"Tomorrow" by Daughter
Max, still mostly asleep, patted the empty space that was normally occupied by Chloe whenever they weren't sleeping at her girlfriend's house. Finding nothing but open air and comforter, Max lazily sat up in her bed and looked around at what would not be her dorm room after tomorrow. It felt surreal to her, so many things and events she never thought would come when the time travel abilities last fall manifested. Looking down at her hands, Max instinctively stretched out her arm and smiled in relief when she felt nothing save the pop of her elbow and shoulder that just came with sleeping on her arm funny. Classes were over, finals were done, and today was the next to last day that would lead her into the future. A future with Chloe, Max thought as she curled up in bed with a smile on her face.
Her parents having come down the day before yesterday, Max and Chloe had both reluctantly agreed that their sleeping together should probably come to a halt until Max's parents were back in Seattle. Max had opted to stay in Arcadia Bay with Chloe until the two of them had to leave so Chloe could attend her summer classes at Seattle University. Max smiled and wiped a tear from her eye as she remembered her pot-brained state when Joyce had finally broken down on Chloe's birthday at the news that her baby girl was finally moving on with her life.
"I should have known it would take Max Caulfield to get my Chloe going," Joyce had said with a sniffle as she blew her nose into the Kleenex Max had handed her, "I'm glad you two are together. You'll look out for each other, right? I mean, you two obliviously love one another so that's a given. Forgive a mother's fretting, Max."
Pulling her knees to her chest, Max rested her chin on her knees in her dorm room and thought about all the things she had been able to do because of the choice she had made that fateful Monday. Reaching down, her fingers brushed against the faint scar that marred her abdomen from where Nathan had shot her; Max couldn't imagine doing anything else, though. No matter how much you were willing to sacrifice yourself, Chloe, that week we had will turn into a lifetime. I'll always be yours, in any timeline, Max thought before a knock on the door brought her back to her senses.
"Come in, the water's fine," Max said with a sleepy grin as Kate, Victoria, and Taylor came in fully dressed with to-go containers and an extra for Max, "Thanks. Wait… This is Two Whales? You all went without me?"
"We, well, we wanted it to be a surprise," Kate said with a smile before she walked back out into the hall and came back with a kettle full of hot tea, "I prepared this before we left. I'm lucky I didn't burn my room down."
"I'm lucky you didn't burn my room down," Victoria added, the snide tone that had been her trademark back at the beginning of the year replaced with genuine friendliness as Kate giggled a little, "So much designer. Very clothing. Much money. Gone. Wow."
"Nerd," Taylor teased as she took a bite from her muffin, "Max? You okay?"
"I just… I'll miss this, miss all of us doing stuff like this," Max said as she opened up her container and choked back a sad laugh at the Belgian waffle drenched in syrup and whipped cream before looking up at three of her friends, "We took too long getting over the drama, didn't have enough-"
"It's not forever, Max," Victoria said, sitting on the bed to gently squeeze Max's hand, "God, you can't fucking cry, Max. I'll cry. Victoria Chase does not cry over shit like this."
Max smiled and quietly began to dig into her breakfast as the other girls did the same. No more conversations about plans for the weekend, no more last-minute cram sessions; tomorrow they all graduated from Blackwell Academy and went their separate ways. Max had asked nearly everyone in her class where they were all going for school, and found to her relief that at least Victoria and Kate would be within a drive. Victoria was going to Washington State and Kate would be attending Bay City College's main campus. Taylor was heading back down to California for UCLA. Max herself had only just found out a few days ago that she had been accepted to Seattle University. Officially, anyway; her parents had opened the letter and told her the news over the phone last month, but seeing the letter in her hands when Ryan and Vanessa Caulfield came down to help move all of Max's things on top of being there for her graduation had made it all the more real.
"I didn't think I'd make any friends when I got here. Not really, anyway," Max said as a couple tears made a plinking noise when they hit the styrofoam container her waffle was sitting in, "Now I have them and I don't want to let go."
"You'll make new friends, Max, and we'll keep in touch," Kate said, smiling up at her friend with a gentle kindness that seemed to make everyone's breath hitch in their chests. Kate had become something of the dormitory's heart when everything had settled down after last October. You never saw Kate not in some form of a positive mood; Max saw by the looks on Victoria's and Taylor's faces that it hit them as well that this was the next-to-last day they would all be together.
"So, Max, what're you up to today? Don't tell me Chloe gets you all day," Victoria chimed in rather desperately, everyone thankful for her changing the conversation's direction.
"Well, she doesn't get me all to herself all day but she's going to be hanging with me when I have lunch with Dana and Juliet, and during the Price-Madsen-Caulfield dinner. After that, we're free to do whatever."
"Good, because we're all going up to the lighthouse for one last party," Taylor said as she reached over to take Max's hand, "You and your bae better show, Max."
"Who am I to turn down a party invitation?" Max asked, looking at Victoria in confusion when she snorted a little incredulously, "What?"
"Max Caulfield accepting a party invite. Never thought I'd see the day."
MAX: Chloe, you're late. You promised :(
CHLOE: This emoji madness must end sometime, Caulfield. I'm fashionably late.
MAX: You're out of fashion, jerk. Hurry up, before the three of us decide to eat without you…
CHLOE: You fucking wouldn't.
MAX: Om. Nom. Fucking Nom.
CHLOE: I'm nearly there, plz don't eat without me babe I swear I'll get better with my timing.
MAX: A little food threat and she's all desperation. I'll need to remember this.
CHLOE: …Fucker.
MAX: Asshole. Chlo, Chlobear, just hurry the hell up. Wowser, are you like this with your classes?
CHLOE: …
Slipping her phone back in her bag, Max looked across the booth and smiled apologetically to Dana and Juliet as they waited for Chloe to show up at Two Whales. It's not like she has anything else going on, Max thought, lips thinned at the mental image of Chloe reclining on her bed as she was just texting, I swear, if she doesn't show up in five minutes, we are eating without her.
"She coming?" Juliet asked, Dana flashing Max a knowing smile that left Max with a faint groan of discomfort.
"She said she was…and begged me to not eat without her…," Max replied, resting her chin on the palm of her hand, "What's she gonna do when she starts college? She'll get As on her work, but'll end up with a C or worse because she'll always be tardy."
The three of them laughed and Max leaned back into her seat, fingers unconsciously tracing the nerd graffiti that Chloe had been adding on to the table over the months since their reunion. The air was blowing from the west, a cool ocean breeze in otherwise mild temperatures. Skies clear, the sun pelt down onto everyone outside and Max basked in its glow is the sunlight made its way through the window and onto the bench she was occupying. Dressed in a red and black plaid hoodie with black jean shorts and her sneakers, Max scratched at the back of her entirely natural-colored hair, fingers brushing along the trio of earrings she had in her right ear. I wonder what the me from October would say if she saw me now, Max thought with a grin as she counted down the three piercings in her right ear, the single one in her left, and the belly stud Chloe had done herself at the tattoo shop, She wanted me to get started on that tattoo after seeing it on me with the henna ink, but that's gonna have to wait for a bit. I don't want to just up and get something that'll stay on my body forever. At least with these piercings I can take them out if I no longer like them. Her eyes moving from the window to the couple sitting across from her, she smiled warmly at Dana and Juliet before taking a sip of her water.
"You two are so sweet together," Max said, the toothy grin on her face getting a smile from Dana and a wink from Juliet, "Makes a girl wonder just how much of our floor turned out to not be straight."
"I'm pretty sure we haven't taken over the girls' dorm with our rainbows and unicorns, Max," Juliet said in reply, getting a snicker from both Dana and Max, "But it is noteworthy just how many non-heterosexual people are on our floor. I had thought about doing a piece on it, but I'm going to save that for college."
"You two are going to the same school, right?" Max asked, glancing down at her bag to see what time it was on her phone's display. Two minutes, Chloe, Max thought just as the diner door opened with a hard slam that was followed by a familiar voice.
"My bad, Mom. Hella sorry," Max heard Chloe say and she stuck her head out of the booth to eyeball her blue-haired girlfriend, "Did I make it? Are the noms all gone?"
"We've yet to feast, Price. Consider this your final warning," Max replied with an attempt at seriousness that dissolved before the look of utter delight on Chloe's face, "Ugh, you know I can't be mad at you when you pull that face on me."
"I know – it's why I do it. Well, that and you make me…um, you make me smile," Chloe said in a rare public display of the cute bashfulness usually reserved for only Max, "So, sistahs, we down to grub? I could eat, like, three cheeseburgers and a whole basket of fries!"
