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Chloe is staring at her reflection in her mirror as she prepares for her grand entrance. It's not every day you turn eighteen, after all, so then why was she still in her room instead of at the party being thrown just downstairs in her honor? Chloe sighed solemnly as she took in the sight; she was dressed to the nines in a gorgeous blue gown, her makeup was done beautifully, and there was an entire ballroom of people just a few feet away from where she was sitting, and yet… she didn't move an inch. Chloe couldn’t help but feel ungrateful, if not a bit vain, but she couldn’t help but feel as though something was missing. Chloe let out a sigh as a knock sounded from her door. "Come in," she called out as her mother entered the room with a gentle smile. "Couldn’t help but notice the birthday party was down one birthday girl." Her mother states jokingly as she entered her daughter's room. "What’s wrong, Mon Cher? I thought you were excited about turning eighteen," her mother asked, and Chloe didn't know how to answer, so she just came up with the first excuse she could think of."I guess I just didn't really want such a big party." Chloe responds awkwardly; she was never that good at lying. Luckily, however, Ella didn't seem to notice, too preoccupied with listing all of her achievements. "But Chloe, you deserve to be celebrated! You graduated at the top of your class, got into every college you applied for, and even have a portfolio that rivals that of Harvard grads. I thought this was what you wanted." Her mother responds in disappointment as Chloe cringes in guilt, putting on a fake smile. "It is!" Chloe insists "I just, uh... needed to prepare." She adds, looking away from the mirror in front of her that she was looking at her mother through."Okay, baby, then I'll meet you downstairs." Her mother tells her as Chloe gives her a nod with a smile that drops the moment her mother is out of the room. Chloe sighs, taking one more glance at the mirror to make sure she looks happy to be there, before getting up from her vanity and heading down to the party.As she descends the spiral staircase to the foyer, all eyes are on her. Friends and family cheered her on as Chloe cast a smile to the crowd. Family members she didn't remember asked for hugs as she was tossed around the party, surrounded by well wishes and "happy birthdays." It was a lot. It wasn’t as though she was ungrateful for how many people showed up, although a part of her wished she could skip the whole thing.Most of the conversations went the same way. "Hey Chloe, remember me?" They'd ask, "Yeah, definitely," she'd lie. "Have you thought of which college you're going with yet?" They'd ask, and by then she'd check out.It was always about college, and school, and her future, and now that all of it is finally in front of her… what would she do now? She was eighteen, and she had absolutely no idea how to be a teenager. Was that really all that would be remembered of her teenage years? What college would she go to? This empty void where her life should have been instead of extracurriculars and SAT prep? She couldn’t help but feel as though she wasted too many of those years, and now it was too late.Somehow Chloe found herself towards the back of the room, missing out on her own birthday party when her brother approached her. "Having fun?" Chad asked as Chloe shrugged, not having the energy to fake a smile at him too as he nodded in understanding. "Eighteen's not all it's cracked up to be, huh?" Chad asked, and Chloe just shrugs again. "Just kind of wish I had a chance to be seventeen first," she replies before walking off to find some of her friends.The rest of the celebration is a blur; she takes pictures with family, laughs with friends, and opens gifts that she absolutely loves. But that feeling of something missing stayed nagging at the back of her mind. After dinner and cake, Chloe comes up with an excuse to retire early, much to her mother’s disappointment. "Are you sure, dear? Is everything alright?" Her mother asked as Chloe just nodded, saying that she's just a little tired, and thanking everyone for coming to wish her happy birthday before excusing herself to go to her room. She doesn't actually need sleep, but she sticks to her excuse as she drowns out the sounds of the party with her headphones and turns on a random movie.She doesn't know how much time passes before she hears another knock on the door. "Come in," Chloe responds from her spot on the bed, pausing her movie to see who it is. "Come on, get dressed; let's go," Chad states without context as soon as he opens the door, confusing the girl still in her dress from earlier. "Hurry up, everyone's gone, and we're going to be late," he adds as Chloe just watches him in confusion. "Late for what exactly?" Chloe asked in suspicion as Chad just smirked. "You wanted to be a normal teenager, right?" He asked, a mischievous look on his face that led Chloe to believe this wouldn't end well. "Get dressed, and if Mom and Dad ask, we're going to see a movie," he states before walking away."It's ten pm!" Chloe yells after him only to get a 'trust me' in response. "Yep, this is definitely not going to end well," Chloe mumbles as she starts to change into something more casual. She ended up landing on a white tee that fell just below her waist and some loose blue jeans that were embroidered with stars. "Hurry up!" Chad called out from down the hall, and Chloe just rolled her eyes in annoyance as she laced up her blue and white sneakers.She quickly rushes down the hall to catch up with her brother, yelling a quick "movies" as her parents try to question her rush.She can hear her brother beeping the horn in impatience as she exits the house. Glaring at her brother as he refuses to allow Chloe time to catch up. "Let's go," Chad complained as Chloe entered the passenger seat. "It took me like five minutes to get ready tops," Chloe responds in annoyance at her brother's impatience. "Also, I still don't know where we're going." She adds, as Chad shrugs in response, "Just a small party," he responds as Chloe’s eyes go wide."A party!?" She practically yells in surprise as Chad slaps a hand over her mouth quickly. "Quiet down, you're going to get us caught," he chided as he slowly released his sister and cast a nervous glance at the door to the mansion. "Look, you said you wanted to be a normal teenager, right?" He asked as Chloe nodded in response. "Well, normal teenagers don't stay home during their birthday on a Friday night." He states matter-of-factly as the two pull off.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chloe had never felt so out of her depth. 'Small' was the understatement of the century with a party this packed. The music was blasting at the highest volume, colorful LEDs were the only source of light around, and the crowd danced out of sync to songs she'd never even heard before. "Welcome to college life, sis," Chad said happily as he slapped a hand on Chloe’s shoulder, making a grand, charming entrance. Dapping up a bunch of random frat bros she'd never seen before as they talked about how happy they were that he made it.People started to crowd around them, friends of Chad, friends of friends of Chad. It was all starting to get a bit claustrophobic as a voice broke through the sounds of greetings and catch-ups. "Who's this?" A girl asked as the crowd seemed to part for her. She looked about the same age as Chad, making her a few years older than Chloe, and she gave her brother a quick hug. Her brown hair framed her face beautifully as her eyes locked onto younger in curiosity. She couldn't help but feel a tad intimidated by the woman in front of her, somehow starting to feel even more out of place amongst the group than before. "This is my little sister, Chloe. I figured I'd take her out for her birthday," Chad responds proudly, "teach her how we do it here at AU," he adds as the girl smiled at her with a fond interest. "Awesome! Any friend of Chad's is a friend of ours!" The girl stated in a way that hid a silent 'we've got your back' in her words. She twirled Chloe a bit in excitement as she introduced herself. "I'm Audrey, and you... need birthday shots." The girl—Audrey—states as she drags her and her brother down the crowded wooded hall and into the kitchen."I don't know about this," Chloe mumbles when the girl looks away. The rest of the group having dispersed into the crowd of college students that surrounded them. "Trust me, I got you. And you don't have to do anything you don't want to." He promised as Chloe looked to him unsure. "You got this; just be charming," he encouraged with a nudge, "and try to have fun," he adds, emphasizing the "try" in his words. The girl who was leading them turned around with two glasses in her hands, offering one to her with a bright smile. Chloe casts one more look at her brother, who just offers her a thumbs-up in reassurance before she downs the whole thing, coughing at the way the liquid burned her throat. Audrey cheers at her commitment, drinking her own as she drags Chloe further into the party. "Let's go, birthday girl; I've got you," she promised, easing her anxiety a bit as she was pulled onto the dance floor.People naturally start to gravitate towards her, word spreading about her birthday like wildfire. She'd helped herself to a few more drinks, so she wasn't overthinking as much as before and was actually able to hold her own pretty well without Chad looking out for her. The room seemed to float around her vision like she was trying to navigate a sinking ship, making her stumble slightly as she walked, but she was actually having fun. Disorienting lights were flashing around her, colors blinding her vision, and the thick smell of alcohol lingered uncomfortably in the air, and yet she was having the time of her life.Chad took a step back to talk to some of his friends, keeping a subtle eye on her sister, but Chloe wasn't too worried for once. In fact, she wasn't worried about anything at all; for once in her life, she was living in the moment. By the fifth drink she couldn’t handle the noise any more. The bass pounded in her ears in a way that made her ears bleed, and the once colorful lights caused her to squint in pain.She ended up sneaking into a room towards the back of the party to calm down from everything, her vision still swimming in front of her in a way that just made her giggle as she steadied herself against the wall. By the decor, she could only assume it was a bedroom or a dining room? She couldn’t really remember, but what she didn't expect, however, was the way her blurry eyes caught sight of a girl already occupying her hiding spot. An especially pretty girl at that.There, leaning against the wall in a leather jacket and with vibrant red hair, was a girl who was simply eyeing Chloe in amusement. Chloe wasn't really thinking at the moment, intoxication rendering her rationality useless as she drunkenly approached her with an unchecked confidence."So, 'ame here alone? Can't imagine anyones stupid enough to sh-tand you up." Chloe slurred as the other girl raised an eyebrow with a smirk. "Oh? And what makes you think that?" The girl responds as Chloe struggles to stand up straight. "Becau-sh… someone that dumb pr'obly wouldn't even know how to breathe," she responds, her speech still slurred, unsure of what exactly she's saying, but it seems to work because the girl smiles and says something else to her.Chloe is laughing, unsure of what was even funny, but she didn't care. Her face was probably redder than the stranger's hair right now, and she wasn't even completely aware of what was going on around her. But she just kept giggling and saying random things she couldn’t remember because there was no way she'd waste the confidence of three drinks too-many. At some point the girl had pulled out a device that she brought to her lips. Smoke pooling out of her lungs every time she opened her mouth. Chloe's pupils drunkenly following the patterns of the smoke without thinking. She must have been staring because the stranger eyed her with a mischief Chloe was too intoxicated to recognize."You like that?" She asked as Chloe nodded, her head moving out of sync with her thoughts, not exactly sure what she was saying yes to. "Want a hit?" She asked, holding out the device for Chloe to take just in time for Chad to cut in. "She doesn't smoke," Chad states, grabbing the pen before Chloe could take it and returning it to the girl. The girl grabs it with a bored expression as she surveyed the man ahead of her. "And you are?" She asked expectantly as Chad glared at her, "Chad, her brother," before turning to his sister, who was almost completely leaning on him in a giggling mess. He let out a sigh and helped her to her feet. "Let's go, Chloe, you're so fucked up right now," he told her as Chloe just whines in response."'m not that drunk…." she mumbles before adding, "I wanna… try it," she whines as the girl laughs in amusement at Chloe. "See, you should let her try," the girl states jokingly just to piss Chad off as he tells Chloe 'no,' practically dragging her out of the party.The moment Chloe gets out into the open, she heels over in nausea, losing all of her stomach's contents in the bushes outside the frat house, moaning in discomfort as Chad helps her to the car. "Dammit, Chloe, how much did you have to drink?" He asked as she flops onto the passenger seat uncoordinated. "Mmm… too… many?" She slurred with a groan as she laid her head against the cool window beside her."Don' tell Mom," she instructed with another moan as Chad let out a laugh in response. "Are you kidding?" He asked, "We're taking this entire night to our grave," he states as Chloe starts to laugh as well. They were sick, drunk, and exhausted, but they were laughing, and in that moment, so long as they were together, laughing, none of it mattered. "'hanks Chad," Chloe states after she finally catches her breath, turning to her brother with genuine appreciation. "Anytime, sis," he replied, wrapping an arm around the younger, and Chloe knew that this was a night she'd never forget.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chloe woke up to the sound of her phone buzzing against her dresser the next morning. She couldn’t remember shit from the night before, but she must have slept in because their was a dim light illuminating her room from a window behind closed blinds. Her hair was a mess, she had changed into her pajamas; and the slightest bit of drool spilt from her lip as she tried to remember when she managed to get in bed the night before. She groaned in discomfort holding her head in throbbing pain as her free arm reached for her phone. "God, how much did I drink last night" she mumbled rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she squinted at the screen, turning the brightness on it's lowest setting.There was a text from a contact she didn't even remember getting, yet the name was clearly saved to her phone. "Red?" She mumbled in confusion as she opened the notification, her eyes widening in horror as she realized there were a few texts already written between the two of them. Letters messily typed in an indecipherable pattern that she’d assumed she’d sent last night as she looked at the newest text from the stranger.
Red:
First hangover? Try not to drink so much next time.
'Fuck' Chloe thought to herself as a few hazy memories started to resurface. She was dancing, and drinking, and then she… 'fuck' Chloe thought again as she remembered how embarrassing she'd been in front of that stranger. So then that means the person texting her must have been… "fuck!" She exclaimed paling in realization as she muffled a scream into her pillow.Within seconds her brother is knocking on her door in worry before Chloe quickly pulls him inside of her room. "Chloe? Are oka–""What the fuck happened last night?" Chloe asked looking to her brother utterly mortified. Chad paused for a moment, taking in the sight before him. Chloe pacing frantically in front of him looking as if she’d seen a ghost and he couldn't stop the laugh that escaped his throat. He was full on breaking out into a fit of laughter as his sister ranted about her life being over. "Chad this is serious!" She chided angrily still panicked about Red as Chad struggled to catch his breath."Sorry… Sorry" he said through exhales as he struggled to compose herself. "God Chloe, how messed up where you last night?" He asked as Chloe winced at the thought. "Uhm… that depends… how would you rate drunk texting on that scale?" She asked as Chad scoffed in disbelief "my little sister's all grown up" he states wiping a nonexistent tear from his eyes as Chloe watches his theatrics in annoyance. "Just give me the rundown" she states before wincing slightly in pain, "and an Advil" she adds as Chad just chuckles slightly in response. "Okay let's see, what do you remember happening?" Chad asked as Chloe tried to sift through the fuzzy memories from the night before. "Uhm… I remember getting to the party, Audrey handing me a shot, dancing I think? And then the room started to spin and… I blacked out" Chloe admits as Chad nods in understanding "yeah that much I got." He replied jokingly as Chloe groaned once more."Well after you blacked out you ended up having the time of your life apparently. You were dancing and talking, and drinking, basically actually acting your age for once" Chad joked as Chloe rolled her eyes gesturing for him to continue. "But you kind of disappeared halfway through, I had been keeping an eye on you the whole time but the moment I turned my back you were gone." He adds trying to remember what happened after that, "next thing I know you’re absolutely hammered, and preparing to take weed from this random girl. I had to drag you home after that." He states with a shrug "You threw up on the way out, and passed on the way home." He states and Chloe wished the ground would just swallow her whole right then and there. Unfortunately however, she was still there which meant that she had to ask the question she'd been avoiding since she woke up."How bad was I?" She questioned mentally preparing for the worst as Chad looked at her with an expression that wasn't the least bit comforting. "I had to physically carry you upstairs, clean puke up from our driveway, and hear you say and I quote 'I'm not drunk, I'm just intoxicated by you' to a random girl you met in five minutes." He listed off dead pan as Chloe collapsed back onto her bed feeling as if the world was ending around her. "I'm literally going to kill myself" she states in over exaggeration as Chad watched her mental breakdown in amusement. "Right, amazing solution, but first… what are we going to do about that?" Chad asked pointing a finger towards the phone that was placed flipped over on Chloe’s bed, likely due to her refusal to deal with with the stranger in her contacts. "Burn it?" Chloe offers as Chad gives her a look making her sigh as she hesitantly grabbed her phone. "This is stupid" she whines as Chad shrugs finding it all way more amusement than it should have been. "It's a right of passage sis, drunk actions have sober conscious" he response as Chloe tries to think of some to say.
