Paying the Price - Chloe Price x Reader a Life is Strange Fanfic

12 - Old Friend

I awoke slowly, my consciousness like a tide creeping it's way back to me. I had my back tucked up against Chloe's warm form, one of her arms resting over me. I sighed and yawned, then shifted to stretch before sitting up and looking over at Chloe.

Chloe was sitting up against the wall, a pillow behind her back as she read my book. She'd obviously been reading it more than just this morning because she was almost finished it.

"Interesting read?" I asked, my voice a bit hoarse from sleep. I yawned again as Chloe glanced towards me with a look of "you caught me" but then looking back to the book.

"Hmmm should I spoil the ending?" I said out loud, only for Chloe to spin around to look at me, a horrified pleading look spreading across her features.

"Good morning, Price." I chuckled, sitting up on my knees, kissing her messy blue hair and getting out of bed.

I walked to the door, and opened it slowly, looking both ways and crossed the hall into the bathroom, where I found my shirt and jeans still soaking and smelling like tree bark and moss. I scrunched my nose and tried to wring out as much of the water as I could into the sink, but they were cold and damp and I didn't really feel like putting them back on, not when the clothing I was wearing was warm, and dry and smelled like Chloe.

I turned around, my leather jacket hanging on my arm, and my damp clothing balled up in my hands. I headed back into Chloe's room, and when I opened the door still looking at my damp clothes, oblivious that I'd literally just walked in on Chloe changing.

I inhaled sharply as I looked up to find Chloe getting dressed. She had her back to me, a new pair of black jeans on, but no shirt as she hummed a tune, looking through her cabinet.

Chloe turned at the sound, and I immediately turned away, facing the door. I heard Chloe laugh behind me, and moments later, she came up behind me, wrapping her arms around my waist and hugging me from behind, I froze.

"Relax, I'm wearing a shirt." Chloe said, her chin resting on my shoulder. "You're cute when you're all flustered." Chloe said letting go of me. My heart was still beating at a steady gallop, and my face warm as she walked back over to her closet and opened it.

"You're clothes are still soaked right? You can wear these for the time being. Sorry, they're a bit old, you're not exactly my size." Chloe said digging in the back of her closet to find a F/C shirt, a hoodie and some jeans.

I went back to the bathroom to get changed, not without some snickering from Chloe, but I wasn't risking embarrassing myself again in front of that blue haired punk.

When I was dressed, I looked in the mirror and saw my E/C eyes stare back at me, admiring my outfit. Despite it's age it still smelled faintly like Chloe. Also very dusty, and I sneezed, once, twice, three times.

In the right pocket of the jeans, there was something poking me. I pulled out a Polaroid photograph of Chloe? When she was younger, with another girl dressed as pirates. Man Chloe looked so different, and that other girl, who was she? Was that Max?

Chloe appeared at the doorway of the bathroom, and walked over to me, gently taking the photograph from my hand, a pained expression on her face. She took my hand and brought me back into her room where she slid a tin box out from beneath her bed and opened it, putting the photograph gently inside.

I now noticed the folded cardboard box sitting next to where the tin box had been sitting. In messy handwriting, "Rachel Amber and Max Caulfield things"

Instead of closing the tin box, Chloe hesitated. She said nothing as she sat down on the bed with the tin box in her lap, an assortment of photographs, coins, newspaper clippings and folded notes were inside. I sat in silence beside her, putting my arms around her. She would talk if she wanted to talk.

She pulled out a folded photograph, one of her with hair a darker blue than it was now, and another girl, beautiful, not so much in Chloe's bold sharp way, but more in a natural way. Chloe was flipping off the camera, but this girl was just smiling.

"Rachel Amber" Chloe said, no tears, no eyes watering, she spoke the name flatly.

Chloe reached into the tin box again and picked out a Polaroid selfie, Chloe with fading pink and blue hair, the top of her hair already turning back to its natural shade. And next to her a girl with a round face, peppered with freckles and soft eyes that reminded me of a doe, what had Chloe said in the junk yard? That her spirit animal was a deer? Yeah that sounded right.

"And Max Caulfield." She added even quieter.

Chloe put the photographs back into the tin box and closed the lid before carefully sliding it back under the bed.

"Come on, let's go meet Mom and Step-dick." Chloe says, a broken smile covering her pain as she takes my hand and pulls me downstairs.

The halls are old and stained, photographs, some behind broken glass, hang along the walls, and the beaten hardwood floor creaks under our feet.

We walk through the kitchen into the living space, Chloe shielding me from view, but I can see that Joyce, the woman from the Two Whales Dinner is sitting having a coffee across from a man I know all too well.

My heart starts hammering in my chest, adrenaline spiking in my veins

In slow motion, Chloe's parents turn to look at us, and I'm frozen with shock as Chloe steps aside to reveal me.

"This is-"

David stands up, clearly just as shocked. "Y/N L/N"

Chloe shuts her mouth with a snap, then looks at me confused, and I see something that looks like betrayal or accusation flash across her gaze.

David walks towards me as my eyes fill with tears, and wraps his arms around me as I start shaking, and sobbing uncontrollably.

Cliffhanger Duh DUH DUHHHHH

You know the drill! I don't own LIS or the art, but I do own the fan fiction! 

Like this chapter if you enjoyed and leave a comment about what you thought!

Cya at the next chapter! 

~ Ryan