It had been years since a strawberry blonde haired 7 year old was given ownership of a once petite brown furred maine coon kitten.
Over the years, the cat had gained white patches on her paws and chest fur, her whiskers were quite long and always gave whoever they came into contact with a shock. A 45-inched cat stretched over the household and the cats personality was always kind and sweet. She wouldn't harm a fly, unless it got too close to her and it made her uncomfortable.
The cat had claimed territory over the entirety of the house throughout its life there and hated new people entering her domain. It belonged to her and new people were not allowed into her palace.
It had been 3 years of being without William, her saviour, and she always hated the fact he never came home. She went out looking for him ever since but nevr found the man ever again and just thought that he would come back eventually.
Chloe on the other hand, she hit numerous phases. The once happy 14 year old who enjoyed science, loved being social and always sung to country music changed into someone else.
The happy girl had changed and Max had no idea how to make her best friend happy again. Ever since William left, she spent most of her time with Chloe and stayed in her room instead of going outside. She only went outside to try and find William but gave up after a few hours.
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"Why can't you just get off my back!" Chloe roared at the newer man in the household, she hated the man. He was replacing her father and she hated that her own mother decided to move on and replace her husband.
"Where the hell were you then?! Do I have to keep a tracker on you or someshit?!" David demanded back,
The arguing went on for a few minutes and Joyce had enough, "Please,shut up! Both of you! You're scarin Max!"
A large cat was lowering her ears at the sight of the arguing and wanted to leave the room but didn't want to leave Chloe, "You need to get rid of that devil's spawn then." David commented,
This made Joyce snap back, "You do not call my daughter's beloved cat that. She was a gift from her father, you do not have the right to say that David!"
"Go mom..." Chloe muttered and walked out of the hallway to pick up Max, "C'mere Max... Lets get away from all this shitty drama"
"Where the fuck do you think you're going missy?!" David shouted again,
"My bedroom dumbass! Where else would I go?"
The girl opened her door and closed it behind her once entered. Chloe sighed and walked over to her bed to put Max down.
"Meew?" Max cooed, she didn't want Chloe to let go of her
"Max not now"
Max was put on the bed and she just layed out all over it in annoyance, 'If she won't hold me now, she better do it before I sleep like this. She hates it when I do this' the smug cat thought and commited her task or annoying the hell out of Chloe.
Her plans were caught short when the cat saw that her best friend was on the floor, heartbeats were quickened, sniffles were heard and fists were slammed shut. Max knew what was about to happen. The girl's body was closed up, her body was up against the closet, her arms were over her knees and her forhead was laying ontop of her hands.
Chloe thought about what Joyce said briefly about William giving her Max. It was one of her happiest memories with her father...
Tears came out of the punk's eyes and sobs escaped.
Max immedietly came over and meowed to try and get Chloe's attention. It didn't work, the cat thought of something better and decided to slide through Chloe's legs.
"Oh Max..." Chloe whimpered and held the cat tightly, she pet Max's ears the way she knew would relax Max, "You're the only person that will stay... You better not leave me either..."
"Meaawww" Max responded with and licked Chloe's dampened cheek with her sandpaper-like tongue which made Chloe smile slightly.
"I'm so glad dad found you..." Chloe whispered and carried Max and herself towards her bed and collapced the two onto it.
After a few moments of the two squirming into a comfortable position, they got comfortable and slowly drifted themselved off to sleep...
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Hours had past since they fell asleep and it was now suddenly 4am and the punk couldn't get back asleep. She had been dreaming about her father again and being in the car with him on that day.
She was so tempted to text her girlfriend, Rachel, about her problems but she just couldn't. There had been too many arguments between the two of them and Rachel's new 'relationship' with their drug dealer. This upset Chloe but she couldn't even tell anyone about it. No one would believe it.
Small tears came out of her eyes and she began to feel wrong about everything, she blamed everything that went wrong onto everyone else.
The truck driver who killed her dad. Joyce for accepting David's proposal. David for not accepting her for who she is. Rachel for cheating on her.