Chloe:
Dear Red,
I apologize for my repeated advances towards you from the night before. I was more intoxicated then I had thought I was and realize that was highly inappropriate at that moment. I apologize for any inconvenience or discomfort I may have caused for you last night, and can find a way to reimburse you if needed. I am truly embarrassed by my actions under the influence and hope you have a wonderful rest of the day despite this interaction
Sincerely, Chloe Charming.
Chloe smiles proudly at her work as Chad chimes in after reading over her shoulder. "Mhm, yeah that's great. And you totally don't sound like a robot at all." He states sarcastically as Chloe presses send. "Like you know anything about talking to people" Chloe responds in annoyance, uninterested by his criticisms. "I know you don’t you don't need to send a formal apology to every girl you flirt with while drunk" Chad rebuttals a matter of factly before adding "if so you'd have to write a lot more apologies" he states as Chloe’s entire face goes red. "What!" she cries as Chad burst into a fit of laughter "I'm joking, I'm joking" he repeats a few times as Chloe punched his shoulder angrily. "Don't do that" she states threateningly but Chad is too busy catching his breath to notice. Within moments she got a text back, her breath hitched at the notification. Was the apology not enough? She wondered. She had hoped the text was enough to be done with all of this. But she opened the message nonetheless.
Red:
From jumbled letters to formal apologies, sounds like someone's sobered up lol, no need to apologize I think I was more stoned than I thought as well. Besides, I'm always open to be hit on by a pretty girl, but if you truly want to reimburse me how about coffee? I know the perfect spot
Chloe doesn't notice the way the edges of lips raised slightly at the text. Nor the way her face heated slightly as she realized Red had thought she looked pretty last night. "Chloe? Please tell me you're not actually considering going on a date with a girl you just met less than twenty-four hours ago." Chad states wanting to believe his sister would never be that irresponsible, but Chloe was already typing out her response.
Chloe:
Coffee at almost 1:00pm? Sure why not, I trust you. Send me the address and I'll meet you there, it's the least I can do.
She responds before rereading the text, feeling as if it was missing something as she sent one more response.
Chloe:
And for the record, I thought you looked pretty too
Chad groans making gestures in mock disgust as she sends the text. "Are you kidding me right now? You know nothing about this girl" Chad states as Chloe rolls her eyes at her brothers' paranoia. "Calm down, it'll be fine. Just don't tell Mom and Dad" Chloe states groaning slightly as she got up to get ready. "Are you even thinking clearly right now? You're hungover, exhausted, and meeting a girl you met at a frat party." Chad stated warnings falling on deaf ears as Chloe picked out an outfit from her enormous closet. "You’re being paranoid, it's just coffee. I've been fencing since I was nine do you really think I can't handle myself?" Chloe asked indignantly as Chad scoffed "after having to literally carry you home last night you can excuse me for having my doubts" Chad responds as Chloe scoffs "that's not fair I was drunk" she states, "and now you’re hungover!" Chad reiterates in a rebuttal as Chloe crosses her arms. "Why can't you just trust me?" She asked as Chad responds without hesitation "because you're talking crazy."Chloe just sighs in response. "Chloe be real with me right now; what are you thinking?" Chad asked genuinely as Chloe shrugs in response. "That she was cute, and I was impulsive, and I kind of didn't hate that" Chloe responds awkwardly looking away from her brother. "Last night was… a lot, but it was also so exhilarating" Chloe admits. "I'm not sure if I want that feeling to end just yet" She adds as Chad looks to his sister in sympathy letting out a sigh as he caves "Three o'clock" he states confusing his sister "What?" She asked requesting context to his previous statement. "If you're not home by three pm exactly, I'm telling mom and dad everything. And I'm calling the cops on Red." He states as Chloe beams "So that means…" "Go be a teenager sis, you deserve it."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Admittedly, going out for coffee while hungover was not one of Chloe's better ideas. As she descends the steps, she sends a silent thanks to the universe that her parents had to work late today. Explaining to her mom and dad why she was stumbling down the stairs searching for painkillers was very much not a conversation she was looking forward to. Chloe braced herself on the kitchen counter as she reached clumsily through the medicine cabinet for an Advil.Normally, she'd be much more careful not to knock down any other bottles, but her coordination was off, and she could rummage sloppily for something to relieve the pain. "You better eat something with that," Chloe could hear Chad call out from his bedroom as Chloe rolled her eyes, yelling a quick "I will" in response.Chloe approached her driveway, squinting painfully at how brightly the sun was shining, as she held a hand out to brace herself, unable to thoroughly see what was in front of her. With a click of a button, she unlocked her father's Mercedes, praying that she’d left her shades on the dashboard as she programmed the address into her phone. There on the dashboard was her favorite pair of designer sunglasses she'd gotten for Christmas a few years back. She quickly took the item graciously as she shielded The spot was on the other side of town, although not that far. It was a part of the city she'd only seen a few times before. Her parents never really took her to that part of town, not that it was bad or anything, just… different.Graffiti lined the sidewalks as a bridge towered just above the main road. As she pulled up to the spot she and Red agreed to meet, she almost didn't notice the quaint business nestled neatly between a bodega and thrift shop. The inside was cozy, not nearly as fancy as the ones closer to where she lived, but there was something alluring about its modest charm. As she entered, her eyes immediately scanned the interior for the girl who'd asked her there. The decor was simple, nothing too eye-catching. A small book nook was in the back, beanbags and novels lining the corner of the small building, and soon her eyes landed on the one she was searching for.Chloe approached her table, taking an embarrassingly sloppy seat in front of her as Red smirked slightly in amusement. "Long night?" She asked jokingly as Chloe attempted to hide her face as it grew a brilliant shade of scarlet. "I'm so sorry again for that; I swear that was not me yesterday." She insists as Red lets out a chuckle at her insistence. "I told you, it's fine. I kind of figured it wasn't your scene anyway." Red responds, taking a sip from the translucent cup in front of her, as Chloe cringes. "Yeah, uh, that was... different from what I'm used to." Chloe replied hesitantly as Red nodded in understanding. "Well then, can I expect you at more AU parties from now on?" Red asked in curiosity, backing further into her chair as she smiled at her counterpart, "It's not every day I get to have coffee with someone so beautiful." She adds as Chloe’s entire face burns at the statement. "I...uh...maybe I might...uhm..." Chloe tries to respond, too flustered to make a comprehensible sentence. "Cool," Red responds, trying to hide how much she was enjoying flustering the girl in front of her. "So do you know what you want or...?" Red asked as Chloe panics slightly at the question, "What I want? Um... I wouldn't... we haven't... Isn't it a bit early for that?" Chloe asked nervously as she gripped the table to ground herself, and this time Red couldn’t hide the cackle that erupted from her throat at the response."Cute," she states before pointing her to the plastic menu in front of her. "But I was talking about for breakfast," she adds, and Chloe’s eyes widen in realization as she facepalms in embarrassment. "Right! Of course! I knew that," she responds, quickly grabbing the menu to cover her blush, wanting to sink into her crewneck sweater. "Probably just an iced Americano and a danish," she responds, still hiding behind the laminated sheet before getting up to place her order, but Red stops her, waving over to one of the waiters from across the room. Red quickly gives her Chloe’s order, and the woman nods with a smile before saying she'll bring it out shortly, to which they both thank her. "So Chloe, what were you doing at that party yesterday anyway?" Red asked in curiosity as she started to take off her red leather jacket, the summer heat finally starting to get to her. "Oh, it was actually my uh…" Chloe’s voice trails off as she takes in the sight of Red's arms for the first time. Tattoos of spades and hearts lined the right, as chess pieces and teacups lined the left, a mosaic of images that looked magical on her skin before Chloe realized she'd been staring. "Birthday!" She says, catching herself. "It was my birthday; yeah, that's… what I was trying to… wow," she stutters out as Red looks to her in confusion as she watches Chloe’s face grow redder by the second. "Birthday? What made you spend it at a frat house?" Red asked in interest as Chloe had to stop herself from staring at the other girl's arms."I don't know; I guess I just wanted to do something impulsive for once." She admits with a shrug. "I never really got to do stuff like that back in high school," she adds as Red nodded in response. "And? Was it worth the hype?" Red asked as Chloe smiled a little. "It was... interesting," she responded, and Red recognized that look on her face. That adrenaline high you get after doing something that you'd never had the courage to try, that intoxicating feeling of freedom from it all. She was hooked, just as she’d been once."Although, something tells me you know more about this stuff than I do," Chloe adds as she looks to Red expectantly. "You could say that," Red responds vaguely. "I may or may not like to get into trouble," she adds as Chloe watches her in interest. "Really? Tell me more," Chloe prompted, a glint of mischief in her eye that caught Red’s attention. "Don't tell me you're into bad girls, princess," Red responds as Chloe shrugs with a smirk. "What can I say? I have a preference," she states jokingly. "In that case, what do you want to know?" Red responds just as Chloe’s order was placed in front of her.Red tells Chloe about how she got her tattoos, and about the time she snuck into a rooftop party, and other random adventures she'd had around the city. Taking in the way Chloe hung on her every word in awe and ignoring the disappointment she felt as she realized that this was all that interested her. After a while of just them talking and getting to know each other, Chloe gets a call from her brother and politely excuses herself to answer. "It's 3:05," Chad states as Chloe rolls her eyes. "We lost track of time," Chloe states in her defense, but Chad isn't hearing it. "I don't care. Now do you want me to call Mom first or the cops?" He asked, and Chloe panicked slightly, both options sounding like the worst-case scenario. "Wait! Actually, I'm going home right now." Chloe states hastily, "I'm only a few miles out," she lies as Chad hums in suspicion. "Okay, but I'm serious, Chloe, Mom and Dad will be back soon," he insists, and Chloe promises that she'll be back before they are before hanging up. After quickly apologizing to Red for leaving so suddenly, she pays for both their meals, much to Red’s protests, and prepares to head home. "I've got to go, but maybe we could do this again sometime?" Chloe offered, "When I'm less of a mess," she adds as Red walks her to the car. "Sure," Red replies with a smile. "I'd like that," she adds as Chloe matches her expression. "But for the record, I thought you looked great," Red adds with a wink, and with that they parted ways.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Red returns home with a small grin, thinking back to the blue-haired girl in intrigue. She didn't let herself get close, at least not yet. She'd been down this road before, and it never ended well for her. Red ducks into an apartment building, waving to a few tenants as she passes by before stopping in front of a room on the third floor. The number 305 bolted tightly into the wood as she retrieved the key from her pocket."Mads, you home?" She called out into the dark room, turning on the light to reveal the living room connected to the kitchen. "Welcome back, Red; how'd it go?" He greeted in curiosity as the teen entered the apartment. "Fine," she answers lamely. "Same as always," she adds as her friend frowns at her. "Red..." he starts, but the girl in question cuts him off. "Don't, Mads. We've seen this payout a million times before. There's no point in getting your hopes up for this one either." She states as Maddox sighs at his roommate."Maybe she'll be different," he tries as Red tossed her jacket onto the couch only to be met with a simple "doubt it.""They're always the same," Red states dejectedly, knowing this story by heart. "She isn't interested in me; she just wants to feel the freedom that comes with dating the 'bad girl.' ." Red states simply "I'm used to it.""Red, you're worth so much more than the shallow image they have of you," Maddox states sadly. He didn't like the way Red spoke as if that was all she was good for. "It's okay to want to date someone who cares about you," he stated, and Red just waved him off, hiding her true feelings between a flurry of sarcastic comments. "But then who would help rich kids waste their daddy's money?" she asks jokingly, but Maddox isn't amused."I'm serious, Red. It’s okay to want to be loved, and not just for the appearance others have of you." He insists, and Red only shrugs in response. "Like I said, no point in getting my hopes up." She responds, lying on the couch in defeat as her friend watches her in worry. "Red I..." he tries before sighing as he looks at his watch for the time. "I have to get to work, but we're finishing this later, okay?" He asked, and Red nodded at the request, having no intention of following through with her commitment.Maddox left after the confirmation, likely already late for his shift at the market. It wasn’t easy getting money fresh out of college, and every penny mattered for their survival. Red couldn’t help but feel a guilt weigh down on her. Ever since she moved in, he'd have to work tooth and nail to provide for them both, but every time she brought it up, he'd wave her off as if it was no big deal. However, the way he collapsed on his bed after work said otherwise.Red falls onto the couch she'd been living off of rather ungracefully as she relaxes into the familiar feeling of brass springs poking at her back. Her eyes started to shut gently in exhaustion as a buzz stopped her from dozing off completely.Red groans in annoyance as she opens her phone to an Instagram notification.
Charmed_by_Chloe has followed you.
Red looks at the notification in interest, failing to realize the sly smirk that started to form on her lips. She inspected the notification with an amused curiosity, having a feeling she knew exactly who had followed her and realizing there was also a like attached to the statement.It was a picture she'd posted on her bike a while ago. Her hair was a bit longer in the picture, not that you could tell much in the dark since she'd taken it at night. And she was leaning on the handles, facing away from the camera, for some reason that she couldn't remember. Red hummed in interest at the sight. "Someone's stalking," she mumbled to herself jokingly as she tapped on the account that had just followed her. Sure enough, none other than Chloe Charming herself filled her screen. Her account was nothing like the ones she was used to seeing from girls like her. There was no aesthetic theme or timely posts for her followers. It all just felt… natural.There were a few videos scattered through of her fencing; she seemed extremely athletic. Her feet glided down the mat gracefully as she pinned her opponent with impressive speed. There were a few recent posts from finals week and graduation; apparently, she was top of her class senior year. But the thing that caught Red's eyes wasn't any of the achievements highlighted on her account; it was one video she took about a year ago. Her roots were showing slightly, a beautiful chestnut brown that fit her face almost as perfectly as the blue. She was somewhere dark with her friends; Red couldn't tell the setting from the reel. But she was smiling so brightly at the camera that Red could have been fooled into believing the sun was out right above them."Stawp," she whined jokingly at the cameraman, giggling too hard to hold any real bite in her tone. Her eyes squinting from the sheer magnitude of her grin. It was beautiful.Her fingers liked the post before she could even process what she had done. And not even a moment later she got a message from the one she'd just been admiring.
Are you stalking me?
Red almost chokes at the message, scoffing indignantly as she calls her out for doing the same thing. Chloe tries to argue that the picture resurfaced on her discovery page, but Red wasn't buying it.The two continued to text each other, a friendly back-and-forth beginning to form between the two, and Chloe couldn't help but to watch her phone in excitement. The young newly grad was looking at her phone in anticipation, with Dizzy and Chad at her side.
It's not my fault I was entranced by your beauty.
