This is only my second thing I've written and shared so any advice/criticism is appreciated either through a review or a private message, the same goes if there is any wording or formatting changes that you think should be change. I'm not in love with how I'm formatting the text in the story but don't really know how I can improve it so just tell me if you have something for that.
AO3 Version under the same name if you prefer that: archiveofourown org/users/Honry/works (add a dot before the "org")

12/3/2008 4:12 PM

Max: Maybe emailing wasn't the best idea. We'll talk through texts now

Oh my gosh fucking finally

4:12 PM

Chloe: She speaks! Speaking of talking wanna call? I miss you

Ugh please… I kinda need it now

4:17 PM

Max: Sorry I can't right now

Ugh 5 minutes for that? No "I miss you" too or anything?

4:17 PM

Chloe: Oh. Okay. Well, anything new going on?

Minutes slowly crawl by as Chloe waits for a reply. Oh my god, why is she taking so long to reply, is she going to be like this all the time?

4:22 PM

Max: No. Wbu?

Great

4:22 PM

Chloe: If you're too busy to text right now just tell me when you aren't and we can catch up then.

With the message sent Chloe tosses her phone across her bed as she runs her hands through her hair pulling slightly in frustration , turning to her side to lie down and letting out a long sigh when she does.

Is that her response or is she so busy she couldn't be bothered to reply yet. She thought to herself after a few minutes of silence from her phone.

12/6/2008 10:00 AM

Max: Hey sorry I'm not busy now. Still nothing new so wbu?

Jesus it's been like a week

10:01 AM

Chloe: There she is! It's been the same, really long crappy days, they still treat me weird at school. I feel like a few weeks wasn't enough for me to "bring my focus back" to school.

10:06 AM

Chloe: So, How's is Seattle so far? Can we talk? I think it'll make it easier.

Please say you can

10:12: AM

Max: I can't right now. Me and my parents haven't been able to see the city yet since we just moved in and started work and school.

Not busy enough to text but too busy to call? Ugh. At least 2 minutes is an improvement, probably even the fastest reply.

10:12 AM

Chloe: That's shitty.

Half an hour passes with no reply. Whatever Chloe thought bitterly

10/13/2008 10:30 AM

Chloe: Yo queen of the crickets! Just let me know when you're not too busy to chat, I miss you.

The day ends with no reply Too busy on the weekend now too I guess maybe next week.

The same time next week comes around with no reply as well. Alright this is getting kind of ridiculous

10/20/2008 1:17 PM

Chloe: Hey hippie, did you forget about me? What's the latest?

It certainly feels that way…

What's the deal? Isn't it winter break how is she THIS busy

1:48 PM

Max: Oh my gosh, I'm SO sorry. I've been really busy again. You'd love Seattle it's so nice being able to see it finally.

I guess spending time with family can be time consuming, but is she THAT busy at all times?

1:48 PM

Chloe: Cool, maybe some hitchhiking in my future.

I'd kill to get out of here and see her

Hours pass and nothing is said in return. How is she this bad? Do I need to end every sentence with a question just to keep her texting her best friend? Does she even want me as her best friend at this point?

1/1/2009 2:16 AM

Chloe: Look, if you're just going to ignore me just tell me straight up so I can stop hoping my best friend will find time in her day to talk to me when I need her the most.

After she calmed down a bit she began typing again

2:20AM

Chloe: Or at least pretend to be my friend for a while because I really do need you.

"Ugh!" 10 minutes pass before the phone is thrown across the bed, falling off the edge. Chloe didn't expect a reply at 2 in the morning but the lack of it still upset her

Chloe woke up well past noon with a glimmer of hope that maybe the message she sent Max would give her the push she needs to keep in touch with her. She crawled to the ledge where she had tossed her phone and picked it up. The hope Chloe had shattered when she saw that she didn't have any new notifications. With tears on their way and disbelief she opened the messaging app to make sure she had sent it or just didn't get a notification. Tears came out slowly as she realized Max just hadn't replied, well Chloe took the silence as her reply and anger quickly took her.

