Queen of Assholes

There was a time and place to show off her knowledge in chemistry and to be serious as well. Right now, after he had indulged her, she had heard his words. Had he come from a place where magic was all over the place? She wondered what that had to be like.

⠀“⠀sometimes, ⠀If ⠀i⠀look ⠀at ⠀the ⠀sun ⠀for ⠀too ⠀long ⠀... ⠀I ⠀hear ⠀camera ⠀shutters ⠀in ⠀my ⠀head ⠀and ⠀a ⠀man ⠀calling ⠀my ⠀name ⠀... ⠀it’s ⠀weird, ⠀I ⠀know. ⠀”

“you mean heaven? i don’t believe that exist, nor hell. but if i did, i think i would have end up in hell” he was certain about it. for him it had been he surprise if he would have end up in the paradise above the clouds. he frowned & shook his head “nah, who would want to end up in either of them. heaven is probably.. i don’t know & hell too hot”

“nice to meet you, chloe price. cool last name. i’m jake, jake fitzgerald”

"I don't think it was exactly heaven I was stuck in persay." Chloe had to really think over it as well. It hadn't  been hell either. It was more of a limbo of middle ground. It had been really weird nonetheless and had left it's marks on her that came out in her artwork.

"I'm pretty sure I was just stuck in limbo without doing said limbo dancing. It could have used the steel drum beat to keep it lively though. " Always a joker, Chloe could only laugh a bit. She was used to using herself as a joke so why not continue the pattern with Jake?

Max stood frozen. She’d say she felt frozen in time, but she knew she hadn’t used her powers to do that. It just felt so surreal. It was definitely Chloe with her edgy punk look that Max could never pull off and that devilish grin to match it. There was no mistaking it. It made Max want to run and hug her. She wanted to make sure she was real, that she was here, that Max wasn’t going crazy. 

But then Chloe took a step toward her and grabbed her hand. Max nearly broke down. She could feel tears well up in her arms and she swallowed down a lump forming in her throat. ‘How?’ she mouthed. Then, the other spoke and Max fell back into frozen silence for a moment. 

She had thought Arcadia Bay and D.C. were weird, but this was a whole new level. 

“Y- you were dead. I watched you die, Chloe. I let you die.” Her voice quivered and more tears welled up. “I’m so sorry.”

The shock, the surprise, and then the slow realization it was all real. Chloe watched it all pass over Max like waves from the bay back from their home. The girl kept where she stood not daring to walk away from her friend again. She was there to prove she was still breathing and had a second shot to not mess things up as royally as once before.

Hearing her apology after asking how and why, Chloe felt her heart ache in her chest. The way the words left Max made Chloe hurt deep but she understood why. The punk never blamed Max for how things played out. She had powers that could be used to save things but certain circumstances couldn't be changed.

Seeing Max nearly in tears made Chloe move in closer to try hug her to her gently. She wanted to remind her friend she was indeed alive with a beating heart.

Head flustering up at the sound of another conversing with her, she glanced around for a moment, as if to check whether or not they intended her as the recipient of their words, though it was evident it was to Sarah they were meant. Listening in with a small cock of her head, brows knitted together, pondering over their words. It was an option she hadn’t considered, and she was grateful for the suggestion…but she was very much the sort of girl who did not find it agreeable to take advice or act as if something wasn’t easy, when it came to speaking to another. 

Remembering the words, it should’ve been a piece of cake, after all. 

Scrunching up any potential rudeness, she tried to push it to the back of her, instead forcing a small turn of lips to push upwards. “I’ve used that method before, once or twice” Lies, that she found a middle ground in. “But- thank you- I’ll have to try it for this, rather than purely studying”.

"Everyone studies differently though so no worries. I just figured I'd offer something for you to bite onto. Would having another work through the lines help?"

She wasn't even sure why she was offering but Chloe was genuinely curious what the other girl was up to. The punk didn't have anywhere else to be at that point in time. She pretty much just drifted from spot to spot before returning to crash with her roomie.