Red sent, as Chloe's face grew hot at the response. "Oooh," Dizzy cooed mockingly from over her shoulder, as the girl in blue pajamas started to shrink in on herself in embarrassment. Chad just scoffs at the way his sister flushed at the text. "Come on, don't tell me you're seriously falling for this girl. I know people like her; they're just sweet talkers and heart breakers." He whines as Chloe rolls her eyes."Come on, Chad, Red's not like that," she argues as Chad scoffs at her naivety. "How would you know?" He argues, and Chloe just ignores him, realizing she doesn't have any solid proof just yet.
Btw, are you free this Friday?
Red texted, as Dizzy squealed at the text, stealing her cousin's phone in the process. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" She chants excitedly as she responds on Chloe's behalf, much to her cousins' annoyance."Dizzy! Give that back!" She whined, reaching for her phone as the older girl held it just out of reach. "Ooh, she's texting back," Dizzy mocks excitedly as Chloe lunges at her in anticipation. "Wait, really? What's she saying?" Chloe asked frantically as Chad facepalms at their antics, realizing that neither of them planned on listening to his personal opinion."Right, sure, fine. Trust this complete stranger over your flesh and blood," Chad stated sarcastically as Chloe finally corners Dizzy on the bed just long enough to regain her prize. "But don't say I didn't warn you," he adds as Chloe starts searching through her texts from the conversation she and Red never got to finish. "Oh, and if she breaks your heart, I'll break her in two," he finished just as Chloe finally got Red's response.
Cool, I'll see you then.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chloe was searching for an outfit a week later, anxious at the thought of embarrassing herself in front of the girl she was meant to meet. "I've got this, I've totally got this," Chloe mumbles debating between a blue overshirt that fell just below her waist and a white tank top that showed her bare mid-drift. A buzz from her phone pulled her out of her panic.
I'm on my way
The text read as Chloe checked the sender. "No, no, no, no, no," Chloe mumbled, still not ready, as she forced herself to pick out a shirt and stick to it. Now what to do about Mom and Dad? She wondered silently. It wasn't that she didn't want them to know about Red, they just tended to be a bit much when it came to who Chloe was dating. The moment they found out that they met at a party that'd be it, and the least she could do was get to know Red better before she both had to face them.
Could you park a little further from the house? My parents can be… a lot
She asked in a text, and Red just sent her location in response. She was just barely behind the house; no one could see her parked beside the bushes lining the front yard. It was honestly a pretty ingenious hiding spot to avoid getting caught, it was almost as if she expected this.
Ready when you are princess. Let me save you from your tower.
She added, and Chloe despised the way she giggled at such a stupid joke as she liked the message and started searching for her exit. Her parents were downstairs, so that was a no-go; she didn't even want to think of how that conversation would go.
"Where are you going?"
"Who's picking you up?"
"We should meet them"
"Bring them in we'll have lunch."
Chloe groaned, just the thought of that made her cringe. It was exactly what she was avoiding in the first place. Chad was also out of the question since he'd been on the fence about the date all week. So then that just left… Chloe turned her head to her bedroom window, wondering if that was truly her only option. It was so embarrassing; she was eighteen and had to sneak out of her own house. How was she going to explain that to Red? She let out a sigh, anxiety clutching her every movement as she easily climbed down the tree outside her bedroom. When she was younger she used to climb it all the time. Her parents would look at her baffled as she entered her room, and she'd just tell them, "It's more fun than the stairs. Chloe smiled at the memory as she made the last jump from the lowest branch to the ground, hoping that she didn't completely mess up her outfit as she made her way over to the spot where Red had been parked.Chloe wasn't exactly sure what she had been expecting when Red asked her out, but it most certainly was not Red clad in leather waiting patiently on her motorcycle with a smirk. Chloe's face was hot, no, burning at the sight, and it didn't take a genius to know she probably looked like a complete fool right now. Chloe quickly looked away, hiding her face as she desperately tried to pull herself together. "You have to be kidding me" she mumbled as Red let out a laugh at her exasperation. "Nope," she replied. "I'm not the only one who was stalking the other night," she joked, tossing the blue girl a helmet. "I wasn't…!" She started, her face still red as she watched the other girls' amusement. "Whatever," she cut herself off as she put on the helmet, partially for safety but mostly to hide her face. Red just laughs once more, making room for Chloe on the bike. "if it makes you feel any better, you can hold on to me when you get scared," She states, and Chloe just rolls her eyes. "Don't you mean if?" She asked only to get an annoyingly casual "nope" in response."Come on Chloe, I'm serious. Trust me." She tells the bluenette as Chloe reluctantly nods her head. "You better not let me fall" she warns as Red chuckles at her nerves. "Wouldn't dream of it," she replies as Chloe wraps her arms tightly against Red's waist. "I've got you," she promises, and she says it so gently that Chloe can't help but believe her.Chloe was terrified at first, hiding her face in Red's shoulder as she squeezed her eyes shut in panic. The wind pushed her so strongly that the blue button-up she left open over her tank top threatened to fly off into the distance. Chloe wasn't sure how far they'd been riding before she'd calmed down, but after a while, the wind began to feel nice on her skin. Her hair flowed gracefully beneath her helmet as her grip softened just slightly around her date. It felt like that moment on a rollercoaster just after the drop. You can feel your entire body suspended in midair as the intense wind blares in your ear, a mixture of fear and adrenaline pumping through your veins so intensely that you just want to…"Wooohooo!!" Chloe screams excitedly leaning ever so slightly into the wind as Red cackles at her excitement. "Are you crazy?" She yelled jokingly over the wind as they sped through the freeway. "Maybe," Chloe yells back with a smile as Red sped up following Chloe's lead. "Wooohooo!"The two came to a stop at a brunch top at the side of town Chloe wasn't too familiar with. Her throat burned as they laughed at their antics and dismounted the bike. "See, that wasn't so bad, huh, princess?" Red asked, and Chloe just shrugged, failing to hide the pure joy on her features as she nudged her in response. "It was… different," she states, smiling at the girl beside her before adding, "I'm really starting to really like different."Red smiled at the admission leading Chloe into the diner. "In that case, you'll love this," she states, grabbing a table for the two of them as she briefly looks over the menu. "What are you in the mood for?" Red asked casually although she looked a bit unsure in her question. Almost as if she was nervous about something despite their date's perfect spot. "Chicken and waffles," she responds hesitantly, just naming the first thing she saw, unsure of what Red was worried about. Red's brows furrowed in confusion. Whatever answer she had been expecting, it clearly hadn't been that one. "Really?" She asked sounding the slightest bit surprised. "You don't want something… I don't know fancier?" She asked cautiously as Chloe shrugged confusedly. "Like what?" She replied in suspicion as Red looked at her as if she'd grown a second head. "What is it?" She asked starting her self conscious the longer Red looked at her like that. "Nothing, I just… never mind," she responded, backpedaling from her previous comment, leaving Chloe thoroughly lost in their conversation. Despite it, however, Chloe and Red were able to fall back into their comfortable banter as they finished their meal.After brunch, Red told her that there was one more surprise she had for her. As they got back on the bike, Chloe's arms returned to Red's waist, and she let her head fall lazily onto her shoulder, feeling a lot safer than she did before. "Hold on tight," Red instructed as Chloe nodded into her shoulder, and with that, they drove off.The ride was incredible, the breeze a welcome change in temperature as a few people waved excitedly at the duo. "Do you really get to do this every day?" Chloe wondered in awe as Red laughed at the question. "Yeah, it's awesome, right?" She responded and Chloe tightened her grip a bit in response. "It's amazing."Red comes to a stop at a street Chloe doesn't recognize. She helps her off the bike and instructs her to close her eyes after she takes off her helmet. Chloe shoots her a skeptical look only to be met with Red's annoyingly disarming "trust me" and so she does. Chloe closes her eyes as Red puts her hands over her eyelids to stop her from peaking and guides her gently to where she wants her to go. "Careful," she warns with a slight smile in her voice. "It can be a little dangerous over here," she adds laughing slightly at the way Chloe tensed."Don't worry, I've got you. Promise"Chloe can feel something cool brush against her arms as Red's hands slowly release her eyelids. "Okay, you can open them now" she states as Chloe slowly parts her eyes to take in the most beautiful horizon she'd ever seen. They could see the entire city below the span for miles below them, cars becoming nothing but dots in the distance. Her hands closed gently around the railing in front of them, the steel feeling cold beneath her fingertips as she took in the view. The warm breeze carrying her curls gently as the golden reflection of the sun against her skin made her look ethereal, as the light before them formed a halo of beauty."It's… beautiful," Chloe stated, looking out at the horizon. "Yeah, it is," Red replied, never once taking her eyes off of her. The sun started to set basking the earth in a sea of gold as Chloe let out a content sigh at the warm breeze that approached her. "Thank you for this." She states as Red is taken aback by the appreciation, she quickly pulls herself together belittling her gesture with a shrug. "Well, I did owe you a coffee didn't I?" She responds casually as Chloe's shoulder brushes hers against the railing."Maybe, but this was way more than just coffee," Chloe stated, smiling at Red in adoration. "So thank you, Red. This was…magical."Red seems at a loss for words as Chloe continues to take in the picture-perfect moment. "I'm… glad you liked it," Red responds hesitantly, looking down to avoid Chloe's gaze, leaving her to think that she'd said something wrong. "So…" Chloe starts awkwardly as Red raises an eyebrow in interest. "So?" Red responds prompting her to continue. "I was hoping, that maybe we could possibly get to know each other better." Chloe offers nervously as Red is taken aback by the offer. "Get to know each other better? Really?" She questions skeptically as Chloe narrows her eyes in defense. "Don't laugh!" She commanded, already regretting the statement, "I just, I like you okay? I want to get to know you, outside of the shallow stuff." She admits as Red's face starts to match her name at the confession. "Okay," Red replies breathlessly, not expecting to hear that from Chloe as she clears her throat. "I mean uh, sure. What do you want to know?"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"For starters, what made you bring me here?" Chloe asked as Red tenses at the question. In truth she hadn't thought much of this place; most of the girls she brought up there thought of it as a great backdrop at best and a stupid make-out spot at worst. Chloe, however, had this look of awe in her eyes, like there was something magical there that Red could no longer see.The teen just shrugs, not looking her date in the eye. "I guess I thought you'd like it," she mumbles, feeling sick as she realizes she never gave Chloe a chance to prove her wrong.A part of her wanted to let herself hope again. To imagine a life where pretty girls could be happy, and nice, and… genuine. Chloe smiles at her. "I did," she admits as she moves on to the next question. "So, what do you do for fun?" She asked before jokingly adding, "Outside of talking to drunk girls at parties," as Red let out a chuckle at the question. "Uhm, not much." She responds with a shrug, "My life really isn't as interesting as it looks," she adds somewhat nervously, as if saying that was a secret she wasn't sure she wanted Chloe to know. "I wouldn't say that," Chloe responds, smiling at the redhead, "we're two dates in, and I haven't gotten bored yet," she adds as Red smirks at her response."Date, huh?" She questioned as Chloe's eyes widened in realization. "No! I mean I shouldn't have assumed. This doesn't have to be a date; this could be the two of us hanging out. Alone. Watching the sunset. Together." Red can't help but laugh at the bluenette's reaction."Or… it could just be a date." She responds, looking to Chloe with a smirk, tilting her head in a tease as the girl flushes in response. "Y-yeah, that works too," she responds as Red lets out a laugh, finding Chloe incredibly cute when flustered."How about you? What's your deal?" Red asked as her laughs died down, trying to guide the conversation away from herself. "My deal? Uhm, I don't really have one, I guess." Chloe starts casually. "I like to fence, I guess, and I want to teach history when I'm older for sure. But that's about it." She admits as Red finds an interest in her goals. "History?" Red questioned with a smile as Chloe turned away. "Don't laugh," she argues as Red lets out a few misleading chuckles at how defensive she got. "I'm not, I swear. I just… I think it's kind of cool, you know? To know what you want to do in life." She admits feeling slightly envious of how easily she looked to the future, knowing that she didn't have the luxury of looking so far ahead."You don't know what you want to do now that you've graduated?" Chloe questioned in interest as Red averted her gaze, feeling a wave of embarrassment. She wasn't sure how to respond, given that she never did. And there was no point in spilling her guts to someone who wouldn't last long."It's… complicated," was all she said in response as the painted pinks of the sunset melted to the deep blues of the night sky. "Well, maybe I could help make it less complicated," Chloe offers. "I haven't decided on a school yet, but I'm sure if we look over some of your choices, we can narrow down your career choice." She adds happily as Red starts to squirm. "Maybe," she states in response, trying to avoid the subject, "but what about you? There has to be at least one school that's piqued your interest," she adds, trying to revert the conversation back to Chloe instead, which the girl seemed to notice but answered the question nonetheless. A sort of rhythm seemed to form between them as they spoke; Chloe would ask a question, Red would dodge, and the conversation would turn back to her.It was safer this way; no need to get attached. A cool breeze spread through the air as the day came to an end, prompting Red to turn to the girl beside her. "It's getting late; we should get going soon." Red started turning away from the horizon to head back to her bike, but Chloe stopped her with a gentle hand on her wrist. "Hey Red, I uh… I don't think I've ever been freer since the day I met you." Chloe stated, smiling shyly, as Red is taken aback by her statement.She knows that logically this was a sweet gesture, that this would normally be the part in the movie where the other girl finally starts breaking down her walls and says something just as meaningful. But this wasn't a movie, and Red had nothing to say. So instead she just looked away from the girl ahead of her, walked over to her bike, and mumbled a hesitant 'thanks' in response.Sure it was kind of harsh, but it wasn't as if she cared… right? No, Chloe wasn't different; she was just like everyone else; she had to keep her distance. Except, as she was driving Chloe back home, she couldn't help but realize not once had Chloe taken out her phone. She wasn't there for the aesthetic, or pics, or drinks; no, Chloe was there because she asked her, and she'd wasted it.As Red pulled up to her estate, she felt a kind of melancholy as Chloe dismounted. Like she'd wasted something today, but couldn't admit it. Getting attached never ended well; why was that so hard to remember when it came to her? Why did Chloe have to make it so difficult with her genuine smiles and gentle expressions? It wasn't fair.Chloe couldn't see the conflict on her face under her helmet as she waved goodbye. Nor could she see the disappointment as she realized it was time to take her leave, so then why could Red still feel it all?Before Chloe turned away to head back inside, she handed her helmet to Red with a smile revealing her mess of blue curls and faded brown roots. She gave her a smile that made Red's face turn scarlet as she let out the smallest laugh. "Next time maybe warn me about helmet hair," she joked as Red had to force herself back into the present. "Oh? So I do get a next time?" She responds smirking under her helmet as Chloe just chuckles slightly at the question. "We'll see," she responds as she waved Red off into the night.She came to a stop outside of her apartment building, keys dangling through her fingers as she came to a stop outside her door, memories of blue hair and perfect curls taking over her mind. She let out a tired groan as she entered the apartment to find Maddox already passed out on his bed, likely from the extra shifts he'd been taking at work. A silent swear fell from her throat as she realized she had work tomorrow too. Red just sighs as she starts to prepare for bed for the night, cleaning the kitchen as she warmed up the food her roommate had left out for her.After removing her dinner from the microwave, she opened her phone to see a few texts from her friend Celia. Nothing special, just asking about how the date went, but as Red answers, she finds herself doing anything but. She's too busy telling her about how good Chloe looks on a bike, how well of a fencer Chloe is, and even how amazing it is that she wants to be a history teacher. It's strange; she'd never cared so much about little facts like this on dates; there was always an unspoken disinterest between Red and the people she went out with. But with Chloe… It was like every new thing she learned about her made her even more amazing.Wait, since when did she call her dates amazing? Red wondered a bit panicked, shaking her head to rid herself of the thought as Celia texted her back.
