Chapter Text
Max had returned to Arcadia Bay to attend the prestigious Blackwell Academy. Her driving motive mostly being that Mark Jefferson was teaching the photography classes now and this was an opportunity she could not pass up!
She absolutely adored his work,…that was until she spent the first day in his class.
There was something about him. Something..not right about the way he looked at her. Or maybe it was because Victoria couldn't stand one second without flirting.
At least she made a friend. Her name was Kate Marsh, she was quiet and super sweet. Kate totally rocked the good church girl aesthetic, because she was an actual good church girl! It kind of melted Max's heart.
Despite that, the class was just okay.
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Her first day at Blackwell was a bit of a mess, starting off with her dorm situation. With the influx of people attending the school and apparent budget cut-backs this year, they now had to have two girls share one room.
"Roommates,…..yaaayyy," she thought to herself, letting out a deep sigh.
Max wasn't very good at socializing and now she would be forced to share a living space with someone else! How was she supposed to change her clothes?! Roommates means no privacy!
The lady at the front desk, Linda, was kind enough to walk Max through all the papers she had to fill out. There were medical files they needed, emergency contacts, downpayments for textbooks, and payment for other reasons.
Max was confused as to why they needed more money from her. Shouldn't they just take the money they need from her tuition? Linda assured her it would be in her best interest! It would help pay for school trips, that she could attend to give her an "overall better Blackwell experience!!"
Yeah,.. ok.
She filled out the papers accordingly, and once she was done Linda handed her a small piece of paper with her dorm number written on it, with directions to her building written on the back.
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Her mind was going a mile a minute as she strode down the girls dormitories, her boxes of belongings carried on her hip. She wasn't sure she'd make it to the room without having a panic attack and passing out.
You see, Max had this tendency to over think things. Therefore she would freak herself out to the point where she wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out to face the world again!
Max's head was filled with possibilities of who her roommate could be. She didn't know Victoria every well, she only knew what a bitch she could be in Mr. Jefferson's class. Who knows, maybe she could be a good person?? Although, Max really did not want to test her theory out.
The only person Max was hoping for, praying for as a roommate, was Kate Marsh! She was 100% sure she would be totally a-ok with Kate being her roommate.
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As she approached the last door on the right, she took a dizzying breath and looked down at the piece of paper in her hand.
Scribbled on it was the number 219; This was the room. The boxes were slipping out of her grip as she placed her hand on the door handle.
Before she could even turn it, the door swung open!
This nearly gave her a heart attack, her nerves were fried as it is and she was just barley on the edge of her vision going blurry and totally blacking out!
Her eyes shot up, and were met with none other than Chloe Price.
" Well, if it isn't Maxine Caulfield," quipped Chloe, a slight smile pulling at her lips.
Max blinked her eyes hard, she had to be dreaming! She'd heard rumors around town that Chloe had been kicked out for…., well, being Chloe. You know, smoking pot, skate boarding where she shouldn't be, sneaking into every possible place that had a "keep out" sign on it, and ensuing general mayhem.
Chloe leaned in and snapped her fingers in Max's face. Apparently, she'd been standing there, just staring at Chloe for a good minute.
" Hello, Earth to Max! Are you in there?! "
Max snapped her mouth shut, that had apparently been hanging open as well, and quickly stuttered out a response.
" C-Chloe, what the hell are you doing here?! "
" Wow! Nice to see you too, Max." Chloe crossed her arms, defensively.
A surge of guilt hit Max. What a way to respond to your best friend whom you haven't seen in years.
" I'm sorry. That came out wrong," she rubbed the back of her neck, feeling awkward. " I just heard around town that you'd been expelled. I didn't even know you were still at Blackwell.."
Chloe visibly softened," Yeah, well that dickhead Well's wanted to kick me out, but my mom went to him all 'bleeding heart' and got me a second chance." Chloe stated, leaning against the door frame.
" Wowser.." She breathed.
Max scuffed her sneakers against the carpet of the dorm hall. She felt bad, she'd left for Seattle and knew Chloe was hurt about it. She wasn't sure if she was still hurt about it though.
Chloe eventually broke the defining silence, " So, I'm assuming you're my new roomie, huh? "
Max fumbled with the paper she'd crumpled trying to open the door, shooting out her hand to show Chloe the number written on it.
" Y-Yeah. 219. " She smiled slightly at Chloe.
Chloe nodded, then moved from the doorway and into the room, " Well, come on in then," she shouted back at Max. " throw your shit anywhere."
Max all but tripped into the room. God, why was she so nervous?
When she felt like she could walk like a normal human being, she stood straight and strode confidently into the room, closing the door behind her.