“great, that’s a relief” he joked with a grin on his lips. neither did he so far, hopefully never “i don’t do that either, luckily. it can’t be healthy, nor fun if there’s no humans around. i wonder then what would happen” he could probably talk about it for hours, theories of what could happen, plus more “yep. something is it, but what is the question. i think it’s creepy, especially if you died in a strange horrible way” 

a small smile appeared on his lips “thanks, you too, i guess? i have been alive here in washington three years, if i remember right & i still haven’t found any answers”

"Yeah, I've become a recent residence with a few weeks under my belt. Nonetheless, yeah, I come from the land of six feet below." Chloe joked managing a faint smile of sorts.

It was quite relieving to find someone else who had once been dead who had been brought back again. She wasn't alone in that hellish experience. She still had a few nightmares of just waking up and feeling her lungs burning once again for the taste of clean air. Pushing the thoughts away, Chloe leaned back and settled in her seat of sorts.

I’m writing this to update everyone on what is going on with me as I am sure many will be concerned. I hurt myself at work last night by doing something I normally can do without problem. I will have this post tagged and likely under a read more as it may get lengthy.

AKA: I’m getting too old for some of this junk lol

She found herself in the park, upon a mossy bank of green, feet pacing back and forth, eyes pierced into a stressed expression. Shaking her head, she kept her focus upon the book, hues murmuring over the words, trying to memorise the script, something that was a tricky ease to come to her. A breath leaving her, she closed the book, shutting away the pages from her gaze, moving to reenact the script in practice, gaze becoming an earnest steel, focusing forward into the nothing, as if something ( or someone ) had caught her attention to speak to. Lips parting to speak, the words started to flow from her, until she halted, an irritated expression slipping into her visage, snapping the script book back open. “I can never remember that line” She muttered, one hand smoothing against her forehead, trying to reiterate the words as she read across once more, not noticing another standing near. 

Chloe had figured a walk would be nice to stretch out her legs and also get her mind a bit more cleared out. Thoughts were coming back and she wanted to try to clear them in a more healthy manner than all of her old habits had been like. What she didn’t expect to find was someone clearly irritate at themselves over something.

The punk managed to catch the words spoken and raised a brow. She didn’t want to startle the other too badly but it would probably appear that way.

“if people are coming back from the dead, shouldn’t all of them be zombies?” he asked a random person, his eyes narrowed “i mean that’s how it’s in movies. unless i am just a very handsome zombie & i guess everyone else too” he shrugged to his last words “oh, maybe it’s as in warm bodies, there they do not look so bad as in other movies. do you think people who returned from the dead are zombies right now?”

“I’m not craving anyone’s brains so I would say I rule that one out a hundred percent. I will say maybe there’s something else at play tugging everyone back from the realm of the dead.”

Chloe was not expecting to open up to someone else but the fact Jake mentioned death and having died by his words, she figured she could show him some understanding. Setting by him and adjusting her shoulders, the girl sighed.

“i’d like that, yeah.” she muttered, smiling softly.  “it won’t be for long, i promise. just… until i get a place of my own.” she’d need one of those, right ? her wings are broken, she’s in a strange place with no connection to her brothers and sisters… suffice to say, she’s a bit lost. all she can do is adapt to things like… a human would.

"I'll check with Sam and see what she'd say. She was nice enough to give me a shot at getting more stable when I arrived here, I want to pay that forward if she’d allow it."

Chloe didn't want to blow her chance at a better life. Sure she'd slip into bad habits eventually but she would also do her best to be more kind to some people. Being too rough had gotten her into an early grave once, she didn't want to hurt others by her absence again.

She remembered it. She couldn’t stop remembering it, every detail. Every time she closed her eyes, she heard the loud bang and saw Chloe on the floor of the bathroom, a pool of blood seeping out beneath her. 

