Partners

Chloe POV

WARNING! TRIGGERS!

I watched as Max walked inside and Lacie asked her if she's okay. I knew she wasn't. Poor girl. "Hey, Lacie, mind if I get a smoke off you? I'll get you back tonight."

"Of course, Chloe." She reached into her pack and grabbed a cigarette, handing it to me. I know I shouldn't chain smoke, but I didn't really care at the moment. "So, I know we don't normally sit and chat or anything, that's more yours and Max's thing, but how about we have a deep discussion?"

"Sure...?" Lacie seemed unsure of where I was going with this. "What would you like to talk about?"

"Have I told you about my troubled years in Arcadia Bay?"

"No."

"Well, after my dad passed away, and Max moved to Seattle, I start rebelling against everyone and everything. I met Rachel, which you've already been told about. What was said to you was that Rachel and I had planned on running away to LA together. So, I borrowed some money, not a whole lot, it was only about 3 grand." I smiled sheepishly at her, seeing her eyes widen. "Anyway, so I borrowed that to help fix up my truck, so it would actually survive the trip. But then she disappeared. And I got so desperate, I decided to blackmail the town rich kid." I stopped talking, remembering that day in the girl's bathroom at Blackwell. "If it weren't for Max, I would be dead."

Lacie was quiet for a moment, and when she spoke, it was almost a whisper. "What were you blackmailing him for?" She sounded almost scared to ask.

I sighed, realizing I was about to reveal something I had only ever told Max. "He was at a bar, I saw him bragging about his money, so I thought I could maybe drug him and take some money to pay off my debt and then some, but that motherfucker switched the drinks last minute. Next thing I know, he's crawling towards me with a camera. There was a bit of a struggle, and I managed to get out the door. One of the guys on that floor saw me and dropped me off at the hospital. I think you could imagine what they told me." I couldn't look her in the eye, instead going for lighting the cigarette she gave me. 

Lacie had a look of horror on her face. "You mean he...?" She couldn't finish the sentence.

I nodded. "But there is a reason I'm telling you about all of this. Not to be seen as a victim, or get pity, but because Max has asked me to tell you something about her as well." I sighed again. This was gonna be more difficult, but I knew Max wanted me to tell her, rather than relive it all again herself. "You remember how she told you that her photography teacher was kidnapping, drugging, and photographing students?" Lacie nodded. "Well, he was doing more than just drugging and photographing them."

"I figured, that sick son of a bitch." Lacie looked angry, but I knew that it was aimed more toward Jeffershit rather than me.

"Well, in the timeline where we went to that party and saw the two full moons, something else happened. Jeffershit shot me and drugged Max. Took her to his Dark Room, where he was doing all of this shit. Max had the same thing happen to her that happened to me, only it was by someone that she used to admire." I sighed. "Please don't look at her with pity or anything. That's why she's stayed quiet for so long. She hates being treated differently because of what she went through."

Lacie nodded her head, not surprised about being told of Max's experience in the Dark Room. "Well, I figured the poor girl had been through something life changing, but to have to go through that and then make a very hard decision like what she had to. I just think it's unfair. That poor girl went through so much in just the course of a week. But she's strong. and these experiences have only--"

"Made me stronger? I wish." Max reappeared in the doorway of the apartment, now smiling and looking a little better with a cup of tea in one hand and a cigarette in another. She sat down on the chair and lit her cigarette, turning back to us. "I don't want to be looked at as a victim. In my mind, I am not a victim, but a victor. I will continue to look at it that way, and I would hope you would do the same."

"Oh, of course. That was the point I was getting at. You have a good life here with Chloe. I can tell she makes you happy, and vice versa." She smiled at us, that intense atmosphere lightening up.

"Yeah, I do." Max looked at me, giving me the first genuine smile I've seen on her face all day. "I love her with every bit of my heart." 

I smile back at her. "As I love her with all of mine." 

"I haven't seen a loving look that intense since my late husband." Lacie smiled. "It's nice to see true love again."

The rest of our time outside was spent talking about random things, and ended with us once again talking about midget porn.

A/N: Heyo! So, this was kind of difficult to write, but we did it! Also, I know it seems hella slow paced, but that's because I don't want to rush it. I might publish another chapter today. Not sure yet. For now, deal with this. Please review.