate the brunette's tension.

"Like, I feel that it was a total fucking shock. Amazing, surprising, be-fucking-wildering; you pretty much knocked my brain for a goddamn loop, dude," Chloe replied, pausing for a moment before she got up and walked over to the bed so she could sit beside Max. Hesitantly placing a hand on Max's thigh, Chloe gulped a little. She hated feeling so meek, so vulnerable. Max had knocked down every defense the punk had set up in her head with that kiss. Like a goddamn battering ram of feels, Max, Chloe thought before she leaned in to give the brunette a kiss herself.

Chloe's kiss was harder than she had intended at first, nearly smashing into Max's face at first. When their lips connected, however, Chloe slowed the pace a bit and began to give the other girl several tender kisses rather than a lengthy one. Feeling Max's soft lips against her own, the heat from her own face being complemented by warmth radiating from her companion, Chloe loosened up a little and felt the tension ebb from her body. Pulling back after a couple minutes, Chloe took a deep breath and let the air out through her teeth as she smiled weakly at Max before flopping back onto the bed. Followed quickly by Max joining her on the bed, Chloe hid her face with her arm as she tried to hold back tears. She did not want to cry, not even in front of Max; Chloe was so tired of crying. Remembering nights where she would spend the evening alone in her room, writing letters to Max that she would never send or looking at the picture of herself, Max, and her dad beside her bed, Chloe sniffled a little as she fought back the sobs. A single choked sob escaped her, however, and she immediately felt Max snuggle up next to her.

"I-I missed you so much, M-Max," Chloe said, her words breaking through the sob as she pulled Max into her arms, holding onto the brunette tightly, "I love you so much… Like, as a friend and then some. Please… Please don't leave me."

"Chloe, I'll always take you back."

"In a heartbeat?"

"In a heartbeat."

Max let herself be held by Chloe for a while, the hot tears coming from Chloe running down her cheek as the blue-haired girl pinned their bodies together with her arms interlocking Max within them. Her own eyes red and watery, Max closed them and let the tears roll down her face freely as the heartache from years ago and all the anger somewhat subsided, replaced with a kindness and love towards Chloe that had been buried beneath her hostile façade. That's what her anger towards Chloe ultimately was, in Max's mind, now that she had crossed the threshold of her feelings for Chloe: a façade. A rush of fear, however, gripped Max suddenly and while snaking her own arms around Chloe's waist as they simply held one another, Max was put a little at ease by the beating of her friend's heart.

"Chloe…?"

"…Yeah?"

"...I have to pee."

The snort from Chloe turned into a chuckle that quickly spread between the two of them. Feeling Chloe's arms loosen around her, Max let go of the punk and sat up. Waiting until the laughter was out of her system, Chloe still lying on the bed giggling, Max headed for the door.

"Be right back," Max said, looking over her shoulder to see that Chloe had sat up so that she could wipe at her eyes.

If anything, the break from being surrounded, inundated, by Chloe's presence allowed Max time to process what she had done…and Chloe's reciprocation. She said she loves me, and as more than a friend, too, Max thought as she splashed water onto her face after having washed her hands, Does this mean we're…something more…? Right now?

"I… I hope so," Max quietly said to herself before she dried off and walked out of the bathroom and back into Chloe's room to find the punk gathering their things, "Chloe…?"

"Next stop, y'know? Like, as much as I enjoy having you in my bedroom I'd kinda like to change the venue up a bit. How you feel about the lighthouse? I hella need some fresh air."

"…Yeah, fresh air sounds like a good idea," Max said, silently thanking Chloe for a lack of awkwardness between them, "C-Can you hand me my bag? It's right next to your foot."

"Not a problem, Maxaroni," Chloe said, Max biting her lip a little to hide the wide grin at Chloe's use of her old nickname. Pulling her cellphone out of her bag after it was properly slung over her shoulder, Max sighed at all the messages from members of the Bombshells. Pursing her lips at all the demands to know where she was, Max sent a mass text to all the girls letting them know she was spending the day with Chloe.

"Trouble in paradise?" Chloe asked, snapping Max out of her thoughts as the brunette's head shot up from where she had been staring at her phone, looking at all the reactions. Especially Rachel's. Heart emojis from, like, half the girls. Wowser.

"Just letting the team know that I was with you, that's all," Max said in reply, stowing her phone back in her bag while Chloe slipped on her jacket, "Lighthouse?"