Celia:
Careful, Red, you're starting to sound dangerously close to falling for her.
And Red couldn't help but panic, because deep down, she knew she was right.Red: Oh please, when have you ever known me to get attached? It's just interest, C; don't make it bigger than it is.Red responds, unsure of who she was trying to convince, but she got a feeling she was failing at both.
Celia:
Right, but if you ever plan to stop lying to yourself and making a move. You should invite her to the bonfire Thursday; it'll be fun, and I could finally meet her.
She offers, as Red considers what that would mean for them. She'd never really let herself get close enough to someone to let them meet her friends. That was a whole other level of intimacy she just wasn't sure she was ready for yet. If she did this, she'd have to admit that Chloe is different; she'd have to allow herself to get hurt again. And what if Chloe wasn't different? What if she left the moment she got what she wanted, just like everyone else did? But that wasn't what scared her the most, because what if she was different? What if she really was better? She wouldn't know how to accept it; she wouldn't know how to be loved.
Red:
I'll think about it.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Before Red could go to bed that night after dinner, a text stopped her in her tracks. She assumed it'd be another text from Celia, but instead it was Chloe's name that illuminated her screen.
Had fun today; just wanted to wish you a good night.
The text caught the redhead off guard; that never happened. It was silly and stupid, and she knew this all too well. But she just couldn't let these feelings go. She couldn't stop her face from flushing at the message, couldn't stop her eyes from dragging over the contact, and couldn't keep her feelings hidden forever. This was bad.Red's body acted on its own as she held the message down just long enough for a small heart icon to appear beside it before making the mistake of texting back.
I'm glad to hear it. Before you go, btw I was wondering
Have you ever been to a bonfire?
Yep, this was most definitely going to be a mistake.The next morning, Red wakes up early to get to Jack's Place, the pub where she worked. The bar was just across from her and Maddox's apartment and let her take the day shift most weekdays. Technically she needed to be twenty-one to work with the alcohol, but then again, technicalities have always had the same weight as 'suggestion' in her vocabulary.She clocks in at ten and immediately gets to work, operating on autopilot, as she sweeps the floors, dusts the counters, and sorts the bottles. Celia follows suit a little less than an hour later. The mornings were always slow before six; it was mainly just cleaning for the most part, not that either of them minded. It was good pay and an easy job, which was more than most like her could ask for."So...?" Celia asked from behind the counter as she took inventory of how much liquid was left in each bottle. "So?" Red answered coyly, not even looking up from the spot she was polishing on the counter, much to her friend's annoyance. "Is she coming or not?" Celia demanded in curiosity, "Don't tell me you chickened out." She adds in a challenge as Red rolled her eyes."I didn't chicken out," she started decidedly, "and you literally texted me last night. Do you really think I got an answer already?" She added in feigned annoyance as Celia shrugged. "Well, did you?" She questioned again as Red turned back to the rag she was using to wipe the counter. "She said she'd try to meet us there and asked if her cousin could come." Red answered reluctantly as Celia raised an eyebrow mockingly. "Wow, meeting the family already?" She quipped as Red shot her a look of warning."Just saying," Celia adds as she raises her arms in surrender. Red just rolled her eyes as they got back to work. It was a short shift overall; they got a few orders around lunchtime, but for the most part it was pretty tame. Red and Celia went back and forth a bit in preparation for Thursday, when finally their shift came to an end around six."You girls headed out?" Jack—the owner—asked, coming from the back room as they prepared their things behind the bar. His silver hair was tied up in his usual ponytail as he approached the girls casually.He was a tough but fair boss, if not a bit overbearing, but Red didn't mind. It wasn't often Red disagreed with his methods, especially considering there weren't many other legal options in their neighborhood. "Yeah, we'll be heading out in a bit, but we were kind of wondering if we could maybe borrow..." Celia starts casting a hesitant glance to the bar as Jack stilled his features."No."He responds decidedly, not even letting Celia finish. "What? But you didn't even let me finish," Celia argued with a whine as Jack shrugged in response. "Didn't need to," he states simply as Red chuckles slightly at her failure."Come on, please, Jack? It'll only be a few of us," Red attempted, but the older man stood firm. "No way, it's already bad enough you two work behind the counter underage," he replied as Red failed to suppress an eye roll. "Oh come on, we both know that's bullshit! Neither of us are minors!" Red argues "And neither of you are twenty-one either," he responds, silencing the girl in front of him, as Red gives up the argument."If you help us, we'll take a double shift Friday," Celia states, gesturing to Red, who looked back at her in shock. Friday was the busiest night of the week; double shifts would be hell, so of course that was what led Jack to let out a sigh of annoyance. "Fine, one bottle. And don't get caught," he agrees, as both Red and Celia's faces brighten at the statement. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," Celia repeats with a smile as she and Red head to the back."Double shifts? Really?" Red asked as soon as the two were out of sight. "Oh come on, do you really want Chloe to have to drink the cheap stuff?" Celia asked, already knowing the answer, as Red rolled her eyes, "Just put two bottles in the bag; I'm not giving up overtime pay for only one shot of tequila," she states, holding open her rundown messenger bag for her to put two bottles away for later before they left the building."So, where are we headed?" Celia asked, as the two walked, prompting Red to shrug. "Rooftop?" Red offers as Celia nods in agreement. It wasn't a secret that Celia was avoiding going home. Well, not to Red at least. They'd known each other long enough for small things like that not to go over Red's head. Still, she doesn't question it. That's not what they do; instead, she just offers her an escape, and neither of them talk about what's going on, because for people like them, there was no point in talking about problems like theirs.Red nudges Celia slightly as they round the corner to get her attention, casually nodding towards the corner store not too far down the street. They exchanged a knowing look as they approached the entrance, trying to draw as little attention to themselves as possible. Red nods slightly at the woman who greeted them before the two split, heading for the aisles.Red feigned a thoughtful expression as she browsed the candy aisle, every now and then a few chocolates making their way into her bag without anyone noticing. As she browsed, a few packs of chips and gummies followed suit. At the end of the day it wasn't hurting anyone; after all, it was a necessary sacrifice. When she caught up to Celia again, her bag was noticeably fuller than before, but no one said anything; nobody needed to know.The moment they stepped out of the building, they both booked it for the rooftop. Running as fast as possible whilst carrying more weight than expected. Red needed to re-up on snacks anyway. The two girls stopped in front of what looked like an abandoned warehouse in the darker side of the city, but both Red and Celia appeared unfazed. Celia follows Red up the fire escape all the way until they meet there roof, which wasn't too far considering the building wasn't that big.It wasn't too fancy; dust lined the room, and the only things that occupied it were a couple of lawn chairs they'd carried up there a few years ago and a cooler. Rusty rails guarded its ledge, and a perfect view of the richer part of the city lined the horizon. A part of Red found herself wondering if she could see Chloe's house from here but quickly shot the thought away as soon as it came.The duo started to divvy up their loot as they found comfort in the cool breeze of the night air and the salty taste of stolen chips. "So, how's it been at home?" Red asked semi-casually, not serious enough to break their unspoken agreement. Celia only shrugs in response. "Found Dad passed out on the couch again," she admits, leaning further into their sorry excuse for furniture. Red winced at the response, already knowing how bad her home life has been since her older sister moved out. "Fuck, he's still drinking?" Red asked in disappointment, "Yep, he says it 'takes the edge off' or whatever other bullshit he feels like spouting while intoxicated." She admits, annoyed, as she takes another swig of her Sprite. "Damn" is all Red said in response."What about you? You and Maddox still semi-stable?" Celia asked in curiosity as Red looked away in defeat. "Define stable," she responds, leaning forward so that her forearms grace her thigh, and that seems to be the only indication Celia needs. "That bad, huh?" She asked, and Red shook her head, "Worse," she started in response. "I don't know, C; he's taking like fifty extra shifts just to afford rent, pay the bills, and feed both of us. I swear some nights it's only me who eats." She admits, as Celia sighed, "I get it," she admits. "Tarot readings aren't exactly getting us set for life," Celia admits as Red lets out a chuckle in response. "Neither is cashiering," she adds jokingly as Celia nods to her.The two settled into a comfortable silence, nothing too heavy. It was what they were used to, the small moments between running for their lives and working 'til they were dead. And as they made short conversation between small talk and silence, Red found her attention falling on a particular skyscraper in the distance just as it always did when she was up there. Celia can see a moment of sympathy cross Celia's face before she masked it back to her usual unbothered expression. They didn't do sympathy; sympathy never helped anyone.On the building in big glowing letters where Crimson Crown Industries spades Red hated that place. Celia spoke up as she watched Red's hand tighten its grip on her can of beer in discomfort."How long has it been since she..." Celia trails off, unsure if she should complete the sentence. '"Kicked me out?" Red asked, hiding her pain with a scoff, "About two years, right after my sixteenth birthday." She replies as the other girl places her hand on her shoulder. "You didn't deserve that," she states as Red shrugs in feigned nonchalance. "Yeah, but that's what I got," she states, taking another swig of her beer. "Some get their happy endings, and some people don't. Fuck whoever feels as if they deserve one." She adds, still staring out into the horizon with Celia, as she sighs. "Maybe that's true..." she starts as she takes in the view before nudging her friend. "Or maybe we just have to make our own," she adds, and Red raised an eyebrow in suspicion."When did you get so optimistic?" She asked as Celia shrugged, going back to her usual unbothered attitude. "Don't get used to it." She warns."Do you think she hates me?" Red asked, but there was no hope or anger in her tone, just curiosity. "Does it matter?" Celia countered with a shrug as Red's expression went serious, looking directly at the building ahead of them. She simply nods as she responds, "I really fucking hope she does."Celia is slightly thrown off by the answer, but quickly smirks in response. "In that case, let's have some fun."
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Red and Celia raced down the street on Red's bike, the weight of a duffel bag filled with spray paint pulling them slightly off balance. Their destination was only a few blocks away.
"This is a horrible idea!" Red shouted over the rush of wind, her voice tinged with both thrill and anxiety."Since when has that stopped you?" Celia called back, a mischievous grin tugging at her lips. And Red couldn’t help but smile. She was right—it never had.The bike picked up speed as Red’s resolve hardened. Her mother’s building looming over her as if to remind her of everything that had been stripped away. To remind her that the closest thing she has to a home was this cold gentrified luxury, that broke her to pieces."You ready?" Celia asked as they stopped a block away, the shiny facade of the building gleaming under the streetlights."Always," Red replied, dismounting the bike with practiced ease. She adjusted the duffel on her shoulder and pulled the hood of her jacket over her head. Without hesitation, she headed toward the building's front entrance. Celia followed close behind, her sharp eyes scanning for any signs of trouble, as Red silently pointed out the cameras mounted around the entrance. They stopped just in front of the locked doors as she dropped the duffel at her feet."You got me?" she asked, her voice steady.Celia scanned the street for any signs of sirens or unwanted attention before flashing her a thumbs-up.Red smirked, pulling a can of red spray paint from the bag. With smooth, deliberate strokes, she began her work. The bright red paint slashed across the glass windows, dulling their pristine metallic reflections. By the time she was finished, the words "REBEL, MENACE, RIOT" stood bold and defiant, punctuated by a cartoonish middle finger.Her mother would get the message by sunrise."What do you think?" Red asked, stepping back to admire her work."Another masterpiece," Celia said, arms crossed, a hint of pride in her tone, although their moment was cut short by the distant wail of sirens."Shit," Red muttered, her pulse spiking as a cop’s voice boomed over a speaker."Hey! What do you think you’re doing?"Red and Celia exchanged a quick glance before taking off in unison, sprinting down an alley beside the building. The duffel and paints lay abandoned on the pavement behind them.They ran without hesitation, zigzagging through the labyrinth of streets and alleys with the kind of precision that only came from years of navigating them. Red’s heart hammered in her chest as she realized someone was chasing them—fast footsteps echoed close behind."He's gaining," she thought, but she kept her focus, her feet pounding against the pavement.As they approached a subway entrance, Red gestured sharply toward it. Celia understood immediately. Splitting up was the only way to lose him. The cop couldn’t follow them both.Celia veered left, darting into the subway crowd, while Red turned sharply down a side street, aiming for her bike.The officer chose her, likely because she’d been the one holding the spray paint. Red didn’t look back. She knew these streets too well to get caught. Turning down a narrow alley that seemed to dead-end, she baited the cop closer before vaulting over a fence.She landed on the other side, her breath ragged but determined. Without missing a beat, she climbed a rusted fire escape and hauled herself onto the roof of an old apartment building. From there, she could see the gleaming monstrosity of her mother’s building—the giant glass structure she'd tagged just moments ago.A quiet laugh escaped her lips as she crouched low, slipping from rooftop to rooftop. Once she was sure she’d lost the officer, she climbed back down and merged into the crowd below, walking casually toward her bike.It was still parked across the street from the building, practically glowing under the city lights. Red strapped on her helmet and roared away into the night, adrenaline still coursing through her veins as she pulled into her apartment. Exhaustion hiting her like a wave as he kicked off her boots and dropped her helmet at the door without a second thought.Peeking into Maddox’s room, she saw her him completely passed out on his bed, snoring softly. She closed the door quietly and collapsed onto the couch, her body sinking into the cushions.The events of the night replayed in her mind as her head hit the pillow. She would definitely regret this in the morning—but for now, the thought of Chloe hearing this story brought a faint smile to her lips as she drifted off to sleep.