What the fuck? This is such bullshit. Years of adventures and friendship, growing up together, being "best friends" and the distance of like half a state is enough to destroy all that? Pretend like it never happened? What kind of shit is that? Fuck, this. I hate...everything "I wish we'd… I wish I never met you" Chloe said out loud, full of anger and tears rolling down her face uncontrollably as she drops her phone back onto the ground as she crawls back into bed. She spent the rest of the day in bed, never leaving her room, shooing away her mother when she was worried about her, ignoring how hungry she felt, she never left her room.

She was about to try and sleep for the night so she decided to check her phone one last time before completely writing off Max, even though she pretty much already did and felt Max had done the same a while ago. As she suspected, there was still no reply from Max.

1/2/2009 1:21 AM

Chloe: Well, it was nice while it lasted

1:22AM

Chole: I guess.

With that done she dropped her phone in the same spot and with a frustrated groan she crawled back into bed to try and sleep.

She woke up with regret, regretting the situation as a whole. It isn't fair she thought to herself. I have to deal with losing a dad so soon and to top it off I have to deal with it alone because the person I thought was my best friend forever left me and doesn't want to keep in touch.

"Life isn't fair" a voice in her head had said

Yeah well it shouldn't be torture as well she thought in retaliation.

With a grumble from her stomach and her own voice she got up from bed to look for something to eat. To her surprise her mom was cooking breakfast in the kitchen and could smell the food as soon as she left her room. "Sorry" is all Chloe says to her mom as she walks past the kitchen to lay down on the couch.

"Chloe, I know it's been hard, believe me. But please don't worry me like that again" Joyce said with worry in her voice as she's approaching Chloe from the kitchen with a plate

"I know mom" She said still emotionless "Thanks" when her mom places a plate of eggs and bacon on the coffee table

"Do you plan on going to school when winter break ends on Monday?" Joyce asked as she walked back towards the kitchen

"Maybe, sulking all day in bed yesterday might've made me feel better" Chloe said loud enough to reach her mother in the kitchen "I'll think about it" she added.

After eating her breakfast rather quickly she continued her day the way she has been the past few months. The only thing different was she didn't spend most of the afternoon and part of the evening staring at her phone hoping for a text from Max because that seemed when she was most likely to get a text. The positive of writing off Max was she didn't get a flow of disappointment and sorrow when the day ended with no reply from Max. In the back of her mind though, she still wished things would be different.

Monday came with nothing of note so like she told her mom she'd think about going to school, and she decided she would. Much to her surprise she stopped receiving strange looks from students, maybe they had forgotten or moved past the "the dead dad girl" over winter break. The rest of the day went on what felt like normally and she actually went to bed at a normal time. She was asleep for what felt like a second before she heard a notification sound from her phone. She didn't think she moved so fast in her life, her brain was racing with thoughts as she got up to her phone to unlock it and see the message that she had no doubt was from Max.

Oh my god. There better have been a freak accident that prevented Max from using her phone or at least she is begging for my forgiveness for being such a shitty friend. She thought before opening the message to read it. She didn't receive any news of a freak accident or see an essay long apology, all she saw was 3 words.

1/5/2009 11:22 PM

Max: I was scared

What the fuck does that mean? Filled with anger she translated her thoughts to text.

Chloe: What the fuck does that mean?

11:23 PM

Chloe: How do you think I feel?

My dad dies and my best friend has to move, whelp I'm screwed! I thought, but YOU gave me hope, said we'd keep in touch through emailing, texting, letters, whatever it took. The distance of a state is no match to the power of technology and OUR friendship, we'll be 18 and reunited in no time! But what do I get? Unanswered emails for days, At first I thought it was because I would always bring the conversation down when I talked about how shitty I felt, so I pretended to be fine, like my dad didn't just die a month ago and my best friend didn't move RIGHT after that, and that it was the same old Chloe you always knew but even that didn't work. Then you said it'd be better if we text or something and so I was hopeful again that I'd get the best friend I desperately needed, but no it was just as bad, except the excuse changed from "I'm not on my computer much" to "Sorry I was busy"

11:25 PM

Chloe: And even when you weren't busy you'd act like we didn't spend our entire childhood together, not even knowing how to have or hold a conversation. I know you're shy but like, you at least know how to have a conversation with your best friend or at least you should.

