@dmcandyy // i wanna take you to a gay bar
The impromptu message had left Chloe blinking for a solid couple of minutes at her phone, processing the completely blunt question. It wasn't exactly unusual for Steph to be texting her on a Tuesday evening, nor for her texts to come laced with an invitation out, usually for a game of some kind, twice for a movie session, once for a geeky convention out of town. And while it was nice to have someone willing to hang out without the obvious underlying interests that permeated Eliot's willingness to do the same, Chloe wasn't exactly the best at the whole socializing thing, especially when bringing Rachel along to said events would undeniably make things a little awkward given all that she's told Steph about her.
It's the phrasing of the message that has her perplexed, more notably the words 'gay bar'. Chloe's known Steph for well over a year and a half, and while their interactions sometimes revolved around Chloe's mixed up feelings about Rachel, she'd never really reached a conclusion about them out loud. She doesn't quite know what prompts her to type out a 'yeah sure' in response -- perhaps it's because Rachel's out of town until next week and clutching the postcard she'd sent only reminds Chloe of the swirling grasp of loneliness and dependence that's already began unfurling from within her. Or perhaps it's because she's perfectly aware of what those feelings are, after all.
Come Friday night and Chloe's a dire mixture of apprehension and excitement as she parks the truck, lighting up a cigarette while Steph confirms the address of the party. Chloe had agreed to drive the two of them here, but getting back home was an incognito since they had to be at least two hours away from Arcadia and about to be within close reach of alcohol, and Chloe had absolutely not signed up for a designated driver position tonight. Which made things exciting, sure, but there was also the nagging uncertainty of what such a party entailed.
❝ So uh -- have you been here before? I thought the only parties you're into were the adventuring type, anyway. ❞