But she could never blame Max on anything. The cat had been her anchor for years and always depended on her.
Memories of the cat's younger mischiefness and shyness came to mind and the punk smiled softly. She knew that whatever happens, she'd always have Max by her side.
Whiskers came up to Chloe's arm and that made her stumble momenterily, 'Max's whiskers need a trim or something... They're terrifying in the dark'
Her breathing went slower and she felt the warmness of her beloved cat, in this moment, Chloe wanted to remember this forever. A sweet tender moment between cat and owner. Best friend and best clawed friend, and so on.
Once more, her eyes began feeling heavy and Chloe began drifting off to sleep once again.
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An alarm went off in her room and she quickly turned it off in a huff. She suddenly felt incredibly cold and opened her eyes to see that Max wasn't where she usually was. 'Strange... She always sleeps with me though?'
Chloe shrugged and decided to actually change today. She wanted to take Max out to her friend Kate's for a quick play date with Alice, Kate's cat.
After a few minutes, Chloe realised that Max deffinetly wasn't in her room. Her windows are closed so even if she wanted too, she couldn't jump out.
Sighing, the punk left her room and went on the search for Max. She held out Max's favorite toy with a tiny squeeker in. It always lured the cat back into Chloe's arms.
"Here Maxy Maxy.." Chloe said softly and squeeked the toy, she expected to find Max or hear her somewhere by now. Rolling her eyes, Chloe went down the stairs to see David sitting down watching television and Joyce reading a magazine on the table.
"Uh.. Mom?" Chloe asked with a slightly worried tone and expression on her face,
"What's wrong Chloe?" Joyce breathed out and looked at her daughter, she noticed that Chloe was looking around the rooms and holding Max's toy,
"Have you seen Max? She wasn't there when I woke up" Chloe said in a much more worried tone as she couldn't find her beloved cat.
"What? I thought she was with you- Oh my..." Joyce felt the pain in Chloe's heart.
The cat was one of the last things that William ever gave Chloe and it meant so much to her. If her cat was gone, Chloe had no reason to be here anymore.
"I'll look around- Chloe..." Joyce got up and went over to her daughter who was breathing quicker and on the urge of having an attack, "I'm sure she's fine... We'll find her-"
"Your cats fine." David interupted rudely, "I just put her outside earlier."
"MAX ISN'T AN OUTDOORS CAT!" Chloe shouted and her heart sped up and her head began spinning.
She knew that Max did go outside but always came back, "When did you take her out?!"
David looked at Chloe and noticed her body language and realised that letting the cat go outside probably wasn't the best idea.
"It's 10 now... I put her outside at about 7..."
"The longest she's been outside for is 2 at most!" Chloe began hyperventilting and Joyce held her tightly, trying to keep her daughter from falling.
"David! How many times have I told you! Do not touch Max!" Joyce shouted, she was getting more and more pissed at the mans actions and realised how badly Chloe was reacting towards David. This time pulled a few more straws then intended and David was now on extreemely thin ice.
"Okay Chloe... I'm sorry- I have to go to work now but I sware, If i find her I will call you. Nothing bad is going to happen to Max..." She began holding Chloe tightly and Chloe was hugging her back while fighting the urge to just scream at David.
Whats done, is done.
Joyce left shortly afterwards and Chloe began to get ready to leave the house herself to look for Max.
"Chloe- Let me help look for your cat-"
"You've done enough. If you ever dare touch her again then you'd be lucky to even tell the tale." Chloe intently stared down David with her red sore eyes.
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An hour had past since Chloe began searching for her best friend.
She went through parts that Chloe had shown her before, the skatepark, the oustise of the mall and even Kate's house. Chloe even asked Kate if she saw Max, this made Kate worried of course. She also cared about the cat and wouldn't want to just ignore Chloe's plee to help find her.
The weather had a turn to the worse and rain came pouring over them both. Neither had an umbrella but they were fixated on trying to find the poor cat and begging to the higher voices that Max wasn't hurt in any shape or form.