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Chloe has no idea what to wear the day of the party. She and Dizy frantically raided her closet as they watched the clock tick slowly closer and closer to six."Come on, you have to have something to wear," Dizzy insisted as she tossed aside another shirt as Chloe paced around the room anxiously. "What about this?" Chloe asked, holding up one of the old hoodies she'd stolen from her brother, as Dizzy gave her a look in response. "For starters, it's the middle of June," she replied as Chloe tossed it aside, seeing her point. "Omg! What about this top with this belt?" Dizzy squealed as Chloe admired her choice. A white crop top with short blue sleeves paired with her white belt with silver star accents for some added shine."That's the one!" She praised excitedly as Chad stopped by the room in annoyance. "What's with all the racket? We can hear you squealing from the kitchen." He states as Chloe debates whether or not she wants to tell him their plans for the night. "Chloe and I are going to a bonfire!" Dizzy blurted prematurely, unable to hide her excitement as Chloe nudged her gently. "Dizzy," she chided as her cousin raised her hands in surrender. "Sorry! But come on, you couldn't have seriously expected better from me." She says in defense as Chloe shrugged in agreement."Come look at Chloe's outfit!" Dizzy states dragging Chad to the mess of clothes on her bed as she points out the pile she'd chosen for her. It was a simple outfit, but Dizzy promised Red would love it. She'd chosen jean cargos to go with the shirt they'd picked out. Accessorized by a few of her mom's old butterfly charms. "Uhm, there's no way you're walking out of the house in that." Chad stated, crossing his arms in disapproval, as Chloe mirrored the gesture. "It's literally a crop top, and I'm a legal adult." She reminds him as her brother rolls his eyes."I don't care; I don't need some weirdo hitting on my baby sister at a party." He states decidedly as Chloe opens her mouth to say something else, but her cousin beats her to it. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about that; it's not like Red would let that happen." Dizzy states, emphasizing the girls' name, as Chole's face heated in embarrassment. "Don't tell me she's the one who invited you?" Chad exclaimed as if she were a danger to society. "That settles it! You're not going."He claims as Chloe watched him in disbelief. "What! You can't be serious right now." She responds as Dizzy backs her up. "Yeah! Let her go be with her girlfriend," she adds."Not my girlfriend!" Chloe quickly clarifies before adding, "But I am going, and you can't stop me." With the most annoying little sister voice she could muster, Chad sighed, giving in. "Fine, whatever, but I'm telling you, that Red girl is bad news," he responds as Chloe rolls her eyes, getting irritated. "And how would you know that? You've never even spoken to her." Chloe counters, but Chad isn't having it. "Are you kidding me right now!" Chad exclaimed in annoyance. "She was running from the cops just a day ago!" He adds in exasperation as a new voice chimes in."Who was running from the cops?" Chloe's mother asked in suspicion as they all jumped at the sudden company. The three of them shot each other a look of panic as a silent conversation fell between the siblings. "No one! It was just a, uh… joke! We were just joking." Chloe responds nervously, shooting a warning look to her brother. A look of hesitation falls across his face as he turns to their mother in determination. "Mom, I have to tell you something," he states seriously as Chloe's heart pounds in her chest. "Chad," Chloe chides under her breath as she casts him a look of warning, but he ignores her. "It's about Chloe," he adds as the new adult feels sweat start to lace her palms. "She's…' Chad starts as he turns to his trembling sister. "She's…" Chad hesitates as their mother watches him in practiced patience. He finally sighs in defeat as he finishes his sentence. "She's going out tonight, with some friends I don't approve of." He states, and their mother paused for a second before letting out a laugh at her son. "Chad, your sister's an adult now; she can hang out with whoever she likes." Ella stated before turning to Chloe, "So long as they're not getting her in trouble, right, Chloe?" She adds jokingly as Chloe nods nervously with a painted-on smile."Good, now go let your sister get ready, and we'll talk about this later, alright?" The woman asked gently as he sighed in response, leaving his sister and his cousin alone to get ready.It wasn't long before Dizzy and Chloe were trying to sneak out the back door later that night. The last thing they needed was to be caught and questioned about their whereabouts. But of course, life seemed to have other plans. "Chloe dear, wait up a second," her mother called out to her, just centimeters away from the door as a grimace formed on her face. They were already running late, and she really didn't have time for a lecture; her phone was already buzzing with what she could only assume were Red's texts. "Yes, Mom?" She called back, turning to face her mother as she tried to hide her annoyance. "I'm sorry, I know you're really excited to hang out with your friends tonight, but you've been so busy this summer I've barely seen you recently." She explains as a pit of guilt forms in Chloe's stomach."Is everything okay? Does this have something to do with those friends Chad was talking about?" She asked as Chloe quickly corrected her. "No, of course not. Red's great," she swears as her mother looks to her in intrigue. "Red? So that's the one Chad was talking about?" Her mother asked as Chloe looked utterly mortified."It's not like that, I swear! We've just been hanging out a bit recently; I swear I haven't been getting into trouble … Can't you just trust me?" asked the bluenette as her mother gave her a gentle smile. "Of course I trust you, honey; you're eighteen now, and I know you can take care of yourself. I just worry, you know. I hope you have fun tonight." The woman responds, giving her daughter a quick squeeze before letting them go. A grave look forms on Chloe's face as she exits their estate. "Are you okay?" Dizzy asked, noticing her expression as they got in the car. "Yeah," she replied with a false confidence and a hesitant expression. She really hated lying to her mother; she couldn't help but feel a guilt flow through her veins. "Let's just get to the party." She adds before mumbling something to herself that Dizzy couldn't make out. "Red's waiting."
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Chloe and Dizzy arrive at the party around seven. Red greets them in awe, unsure of what was more gorgeous, the way Chloe looked with her hair tied back and dazzling charms, or the baby blue Bentley convertible they drove in on. It wasn't exactly Red's color, but man did Chloe look incredible behind the wheel. "Sorry we're late," Chloe greets, knocking Red from her stupor as the other girl introduces her cousin. "This is Dizzy, the cousin I was talking about," Chloe explained as the ginger squealed at the introduction. "You must be Red! Chloe's told me so much about you!" Dizzy states with far more excitement than expected from their host. "I mean she hasn't shut up about you since the party." She adds as Chloe's face grows hot and Red's Cheshire grin grows wide. "Oh really?" Red teased, turning to her guest of honor, as Chloe just shot a hand to Dizzy's mouth in response, smiling shyly at Red."Ignore her! She's just being a child" Chloe states, casting a look at her cousin. "But… uh… thanks for the invite" she adds as Red lets a genuine smile form on her lips. "Of course, I'm glad you could make it."As Red speaks, the three are interrupted by Celia's entrance. Her eyes immediately shot over to the duo, analyzing their features slightly as she tried to make out which of them had caught Red's eye. Red introduced her reluctantly as her friend leaned against her frame, making sure to annoy Red in any way she could. As Chloe and Dizzy introduced themselves, a sly smile formed on Celia's lips. Red was sure to clock as they spoke. "Oh cool, so you're the one Red's talked so much about. It's great to meet you both. Can we get you guys anything, s'mores, snacks? Drinks?" Celia offered eying Dizzy as the two led the cousins to a clearing, a little ways from the city. Music was blasting from about six different speakers, all seemingly a different brand. About fifty people were hanging about, some dancing, some laughing with friends, some smoking in the corners. Coolers spread around randomly, some with alcohol, others with Cokes; everyone seemed to be having a good time. Red and Celia even greeted a few people they came across. Chloe shook her head trying to refocus on the question at hand. "No thanks," she responded simply. "I told Dizzy I'd drive tonight," she added in explanation as the duo ahead of her hummed in understanding. "Probably for the best, especially after last time" Red teased as Chloe playfully shoved her in annoyance. "We don't talk about that," she warns as Red raises her arms in surrender. "Talk about what?" She replied with a smirk as Chloe playfully rolled her eyes. "What about you cutie?" Celia asked, turning her attention to Dizzy, who was already a blushing mess. "Don't tell me you don't drink either" she states as Dizzy was caught off guard by the statement. "Oh… I … yeah sure… I drink." She states nervously as Chloe shoots her a look and Celia grins at the response. "Cool, come on I'll grab us a few." She states, dragging Dizzy off further into the crowd, leaving Red and Chloe alone. Red laughs slightly at this display, knowing her friend was always so forward. "Sorry about her," Red apologizes, a bit embarrassed at her friend's actions. "I'll tell her off for this later," she promised as Chloe shook her head in response. "Don't be," she told her. "Pretty sure Dizzy started crushing from the moment she said her name" she joked as they both let out a laugh in response."I just hope she doesn't drink too much before we head home later," she adds mostly to herself, but Red still nods in understanding nonetheless. The two settled into a comfortable silence as the song that was playing faded out, only for another to take its place. "Dance with me," Red offers, holding out a hand for Chloe to take, a bit of flirtation shining through her words as Chloe laughs softly at the display, nodding slightly as she takes her hand. The song wasn't slow or anything; Red's hands weren't wrapped around her waist or anything, but still, they danced together in the moonlight. Smiling brightly in the embers, Chloe thought to herself that this was what she wanted. Chloe isn't sure how long they stayed like that. Dancing in the moonlight, finally far enough from the city to see the stars, but it felt perfect. The four of them regroup later that night by the fire, toasting marshmallows and telling stories in the bright light of the flames. Dizzy had obviously had too much to drink by the way she was leaning tiredly on her cousin's shoulder and the way her face was flushed red. "You doing okay there Dizzy?" Chloe questioned in amusement as her cousin hummed into her shoulder in exhaustion. Chloe then cast a glance at Celia, who was giggling drunkenly in amusement as she watched the exchange.After a while, it started to get late, and Chloe had to get Dizzy home, so she figured it was about to call it. She slowly shook her cousin awake as she turned to Red in disappointment. " I think it's about time for us to go" Chloe starts as Red nods her head in understanding but tries to get her to stay nonetheless. She hadn't drunk much since Chloe had gotten to the party, from what she could tell, but the pale red tent of her facial features and subtle slur told a different story. "Awe already?" Red asked in playful disappointment."It's barely ten," she adds as Chloe laughs slightly at her attempts to bargain. "Unfortunately, yeah, Dizzy is practically passed out, and Chad's going to start throwing a fit in a moment." She responds as she nudges her cousin gently awake. "We'll catch y'all later" she adds, but Red offers to walk them back to the car. She and Chloe were holding Dizzy up as they made their way through the party when someone started causing trouble in the distance. "Just ignore them" Red mumbles to Chloe. "Some of the boys just had too much to drink again," she adds as they broke through the crowd. They didn't park too far from the party, but the bonfire was still a way out from the parking area. Chloe was lucky to have Red's help, but as they approached the parking a small group of boys seemed to approach them in the distance. They were coming from the party too, clearly drunk and pissed off. Red was already stepping a little closer to Chloe and Dizzy protectively not exactly liking the look of this scene, but the three kept their head down nonetheless.It wasn't until some of the boys started to whistle at Chloe did Red began to lose her temper. "Yoo-hoo, blueberry? You guys need a ride" One called out, to which they ignored, which only seemed to piss them off more. "Hey! I know you hear me! Come on, don't be such a bitch about It!" The front man adds as Red clenches her jaw in swallowed fury. His brown hair was greasy and matted, she could already tell by his expression he was looking to start trouble. "She doesn't need a ride dipshit!" Red called back hoping that that would be enough to get them to back off, but of course, it wasn't, and suddenly Red heard a loud crash come from a few steps behind herThe three paused, examining the source of the sound only to find the glass remnants of a bottle scattered across the ground only a few inches away from Red. Red paused for a moment as Chloe sent her a look. What happened next went by too fast to process; one minute, Red was at Chloe's and Dizzy's side. The next minute, her fist was in the guy's face."Fucking bitch!" The boy called getting back up from the impact, the rest of his gang of assholes preparing for a fight that Chloe quickly broke up. "Red, stop" Chloe warned, but Red still looked ready to attack. "I said stop it Red!" She said again, and Red reluctantly pushed the boy away with a sigh, maintaining a safe distance between the two for Chloe's."Yeah, go run along, coward," the leader taunted as Red struggled to control her anger. "We can settle this right now, dick head," she challenged as he let out a cocky laugh in response. "I'd like to see you try," he responded, and Red wasn't even thinking when she made her next Statement. "Street race! You and me, half a mile out and back." She challenged, "You really don't have to do this," Chloe insisted, but the man just responded with an ignorant "you're own as a reply."Word of the challenge traveled fast, and soon, the entire party was crowded around the street to watch the race. Chloe tries to explain how reckless and dangerous the whole situation is to Red, but of course, she doesn't listen. She was too riled up to listen to reason."Don't worry, Chloe… I'll make sure to wipe that smug look off his face when I'm done with him." She promised, 'That's the problem,' Chloe thinks to herself, but she watches Red dawn her helmet nonetheless, trying to ignore the nagging feelings on her stomach that warned her this wasn't going to end well.
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Red lined up at the starting line next to the man who started all of this. According to her, street racing was commonplace around here. It was far enough from the city to avoid unwanted attention and threats to civilian safety, but Chloe still couldn't help but feel as though this was a bad idea.
Red revved her engine threateningly as she watched the man beside her. His smug smirk infuriated her more than anything as a woman she recognized from a few of her other races took the stage to count them down. She was only a few years older than Red, but by the way, she was waving her cloth, likely a scarf or something, it was clear she had experience.