"Eugh, too much food," Dana said with a grimace, "Chloe, you can't have a food baby. You're only 20, and Max isn't even out of high school. Who would provide for the child?"
"I could totally work a full-time job," Chloe retorted, a smile on her face as she opted to play along, "At least, until maternity leave if I had it. Then, Max would have to be the proud, um, other parent and provide."
"Hell no, Chloe," Max said with a grin as she shook her head, "You do that to yourself, you take responsibility."
"Max!" Chloe said, a hand to her chest as she looked at her girlfriend with an expression of mock horror, "You would abandon me were I to become preggo with the burgers of cheesy goodness! How dare!"
"…Bad mental image," Juliet said, cringing as she rubbed at her temples, "Can we just order food like regular couples do and not inspire images of babies made of cheeseburgers?"
"No fun," Chloe said with a pout, but not before she scooped up Max's menu and shared it with her freckled bae, "Whatcha gettin', babe?"
"Crab cakes, fries, and a coffee. You?" Max asked as she leaned in to give Chloe a kiss on the cheek, "Missed you. Haven't seen you for a couple days, Chloe. The hell are you up to?"
"It's me, Max. I'm hella up to no good," Chloe said with a wink before she rolled her eyes when Max scrunched her lips to one corner of her mouth, "It's… It's a surprise, okay? I, um, it's for after the group torture tonight."
"It's just a dinner with your family and mine, Chloe. You really need to chill," Max said, patting Chloe's thigh, "Maybe you and I should…"
"No," Chloe whispered, "We can do other stuff together, Max, but I'm not putting you through that again. Even if it's been a few months, hella to the no. You were freaking out afterward and I don't want you going through that again-"
"What're you two talking about?" Dana asked, peering over the menu at a blushing Max and Chloe, "Ooh, sexy talk?"
"Shut it, Ward," Chloe said with a slight huff to her voice, Max sighing as she ran her fingers through her hair again, "Y'know, Max, you'd look cool with an undercut."
"W-What?" Max asked, surprised by the notion before laughing at her own surprised reaction, "You for real? I think I'm good, piercings and a change of style are enough for me right now. Besides, Chlo, you're giving Dana ideas. Don't think I see that glimmer in your eye, Dana Ward. I know that glimmer – it usually follows ideas like dyeing my hair and henna tattoos."
"Swear I won't buzz your head when you're not looking," Dana giggled out, hands up in surrender, "She is right, though. You'd look pretty killer with a new 'do."
"Stop."
"Just sayin'."
"So," Juliet said, inserting herself into the discourse with what Max hoped would be a new conversational direction, "You two are going to the same university, too? Seattle University, right?"
Thank you, Juliet Watson. You're my hero, Max thought as she nodded before elbowing Chloe, the other girl busy playing with wadded up bits of napkin.
"Yeah," Max said before the waitress came to take their orders. Waiting until the waitress was gone with their ticket, "Seattle U. I start in the fall, but someone had to be an overachiever and get into the summer art program…"
"…Hmm? Oh, uh, y'all talkin' 'bout me," Chloe said, the surprise bringing out a hint of the Price women's southern drawl, "…What you just heard never happened. Clear? Okay, so yeah, I got early admission. I'm gonna be following Maxaroni into the art department, but I'm double majoring in science just to cover my bases."
"You didn't tell me you're gonna double major!" Max said in astonishment. Eight months ago, Max was willing to bet Chloe might never willingly step foot in a classroom ever again. It's nice to be wrong when the outcome is something good. "Chlobear, why didn't you say anything? That's awesome sauce!"
There was silence in the booth and Max saw Chloe's cheeks turn red as she looked down at her hands. Looking over at Dana and Juliet to see looks of endearment on their faces, Max retraced what she said. Oh. I… I called her "Chlobear" in public. I used her pet name in public. Placing her right hand on Chloe's left, Max stroked the back of her girlfriend's hand and smiled at her to get Chloe's attention. The embarrassed punk begrudgingly lifted her head, the scowl on her face hiding what Max knew was more likely a pout. Leaning over, Max kissed Chloe on the cheek and nuzzled her neck briefly before looking Dana and Juliet square in their eyes.
"She's my Chlobear, and I'm her Maxaroni," Max said, almost as though she were daring the other couple to say something. She knew they wouldn't, Dana and Juliet weren't like that, but it was more for Chloe's sake. Seeing Chloe sit up a little straighter from the corner of her eye, Max leaned her head on Chloe's shoulder, "Okay?"
"Okay…," Chloe said after what sounded like a little huff.
The Caulfields were staying at a Super 8 located along Main Street, the main road that led in and out of Arcadia Bay as it merged with the highway a few miles south of town. The same street Two Whales was nestled along, Max and Chloe opted to walk down the street a few blocks to go see her parents rather than take the short drive in their separate vehicles. Holding hands as they ran across the street to get to the side the Super 8 was on, Max squeezed Chloe's hand a little to catch her girlfriend's attention. Smiling at Chloe, Max slipped her arms around Chloe's right arm before they walked along the sidewalk, both girls absently paying attention to anyone walking in the opposite direction. They only had attention for each other, really; not having seen Chloe for a couple of days, Max couldn't take her eyes off of the bluenette and was leaving their navigation of the sidewalk in Chloe's hands. The midday sun shining brightly as the wind picked up slightly off the ocean, Max closed her eyes and sighed.
"S'up, Maxaroni?" Chloe asked, enough emphasis on her pet name to get a snicker out of Max, "C'mon, Maxaroni, tell your Chlobear what is on your mind. Can't believe you said it out in public. You hella suck."
"Hey," Max said in a daydreamy kind of way, smile warm with eyes distant for a moment.
"Max? God, you didn't even hear me."
"D'you say something?"
"I asked what's up with you, dude. Geez, can't even get an answer to that simple a question," Chloe said with an exaggerated eye-roll before casting Max a sidelong glance with accompanying smirk, "You okay?"
"Just thinkin'," Max's distant tone as she looked out to the beachfront to further along to their right, behind the line of businesses along Main Street, "I… Everything that happened last fall, I didn't think this would ever happen. Not just graduating, though it is definitely nice to be getting the hell out of Blackwell Academy…"
"Blackhell Academy," Chloe corrected, turning them toward the beach, "Your folks have a beachfront room, so why not get our shoes all good an' sandy. We can take our time, Max."
"That's it, though. That's it exactly. We have time," Max said, disentangling her arms from around Chloe's before she grabbed Chloe's hands and playfully tugged her onto the beach proper, "I-I didn't think we would happen. Not back then. Never mind…what I went through. I'm talking about the back-and-forth, the questioning and the worrying. I got my best friend back, and I got so much more th-that I-I-"
"Hey, c'mere," Chloe said, wrapping her arms around a crying Max, "Happy tears, yeah? Max, I hoped you'd come back some day. I never gave that hope up, not entirely. And now we're leaving soon and you and I are together again. I couldn't be happier. Speaking of…"
Max thought she might pass out just from Chloe pulling a ring box out of her jacket pocket, Max having given Chloe back her old leather jacket as Max had acquired a white leather jacket of her own. Hand to her mouth, tears now flowing down her cheeks, Max's breath hitched in her chest as she struggled to breathe with all the suddenness of what was about to happen. Looking up, Chloe's eyes widened and she grabbed onto Max's hands to steady the small brunette.
"Whoa, Max! Not…Not entirely what you're thinking. Um, well…," Chloe took off her beanie and stuffed it into her back pocket as she opened the box to reveal a silver ring in the shape of a twisting vine, "Don't laugh, okay? It's a promise ring."
