Ties With Her [Life is Strange]

Chapter 2: The Military Veteran

Chloe sighed as she saw David working on his car. A muscle car to be exact. Chloe rolled her eyes and started walking toward him and sighed. David looked up from the car and narrowed his eyes at Chloe.

"You women take forever to get ready." He said.

"Because we hope you men will get sick of us and leave." Chloe told him as she tossed his keys toward him. David caught his keys in his hand and sighed heavily. "Figured you'd be this way after last night." He muttered. "How do you-" "You're mother told me, Chloe. She's worried about you." Chloe shrugged. "Awww... how nice of her." She said.

"I see you got yourself a black eye." David said. "No I didn't." Chloe quickly responded. "It's not responsible of you to get into scraps. I have my fair share, but I was taught by my father it isn't acceptable. Perhaps, maybe I should do the same with you." He told her.

What could you ever teach me, asshole?

"You owe your mother better responsibility." David said. He leaned over his car and sighed.

"Electrode insulator's cracked, I know it. You know what spark plugs do?" David said towards the teenager. "Yes." Chloe told him.

"It ignites the-"

"Hey, did you not hear me?" Chloe said to him. "I said I know what it does."

"Then grab my socket wrench inside the garage so we can go. School starts in an hour." David said.

Chloe walked to the garage and looked for David's toolbox which was sitting on the floor. She kneeled down and opened the toolbox. Which held multiple tools inside. She grabbed the small box David requested for and closed the lid. She looked around the garage and crossed her arms.

Why is David leaving a bunch of his shit here? Does he think he's moving in with us?

Chloe brought the socket wrench over to David. "Come on, Chloe. We don't have all morning." David said and reached for the socket wrench. Chloe hesitantly gave him the box. He took it from her hand and continued working on his car.

Chloe sighed and crossed her arms. Kicking at the ground. Then the thought of Rachel came back into her head. The same thought of Chloe having a crush on the most popular kid at school.

***
The other night

Rachel came up from behind Chloe and held out her phone in front of them. The two smiled widely as Rachel took the picture on her phone. Chloe and Rachel laughed together as she lowered the phone. Chloe's laughs came to a stop when she looked at Rachel. Who's laughs have also came to a halt when they made eye contact.

"You know... I just realized..." Rachel said.

"Realized what?" Chloe asked.

"That there's a small bit of turquoise in the blue of your eyes." Rachel said and they started laughing.

***

"See that?" David said, bringing Chloe out of her thoughts. She turned to him. "That's a sign of-"

"Carbon deposits? Yeah, no shit." Chloe said to him.

"You could be good at this, Chloe. All you have to do is lose your attitude." David told her. "I'm sure by now, you realized my attitude is the best part of me, David." Chloe said.

"If you say so." David said to her. He finished working on his car and shut the hood. He walked up to Chloe and awkwardly held out his fist. Chloe glared at him, but slowly connected fists with him. He lightly patted her upper arm and picked up the socket wrench to put them in the garage.

"I thought you were bringing those with you..." Chloe said to him. "Every house needs a reliable toolbox." David told her over his shoulder. "If you haven't noticed, we already have one. Thanks anyway." Chloe sarcastically said and crossed her arms.

David looked at the old toolbox beside his and chuckled.

Chloe entered David's car and shut the door. She leaned against the door and looked outside. Waiting for David to finish.

I hate this asshole so much. Why can't my mom see what a tool she's dating? He has nothing good to offer to our family. He's just some corporal asshole.

Chloe's thoughts of David suddenly trailed off as she thought of who would be at her school today. Rachel Amber. Chloe was still stuck with Rachel's figure in her head. She was seriously so beautiful and in a way... attractive. Chloe's seen Rachel at school, but not as close as last night.

Stop thinking like that! Stop it!

Once David put his toolbox away, he sat beside Chloe and eyed at her. "We need to talk, Chloe." He said. Just what Chloe was hoping for. Some conversation with David.

"You will respect me. You've had a fatherless life for the past few years. There are some things I want to make clear to you." Chloe turned to him with a glare. She had enough of this asshole. She was shutting this down.

"I know what's clear alright. And that's a simple fuck you!" Chloe told him.

"Watch your language, girl! You're way out of line." David said. "Je m'appelle gives zero shits." Chloe replied. David scoffed. "Smart mouth for someone your age." He said. "Helluva lot smarter than you are." Chloe told him.

"I crap bigger than you, got it?" David said. "Then get upstairs and start plumbing because I'm sure you clogged the toilet..." Chloe said back.

"You--! You're breaking your mothers heart, Chloe!" David retorted. "She has a heart that you don't. Simple as that." Chloe told him with a lazy shrug. "I fought in war! You will respect me right now!" David told her. "I didn't enlist as a damn soldier. So don't treat me like one." Chloe said. Feeling confident as she must have won this segment of traded words.

"If you were a man..." David said. Chloe interrupted with, "I wouldn't have gone easy on you either." David sighed heavily. "What's the point in trying anyway?" He muttered as he started the car.

Chloe sat back. Satisfied with the conclusion to their conversation. A smug grin formed on her face as David drove out of the driveway and towards Blackwell.

David gripped the wheel tightly out of anger. He didn't like being shot down by some teenager. Especially after his time in the army. He wanted respect from Chloe. But as the adult, he tried his best to remain calm and to not yell uncontrollably at the teenager and continued his drive toward her school.

David pulled in front of Blackwell and said, "Out of the car or you'll be late." Chloe rolled her eyes and left the car. She turned to him and said, "Thanks." David shook his head.

"You can play the pleasantries game all you want. But I heard that sarcastic tone in your voice, young lady." He said.

"Uh, I was actually saying tha-"

"I see everything, Chloe. Everything." David told her. Chloe scoffed and shrugged her shoulders. She shut the door and watched David drive off. Chloe turned and looked at the all too familiar building that was Blackwell Academy.

"Hello, BlackHell..."