"On my mark…" She yells over the sounds of their roaring engines on either side of her, anticipation coursing through Red's veins. "Three…" Red focused her full attention ahead of her, feeling as her pulse rushed faster and faster in preparation for the moment"Two…" She'd done this before, there was no need to be anxious. The man needed to pay"One…" The woman drops the cloth, and Red can hear every single beat of her racing heart in her chest. Everything seems to slow down as she casts one more glance at the crowd, searching for the familiar blue in the sea of blondes and brunettes."Go!" Both vehicles take off down the abandoned streets just outside the town. They're flying across the asphalt, and within moments, they're out of sight, and the crowd is but a distant memory. Red could hear the screams of those attempting to shadow them, but there was only one thing on Red's mind. Up ahead two trucks marked the end of their raceway half a mile out. One of his friends, and one of Reds' to avoid any cheating. She knew these streets like the back of her hand, she'd raced them so many times before. It was almost muscle memory controlling her driving, but she never forgot her rage. Red was in the lead as they came to their checkpoint. It was a simple course, just a u-turn until she was home free, but the sight of blue and red in the distance threw her off. "Shit, shit, shit," she mumbled to herself as they grew closer, illuminating a police car in the distance. "Cops!" Red yells as she reaches the half-mile mark. "We gotta go!" She adds turning back to the party grounds. Red could hear yelling as they approached the group, excitement coursing through the crowd as they waited for the winner to come out on top. Unfortunately for them, however, all they were met with was panic and chaos."Cops!" The drivers yelled out until the others were close enough to hear the warnings. Whoever was chasing them had likely already called for backup, and within moments, dozens of cars were pulling off in a scattered attempt to flee. At least twenty cars were pulling off in all directions as Red searched for Chloe in the crowd."Get on," she told her quickly praying that the small size of her bike would give her an advantage against the other cars fleeing the scene. "Red what's going on?" Chloe asked in confusion as the sirens grew louder. "No time to explain, but let's just say I fucked up," Red responds. She casts a glance over her shoulder in anxiety as she turns back to Chloe. "We have to go now," Red warns, trying to keep her cool, "what about Dizzy?" Chloe asked trying to find her cousin in the crowd. "Celia's got her, just trust me," Red promised as Chloe hesitated but got on the back of Red's motorcycle nonetheless. They don't travel far, just enough to sneak away from all the chaos. They pull over at a small gas station only a few miles out. Red is panting with a grin as she watches Chloe dismount in a panic."Well, at least you can't say I'm boring," Red joked as she followed suit, grinning from the relief of safety. "What?" Chloe breathed out, trying to catch her breath as she turned to Red. "I mean, come on, I would have totally won had the cops not shown up. Trust me, though, next time he's going down," she adds, leaning against her bike with a smug expression, still slightly buzzed by the adrenaline and alcohol."Are you kidding me right now?" Chloe asked in disbelief somewhat coldly catching Red off guard. "What? Don't tell me you didn't think I was going to win," Red joked as Chloe looked at her, practically seething in anger. She couldn't believe Red's nonchalance. "Are you serious right now! We were literally on the run from the police and you're fucking talking about next time!?" Chloe exclaimed utterly done with Red at the moment. "Oh come on, it was just one squad car. We were out of there before they could even call for backup." Red insisted as Chloe looked at her utterly dumbfounded."Just one…!" Chloe starts raising her voice before taking a deep breath and cutting herself off, quickly changing the topic before she gets even more upset. "Red…where is my cousin?" Chloe asked trying to maintain her composure as the other girl looked away. Chloe's stomach dropped. "Red where the fuck is my cousin!? You said she was with Celia!" Chloe accused, "She was!" Red cried in defense. "I'm just not sure where she went after that" she mumbled as Chloe glared daggers into the redhead."Look it's that big a deal!" Red tried to insist "I've done this a million times before, the crowd will throw off the police, and she'll be able to get away easy." She adds, trying to calm the girl, but to no avail; Chloe is still furious as she takes out her phone."Who are you calling?" Red asked as Chloe shot her another glare. "I'm checking to see if Dizzy is okay, and I'm asking her to pick me up." She replies as Red nods. "You know you don't have to do that, I can take you home" she offers as Chloe shakes her head in response."Dizzy had the car," she states as she brings the phone to her ear before adding, "And I'm not going anywhere with you."The conversation was short, only a few minutes long. Red could only hear Chloe's half, but it sounded like she was okay, and as Chloe hung, she turned her attention back to Red. "See, I told you it'd be fine; she's with Celia, isn't she?" Red asked, but Chloe didn't answer. "Please just let me take you home, I told you everything would be okay. I don't understand why you're so upset." She adds as Chloe finally gets fed up."You don't understand why I'm upset!? Really!? I told you not to take that race!" She chided practically screaming at the girl in front of her. "Oh come on, we both know you secretly loved it," Red responds smugly as Chloe's eyes widen at the statement. "Excuse me?" She questioned coldly in the offense. "Oh, don't be such a princess, Chloe! You can drop the act, we both know you only came here today to entertain this rebellious phase of yours." Red states in annoyance "I'm just giving you what you want." She adds and Chloe's eyes are burning with fury. "What I want!? Do you really think this is what I came here for?" Chloe asked angrily, "Did you really think that I was so shallow that I would play with your feelings for over a month, and for what…? An adrenaline rush? I came here for you Red!"Chloe finally admitted at the top of her lungs, anger and hurt mixing into her words as Red is stunned into silence. "But I was stupid to think you'd feel the same"Silence falls over the two of them as Dizzy pulls in. Celia is in the driver's seat, and Dizzy is asleep next to her. Chloe thanks her for getting her cousin to safety and the two swap places as Celia hands her the keys. Chloe doesn't say anything to Red after that, there was nothing to say. It was clear where they stood, she just wished they'd known before someone got hurt.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chloe and Dizzy return home late that night. Her mom and dad had already turned in for the afternoon, and Chloe helped her cousin inside, still emotionally exhausted from the long night she'd had. She helps Dizzy stumble up the steps to her room. She technically had her own room for the nights she'd stay over, but they both loved sleepovers, and Chloe got the feeling leaving Dizzy alone wasn't the best idea for the night."Ugh, how could I have ever thought Red was different." Chloe groaned to Dizzy even though she knew she wasn't listening. "I mean, what was I thinking? I should have listened to Chad when he warned me the first time." She adds as she opens the door for the two of them. "God, how could I have been so stupid?" She mumbled before casting a glance at her cousin with a sigh. "… And you're not listening to any of this are you?" She asked, but it was more of a rhetorical question than anything."Do yoou thnk Celia will tesh me?" Dizzy mumbled as Chloe sighed to herself. She had more pressing issues than Red right now. "Come on, let's get you sobered up," is all Chloe says in response.Chloe takes out a few pajamas for Dizzy to change into after her shower before turning to her cousin. "Do you need help?" She asked gently, eying the distance from the front door to the bathroom, and Dizzy nodded. "Yeah," she mumbles tiredly as Chloe leads her to the bathroom before eying the sick look on her face. "Do you need to throw up?" Chloe asked, already preparing to hold her hair back as Dizzy nodded again. "Yeah."Chloe rubbed her back a bit like her mother always did for her when she wasn't feeling well before leaving her to clean up, and after a nice shower, she seemed a little more sober. Within moments, they were already seconds away from passing out. Chloe had turned on a movie, but neither of them was really paying attention. Her mind was still too focused on Red; she was so angry but also hurt and annoyed. Annoyed at herself for ever thinking they could be more than whatever it was that they were, and annoyed at Red, for never even trying to be."Hey Chloe" Dizzy mutters from beside her half-asleep."Hm?" She hums softly in response, turning her attention to her cousin."Red's an idiot," she responds simply as a small smile forms on Chloe's lips. She didn't respond, but she didn't need to. The silence was enough, and Dizzy's breath had already leveled beside her.Chloe is woken up by a text from Red the next morning. Jumbled letters and useless spaces exposed her state of mind when she did so. This was followed by a call from her, which just infuriated her more; she didn't want to be another drunk text. She wasn't even sure she wanted to text her at all at this point, it was all just too much.____When Chloe didn't answer, Red sent another text, and another, ignoring how unclearly she had been thinking. Ignoring how impulsive she acted, or how "sorry" turned to"sotyy". She didn't care how her pleads to be "forgiven" autocorrected to "forward. " No, she just needed Chloe to forgive her. Or was it already too late?
Red:
let s take
Red:
pleas l rt Me Xplain
Red:
coMr oN
Red:
*Comf
Red:
*Conr
Red groaned loudly at her inability to text. "Chloe wotn… tesh…" Red started speech slurring as she tried again. "tesh… me baks," she finished bedroting on her and Maddox's sofa as she let a puff of smoke flow through her lungs. "Why wotn… why wotn she tesh me" she whined before trying once again to text her, only for Celia to take her phone away.
"Hey!" Red called, trying to reach for it, only for a wave of dizziness to attack her. "She's probably not responding because you're texting her high as fuck at six in the morning." Celia chides, raising her voice in frustration as she holds the phone away from her friend.
"For fucks sake Red, pull yourself together," Celia tells her as Red removes the vape pen from her lips. "Why should I?" Red asked, reaching for another one of the half-finished tented bottles around her, but Celia grabbed the alcohol away before Red could reach her lips.
A buzz from Red's phone is the one thing that sparked hope in the young adult. She immediately shot up for her phone uncoordinatedly until Celia decided to put her out of her misery and gave it to her, herself.
Chloe:
Sober up
That was all she got in response. Red tried to text her again, even more hopeful this time. If Chloe could text her back then she was more likely to be on her phone. They could finally talk. She sent one text, then another, letters still bleeding into each other as she tried despite Celia's protest, only to be met with the same undelivered message every time.
"Fuckkk," she cried, falling back into her pillow as she reached for her vape, only for Celia to pull that away too. "Nuh, uh. Pitty party's over," Celia stated, seriously worried about her friend. "I'm cutting you off." She adds much to Red's annoyance, although she doesn't try to argue. She was well aware that she was in no condition to take Celia on at the moment.Celia takes some clothes out of the small trunk of apparel on the other side of the room before instructing Red to take a shower."Waht's teh point..." she slurs in disinterest preferring to wither away on the couch as Celia crosses her arms threateningly.“Because if you don't, I'll just drag you to the restroom myself. And let's be honest, if I shut the door, you'd probably be too stoned to remember how to get out.” Celia states as Red rolls her eyes. “'m not tha'sh…I'm not… 'm not tha'sh messed up,” she argues, her words lagging as her brain struggles to keep up with all of her actions, leading Celia to raise an eyebrow in slight amusement.
“Oh really? Your eyes are red as fuck, and you can't even walk in a straight line,” Celia responds, unimpressed, as Red argues back in response .“What? Yesh, I can…” she responds as Celia gestures for her to prove it.
Red can't even walk two feet without stumbling. Her vision is swimming as she holds her head in pain. Dizziness forced her off balance as she swayed harshly, attempting to brace herself on the arm of the couch behind her. Her legs knocks over a few bottles as she trips on her own dirty clothes, she almost falls completely before Celia catches her from the left. “Fuck” she mumbles, “'m wasted.”
"Yeah—" Celia confirms shaking her head slightly as she helped her to her bathroom. "—No shit."
Celia holds Red's hair back as she throws up the moment they got there, going into autopilot as she takes care of her friend. It wasn't the first time Red had been like this, and her father wasn't much better. She knew what to do, it was like second nature at this point.
She turned on the faucet as Red washed her hands. She makes sure the water isn't too hot, before placing a change of clothes for her near the sink. She keeps an eye on her friend as she points out her change of clothes, and watches as the steam starts to sober her.
"Where are we going?" Red mumbles with a horse voice as she eyes the clothes Celia had set aside for her.
"Well, first, you're getting some rest," Celia stated, but it was more of a command than anything. "And after…" Celia starts with a sigh. "We're getting your girlfriend back." She finished, but there was an unspoken determination in it. Before you destroy yourself trying. That's what Celia was thinking as she spoke. Red knew it, and she was right to worry. Red knew that if Chloe left for good she would spend every day trying to fix what she'd messed up from the beginning.
That every moment of her life would revolve around this one mistake. Just like last time. She should have never allowed herself to grow attached, but now that was… she could never live without her.
"Thank you," Red states, and it's the most sober she'd sounded all day. Celia doesn't really know how to respond to that. That wasn't really how their friendship worked. Neither of them opened up to each other, and thank yous were especially rare for the two of them. So instead she just responds with a simple nod and closes the door as she leaves to clean the living room.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Red is passed out on the couch in a clean pair of pajamas when Maddox wakes up later that morning. Celia is carrying a trash bag as she sorts through the mess of Reds' "room", and a few eggs had been taken out of the fridge for breakfast. He doesn't get mad or angry as he looks around the remnants of Reds' breakdown. He knew his roommate well enough by now. Instead, he greeted Celia with sympathy as he bent down to help pick up some of the broken glass. "Bad night?" He asked quietly to avoid waking his friend as Celia shook her head with a sigh. "I didn't think she'd…I never thought she was that bad." She mumbled tossing out a few cigarette stubs. "She's…" Maddox lets out a sigh as he casts a glance toward Red. "She's been through a lot. You know that better than I do." He responds as Celia nods tossing out a few of her vapes too. Red would thank her for this later. "How long?" Celia asked, throwing the trash bag to the side; she'd take it out before she and Red left."…I'm not sure," Maddox admits, somewhat ashamed as a part of him blamed himself for all of this. "I found her passed out on the couch a few months ago. I thought it was a one-time thing, but now I'm not so sure." He explained in guilt. "I should have been paying more attention, I'm responsible for her. This is all my fault." He mumbled his thoughts riddled with guilt as Celia placed a hand on his shoulder. "This isn't on you; she'll be nineteen soon; at some point, her decisions have to be considered her own," Celia states squeezing his shoulder slightly."Have you talked to her about it?" She asked, and Maddox shook his head in response. "You know how Red is, the queen of avoidance." He states and Celia can't help but let out a small laugh at the accuracy. Maddox smiled slightly before a somber look overtook his features. "Did she ever tell you how old she was when it happened?" Maddox asked, and Celia nodded. "Sixteen, right?"
"Yeah," Maddox mumbles, "about a month before summer break," he adds. "I found her two weeks later," He finished as Celia was taken aback by the statement; this was new news to her. She'd always assumed Red went straight to Maddox's place after everything, but now that she thought about it… he was only twenty at the time; he would've still been in his junior year of college.
"What do you mean by found her?" Celia asked suddenly getting increasingly worried for her best friend. "Where was she?"
Maddox hesitated for a second recognizing that this wasn't his story to tell, but he felt it would help her understand. "I'd gotten worried about her; she hadn't been texting me back for a few weeks, so when I came back to visit for spring break, I went looking for her and…" he trailed off, looking away from Celia with a sigh. "She was sleeping in her-" Maddox cuts himself off as Red starts to wake up.
"Mads?" She mumbles with a groan as she rubs the sleep from her tired eyes and stretches out on the couch. "Morning, Red," He responds back to his normal, unserious self as she lets out a yawn. "What are you doing home so late?" She asked squinting at the soft light seeping through the blinds and into the living room. "I was actually just about to head out," he responds. "Can I make you girls breakfast before I leave?" He asked nicely, headed towards the cabinets as Celia shook her head in response. "We'll probably eat out for brunch" she replies as Maddox nods.
"Then at least let me pay, I insist" he tries again as Celia shakes her head once more. "Really, it's no need, Mads, we got this. Just have a good day at work," Red replied, and Maddox reluctantly let it go.
"Fine, fine, just call me if you need anything," he responds, grabbing his keys and casting one more nervous glance at Celia before heading out. "What was that about?" Red asked, but Celia didn't answer. Instead, she turned her full attention to her with a serious expression, throwing the redhead off by the sudden shift.
"Red, what was that last night?" Celia questioned as Red tensed. "What do you mean?" Red asked masking her voice with disinterest. Celia narrowed her eyes, "You know exactly what I mean; you looked 'bout worse than my dad." She chided as Red felt guilt rise in her chest. She lets out a sigh. "I know, I know, look, I just… it was a bad day, okay? I got angry and I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry it's just… Chloe," Red starts as Celia nods her head in understanding, "it was just a one-time thing, I promise. It won't happen again." She adds, but Celia knew better; maybe it was "just a bad day," but how many more of those would she have before it was too late?
"What if I wasn't here Red? Do you understand how dangerous that could have been?" Celia asked angrily. They'd had fights before, but this one was different; this one mattered. "It wouldn't have gotten that bad, look at me. I'm fine. You know me, you know I can take it." Red states cooly, trying to get her friend to believe her, and Celia sighs. "Red…""You said you'd help me get Chloe back, so are you going help me or not?" She asked, changing the subject, and Celia reluctantly backed down. "Fine," she replied. "We can come up with a plan at the gallery after brunch," she added as they both parted ways to get ready for the day.That afternoon they found themselves at Red's gallery. It was the same shabby warehouse they'd spent their night at earlier that week. Every wall was filled with one mural after the other, each one was beautiful. Some were fueled by anger, others by sadness, but as she looked at the small space left on one of the back walls she could feel this one would be fueled by love.Celia spread out comfortably on the futon that made up the center of the building as Red casts a glance at her backup paints. A thin layer of dust lined the duffle much like the rest of the warehouse, but Red didn't mind; she needed to clear her mind."You going to paint something today?" Celia asked in curiosity, lying back against the cushions as Red reached for a few pale blues and soft browns to make up the color palette. "Yeah," she responds softly as she as she starts on her painting Red paints a mural of Chloe; she draws her beautiful blue curls pulled into a low ponytail. Her almond eyes were rich with joy, and emotion as she detailed the sparkles that brightened her irises. Red used the smile from that video Chloe posted a while ago. The one that made her eyes squint as she grinned so brightly she could make the sun jealous. A smile so beautiful that she couldn't help but hope that it would once be directed towards her. Red felt a tear fall from her eye as she realized what she'd drawn. The sound of teardrops echoing against the stone floors caught Celia's attention."Hey, Red, you okay?" She asked gently from the sofa, raising her attention from her phone."I have to make this right"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
After seeing her friend so distraught, Celia decides to make a call; after all, at least one good thing came from the bonfire. "If I do this for you, you have to promise not to screw this up." Celia states as Red nods in understanding, "I'm serious, Red, I literally just got her number," Celia adds in annoyance, and Red swore she would not waste this chance, as the phone rang in Celia's hand.
"Hey… Dizzy"
"Celia!? For a second I got worried that you wouldn't call after everything"
Celia laughed slightly as she responded.
"not a chance"
She replied before she started to feel a bit guilty
"Uh, actually I was wondering… Is your cousin around?"
