#: just buried deep inside and it takes a lot to evoke a true emotional response :

[darkrccm]

☪

five times meme ✖ selectively accepting

☪  five times our muses almost hold hands, and the one time they do.

one.

After their latest adventure to see some punk rock band the next town over, the two had found themselves sitting in Chloe’s truck just outside of town. They were pulled off to the side of the road, Rachel rolling a joint for the two of them to share as they listened to some indie rock station that Chloe was always tuned into on the radio. It was moments like these that Rachel found herself feeling content. Chloe had been rattling on about the concert, adrenaline obviously still coursing through her veins. Rachel smirked as she pushes the rolled joint between the others lips, a chuckle rising from her throat. 

“I don’t think I’ve seen you this excited in a while,” Rachel commented as she fished around in the console between the two of them for a lighter. She flicked it to life, burning the tip of the rolled joint for Chloe. “Smoke up, buttercup. We got to get rolling back to Shitcadia Bay soon.”

Rachel tosses the lighter into one of the cup holders as the other used her left hand to delicately cradle the drug between two fingers. The blonde had ghosted her hand over Chloe’s free one by complete accident, catching the attention of the other almost immediately. Rachel couldn’t hide her smug smile as she reached over, taking the joint from Chloe’s lips before bringing it to her own.

two.

The first night Rachel had proposed leaving Arcadia Bay was an emotional one. As much as the blonde wanted to leave, watch the small disappear from the rearview mirror, she could see that Chloe wanted it just that much more. There was a lot of emotional baggage for the punk teen here. Chloe was ecstatic at the idea, rattling off ideas on how to save money and where to go and how to get there. 

“This town is a shit hole filled with asshole hicks,” She had said, “And I’m not going to die here doing the same shit day in and day out.”

They had been sitting at the beach during their conversation, Rachel’s bare feet buried deep into the sand as they enjoyed the setting sun. The blonde watched the waves crash and hit the pale sand violently, evoking thoughts of the warm sunny beaches of Long Beach. Chloe had continued talking, Rachel very clearly out of the present and lost in her own thoughts of what it would mean to go back to a place that she had talked up so much.

She was the cool new girl from California, the party state. She was from a place where celebrities lived and thrived, where everything was perfect like in the movies. She wanted to scoff at the thought but refrained. Rachel was broken from her thoughts by Chloe reaching out to touch her hand, now realizing that the other hadn’t been listening to her exciting ideas.

“Hey, are you okay?”

Rachel immediately retracts her hand from Chloe, watching the light slowly start to fade from the others blue eyes. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just – just can’t wait to leave is all.”

three.

It had been a terrible argument. Things had blown out of proportion, both Rachel and Chloe said things they had regret. That night Rachel was going to walk home from the Two Whales. It was late, almost two in the morning by the time she was able to break free from her responsibilities and begin the long walk back to the dorms (not until after taking a few nips of alcohol stowed away in her purse). The blonde walked briskly in the cold biting air of autumn, her arms crossed over her chest. She mulled over the argument her and her best friend had gotten into, one that they had gotten into countless times now. Chloe’s insecurities felt like a noose around her neck sometimes, she was supposed to be some ‘savior’ or whatever – if only Chloe knew. She was deathly afraid Rachel was going to leave Arcadia without her – or that she didn’t plan on leaving at all. 

With her head tilted down, Rachel hadn’t noticed the truck pulling up beside her on the otherwise deserted road. 

“Rach – get in,” The woman from inside the truck spoke out loudly from the open window, driving slow to match the pace of her walking. Rachel nearly jumps at the sound of her voice, immediately scowling as she looks up to see Chloe with a somber smile on her face. 

“What do you want, Chloe?” Her words are cruel and biting and Chloe audibly flinches at the tone.

“I want to drive you home, it’s late,” She retorts back, hesitancy in her voice. Rachel continues to scowl to herself, walking another ten feet as the other pleads for the blonde to just climb into the truck. She decides to cave in, knowing that walking this late in such cold weather wasn’t the best of ideas – especially not in just a sweater and her uniform. Rachel climbs into the truck and the ride is silent until they pull into the school parking lot.

