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Stacie regretted answering her phone. Not because Chloe had called. Because Chloe had called at 1:17 a.m.
And because the first thing she’d heard after picking up was:
“Stacieeeee.”
The drawn-out whine had told her everything she needed to know.
“You drank.”
“No.”
A pause.
“How much did you drink?”
Another pause.
“…That’s a rude question.”
So now she was sitting outside a crowded house full of college students making bad decisions, her car parked at the curb while music rattled the windows from three houses away.
She checked the time again. 1:42 a.m. “Unbelievable,” she muttered.
As if summoned by her annoyance, the front door burst open. A group of people spilled out laughing.Then another.
“Oh!”
Chloe.
Stacie immediately spotted her. Mostly because Chloe nearly missed the porch steps and had to grab the railing at the last second.
“Oh my God.”
Chloe looked up. Her face lit up.
“Stacie!”
She started walking toward the car. Well. Walking was generous.
She stumbled toward the car with the confidence of someone whose balance had filed for resignation thirty minutes ago. By the time she reached the passenger door, she was giggling.
“You’re here.”
“Obviously I’m here.”
“I knew you’d come.”
“You literally called me.”
“Yeah.”
Chloe frowned. As if that somehow complicated things. Then she climbed into the passenger seat. Or attempted to. The first try missed entirely. The second was successful. Mostly.
Stacie waited until she’d managed to get both legs inside before speaking.
“Seatbelt.”
Chloe groaned dramatically.
“You’re not my mom.”
“Seatbelt.”
“You’re so bossy.”
“Seatbelt.”
Chloe clicked it into place.
“There. Happy?”
“No.”
Stacie pulled away from the curb.
“How much did you drink?”
“Not that much.”
“Chloe.”
“Okay, maybe a medium amount.”
“That’s not a measurement.”
“It is spiritually.”
Stacie sighed. Outside, the city blurred past in streaks of yellow streetlights and dark storefronts. For a few minutes, Chloe was quiet. Which should’ve been suspicious. It was suspicious.
Because when Chloe was drunk, silence usually meant she was thinking.
And drunk Chloe thinking was dangerous.
“So.”
There it was. Stacie tightened her grip on the wheel.
“So what?”
“I had a realization.”
“Oh no.”
“It’s okay.”
“It never is.”
Chloe ignored her.
“I think dogs know things.”
Stacie stared at the road.
“…What?”
“They know.”
“Know what?”
“Things.”
“Thank you, Chloe. Very informative.”
Chloe nodded seriously.
“I thought so.”
A few seconds passed.
Then she suddenly gasped.
“Wait.”
“What now?”
“Did I tell you about the guy dressed as Shrek?”
“No.”
“There was a guy dressed as Shrek.”
“Okay.”
“He cried.”
Stacie blinked.
“What?”
“He was crying in the kitchen.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
A pause.
“He said Fiona left him.”
Stacie nearly laughed. Nearly.
“You are impossible.”
“I know.”
Chloe beamed proudly. Then leaned her head against the window. The cool glass seemed to help. For approximately thirty seconds. Then she sat upright again.
“Oh.”
Stacie immediately knew that tone.
“What?”
“You’re pretty.”
There it was. Drunk compliments. A classic Chloe.
“Thank you.”
“No, like.”
Chloe pointed at her.
“Pretty.”
“Thank you.”
“You should hear it more.”
“I hear it enough.”
“No you don’t.”
Stacie rolled her eyes.
“You’re drunk.”
“And you’re avoiding the compliment.”
“I’m driving.”
“Suspicious.”
The road ahead was empty. Quiet. Peaceful. Which was exactly why Stacie noticed the flashing lights immediately. Blue. Bright. Behind them.
“Oh, come on.”
Chloe turned around in her seat.
Then gasped.
“Oh.”
“No.”
“Ohhh.”
“Chloe.”
“Police.”
“Yes, I can see that.”
The lights flashed again. Stacie sighed and flicked on her turn signal.
“You didn’t do anything wrong, right?”
“I was literally sitting in a car.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Yes.”
Stacie pulled over. The car rolled to a stop. Immediately Chloe sat up straighter. Like someone had plugged her into a power source.
“Why do you look excited?”
“I don’t.”
“You do.”
“I don’t.”
“You absolutely do.”
Chloe was already looking out the rear window. Waiting. Watching. The patrol car stopped behind them. For a moment, nothing happened. Then the driver’s door opened. A figure stepped out. The officer began walking toward them.
And suddenly Chloe went very still.
