Max & Chloe's Hella Shitty Coffee (Life is Strange)

Chapter 11

October ended and November was halfway through. As the weeks went by Max started to work out a routine that complemented her work life and her Chloe life, though she'd be lying if she said she was attending all her lectures. Max and Victoria's movie nights had become more frequent – though only on a probationary period and would be terminated if Victoria made Max watch another movie that would leave her with nightmares. Max did get her own back on Victoria though by making her sit through The Room, a movie so terrible they made a movie about how terrible it is (which they also watched together). She and Kate were also meeting up for tea and coffee periodically twice a week, Kate had seemed much happier in the recent weeks, and was opening up to Max more and more each time they hung out. After mass persuasion she even let Max stay and listen as Kate practised playing her violin.

Chloe, on the other hand, had been distant the past week and Max knew why. Next week would mark 5 years since William's death, and this year the anniversary fell the day before thanksgiving. Max wanted desperately to make up for the years when she hadn't been around for the anniversary of her father's death, and she was even jealous once again of Rachel because she'd been there when Max hadn't, and she continued to be there for Chloe now because they lived together. Max still hadn't been to their apartment and she was tempted to ask Rachel for the address so she could visit Chloe. In the end though she decided against it, forcing Chloe to talk before she was ready wouldn't end well and it wouldn't help Chloe.

That didn't mean that Max couldn't make herself feel better by trying to find something that would make Chloe feel better, even if it were just for a second. Feeling a sudden sense of purpose Max went to find Victoria.

"I need your help with something."

As usual, she found Victoria sitting in the communal area looking as polished as ever, writing in her notebook with her right hand as she texted with her left. Her obsidian coffee sat in a thermos next to her.

"Always happy to help, Maxine. Is this about Chloe?" Victoria asked, baiting Max with a playful smirk.

"Yes. How did you know?" As usual, Max found her cheeks burn red and her heart rate pick up when she spoke about Chloe with Victoria.

"It usually is with you." Victoria rolled her eyes, smiling from ear to ear. "Alright Casanova, what's the deal?" She placed both her phone and her notebook down on the table, all her attention now on Max.

Max took a deep breath, mentally debating how much to tell Victoria, if nothing else she knew Rachel and Max didn't want it to seem like Chloe's trauma was a topic for gossip. In the end, Max decided she could trust Victoria. With a lump in her throat Max explained how Chloe's childhood, her perfect family and even her perception of the world were tragically destroyed five years ago.

Victoria was empathetic and she didn't interrupt or try and minimise Chloe's grief by comparing it to a sad story of her own as so many people had done to Chloe at the time. She just listened.

Max even told Victoria how she'd been there with Chloe when William walked out the door for the final time. She told her how happy they'd been that morning and how Max had wished she'd known that it was the last time they'd feel that sense of childish innocence so that she could have held onto it just a little tighter at the time, so that she could have held onto Chloe just a little bit tighter and for the last time.

She still remembered that morning with perfect accuracy, the way William walked out the front door with a final wave, the way he was in such a rush to meet Joyce, the way Joyce walked in later a foot shorter from grief.

"Max, you'll be here too right?"

"Of course, she's never leaving me!"

"That makes all of us!"