"Yeah. Lighthouse," Chloe said, taking Max's hand as she led the brunette out of the house and into the truck. Lingering for a moment before letting Max's hand go, Max gave Chloe's fingers a brief squeeze before she released herself from the other girl's grip.

The drive to the lighthouse and the walk up the hill was quiet, the girls holding hands the entire way. Max felt her awkwardness return here and there throughout the trip but would be put at ease with a single look from Chloe, a smile or grin calming her. Making their way up the hill, Max eventually started to trail behind the punk a little as she was the shorter of the two. Picking up her pace a little so as to not get left behind, though she did not think that Chloe would walk ahead of her to that point, Max and Chloe shared knowing smiles and sidelong glances at one another the entire way. If it weren't for her driving, I'm pretty sure she would've been holding my hand then, too, Max thought as she smiled a little to herself.

"Whatcha thinkin'?" Max heard Chloe ask, looking up to find they had reached their destination.

The small clearing on the hilltop gave a breathtaking view of the bay, gentle waves lapping onto the beach and rocky shore as a small boat made its way out of the pier. Walking with Chloe to the sole bench occupying the small park space, Max pulled out her camera and took a shot with her Polaroid camera before joining Chloe on the bench.

"Thinking…about a lot of things. A lot," Max repeated, "Falling head-first into… Chloe, y-you said you loved me…"

"Damn straight. Lub-dub, Caulfield," Chloe replied, Max giving her a puzzled look before nodding in realization when the other girl put a hand to her chest. Your heartbeat. I could hear it, feel it. It was like…a lullaby, so calming. I could sleep to the sound of your heart beating next to me, Max thought, "Max, what… What would you call this? Us, I mean."

"I dunno. 'Us', I guess. It's always boiled down to just me and you, regardless of the situation," Max offered. Seeing Chloe was not exactly satisfied with that answer, Max leaned over to kiss Chloe on the cheek, "Sorry if I'm not the most concise when it comes to answers."

"It's cool," Chloe said, Max noting the slight edge to her friend's voice. Putting a hand on Chloe's shoulder as though to reassure her, Max frowned when the other girl shrugged it off.

"Chloe, stop it."

"Stop what?"

"This. Putting your guard up. I'm not out to hurt you or fuck with you. I-"

"I said I loved you, Max."

"And I love you," Max blurted out, nearly putting a hand to her mouth after she had said it.

"…You do?" Chloe asked, the edge in her voice disappearing immediately, a softness replacing it.

"Of course I do, you dumbass," Max replied, looking at Chloe with a crooked grin of her own, "I wouldn't have kissed you if I didn't feel this way about you. I just don't think there's a label to what's going on between us, that's all."

"Oh."

Max nearly put a hand to her forehead; Chloe was being obstinate about them kissing, about them being together, and it was irritating the shit out of her. She loved Chloe, had loved her since she was thirteen. Turning in her seat so that she was facing Chloe, Max cupped Chloe's face and held it so that they were eye-to-eye.

"I. Love. You. If you want to label it, go ahead, but for me it's just about us being together again. Like, you get me. Exclusively. Swear to Dog, if you give me shit about this I will walk back to Blackwell," Max said firmly, a little of her own edginess bleeding into her words before she let go of Chloe's face, the blue-haired girl taken aback some by the expression she wore.

They sat there in a frustrated silence for some time, Chloe pulling out a joint to smoke while Max took another few shots of the waterfront before turning her camera on Chloe to snap a picture of the punk blowing smoke rings into the air. She just wanted to be with Chloe; that was it for Max. We're here, together, and it's like that is not enough for her. What the hell do you want, Chloe, an engagement ring or whatever-the-fuck? Max thought as she all but shoved the Polaroid into Chloe's chest. Seeing the mild fury in Chloe's eyes, Max met it with her own before pausing. It's falling apart. Stop it, Max. You're the one being obstinate. You're… I'm afraid she'll hurt me again.

"I'm sorry, Chloe," Max said, breaking the building tension between them, "I guess I'm a little scared. It's like… When you're coasting on a track, everything feels easy and you are just gliding by. I feel like we're barreling down towards a sharp turn and I'm afraid we're going to crash before we get where we're going."

"…And where are we going, Max?"

"Somewhere. Together," Max said, taking Chloe's hand.