Stacie looked over.
“What?”
No response.
“Chloe.”
Still nothing. The officer moved closer. Streetlights illuminated her uniform. Her posture. Her face.
“Oh,” Chloe repeated quietly.
Stacie narrowed her eyes.
“What?”
A slow smile appeared on Chloe’s face.
“Oh, that’s a woman.”
Stacie froze.
Then immediately understood the look on Chloe’s face. The officer reached the driver’s window.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Stacie lowered it.
“Good evening.”
The officer’s voice was calm. Professional. Confident. She couldn’t have been much older than them. Maybe mid-twenties. Dark hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail. Sharp features. Perfect posture. The kind of person who somehow looked composed at one-thirty in the morning.
“License and registration, please.”
“Of course.”
Stacie immediately handed everything over. The officer glanced down at the documents. Then back up.
“Where are you coming from tonight?”
“A party.”
The officer nodded.
“And have either of you been drinking?”
“No.”
“Yes.”
Stacie whipped her head around.
“CHLOE.”
“What?”
The officer looked between them. Amusement flickered briefly across her face.
“Which one is it?”
“I haven’t been drinking,” Stacie said.
“She has,” Chloe added helpfully.
“I noticed.”
The officer looked back at Stacie.
“Would you mind stepping out of the vehicle for a moment?”
“Not at all.”
Stacie shot Chloe a look that promised future consequences before climbing out. The officer guided her a few feet away from the car. Chloe immediately pressed her face against the window. Watching. Very intensely.
The officer produced a breathalyzer.
“Just a routine test.”
“No problem.”
A minute later Stacie blew into the device. The officer checked the result.
“Zero.”
“Like I said.”
The officer nodded.
“Thank you.”
Then she glanced toward the car. Toward Chloe. Who was still staring. Without shame. Without blinking.
“Oh no,” Stacy muttered.
The officer looked mildly concerned.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Unfortunately, at that exact moment, Chloe opened the passenger door.
And climbed out.
The officer turned and raised an eyebrow.
Chloe smiled.
“Can I do one too?”
The officer blinked.
“A breathalyzer?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
Chloe considered the question. Then shrugged.
“I think it’d be fun.”
Stacie covered her face with both hands. The officer looked at Chloe. Then at Stacie.Then back at Chloe. And, despite herself, the corner of her mouth twitched.
“Fun?”
“Yeah.”
The officer looked like she was actively trying not to laugh. And Chloe noticed. Which, unfortunately for everyone involved Only encouraged her. She looked at Chloe. Then at the breathalyzer. Then back at Chloe.
“You want to take a breathalyzer test.”
“Yes.”
“You are not driving.”
“Nope.”
“You are not suspected of driving.”
“Nope.”
“And you still want to do it.”
Chloe nodded enthusiastically.
“Correct.”
Stacie made a noise that sounded like someone losing the will to live. The officer looked away for a second, pressing her lips together. Trying, and failing, not to smile. Finally, she sighed.
“Alright.”
Stacie’s head snapped up.
“What?”
The officer pointed at Chloe.
“One time.”
Chloe perked up immediately.
“Really?”
“One time.”
The officer held up a finger.
“And if anybody asks, this never happened.”
Chloe grinned.
“Oh, absolutely.”
“I don’t trust that answer at all.”
“I wouldn’t either.”
That earned a laugh. A real one this time. Quick. Small. But definitely there.
And Chloe noticed. Of course she noticed.
The officer immediately cleared her throat and straightened her posture again.
“Come here.”
Chloe practically skipped over.
“Please arrest me officer.” She said boldly and in a flirty tone.
The officer handed Chloe the device instead.
“You’re going to blow steadily until I tell you to stop.”
“Got it.”
“Don’t stop early.”
“Okay.”
“Don’t laugh.”
“I’ll try.”
The officer looked unconvinced.
“So will I,” Stacie muttered.
Chloe lifted the device. Then paused. The officer raised an eyebrow.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Chloe smiled.
“Just making sure I’m doing it right.”
The officer looked suspiciously like she wanted to roll her eyes.
“You’re blowing into a tube.”
“Right.”
“Not exactly advanced science.”
“Okay, wow.”
The officer laughed again. And Chloe’s stomach immediately did something stupid. Oh no. The officer nodded toward the device.
“Go ahead.”
Chloe brought it up and started blowing. Almost immediately, her eyes drifted upward. And landed on the officer’s. She froze. Not visibly. Not enough for anybody else to notice. But Chloe did. Because she was looking directly at her.
