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

Chapter 19

Max's plane had been in the air less than 30 minutes and already all Max could think of was the growing distance between her and Chloe. Every minute in flight was another mile away from Chloe's cheeky smile, her adorable frown, her safe embrace, and her soft lips. Max flicked through her journal to pass the time and relive the moments she'd spent with Chloe. The most recent one was taken only a few days ago, Chloe had attempted to cook for Max. All she had succeeded in doing was filling each of their lungs with smoke and disturbing the entire building with the incessant cry of the smoke alarm. Chloe had been frantically waving a tea towel at the alarm trying to blow the smoke away, as it continued to ring, she had become more panicked at getting it to stop before an entourage of angry neighbours knocked on the door. Even though Max had been hungry she couldn't help but giggle at Chloe's desperation, and decided it was a moment she wanted to capture. She held onto that memory for the remainder of the flight, reminding herself over and over that the week would fly by.

Her father was waiting for her at the airport arrivals, he was excited to see her and Max tried to emulate his enthusiasm, but yesterday's travel combined with her flight had left her yearning for a warm shower and a nights rest in her spring-free bed. Max had hoped for a quiet drive back to their house, but her father could not seem to pick up on her lack of interest in being a part of the conversation. He grilled her on her first semester and university, apparently making up for being technologically inept and them hardly talking while she had been away.

Max answered his questions, telling him about her exams, about Victoria, about Kate and returning to Arcadia Bay with Chloe, all the while knowing she would have to repeat her answers word for word for her mother when she made it home. There were of course details from the Arcadia Bay story that she omitted, deciding they were best revealed when both of her parents were present.

When she arrived home Max's eyes were drawn to the magnificence of the 9ft Christmas tree in their lounge. The colours were bright and evenly distributed as they always were. It was far more impressive than the one Max had helped put up that morning, but nowhere near as endearing and no fun at all to create Max was sure. Max's mum was in the kitchen making the final preparations on dinner, they shared a quick reunion, Vanessa squeezing her just too tight, before Max escaped to her room for five minutes of peace before the questions started again.

She dropped onto her bed with an exhausted exhale, her body was full of fatigue and her mind was focused on the memories of the last time she had been in this room soaking wet sitting beside Chloe, so close it was painful. She thought of the moment their eyes had locked, she could have sworn Chloe's eyes had darted down to her lips, but Max wasn't ready to sort through her feelings, she panicked and moved back. She wished she could go back to that moment now, kiss Chloe sooner so that their time together could've been longer. With that thought on her mind, she took her phone out of her pocket to let Chloe know she had made it safely.

Max: Made it home. Miss you already 💔

Max sent a similar text to Victoria while waiting for Chloe's reply. She had barely finished typing her message when it came.

Chloe: Come back to Arcadia Bay then, you know you'll have more fun here.

Max didn't doubt that was true, and even wished she could take Chloe up on her offer.

Max: You know I can't do that

Chloe: 💔💔💔

Chloe: She loves me not.

Max: Did you just send me emojis 👀

Chloe: No. You have no proof.

Max chuckled, taking a screenshot of Chloe's message and sending it back to her.