Chapter Text
Chloe hates taking the bus. Too many people, smells and noises cramped into a way too tight space for her comfort. And all that while the driver's apparently decided to crank up the heating to eleven already, despite the still perfectly warm autumn days the year is currently gifting them with.
She has always imagined owning her own set of wheels to drive herself around town and maybe, just maybe, someday even out of it, and beyond. But she gueses, that's just another one of the uncountable fuck yous the universe has darted to her life specifically.
First Dad died, then Max left. Joyce dragged that moustache on a stick, pretending to be a person, into the house, and actually fucking married him. One unending nightmare after the other... Gradually losing her sight in the years after that, had been the least shitty thing of them all to happen to her, even if it does mean, having to let herself be stuffed into this tin can now.
Some part of her mind suddenly pushes her out of her sea of thoughts. She hadn't paid any real attention to the automatic voice announcing the stops, but from the unmistakable way the vehicle has been taking the last few curves, she senses hers coming up next.
She gets up early from her seat and starts feeling for a pole to grab, quickly finding one to her left. Then she slowly makes her way towards the front and sure enough, only a few seconds later, the voice says Next stop: Backwell Academy in its robotic monotone way.
Hopping off, she immediately folds out her cane and starts walking towards the steps she knows must only be a couple feet away from her. It doesn't take long, until the little ball on the end hits the concrete of the bottom one and with that, Chloe can climb them up, in order to reach the school's green campus area.
The instant smell of weed coming from somewhere to her right is a welcome relief compared to the sweaty inside of the bus. Damn, Justin and Trevor must be living large again. I'm so broke, I can't even afford a single joint at the moment. Maybe I could ask them if... No! Focus, Chloe! You got a task at hand, can't let yourself get distracted now.
With a sigh, she continues to walk the concrete path that leads to the main building, swinging her cane from side to side, quietly promising herself to talk to them later, once she's done with that drunken asshole Wells, and whatever bullshit he urgently wants to talk to her about.
It's been a bit more than over a year ago that he was forced (as he claimed) to suspend her, because the school apparently just hates disabled people. Oh, I'm so sorry, but we can't afford Chloe's further enrollment at this Academy, given her... situation. Chloe wanted to punch him right in the dick for that, if she could still see where that was (not that anyone with normal functioning eyes would be able to, given how small it must be), but there'd also been another thing that had kept her back at this meeting. The thought of finally being free. The idea of not having to go to this hell school anymore and just do whatever she wants to do. Of course, the reality of that had definitely caught up with her by now, but at the time, it did seem pretty apealing. So, all she did was to lean back, enjoy the shit show between Wells and Joyce, and at the end just agree and leave with a simple Okay, whatever...
When her gap count reaches five, she prepares for her cane to hit the round edges of the fountain and once it does, she makes her way around it, in order to finally approach the last couple steps to the entrance. The heavy wooden doors croak, as some of the artsy hipsters apparently just exit the building, rushing down past her, not even seeming to notice the town's degenerate punk, turned fatherless and blind.
Can't be any seniors though, because these all know Chloe personally and they still have some friendly chats every now and then. Shit, when's the last time I talked to Rachel and Steph? Are they still together, or has one of them managed to roll a one on charisma by now? Fuck, I really should join in on their next campaign with Mikey and Drew to keep better in touch.
Chloe takes the few remaining steps up and then searches for a bar to press her weight against and get inside.
"Ms. Price." Chloe almost winces at the familiar voice and phrase, before remembering that she's here more or less voluntarily. She gets up from her usual seat in the front office and turns into the rough direction, where it has come from. His tone appears much more relaxed now though, in comparison to whenever she sat here, because she had gotten herself into trouble.
"Principal Wells." she greets back, trying to sound overly friendly. "Hi."
She can almost imagine the grimace on his face after saying that, but to her surprise, no accusations or orders follow right after. Instead, she swears she can hear a slight smile in his voice when he answers: "Please come in. Can I offer you a glass of water?"
"No, thanks. I'm good." Chloe replies with a shake of her head, before following him into his office. Her cane stays folded up in her hands, since even before her vision failed, she could probably find her way in here blindfolded.
"Please, have a seat." He says while he himself sits down in his screechy leather big-boss chair behind his desk. In the meantime, Chloe finds one of the uncomfortable wooden ones in front and lets herself down into that. She kinda has to suppress the urge to put her cowboy boots up on top of the edge of his pretentious piece of furniture, but at last manages to control herself.
For a weirdly long-ass moment though, there's nothing but silence between them. Chloe almost wonders if her opposite has fallen asleep or something, until she hears him sigh. Then again, nothing comes after that.
Man, I'm so sick this man's fucking mind games.
She gives it what she thinks is about another minute, before she finally decides to take the initiative. "Well, you wanted to see me, here I am. What's up?"
"Um... yes, well..." he begins, clearing his throat. "First of all, I owe you an apology." Dude, really? Now? "I know, it was far from ideal how things went back then, but..."
"Not ideal?" Chloe immediately interrupts him. "Wow, understatement of the year, man." she adds, and slow-claps a few times.
Wells pauses at that for a couple seconds, before he gets his words sorted again. "Yes, you're right." he finally admits. "It was a disaster, and I completely failed my duties as principal with you. But, like I said back then, we really didn't have the tools and the support that are necessary for someone with your disability. Sure, we could've legally made it work somehow, but I honestly doubt it would've benefited you much. Other schools in the state were a lot better equipped than us, and you know, also don't have to face the difficulties that come with heritage-protected buildings."
Chloe just hopes that he can see her rolling her eyes right now. "These were then and still are all excuses though."
"That's where we can disagree." he lamely tries to turn down the discussion. "But neither of us can change what has happened now anyway, can we? So... let's focus on the second part of what you've just said."
Chloe tilts her head, giving him a puzzled expression. "Um, what?"
"Well, this was the situation. At least, until a couple months ago. Right after you left, one of my dear colleagues had the brilliant idea of raising funds in exactly that matter. And not too long ago, she managed to get enough money, so we can actually invoke some serious meassures, in order to better accomodate handicapped students."
Chloe's mouth falls open. "Are you saying..."
"Yes." Wells' elbows hit the surface of his desk, as he's apparently folding his arms on top of it. "I'm offering you to come back and finish highschool here."