The entire time.
Steady eye contact.
No shame whatsoever.
The officer blinked once. Then looked at the device. Then back at Chloe. Who was still staring. Still blowing. Still looking way too pleased with herself.
“Keep going.”
The officer’s voice came out slightly tighter than before. Chloe obeyed. A few seconds later, the machine beeped.
“Alright.”
The officer took it back.
“You can stop.”
Chloe lowered it. Neither of them immediately looked away. Then the officer glanced down at the screen. A smile appeared almost instantly.
“Oh.”
“What?” Chloe asked.
The officer turned the screen slightly.
“0.84.”
Chloe stared.
“Is that bad?”
The officer laughed.
“Very.”
“Oh.”
“Very, very bad.”
“Oh.”
The officer shook her head.
“Well.”
She looked Chloe up and down.
“That explains a lot.”
Stacie barked out a laugh.
“THANK YOU.”
“What does that mean?” Chloe demanded.
The officer smiled.
“It means it’s a very good thing you’re not driving tonight.”
“I wasn’t going to.”
“Good.”
“I would’ve crashed immediately.”
The officer pointed at her.
“See? That’s self-awareness.”
Chloe grinned.
“I have moments.”
The officer snorted softly. For a second, she forgot to look professional. And somehow that made her even prettier. Which was a problem. A very new problem. One Chloe had absolutely no interest in examining right now.
“So,” Chloe said.
The officer immediately looked suspicious.
“What?”
“Do you do this often?”
“Traffic stops?”
“No.”
A pause. The officer crossed her arms.
“No what?”
“Humor me.”
The officer looked at Stacie.
“Is she always like this?”
“Unfortunately.”
“I can hear you.”
“I know.”
The officer laughed again. And Chloe was starting to think she’d climb into traffic if it meant hearing that laugh one more time. Which felt concerning.
“What’s your name?” Chloe asked.
The question slipped out before she could stop it. The officer hesitated. Just slightly.
Then: “Beca.”
Chloe repeated it automatically.
“Beca.”
Something flickered across Beca’s face. Gone almost immediately.
“Yep.”
“That’s a nice name.”
“Thank you.”
“It suits you.”
Stacie physically turned away from the conversation.
“Nope.”
Neither of them paid attention. Beca shifted her weight.
“You flirt with every police officer you meet?”
“No.”
The answer came way too fast. Beca raised an eyebrow.
“No?”
“No.”
A beat. Then Chloe added:
“Just the pretty ones.”
“Oh my God,” Stacie whispered.
Beca looked down. For a second. Like she was hiding a smile. When she looked back up, there was definitely amusement in her eyes.
“That’s a terrible strategy.”
“Is it working?”
Stacie nearly choked.
“CHLOE.”
“What?”
Beca shook her head.
“I am not answering that.”
The fact that she didn’t say no felt significant. At least to Chloe. The next few minutes blurred together into easy conversation. Somehow. Nobody mentioned how weird that was.
Beca asked where they lived. Stacie answered. Chloe interrupted. Frequently. Beca pretended to be annoyed. Poorly.
Eventually, though, reality caught up with them. A radio crackled softly from Becca’s shoulder. She glanced toward her patrol car. Then back at them. And the atmosphere shifted. Just slightly. Professional again.
A reminder that this wasn’t supposed to be… whatever this had become.
“Alright.”
Beca straightened.
“That’s enough excitement for one night.”
Chloe immediately frowned.
“Aww.”
Stacie pointed toward the car.
“Get in.”
“You hate fun.”
“I love survival.”
Chloe sighed dramatically. Then looked back at Becca.
“Well.”
Becca folded her arms.
“Well.”
There was a beat. Then another. Neither seemed particularly eager to end the conversation. Which definitely wasn’t helping Stacie’s sanity. Finally, Beca nodded toward the passenger side.
“Go home.”
Chloe smiled.
“You too.”
That earned a small laugh.
“I’ll try.”
For a second, Chloe thought about saying something else. Something clever. Something memorable. Instead she just smiled. And Beca smiled back. Small. Warm. Gone almost immediately. Then she stepped back. Professional mask sliding neatly back into place.
“Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
The patrol car lights flashed across the street as Becca returned to her vehicle. A moment later, she was gone. And the entire world felt strangely quiet.
The drive home should have been peaceful. It wasn’t. Because Chloe spent the entire ride talking.
About one thing.
And one thing only.
