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’Chlo, my place, asap.’
Chloe read the text from Max and frowned slightly.It was the middle of the day, and it was rare for Max to text her during this time.She would normally be in class, but she wasn’t complaining.
’You got it, Max-aroni.‘Chloe texted back before rolling out of bed.
—–
The punk parked her truck and wandered onto the campus of her former school.As she walked out of the parking lot, and towards the main building, she checked her phone again for any more frantic messages from the brunette.
’Yo, Maxi-pad im here.Where y @.’Chloe texted.Not a moment later, her phone buzzed slightly in her hand.
’Outside Mr.Jefferson’s rm.’
Chloe rushed inside the school, a few students lingered in the hall and in empty classrooms.She ignored the stares and jogged towards the location Max texted her.She rounded the corner and saw Max standing outside Mr.Jefferson’s classroom.
“Chloe-”
“What’s up, Max-aroon?Shouldn’t you be in class?“she said playfully.
“Well, it’s our lunch break right now…"Max said.
Chloe elbowed Max lightly.
“Alright spill, wanted to go to Two Whales with the one and only?“the punk teased.
“Yes, actually, and something else.”
“Are you pregnant?Don’t tell me I’m the dad.”
Max snorted as she laughed and punched her friend.
“No.”,Max beamed up at Chloe, giving the taller if the two an opportunity to stare,“But something way better.”
“What?The suspense is killing me."Chloe whined.
"I won the Everyday Heroes contest!”
Chloe watched Max’s eyes lit up excitedly as she grinned.The blue haired woman couldn’t help but share Max’s excitement and wrapped her arms around her waist, hoisting her up.
“Max!That’s hella awesome!I told you you’d totally win!"Chloe said, happily, twirling in a circle before setting her back down.
"I leave for San Francisco this Saturday with Mr.Jefferson.”,Max said, but she noticed the grin on Chloe’s face falter slightly,“I’ll be gone for about five days.”
Chloe opened her mouth to say something, but the door to the classroom suddenly opened, revealing Max’s instructor.
“Max-oh, am I interupting something?"Mark asked.Chloe simply shook her head and let her arms fall from Max’s sides.
"Well, if that’s so, Max, will you come in for a moment?”
The brunette nodded her head and sauntered into the classroom, Chloe naturally right behind her.Mark opened his mouth to ask Chloe to wait outside, until the punk sent a glare.He immediately backed off and made his way to the desk that was set in the middle of his room.
"Again, Max, congratulations.I was starting to worry there for a second.”
The brunette smiled apologetically.
“Sorry for making you wait.”
He gave a brief smile before handing her some papers.
“Now, these are just some forms concerning the use of your picture to flight tickets and such.”
Max took the papers and read over them as Mark continued.
“I just need your signature on these by tomorrow.”
“Alright, thank you."Max said as she left the classroom.Chloe loomed over her shoulder as they exited the room, reading the papers.
"Ugh, too many words."the punk complained.
Max couldn’t help but grin as she flipped through the forms.Chloe shared her joy by grabbing the brunette’s free arm and spinning in a small circle.
"C'mon, Super Max, let’s celebrate with some waffles at Two Whales!”
“Let’s go.”
——
"Mom, one Belgian waffle for Super Max and two pancakes for her sidekick!"was the first thing Chloe said as she entered the diner.Nearby customers stared at the punk.Max could care less, however, she was too filled with happiness to mind the arrogant onlookers.
"Chloe, simmer down, I swear-”
“Mom!Max just won the Everyday Heroes contest!"Chloe announced pridefully, grabbing Max’s arm and raising it high above her head with a large grin.Joyce’s scowl slid off her face before facing the brunette with her mouth open.
"Congratulations Max!I knew you’d win!”,the older woman smiled and patted Max’s back gently,“Go take a seat, I’ll go get the food ready.”
The pair sat at their booth by the window, eating and chatting excitedly.
“I still can’t believe I actually won."Max muttered under her breath.