"Chloe… Chloe, you didn't need to-" Max stammered out, looking into Chloe's eyes as she reached out and touched the other girl's cheek when she saw a flicker of disappointment. Of all the times to no longer be a time-tripper. Smooth, Max. "I mean, sorry, I mean it's so pretty. Chloe, you-"
"No, I get to speak this time. It's gonna be hella busy once we go see your folks and I want this out while we still have time to ourselves before you graduate," Chloe said, getting to her feet so she could lead Max to a nearby picnic table, "Look, you know I'm not the mushiness queen, but let me give it a go. Max, you mean everything to me. When you came back, the first thing you did when we met up was save my life. I know what you've been through, how hard you worked to get here with me, and this is my way of meeting that promise you made to me in the, well, you know… Anyway, um, I hella love you. I plan to actually propose to you someday when we're more secure in where we are. I mean, a teenage romance doesn't necessarily mean a barely legal wedding. Never mind a doubly barely legal gay-as-fuck wedding…"
Max chuckled, the image of her and Chloe pulling up to a drive-thru chapel in Vegas or Reno flashing across her mind before Chloe coughed to get her attention. Presenting her hand, Max let Chloe slip the ring onto her ring finger and she lifted it up to see "Forever" engraved in a fine calligraphic script. "Forever" could be seen as cheesy to anyone else, but to Max it meant a great deal. Forever meant a promise kept that stretched beyond time and space. Forever meant a hand that would always be ready to hold hers, one that she had at one point thought she might never get to hold again. Taking Chloe's hand, Max leaned in and kissed Chloe. The wind dying down to something a little calmer, brunette hair blew along accompanying blue and violet hair as tongues swirled inside the girls' mouths. Lips folded onto one another's and Max found her hands instinctively cupping Chloe's cheeks as little whimpers and contented moans escaped both of them from deep within. Pulling back, lips wet from the intimacy of their shared moment, Max leaned her forehead against Chloe's and smiled. Her parents could wait a few more minutes…or an hour…
"Love you."
"Love you."
It was around 4:30pm when Max walked into her dorm room alone, the hallway quiet with everyone out for the final night before graduation. Closing the door behind her, Max stripped off her daily armor and slipped into a striped, sleeveless top and black dress pants before finishing it off with a pair of black leather Chuck Taylors she and Chloe had found at the local Goodwill. Pulling her hair back into a ponytail, Max brought her bangs out so that they framed her face. Examining herself in the mirror under the garish overhead light, her paper lanterns and soft-light lamp packed away, Max thought her eyes looked hooded and dark. She still didn't sleep well, anxiety and bad memories mixing together into a nasty concoction that only seemed manageable when she was sleeping with Chloe by her side. The past couple of days had been brutal, nightmares of the storm that was now almost mythic to the freckled brunette reappearing at graduation. Max would stand on the stage, alone, and be forced to watch as her friends and family were taken away from her one at a time until she was on her knees, screaming.
Shaking the mental image out of her head, Max took a deep breath and thought of the solace Chloe brought to her life. You're leaving here tomorrow, Max, and you're going to be with Chloe from here on out. You've got this. It's… It's only the rest of your life. No more rewind, no more "Week of Hell" – You made it, and now you get to live in it. Almost an afterthought, Max walked across her room and looked out the window to find a deer standing in the middle of the courtyard. Curious, a faint smirk on her face, Max watched the animal and realized with dawning astonishment that it was watching her in return. …Rachel? Max thought as the deer almost looked as though it were shimmering, or semi-transparent, before it turned its head and ran up the hill where the Tobanga resided and disappeared from sight. Max wiped the single tear that had pooled together from her eye and rubbed her hand on her pant leg.
"Goodbye," Max said before she closed the window and turned to leave for Chloe's house.
Pulling along the curb a house down from Chloe's, her parents' SUV taking up the spot she usually parked in, Max climbed out of her old station wagon and walked toward the Price-Madsen household when she felt a wad of paper smack her in the head. Seeing the wet bit of paper on the sidewalk in front of her, Max put a hand on her hip and wiped her face dry with the other as she looked over to see Chloe peeking from around a fence with a straw. Head and shoulders only visible, Max was surprised by the bareness until Chloe smiled and came out from behind her hiding place to the amusement of a near-speechless Max Caulfield.
"Wowser…," Max managed to get out as Chloe approached.
Her hair layered with blue and violet dye, Chloe was wearing a strapless black top with a skull choker and a pleated skirt that came to just above her knees. Finishing the ensemble with stilettos, Chloe looked to Max like she could kill someone with that outfit. I'm certainly fucking speechless. Just… Wow. Just wow… Meeting each other halfway, Max and Chloe's arms stretched out for each other and they folded together into a tender embrace and a chaste kiss that lingered in the heat of their mutual admiration. Feeling Chloe pull back, Max whimpered a little until she felt Chloe's nose brush against hers in an Eskimo kiss and their foreheads were leaned together.
"Shall I accompany my hella amazeballs girlfriend to the house?" Chloe asked, offering an arm and a radiant smile, eyes lit up.
"You totally shall," Max said, taking the proffered arm with another chaste kiss, "Chloe, you look beautiful."
"You're a pretty snazzy dresser yourself, Caulfield," Chloe replied, though the redness of her cheeks told Max that the compliment had hit its mark, "Thanks. I, uh, had a last-minute appointment with a hairdresser in town a couple hours ago so my hair kinda smells like dye. The dress, well, I wanted that to be a surprise. You should've seen your face. Worth every fucking step in these damn heels."
"I'm surprised to see you sporting such a fancy look," Max said, catching the twitch of Chloe's eye, "It's not a bad thing, Chloe. You look amazing. I just never expected you to try a more formal look. It suits you."
"The fuck it does. I mean, I look hella good in this but I'm a jeans and t-shirt gal all the motherfucking way. C'mon," Chloe said as she led Max down the sidewalk toward the house, "Our parental units are pretty much demanding we make an appearance, and one does not disappoint a parental unit when big-ass graduation money is likely on the line."
"Ugh," Max groaned, rolling her eyes but unable to stop herself from smiling, "Chloe, your tact is erratic as fuck."
"Yeah, well, there will be some hella cash tomorrow, and maybe you could take your kickass girlfriend out or something with a bit of the dough."
"Chloe…"
"Just sayin', Maxaroni. Just sayin'."
"There's my baby girl," Ryan Caulfield said as Max and Chloe came through the front door, Max leaving the door open for Chloe to go first before she closed it behind her, "Look at you, Max, all done up. And Chloe! Chloe, I never thought I'd see you in a dress! You kids want anything to drink?"
"I'll have a beer, if you're willing," Chloe said with a snicker, seeing the amused look on Ryan's face as he shook his head, "Worth a shot. Max and I will have some iced tea, I guess. Mom put away the soda. 'Nice dinners don't need soda,' she says. Papa C, if you all get to booze it up Max and I should at least be allowed to get our caffeine on."
"You're looking to me to try and convince your mother to let you have a soda? I've traveled back in time. You're all little young'uns again."
"Dad…," Max groaned before she walked up and gave her father a hug, "Seriously, though. It's been a hella long day and I could use some caffeine. Is there at least coffee?"
"Brewin' as we speak," Ryan said, motioning toward the kitchen with his half-full wine glass, "Joyce started up a pot just for you and Chloe. 'Kids'll likely want a fix of some kind,' Joyce told us. Chloe here knows that."
"Well yeah, but soda," Chloe said with a grunt and a frown as she trailed behind Max into the kitchen, "I'll find the sweetener, babe. You want to grab the creamer? All mom's got is hazelnut. Far too common for a barista and coffee connoisseur, amirite?"
"In the end, coffee is coffee," Max said, pouring herself a mug as she did the same for Chloe. Going through the small jar of sweetener packets, Max shook a few and pinched others to see which sweeteners had gone stale. Pouring out the few powdered creamers and still useable sweeteners, Max put them all into a cup and mixed in the hazelnut creamer. Stirring it all together, Max poured half the concoction into Chloe's mug and half into her own before she snatched the cinnamon off the spice rack and sprinkled a little onto both coffees. Handing Chloe her drink, Max sipped at her own and nodded in approval. We have the tools, we have the talent! Max thought as she took another sip while Chloe slurped hers down. It was hilarious to Max, Chloe all dressed up but acting like she usually did was such so contradictory. Keeping the laughs to herself, however, Max walked over to the dining area and saw her mother helping Joyce set the table.
"Hey, Mom," Max said, putting her coffee mug on the small countertop opposite the refrigerator as she walked over and hugged her mother.
"'Hey, Mom', like she's suddenly all grown up," Vanessa said with a grin as she squeezed her daughter tightly with the hug, "You'll always be my li'l punkin', Maxine Caulfield. Whether you like it or not."
"Oh my God, not that nickname," Max replied with a huff that only got a larger grin out of her mother, "…Also, Max. Never Maxine."
"I forgot," Vanessa said, looking over at Chloe, "Give her a fine name and she hates it, prefers one that's just the first shortened. Chloe, if you two ever decide to adopt or have a child through other means, don't let Max name the baby. I'd like to have a grandchild with a full name and not a nickname."
"…I am taking no sides in this turf war, thankyouverymuch," Chloe said in a hurry as she distanced herself a bit so as to not be between the Caulfield women, "Um, Mom? Need help with anything?"