The next morning, Or rather, noon. Stacie walked downstairs, yawning. The kitchen was empty. Which was weird. Very weird. Because Chloe was always awake first. Always. Coffee should’ve already been brewing. Breakfast should’ve already been started. Music should’ve already been playing. Instead, the entire apartment was silent.
Stacie frowned. She checked the clock. 11:57 AM.
“No way.”
Still no Chloe. No coffee. No signs of life. The frown deepened.
“Okay.”
Now she was officially concerned. Setting down her mug, she headed toward the stairs. A few minutes later, she stood outside Chloe’s bedroom door. The light underneath was on. Which meant she was awake. Probably.
Stacie knocked.
Once.
Then again.
“Chloe?”
Silence.
Stacie frowned.
Then slowly reached for the doorknob.
And pushed the door open.
The room was quiet in a way that immediately felt wrong.
Chloe was sitting on her bed with her back to the door, shoulders slightly hunched. A laptop was open in front of her, the glow of the screen lighting up the edges of her hair and hands.
For a second, Stacie just stood there, taking it in.
“…Okay,” she said lightly, forcing a small smirk into her voice. “We’re doing late-night academic research now? I thought exams were over.”
No reaction. Not even a flicker.
That alone made her pause.
“Chloe?”
Still nothing.
Stacie stepped inside and gently closed the door behind her.
“Hey,” she tried again, softer now. “What’s going on?”
Chloe moved quickly. Too quickly. Click. The laptop shut. The sound was sharp in the quiet room. Stacie stopped walking. That wasn’t normal. That was hiding.
Slowly, she walked closer and sat down on the edge of the bed, turning so she could see Chloe’s face.
“Okay,” Stacie said carefully. “Now I’m actually concerned.”
Chloe didn’t turn around. Didn’t answer. Stacie leaned a little forward.
“Chloe…”
A beat.
“Talk to me.”
Silence.
Then Stacie’s eyes drifted instinctively toward the laptop.
And something clicked.
“…Wait,” she said slowly.
Her tone shifted slightly. Not teasing anymore. More observant.
“Is that what I think it is?”
Chloe stiffened. Stacie leaned a little closer, squinting.
“Please tell me you did not spend your morning taking an internet quiz.”
Chloe still didn’t answer. Which was answer enough. Stacie exhaled through her nose.
“Oh my god.”
She reached forward and, without touching it, nodded toward the laptop.
“Was it one of those ‘Am I gay?’ quizzes?”
Chloe’s shoulders moved slightly. Barely. A yes without words. Stacie blinked once. Then twice.
“…You took a BuzzFeed identity crisis test at noon?”
Chloe finally spoke, very quietly:
“It wasn’t BuzzFeed.”
Stacie stared.
“That is not the point.”
A pause.
Then Stacie leaned back slightly, rubbing her face.
“Okay. Okay, hold on.”
She took a breath.
“Chloe. Look at me.”
Slowly, Chloe turned just a little. Not fully. But enough.
Her eyes were red.
Stacie’s expression softened immediately.
“Oh…”
The joking was gone now.
Completely gone.
“Hey,” she said gently. “Okay. Talk to me.”
Chloe swallowed.
“I think something is wrong with me.”
Stacie shook her head instantly.
“No.”
That was immediate. Firm. Not even a question. Chloe blinked at her.
Stacie leaned forward again, elbows on her knees now.
“There is nothing wrong with you.”
Chloe let out a shaky breath.
“You don’t know that.”
“I do know that,” Stacie said.
A pause. Then she nodded toward the laptop again.
“But I do want to talk about the fact that you woke up and immediately went into full identity-crisis-Google-mode.”
That almost got a reaction from Chloe. Almost. Stacie continued, softer now.
“What did the quiz say?”
Chloe hesitated.
“…It asked questions.”
“Yeah, that’s how quizzes work.”
Chloe gave a weak, humorless laugh. Stacie stayed gentle.
“What kind of questions?”
Chloe looked down at her hands.
“I don’t know,” she muttered. “Like… ‘Do you feel nervous around the same gender?’ ‘Do you admire women?’ ‘Have you ever had confusing feelings?’”
Stacie raised an eyebrow.
“That sounds like every normal human experience ever.”
Chloe shook her head quickly.
“But it was like… framed like it means something.”
Stacie nodded slowly.
“Okay.”
Then she leaned back slightly.
“Chloe.”
A pause.
“You know those quizzes are basically designed to make everyone question everything for engagement, right?”
Chloe looked at her.
“…I didn’t know that.”
