Maxine Caulfield does not crack under pressure. Not anymore, at least. But it’s increasingly hard to pretend that what happened in Arcadia Bay didn’t affect her. She had all the choice in the world, yet she had no choices at all. Max lay in her bed, beside Chloe, reblogging each other’s posts and giggling. Nudging each other and laughing, in this safe bubble they’ve found themselves in. Max cannot be in this space for much longer, feeling this safe and secure, without shattering in front of her partner in time.
So, Max gets up and leaves , nudging Chloe with a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes on the way out, promising she’ll be right back. Max creeps down the stairs, pushing the front door open and shutting it. Man, she should tell her dad to put some WD-40 on that. That puppy creaks like hell! Max makes a mental note of that as she sits down on the porch, eyes flitting up towards the sky. Locusts buzz, and lightning bugs dance, and Max stares out at the stars with an expression that’s hard to read. Her arms curl around her knees, resting her head against her legs as she sighs. Just one minute, Maxine thinks to herself. One minute outside watching the clouds becomes ten minutes, becomes fifteen minutes, becomes thirty minutes. She hardly notices. She’s hardly grounded, anyway. She hasn’t been for a while.
Chloe Price is worried. She’s been worried since they got on the road. She’s been worried since they arrived at Max’s parent’s. And she’s worried now. Max has been gone for a while now, and after her many near-death experiences, Chloe could be likened to that of a shivering puppy with separation anxiety.
So, of course, once Max’s absence hits 35 minutes, Chloe gets up off her ass to look for her.
She finds Max on the porch, curled in on herself, lost in her head. Chloe’s footsteps are uncharacteristically careful as she finds her place at Max’s side. Her partner in crime. She feels the need to clear her throat, but refrains in doing so, instead nudging Max’s elbow with her own. “What’s up, dork? You camping out here, or something?”