"You're just lookin' for a way outta what you've found yourself in," Joyce chided before she smoothed out her skirt, "Too late, sugah. Table and food are ready to go. Lucky for you, Max showin' up just in time for you to get out of helpin' me set the table…"
"I am pretty lucky," Max said, taking Chloe's hand, "I'm a good good influence on your daughter."
"Yeah, and I can't ever be any more grateful than I already am," Joyce said as she motioned for everyone to sit, "David! Food's ready!"
"Hold up, hold up!" David said as he came inside from where he'd been grilling in the backyard. Holding a plate of barbecued ribs, David found an empty place on the table and positioned them there before eyeing Chloe's wide-eyed grin, "At ease, Chloe. You'll get some, but you've got to let everyone else have some, too."
The dining area of the house was full of various scents and enticing aromas that left Max's mouth watering a little. Pigs in a blanket, sweet potato casserole, fresh corn on the cob, collard greens, Baked ham, barbecued ribs, and a deep-fried turkey were laid out before the six people gathered together, barely enough room for the place settings and the food. Turkey. She made a deep-fried turkey. There's turkey, here, on the table, Max thought as she bit her lip, Joyce, you're killing me here with all this amazing food. If I slip into a food coma I'm blaming you for not getting to graduate. Just so you know. Her hand darting for the turkey platter, Max cried out in betrayal when Chloe batted it away before she took Max's plate from her and loaded it up herself. Turkey, casserole, greens, and a dinner roll were brought to Max by her girlfriend and the brunette looked at her lovely Chloe with an admiring smile.
"Dude, if I only have to bring you food to get that look I will ace being with you," Chloe said with a snicker that got a chuckle out of Ryan and a faint smile from David.
"Pot, kettle. Kettle, pot," Max replied, her own smile widening when Chloe playfully stuck out her tongue in reprisal, "Chloe Elizabeth Price, don't you stick your tongue out at me. You're the one who's racked up a 'super tab' at Two Whales. You don't eat food – you ingest it via osmosis. You just touch your food and if a person blinks they'll find that it is simply gone."
"Less talkin', more eatin'," Joyce said, though the redness of her face and the smile she was failing at repressing told Max all she needed.
The meal was relatively quiet for the most part, requests for food getting passed around and the occasional "thank you" accompanied by the clinking of silverware on plates and the sound of people sipping their beverages. Max had laughed a little when David relented under Chloe's puppy dog eyes and returned from his den in the garage with a can of Steel Reserve that got a look of shock from everyone else at the table with the exception of Chloe.
"What? She was practically makin' eyes at my beer," David had said, seeing the look of amusement on his wife's face.
"It's just, well, you're always the one going on about how she is too young to do this or that," Joyce replied, setting her silverware down as she wiped at her lips with the corner of a cloth napkin, "I'm… I'm just glad you two are getting along."
"Well, I guess Chloe having someone to be there for her makes me feel more relaxed," David said, nodding to Max in acknowledgement, "Can't say I'm still 100% on-board with this whole thing you two got goin', but I'm not one to judge. Not anymore. I'm just glad Chloe's happy, and Max seems to do that for her."
"Uh, thanks for the kinda-sorta approval…?" Max said in a questioning tone, ignoring the skeptical look on Chloe's face. Chloe and David got along for Joyce's sake, but it was civil and amicable at best. Thank Dog that David took those damn cameras down after I told him I knew about them. If he'd kept them up and Chloe somehow found out… This dinner would not be happening. Not like this, anyway. "Can we move on to less table-silencing things? Please?"
"Well, for starters what're you two plannin' on doin' after tomorrow?" Joyce asked with a smile on her face as she got up to start clearing the table, her homemade pecan pie sitting on the counter where Max's coffee had been prior to the dinner, "Any plans before Chloe has to go up to Seattle? I know it's not a lot of time, but-"
"I'm taking Max to Cali for a week," Chloe said with a grin as Max choked on her food from the shock of her girlfriend's statement, "Aw, c'mon. A girlfriend can't take her babe to Big Sur, check out the parks an' shit?"
"And you're going to afford this how?" Max asked, shifting in her seat so that she was facing Chloe, "Last I checked, working a counter at the tattoo parlor doesn't pay all that much. I mean, I've never even been to where you work!"
"Dude, that's cuz I set it up so that you're in school and I'm working the counter," Chloe explained, her expression an incredulous smile, "Why do you think I take night classes? You think I want long-ass classes in that distance-learning room? Hella no, but I've been saving…when I'm not spending…and I figure that if we pool our funds together we can have some fun!"
"Chloe… Chlobear," Max said Chloe's pet name in a tone that had Chloe pouting, waiting for admonishment, "I love you, and this is so cute of you to do, but we need to plan out getting an apartment and setting it up before you get swamped in classes."
Seeing Chloe look like she was about to get upset, Max placed a hand on Chloe's thigh and looked deeply into her girlfriend's eyes as their parents found other things to do. They didn't fight often, Max and Chloe getting into it was a rarity, but that didn't mean there weren't disagreements. She's being so sweet, and Big Sur definitely sounds like fun. Just… Not right now, Max thought as she squeezed Chloe's thigh and smiled.
"Chlo, we can totally do Cali when your classes are over for the summer semester. It's, what, two months of classes and then a break? We can manage two months without a vacation. Plus, we'll need part-time jobs. Our parents are helping us with a place, not providing it for us."
"I know," Chloe said with a trace of petulance as she huffed and patted the hand on her thigh, "I just wanted to take my girl somewhere nice, s'all."
"You are my happy place, Chloe," Max said with a grin, chuckling a little when Chloe scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Hey. Hey, you are. You can call me a sap and corny all you want but wherever you are is fine with me."
"But what if shit gets busy and we don't find a time to chill? Max, I don't want your last summer before college to be nothing but work with almost no play. Hella uncool."
"I'll have play. You'll be there, in our apartment," Max tilted Chloe's chin down as she spoke, leaning in for a long, chaste smooch that left her wanting more kisses. Not now, Max thought as she bit her lip before sliding out of her chair, Chloe's hand in her own, "For right now, though, there's pie. Want some?"
Max pulled into the Blackwell parking lot and switched off the engine, the window rolled down just a crack so that the cool air would nullify the faint smell of Chloe smoking a joint in the car before Max had to head back. Ending their evening together with a wet, tongue-lapping kiss, Max had pined as she watched her girlfriend in the rear view mirror until Chloe turned back toward the house. Stretching after she was out of the station wagon, Max popped her neck and knuckles before she closed the door and headed back to the dorms. It was quieter than usual on the quad, no sign of anyone, and Max enjoyed the leisurely stroll she could take. Examining the exhibition boards, Max recognized some of her photos among the collages her art class had done up to celebrate the graduation. No sign of you here anymore, Jeffershit, save for bad memories that only I will really have. I am the jailer, locking away your needles and sicko bullshit. Making her way to the dormitory courtyard, Max heard a familiar hum and looked up to see Brooke's drone hovering around the single tree in the courtyard. Scanning the area, Max caught sight of Brooke sitting up on the hilltop by the Tobanga.
"Hey, Brooke," Max said as she walked up to see Brooke glancing over at her before returning her attention to the tablet she was using to control the drone, "What are you doing way over here?"
"You look nice," Brooke said, her compliment mixed with a grumbling tone that left Max feeling as though she had just been reproached, "I'm just here, being by myself."
"…You have no reason to be mad at me, Brooke," Max said, sitting down across from Brooke to the other girl's not-so-mild surprise, "I'm not the one who kept fucking things up. I even stopped hanging out with him, for Chrissake."
"I…," Brooke started to reply before she knitted her brows tightly together and relaxed with a deep breath, "I know, Max. I just see you and think of all the shit Warren pulled. Did you know that he was trying to hook up with two other girls? I mean, aside from you and me?"
"W-What?" Max asked, though in truth she knew that in one alternate timeline she could vaguely recall seeing Warren with Stella, "You for cereal?"
"Yes, I actually am. He… That asshole was scamming me, Alyssa, and Stella. It was Stella who busted him, interrupting my giving him an eighth chance. I know it was eight chances because I counted them," Brooke said in a flat tone, her shoulders slumping as she landed the drone down alongside the Tobanga before looking up at Max, "Max, what the hell? I mean, seriously, what the absolute fucking hell?"
"Warren… He's, ugh, I don't even know," Max said, shaking her head before she put her hands up to her face to rub at her temples, "I honestly want to hope that he's just really lonely but I think he assumes that any girl who gives him attention likes him as more than a friend. I don't think he's necessarily a bad guy, but he pulls the 'nice guy' shtick a little too much for my liking."