“Yeah,” Stacie said calmly. “They’re not psychology. They’re clickbait with drama music in text form.”
That landed. A small silence followed. Chloe’s shoulders dropped just a fraction. But the tension didn’t fully leave her. Stacie noticed. She softened her voice even more.
“Okay. So the quiz freaked you out.”
Chloe swallowed.
“…Not just the quiz.”
Stacie didn’t interrupt. Just waited. Chloe’s hands twisted together in her lap.
“It’s everything,” she said quietly. “Yesterday. The officer. The way I was acting. The way I—” She stopped herself, shaking her head. “It feels like I did something I didn’t understand at the time.”
Stacie nodded slowly.
“Okay.”
Chloe finally turned more fully toward her now. Her eyes were glossy again.
“I don’t want this to be a thing.”
Stacie frowned slightly.
“What thing?”
Chloe hesitated. Then it came out quieter.
“I don’t wanna be like this.”
That made Stacie’s expression change immediately. More serious. More present.
“Like what?”
Chloe swallowed hard.
“I don’t wanna wake up and question everything I thought I knew about myself.”
Her voice cracked slightly.
“It’s terrifying, Stacie.”
A pause. Then, smaller:
“I don’t want my whole life to change.”
Stacie didn’t rush to respond. Didn’t joke. Didn’t dismiss. She just shifted closer on the bed. A little at a time.
Until she was sitting right next to her.
“Hey,” she said quietly.
Chloe didn’t look up. Stacie gently bumped her shoulder with her own.
“Look at me.”
Slowly, Chloe did. Stacie’s voice stayed calm.
“You are not becoming someone else.”
A beat.
“You are still Chloe.”
Stacie continued.
“If you like boys, you’re Chloe.”
“If you like girls, you’re Chloe.”
“If you like both, you’re Chloe.”
“If you don’t know yet, you’re still Chloe.”
Chloe’s breath shook slightly. Stacie reached over and lightly touched her hand.
“And nothing about that is something you did wrong.”
That was when Chloe’s face finally crumpled a little. Just overwhelmed.
“I just don’t understand it,” she whispered.
“I know.”
“I feel like I should know.”
“Yeah,” Stacie said softly. “I get that.”
A pause.
Then Chloe added, almost inaudible:
“And what if it’s true?”
Stacie didn’t hesitate.
“Then we deal with it.”
Chloe looked at her. Stacie shrugged slightly.
“Like we deal with everything else.”
Chloe gave a small, shaky laugh through tears.
“That sounds like a terrible plan.”
“It’s a very normal plan.”
Stacie was still sitting close to her when Chloe’s breathing started to change again. Not dramatic. Just… uneven.
Like she was trying to hold something in and slowly losing the fight. She blinked a few times, quickly, like she could physically push it back down. It didn’t work. A tear slipped out anyway. Then another.
And suddenly she was wiping her face again, frustrated, embarrassed, overwhelmed all at once.
“No,” she muttered. “No, I’m fine, I’m—”
Her voice cracked halfway through. Stacie didn’t say anything immediately. She just shifted closer without hesitation.
“Hey,” she said softly.
Chloe shook her head, still trying to laugh it off. “This is so stupid.”
“It’s not.”
More tears came now, faster, quieter. Chloe covered her face with both hands like she could disappear into them.
“I hate this,” she whispered.
Stacie didn’t ask what “this” was. She already knew. Slowly, she reached out and gently pulled Chloe’s hands away from her face.
“Hey,” she repeated, even softer now. “Look at me.”
Chloe hesitated. Then looked up. Her eyes were red again, glassy, completely unguarded.
Stacie didn’t wait for her to say anything else. She just moved.
Carefully, without rushing it, she pulled Chloe into a hug.
Chloe froze for half a second, then broke.
Not loudly.
Just… collapsing into her like her body finally gave up trying to hold everything together. Stacie wrapped her arms around her properly, one hand settling gently on the back of her head.
“It’s okay,” she murmured. “I’ve got you.”
Chloe let out a shaky breath against her shoulder. They stayed like that for a while. No urgency. No fixing.
Just Stacie holding her steady while Chloe slowly stopped trying to hold herself together alone.
Eventually, Chloe’s breathing evened out a little. Stacie didn’t let go right away. She just kept her there.
“Hey,” she said quietly after a moment. “You’re still here.”
Chloe nodded slightly against her shoulder.
“I know.”
“And you’re okay.”
“I think so.”
Stacie squeezed her gently.
“That’s enough for today.”