Perfect with You

Chapter 24 - Awake

Shaking her head, Max took a breath and then held her hands in front of her.

"Ted," she said seriously as her stomach hasn't settled and her veins still pumping adrenaline through her body.
"Listen to me and give me a straight answer" She raised her voice to outshout the ongoing music and loud people around them, but it seemed she had gotten the attention from him as he crossed his arms, leaned in, and stayed quiet.
"Do you know where Chloe is?"

As soon as she asked the question, Ted smiled and curled his lips to keep from chuckling; making Max send him a look of exasperation, not having time for anything that he thought might be funny.
Fortunately, Ted saw the soul-piercing expression on Max and looked genuinely frightened.

"Yeah yeah, she's like, sitting at our table just over there" he pointed towards a corner of the club, making her quickly look in the direction, but the crowd of people made it impossible to see the table in question.

The answer calmed Max slightly, but she still had the sickly feeling running through her and she knew it wouldn't calm down until she had seen her friend.
"Thank God," she exclaimed.
"Alright, I'm gonna be kicked out of this bar in a matter of seconds, so please lead me to her"

It was clear to see Ted thought he finally understood the urgency, even though it was only half of the story, but fortunately, he obliged and turned around, leading Max through dancing crowds, drinks in the air and hands going rogue.

"So, who was that grade-a douchebag that groped you? I thought he might have been your boyfriend for a sec" Ted asked while elbowing his way through two girls that were clearly underage and with Max following close behind who pretended she didn't hear the question.

A few more steps on the sticky floor and Ted finally stopped in front of a table placed in the corner away from most people. There were four chairs surrounding the wooden table, but the only person sitting in one of the chairs was not her friend, Chloe.

"Hey Jo" Ted greeted her, making the black-haired girl look up. She looked clear headed, her long hair going down her back with bangs set in an intended position that covered her left eye. She gave a small nod to Ted before looking at Max and giving a vacillating smile.
"Where's Chloe at?" He asked while pulling out a chair, but not showing any signs of getting ready to sit down.

"Ehm, she said she went outside to smoke" The girl answered as a green light coming from the roof passed her, showing the red lipstick added inch-perfectly, her naturally tanned skin barely covered by the midriff purple top she was wearing.
"But that was like fifteen minutes ago, so..." she suddenly threw her arms up in the air.
"Who fucking knows?" Her shrill voice whistled through the gaps in her teeth but surprisingly, she didn't seem drunk at all from what Max could gather. However, the response she gave concerned Max, neither of them having any idea where Chloe could be and she certainly wasn't outside smoking. Quick thoughts of possible locations where she could be popped into Max's head, but none of them seemed plausible.

If she isn't here or at home, maybe she went to another bar? I don't know the fucking area, though... maybe I should try calling her again. She didn't answer her phone when I called her in the car on the way over, though, and it was even on... is she actually avoiding me?

Max swallowed a nauseating ball of spit that had formed in her throat as a chill skid across her arms.

Or has she really... killed herself?

"Ted!" Max suddenly exclaimed with a loud voice due to her rising anxiety. Ted jumped a little to the side, amusing the girl sitting at the table.
"Would it be at all possible to track down Chloe? Maybe via her phone or something?" Max looked intensely at him, showing him he shouldn't ask questions, just give her an answer.