"Maybe try finding where your father found her in the first place?" Kate suggested after a half hour of wondering around the streets with Chloe.
"What- Why would she go there?"
"She might've been in this situation before Chloe... Didn't you say that she was found in a box all by her lonesome?"
"Oh... OH!" Chloe realised and began trying to think of where her father found her and then it clicked.
The damned 'yonder mart'.
Chloe began sprinting and Kate could only run as fast as she could, a few minutes of screaming at herself for not thinking about this sooner went by and she stopped. The alleyway seemed more dark and gloomy then how William had described it.
Small whimpers and meows came out of the alleyway and Chloe knew who was making them.
Taking small steps further into the alleyway, she stopped once she saw a familiar cat curled up in a soaked ball, shivering.
"Oh Max..." Chloe muttered but couldn't hold back a smile.
Max was safe in her arms, but soaking wet.
"Thank God.." Kate said and smiled at Max's self. The two girls went towards Kate's dorm room and decided that they would all stay there till Chloe had to leave.
Even if Kate stayed in Blackwell, the two had become friends due to mutral friends. The two bonded over small things at first but bonded over the fact that Kate always listened too her and never judged her. Chloe never judged her either.
A number ofhours had past and it was now around 7pm. Joyce had texted Chloe asking where she was and Chloe replied.
Mom:
Chloe honey, are you okay? I'm sorry that I couldn't find Max today. I'll try to take tomorrow off to search for her with you.
It's all good mom. No thanks to Rambo.
Found her, at Kate's now.
I'm so sorry David did that. He will be dealt with. And he might not be here when you come home.
Wait... Really??
Yes Chloe, it would be better for me to tell you in person
I'll be there!
A smile was on the punks face as she turned off her phone, "Something else good happen?" Kate asked while holding Max and petting her softly.
"Yup. Step-prick and Joyce are having trouble in paradise. And I think its about time to go.. Right Max?"
"Mew?" Max responded making the two girls around her chuckle slightly,
"Thank you so much for today Kate. I owe you so much... Call, text, whatever me if you need help with ANYTHING. Seriously." Chloe said with a large smile,
"I'll keep your favour ready for when I need it. And remember you said 'anything', be prepared Chloe" Kate said with a small smirk,
"Oh God... What have I offered the allmighty holy child..." Chloe muttered which made Kate giggle,
After a short amount of goodbyes, Chloe picked up Max from Kate and stoked Alice a goodbye. Chloe didn't bring her truck or anything so she had to walk all the way back home. It was a pain but at least she had Max in her arms.
The cat was increasingly heavy but Chloe had gotten used to Max's weight and length so it felt natural.
A good forty minutes later, Chloe arrived home and knocked on the door due to her forgetting her keys in the panic of finding Max.
Joyce opened the door with a large smile and welcomed the two home.
David wasn't there. This made the punk exceedingly happy, not just because of step-prick actually being gone but because she felt at home again. There was no reason to be as angry anymore. Max and her mom were the only people she needed in her life. A few friends too but you know, she just needed these two.
Time went on and the two had dinner, Chloe helped out for the first time in years and Max watched the two bond. The cat wanted some form of attention throughout this experience though and kept meowing for their attention.
"Max! Shushh! We're busy kitty" Chloe kept saying and Max jumped onto the counter to just stay there and accept that she wasn't getting attention.
After dinner, Chloe and Joyce finally talked about David and what was gonna happen.
"I've ended things with David." Joyce admitted, "He was so harsh on you, and me. All I wanted was for him to be more fatherly then captainly on you but he never listened. I should've listened to you from the begining Chloe..."
Joyce had tears leaving her eyes as she felt guilt for not listening to her daughter who was telling her that David wasn't a good person.
"Hey- Mom- I know... I know you just wanted to feel loved again. No one can ever replace dad and I know that, I also know that you need to go through this your way and finding David helped you. But now, you can find someone who's good for you, I'll never let anyone hurt ya either"
The two bonded over this and made them closer. Leaving David was Joyce's best decision she had ever made in years. And it all happened because of Max.