Paying the Price - Chloe Price x Reader a Life is Strange Fanfic

17 - The Closet

Man that was a stupid decision, leaving Chloe to read that entry alone? The hell was I thinking. I stopped and turned to walk back, then stopped again. No I can't just go back now, she needs to read those and feel the importance of them.

Sighing I kept walking down the road, kicking pebbles out of my way as I went. Scenes from Max's diary played on repeat through my mind and I found it hard to focus on the present. I thought back to what coma Max said, about a gift I will receive in return for...? I reached up to my eye, touching the edge of the bandage. Was my sight the cost of something? No, I'm just being paranoid. I catch myself before I shake my head and cause my head to pound.

I sigh again and continue walking back home. I glance with my good eye up to the blue sky, not a cloud in sight. That must be a good sign at least.

I walk around to the back door in case Mom is sleeping on the couch again, and I would rather avoid any conversation and just head up to my room. As luck would have it, Mom was sleeping on the couch and didn't even flinch as I closed the patio door behind me.

I stared for a moment, there were no empty glasses or bottles. I rolled my eyes to myself, that meant nothing. I filled a glass of water and placed it on the coffee table for her to wake up to regardless, and headed upstairs.

Walking past my mirror I realized I was still wearing the clothing from Chloe's closet, the hoodie I had pretty much trashed, there was a gash in one of the arms and blood stains that had probably dripped from my face after my little accident.

Guiltily I removed the hoodie and placed it on my bed. Looking around my room, I checked my bedside table for a sewing kit, with no luck because as a kid I wasn't into sewing or embroidering. I opened my closet, being welcomed by a puff of dust. My nose tingled and I tensed trying to stay quiet. Once the feeling of sneezing my lungs up passed, I started looking through boxes that had been stacked in the closet, most likely for storage.

I found some brittle old Christmas wrapping paper and some old toys of mine. In the back I found a smaller box less dusty than the rest, as though it had been removed and placed back several times, but also hidden behind the older boxes. Opening the bent and creased box, I found stacks of pictures.

Our family all together in Acadia Bay eating ice cream at the beach, a chubby little baby with big eyes and a quivering lip about to bawl, my Dad working on his motorcycle, now mine...

"I see you found the photos"

A jolt of fear struck through my chest and looked up quickly like a child doing something they shouldn't, I threw my hand to my heart, my hands grabbing at the fabric as my heart raced. "Don't do that!" I breathed out a lungful of air I'd been holding "You scared me!"

The first smile I've seen on my mother's face in a long time crinkled the corners of her eyes and she knelt down on her knees across from me picking up a stack of photographs to look through. I noticed particularly that she avoided looking too long at Dad's photos.

We sat on the floor, shuffling through photographs in silence, she kept glancing at my bandaged eye. She opened her mouth once, then paused and closed it. Looking at a picture of me when I first got a pet fish, she asked without looking at me, "May I ask about the eye?".

"No"

"Can you at least tell me if Chloe was responsible"

I chuckled at the absurdity, not meaning to, it grew to a tearful laughing outburst. My Mom not really understanding looked up from the photograph and tilted her head as I brushed away tears. "No, she would never" We fell into an awkward silence after that and she didn't try to it bring up again.

After some silence, she finally spoke. "I was wondering, if you planned to do anything for your birthday...?"

I hadn't been keeping track of time, and considering the recent discovery of Max's diary, I hadn't even thought about my birthday.

"Not that I'm aware, I will probably just hang out with Chloe." I blurted without thinking.

As low-key as my Mom could manage she said "So... This Chloe... she makes good pancakes.."

Seeing that I hadn't reacted, she continued "You spend lots of time with her?"

I glanced over at my mother, my back leaning against my wall and looking at her as she pieces this puzzle together. "Yes"

"She... slept over here, and you sleep over at her house sometimes?"

A feeling of razor-sharp claws dug into my stomach. "Yes."

She nodded to herself as though she found the solution to life. "Okay"

"Okay?"

She sighed and looked at me "I don't care who or what you like, as long as they don't do that-" she points at my eye "-to you."

I watch, as she places the photographs back in the box, stands and leaves my room. I stare after her. Did I just... come out of the closet? 

***A/N***

I know, I know, I've left you guys on that cliffhanger for nearly half a year. As you may have assumed I had a lot going on and WAS NOT procrastinating this story. As I mentioned in one of the comment sections I have written the ending, now I just need to tie the imaginary plot strings together. 

I do have a lot of schoolwork weighing me down but I will get that ending out to your guys eventually, everyone deserves a soul crushing ending :)

Happy New Year guys! Don't forget to wash your hands and stay safe! I love you all! Thanks for 13K reads!

***Reminder*** I DON"T OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS OR PLACES MENTIONED