Lucas looked Chloe up and down. He sighed, "So that's where you two were."
Chloe bit her cheeks. I had no idea what she was thinking, and I did. It would've been really helpful in this moment.
There was a silence between us. Each were thinking of different things, it mostly came out to what was going to happen with Chloe.
Ashton perked up and pushed himself closer to Lucas, swinging his arm around his shoulder. "Hey come on buddy, I thought Max would let all people in. Everyone in need of help? I mean he actively searches for survivors himself." Lucas side glanced Ashton before pushing him off his shoulder.
I looked at him with hope. Maybe there was a chance he'd let this slide, and it would all be okay, he could do it for me... right?
"No." Lucas said without much more.
Everyone stood waiting for his reasoning for being bitter. But he said nothing.
I stepped forward, feeling confident. This wasn't a common feeling of mine, but everything was just going nowhere. "You don't get to decide, Max saved us, we talk to him."
Lucas squinted at me, tilting his head. "Really? This is all I ask for from you and you can't do it."
I will admit, that hurt me a little. He rarely spoke to me coldly, and if he ever did, he would apologize. But he was serious about this. It was embarrassing, how could he be that mad at her? That mad that he would rather send her off and have her die than let her in. I bit my lip, I had to make a decision. I looked at Ashton for input who just shrugged.
Suddenly, something I didn't expect happened. Chloe stepped forward, and stood in front of Lucas with respect.
"Okay, listen. You can send me away, but let me talk first." Chloe didn't mean that, I knew her. "Trinity is a special person to both of us, why can't you get it? It's simple really, you act like I'm some sort of Hitler. I'm just a girl who happens to be best friends with your girlfriend. So get over it." She looked up to think for a second. "I changed my mind."
Lucas's lip curled in anger and his gaze went cold. "About what?"
Chloe laughed to herself, covering her mouth with her hand. "It's just, you can't send me away actually. You know who can? The guy with power." She started to laugh even harder before pushing past him, walking straight into The Hut. She turned once more. "I'll be seeing him." She started to walk further into the base.
I stood there next to Ashton dumbfounded for a moment. I thought, no way she just did that. I quickly looked over to Ashton, my mouth slightly open, then back to her.
Lucas looked furious, staring at her parading through the inner walls. It's just, there really wasn't anything he could do about it, she could walk right if very well if she wanted. There was no law anymore, and that was that.
Still, I couldn't just leave her alone. I nodded at Ashton and we both started to walk swiftly towards her. When we caught up to her, Ashton grabbed her wrist.
Chloe yanked back at him. "What! I thought you were with me, ugly guy."
Ashton didn't appreciate this comment, he spat on her boot to which she screamed in horror.
"Be lucky you didn't get my dress." Chloe scowled.
Ashton gave a big smile. "Oh yeah?" He then spat again, this time on her pink sparkly dress.
Chloe grunted in annoyance, she gave him a look that probably meant something like "you've got to be kidding me" but she said no words.
Ashton tugged her towards central town. She gave up trying to fight back, and followed closely behind him, he still didn't let go. I walked behind also.
He was tugging her toward Max's home. I glanced up at it, it was pretty grand. You know how at historical landmarks they always build some big fat modern museum on it. That's where Max lived. It was pretty sick looking considering the fact it was tent city outside, but he had the guns, he had the everything, and NOBODY wanted to rebel.
I looked up at Chloe, nobody.....
I shook my head, I was getting ahead of myself, she was fine, just a girl, a traumatized girl at that, what could she do.
Ashton tugged Chloe onto the steps of the museum and let go of her wrist abruptly. He banged on the door aggressively.
"One second!" Called a woman's voice from inside. Ashton squinted and looked at me, very confused.
There was a bunch of shuffling noises from inside. We stood for a moment, then Max opened the door, wearing only his shorts. We all looked him up and down as Chloe burst out laughing.
Max jolted his head in her direction. "Chloe." He said.
Chloe stopped laughing immediately and froze in place. "Erm, you know my name?" She scratched her head.
"Lucas told me.... Well, great things about you." Max gave her a fake smile. "Nice dress."
Chloe exhales, kicking at the ground a little. "Thanks, Ashton spit on it." Ashton rolled his eyes at this.
Suddenly, the voice from earlier appeared and stood next to max, wearing only his t shirt. It was grace, I didn't know much about her except the fact that she was constantly trying to get perks from sleeping with Max. I don't know what her efforts sufficed to, he slept with every girl in camp that wanted it, I could name a few off the top of my head.
"Oh! A new person!" Grace grabbed onto Max's arm. "You didn't tell me we'd be having visitors." She said in a seductive tone, it made me want to puke, I almost did.
Chloe and Ashton stared at them with wide eyes, knowing exactly what was going on in there, maybe it excited them, I couldn't read their faces. Chloe looked like she was scheming something, that couldn't have been good, maybe she always looks like that, really I didn't know.
Max put the palm of his hand on Graces head, she giggled. "I didn't think we would, half my council is out looking for these two that are standing right here." He waved his finger around to me and Ashton.