"And when you rebuff him he wigs out and won't leave you alone," Brook added on, smiling a little when Max enthusiastically nodded, "I think you had to deal with that more than anyone else. I'm… I'm sorry I've been so hostile. Really."
"I'm sorry that a boy came between us. I think we could have been friends," Max said with all sincerity as she placed a hand on Brooke's shoulder, "But maybe you could let me fly your HiFly drone?"
"You know it's a HiFly?"
"I know more than most people realize," Max said, smiling when Brooke handed her the tablet.
It was around 9pm when Max finally got back up to her room and changed into her sleepwear. Gone were the cute chicks; in their place, Max was wearing one of Chloe's band shirts and just her underwear. With most of the floor still gone and the others keeping to themselves, Max tip-toed down the hall and into the shower room. The garish tile and fluorescent lighting left her cringing as she stepped inside, but the relief of a hot shower after what felt like the longest day to her in months was worth the eyesore. The floor tiling was cool to the touch when she entered the shower stall and took off what little clothes she had, hanging them next to her bath towel before she closed the second curtain and turned on the water.
A pleasant smile creased the edges of her mouth upwards as she squeezed some of her body wash into the bath sponge she had, sage and rosemary wafting from the lather that was building up before she began to rub down her body until her skin was a slight red. The dull throb of her slight headache withered away under the steam and patter of hot water on her skin and Max took her time when she washed her hair only to freeze when a deft pair of blue-nailed hands slipped around her bare waist and she slowly turned to see Chloe standing in the shower stark naked.
"Hey," Chloe said with an impish grin as she brushed her nose against Max's, "Miss me?"
"Chloe, what are you doing?" Max asked with amusement in her voice, the pleased grin turning into a smirk as she continued lathering up her hair until Chloe pulled her arms down. Feeling Chloe's hands in her hair, Max let out a contented sigh when her girlfriend began to wash her hair for her, "Nevermind. This is nice. Yes, keep doing this."
"My li'l graduate's wish is my command," Chloe said, leaning in to kiss Max on the lips, the touch long and breathless in spite of its chasteness, "Our 'rents have adjourned to a local tavern to go and chill. D'you really think I was going to just sit on my ass in my bedroom when my gay bae is up here all by her lonesome? You hella crazy nerd."
Draping her arms over Chloe's shoulders, Max leaned her forehead against Chloe's sternum and closed her eyes as the taller girl finished lathering up her hair before she gently led Max back a little so as to rinse the mousey hair. Opening her eyes at the sensation of Chloe's wandering fingers, Max looked up at Chloe from her spot along the girl's chest and scowled teasingly.
"What?" Chloe asked, all feigned innocence and curiosity as her hands moved up and down Max's torso in varying directions, "A girl can't massage her girl?"
"I think you're doing more than massaging me," Max shot back, the smirk still on her face as she retracted her arms from over Chloe's shoulders and placed them on the bluenette's hips, "Chloe, I… I want to do something. I want to make you feel good."
"Oh," Chloe answered after a moment, eyes widening, "Oh. Max, dude, you hella don't have to-"
"I want to."
Max's sexuality had been something of a hot topic between them ever since Valentine's Day, the two of them talking about it over messaging whenever something came up and in private when they were alone. The discussions intermittent and random when it came to frequency, they had both come to the conclusion that while Max certainly felt romantically attracted to Chloe there was more of a physical curiosity rather than anything carnal. Max had sex with Chloe because it felt good and she had wanted that level of intimacy, not because she felt a sexual urge. Max knew she was asexual and there was no going around it but the intimacy, the closeness, that came from their rare occasions of fooling around was like a drug and Max wanted more.
Sliding down in the shower to her knees, Max slowly brought her mouth to Chloe's left inner thigh and began to kiss it, Chloe's response of fingernails digging into Max's shoulder getting a smile out of the brunette before she began to turn the small pecks into love bites. It made her happy, Chloe wanting her this bad and while Max knew it was more one-sided than their physical relationship should be, Max enjoyed it in her own way and that satisfied them both enough. Looking up from her spot on Chloe's thigh, Max traced a fingertip along Chloe's slit and snickered a little when her girlfriend's body trembled slightly from the touch.
"Don't laugh at me," Chloe said in a soft voice.
"I'm not laughing at you, Chlobear," Max said from her spot, looking past Chloe's belly ring and her pierced nipples up to the girl looking down at her, "I'm just happy I can do this, be this close to you."
"…Sounds like laughing at me."
"Oh, hush. I'm about to have sex with you and you're complaining. Dumbass."
"Sorry."
"Don't be sorry. Be here, with me."
Max leaned in and brushed her nose up against Chloe's clit when she opened up her girlfriend's sex with two of her fingers, licking the erogenous area before she started to flick her tongue over the top of it. Chloe's knees buckled a little and Max had to adjust herself until she was squatting low to the point of her ass nearly being on the shower stall floor. Gently, with a lick, Max slipped in two of her fingers and began to pump them in and out while she stood back up and looked Chloe in the eye.
"No foreplay?" Chloe asked with a shaky grin that was swapped with moments of lip-biting ecstasy and faint moans.
"You disappointed?"
"Hella no," Chloe gasped, bucking her hips against Max's fingers until her knees quaked when Max used the thumb of her hand to gently press and rub against Chloe's clit, "Fuck, Max. How does someone who doesn't get fucking turned on like this know how to do it so damn well?"
"You think that I don't do this to myself? Chloe, it feels good. Why would I not?" Max answered, a little disbelieving that Chloe thought she never masturbated, "You're a dork."
"Your dirty talk could use some work."
"Dirty talk sounds silly."
"You're hella silly."
"Why are you bantering with me when I'm fucking you?" Max asked with a chagrined look that got a giggle out of Chloe before she stifled a yelp of surprise when Max began to pump her fingers a little faster, "Go easy, Max. Easy. I don't want to rush…rush… Fuck, go on ahead and go faster. This feels too damn good. Do…Do you want me to-?"
"No. Let me just make you feel good," Max said, taking Chloe's reaching hand away from her abdomen and pressing it back against Chloe's chest as she wove her fingers into it and brought their hands up against the shower wall beside Chloe's head, "Tell me when."
"Max?"
"Now? Already?"
"No, not that. I just… I love you."
"I love you, too."
"Okay… Uh, al-almost… Holy fuck, Caulfield…" Chloe moaned in a throaty voice, "I'm…I'm coming…!"
Max leaned up and kissed Chloe, wet and sloppily as she felt her girlfriend's body quiver and something hot run along her fingers and hand. Feeling Chloe's body tighten against her fingers, Max pumped them a few more times before she pulled out and ran her hand under the shower head while still keeping the kiss going. Their tongues sliding along one another's as they both moaned and whimpered in unison, Max put her now-free hand onto Chloe's hip and pulled her girlfriend to her with Chloe draping her free arm over Max's shoulder. Lips folding, steam coming off both their bodies as the hot water continued to patter against their skin, Max felt Chloe press against her and slid her hand from around the other girl's hip to the small of her back. Breaking the kiss off, panting from want of breath, Max leaned her forehead against Chloe's sternum and giggled a little as she felt her girlfriend's chin rest on the top of her head.
"Damn, Max. You are hella hardcore," Chloe purred, "Can I… D'you think our parents would mind if I stayed your last night here with you? Graduation's when, noon? We can watch some movies and nom on popcorn or whatever's in the vending machine until we get tired enough to sleep."
"Sleepover?" Max asked, not looking up from her spot as she nestled her head against Chloe's breast and smiled, hot water hitting her scalp like a massage. Can't we just stay in here, though? Well, there is the whole prune thing…and the water will get cold eventually. My room sounds good. Yeah, good. Hella good.
"Hella sleepover."
The sunlight was shuttered out entirely by both the blinds and curtains yet Max still found herself waking up at around 8 in the morning, Chloe nestled beside her with the laptop sitting on their shared lap space. Groaning, Max nearly pulled the blanket back over her head when she looked over to see Chloe watching her with one eye shut. A smile slowly making its way across her face, Max leaned over and kissed her girlfriend good morning. In my bedroom. This room. This last day. I'm really leaving, and Chloe's coming with this time. Wowser. Max took a moment to think about what would come tomorrow, sleeping in her own bed back in Seattle with Chloe possibly beside her. Max emphasized the possibility in her head because she didn't know how her parents would be even though they'd agreed the night before to letting Chloe stay with them until everyone found a place for the two girls that could be agreed upon both quality-wise and price-wise. Lost in thought, Max barely picked up on the return smooch and blinked when Chloe's snickering brought her out of her own head.
