Life is Stranger

The Runaway

"It needs to be waterproof and large enough for a week or more. How about that blue one? The one with the number seven on it?"

"Yeah, that should do you fine. It's just a hundred bucks and also comes with a sleeping bag."

"Cool."

"Will you be needing anything else? Is it just you?"

"Nah, that's all I need. Just the backpack will be fine, thanks. My older brother's coming with me, but he already has his gear sorted out."

"Excellent. Where ya heading? Anywhere nice?"

"Seattle."

"That's quite a way. But you've picked the right time of year for it. Should be a pleasant journey."

"I sure hope so. Laters dude."

"Take care and have a safe trip."

Chloe left the camping store and made straight for the railroad running along next to the beach. She couldn't risk being seen from the diner so she headed in the other direction towards the lumber mill. Once there she climbed the hillside, eventually ending up in the forest above Blackwell. She could see the sign on top of the diner as she strolled along the slope. 'I'll miss you Mom, but I just can't be here any more. Like you'll give a fuck, though. Dad hadn't even been dead a year before you latched on to Stepdick and bought him into my house to make my life hell. Way to shit on Dad's grave, Mom. You obviously think more of Stepdouche than you do me. I told you it was either him or me. You should have listened. This is all your fault, not mine. Deal with it.'

Once in the tree fort she filled her new pack with the stuff she had taken from home – clothes, food, Max's drawing and a few photos. Chloe wanted to rest here for a while one last time, but lingering was too risky – home was really close by. 'I have so many great memories of here, of me and Max. This is the only place in this butthole of a town that I'll miss at all. Fuck you Arcadia Bay. I'm gone.' As she climbed down, she noticed a doe watching her from amongst the trees. "I'll miss you and your friends too. Take care my deer." She smiled to herself at the dreadful pun. 'That's nearly as bad as 'The Price is Right'. Nearly.'

She skirted the houses, moving through the forest at a leisurely pace, relishing the aroma of the soil and the trees. She found her way back to the railroad and strolled past the junkyard, musing about her final destination. 'When I get there, Max's parents are bound to let Mom know. So? No one can force me to go back. I'm fifteen now. What are they gonna do? Call the cops and get me arrested? For what? I haven't broken any law. There's nothing they can do about it. There's no way Vanessa would let me stay on the streets. For sure.'

She had a while to wait at the points for the lumber train to Seattle so she climbed the water tower for one last look at the bay. She could see the crews in the harbour prepping their boats for the day's fishing. Her and Max used to hang out there sometimes hoping that one day the fishermen would take them out to sea. It would have been so cool. They would have been just like pirates on the high seas. But to their lasting disappointment, none of them ever did.

"I'm not scrubbing the decks, Chloe Price."

"Captain...Captain Chloe Price. Get the name right or it's twenty lashes for you, scurvy dog."

"My humble apologies, Captain Chloe Price. At yer service, ma'am."

"That's more like it landlubber. You can be my cabin girl. I expect my quarters to be totally ship-shape. Later you shall feed me grapes as I recline on my four-poster. Now draw me a bath. And tell the crew to set a course for Tortuga. Bring me that horizon!"

She heard the train departing from the mill, so she quickly scrambled down and hid in the bushes beside the track. When it finally arrived and drew to a standstill at the points she clambered aboard and found a sheltered spot amongst the tree trunks. She removed the pack and placed it beside her, detaching the sleeping bag to act as a makeshift pillow. She also donned a fleece to keep off the chill from the wind. Max and her had rode these trains so often as kids – it felt like only yesterday.

"Railroad tracks always make me feel better. I have no idea why."

"Kerouac knew. It's the romance of travel and movement, the sound of the train whistle at night..."

"Listen to the beat poet here." said Chloe, playfully slapping Max on the leg.

"I'd rather be a good photographer."

"You are. You just have to stop being afraid."

She watched Arcadia Bay disappear behind her as the train trundled forward. 'I won't miss this shitheap, not for a minute...oh Max, I miss you so much. I feel so alone here. I can't carry on without you. I have to see you. Why haven't you been in touch with me? It's been ages. Never mind. I'm coming now Max. That's all that's important.' She tugged her collar up over her cheeks and huddled down, staring dreamily as the world slid past, finally on the way to the only person in the whole world she cared about.

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Chloe sat over the road from the school, watching all the artsy-fartsy types with their trendy gear and immaculately preened hairstyles leaving for the day. 'I can't imagine Max here with these pretentious assholes. She's nothing like them – Max is far too grounded. I bet she hates it here. She's probably just as miserable as I am.' Chloe grabbed her pack from the ground and placed it before her on the picnic table. She pulled out a can of soda and returned her gaze to the school doors. "Come on Maxo, where the hell are you?"

A plumpish boy and girl emerged out of the doors, then turned to talk to someone hidden behind them. The girl moved off to one side and then Chloe saw her. Her heart leapt. Seeing Max after all this time felt very strange. She thought about running to her but her legs had turned to jelly and her stomach was overcome with the fluttering of butterflies. Her head was swimming.

Max caught up with the two strangers and took up position between the pair. Chloe saw her throw her head back in sudden laughter, the other two joining in the mirth. Max spoke to the girl briefly then said something into the ear of the boy the other side of her. Max put her arm around his waist. He placed his arm around her shoulder and she turned to face him, raised herself to her tiptoes, and kissed him tenderly on the cheek. The trio continued to walk towards Chloe, Max arm-in-arm with the boy and smiling contentedly.

Chloe's world fell apart. 'She's forgotten about me. She doesn't care at all. She's got new friends. And a fucking boyfriend. I came all the way here. For this? For her? Why the hell did I bother? That's why she hasn't been in contact – she couldn't give a toss about me. I remember what I said to you before you left, Max - 'Don't you forget about me' 'Never.' That sure lasted a long time, didn't it you selfish whore? All we had, all that we shared together, our bond, everything. It all means sweet fuck all to you, doesn't it? You complete and utter fucking bitch! How could you? How could you do this to me? To us? I thought I knew you. I thought we had something special. Damn you.' White-hot tears ran down her cheeks. She snatched up her pack and ran, knocking over the can of soda as she did so. 'I hate you Max Caulfield. I fucking hate you. Forever.'