Chapter Text
Max keeps her promise to stay in touch. She replies to Chloe’s letters, answers her texts, always sounds happy to hear her voice on the phone. Chloe tells her about the little things going on in her life, like her mom’s new job or her dad’s latest home improvement project, and the big things, like exposing the town’s richest landowner giving bribes to the district attorney.
Chloe still feels like they’re drifting apart. Max hardly ever has her own stories to share. They never see each other in person, even though Chloe is more than willing to make the drive up to Washington. It isn’t that Max is ditching her for new, more exciting friends, either. Max doesn’t make any close friends in Seattle at all. Chloe wonders whether Max has some kind of problem going on, but she doesn’t pry. That isn’t the kind of relationship they have anymore. Max is more like a pen-pal than a best friend. That’s why it isn’t unusual when Max calls her out of the blue; what’s surprising is what she says.
“I’m coming home. I mean, back to Arcadia Bay.” Max sounds seriously happy, which is weird coming from a girl who spent the last five years avoiding the place.
“Like, to visit? Or…,” Chloe asks, trying to sound cool and not be too obvious about how desperately she wants to see her old best friend again.
“I got accepted into Blackwell Academy! Isn’t that great? I can’t wait to be there with you.”
That makes more sense. She has a reason to come back, and it isn’t Chloe. Still, it means Max will be in her life again for real, and that’s worth being happy about.
“It’ll be hella good to have you back. Don’t get too excited though. It’s not as great as the brochure makes it look.”
“Is this the part where you call it Black-hell? Come on, Chloe, I know things aren’t as bad as you like to say.”
“Oh, don’t get me wrong, the classes are good. Mostly. And there are a few cool people here, like yours truly. But Blackwell students can be kinda… you know. A lot of art students are posers. No offense, Max.”
Max laughs. “None taken. I know exactly what you mean. Speaking of classes, do you think we’ll have any together?”
“A senior in the arts program and a super-senior on the science track don’t usually overlap much. But we could at least sign up for the same electives.”
“I want to take life drawing and anthropology. And ‘Language of Photography’, of course.”
“Rachel’s taking that too, and Mx. Dog seems chill.”
“You should take photography with us! It’ll be fun.”
Chloe can’t say no to that voice. “Alright, you win.”
“Max and Chloe join forces once again. This year’s going to be perfect.”
“You’re such a dork,” Chloe says with a laugh. “You really think it’ll be just like old times?” She desperately wants to believe that. That she doesn’t need to worry about Blackwell drama, or the childhood crush she had nearly let herself forget about, or how Max has been so weird and distant for the past few years. Maybe they really can just go back to the friendship they had when they were kids, like the last five years never happened.
“No, it’ll be way better. Trust me. Uh, I should go tell my parents that I got accepted. They’ll be pissed if they realize I told you before them. I’ll call you later, okay?”
“Yeah. See you later, Max.”