Max Caulfield’s eyes were laser focused on her laptop screen.
She was watching her childhood friend, Chloe Price, being beaten to death.
I see panic in those eyes
I see you lying there
Thinking this was the last time
Chloe was in an entire universe of pain. She held her arms against her head, her body in the fetal position. ‘please, please stop’ she thought. She wouldn’t voice the words or make a sound. She couldn’t give this bastard, this man who had invaded her home, the satisfaction.
Max was more than vocal enough for the both of them. “YOU FUCKING BASTARD!”, she screamed. “I’LL KILL YOU! I’LL RIP YOUR GODDAMNED BALLS OFF!!”
David, Chloe’s stepfather, ignored her,and kicked Chloe in the chest. Again, Chloe made no sound. Finally, he said “You need to listen to me, Chloe. I’m your father!”, not noticing his mistake. Chloe spat a glob of spit and blood at him, landing on his leg.
“William Price was her father! And he was five hundred times man you’ll EVER be”, Max’s voice said from Chloe’s laptop, a mix of steel and venom.
“I think you’ve learned your lesson for now, Chloe. You should stop talking to bad influences, like that bitch.” He pointed at her laptop.
“Don’t you dare call Max that, you asshole.” It was said so quietly, he could barely hear it, and it was the first sound she had made since he first hit her.
With a glare, he left.
If you hear a distant sound
And some footsteps by your side
when your world comes crashing down
I will find you if you hide
She managed to slowly crawl to where her laptop had fallen, on the floor.
“...m..max, thank you so much for being here, for the Skype calls. I dunno what I would have done, if not for you. Going years without hearing your voice, or your texts, would have driven me crazy. Especially with step-asshole here.” Chloe whispered.
“..I’m so sorry, Chloe. I wish I was there. I hate seeing you get so hurt.”, Max sobbed.
“It’s ok, Max Attack, we have Skype..”
“Do you feel any broken bones? Feel like anything is damaged, or maybe bleeding inside?”, Max asked. She may have been 4 hours away in Seattle, but, she would do what she could for her Captain, her best friend.
“Nope, no broken bones I can feel, doesn’t feel like anything is really tore up. I’m one tough bitch, you know that”, she said with a smile.
If you wish it, wish it now
If you wish it, wish it loud
“I wish you were here, Max. I’d do anything to get you here”, Chloe said.
“I know, I know, Captain. Me, too.” Max said, crying.
A voice was heard on Max’s end. “Max? Dinner time!”
‘Gotta go, Bluebeard.”, Max said
“I know Max, talk to you tomorrow?”
“Literally nothing on this Earth could stop me. Night, Chloe.”
“G’night, First Mate”
Here is a lifeline
If you want one, too.
The disconnecting sound bleeped.
Only then, did Chloe begin to cry, stuffing her face into a pillow.
Why the fuck did her Dad have to die? Why did her Mom have to fall in love with a monster like her Step-asshole?
“WHY? WHAT KIND OF WORLD DOES THIS?”, she screamed into the pillow. After her tears stopped, she limped into the bathroom. She checked her appearance in the mirror, a habit formed from so many incidents like this. Just some blood on her face. She grabbed a washcloth, and began to clean her face, wincing.
Joyce was at work. She’d been working more, which meant more time for the asshole to get his kicks.
‘get his kicks, literally’, Chloe thought, with a dark, sad grin. He limped back to her room, and fell asleep.
She was awakened the next morning with Joyce’s call “Wakey wakey, eggs and bacey!”
Fortunetly, Chloe could move more, this morning. Stepping into the bathroom, she stripped, and stepped into the shower. She looked herself over. There was what looked almost like a sunset covering her stomach. Yellows, and purples. The asshole knew what he was doing, no visible bruses.
Getting dressed, she walked down stairs. “How was your night, Chloe?”, Joyce said. David, thank god, was nowhere to be found.
“Not much, Skyped with Max.”
I am so glad she kept in touch, darlin’. I don’t know what you would have done, if not for her. “
‘Killed myself’, Chloe thought.
“Especially with school, she’s been your cheerleader, for sure.”
Max had helped her in stay in school, yes. Her grades were low, and she was barely passing, but, at least she was there.