Chloe let Max lead the way as they headed into the cannery, the punk's hands stuffed into her jacket pockets as Max was carrying her gym bag over one shoulder and camera bag over the other. She was still a little bothered by the non-committal answers she would get from Max regarding their situation; all Max would tell her is that there's something there and that they would be together, to paraphrase. We're either together or we aren't, Max. You kissed me, remember? Chloe found herself thinking the same line of thought over and over whenever she would regard the brunette. Smiles and genuine affection towards Max were easy enough; Chloe did not have to even try, really. Just under the surface, however, was that underlying doubt and questioning nature. The uncertainty gnawed at her, and she hated the feeling as all it did was remind Chloe of how vulnerable she truly was.

"So," Chloe started as she took the pair of skates offered her by Max, the two girls sharing the gym bag, "About earlier…"

"Chloe…," Max said with an exasperation in her voice, leaving Chloe to try and ignore the dejected tone to no avail.

"Forget it," Chloe spat, a little venom in her voice as she hurriedly slipped on her skates and took off onto the track before Max even had a foot in one of her own.

Chloe always felt a sense of calm when she was on the track, even during jams. She could be lethal on the course, but there was always that centered feeling at the core of her person. Even with the turmoil going on inside of her presently, she felt at ease. Looping around the course once, twice, before Max finally joined her, Chloe kept her hands in her jacket pocket as Max sped up so that they were skating alongside one another.

"School'll be out soon," Chloe mentioned, looking at the clock hanging on the far wall just below where the announcer sat, "The other girls will be here pretty soon."

"Mm-hmm," Max said, nodding, her eyes locked forward as Chloe would shoot her sidelong glances out of the corner of her eye.

Speeding up a little, Chloe shot out and gained a half-lap ahead of Max. She did not know what to do or think, save to skate faster. Part of her wanted to be away from Max for the peace of mind, the other part wanting nothing more than to skate with the brunette. She wanted to hold Max's hand as they skated, she wanted more than just the vague innuendo Max offered. We shouldn't have kissed, Chloe thought, her face a mask as the sourness crept into her mind, All it did was make things worse. We're not fighting anymore. We're here, together, but it's like we are so far apart, too. I can't stand this shit.

Braking on one skate, Chloe used the momentum to spin around before coming to a full stop so she faced Max as the other girl approached at a cautious pace. Hands balled into fists as she pulled them roughly out of her jacket, Chloe stood rigidly on the track with a determined look on her face. She was tired of pleading, tired of asking. She needed to know what was going on between them.

"Are we friends?" Chloe asked Max, the brunette coming to a halt just about a meter away, "Or is there more to it than that?"

"Chlo-"

"No, Max! I want a legit answer! This vague crap is hella bullshit," Chloe exclaimed, the strength in her voice faltering towards the end as her emotions began to bubble up from the surface, "I love you, and I know you love me. We've kissed. W-We said some pretty hella deep shit to one another. We have spent the entire day together-"

"What the hell do you want from me, an instant relationship?" Max fired back, her face a mixture of sadness and frustration, "We were supposed to just be hanging out today-"

"And I suppose it's my fault that it became something bigger than that?"

"That's not what I'm… God, Chloe, we're practically at each other's throats again…," Max said, the words almost sounding like a curse as she skated over to the guardrail and leaned against it, "I…I don't want to fight with you. Not anymore."

Chloe followed to where Max was resting and sat on top of the railing, the scowl on her face a clear sign that she was not pleased.

"I don't want to fight, either, but we need to…to sort whatever this is between us out, Max," Chloe said, her voice a little stressed as she tried to be plaintive and neutral, "Do you think this is easy for me, Max? You're… You're my best friend. I have you back again, but there's more to it than that and we both know it-"

"What the hell are you two on about?" a voice shot out from across the track, both girls looking over to see Victoria come out from behind the bleachers with the rest of the Bombshells, "Oh, just kiss and make up already. Goddamn, you two are so fucking lame sometimes."

"V-Victoria, don't be mean," Kate chided, coming up from behind her with a rebuking expression on her face that left Victoria acting more apologetic when she flashed all the girls a weak smile.

"Sorry," Victoria said, humbled by Kate's stern expression, "I was just teasing."

"I think maybe we should let them have the-" Rachel started to say before she was cut off by Chloe.

"Nah, it's cool. I need to take off anyway. Classwork and such for college," Chloe said, but as she moved to skate away, she found her right hand caught in Max's left as the brunette grabbed ahold of her, "Lemme go, Max."