She asked hesitantly as she was met with silence on the other end.
"You mean Chloe? She's in her room right now. Was that all you were calling about?"
Dizzy asked as Celia started to panic; she didn't mean to insinuate that was all she called for; she really liked Dizzy, although to say that it was the reason for this particular call wouldn't exactly be a false statement.
"No! I mean yes? I mean kind of? It's just, Red really wants to make things right with Chloe, but she can't find a way to get in contact with her. She was really messed up about how they left things last night and she just wanted to apologize."
Dizzy is silent for a second, seemingly considering Celia's reply as she finally gives a response.
"So Red had you call me because my cousin wouldn't text her back and now you're asking for my help to get them back together?"
Dizzy asked blankly as Celia lowered her head at how stupid it sounded out loud; of course, she wouldn't help them.
"Uhm, yeah"
Celia responds nervously
"Of course, I'll help you! Chloe has been moping around all day about Red, but if I do this for you, you have to do something for me."
"Anything, name it"
"Next time you call, promise me it'll be for our date. Not theirs"
Celia laughed slightly at her condition, as she responded.
"Deal"
"Well then in that case, here's the plan…"
_____Red is pacing in front of Chloe's window that afternoon, doubting Celia and Dizzy's ability. "This isn't going to work," she insisted, a bit self-conscious about the whole thing, "she's never going to agree to talk to me." She added in defeat as Celia rolled her eyes. Dizzy had told them that she could get Chloe to the window around twelve, but she couldn't guarantee she'd get her to stay for long. Thus, she and Red had been waiting outside for half an hour."Can you quit whining for one second and trust us?" she asked, annoyed. Red had been nervous about this all day, and her nerves were beginning to rub off on her. "She's not coming out here, this whole thing was a mistake! I never should have come." "That, we can agree on" a voice responded from the windowsill as Red and Celia looked up to see Chloe and Dizzy staring down at them. "What are you doing here, Red?" Chloe asked, annoyed with a sigh, just trying to get her out of there as soon as possible. "Chloe!" Red panicked for a moment; even in just a T-shirt, she was stunning. "I… uhm… I came to apologize. Chloe, I'm so sorry. I never should have lied to you, I never should have ignored your opinions, I never should kept calling you when it was clear you needed space. I was so messed up last night, and I know that's no excuse, but I'm so sorry. I understand you probably hate me right now but I'm here to do what I should have done from the moment I met you at that party. This is me, Chloe, I promise. This is me, Red Heart, asking for a second chance, a do-over. I want to do this right, please?"Red fidgets nervously, scratching her fingertips across the hims of the pockets of her slacks, a small breeze forcing its way through her white button-up tucked in beneath her belt. She waited silently for a response, her breath hitched as she awaited her reply."Red…" Chloe started as she forced herself not to cut her off with another apology or excuse. "I… I want to believe that things will be different, but how do I know I can trust you again?" She asked, and Red had already prepared what she would say. She grabbed a rose from Celia and held it up for Chloe to see as she put her friee hand behind her back. "Well, If it's okay with you, I'd like to take you somewhere" she responds as Chloe scoffs in disbelief. "Are you seriously asking me out right now?" She asked as Red quickly shook her head frantically in response. "Not unless you want it to be! I uhm… I just really need to show you something. Chloe hesitates for a second but nods. "Okay, I'll be down in ten," she says as she retreats back into her bedroom, and Red lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Dizzy sends her a thumbs up from the window before following suit as Celia nudges her slightly to express her pride. "Okay Red, now's your chance. Do me a favor and don't screw up; that would make getting Dizzy to date me, way more awkward than it needs to be." Celia states as Red laughed slightly. "Trust me, I've got this" she replied as Celia patted her on the shoulder and left for home.As Red approaches the front door, her heart pounds in her chest; she wants to do this right this time. No more sneaking out or breaking in; that wasn't her, not really. She needed to show Chloe that she was willing to open up to her as more than just the cliche.Red knocks on the door nervously as she prepares for judgment day. A tall man opened the door. He was dressed professionally in a business suit with black hair and brown eyes, but there was a small blue streak in his locks that looked a bit of place with his professional attire. Red immediately clocked him as Chloe's father; from what she remembered, he was the one who taught Chloe to fence when she was younger. "Hello? Is there something I can do for you?" He asked as Red felt unusually out of place. This was a world she'd always watched from afar; now that she was actually here, it all felt so much bigger than before. And she felt so much smaller than she was.Red cleared her throat as she straightened up completely, calling on every ounce of her unearned confidence as she replied. "Hello, Mr. Charming, my name is Red Heart, and I'm here to see Chloe."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
As Red is led into the family room by the patriarch, she can't help but feel her stomach squirm in inadequacy. Everything was so shiny and pristine; she felt as though just her presence was tracking in dirt.
'This was a bad idea.'
She thought as the tall man instructed her to take a seat.
'This was a very bad idea.'
She thought again as he sat across from her."Red, was it?" He asked, eyeing her in obvious suspicion, "What do you want with my daughter?"
'This was an extremely bad idea.'
____As Chloe finally finished her makeup, she cast a suspicious glance at her cousin. She was even more excited than usual, and Chloe was still somewhat annoyed with her for helping Red and Celia. "What is it?" She asked accusatorily, "You look like you know something," she added, but Dizzy tried to play it off. "It's nothing, really; I'm just glad you agreed to hear Red out," she responded genuinely as Chloe rolled her eyes in response."It's not like I had a choice," she responds annoyedly as she lets out a sigh, turning her attention from her mirror to her cousin. "Sorry, I just… I don't know, Dizzy; what if this was just another mistake?" She mumbled unconvinced. She liked Red, like really liked Red. Every moment they spent together was like something she'd never experienced before. The more time they spent together, the freer she felt. Red was wild, chaotic, and beautiful; she was everything Chloe had dreamed of, but she was so closed off. So impossible to… Chloe sighs.Red was cold and distant. She never let Chloe in, not really. It was all just entertainment to her; it was never real. She was starting to realize that nothing with Red could ever be, because to be real would require vulnerability, and Chloe could tell from the moment she met Red that night that was something she would never allow.A part of her wasn't sure she'd even make it through another one of Reds' "dates." The ones where she'd make her feel special and then just drive off at the end; Chloe supposed they were both pretty good at that part. Driving away. Away from the expectations, away from the what-ifs, away from each other whenever they'd let themselves dream too big. She was starting to realize that to call Red a coward would make her a hypocrite, because deep down she was scared too.She'd used her for the adrenaline rush and then got angry when that became what Red expected. Red didn't deserve that, not really; she'd made mistakes, but she promised her a second chance. Maybe things could be different.Chloe takes one more look at herself through the mirror before she and Dizzy descend the steps to the living room.Chloe almost has a heart attack as she takes in the view from the bottom.Red, Chad, and her parents were sitting together in the family room talking about something she could only assume was not good.Red is the first to notice her, shooting up from her spot on the couch to address her face-to-face. "Chloe! Hi," she greets awkwardly as she nervously scratches her neck. "I uh, I was just waiting for you," she states as Chloe watches her in horror. "What are you doing here?" She asked, a bit of irritation seeping into her voice as Red tensed.Chloe's parents' features contorted in confusion as they turned to Chloe. "Your friend told us she was taking you out this afternoon; she tells us you two have had quite an interesting summer," Ella responds, eying Red in suspicion as she takes note of her daughter's shock.Chloe's stomach dropped at her response; she glanced at Red and then Chad, searching for any indication of what they'd said. Red noticed her panic and quickly spoke up to comfort her. "Uhm, yeah. I was just saying how I happened to meet you around the city one day, and it's been really nice spending time with you over the summer." She admits before quickly adding, "Thank you again for agreeing to talk; I, um, figured I should try to do things differently this time." Chloe is a bit surprised but relaxes a bit, finally taking in the girl in front of her. She wasn't in her leather or her usual scarlet colors. Just a handsome button-up and slacks. On the table was a vase that held up a bouquet of roses she was sure she'd never seen before, and above all, she looked… nervous? Chloe almost had to do a double take at the sight; she wasn't using her usual suave, flirty charm, but instead, she really seemed to be trying her best to be genuine with her. It felt so out of character, but also… nice. "This certainly is different," Chloe responds as Red lets out a nervous laugh. "Yeah, I kind of expected that response," she stated as she turned to Chloe's parents. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Charming," she states a bit awkwardly, clearly out of her element as she turns her attention to Chad as if waiting for him to say something, and Chloe catches her breath as she prepares for the same. "I've heard about you, you know? Maddox's friend grew up around the campus; the AU kids have stories about you." Chad states threateningly, but Red stands her ground. "I don't know what you heard, but I promise you Chloe and I won't cause any trouble." She states, but they all knew what she meant; she meant she'd never do anything to jeopardize Chloe, not again, not ever. Chad looks at her for a second, then back at his parents before leaning into Red's ear. "I know what happened last night. I know who you are. Don't fuck up again." He whispered, glaring at her as he returned to his position, arms crossed, posture straight, features comically annoyed, but there was something real in his eyes. A warning. Red promises to have them home by midnight, and Red and Chloe leave the house. Red guides Chloe to her motorcycle, offering her her usual helmet as they both mount the bike. Chloe couldn't help the way her chest fluttered at the familiarity of it all. They'd only known each other for about a month or so now, but it was as if they'd been together for much longer. And yet, somehow, Red kept reminding her how deep down they were still strangers. "Where are we going?" Chloe asked, "Another party? Or are we cliff diving this time?" she asked semi-jokingly as Red drove off, chasing the setting sun. Red lets out another nervous laugh as she focuses on the road ahead. "Yeah, about that…" Red starts weaving through the crowded streets as she speaks. "I'm not actually a big fan of that kind of thing," she admits, and Chloe lets out an amusing sound of confusion in response. Red can't help but laugh as she explains herself. "Yeah, I uhm… I actually tend to steer clear of social events," she mumbles, barely audible over the roaring wind. "I was really only there because of Celia," she admits, catching Chloe completely off guard. "But when I met you, you were…" "Hiding in a backroom waiting for her to get there." Red admits jokingly, "I was actually about to leave when you stumbled in," she added as they slowed to a stop as they approached a red light. "You can't be serious," Chloe states in disbelief, and Red can only shrug in response, hiding the small smirk forming underneath her helmet. "I promised no more lies," she responds as if to assure her that this is her true self. Chloe wasn't sure what to think. Yes, this was still Red, but she just felt… different. Their moments were no longer laced with the adrenaline rush she'd grown used to, but something different hung in the air. Chloe leaned deeper into the redhead as the light turned green again. "Why did you lie?" She asked, and Red stood silent for a moment, eyes surveying the horizon as if it was only the two of them on the street. "I'll explain everything, but I want to do this right." She responds, and Chloe knows she won't be getting any more out of the biker, so she allows the two of them to fall silent for the rest of the ride. Red stops at a restaurant not long after. JACK'S is spelled in big, bold letters on the sign, and a steady stream of customers are flowing in and out as they park. Red helps Chloe off the bike as the bluenette turns to her in surprise. "So you party but have a soft spot for pubs?" She questioned with an eyebrow raise, and Red laughs slightly at her suspicion. "Not exactly," she responds with an awkward smile. "This is where I work," she explained, holding the door for her date. Chloe is once again at a loss as Red guides her to a booth towards the back. "I've been working here since I was seventeen; I and Celia both have." She started before pointing over to the bar, "That man with the silver ponytail is Jack, my boss. He caught me trying to run off with a sandwich or something a few years back, and instead of turning me in, he offered me a job." She admits a bit of shame seeping through as she spoke. She couldn't help but feel ungrateful as she realized that despite his help, she never changed. She still lied, and cheated, and stole. Hell, she even stole from him just the other day. She could feel it getting harder to look Chloe in the eye, to tell her all the parts of herself she hated to admit were there, but she made a promise. And she would never fool herself into thinking she was a good person. "I stole from him a week later," she finished, disgusted by her own actions. Chloe looks to her with an expression Red couldn't read. She seemed shocked and disappointed; Red couldn't bring herself to face her. "Chloe, I don't want to lie to you anymore," Red admits, her voice cracking slightly as soft hands closed against her callused ones. "Then don't." She responds, and Red wants to tell her it's not that simple, but a server interrupts them with questions about dinner. Red recognized the girl as one of her coworkers; she had long, colorful hair and always worked weekend shifts. Red greeted her with familiarity as they placed their drink orders and started considering what they wanted for dinner. Chloe tries asking more questions after the girl leaves, but Red avoids them; if she was going to do this, she was going to do it right. Soon enough Chloe would know everything, but for now she was going to enjoy the small moments they had. She knew she should've done this sooner. That sooner than later Chloe would be leaving her behind, but all they had was this moment, and Red swore she'd make it last. After dinner, Red told Chloe there was one more place she wanted to show her. It was half past ten at this point, and she had no interest in breaking her promise to Chloe's parents, but she wanted to see the real Red, and this was a part of herself she couldn't hide. "Do I get to at least know where this time?" Chloe asked, and Red only chuckled slightly in response. "I could give you the address, but trust me, you wouldn't know it." She states, and Chloe rolls her eyes. "That's not creepy at all," she responds sarcastically, but there was no real bite in her tone. She may hate to admit it, but the truth is she trusted Red. Even after everything, that never changed; she knew that Red cared, even if she wasn't sure how to show it. At the end of the day, Red would never purposely hurt her. The next stop wasn't that far away. The sun had already set, and they were on the poorer side of town. Chloe wasn't great at hiding the way she tensed as they pulled into the parking lot, clinging on to Red slightly tighter than before. A feeling of embarrassment crossed Red's mind as she parked, taking note of Chloe's clear discomfort. "We're here," she states as the warehouse comes into view. "It's uhm, kind of a surprise," she mumbles as Charming turned to face her. "Do you want me to close my eyes?" She asked as shock crossed Red's features, knowing she wasn't as comfortable as she pretended to be whenever they crossed into her street. "You don't have to," Red responds, but her hands were already over her eyes. "I trust you," she states simply, prompting Red to lead the way. For a second, Red is caught off guard by such a blatant show of faith but leads her inside nonetheless. Chloe tenses once again when she hears the door slam behind her, and Red is quick to apologize the moment she notices, feeling guilty for taking her trust for granted. "Sorry," she mumbles in remorse, "I forgot to mention that the door is pretty heavy," she explains, as Chloe just nods in response. Red warns her to watch her step as she guides Chloe to a gentle stop, and they both release their hands to cover her eyes. Chloe is stunned as she is faced with her own eyes staring back at her. Tears welled in her eyes as she reached out to touch it before stopping halfway, too scared to ruin the art. "Did you make this?" she asked, her voice Shaky and breathless as she stared at the mural in disbelief. She knew in that moment it was a stupid question, but she wanted to hear her say it. She wanted her tears to hold meaning as they fell. "I…" Red paused, her voice giving out on her as she struggled to find the words. "After yesterday I was scared you'd never want to see me again. That I'd never again get to see your smile so I…" Red trails off again, letting out a sigh in frustration as her words continued to fail her. "I just, I never wanted to lose you, and now it's the most beautiful piece in the gallery." She finished backing up a bit so that Chloe could finally take in her surroundings. Spray paint cans lined the floors; every wall held another mural. Even the accidental paint splatters that covered the stone floors turned to art in that place. "You made all