Life Is Strange: Visions

Chapter Sixteen: Old Flames and New Beginnings

Song(s) that inspired this chapter: Back To Your Love by Night Riots

Rachel's P.O.V.

"Come on, we have to go get Max." I said as I grabbed Chloe's keys and jacket. She grabbed them from me sullenly and walked out the door saying nothing.

I don't know if she was pissed at me or Frank but either way it wasn't going to be a pretty situation. She was insecure, reasonably so. Didn't she realize that I loved her?

I followed her outside to the truck, climbing in the cab beside her. She was sitting with her eyes closed, an unlit cigarette from her pink lips and her hands resting tightly on the steering wheel.

"C, it's going to be fine. We'll go get Max, he'll see that I'm okay and we can come back and figure this Damon shit out." I placed my hand on her arm gently.

"I'm so fucking fed up with all of this drama. Why can't things go back to the way they were? Like the night of the play. It feels like things haven't been normal in forever." She sighed and grabbed her lighter from the dashboard. She cupped her cigarette and lit it, a sudden smell of smoke filling the car. Noticing my wrinkled nose she rolled down the windows.

"The night of the play was pretty great." I smiled, reminiscing. That was the night we acted onstage together, then we kissed for the first time, under the streetlights with the ash falling on us. It was magical. It was one of the best nights of my life-until dinner, of course. My father managed to find a way to ruin everything. "After we sort out this shit with Damon, we can do whatever we want. We can still run to LA, I promise."

She smiled slightly at the suggestion. "That'd be nice. I just wish the world would stop throwing this shit at us."

"And it will. Plus, it's not like we can't handle it. With you, Max and I, we can take on anything." I chuckled, bumping her shoulder with mine. "And don't worry about Frank. He's harmless." I pecked her cheek.

"You're right. Let's go get super Max." She chuckled and pulled out of the driveway and drove to the junkyard.

I rested my head against the door and watched out the window as we drove. The sky was darkening to a bluish gray, and soon it'd be completely dark. Nights in Arcadia Bay were comforting, and beautiful, although they hid many secrets in the shadows. I too, missed the simpler days like Chloe, but time goes on and you have no choice but to go along with it.

"What do you think he's gonna want from you?" Chloe asked, glancing over at me quickly.

"We used to fuck. What do you think?" I asked her tiredly as I took the cigarette from her fingers and raised it to my own lips, breathing in a satisfying hit. I blew out the grey smoke with a puff and raised my finger to draw tendrils in the smoke, disturbing the air around it.

"Fuck. Just give him closure." She replied and pulled up to the familiar junkyard, except Frank's large, old, shitty RV was sitting a few feet away. I saw him, Frank, sitting on the hood of an old truck. Max was beside him, camera out, showing him something on it. Leave it to Max to make friends with Frank.

I stepped out of the truck and stomped out Chloe's cigarette that I stole. She walked up beside me and held her hand out to me. I grabbed it in mine and shut the truck door, the loud slamming noise causing both Max and Frank to look up to face us.

"Ready?" Chloe whispered to me.

"As ready as I'll ever be." I replied and with that we walked over to them. Frank's face was a mixture of disbelief and happiness, he instantly jumped up and Max lingered behind, watching Chloe and I with a nervous expression on her pale, freckled face.

Frank walked up to me, staring at me intensely. "Rachel," he said as he reached out to touch my hair, but stopped when Chloe cleared her throat. I squeezed her hand to thank her. Max walked over beside Chloe, and Chloe hugged her from the side and whispered something to her that I couldn't hear.

"Hello Frank." I replied, returning his gaze. When I looked into his eyes, I remembered our time together. Driving around in the RV, playing with Pompidou, smoking together, falling asleep in his arms. I thought I had loved him, but I know knew what love was. Sure, I cared for him, but that was different. Things would never be the same as they once were.

"Rachel," he said softly, reaching out a hand to touch me but he pulled it back when Chloe cleared her throat for a second time. Damn, she's really protective- I'm glad.

"I suppose you two have a lot to talk about." Max cut through the awkward silence and grabbed Chloe's hand in her own. "Come on Clo, we'll be over here." She gestured towards an old decrepit school bus a few feet away.

"But-" Chloe began to protest and locked eyes with me.

"I'll be fine C." I assured her and let go of her hand and she begrudgingly let Max drag her along. I turned back to Frank, trying to read his face. He looked happy, yet nervous. Relieved but still not quite sure if I was real.

"Well, you wanted to talk?" I folded my arms across my chest.

"Yeah, but I mostly wanted to see you. To make sure it was really true." He replied softly. I looked back to check on Chloe, who was clenching her jaw tightly and staring at us with hard eyes.

"It is. I'm real, I'm here." I said, unfolding my arms and spinning in a little circle with my arms outstretched to show him.

"I know, I know. I'm so glad. I blamed myself you know-"

"It wasn't your fault. It was Nathan and Mar-Jefferson." I cut him off with reassurance, deciding to say Jefferson instead of Mark halfway through the word.

"Thanks."

We both stood in awkward silence, avoiding the elephant in the room. I knew why he wanted to see me, and Chloe did too.

"So do you want to talk about it?" Frank asked a bit sheepishly, placing his hand on the back of his neck.

"About what, Frank?" I replied coyly. Might as well have a little fun before the shit show starts.

He sighed with annoyance. "You know, Rach."

"What's there to talk about? I'm with Chloe now." I put my hand on my hip and waited expectantly.

"I loved you Rachel. I still love you. Didn't you care? Don't you care?" He asked, but it was more like pleading.

I sighed. "Frank, of course I care about you. Just not in a romantic way." His face fell. "If I'm being completely honest, you had drugs, and that's what I wanted." Frank's face hardened, in shock and anger. "I was a high school student. A literal child. I don't know why you thought it was a good idea in the first place."

"You were not a child!" He roared. "You wanted drugs, booze, sex, adventure. I gave it to you. A child doesn't want those things Rachel." Frank shouted, his face turning red.

"Get away from her!" Chloe angrily yelled back at him and twisted out of Max's grasp, glowering at him.

Frank shook his head, and the anger was replaced with sadness. He looked up at me, grabbed my face, and pulled me into a kiss. I pulled back and shoved him, my face becoming a mask of anger and disgust. Chloe ran over, seemingly at the speed of light, and stood in front of me protectively.

"What the fuck Frank?" I roared, still processing what had just happened.

"It's time to go now Frank. You heard her. Get away from my girlfriend." Chloe angrily threatened him, planting her hand on his chest and shoving him backwards. He stumbled back, but regained his balance and stood still for a moment.

Frank shook his head and looked at me one last time. "I don't know you anymore." He said quietly, before turning around and trudging away, his boots leaving indents in the dirt.