I Don't Care About Your Stupid Space Plants

Two

Chloe's eyes grew and her mouth dropped open at the news of Maddie's invitation. "Are you joking me right now? You'd better be joking me."

Maddie tightened her lips and shook her head. "I wish I was, dude."

"God. So, what are you going to do?" 

"I'm mostly still trying to decide, but..." Maddie adjusted the beanie on her head nervously, unsure of how Chloe was going to react. "...right now, I'm leaning towards going."

Chloe straightened her back and leaned on the little table in her dad's kitchen they were sitting at. "So you're going along with it? After all these years, you're just okay with this?"

Maddie sighed and narrowed her eyes. "No, I'm not 'going along with it,' I'm going to tell her how I feel and tell her what a shitty mother she is."

"And you really think that'll help? What if you just start a big fight and then you're stuck on some alien planet with a mother you're even MORE angry with?" Chloe's tone changed from curious to a soft warning.

Shrugging, Maddie said "I guess that's possible, but she needs to know that she hurt me. She needs to know her only daughter despises her for what she did, and that she can never make up for-"

"Wait wait wait, I just had a thought," Chloe interjected, waving a hand at Maddie. "If you actually do go through with this...how long are you gonna be gone? A year? Two?"

Maddie paused, looking down at her hands resting on the table, the small cup of coffee beside them. "I don't know, actually. The letter didn't say."

Chloe leaned back and gestured towards Maddie to get her point across. "Exactly. You could be gone for ANOTHER four years, but without me this time. Just you, your mom, and a team of random people you've never met before. If something goes wrong, that's a long time to be stuck there, Mads..."

"I know, I know, I just...I haven't entirely thought out every little detail, okay?" She was starting to get frustrated with Chloe. Not because of anything she said, but because she brought up some good points Maddie hadn't even considered. 

Leaning forward, Chloe put a hand on top of Maddie's, looking her in the eyes. She didn't care if it made her blush this time, she just wanted her to listen to her. Her tone remained soft and careful. "Look, this is a major thing. I know you know this. But what do you truly want out of this? You tell her how you feel, tell her she's a bitch, all that stuff, and then what? You'll stay there anyway because there's no way back home. Not for a very long time."

Despite her cheeks being extremely red, she looked up at Chloe as she spoke. "I just need to get this off my chest. I've told you, Papa, and even my therapist how I feel, and it doesn't lift any magical weights; it just makes me want to tell her in person even more." Maddie sighed and then continued. "I need to do this, Chloe. I've needed this for the last eleven years of my life."

Chloe squeezed Maddie's hand and smiled into her eyes. "Then go do it. I just want to make sure you're certain this is what you want."

Maddie flipped her hand over, squeeing Chloe's in return. "It's not what I want, trust me. But I feel like this is what I need. Closure or whatever."

"And you deserve that. Honestly." Chloe seemed more genuine than she ever had. "Just take care of yourself, okay?"

Maddie nodded and smiled. "Yeah, I will. I have a best friend to come home to."

Chloe held Maddie's hand for a second more before getting up from the table. Looking down at her, Chloe said "have you even teleported before? What if it hurts?" She opened the fridge and grabbed a beer.