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

16 - Reading

I was still a little drowsy from whatever they'd given me, but I didn't mind as I leaned against Chloe while she drove us back to her house.

Impatiently she was drumming her fingers on the steering wheel, but she slowed down over every speed bump making sure not to jostle me.

Chloe was becoming more tense, and jittery the closer we got to her house. When she pulled into the driveway, she kicked open the door and very nearly jumped out forgetting I was leaning against her.

Chloe was itching to read Max's journal, but despite that, her eyes were soft as she helped me out of the car. Still feeling like my head was filled with concrete, and my eye throbbing, I leaned heavily on Chloe as she lead me inside.

The house was quiet except for Chloe kicking the door closed behind us with her foot. When we reached the bottom of the stairs Chloe took one look down at me and grinned.

She let go and crouched in front of me. "This'll be faster, trust me."

I flopped onto her back, wrapping my arms around her neck to hold on while she lifted me up and carried me up the stairs. She was so warm and all I wanted to do was lie down, sleep, just for a little bit.

I sighed as Chloe carefully put me down on her bed, took off my shoes and tucked the covers around me. I was asleep before I could hear Chloe reach under the bed to find Max's box and rip it open.

———

As I eased back into consciousness, I stretched around me for Chloe, noticing quickly that she was absent and sat up. The throbbing in my head increased with the gentleness of a train as I reached a hand up to my forehead as my head spun. When my eyes adjusted and I didn't feel like I was going to fall over, I glanced around the room. It was dark except for a lamp at Chloe's desk. I could make out her slouched form, her head was leaning against her head, and from her slow easy breathing, she'd fallen asleep there.

I stood very slowly walking over to Chloe, stopping every so often when my vision would erupt in colourful spots. I made it over to Chloe and managed to throw a blanket over her without disrupting her slumber. It was then that I noticed the open journal on her desk, open to a page with a sketch of a butterfly.

I slid the book silently off the desk, careful not to disturb Chloe.

I was wide awake now, despite it obviously being late at night or very early morning, so I started reading. I sat on the floor, a pile of questionable clothing for cushion, leaning my back against the desk as I read in the minimal light from the desk lamp. Chloe hadn't gotten very far in the book, she'd gotten to the first time Max rewound time. I flipped to the beginning and started reading.

By the time I reached the page Chloe had gotten to, I was already really liking Max. It turns out she moved to Seattle, and she wanted to return to Acadia Bay for a photography course at Blackwell. She'd been so excited to attend Blackwell Academy, but she quickly learned that the school was an entitled rich kid's playground ridiculed with high school-like drama. But this was her strangest journal entry yet. She talked about taking a picture of a blue butterfly in the bathroom, the same kind which I'd seen that day in the graveyard. Then the girl in the bathroom, whom I assume would be Chloe, but she didn't specify, I don't think she recognized her at first. She was terrified of what was going on, the gun, Nathan's threats and paranoia, Chloe getting shot, and when she reached out she was suddenly back sitting in photography class.

I read quickly through the next entries, fascinated with Max's approach on her new found power. It was interesting and clearly awkward when she sat with Chloe in her truck back to her house. Chloe seemed at least more carefree at that time, made me smile. I read about David being paranoid and an asshole, at least he's changed a bit from then.