The brunette held onto Chloe a few seconds more than the punk liked, and when she shook Max's grip off the tension between them was once more palpable, albeit for a different reason entirely. The disappointment etched on Max's face nearly had Chloe wanting to just hug Max and reassure her, but Chloe herself needed reassurance as well and Max did not seem to be willing to cross that divide. Sighing, her shoulders slumped a little, Chloe skated across the course and headed off without a single word to anyone. She caught the look of confusion on Rachel's face as they passed each other, but ignored it.

Chloe wanted to be alone.

An hour or so later, Chloe was at the junkyard with the pistol she had stolen from David's gun cabinet, a little drunk and a little high. Thank God this thing isn't fucking loaded, Chloe thought as she cradled the sidearm in both of her hands, Step-prick would kill me if he knew that I stole this, but the asswipe owns so many guns I doubt he realizes it's gone… Nah, he probably does and will find some way of searching my room for it. Good luck with that, you sack of angry, flaccid dicks.

"Thought I'd find you here," a voice said, so close to where Chloe was that the punk nearly jumped a little. Steeling herself, however, Chloe looked over her shoulder to see Rachel Amber approach from behind the truck, "Ah, the gun. Contemplating a life of crime, Price?"

"Aren't I always?" Chloe said with a sardonic grin, waving the piece before tucking it in the back of her jeans, "S'up?"

"I…gather things didn't go too hotly between you and Max today. I've never seen her distracted while at a derby track before. It was like how she spaces out in class, but more intense. She nearly crashed into all of us multiple times, she was so out of it."

"Uh, that sucks, I guess…," Chloe replied with a half-hearted shrug before she rolled her eyes when Rachel crossed her arms and crooked an eyebrow, "Look, Rach, the girl has my brain in a fucking blender, okay? She wants to be friends? S'cool. But…then things got intense, and amazing. The last time I really felt that way…"

"We were here," Rachel said, smiling fondly as she gestured to their surroundings with outstretched arms, "If I remember correctly, you were a mess after that, too."

"Correction – we were both messes. Just different sorts of messes," Chloe interjected before heading off to her and Rachel's hideout with Rachel close behind. Plopping onto the bench seat with Rachel taking the spot next to her, Chloe slumped forward and took her beanie off to scratch at her blue hair like she always did when she was frustrated, "I don't know what to make of her. Maybe it's the years, maybe it's all the shit that's gone down between us, I dunno. All I do know is that she's driving me crazy right now and I just wish she weren't so indecisive about shit."

"This is Max Caulfield we're talking about," Rachel replied before patting Chloe's shoulder, "She told me what you two said to each other. Chloe, she's just scared of being hurt again. You have to give the girl time."

"But we kissed-"

"And she knows that. She knows she moved things forward. She's not mad at you or frustrated that you want to move faster," Rachel said, "You just have to give her a chance to catch up, that's all. And not fuck this up, of course."

"Yeah, yeah...," Chloe said before looking at Rachel with a quizzical expression, "Wait, why is it always me who is supposedly the one who fucks things up?"

"Chloe... You're not exactly easy to get through to with most people," Rachel said, her expression softening as she put her hand back on Chloe's shoulder and gently squeezed, "To be honest, both you and Max are stubborn as fuck. I just don't want you to do anything you might regret, that's all."

Chloe leaned back and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She had been running at full throttle the whole day, but it had been Max who started all of this with a kiss. And here I am, trying to push it even further, Chloe thought as she opened her eyes and blinked back the wetness she felt coming on.

"I need to talk to Max. Like, ASAP. Any clue where she's at right now?"

Rachel smiled mischievously, winking before she got to her feet and helped Chloe up.

"I may have a vague inclination, Chloe Price..."

Max left derby an emotional mess inside, her cool exterior not giving way to the flummoxed state she was otherwise in. She had managed to eek out the bare minimum effort required for the Bombshells' practice session, her mind preoccupied with one Chloe Price. As she put her equipment into her bag, the next-to-last one out of the building, Max nearly ran headlong into Victoria and had to swerve to avoid her. Feeling a hand grab her arm, still sporting her skates, Max spun and found herself oddly caught in Victoria's arms.

"What?" Max asked, frustrated over Chloe, as she wriggled herself free of Victoria.

"Caulfield, you need to clear your head. That, or at least take it somewhere else that isn't 5'10" and blue-haired," Victoria offered, a worried smile on her face, "C'mon, we both know who was behind your lame-ass practice jams tonight."

"I-I did fine, Victoria."