Shaking uncontrollably half from anger and half from finally releasing her thoughts she sends the final message. It's a few very long minutes before Max replies.

11:29 PM

Max: I was scared Chloe, of hurting you, or making it worse, and of loosing you.

Again, what the fuck does that mean? Filled with anger again she begins to translate her thoughts to text but she stops herself from pressing send. She let me have my little rant uninterrupted, I should at least return the favor. She thought as she let out a frustrated sigh.

11:30 PM

Max: At first I didn't know what to say, all I could think of was how sorry I am, for the loss and for leaving you, but I already said that a bunch of times before, and you'd probably heard that from literally everyone at that point so I didn't think it would mean anything to you.

Coming from you it would.

11:31 PM

Max: But after that all I could think about was how I missed you and how I wish I was physically there. So I could be with you and hug you and hopefully make you feel better, but saying that would probably just make you feel even worse, that even after what happened you can't even be consoled by your best friend.

Physically yes, but I can still be consoled if you would have talked to me. Chloe thought coldly

11:33 PM

Max: And so in my head the only thing I could do was either hurt you and make you feel worse about the situation, or to distance myself from you to maybe not hurt you as much

How the FUCK does that make any sort of sense? Chloe thought filling with anger, almost enough to interrupt Max.

11:34 PM

Max: And I know what you're thinking, but I don't know Chloe, people do stupid things and think irrational when they're scared, especially me apparently.

Understatement

11:36 PM

Max: I was so scared I'd hurt you or lose you that by the time I realized what I was doing was stupid I was already being more distant for a while, which just got my more scared to reach out which made it seem like I was getting more distant, and it became just a crappy cycle of me getting in my head too much.

11:44 PM

Max: But none of that excuses me being such a terrible friend and person, I let my own fears get the better of me when you needed me the most, and I hate myself for that because I only ended up hurting you more. I'm sorry Chloe. You deserve so much better, doing what I did is my biggest regret in my life and will continue to be for a long time, I know I'm young and that probably means nothing but I've never been more certain of something in my life. There isn't a day that goes by where I don't think of you and wish things could be different. I wish what happened to William didn't happen, or at least that I was still there so I could be there for you. But I don't care how long it takes to remedy my mistake, if I can at all. If you let me, I promise I'll never leave you feeling alone or abandoned ever again, it will be like I'm always in your pocket, I will be, in a way, I don't care where I am or what I'm doing I'll answer your phone calls, text messages, emails, anything the moment I get them, because you were right Chloe, we did spend our childhood together, and that should mean something and that friendship shouldn't be discarded as easily as I discarded it. But I would understand if you don't want to forgive me, I don't deserve it.

11:45 PM

Max: You, Joyce, and William were like a second family to me and I loved you all, I still do, when we learned what happened I was devastated then a few days later I learned that I was moving and I've never been so sad or angry in my life. I begged my parents to change their mind or let me stay, I told them I'd drop out of school, I'd do anything, I didn't care, Chloe needs me I don't want to leave her, I can't leave her, and I've been devastated ever since.

I guess that last text is me saying that even if I wasn't there for you Chloe, you were never alone.

11:50 PM

Chloe: Are you crying as much as I am right now?

Max: If your eyes burn from all the tears, then yes.

The feeling Max is describing has become a very common feeling to Chloe the past few months, but this time it was different, for the first time in months she knows that she isn't alone.

11:52 PM

Chloe: Thank you, Max. I'm sorry I had to use the "do this or we aren't friends anymore" card

Max: You shouldn't have needed to use it in the first place

Max: And I don't deserve an apology, I don't even deserve your forgiveness

Chloe: You do.

11:55 PM

Chloe: I could really use a hug right now

Max: Me too

Max: We'll be 18 and reunited in no time

11:56 PM

Chloe: Hopefully sooner

A/N: If you've read this far then thanks, I'd love to hear what you have to think in a review or message. Also if you plan to continue reading let me know how you feel about using abbreviations (lol, btw, omg, etc.(heh)) and faces ( xD :( :) :P etc.) in the text messages between characters, should I avoid them or use them, I kept them to a minimum for this chapter in case it would bother anyone.