"You there, nerd? It's time for you to get outta this dump," Chloe said as she sat up before letting out a small cry of surprise when Max pulled her back into bed, "You know it's on when I'm being the reasonable one. Max, it's time to get up. Wash up. Dressed. Food. Graduate."
"Five more minutes," Max grumbled into the pillow, her head buried and face obscured as she looked to the now-blank wall where her photo memorial wall had been until a few days ago, "Please?"
"Max, we really should get up, dude."
"Ten more minutes."
"…You just said five."
"Penalty fee of five additional minutes."
"Fine."
"Fifteen minutes," Max said, looking over her shoulder at Chloe with a smirk, "Taxes."
"Okay, I'm impeaching your horrid-as-fuck rule and taking the governorship of Max-achusetts for myself," Chloe said with a yank as she pulled the blankets off of Max with one quick movement, "Wakey, Wakey, Eggs an' Bakey!"
"Noooo," Max whined, curling up into a ball before looking over her shoulder to see Chloe looking at her with a hand on her hip and eyes narrowed as she scowled, "Bad Chloe! Bad!"
"Maxine Caulfield," Chloe said, her southern drawl coming in what Max assumed was a loss of composure, "You get your ass up outta that damn bed right now. I ain't got th' time t'be dealin' with this heah bullshit, y'understand? Geddup. Right now."
"Max. Never Maxine," Max grumbled, her own eyes narrowing before she sat up and met Chloe's scowl-turned-smirk with a scowl of her own, "First night in our new place, you're sleeping on the couch, missy."
"Whateva. Jus' geddup, hippie."
One shower, a change into her old armor of a shirt, jeans, and hoodie, and a quick breakfast in the dormitory cafeteria later and Max found herself at her car with the final pieces of her luggage. Having lived out of a suitcase and her camera bag for the last week or so, Max did what everyone else was doing and left her key in the doorknob's lock when she left to signify that it was empty. Either everyone else is already gone, or people partied like it's, um, 2014, Max thought as she stood with the driver's side door open. Chloe had already left for her house, where Max would be heading soon to wait until it was time for her to really get ready for the graduation ceremony. I'll be back here in a couple hours and some change, but once I'm gone today I'm gone. This is all so unreal. I was ready to die here, to save Chloe by letting myself go in her place. Instead, I'm graduating and leaving for Seattle with my best friend-turned-girlfriend to start a new life.
"Wowser," was all Max could say as she took one more look at Blackwell Academy from next to her car before she climbed inside it and left. She would never be driving there again. It was over, after so many mixed emotions and strange outcomes. Her life at Blackwell Academy was over.
"Max," Joyce said as she and Vanessa Caulfield looked at Max's reflection in the full-length mirror, "You look gorgeous. I-I can't believe you're leavin', graduatin' to move onto bigger an' better things. I couldn't be more proud if you were my own flesh and blood."
Dressed in a two-piece outfit, Max wore a spaghetti-strapped pink sundress that came down to just above her knees, over-knee black socks, and ankle-high heeled boots. Vanessa and Joyce had both pleaded with Max to not wear them, to try on a nice set of heels they had bought her, but Max was insistent. She had bought the dressy boots for this occasion, a little bit of the punk behavior belonging to her girlfriend having rubbed off on her. Be glad I'm not wearing fishnets like Chloe wanted me to, Max thought as she mentally rolled her eyes.
"Mom…Joyce…, I'm going to wear what I'm going to wear. Be glad I'm letting you help this much," Max said as she looked at them both through the mirror's reflection. They were using Joyce and David's room, Max being able to hear Chloe pace in her own room with Sparklehorse playing loud enough that she could hear "Piano Fire" clearly, "I'm done."
"Max, what about your hair?" Vanessa asked, looking at the elongated bob, "At least let me try-"
"Mom. For cereal, it's a bob cut. What are you going to do that will be revolutionary? I'm not trying to be a butt; I just want to be done getting ready so I can see Chloe for a bit before I have to head up to Blackwell for graduation."
"Max, you're gonna have your whole life to see Chloe after today,"Joyce said, gesturing at the ring Max was wearing. Chloe's ring. "Your girlfriend…my daughter… She can stand to wait a few more minutes."
"Nuh-uh!" Chloe called out from the hallway, "I wanna see! It's not like we're getting married, Mom! Just lemme see!"
Chloe nearly fell over into the doorway when Joyce unlocked the door and she gawked at Max. Chloe too had dressed for the occasion, more so than Max had thought she would. Gone were the jeans, shirt, and leather jacket.. In their place, Chloe sported a black blazer over a white knee-length dress with small skulls and crossbones dotted along the bodice portion. The skirt was slender and not flared slightly like Max's. Chloe was still wearing her boots, to the chagrin of the women and the delight of Max. Her hair slicked back, Chloe had left her violet and blue hair alone dye-wise.
"You look beautiful," Max said, offing Chloe a hand up, "For real, Chloe. You're amazing."
"You look hella cute, Max. Not gonna lie, I kinda want you to dress like this every day, babe," Chloe replied with some blushing, cheeks reddening as she took in their reflection in the mirror, "We are quite the pair of epically-hot chicks."
"Ugh, Chloe," Joyce said, Vanessa putting a hand on the other woman's shoulder in reassurance as Max's phone went off.
"…Text from Victoria. They're doing another practice rundown of the ceremony," Max said, waving her phone a little as if to emphasize that it was not her fault she had to leave, "See you all there?"
"I'll drive you," Chloe said, taking Max's hand and leading her out into the hall and down the stairs before either mother could say anything in protest.
Blackwell Academy's main auditorium had Max wondering what a modernized coliseum might look like with the theater-style seating going back row after row. In spite of the small size of each graduating class to leave Blackwell in the spring, the vast space held enough seating to threaten the local multiplex in town with its overall capacity. Max, her graduation gown and cap in-hand, stood at the edge of the stage and looked out at the empty seating in mute horror at the idea of so many people watching her head up the stage to take her diploma. Max was hardly what you would call shy anymore, but the eye-popping row after row of seating left familiar butterflies fluttering inside of her abdomen and she habitually held onto her arm as she had been wont to do months ago.
"Holy shit," was all Max could say, looking over her shoulder when she heard a snicker to find Victoria walking up to her. Dressed in a sleeveless red blouse and black knee-length skirt with heels Max figured cost more than her old car, Victoria looked less like a photographer to Max and more like someone to be photographed.
"I wouldn't worry about your social anxiety bullshit," Victoria said as she took in the vast space, "God, you'd think they were going to openly invite the entire damn town, there's so many seats."
"W-Why are there so many seats?" Max asked as she saw Dana, Juliet, and Kate walk over to join herself and Victoria, "Th-This many people for our class? It's not like we number in the hundreds, Tori."
"Blackwell has this tradition to invite alumni to come and celebrate new graduates here at the school. There'll be the commencement speech by Wells, and then he'll ask the people who had graduated Blackwell to 'stand and be counted' or whatever. We'll get the same shit next year, though I don't see a whole lot of us returning to this place after everything that happened."
"I'm surprised the school is still open," Kate said, her usually calm voice a little shaky at the vague reminder of last October, "Blackwell's funds go further than…than the Prescotts, I guess."
"Way further," Juliet chimed in, all the girls looking at her with piqued interest, "State and Federal officials, corporate executives, some actors and actresses – Blackwell has a lot going for it with its alumni organization."
"A bunch of rich and famous people…and us," Max said with a snort as she jutted her chin up and started what she thought was an impression of someone affluent, "Oh, Victoria, we simply must come to the Blackwell soirée next May. It will be utterly exquisite."
"…You sound like The Professor from Gilligan's Island," Dana said with a laugh as Victoria put a reassuring hand on Max's shoulder.
"Should've aimed for Tim Curry from Clue," Victoria said with a wink that turned into a full-blown smile when Max pouted.
"…Nerds," Max grumbled before her momentary disappointment turned into an awkward smile and faint blush, "So, how many more times do you think they'll make us run through the ceremony, Valedictoria?"
"Nice, Max. God, I won't miss your puns," Victoria said with a sigh before she looked at her phone, "They can't really afford to do the whole thing again, it's almost time to open the doors so people can be… Jesus fuck, Max, you're girlfriend is here."
"What?" Max asked, looking around before catching Chloe mid-step as she climbed into the window she'd managed to jimmy open, "Chloe Elizabeth Price, what the fuck?"
