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Sometimes, it's best to just not question things.
It's not always easy for Max. It's in her nature to be inquisitive; she's curious and searching and intrigued. But questioning the series of events that lead to where she is right now – lying in the grass, blue sky above her stretching ever outward – seems arbitrary. Ungrateful, even. Because does it really matter where Rachel found the guitar that she's strumming lightly; does it really matter why Chloe's looking through Max's polaroids like they're ancient scriptures from some mythical land?
They just are. They're just here with Max, living and breathing. Bathing and warm in the summertime heat, relaxed and carefree, and for now, Max doesn't want to question a damn thing about it.
"You should play something," Rachel says softly, pulling Max out of her thoughts. Max turns her head so she can see Rachel better, cross-legged a few feet away, lighthouse towering behind her. She's met with an encouraging smile that urges a quick, nervous answer out of her.
"Uh, I don't know. Maybe." She looks back up to the sky again. "Or maybe later? Y-You can keep playing for now. It sounds good."
Rachel's laugh is warmer than the sun's rays.
"Bullshit. I'm just fucking around here. I don't know anything about guitars."
Max isn't sure how much truth is in that, but she smiles a little regardless. "Doesn't sound like it."
This time when she meets Rachel's eyes, she's just grinning lazily. Max holds her gaze.
"Whatevs," Rachel says then, shrugging. "You're probably bored of Oasis on repeat. That's like, the only shit I can play. And I don't even listen to them anymore."
Chloe's laugh is sharp and sudden.
"Wow, holy shit," she wheezes. "I don't even listen to them anymore..."
Rachel immediately shoots Max a glance, looking defeated. Max props herself up on her elbows and grins involuntarily at Chloe losing it.
"Sure, sure Rach, oh my God. You- you had Fade Away on in the truck, like, last week—"
"Okay, whatever, fuck off!" Rachel raises her voice, but she's trying not to laugh. "Anyway! Fuckin', tell Max that she should play guitar!"
Chloe's still recovering from her own laughter as she repeats Rachel, "Max, you should play guitar."
And well, it's two against one now. Rachel hands over the guitar willingly.
The strings buzz a little when she plucks them, but the sounds blend together fine when she starts strumming; random chord progressions at first, bits and pieces she's picked up from different songs.
There's something that just feels right about playing guitar outdoors, the soothing addition of the gentle breeze and bird calls, natural sounds surrounding you. Rachel and Chloe feel it too probably, because they remain in silence as Max plays; watching her and listening intently. Rachel whispers something to Chloe at one point, but Max can't hear what she says. Chloe only smiles in response.
It feels so comfortable, Max doesn't even notice she's singing along softly to some semi-popular song until she forgets the words and Rachel speaks them aloud for her.
She starts to feel her face getting hotter.
Chloe notices her shyness, smirking knowingly, eyes sparkling. And Max doesn't sing much more after that.
"It's getting late," Max says eventually, in between songs, noticing the sky darkening as the sun begins to set. Rachel glances at her phone. Chloe looks indifferent.
"Yeah," Rachel breathes. "Oh, chauffeur dearest, would you take us back to Blackwell?"
"Ew," Chloe responds. "What am I getting paid exactly?"
"Got two dollars on me."
"No deal."
Rachel huffs. "Max, you?"
"Nothing," Max replies, smiling. "Sorry. How about... hugs?"
Chloe shakes her head stubbornly.
"Hugs and kisses?" Max says it innocently, but the way that Chloe stares back, surprise evident on her face, makes her freeze. She didn't mean to catch Chloe off-guard like that. Oh, God.
But Rachel's quick to agree.
"Yeah, Maxie, great fucking idea! PDA as currency! God damn!"
Max feels overwhelmed. Chloe looks it too. She chuckles breathily.
"Y-yeah, you guys would love that, wouldn't you?" She actually stutters.
"Tell you what, free donuts next time you're at the coffee shop, alright?" Rachel says. Max sighs in relief, grateful not only for the swift transition in the conversation, but the fact that Rachel bagged that job in town recently too.
"Fine, okay. None of that shitty cream filling, either."
"Your wish is my command."
Rachel takes the guitar back from Max and pulls the strap over her head, swinging it around dangerously so the instrument hangs on her back.
When Max grabs her bag and starts to sit up, Chloe holds out her hand. Max just stares at it for a second before she realizes what's going on, but then she grabs it and Chloe hoists her up onto her feet.
"Thanks."
"No prob." Chloe hesitates. "Your photos from today were really good, by the way."
"I mean." She shakes her head. "They're good every day, but you know."
Max smiles back. Chloe must realize just then that she's still holding Max's hand, because she drops it awkwardly and puts her hand in her hoodie pocket instead.