"You kidding me, Mad Max?”,Chloe nudged her friend’s hand with her own,“I knew you had it in you for this.Hell, I probably would’ve beaten that Jefferson guy if he didn’t pick you.”
Max snorted and sent a playful punch to Chloe.
“I can’t wait…"she said softly, looking at the papers.
Chloe’s face suddenly fell when she realized that where the contest was being held, it would be miles from here, in San Francisco.Miles away from her.
"Wait, Max.”
The brunette looked up from her plate with a questioning look.Chloe bit her lip, facing the table and tried to word her statement the best way.
“Is there a way…You can stay here?"she asked awkwardly.
"What?”
“C'mon, San Fran is like, a billion miles away…I’m sure it’s not really worth that much going there for some contest.”
“Hey.”
Chloe looked up and faced Max.She saw the sympathy lingering behind her eyes.
“If you don’t think you can take care of yourself for just five days, I’m sure you can tag along.”
Chloe’s eyes lit up and gave a small, amused laugh.
“No, I can’t totally take care of myself.”,Max gave a sarcastic snort,“But seriously, can I really go with you?
Max shrugged,"I don’t see any reason you can’t go.”
—–
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
’Perhaps talking about this over the phone wasn’t the best idea‘Max though and flinched slightly under the harshness of Chloe’s voice.
“I-I’m sorry Chloe.They’re only giving us enough money for two plane tickets.”
“Then fuck Jefferson, you and I can go without him.
"I need a teacher there as proof-”
“Then take some fucking selfie with him-”
“Chloe…”
“Or I can hide in your suitcase or something-
"Chlo…”
“Oh, maybe you and I can pull the trench coat thing-”
“Che!"Max said sharply, silencing her friend on the other line.
"Please, don’t go…"Chloe begged, softly.
"Chloe, you’ll be fine when I leave.I promise."Max did her best to soothe her friend, nonetheless, her reassurance did nothing.
"What if you don’t come back?"Chloe’s voice cracked slightly.
Max remained silent on her phone, in disbelief Chloe would say something like that.
"I promise that I’ll come home as soon as I can.I will come home."she said.
Chloe pressed the phone to her ear, listening to Max’s promise.She swallowed slowly and closed her eyes.
"Just five days.Then come home as soon as possible.”
—–
Chloe checked her phone for the umpteenth time that hour as she came to a stop at a red light.Max had sent one last text before she boarded the plane to San Francisco.
’Go to my dorm room and look under the pillow.‘was what the text read.Curiosity got the better of her and she immediately grabbed her keys as soon as she received the text.
She turned left and saw Blackwell just ahead and parked near the dorms.Max had entrusted her with the keys to her dormroom, which the punk laughed at but she didn’t complain.
Chloe sauntered into the building and was grateful when she found the halls empty.She crept towards Max’s room and opened the door with a soft click.She stepped into the small room and breathed in a familiar scent that could be described as Max.
She laid down on Max’s neatly made bed and sighed heavily.Max had only been gone for a few hours, and the punk already missed her.She rolled over, pulling the pillow into her face and curled towards the wall of polaroids.She closed her eyes slowly, letting her self fall asleep.
Chloe sat up suddenly and looked around the room frantically.
’Shit!I’m still in Max’s room!‘Chloe thought, rolling out of the bed.She fell on the floor and grabbed her beanie that fell while she slept.Checking her phone then gunning for the door, she almost forgot the reason why she came.
She looked back at Max’s now unmande bed and reached under the pillow from Max’s bad and felt some sort of paper hit her fingers.Curious, she retrieved the price of paper and studied it.
’An envelope?‘she thought.Her name was written on it in Max’s handwriting with a small butterfly next to it.The punk cringed at Max’s doodle but didn’t complain.She quickly stood and shoved the envelope into her pocket.
She crept towards the door, peeking her head out to scan the halls.As soon as she deemed the halls were empty, she locked the door to Max’s dorm and sprinted down the hall and out the door.She ran towards her truck, starting it the moment she jumped in and sped off.