I spoke up. "Who's out right now?" I felt a little saddened, people were out looking for me and Lucas stayed behind at gate duty. Maybe it was just that he knew what I was doing, knew I'd be back. I don't know, just trying to think for the better.
Max clicked his tongue, staring at the sky, thinking for a moment. "Chase, uhhh, Amber, and I believe Gray tagged along with her." He looked down them smiled at me.
We all stood in silence, awkwardly. Max pushed grace away back inside, grabbing her side as she walked away, she bit her lip before walking up the stairs. "I'll be up there soon!" Max yelled to her. She paused and turned to nod, then continued on.
Max made an awkward face at us. "....Well! I suppose it's time for a little chat with Chloe. Alone." His voice grumbled. Everyone glared at him. "Just kidding, you both can't come though. Me and my council got to decide what to do with her." He gave Chloe a little wink. She smiled and tilted her head, very unseriously.
"Oh and uh, Trinity, Ashton. By that I mean my council that's here... Mr and Mrs leave without telling anyone." He scowled and grabbed Chloe's shoulder pulling her inside.
She slowly made her way through the museum with him. Max was never a proper man, he took it to himself to redecorate. He'd hung a few deer heads on the walls, even though I'm not sure he's ever even shot one. It was much more eerie than it used to be, well, I assume. I'd never seen it before the transformation.
"You seem to have quite a few enemies." Max teased her slightly, walking down the halls.
Chloe stuck up her lip in annoyance. "I wasn't aware I did, over half of these people have never even met me."
Max laughed, they walked into a room, a circle table with seven wooden chairs. Two already full. Sat at the table, there was a chubbier woman and a dark skinned man, he looked tired, with bags under his eyes and his black curly hair in front of his face. He slumped down in his chair at our arrival, sticking his hands in his hoodie pocket.
The woman sat up straight with a smile on her face. She had dark hair and dark eyes, but very pale skin. Her dark makeup didn't compliment her soul well at all, she seemed warm, and inviting. Her hair was tied back in a half-up ponytail.
Max gripped Chloe's shoulder, normally she would pull away, but she had a plan, and wasn't gonna let anything foil it.
"Chloe, this is Gracie and Isaac, my only two council members at the moment." Max said with a bit of saltiness in his tone. "I know you've already met Lucas, he's here. Just on gate duty, waiting for my OTHER THREE..... to come back." He turned to look at Chloe again, then back to the others. "You might be wondering why and how, we would establish a government in such times. Well, America was the way it was with its leaders, and you could call me Mr. President."
Chloe snickered at this. "Mr. President?"
He smiled. "That's right. Glad your warming up."
She of course wasn't trying to address him kindly, more making fun of the nickname. But it would be much more trouble to correct her mistake.
Max started on again. "Anyways, how do I elect a council? You might be thinking, people vote, I mean there's so little of us right? It would just make sense. Wrong, it's based on good behavior, I pick my favorites, and by the way, getting in my pants won't help you. I mean you saw Grace, she's so hopeless I'm starting to think that it isn't even about the council." He thought, then started to speak again, chuckling a little between each word. "I think she's... in love with me" He laughed a little more at getting this sentence out.
Chloe tilted her head with a hint of amusement on her face.
Max pulled out a chair for himself then her. "Please, sit, normally we'd have you stand but there's empty chairs due to EVERYONE BEING GONE." His face went dark. There was a moment, then his face lit up again.
Chloe sat down in the seat, as he synchronized with him. She looked over on the other side of the table at Gracie and Isaac. Chloe scowled a little at the sight of Isaac, she couldn't fathom how someone like him had such responsibilities. Gracie on the other hand, looked like an angel. She hadn't even said a word yet and Chloe felt attached, in a way. Like a mother bond. Gracie sipped at her coffee, setting it down loudly on the table, breaking the silence. Isaac just stayed slumped.
"Chloe." Max cupped Chloe's hands, holding it onto the table, she raised her eyebrow but didn't move. "There are three types of people in this town, you've got the, council, the higher up, the citizens, the average, and the.... the limited." Chloe tilted her head. "And we only have one limited in this town, you've met him already, Ashton."
Chloe seemed a little shocked at this, I mean he was a little crazy, but he had been trusted to guard the gate.
Max went on. "How does one become limited?"
Chloe found it strange he kept answering questions that she had never once asked. Honestly she didn't hear half of what he was saying to her.
Max had kept talking over her thoughts. "You piss me off. That's it, and I know this may seem like a pretty shitty government, but listen, I saved these people. I mean come on, being limited isn't really that bad, it's just, all you get to do is community service, and the big one, you can't have weapons."
This pulled Chloe out of her meditative space, truly she wasn't hearing much til this moment. She whipped her head around to face him. "Are you kidding? You take your peoples weapons away?"
Max pushed his lips together. "Yeah, it's better than vanishing them I suppose. By the way, you're limited."
Chloe immediately stood up from her seat in protest. The chair screeching on the floor as it went back. "No." She said with grief.
Max pouted sarcastically. "Yes."
