PART 3: Apartment Story

The midnight breeze was surprisingly strong and cold, sending shockwaves to a weary Chloe. After the incredible dinner at Joe's Pizza, she just wanted to get back to Max's apartment to end her long day in the Big Apple. The two were too full to finish their dinner back at Joe's so Chloe was carrying a corrugated cardboard box filled with the leftovers. Max lived a few miles away from the pizzeria hence it was convenient for them to walk back home. The long midnight stroll reminded Chloe of her late-night walks with Rachel back in Arcadia Bay. The former lovebirds would stay up all night, loitering the streets of Arcadia Bay when the rest of the town was asleep. Chloe had a gift of finding momentary bliss in solitude. Whether she was walking down an empty street at midnight or getting lost in her punk rock performance, Chloe was able to transport her mind to a lonely place – free from her demons.

Last night was a riot for Chloe. The adrenaline from the show was still running in her veins. She started to wonder if it was the final act of her illustrious career as the frontwoman of a popular punk band. "The rest of the bands are probably holed up in the hotel, enjoying their time without me. Maybe crashing at Max's place won't be so bad." Chloe's doubt had dissipated. She was sure that staying with Max - at least for the night – could give her the breathing space she needed to plan her future.

The streets were surrounded by brick buildings that looked like they were built from the 19th century. Greenwich Village had a unique charm to it that made it a hub for artistes back in the 50s and 60s. Chloe began to understand why Max chose the Village as her home in New York. The area had a vibe that attracts white-collar millennial hipsters – especially those with money. It seemed to her that Max had made it big to be able to afford to live in such an affluent neigborhood.

After walking for about 15 minutes, they two came to a halt in front of a bright colored brick building at the end of the street.

"Welcome to mi casa."

Chloe was impressed. "I'm guessing you're making a lot of banks in New York, eh?"

Max grinned in embarrassment. "It's just a normal apartment. Nothing really fancy. You'll know more inside."

The two entered the building's front entrance corridor and started to ascend the stairs. "My apartment is on the third floor. So don't give up yet."

Chloe still had energy to climb the stairs despite her physical weariness. "I wouldn't have my job if I wasn't fit!"

Max's apartment was a bit narrow but its minimalism gave it the breathing space it had. The living area was connected to the kitchen. There were two bedrooms. One of the bedrooms' door was wide opened but it looked vacant. There was nothing inside except a bed, a fitted closet and an office desk. The other bedroom was Max's own bedroom.

Chloe placed the pizza box on top of the small round dining table in the living area. The living area was slightly barren. Besides the dining table, there was nothing else except for a long red couch, a flat-screen TV with a decoder and a DVD player connected to it, and an acoustic guitar placed in its stand.

Max took off her high heels by kicking them off her feet. She approached Chloe for some help with her dress.

"Help me with the zip?"

Chloe pulled down the zip of Max's dress in slow motion, gradually unveiling her bony, naked back.

"I wonder what you do without me," smirked Chloe.

"I'd just do it by myself then. But since you're here, you've definitely earned the privilege."

Max walked straight into the kitchen to grab a beer from the refrigerator. She took out the bottle opener from the cabinet and popped the cap off the bottle.

"Here, have a drink. I'm gonna get a shower real quick and we'll chill out here after I'm done. You stay put."

Chloe grabbed the beer from Max's hand and proceeded to sit on the couch. She took a sip of the cold, crisp beer that tasted a bit too sweet for her taste. "Hipster beer. Max is such an amateur," she thought. Chloe got off from the couch and walked towards the window. The streets looked peaceful at night, a far cry from the hustle and bustle of New York City in the daytime. She began to contemplate about leaving her band and Portland for New York. Maybe a new life elsewhere was what she needed to get her creative juice flowing.

Chloe placed her drink on the dining table without finishing it. She grabbed the acoustic guitar nearby and started to pluck the strings. She played an arpeggio in the G chord to D and then to C. In a whispery voice, she sang:

Blackbirds, they fly
With no reason in trying to stay
When all you say is goodbye
Just spread your wings
Hasta la vista Arcadia Bay

Chloe strummed the guitar fiercely in the same chord patterns as before. She sang, this time with more angst in her voice:

When you were gone
With this winter at home
I'm stuck here waiting all alone
For the summer to come
It's your love that I long for,
Deep down I know you're really gone

Max walked into the living room, looking fresh out of the showers. She wore a white tank top and a pink hot pants that complemented her petite derrière. She wore her hair in a bun with her long locks tied up.