"You did a shit job, Max," Victoria said, hands raised defensively when Max narrowed her eyes, "Look, we both know you're capable of better than how you did tonight. Way better. My mom's out of town until late tonight, so the girls are all coming over for a private little soiree. Why don't you come?"

"I, uh, am not big on parties," Max stammered, cringing.

"Relax, Max. It's just gonna be us girls. Swear," Victoria said, giving the Boy Scout salute as if to reassure Max.

That doesn't make me any less enthused, Max thought to herself as Victoria took her arm-in-arm out of the cannery towards the parking lot.

The drive to Victoria's house was relatively long in comparison to the size of Arcadia Bay, her parents owning a two-story townhouse that was on the far outskirts opposite the industrial area where the cannery resided. Having changed into her sneakers in Victoria's town car, much to the other girl's chagrin when she responded by teasingly spraying Max with air freshener, Max sat in the back seat and finished changing into her street clothes as they pulled into the driveway. Eyeing Victoria's house as her driver put the car into park, Max thought about how nice the house actually was as she heard the faint sounds of girls laughing and shouting from the backyard.

"Victoria, if you have such a nice place in town why do you stay at the dorm? I wouldn't want to be in a dormitory if I had such a nice house. I mean, well, damn," Max said as she climbed out of the back and started to head towards the front door with Victoria leading the way.

"Max, my mom is the art teacher at Blackwell and I'm at a fancy prep school. I want my own space, the freedom that comes with, and the space in which to thrive and have fun. Can you imagine how my mom would act if I lived here while attending school? Do you know how micromanaged my life would be if I stayed home?" Victoria offered back before she opened the door and motioned for Max to come inside. "Besides, this place is basically just used by me for parties when I do actually come home. Example being tonight."

Making their way through the house, Max did her best to not gawk at all the luxurious items surrounding her as they headed towards the back door. The house looked like something from TLC, chandeliers and art everywhere. Victoria lives in a small-ass dorm but has one of the most luxurious houses in all of Arcadia Bay at her disposal? God, what must Chloe have thought when… No, dammit! Stop thinking about Chloe. For once, Max thought, shaking the thoughts from her head as they finally made their way outside and it was then Max's jaw dropped.

"You have a fucking infinity pool?" Max asked Victoria, despite the pool itself being directly in front of them. "Wowser…"

"Strip, Caulfield!" Taylor cried out from in the pool, nearly all the girls swimming in the bras and panties while Kate sat in her clothes at poolside with her legs immersed in the water. Seeing Kate wave at her cheerily, Max detached herself from Victoria and made a beeline for the gentler Kate. Looking over her shoulder to see Victoria shrug before she joined the girls in the pool, having stripped at lightning speed, Max sat down cross-legged by Kate and smiled.

"Didn't figure you for the partygoing type, Kate," Max teasingly chided her friend, playfully bumping her shoulder into Kate's, "You look happy."

"I am. A-And I come to Victoria's when it's just us girls."

"Ah. No boys allowed."

"Exactly!" Kate said, grinning before she pushed Max into the pool and quickly got to her feet so as to avoid Max's potential revenge.

Max's lungs filled with water for a moment before she came to the surface and spat out all the water in a series of coughs as she waded over to poolside so that she could catch her breath. Looking up at Kate with an admonishing grin, Max teasingly reached out as if to grab one of Kate's legs and choked out a weak laugh when the blonde-haired girl hurriedly took a couple steps back with her eyes widened. Would serve you right, Kate, Max thought as she clung to the side of the pool and coughed for a minute or so until all the water was out of her system, Goddamn, the girls have been something of a bad influence on her, she's so quiet and shy in class. …Like me…

Climbing out of the pool, seeing no other real alternative, Max stripped out of her wet t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers before jumping back into the pool. Swimming over to where the other girls were, Max splashed Taylor and laughed when Taylor responded by motioning for them to gang up on Victoria. Their efforts combined, Max and Taylor quickly left Victoria a watery mess as the pixie-haired girl's expression was one of being at a complete loss before she started laughing as she splashed them back. This went on for a little while longer, the other girls joining in as they all splashed each other while Kate returned to her seat until a car horn was heard from the other side of the house. Pausing in her splashing Courtney despite herself getting drenched by nearly everyone else in the pool, Max looked over to see Rachel bringing an awkward Chloe trailing behind her. Fuck…, Max thought before an idea came to her.