Chloe began to shake her head at him, her dress sparkling from the shift of light. Suddenly she felt two hands come up behind her, grabbing her shoulders. She whipped around taking a few steps back to stand her ground. It was Gracie, giving a sort of sympathetic smile.
Max started to speak again. "I'm sorry, if it were my way I wouldn't have it like this. But what I've heard from Lucas, this needs to be this way for a bit."
Gracie put her hands out, then started to speak. "I'm sorry miss, weapons please."
Usually Chloe would never stand for something like this, at least that's how I knew her as. But she had been alone, with rotting corpses in her house, for nearly half a year, it did something to her. She sighed, handing away her pistol and knife, which were attached to the belt she had strung around her dress.
Gracie nodded in thanks. Max stood up in front of her. Chloe felt so shameful in this moment, but knew she didn't have a choice.
Max spoke. "Now, about that dress."
Chloe's jaw dropped and her eyebrows curved. She started to shake her head. "You can't take it.. My mom, this is one of the last things I talked to her about you can't do this!"
Chloe felt pretty stupid, to everyone else it was some idiot wearing a dress during an apocalypse. To her, it meant something, it meant the old world. Nobody saw it as that, they could take it without shame.
"Change. Gracie take her upstairs, find her something reasonable in our clothing outlet." Max said.
Chloe still looked at Max with pity in her eyes, but was done pleading. She could keep the dress, maybe even hang it up in her new tent, but if she wanted to stay, and make a good impression, she would have to listen to him for now, no matter how much she didn't like it. If Chloe could wish for anything, it would be to get on council and off restricted, and all she had to do was follow the rules right? So easy.
Max waved goodbye cheekily as Chloe and Gracie walked up the wooden staircase. When they got upstairs, Gracie exhaled like she was holding up an act or something, the door shut behind them and they stood in front of a room filled with racks and boxes of clothes.
Gracie scratched the side of her face. "Cant be having blood stained clothes in this neighborhood! I guess... He made me change too when I first showed up."
Chloe looked up at her, not sure how to feel. Up close, she could see every freckle on Gracie's face, she was really quite pretty, naturally.
Gracie was off put by Chloe's unresponsiveness, so she started to speak again. "Pick some clothes, then we'll pick out a tent for you. You start work tomorrow, sorry. Someone's got to do the dirty shit." Gracie laughed a little, and Chloe smiled at her.
Chloe walked towards the clothes, she looked around for a minute and then came out changed into a long black spaghetti strap shirt, and very dark blue cargo pants, she had left her boots on. Chloe held her dress in hand, she looked down at it and frowned.
Gracie looked up noticing Chloe was finally done. "Ready?"
"Ready." Chloe replied, with a bit of sadness in her voice.
Gracie showed her through the house a bit before picking up a two person tent and carrying it outside. They both walked out the museum doors.
When I noticed them walk out I immediately ran up to Chloe. She looked sad, I was real worried that she would be banished. I had been so anxious that my nails were now all chewed up and destroyed.
I started to speak. "Chloe. How did it go? You're staying right?"
Chloe looked me up and down before nodding. She replied to me, "I hope you know how fucked this place is." Chloe spun around a bit, showing her weapon less belt. That's when I realized she had been limited, it was expected. I didn't know what Lucas told Max, but he believed everything council members said. Of course he had the right to be worried, I didn't want to admit it, but deep down even I was a little worried about what she'd do to The Hut. I mean, if she was saying that it was "fucked," already, I can't imagine what her plans are
I watched Gracie nod her to a section of the land, limited had a separate spot away from others. Really, we just called it Ashton's spot. It was in a really swampy area, maybe it was so if they tried to leave in the middle of the night we'd hear them or something. It made sense, but not really. Every tent was built up on a wooden pedestal, only one foot off the ground, it was necessary so nobody got a stump in their back in the middle of the night.
Chloe and Gracie arrived at the empty pedestals next to Ashton's tent.
Chloe scowled and looked down at her feet. "Is this a joke? This is a swamp, and why are we like 100 feet away from everyone else? This is sick."
Gracie seemed seriously compassionate, not just because she had to, she was probably the most reasonable council member, at least in my opinion she was. "Limited area, sorry." She spoke with utter guilt.
Chloe rolled her eyes and stepped onto the platform. She waved Gracie away and gave her a little thanks before setting up her tent. I watched from a distance. Chloe was good at this type of stuff, always into camping, I never really was so this was a big change. But for her, she got her best sleep in a tent, maybe not when zombies were growling closely outside though.
Chloe finally finished setting up her tent and I watched her go inside. She sat in there, she laid out the sleeping bag that was conveniently stuffed in the tent bag, and laid down, it was afternoon, but she was more tired than anything.
Even though she was laying on a thin layer of sleeping bag over wood, she was the most comfortable she had been in a while.
Chloe held up the pink dress in front of her eyes and felt her eyes start to water. Nobody could see her, but she still felt embarrassed.
Time passed, she sat there, and cried, and cried, and cried. Thinking of the corpses, missing her cats, thinking of regrets, everything. But at least she had a place to call home now, maybe nobody liked her but it was safe.
She laid there, and softly, cried herself to sleep.