"Hey, I heard that. Is it a new song that you wrote?"

"Yeah. It's called 'Really Gone'. Something that I've been working outside of my band."

"I dig it. You're getting better with the acoustic."

"Thanks dude. It's not finished yet. I need some inspiration to get this one done… and the rest too."

"The rest? There's more?"

Chloe opened up to Max about her plan.

"I've been thinking about leaving the band to pursue my own solo project. Just me alone with the help of a small backing band hopefully. I'm toning down the punk for something more folkish. Maybe folkish punk? So I'm thinking about writing acoustic songs for this project. Nothing heavy like my work with The Ravenous."

Max lit up, giving her friend the seal of approval.

"Chloe, that sounds amazing. I know you can do it. Just think of it as a new adventure in your musical career. Even Paul McCartney had to leave The Beatles."

"You know I'm more of a John Lennon girl?"

Max giggled.

"Of course you are! So - for this new project - are you gonna use your real name?"

Chloe put her head down for a moment and cracked a wry smile.

"No. Daughter of William," whispered Chloe.

"Pure badass," shrieked Max who was in utter joy. She took it as a sign that Chloe would be staying in New York to finish the songs and start her new project.

"So this means you're staying in New York?" asked Max.

"I guess so. For a couple of days. I need to get back to the hotel tomorrow and tell my crew that I'll be staying here. And also get my stuff."

Max reached for Chloe's hand and led her to the empty room next to her bedroom.

"I share this apartment with my roommate who was at Parsons with me. She did her MFA in fashion studies a while ago."

Chloe was a bit confused. "Wait, what's an MFA?"

"Master of Fine Arts. I'm doing mine at the same school but I'm doing on photography."

"Okay, gotcha!"

"So my housemate, her name was Mathilde. She just moved back to France after completing her MFA. So I have no housemate at the moment. It would be awesome if you'd just move in with me here.

"Woah, woah, woah! You know I can't just move in like this. I have other stuff to take care back in Oregon too."

Max meekly nodded her head in disappointment.

"I get it, Chlo. Take all the time you need to think it through. If anything, I can talk to the owner about you moving in. He'll be able to help you for sure."

"The rent here must be expensive. I'm surprised you're able to pay for it. You must be earning hella cash at your job."

"The job definitely helps but it was easier since I split the bill with Mathilde. The owner was also generous by charging us slightly below market rate."

"Sounds like your landlord is Santa Claus himself. Too good to be true!"

Max chuckled. "Oh! I think forgot to tell you about who the owner of this apartment is!"

"Who is it?"

"You are not gonna believe me!"

Chloe was getting impatient. "WHO?"

"Nathan Prescott!"

Chloe burst out a huge laugh. She was joined by a jovial Max who laughed along too.

"Get the fuck outta here! Prickscott?"

"Oh man! You're being an ass. Yes, he was the biggest douche back in Arcadia Bay but now he's mellowed down. Really sweet guy."

Chloe wiped the tears off her eyes. Finding out that Nathan Prescott was the owner of Max's apartment had left her in stitches.

"That made a lot of sense. I heard he's running his family's real-estate business in New York. But charging you below the market rate is not a business savvy move."

"Well, I've helped him with his sister's art show at MoMa. I was the photographer at the event. Didn't charge him a single dime. So I guess he returned the favor."

"Okay. Maybe he isn't that bad after all."

"Chloe, if I remember correctly, didn't you play for him and the rest of the Vortex club back when you were starting out for The Ravenous?"

Chloe covered her face with her palms in jest.

"Dude, don't remind me of that shit. We all gotta do what we gotta in life just to get by."

"Spoken like a true hustler. Word!"

The wall of Max's bedroom was covered with photographs taken by her. Some were Polaroid prints and others were normal prints. Some of the photos were that of Chloe and Max. There was a photo of the two as children dressed in pirate costumes. There was also a picture of Chloe rocking on the stage in one of her earlier shows. Chloe recognised most of the people in Max's photos - family members, friends from Blackwell.

"Hey Max, y'all looked so cute in this photo," said Chloe while pointing to a photograph with a male compatriot.

"Gosh, I miss Warren. The one who got away."

"Where is he now? I haven't heard about him in ages," quizzed a curious Chloe.

"Last I heard, he was a research assistant in MIT. He's always been a nerd. I'd only see him on Facebook. We would like each other's photos. Leave comments on them. Those sort of stuff."