Max woke up the next morning, hoping Chloe was okay. If only she had her damned licence, or a car!
If you hear a distant sound
And some footsteps by your side
if you feel like coming ‘round
I will take you for a ride.
She tried calling Chloe, but, no answer. Five minutes, later, still nothing. Max felt her breath quicken. Why wasn’t Chloe answering? W..Was she dead? Max ran to the bathroom, and dry swallowed two pills of her anti anxiety medication. She remembered what Chloe had said, when she had had an attack, during a Skype call.
‘Just breathe in and out, Maximus. Iiinnn ooouutt. Hey, bet I can breathe slower than you, dork.”
Max calmed down. Chloe wasn’t dead, she just couldn’t get to her phone for some reason. Taking one last deep breath, she headed to the dining room for breakfast.
It had been a month. After talking to Joyce about it, David had confiscated her laptop. He told Joyce Chloe had been spending too much time on it, and that there were computers in the library she could use for her homework. Besides, Max and Chloe could communicate with calls and texts.
She explained this to Chloe. “We’re letting you have your phone, but, under supervision” "Talking too much on it will cut into your homework time.”, her step-fuhrer said.
Chloe said nothing in response. What was there to say? Joyce wouldn’t believe anything she said about the asshole.
Max sat behind the wheel of her new car. Well, it wasn’t new, it was a 14 year old Chevy Lumina. But it was hers, a gift from her parents, for getting her license, as well as getting a 4.0 GPA that semester. She formulated an idea, and told her parents. They agreed, but, with conditions.
Chloe was in her room. The asshole had just left. He had the stench of whiskey on him, which is probably why he lost control and fractured her damn rib. He had left with his usual “No one will know about this, RIGHT?” Her text notification beeped.
MAX: Hey, Bluebeard. What would you say about me heading down to A.B.?
CHLOE: I’d say, how the hell would you get down here?
MAX: Sent wheels.jpg
Chloe opened the photo, it was her standing next to a old Chevy. She could see the house across the street from hers.
Call Incoming: Max Caulfield
“Hey.”
“W..what? you’re here? In Arcadia Bay?”
“No, I actually am on a sound stage in Hollywood.”
“Dork”
You’re the dork, dork.”
“A...are you really here?”, Chloe said, in a tone that sounded like she was afraid she would wake up any second.
“Yes, my Captain. I’m here. I’m here. Grab your most important things and some clothes, and meet me out front”
Call Ended
Chloe ran around, grabbing clothes, throwing them in a duffel bag.. She spotted her Dad’s old Polaroid and tucked it in.
She thundered down the stairs and out the door.
“Chloe, where are you-?”, Joyce said. “Chloe! You get back here!” yelled David. They ran outside.
Chloe stared, there was Max. Max, smiling, looking like she’d cry any second. Chloe knew she looked the same way.
If you want to, I want to
If you want to, I want to
They each launched forward, wrapping their arms around each other.
They sobbed, tears running down their faces, mingling.
“Chloe? Max? Max Caulfield? what’s going on?”, Joyce said.
They broke apart. “Simple, Joyce. She’s coming with me, away from that abusive asshole”, Max said, barely contained rage in her voice.
“But...But..”, Joyce said.
“Joyce” Chloe said. “You know how you need oxygen in your lungs? So you won’t die?”
“What? What does that have to do-?”
“I NEED Max, Joyce. She’s more important to me than the AIR I FUCKING BREATHE! Don’t you GET it?”
“YOU’D LEAVE YOUR FAMILY, YOUR HOME, FOR THIS GIRL?”, David yelled, outraged.
“That house hasn’t been my home since the day you moved in. You have NEVER been my family!” Chloe yelled. “MAX is my home, my family”, she stated this as if it were an immutable fact of the Universe, like gravity.
She turned back, and kissed Max with the force of long years of being alone. She kissed her with the passion that her First Mate, the most important thing in her life, her other half, deserved.
If you want to, I want to
If you want to, I want to
“..I’m home.. I’m finally home”, Chloe said, in awe.
“Yes, my love, so am I”, Max whispered, giving her a peck on the nose.