The group of graduating Blackwell students giggled a little when Max stomped over to look up at Chloe, her blue-haired angel looking down from the perch seven feet off the floor. Arms folded across her chest, lips thinned, and eyebrows knitted, Max was an visual representation of disappointment that seemed to cause Chloe to respond with a freezing of her movement. Right, like I can't see you if you don't move. This isn't fucking science fiction, Chloe. Wowser, you will never stop this sort of shit. Then again, I don't think I could get used to a law-abiding Chloe… With some reluctance, Max raised her arms and helped Chloe reach the floor by grabbing hold of her girlfriend's boot-encased feet and lowering her down as slowly as she could. Chloe had some height and weight on her, but helped Max by holding onto the windows sill until she was only a little over a foot from the carpeted floor; dropping down, Chloe was all smiles in contrast to Max's chagrined expression.
"I would say I can't believe this, but I can totally believe this," Max said in a low voice, eyes narrowed slightly as she shook her head, "Chloe, what the hell?"
"Oh, please, like I'm not gonna crash my Arcadia bae's graduation," Chloe said as she brushed some dirt off of her attire, "Besides, it was totally badass and you know it."
"It was badass, but as you can see…," Max said as he gestured over to the doors being opened, "…It was also pretty pointless. Seriously, you couldn't have waited?"
"You sound like you're not happy to see me…"
"It's not that, Chloe. Just… I just worry sometimes; the reckless way you are. I worry that you'll get into something I can get you out of, or that you'll get hurt and I can't do anything about it. Seeing you do stuff like what you just did makes me feel so…so…"
"Powerless?" Chloe chimed in, the double-meaning known to both of them as Max nodded, "Max, you're not a superhero anymore. You're not meant to save the day; you're meant to live it. With me. Besides, I totally knew what I was doing."
"You two done?" Victoria asked, surprising both of them as they'd been too absorbed in their conversation to notice Victoria approaching, "Max, we have to go put on our gowns and get ready for the ceremony. Price, for once, can you just behave and not barge in on anything? Or break into anything? Or anything that is just generally looked down upon by law and common sense?"
"Sure, Victoria. I'll behave," Chloe said, raising her hand in the Boy Scout three-fingered salute before bringing down two of them to flip the blonde off as Max looked over her shoulder with a rebuking scowl that left Chloe sighing as she mouthed Fine! Watching Chloe find a seat as close to the graduates as she could, Max headed backstage to put on her gown with everyone else and get ready for the final part of her Blackwell experience.
The forest was dense near the hilltop where the lighthouse loomed over Max as she weaved her way through up the path in spite of the biting wind and rain that smacked her haggard face. Chloe helping her up to the spot safest from the storm, Max came to halfway along the path but mentally froze when it dawned on her that what she was seeing was the moment she missed out on between the beach that day in October and coming to at the lighthouse after her nightmarish head-trip.
"…I know that I have fucked up, Max. A lot. I'd be hella fucking idiotic to no know how many times I've nearly lost you this week with my bullshit," Chloe said, blind to the fact that Max's eyes were open and looking right at her. Is this like an out-of-body experience? Max thought, I'm reliving this moment, when I was unconscious or in another reality or whatever, but I'm with Chloe this time as we go up the hill.
"You saved my fucking life even though it'd probably have been best to just let me go," Chloe continued, her words choked as she started to sob, "I-I… My life has been so fucked up these past five years, Max, and you walk into it and turn everything on its fucking head. Dude, you hella became the center of it even when we were looking for Rachel. I-I got nowhere without you, Max, and I'll always love you for that."
The wind picked up and Max watched as Chloe used her free hand to secure the beanie she was wearing to her head. Chloe looked right at Max and it was as though the bluenette looked through her friend and companion. She really can't see that I'm awake. This is a dream, or a memory. A final vision of that day.
"God, it's a fucking nightmare," Chloe said as she looked through the tree line to stop for a brief moment and watch the storm, "The town is being pulled apart, Max! Two Whales, Blackwell – it's all going to shit!"
Feeling Chloe shift her body around a little, Max felt the other girl's grip on her adjust before they resumed the climb up the lighthouse. This shouldn't be happening! It can't! Please…please, tell me that I'm not back here again! I-I can't handle another nightmare like this, I won't!
"You don't have to," Chloe said as she let go of Max so that the brunette could stand on her own, "This is the end, Max."
"I don't understand," Max said before she grabbed Chloe's shoulders and shook her, "What the hell am I doing back here?! What…What do you want from me now?"
"I want to say goodbye."
The air seemed to bubble around them until it was unearthly quiet with the storm's winds seeming to just miss the spot they were standing in. Chloe, her hands to her sides, locked onto Max with red-rimmed eyes, watery pools of an azure color as tears freely fell. This was Chloe, both the girl who had been and is her best friend…and so much more.
"Am I dreaming?" Max asked in a hushed, somber voice as she let go of Chloe's shoulders before getting tackled into a tight hug.
"It doesn't matter," Chloe said, sobbing into Max's shoulder, "You've gotten hella strong, Maximus. Strong enough to finally get out of this shit-pit. Am I coming with?"
"You are," Max said, pulling away to cup Chloe's cheek before realizing they were on the hilltop, "I'm taking you with me. We… We're going to live in Seattle, going to attend Seattle University together and live together."
"Sounds amazeballs," Chloe replied with a short laugh as she leaned her forehead against Max's, "Are we happy?"
"We're in love, Chloe. I think we've always been in love," Max said, tears now falling down her cheeks as her fingertips brushed Chloe's lips, "I…I think that's why those five years hurt us both so much. We were in love with each other and didn't realize it until we were gone from each other's lives…"
"But you found me, saved me, and now you love me again."
"I do. I really do."
"Max, don't you forget about me."
"How could I? You're already with me," Max said, tipping Chloe's chin down.
"Maxine Caulfield…," Chloe said, though it struck Max as being odd that Chloe's voice was being dubbed over slowly by another, more mature sounding woman's voice, "Maxine Caulfield…"
"…Maxine Caulfield…?" Ms. Grant called out from the podium on stage as Max snapped out of her head, quickly wiping tears from her eyes before she awkwardly got to her feet and proceeded from the student seating in the auditorium to the stage where Ms. Grant and Principal Wells were waiting with her diploma, "Max? You alright?"
"Yeah," Max said in a quiet voice to not gain the audience's attention, "Life is just really, really…"
"Really what?"
"…Strange."
Max headed down the stairs after receiving her diploma and shaking hands with Principal Wells, her feet not moving fast enough as she quickly sat back down, face red with embarrassment when she saw the wry smirk on her friends' faces at having needed to be called on so many times. Leaving Blackwell Academy Max Caulfield-style, all embarrassment, shyness, and awkward-as-fuck, Max thought with an inaudible groan as Victoria stood up next to her and squeezed her shoulder encouragingly before passing Max to go receive her own diploma, As if I'd get to leave here all cool and composed. Yeah, right. You stay classy, Blackwell Academy.
Max posed for photo after photo, her own Polaroid camera in Chloe's hands as her girlfriend snapped pictures of the graduating friends in various poses. Shots with Dana, Kate, Victoria, and Juliet aside, Max posed for photos with her parents and Chloe's parents before she moved to take a selfie when Chloe's chin was suddenly resting on her shoulder.
"Photobomb!" Chloe cried out cheerily as she wrapped her arms around Max and kissed the smaller girl on the cheek.
"Photo-hog," Max replied, a warm smile on her face as she enjoyed the feel of herself in Chloe's arms and the touch of her girlfriend's lips on her face. Shaking the developing film, Max looked around and sighed in relief, "All done."
"For real? You don't wanna go hella schmooze with your peeps or anything like that? What about post-graduation festivities?" Chloe asked, her surprised tone catching Max unawares.
"Well, we all kinda drank a little out in the parking lot before practice," Max confessed, blowing her Mountain Dew breath at Chloe, "Does it mask the smell well enough?"
"You drank without me? Maxine Caulfield, I am offend. For this, you will sleep on the couch of our place the first night."
"You've already got that spot, Chloe."
"Then I guess you'll just have to go join me, huh?"
Both girls latched onto one another in a loving hug, chaste kisses interrupted by the coughing of Vanessa Caulfield as she hugged her daughter in congratulations.
"Gonna go say your goodbyes, Max?" Vanessa asked, a hand on Max's shoulder with Chloe's arms still wrapped around the girl.
"Said my goodbyes already. I'll see some of them again," Max said, looking over at the other students she could spot on the main campus quad as they mingled with family, faculty, and alumni, "Time to go say hellos."
"Hellos?"