"The one that got away huh?" teased Chloe.

"He is engaged to Brooke Scott. They got together when they both joined MIT as freshmen."

"You should have given him a chance back then. He was all over you."

Max let out a huge sigh.

"I know but I'm happy now. This city is full of hot, single guys. My Tinder is constantly blowing up with requests. So it's all good."

"You little fuckslut!"

Max moved closer to the edge of her bed. She got down on her knees, stuck her head under her bed and started to rummage around.

"Need any help down there?" asked Chloe.

Max pulled out a mini turntable under her bed.

"Can you get my vinyl records? It's in a cardboard box in my closet."

Chloe opened Max's closet in search of her vinyl records. Inside was full of Max's clothes mostly dresses and shirts for work – something the old Max wouldn't be caught wearing. Under the clothes was a storage box filled with vinyl records. Chloe took them out of the closet and started pulling the vinyl records one by one.

"Herbie Hancock, Stan Getz, Miles Davis. Hey Max, I didn't know that you're into jazz."

Max lifted the turntable up from the floor and started walking out of her room.

"I started digging jazz back in college. My professor introduced me to Charles Mingus and I was immediately hooked with the whole genre! I still listen to my indie rock though," shouted Max as she walked to the living area.

"Eclectic taste my hipster friend!"

"Hey, Chloe! Get those records out here!

Chloe slouched in her seat, feeling fatigued from her long day. She kept fidgeting as she craved for her habitual nicotine fix. She knew that Max would not permit to smoke inside her apartment. Plus, she was trying to quit her bad habit. The thought of leaving her band to pursue her own solo project made her feel excited but also anxious. New York City is a place saturated with artists and creatives. Moving out here would allow Chloe to explore and navigate the vibrant art scene. Her show at the Bowery last night proved that New Yorkers are into artistic endeavors that are wild and imaginative.

Max laid down her turntable next to the red couch Chloe was sitting on. She took out one of her vinyl records out from its storage, placed it on the platter and lowered the stylus onto the record. A crescendo of post-rock instrumental began to blare out from the turntable's internal speaker. The instrumental grew more intense and melodic. A soaring voice began to croon over the instrumental.

Let's just forget
Everything we said
Everything we did
Best friends and better halves
Goodbyes
And the autumn night
When we realized
We were falling out of love

"God, you just have to play this song," complained Chloe.

Max was surprised by Chloe's reaction.

"This was our song, remember?"

"That's the problem. I hate getting nostalgic when I am far away from home."

Max playfully dived onto the couch, her head landing on Chloe's lap. Chloe began stroking Max's fringe gently as if she were a pet.

The sight of Max lying on her lap with "Never Meant" playing on the background evoked bittersweet memories for Chloe. She was reminded of her carefree adolescence in Arcadia Bay, back when she was just a rebellious teenage girl.

"Stay here with me. Electric Ladyland Studios is just around the corner. You can record your new solo album there. Let this town gives you the inspiration you need," pleaded Max.

"I wish I can give you an answer right now. Let me decide in a few days' time. Would love to work on my solo stuff at ELS though."

"Fine. By the way, I have to work on my thesis for my MFA program. It would be cool you stay here and help me out."

"How can I help?" asked Chloe.

"I was thinking of taking intimate photos of you working on your newest record for my thesis. Will be super meta as the project is a reflection of two artists working on their respective craft."

"Based on what you described, I'd give you an A+ on the spot."

"So I take that as a yes?"

"Like I said earlier. Will decide on a few days' time."

"Okay, okay! I won't force you. It's entirely up to you. I just want things to be like they used to. My life is not the same since I left Arcadia Bay for college. I've been so blessed to be able to do what I love to do in life. And New York City! Holy shit! It's a great place to call 'home'. But things aren't the same. I feel like a stranger out here in this big city. I miss the simple life that Arcadia Bay afforded me. I miss not having to worry if I'll be late for work or if my photos aren't good enough. I miss having you around, making fun of everything there is in life."

Chloe leaned forward to kiss Max's forehead. She was moved by Max's honest admission. For her, life changed radically when her music career took off. Although life became better, the anxiety of becoming a public figure was too much for her to bear. A new beginning was clearly needed. Chloe knew that this was the opportunity she needed to start life all over again.

"Okay. I'll stay with you," whispered Chloe.

The two cuddled on the couch as the song from the turntable lingered in the background.

Not to be overly
(Overly) dramatic
I just think it's best
'Cause you can't miss what you forget