—–
It was nearing nine o'clock by the time Chloe pulled into her driveway.She locked her truck and climbed up and into her room via roof; no doubt David would shoot her, thinking she was burglar or something.
She turned the lamp on her desk on and crashed onto her bed, trying to rub the sleep from her eyes, despite being able to sleep for at least four hours in Max’s dorm.She frowned and buried her face into the pillow.She missed Max’s scent and her smile and her voice.She sat up and shook her head, no use in sulking and laying in bed.She stood and trudged back towards her desk.
’Get your shit together, Price, Max’s only been gone for one day.She’ll be back in four more days.She promised.'Chloe thought, reaching for the envelope in her back pocket and tossing it onto her desk along with her keys and some spare change.Slipping into her chair, she threw her beanie into some corner of her room and opened the envelope slowly.
Upon opening it, she shook the contents of the envelope onto her desk and watched a folded peice of paper fall from it along with an origami crane.Chloe picked up the crane and taped it next to the other cranes that had found home on her wall, next to the window.All of which were folded by Max.
Chloe unfolded the paper, careful not to rip it.There was only one thing scrawled on the peice of paper, in Max’s clear handwriting.
A single YouTube link.
"I swear to God, Max."Chloe cringed to herself, she typed the link into her laptop, hoping it wasn’t some cat video of Mary or Mario or whatever that cat’s name was.
Hitting enter, the link immediately sent her to the website, but found a playlist and upon further inspection, found that they were unlisted or private so that only she could view them.
Curiously, Chloe scrolled down, clicking on the first video that had been posted several hours ago.
"Hey Chloe."the video began with Max’s face close to the screen, and a blanket thrown over her head.A moment of silence passed, as if the brunette was listening for something.Her smile quickly returned when she assured no one was listening to her.
"I’m on the plane to San Fran right now, well, I mean, in this video, so I would’ve boarded a few hours ago-Y'know what, forget about that.”
Chloe chuckled to herself as Max tried to correct herself but failed and ended up becoming a flustered mess.
“Well, anyway, I’m not supposed to be doing this on the plane, but I suppose your rebellious attitude has had some negative influence on me-bad Chloe!”,Chloe snorted,“But that link you found?You saw the playlist right?I’m gonna be posting a video everyday that I’m here, so you don’t get lonely you know?Like your here with me.”
Max paused again, but she stared straight at the camera before smiling warmly,“I really wish you were here…I’m gonna be home soon.I’ve got to go now, but I’ll be back the second I land, I love you.”
Chloe stayed up until three in the morning watching Max’s San Francisco vlogs.Hours upon hours if Max just taking more pictures of the city, along with several selfie of herself and talking more about the contest.Finishing up the last video, with Max in her hotel room and lamps all on, talking more about the contest.The video ended with Max saying good night and closing her camera.Bleary eyed, Chloe refreshed the page several times, hoping Max would post soon, but to no avail.The brunette would be asleep by now, no way she could be posting anything at this hour.
Chloe wiped her eyes, trying to rub the sleep away so she can watch the next video as soon as possible, but she felt as if weights had been taped to her eyelids and she slowly fell asleep.But her laptop suddenly lit up, blinding the bluenette for a brief moment.
A new video had been posted, and Chloe immediately clicked on it, ignoring the fact that it was only about a minute long.As always, it was Max, but she was on her side with a playful scowl on her lips.
“Yo, Chloe.”,Max’s voice was soft, almost like a whisper, but still playful and comforting,“I know you’re awake.I also know that it’s almost four back home; Oregon and Cali share the same time zones.I know your watching this video right now, go to sleep.I’ll vlog first thing tomorrow, I promise.Night, Che.”
There was a pause, as if Max was waiting for Chloe to bid her good night as well.
“Night, you nerd."Chloe grinned as Max smiled.
"Love you, see you soon."Max murmered then ending the video.Satisfied with that last vlog, Chloe shut her laptop and tucked her head in her arms and fell asleep on her desk.