"Hello…to the future," Max said, detaching Chloe's arms around her to slip a hand into her girlfriend's as she walked down the sidewalk toward where her station wagon was parked. Blackwell Academy had become many things to Max: good, bad, and terrible. Now, however, Blackwell Academy was summed up to Max Caulfield as she looked from her driver's side one final time in a single thought.
A memory.
Epilogue
Some Time Later…
The old brownstone house was sublet into three apartments, one for each floor of the house. Sitting outside, taking a break from the dreariness of moving her own stuff as well as Chloe's, Max lit up a cigarette and enjoyed the menthol taste that permeated her mouth. Blowing the smoke out of her nose, she idly scratched at her undercut. Feeling somewhat liberated after leaving Arcadia Bay hours after graduating from Blackwell, the past few weeks had been a developing process of Max coming further into her own sense of being. Even after everything that had happened to her prior to being in this new reality, Max had sometimes let other people's opinions of herself rub off on her. Now, approaching 19, Max had done away with the last vestiges of her "shy, cliché geek-ness" and embraced the change that came with moving on.
"Hey, Max!" Max's upstairs neighbor, a woman named Shauna, said as she came out to the backyard to dry some clothes on the clothesline, "Takin' a break?"
"Yeah. It kinda sucks having to put everything together by myself, but I want to surprise Chloe," Max replied, snuffing out the half-smoked stick of tobacco before she got up from the basement steps where she was relaxing in the shade. Stretching lazily, Max brought a hand up to her mouth and stifled a yawn, "Your baby alright? We heard a lot of crying last night?"
"Oh, she's just teething, is all," Shauna said, her ebony locks braided and well-kept as her forehead creased, "I hope we didn't cause you too much grief."
"Nah, we were up anyway."
"Max, that was at three in the morning."
"Okay…so, maybe we never actually went to bed. Playing around with the PS3," Max said with a tired grin, "Watching Netflix, playing Persona 4 Arena, stuff like that."
"I wish I was still your age."
"Meh, the teenage years are not all they're cracked up to be."
Max smiled at Shauna and waved before she walked down the steps and into the basement apartment she and Chloe occupied. The floor a mix of wood, linoleum, and brick, Max's parents had come in with large rolls of carpet to even things out so that the linoleum in the kitchen area was the only non-carpeted flooring in the entire place. Larger than a studio apartment, all the rooms featured open doorways so it always seemed to Max like they lived in a floor of oversized cubicles. Kicking her worn Dr. Martens off by the door once she'd locked it, Max sighed and looked at the scattered boxes and storage tubs with a frustrated groan. Chloe had helped her set up all the essentials when they moved in a few days ago, but they had both been too lazy to go any further than assembling the bed, putting clothes in the closet, setting up the kitchen, and putting their toiletries in the bathroom. The TV, a 40" flat-panel, was a moving-in gift from Victoria that they'd received not even a day after Max had given her their address. It was here in the apartment before we were, Max thought as she ran a hand along the top of the television where it sat on the floor beside her old PS3, Leave it to Victoria to make an entrance anywhere she goes.
Flopping onto the bed once she made it into the bedroom area, Max closed her eyes and wished that sleep would come. The bedroom was more of a space taken out of the living room area than a room originally all its own. The walls made of cheap wood and drywall, she had begun the process of hanging her paper lanterns on the ceiling before her smoke break. The bed, a platform frame holding Chloe's checkered mattress from Arcadia Bay, was warm and familiar as Max sought its comfort for a final pause before she got back to her feet and resumed work. She had the day off from her job at the Starbucks a block down the street, so she had sworn to both herself and Chloe that she would get all the unpacking done and everything finished today since she had the time off to do so. Half-done, various knick-knacks put away and furniture assembled, Max had spent the better part of the morning in her sleep shorts and a cotton tank-top building up a good sweat as she labored at making the apartment presentable.
"Why the hell did I turn down Dad's offer to help?" Max grumbled to herself as she finished putting up the lanterns, "Oh, yeah. Because I'm a dumbass. I promised Chloe I'd get this done today, but…just… Wowser. Wowser and fuck."
Walking over to the kitchen, Max took a Wonder Woman tumbler and filled it with ice water from a pitcher in their retro-looking refrigerator. Placing the glass against her forehead for a moment, Max chugged half the water down and wiped her mouth dry with the back of her palm as she surveyed the "damage". The partially-furnished apartment had already sported a couch and BarcaLounger when they had first come into the apartment to check it out, as well as a refrigerator and stove. Everything looked like it was from 30 or 40 years ago, though; Max didn't mind it, she liked the mismatched couch and recliner, brown leather clashing with lime green satin. The refrigerator reminded her of the one she had seen Indiana Jones climb into in Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull, the old box looking like something from the baby-boomer era.
Pushing herself off from the kitchen counter, Max walked into the living room and began to unpack when there came a knock at the door. Grunting as she got up, having just sat down to open up a box, Max walked over to the stairway door that led to their apartment from the hall upstairs and peered through the peephole.
"Chloe, you're supposed to be in class," Max said in a tired voice as she opened the door to find her smiling, azure-haired girlfriend waiting for her with a bag that wafted a scent that had Max's stomach growling fiercely, "…You brought me General Tso's chicken. You're bribing me for something."
"Hella not, I swear," Chloe said, handing Max the bag of takeout as she closed the door behind her and slipped off her Chuck Taylors. Sporting shoulder-length hair she'd put up in a ponytail, Chloe slipped off her Army jacket and leaned against the counter Max had been using only moments before. Clad in a black t-shirt and ripped jean shorts with thigh-high stockings, Chloe looked like more of hipster than Max would ever tell her. Things change, though. That's life. Setting the food on the recently-constructed coffee table, Max walked the short distance to her waiting girlfriend and pressed her into a warm hug that ended with several chaste smooches and mutual grins, "I'm, well, I'm skipping class to help out my amazeballs girlfriend put our place together."
"So you are bribing me," Max said with a smirk as she put her hands on her hips, "Chloe, it's only the second day of class."
"Dude, this is gonna be a rarity. Believe me on that one," Chloe said as she began to unpack and portion out their food on paper plates, pulling out two 20oz bottles of Cherry Coca-Cola before she patted the floor next to her, "Sit."
"I forgot how much I actually liked school. Y'know, when it wasn't being a lame-ass place like Blackhell Crapcademy," Chloe continued on, urging Max to eat, "C'mon, sista. Get the noms in yo face."
"Sorry. Just tired," Max said as she dug her spoon into the white rice and spicy chicken before shoveling it into her mouth. Swallowing it down, Max took a sip of her soda and sagged in her spot a little, "So tired. No more not-sleeping bullshit."
"Agreed," Chloe said, stifling her own yawn that had Max yawning in return, "At least the student lounge in the art building has a coffee maker. I think I drank an entire pot of coffee."
"Serves you right," Max teased, poking the flat end of her spoon into her girlfriend's side, "Keeping me up when you knew I wanted to do this today. On my day off. Butt."
"Hey, there is delicious food spread before us and I have an extra-delicious girlfriend to share all this with!" Chloe protested, her smile flattening into a serious look, "I… I'll always be with you, Max. I mean it. This… I couldn't have gotten out of that town without you."
"Forever," Max said, the promise they shared between themselves in a single word, as she wound her free hand around Chloe's and gave it a light squeeze.
Author's Note
Well, what a long ride, eh?
A one-shot that turned into the longest-running story I've done. Holy smokes. Yet here we are, months and nearly 140,000 words later with the finale of "End – Hospital/Press Play".
I'm pretty speechless, to be honest. I don't know what to say because this story is both a labor of love and something that took a lot out of me to create. There was drama and hurt but also joy and a lot of laughs along the way. If you've been around since the beginning, thanks for sticking around. If you picked this up along the way, thanks for giving it a shot. If you're new to the LiS fanfiction scene and this is one of your first stories then I am grateful that you chose to give one of my stories a peek.
I'll be posting the finale to Lost and Found later this week as well, and then I'll be taking some time off from FanFiction. I want to put my focus on the What If? comic I am doing with summerfelldraws on Tumblr and I also need to take a breather. Life is Derby is on hiatus, and when I come back it will resume. I'll also try to see if I can muster something up for Wyrd Ways, Strange Days. I hadn't intended for it to be an ongoing story, but I'll give it a shot and see if I can't get one or two more chapters out. The story was always more about them coming together than following them along, but at the same time part of me wants to expand on that world I created and explore some. I guess we'll just see...
Months and hundreds of thousands of words… I need a legit break. No hiatus that turns into me still posting content.
Stay hella, Cinnamon Rolls :)