of this?" She asked in awe as Red nodded, "I had a lot of free time since I didn't finish school," she responded, finally ready for what this whole night had led to. It was time to be honest; it was time to say goodbye. Red leads her to the roof, ready to be completely transparent with her. She wanted Chloe to see all this beforehand so that she knew who she was; now was her moment to fill in the gaps so that she knew what she did. There was something familiar about the scene, the two of them looking out over the horizon as one of them spoke about their life, but Red wasn't going to cheat this time. She wasn't going to dodge or redirect; she'd been hiding for years; it was time she took responsibility for that. And so that's exactly what she did. "Chloe, there's something you should know," she starts, "about me, about why I hid so much from you, about why I pretended to be something I'm not for so long, but you have to promise me something first." She adds as Chloe nods in understanding, "Anything," she responds, and Red lets out a hopeful breath of relief. "Promise you won't wait for me," she states as the shorter girl looks to the redhead in disbelief. "Wh…what do you mean wait for you?" She asked, "Red, what are you talking about? Why would I be waiting for you?" She asked, but Red just shook her head. "Just promise, please," she asked, and Chloe nodded but didn't say anything, which, lucky for her, seemed to be enough for Red. And as far as Red knew, she'd be running away before her story was even over. Red let out a sigh as she thought about where to start or how to do this. "Draw," she starts as Chloe watched her as if she'd grown another head, making Red laugh. It was one of her genuine, snarky, annoyingly cute laughs that reminded Chloe that the girl she'd spent the summer with wasn't a complete figmentation. "You asked me once what I liked to do for fun, and well, if the gallery was any indication, I like to draw." She explained, and this time it was Chloe who let out a giggle at her response. She wasn't sure what exactly she was laughing at, whether it was the sheer obviousness of the answer or the fact it came over a week late, but either way, Chloe could not escape the smile that tore at her lips. "Okay… good start." She responds, leaning closer, further into Red. "Tell me more." Red smiled slightly before preparing to speak again, this time much more comfortably in knowing where to start. "Okay, well, my full name is Red Heart, and over there in the giant red skyscraper is my mom." She states boredly as Chloe's jaw practically dropped at the statement. "Your mother is Bridget Heart?" She asked in disbelief, "As in the CEO of Crimson Crown Industries? My father's biggest competitor?" She asked, and Red only shrugged in response. "She was my mother before she kicked me out when I was sixteen," she states, preferring the view of the horizon over the look in Chloe's eyes. "This building is my only tie to her now; I haven't seen her since." She states as Chloe is stunned into silence. "Shit, Red, I'm sorry I didn't know." She states as the older girl laughs. "I'm okay, isn't that the whole reason we're here?" Red replied jokingly, trying to convey that she'd never blame her for not knowing what she didn't tell her. "I guess I kind of closed myself off after that, or a little before. My friend Maddox found me sleeping in the gallery and dropped out his junior year of college to take care of me; I still haven't forgiven myself for that. Chloe, this isn't a part of myself I'm proud of, and I don't expect for you to forgive me for my past, and honestly my present, but I promised to be honest from now on, and I can only hope that you'll accept that." Red states as Chloe took her hand. "Red, none of that was your fault. If Maddox hadn't found you, you could have…" Chloe trails off, not even wanting to think of that possibility. "That's not something to be ashamed of," she adds, but Red only looked away. "That wasn't the part I was talking about." She responds, avoiding her eyes. "I… I mean… We…" Red took a deep breath, tears brimming her eyes in shame as she struggled to speak. "I think it started around the six-month mark. I was out drinking with some friends I had no business hanging out with. I, um, I met this girl; she was clearly from the other side of town." She starts noticing the way Chloe tensed as she attempted to be cautious with her words. "We were having fun, making the most of the night. It was clear that wasn't her scene," she adds, and Chloe tensed some more. I kind of figured it wasn't your scene. Chloe thought to herself; she was starting to notice similarities between this story and their own. "We, uh, we started talking. She was a rich girl ready to spend Daddy's money on her new bad girl pet. I didn't realize it at first, but after about a month, I guess she got bored or something because when I told her how I felt, she just walked away." Red finished clutching the railing beneath her fingers as her breathing became shaky. She didn't look Chloe in the eyes, but she could already feel her pity; she didn't pity her; she wasn't finished with her story. "Red, I—" "Please," Red starts, holding up a hand to stop her obvious attempt to comfort. "Let me finish," she mumbled, and her voice wavered as she spoke. Chloe fell silent, prompting her to continue, which she appreciated. "It happened again and again and again as time passed, and at some point I… I don't know, I guess I felt like I deserved something out of it? Every time it would happen, I would just get so angry; I started to wonder why they'd keep choosing me to hurt. And after a while, I just stopped caring. I already knew what they wanted: pissing off their parents, dating me to prove they're all grown up. The bad influence is their dating to scare their parents into submission. It was such bullshit, and I'd fall for it over and over again like a fucking idiot. I thought, hey, why not make it a trade, you know? A month of this bullshit relationship for a month of free rent. Hell, I started acting like it was my second job; it was all just so fucked up." "I'd let them use me for whatever stupid teenage dirtbag arc they had going on, just so I could use them for a few extra bucks. I thought if I stopped caring it wouldn't hurt, that if I could somehow use them first before they could use me, it'd be fair, but I was just as bad as them?" She admits, "I didn't care who I hurt, how much was genuine; I wasn't even me anymore, just a stand in for every stereotype each one of them pushed on me. I hid my art, I hid my job, I hid myself. I let them change me because so long as I hid who I was I could make the most of what I am. An Orphan, a vandal, a theif, a criminal, or any other name they want to tag on to me to get they want. This who I am Chloe." She told her as tears slid down her face in regret. "I wish I could tell you that it's not but it is, and I hate it." She adds finally turning to the blue girl beside her. Tears where in her eyes as well, she hadn't even noticed she'd been crying until then. Red reached out to wipe her tears but Chloe clasped her hand over Red's as her palm graced her cheek. "I'm sorry" Red states, all of the guilt that's been built up after all this time finally coming to light. Chloe meets Red's eyes watching as all the pain she'd been holding back for so long consumed her in a title wave of repressed emotions. “Red I know this might be hard to believe right now, but I like you not the act that you put on.” Chloe states “You are so much more than some dumb teenage rebellion to me Red, and I'm so sorry that they convinced you that that's all you're worth.” Chloe promised “I want this to be real." She adds and Red doesn't completely understand what she's saying. "I'm not like you Chloe, I didn't grow up with loving parents, or perfect grades." Red tells her trying to push her away before they both got hurt, but Chloe is quick to counter. "I don't want you to be like me, I just want you" She states and Red can only shake her head in response. "You don't even know me." "But I want to, I want to know the real you." Chloe argues, and Red backs away slightly unsure of what Chloe hoped to get out of this. "I'm not a good person Chloe, I used those people, I was going to use you" She admits "I'm not good for you." She finished positive that nothing good could come from this, but Chloe wasn't hearing it. "You don't get to decide who's good for me!" She argues exhausted by how much she's heard that statement in her life. "I'm so tired of people deciding what's good for me! Why can't you just let this happen, why can't you just let us have this?" "Chloe..." "I love you Red, and I mean it. I fell for you harder with every day that I've spent with you. Tell me you feel the same." "Chloe..." "Tell me you feel the same, please" She pleaded even more tears falling from her eyes in despitration as she clung to Red's hand like a lifeline. "Chloe you're going to college in less than a month, you'll get your own place, make your own memories you'll live your own life. You'll become a history teacher, you'll be free, just like you always planned, Isn't that what you wanted?" Red asked trying to remind her of what she wanted more than anything, and how she couldn't be there to see her have it. "Forget the stupid plan!" Chloe cried and it's like Red herself had been stabbed by her words. "I just want you, why can't we have that?" "Chloe no, listen to me. I'm never getting out of here, understand? There's no light at the end of the tunnel for me, but you've got everything ahead of you, don't throw that away. If not for you, do it for me." She begged trying to get her to understand. "No, Red I..." Chloe is cut off as Red takes her face in her hands. "Chloe please" she begs quietly as gentle tears fall from Chloe's eyes "you promised." She states, and Red can see in her eyes that she knows it's true. "I don't want to lose you" Red wipes away some of the tears as she slowly leans in to close the gap, making sure to leave Chloe an ample amount of time to stop her if needed, until finally, their lips meet in the middle for a kiss. "I know" she replied as they broke apart, "I love you, Chloe Charming"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chloe wandered aimlessly around the campus as her final lecture let out for the day. It'd been about two months since the start of the semester, and she'd be lying if she said she wasn't already starting to miss home. Despite her brother's attempts at persuasion, Chloe hadn't gone to Auradon University. Instead, she opted for a smaller college a few hours away. It was close enough to home for her to visit every now and then, but far enough away that she could forge her own identity. It was a completely fresh start, and it was one she could call hers alone. She'd already taken up fencing within the first few weeks and signed up for lacrosse during the spring semester. Things were nice. She tried to focus on her studies, and could easily get along with her classmates, but the summer never left her mind. She liked that feeling, the freedom. The wind in her hair as they raced down empty streets, she'd held those moments close to her chest, even after everything. She took a bus off campus to her apartment, scrolling through her missed calls to pass the time. Two from her mom, ten texts from her dad, Three calls from Dizzy, and Chad had been blowing up her phone since class ended. She couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips at how much they cared.Chloe sent a quick text and as the bus pulled to a stop. She quickly made a mental note to call them back later as she slung her bag onto her shoulder. Her apartment wasn't too far from the campus, and lucky for her, the bus stop was right outside the complex, so it didn't take too long to get to her room.Chloe tossed her book bag next to her desk as she started on her work for the afternoon. She knew she wouldn't be able to focus once her roommate got back so she wanted to get as much done as possible before she got distracted. She had been studying for about an hour when she heard the door open behind her, and not long after she felt two toned arms drape against her neck. "Hey," Chloe stated, dropping her pencil as she slumped into the embrace. "Hey," Red replied, and Chloe could hear the gentle smile in her voice. Chloe turned to her girlfriend with a smile before feigning a more serious expression. "You're late" she accused as Red let her grip loosen slightly. "I know, I know," she responded, raising her hands in mock surrender. "The uhm, the meeting went late today" she replied as Chloe's features shifted to understanding.Red had been sober for about three months now, but it hadn't been easy. Celia had come to her the day after that night; it wasn't what she'd wanted to hear, but she needed to. So after Red and Chloe moved, the college student started helping her find a place where she could get better. She was surprised to see just how many people were out there who were just like her. She was finally able to slowly free herself of the weight she'd realized she'd been carrying since she was sixteen. She was slowly able to realize that a lot of what she'd been through wasn't her fault. That she had to start by forgiving herself to forgive all the people who'd hurt her.Chloe watched her girlfriend with a look of understanding as she slowly placed a kiss on her cheek. "Are you okay?" Chloe asked, just like she did every night, not because she feared she'd relapse, but simply because she cared about Red. "I'm getting better," she'd always respond; baby steps, that's what Chloe had taught her. She could only hope for baby steps. Red released her girlfriend finally as she flopped not so gracefully into their bed with a whine. "C'mere'" she whined holding out her hand, and Chloe couldn't help the way she laughed slightly at the display. "After this essay" she replied, but she already knew the terror she would face if Red didn't get her cuddles in the next five seconds. She was already taking off her glasses."Chloeeeeee," she whined some more, trying to get the girl's attention. One of the first things she'd noticed after Red and she started dating was that Red loved cuddles. It took her a while to admit it but Chloe could see it on her face so clearly when she hugged her for the first time. It was like she'd never been hugged before, not even from Maddox, or Celia. She fell into the embrace as if it were her final lifeline, truly being vulnerable for the first time in a while. But as soon as she let go, Red tried to hide the way her body collapsed into her arms. As if allowing herself to enjoy the contact was a lapse in judgment.Chloe swore to find any excuse to give Red physical affection after that. She'd hug her whenever they met up for a date; she'd hold her hand as they walked the sidewalks, and she'd let her shoulder brush against Red's whenever they were side by side. She wanted to see that smile again. So completely unguarded, so completely at ease. One day, instead of greeting her with a hug, Chloe simply sent her a smile and a wave, thinking one day wouldn't really make a difference. That was when she admitted that Chloe's hugs were her favorite part of any day and since has not once hesitated to admit when she wanted one, and unfortunately for Chloe, homework time was not exempt from this.After Red whined her name for the fifth time Chloe finally consiedeed to her evitable fate. She got up from her desk, tossing aside her work with feigned annoyance, and quickly joined the redhead in the bed. "There, better?" She asked softly as she wrapped her hands around the love of her life. Red just smiled, snuggling closer into Chloe with a nod. "Much" she responds with a hum as Chloe rolls her eyes. "How's the new mural going?" She asked as Red shrugged. "Good, I think the orphanage is willing to give me full creative freedom, and the kids seem to enjoy helping me with the paints." She states with a small laugh, "There's this kid, Hailee, who finds me first every time I visit to work on it. They say… they say her parents didn't want her." Red states her voice breaking slightly. "You mean…" Chloe starts, "Chloe, she was thirteen, only thirteen," she starts her voice cracking slightly as she puts a hand out to wipe away her tears. "You were barely sixteen," she replied, "what happened to you both shouldn't have happened to anyone," Chloe finished, and Red just looked away. "I just wish I could do something, I don't want these kids to grow up to be like me." Red states, but Chloe shakes her head."Would that really be a bad thing?" Chloe asked in sympathy. "They're lucky to have you to look up to Red. You can help them the way Maddox helped you." She states, but Red shakes her head. "Look at me, Chloe, I'm literally a high school dropout; I've got tattoos, piercings, hell, I'm going to AA meetings, for fucks sake. I'm not the type of person that needs to be influencing these kids." She states, but Chloe isn't hearing it, "you're also an artist with a good heart who's trying her best to do all that she can with the hand you've been given. You can show the kids how to channel their pain into something productive, like the mural. You've been teaching them to paint right?" She asked, and Red nodded, trying to see where she was going with this. "Just a few lessons, I thought It'd be nice if they all got to left their mark." She explains and Chloe smiles at her. "Maybe you can help them, the way your art helped you," Chloe tells her, and Red is a bit surprised by the thought. "You mean, becoming an art teacher?" She asked, and Chloe shrugged, "Not if you don't want to, but maybe you could do a few lessons, teach them everything you wish you knew when you were younger so they won't take the wrong path." Chloe states before backing down in uncertainty. "You don't have to, but you know a lot about what the teenagers are going through. I'm not going to pretend I know what your life before meeting me was like, but if this is what you want to do, I want you to know I support you." She finished, as Red took a moment to process her statement. "I don't know." She responds and Chloe nods in understanding. "That's okay," she starts "You don't have to decide until you're ready," she states before changing the subject. "Also, I probably should have mentioned that Mom and Dad want us to visit over fall break," she states, and Red lets out a laugh at the random conversation switch. "That sounds amazing," Red replied. They both prepared to get farther into bed. "Maddox and Celia should be on break too, so maybe we could catch an AU party" Red joked as Chloe sent her a look. "Kidding!" Red corrected quickly putting her hands up in surrender. "A movie night sounds perfect to me," She adds, kissing her girlfriend's forehead gently, as they both fell off to sleep.