Ties With Her [Life is Strange]

Chapter 20: Comfort

Chloe softly opened the door and poked her head in. Rachel was laying on her side. Sniffing to herself. Chloe quietly stepped in and closed the door behind her.

Rachel needs me. And I'm here for her. But I need some way to show her I'm here.

Chloe saw the night light on the drawer she saw earlier. She thought maybe Rachel would enjoy the stars so she turned it on. But it wasn't very bright to shine on the ceiling.

This light needs more... uh... light.

Chloe scanned the room for something she could use to make the night light more brighter. Her eyes landed on an orange emergency kit. Which surely provided a bright flashlight. Once she opened it, she grabbed the flashlight and walked over to the night light.

But suddenly, Chloe received a text. Notified by her vibrating phone in her pocket. She dug it out and saw that Joyce had texted her multiple times.

From: MOM
Chloe, the door is unlocked in case you left your key here.

From: MOM
Please come home. Doesn't matter that it's after curfew.

Chloe let out a sigh. She began typing a message to her mother.

From: ME
mom i can't right now, okay

From: MOM
Please.

Chloe ignored her mothers pleas and put her phone away. Turning off the vibration so she wouldn't be bothered by anymore texts. She approached the night light and took out the flashlight. Chloe gripped the face cap of the flashlight and turned it until it came off.

After modifying the flashlight with the night light, Chloe crouched to the floor and set the night light on the floor and turned it on. But it still was too bright in the room, which was easily fixed by turning off the lamp on the drawer. Now everything was set in place.

All Chloe had to do now was comfort Rachel.

Chloe sat beside Rachel and rubbed her shoulder. "Hey. Check it out." She said. Rachel looked over her shoulder and saw the stars on the ceiling. She sat up and put her arms on her knees. "It's beautiful, Chloe." She said. Chloe smiled softly. "Thought you'd like it." Chloe said.

The stars slowly rotated on the roof. Something Rachel adored in the real night sky.

"I've always loved stars." Rachel said.

"Why?" Chloe asked her.

"Because they remind us there's so much beauty out there, which most of the time, is invisible to us." Rachel said. Chloe continued with, "Because we're blinded by what's in front of us." Rachel nodded in agreement and muttered, "Exactly."

"But then the truth came out." Rachel started. "The stars we're seeing have been dead for so long. They're all lies... every single one of them." She said. Rachel wiped the tears off her cheeks and sighed.

"But, that doesn't make them any less beautiful, right?" Chloe said. Rachel shrugged. "I don't know." She said. "If they're not even real, there's no point to them." Rachel let out another shaky sigh. "It's all lies. Everything. In my life. My dad. My mom." Rachel listed as she lied on her side again.

Chloe lied down beside her friend and applied her hand softly onto her side.

"If I can even call her that anymore." Rachel said. "But that other woman. My actual mom. She's the biggest lie of all." She added. Rachel told Chloe that she doesn't have trust for anybody anymore and that maybe she's the only one in the world that she can trust.

Chloe smiled softly. "I'll take it, even it's only by process of elimination." She said. Rachel laughed softly. She told Chloe, "Good." Rachel turned to face Chloe. Seeing her beautiful face warmed Rachel's heart. Chloe smiled at her and rested her hand on her upper stomach.

"You know..." Rachel started, raising her hand in the air. "I've worn this bracelet my entire life." She said. "I never even asked why, never even thought about it. But, some how I think I always knew. Even when I didn't know." Rachel sniffed and continued. "That my real mother was gone." Rachel watched as the stars above them rotated. Getting the illusion that they were rotating faster and faster.

Rachel slowly placed her hand on top of Chloe's and wrapped her fingers around it. Holding Chloe's hand tightly.

"But the fact that she's here right now. That she came here. All just for me." Rachel said. She turned to face Chloe again. This time, fully turning her body to face her.

"After all this time? I... just don't know." Rachel said. "I don't know if I'm ready." She added. "Is that wrong?" She asked Chloe. Who shook her head. "Of course not." Chloe whispered softly. "But whenever you think you're ready, I'll be there right with you." Chloe told her. Rachel smiled at her. "That means a lot, Chloe. Thank you." She said.

"But when the time comes and we need to find her, I can't just ask my parents for a ride. Not after..." Rachel said, cutting herself off. Chloe grinned at her. "Don't worry. I got that covered." She said. "You do?" Rachel question. "Yep. In fact, name anything you can come up with, I'll handle it." Chloe told her. Rachel smiled. "I know you will." She said.

"But also... when we speak, what do I say? Will I even know what to say to her?" Rachel said. Questioning her ability to speak to her birth mother. "After my dad died..." Chloe started. "I never knew how to keep talking to him. I still don't. But that doesn't matter. What does matter is that he's still here." She said. Rachel studied Chloe.

"Your dad?" She questioned.

"In my dreams. He's there, and it always feels so real. It's almost like it's another part of my life. The one that used to be the only one that mattered." Chloe said. She thought about what she just told Rachel.

"I never told anybody about that before. Kinda weird, isn't it?" She said. But Rachel didn't respond. "Uh... Rachel?" Chloe questioned. "I was just thinking about something." Rachel said. "That maybe I was wrong before. Who cares if the stars are all dead." Rachel started to scoot closer to Chloe.

Chloe wrapped her arm underneath Rachel's neck and held her hand. Letting Rachel lie her head on her arm.

"As long as they're still visible, that means they're real to us. Right?" Rachel said. "Right." Chloe told her. Rachel leaned her head close to Chloe's and closed her eyes.

Listening to Chloe's soft breaths.

***

"Chloe... Chloe..." A voice spoke.

Chloe opened her eyes and saw that she wasn't with Rachel in her room anymore. She sat up and saw that she was in her own room. And she saw her father sitting on a chair in front of her bed.

"Dad?" Chloe said with a smile. She stood up to hug him. But as he stood up, Chloe walked right through him. She turned around and saw her father. "Wha- what?" Chloe questioned. William smiled softly at her. "Sorry, kiddo. But this is just another dream." He told her.

Chloe felt sadness dwell over her. She sniffed and faced the ground. "Hey now..." William said. He wiped the tears off of Chloe's face and smiled at her. "Don't cry." He said. The room started to change. It turned into Rachel's room. And there was herself and Rachel asleep on the bed.

"I'm proud of you, Chloe." William said. Clutching Chloe's shoulder with his hand. "You were there for her when she needed you most." He said. "She means a lot to me." Chloe told him. William smiled and said, "That's the feeling of love." Chloe nodded and smiled.

Looking at the blonde girl beside her.

Chloe felt her fathers hand leave her shoulder. She looked at him and saw he was heading towards the door. "Dad? Where are you going?" She asked him. William gripped the handle and opened the door. He looked at Chloe and smiled.

"My life may be over... but yours is only beginning." He said. "Take care of her, Chloe. She needs you more than you might think." Chloe nodded. "I will, dad. I promise." She said. William smiled at her. "I know you will, kiddo." He said. He walked out of the room.

Softly closing the door behind him.