Perfect with You

Chapter 28 - The Same Murmuring Wish

It only seemed natural when Chloe fist-bumped him and did the hand-explosion motion just after the impact. Ted tried to mimic her movements but clearly lagging behind with an awkward look on his face. As it was so typical with Chloe, every person around her would be taught how to be cool, whether they wanted it or not, but they would also be taught the most important lesson: that no one could be cooler than Chloe herself. Max gratifyingly watched the two persons saying their goodbyes from inside the car. It had been no problem driving Ted home since he lived in a big, white house close-by, but it was a little more challenging with Tiffany. She lived two places, one place that was a shit-hole and another that was just inconvenient far away as she had described it. Max had pondered about just driving Tiffany to whatever place she wanted, but it was in the middle of the night, so they were both aware that it would just be a hassle. They ended up simply driving her to the bus station after she had insisted that there were plenty of busses for her purpose. She never did say whether or not she took a bus to the shit-hole or her other place, but just minutes before they dropped her off, it had seemed like Chloe and her exchanged numbers, so they'd be sure to keep in touch. It was, however, odd to see Chloe and Tiffany communicating. They were different from each other, but they both had that same bad-girl crust to their personality, which was apparently enough ground for them to connect on some level. Chloe and Ted, however... it was more like a baby pigeon being mentored by an eagle. Ted being the pigeon.
Despite these factors, Max had taken notice of that neither of them connected to Chloe on a deeper level than just her exterior, not that it was necessary or even expected, but Tiffany only asked a few questions to Chloe about where she had been and then it was dropped. The conclusion as to why that was the case came to be that both Ted and Tiffany simply knew when to back off and not pry. Something they did very well with Max as well. They just wanted everyone around them to be comfortable- to some variation on Tiffany's side.
When Chloe and her trainee eventually parted, Ted winked back at Max with a satisfying smile which Max shyly returned. Chloe on her way back to the car made another gesture with her hand, making a circle with her finger and tilting her head, silently asking Max if she wanted to take the passenger seat instead; a request she happily accepted.

It wasn't long before the two girls were on the road once more, with Chloe driving slowly through the buildings shrouded in darkness. It was clear to tell both of them were exhausted and dreaded the fact that it was still a fairly long way home.

"aaaAAAHHH" Chloe randomly broke out an increasingly loud yawn that sounded more like a lion cub with a serious throat problem than anything else.
"Whaaat's your favorite Pokémon?" She asked with the exhale that followed the yawn as she nuzzled back in her seat, looking off in the distance.

"God dude, there's so many now... I barely know half of them" Using a mixture of tiredness and whininess in her voice, Max slid to the side in her seat and rested her arm against the window.

"True dat. Their next Pokémon should just be a dead horse that you constantly beat up until it stops spitting out money, AMIRIGHT?" Chloe hollered out in a crazy state of drowsiness.

"Oh- oh shit" Max whispered in response with such an intensity as if the whole staff at Nintendo had just been mad burned. She felt like a high-five would be appropriate, but the effects of having stayed awake for so long began messing with her body as well. A shockingly similar feeling to being drunk.

"No, but for serious. Your favorite Pokémon. Go!" Snapping her fingers, Chloe made it clear that this was the time for the reveal of the century and there was no room for shenanigans.

"Yanma" She answered confidently, feeling proud for answering so quickly and with such certainty. She also avoided the poser response of saying Pikachu.

Chloe narrowed her eyes, her whole face dropping down an inch. She was in deep thought as if she was trying to solve the mystery of the Zodiac Killer.
"What the fuck..." she enunciated each word slowly.
"Is a Yanma?"