Nathan’s words echoed in her head. No one would even miss your punk ass, psycho. 

Except Max did. Everyday she felt like she relived those last few days they had together only to wake up to a nightmare. She’d wake up in a cold sweat calling out for Chloe. Then she remembered. 

What she couldn’t remember was how she ended up in this town. It all felt like a blur. One minute she was in Arcadia Bay wondering if another storm would ever come, only to be swept away to D.C.

Was it happening again? She couldn’t remember using her powers, but she could barely remember the first time now, so when she found herself in front of the other, she couldn’t believe it. Was this just another sick nightmare?

“C- Chloe?” she called out.

Chloe saw the look in her eyes and was careful in stepping even closer. Despite the ache in her chest, she pushed forward in order to touch Max's right hand with her own. Eyes could think it all a trick but she wanted to prove she was indeed there in one piece alive and well again. Her second chance not to make Max ever cry again.

After a few moments of touching her, Chloe carefully pulled her hand back not wishing to overstep boundaries she may have had. It had likely been a long while since things had played out. She was very much a living and breathing person again.

"I'm not a figment, I'm really here with you. Surprised me too a while ago when I woke up but I'm here."

“This is probably really lame and sudden, but I’ve been looking for a roommate to help pay the bills.” She shrugged again. It was probably a far cry, but between college courses and work, Sam had her hands full. She could probably coast off of some of her inheritance money, but she didn’t like to think about that. 

She shifted, pulled a piece of paper out of her backpack and wrote down her number. “If you’re interested or need anything, hit me up.” She put her backpack back on her shoulder and reached out a hand. “Oh, and I’m Sam by the way.”

The offer was immediately given some serious thought. Chloe didn't have anyone, nor did she have a job just yet but she was determined. She was resourceful and always had her mind wandering to ideas that may pan out in the long term. She took the piece of paper but smiled nonetheless already knowing her answer.

"If you don't mind me coasting for maybe a week or two until I find work, I'd be happy to help out with paying rent as your roomie. Good to know there are still good people out in the world. Nice to meet you Sam, I'm Chloe. "

“i wouldn’t mind. i don’t really… have much to do, so.” talk about it. last time around, she was up in heaven; leading the angels. and now ? look at her. wandering around a strange town - absolutely lost. she doesn’t know if she sees being brought back as either a blessing or a curse yet. shaking her head a bit to take herself out of the bad thoughts, she musters up a smile for the other. “it’ll be an exchange. a nice deed for another nice deed – y’ help me, and i teach you.”

"Good deeds. Been a long time since I've heard someone mention those like that." she murmured with a faint smile.

Fonder memories returned for a bit of her old home and her friends. Letting it go after a bit, she turned her attention back to Hannah and slipped her hands into her jacket pockets once more. Chloe didn't have much in her fresh start to life either but she had grit and ways to survive.

"Well, I know a few places that have good food. There are a few spots that are safer than others to catch rest if you can't locate a hotel or get lucky with someone lending you their place to crash. I do have place with a roomie and I could talk to her to see if it would be cool for you to crash til you found a place of your own.”

“It’s actually not that hard. I could teach you…” Offer leaves her mouth before she realizes what she’s saying, and she shakes her head a bit at the other’s next words – she didn’t need ’classes’. She was… made with these skills in her, so to speak. But that wasn’t something a human would see as normal, so she’ll simply not say it. “No, no… I’m just, uh… very strong, I guess. Again, sorry about the arm. I just… have no idea what’s going on, and I don’t like it.”

“Would you be up for that? I wouldn’t mind learning if you are willing to teach. I always had meant to get better about defending myself on my own. I lived a harsh lesson once.” Chloe didn’t go into detail about that just yet and instead focused her attention on Hannah’s words. No idea what was going on? It clicked then that another had ventured into unknown territory as she had one a long while ago.

tw: death mention, swearing

tw: death mention, swearing