"Oh, yeah. Here," she says, handing the small bundle of photos back over. Max takes it.
"Aw, guys," Rachel calls from a few meters away. She's leaning over, tucking her laces back into her combat boots, but pointing over towards the path. "I love that. Every time I see it I'm just like, oh my God. It's so fucking cute."
Max smiles as soon as she notices what Rachel has found.
"Fuck, yeah!" Chloe shouts back. She goes over to the tree trunk, Max trailing after her, kicking the dirt under her feet as she walks.
Rachel traces the markings with her finger as Max reads the familiar words.
Max + Chloe
BFF Pirates
2008
"Man. I'm glad this is still here..." Max says, because she is. She's glad it's lasted this long. And she's glad she's back here now and looking at it again.
"We were cute as fuck as kids," Chloe mutters.
"You still are!" Rachel says, her tone insistent.
"Call me cute again and I'll end you," Chloe warns jokingly.
"Alright, emo. Well, Max is cute."
"Eh, true."
Max bites back a smile.
It stings a little for Max, knowing she left shortly after they carved those markings. She wasn't always there for Chloe. Sure, she had Rachel, and it's all water under the bridge now, but... she still feels guilty. She probably always will.
She looks at Rachel, the way she's looking at the carvings fondly, the way she's bumping her elbow against Chloe gently.
"Hey, Rachel?" she asks.
"Sup?"
"Do you wanna... I don't know... like, add your name?"
Chloe doesn't really react, she just watches Rachel from the corner of her eye.
"What?" Rachel wrinkles her nose. Max isn't sure if it's rhetorical or not, but she continues, a little frantically.
"I mean—you could carve your name too? Maybe, if you want? If that's okay with Chloe, 'cause, it's okay with me..."
"No, I mean, why?" Rachel clarifies. Max starts to feel a little silly. Maybe this was a better idea in her head.
"Honestly? I was just... thinking, I'm glad I'm back with Chloe, and—and I'm glad I met you. And I'm glad you were there for Chloe, when, when..."
Chloe's biting on her lip pretty hard. Max doesn't know what that means.
"You're... you're really good to Chloe. You're good to me, too. I'm just... yeah."
Rachel sighs. "That's sweet as hell, Max, but... I don't wanna intrude. This is your memory, and—"
"I'm down with it," Chloe says. Max is surprised, but when she looks at Chloe, Chloe just nods and gives her a lopsided smile. "You're all gay and mushy."
Max... doesn't know what to say to that.
Rachel just beams. "Why the hell not then? Give me your key or something, Chlo?"
Chloe hands over her keys and Rachel tosses them between her hands. "Don't think this means you're getting out of us getting matching tattoos when you're older though, Max. That's still on."
"Oh, God. Okay," Max laughs.
"Right. Let's do this," Rachel starts, beginning to chip away the wood above the original carving. "I'm gonna do something here, 'cause I'll definitely feel like I'm intruding if I try include myself in your weird pirate fetish thing, so—"
Max nearly chokes. Chloe groans loudly.
"Please don't—"
"Damn, Rachel, you fucking kinkshamer—"
"I'm just saying! Anyway, so, if I just... do a little... something... here. Aaand... here," Rachel mumbles as she carefully carves letters into the bark.
Chloe silently links her arm around Max's, pulling her closer ever so slightly.
"How's that?" Rachel asks when she finishes. Max smiles.
"Perfect."
Chloe nods her head in agreement. "Yeah. Good shit."
"See, I'm still there, but not, like... taking away from you guys' sentimental shit?"
Chloe snorts.
"Instead you make your own sentimental shit. Initials in a heart. You are a living cliché," she teases, but she's grinning and squeezing Max's arm lightly. Genuinely happy.
"You love it," Rachel pokes Chloe in the side and Chloe jumps back. "You both do! You sappy fucks!"
Max squeaks when Rachel goes for her next, threatening to tickle her ribs. "Watch the guitar!"
"Fuck the guitar! Let's bounce outta here, Max, Rachel's fucking deadly!" Chloe shakes Max's arm, laughing loudly.
"Damnit!" Rachel struggles, trying to balance the guitar as the strap starts to slide down her shoulder. "No, stop! You're sacrificing free donuts here!"
Chloe looks contemplative. She glances at Max for guidance.
"That's a threat, Chloe," she laughs, "Just go, before she—ah!"
She darts away from Rachel's grasp, squealing. "Run! Don't question it!"
"Snake!" Chloe shouts. She gets the head start.
Max giggles, taking one last look at the graffiti.
CP + RA + MC
2014
And then she runs.