Chloe opens her mouth and apologies begin to spill out and Rachel can feel regret begin to seep into her skin. It was hard to stay angry with Chloe, especially when she was like this. The other begins to tear up, bringing up more emotions than Rachel would care to handle. She watches through lidded eyes as the other hovers her hand over hers, hesitating before retracting her hand and gripping both of them onto the steering wheel. 

“It’s okay,” Rachel speaks softly, a small smile pulling at her lips. “I’m sorry too.”

four.

Rachel was in awe as she stared out the back glass door of the Price family home. Being from a place that it never snowed, the appearance of white snowflakes falling to the ground in a flurry had shot her heart rate up. With a childlike wonder, Rachel glanced back with a giant grin on her face to Chloe who came staggering down the stairs, half awake from a late night of partying the night before. The two had breakfast, Rachel’s hazel eyes remaining on the white snow that had continued to fall through their conversation and meal. Chloe, who had been watching Rachel stare out at the snow for the entire morning, had suggested that they go out and make snow angels and snowmen – just go all fucking childish out in the snow and felt her heart race when Rachel’s eyes lit up.

Out in the snow, Rachel had the biggest grin as the two resulted in a snowball fight. The blonde had nailed Chloe straight in the face and watched as the other staggered backwards into the snow with a light thud. A laugh bubbled up as she moved quickly to the others aid, holding a gloved hand out for her to take to help her back up from the snow.

Chloe cursed as she accepted Rachel’s help, pulling herself back upright and quickly brushing off the snow on her pants with her free hand. Rachel catches herself holding onto her hand for too long and immediately lets go once she realizes that Chloe didn’t need her help anymore.

five.

They were trying to get more drugs for the Vortex Club party that night and who else could they go to than Frank. It was awkward being around him with Chloe hanging all over her. Rachel would catch Frank glaring but would pretend not to notice. He didn’t own her and neither did Chloe – despite what they thought. The two of them sat in Frank’s trailer as he went into the other room to grab the supplies that he was lending them (that was a whole other situation where the two threatened one another and Rachel had to step in like a referee). She knew the only reason he was handing over supplies for nothing was because Rachel was there and he was wrapped around her pretty little finger.

And that was something she wasn’t above exploiting from time to time. 

Frank had come back into the front of the RV, handing the stash over to Chloe all the while sneaking glances at the blonde as she sat in the drivers seat. She knew the two of them were thinking about the day trip they took to Portland a few weeks ago where he let her behind the wheel. Rachel’s brought back from her day dream a snide remark from Chloe as she stands up and basically bounces down the steps and towards the door. 

“Let’s get out of here,” The blue haired woman motions her head towards the door in which Rachel complies. Frank watches her as she takes the few steps towards the door, and just for a second the blonde contemplates grabbing hold of Chloe’s hand. 

one.

It didn’t feel real. She had to have been there for months and going that long without any true human contact (with the exception of the prodding and poking by Mark when her position wasn’t quite up to par or Nathan when he tried to feed her) she had begun to have hallucinations. Often times she would drift in and out of consciousness, believing she was no longer confined sometimes and would find herself in the junkyard or back at school. Sometimes she would even see the visage of other people, Chloe had visited her a few times in her poorest mental states, repeating words from past conversations and once or twice mentioning that she was going to die.

When Rachel opened her eyes to see Chloe and another girl with her – she didn’t think anything of it. She stared, skin cold with sweat. The other girl she somewhat recognized, racing the recesses of her mind to bring up an image of a younger girl that looked like her – Max. Chloe had talked about her a lot during their first few months of friendship. She was a childhood best friend that had disappeared and left Chloe alone after her father died. 

Her focus shifted in and out as Chloe had fallen to the floor in front of the blonde and she could see not only tears in her eyes but a fueling fire. 

“He’s going to fucking pay for what he’s done – !” She was able to make out but the voice sounds distant. She’s going to be unconscious again soon. Chloe is touching her face, her hands following down her body as if she couldn’t believe Rachel was actually there. Her touch feels real, making the blonde furrow her eyebrows. Could it be – ?

Chloe quickly begun undoing Rachel’s bindings, freeing her limbs from a prison that had left her muscles almost catatonic. She reaches and grabs a hold of one of Rachel’s hands, lacing their fingers together for a moment as Rachel closes her eyes. The warmth of Chloe’s hands is nice and she doesn’t pull away, instead drifting back to sleep.