Waiting until Rachel and Chloe were within arm's reach, Max submerged herself until her feet touched the bottom of the pool. Pushing off with all the strength she had, Max leapt up a little out of the pool and managed to snag a handful of Chloe's jacket before she pulled the blue-haired girl into the pool with a maniacal, giddy grin on her face while the punk looked at her in abject horror. Max let go of the frustration as she pulled Chloe down under the water and smiled at her apologetically while Chloe was half-busy stripping her clothes off before bubbles escaped her mouth as she futilely tried to say something to Max. Both girls coming up together just in time to see Rachel finish stripping before leaping into the pool with a cannonball that managed to splash even Kate, Max laughed while Chloe tried and failed to fume at the brunette.

"My phone, Max! My phone was in my jacket, you turd nerd!" Chloe exclaimed as she shoved Max half in jest. Max could see that Chloe was a little upset and Max frowned a little.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to actually cause you any grief, dude," Max replied, grimacing a little as she apologized, "For cereal."

The girls waded in the pool, facing each other, as the other girls swam and splashed each other with a laughing Kate still sitting at poolside. Looking into each other's eyes, Max felt a thrill run up her body as Chloe awkwardly shot her a crooked grin. Smiling weakly back, Max motioned with a jerk of her head for them to take an empty part of the poolside area for themselves. Swimming over together, Max watched Chloe get out of the pool long enough to strip out of her chlorine-saturated clothes before she rejoined Max in a pair of drenched black boxers and a sports bra. Resting at poolside, the girls silently regarded each other as the splashing of the others faded away. Without realizing it, after a short time, they had the pool to themselves as the other girls gave Max and Chloe their space and went inside. It was just the two of them, alone in the pool with a clear sky giving way to the stars and moonlight.

"I'm…I'm sorry, Chloe. I'm such a chickenshit, so scared when you've done nothing but reach out to me time and again. I-I don't deserve-" Max started to say before getting cut off.

"Dude, don't even talk like that, 'kay? I… I was hella ready to just push things forward as fast as I could because I was scared of losing you again. I fucked up before, and my track record this week hasn't been the greatest."

"Mine, either," Max added.

"Besides," Chloe said, lifting herself up so that she was sitting at poolside next to where Max was hanging on, "You're like the strongest, smartest girl I know. You just need to push that confidence you have on the track out into the rest of your life, my dude. I believe in you."

"Really?"

"For cereal, Caulfield," Chloe said with a smirk, Max scowling a little at having her own words used against her…even if it was to her benefit, "I'm serious, though. You've changed so much since I saw you all those years ago. I… I really do love you, Max."

"I love you too, Chloe. I just… I want to take this slow, do things right. I want to get to know you again, be best friends but also something more, y'know?" Max asked, brow furrowing when Chloe chuckled a little. "What?"

"Nothing. Old memory. Just…kinda hella poignant."

"'Poignant'? When did your vocabulary get so complex?"

"I'm not stupid, jerk. I did attend…or, was at least enrolled, at Blackwell for a while. And I'm in college, so eat me."

The girls continued to relax beside one another, the tension that had been evident earlier in the day gone as they met each other halfway. With Chloe offering a hand as she had gotten to her feet, Max was hoisted out of the pool. With each girl going to where their clothes were piled up neatly together, Max having no doubt that Rachel had something to do with the little gesture, they got dressed in their damp attire and Max wrinkled her nose.

"What?" Chloe asked, sighing as she looked forlornly at her destroyed phone. "You know my mom's likely to kill me because of this, right?"

"We smell like a chlorine factory," Max replied before looking over to see Chloe cradling her dead phone in one hand, "Don't worry about the phone. I'll explain to Joyce what happened. Promise. I'll see if my parents will let me use the credit card they gave me to replace your phone.

Standing together at poolside, Max smiled as a thought occurred to her. It had been occurring to her constantly since practice had started that day, but now seemed as good a time as any to the diminutive brunette.

Hey, since we're here and you're without a team, I bet I could convince Victoria to maybe let you back into the Bombshells…"

"Doubtful."

"She will if she wants to keep me on the team."

"You're ruthless."

"I learned from the best."

Hands held together, fingers intertwined, Max and Chloe headed inside to where the rest of the girls were, their future unknown save that whatever they came across they would do so together.

Author's Note

Wow. I never thought I would come back to this story, let alone actually give it an ending. Feels kinda surreal – Like GrumpyCat said, THE DEAD HAVE ARISEN. Lol

I'll get back to Life is Hella shortly. Want to do a little more work on my OC story first before I continue to delve back into LiS fanfic

Stay Hella, Cinnamon Rolls!