Max and Chloe set to meet up at the Two Whales Diner, where Chloe's mom worked, on the Thursday before Max had to go on the science club trip to San Francisco. The diner looked the same as it did five years ago, it even had that same aroma of fresh-made waffles.

"My my, well if it isn't Max Caulfield. Haven't seen you in a long time." Joyce Price said with a welcoming smile.

"It's nice to see you again too, Joyce." Max smiled back.

"How have you been, Max?" Joyce asked.

"Good. You?" Max answered.

"A little overworked, but other than that I'm doing good." Joyce replied.

"Chloe's over there." she told Max, pointing to the booth in the corner.

The blue haired girl sat there, looking bored while stacking coffee creamers into a pyramid.

"I'm glad you're back, Max, Chloe really could use a friend right now what with Rachel being missing and all." Joyce said before walking off to tend to a customer.

Nerves clawed at Max's stomach as she approached her old friend. Seeing Chloe in person again after so long apart made Max remember the monster crush she had on her when they were kids.

"Hey, Mad Max. Long time no see, huh?" Chloe said folding her arms over her chest.

"H-hi, Chloe." Max stammered sitting across from Chloe.

"So, Maxine, what made you suddenly remember my existence after five years of radio silence?" Chloe spat.

That stung a little, but Max supposed she deserved it a little, there was no excuse for not communicating with her best friend after moving to Seattle.

"Chloe....I'm so sorry, I-I never meant to hurt you. I don't know why I didn't keep in touch, but I didn't and for that I am truly sorry." Max apologized.

She reaches out to grab Chloe's hand, the other girl quickly snatches it away.

"Whatever, it's not like you're the only one who's left me. My dad left when he got himself killed in that f**king car crash, you left me for Seattle and didn't look back, my mom might as well have left me when she married step-douche, and now....Rachel's left me too." Chloe muttered, grumpily.

"Chloe..." Max sighed.

"Save it, let's talk about something else. Don't wanna bum you out with all my "boohoo me" bullsh*t." Chloe interrupted.

After ordering some cheesy fries, Max tells Chloe about Blackwell and her photography. Then she tells her about the trip.

"So, are you and this Warren guy, like...dating or something?" Chloe asked, smirking.

"W-what!?" Max sputtered.

"I just thought, since you were talking about him and your trip so much, that you were sweet on each other, that's all." Chloe shrugged.

"Well, hehe, you thought wrong. Warren and I are just friends. In fact, he has a boyfriend." Max chuckled breathily.

The conversation turns to talking about movies and music, with the occasional step-dad complaint from Chloe. When they were done, Chloe drives Max back to campus in her truck.

"Hey, umm, sorry about being such a b**ch earlier, I've been going through a lot of sh*t lately. I...I really am glad you're back...I missed you, which is probably why you not talking to me hurt so much." Chloe said as pulled into the parking lot near the dorms.

"I'm sorry your friend is missing...wanna talk about it?" Max said softly.

"Maybe some other time, now go on, beat it, ya hipster." Chloe said, playfully punching Max's shoulder.

Max hugs Chloe before getting out of her truck and going inside the dormitory. 

"That went a lot better than I thought it would." Max sighed deeply.

It felt like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. Even though it was a bit awkward and uncomfortable at first, Max was glad she reached out to Chloe. Max makes her way to her room where she kicks off her shoes, takes her jacket off, takes her bra off without taking off her shirt, and finally takes her jeans off before climbing into bed. She had to go to bed a little earlier because of the bus her and the science club had to take the next morning. On said bus ride, Max sat next to Warren who, for the majority of the ride, texted his boyfriend. Max honestly tried not to snoop, but she did catch some of their conversation out of the corner of her eye.

Babycakes❤: Be sure to bring me back a souvenir from your nerdy museum tour.

Warren: Of course bby. Imma bring u smthn cute to cuddle with. 😚

Babycakes❤: Isn't that what I have you for? 😏

Warren: Silly, I meant a plushie or a teddy bear.

Wish you were here.

Babycakes❤: I wish that too, but even if I was there we couldn't do much...too many people.

Sorry.

Warren: Bby, it's ok, I understand.

I luv u. 😚😚😚

Babycakes❤: Luv u 2. 😘😘😘

Max looks away, feeling a bit guilty for snooping for too long. Warren didn't tell Max much about his boyfriend, respecting that he was closeted, but she did know that his parents weren't nice people and that he has said that coming out wouldn't be safe for him. But she does feel bad that Warren can't do things like hold hands with his boyfriend in the halls or go out on dates to the movies or the diner. She knew Warren to be a very openly affectionate person, so the fact that he had to pretend that there's nothing between him and whoever his boyfriend is whenever they're around other people was a bit heartbreaking...but then again, Max knew nothing about being afraid of your parents, hers were always supportive of everything, even her sexuality.

"How did your meeting with Chloe go, yesterday?" Warren asked putting his phone away.

"Good, actually. Thankfully she doesn't completely hate my guts. Not that I wouldn't have blamed her if she did." Max replied.

"But it wasn't your fault that your parents decided to move to Seattle on the same day as her dad's funeral." Warren said.

"But me not calling or texting her for five years was." Max pointed out.

Warren winces, knowing Max was right about that.

"Well...you guys are friends again now, so that's good, right?" Warren asked Max.

"It amazing, I'm so glad to have my best friend back." Max said, smiling.

"Aww, does this mean I have to share you now?" Warren joked.

Max giggles as she playfully shoves her friend. At the hotel the group was staying at, Max shared a room with a girl named Brooke. Unfortunately, this was the girl who had a crush on Warren...who was unaware that he was gay...and who thought he was into Max, so sharing a hotel room with her was very awkward to put it lightly. After taking a shower and putting on her pajamas, Max gets into bed and plays on her phone.

Chloe: Hey, you make it to San Fran in one piece?

Max smiles at the text she received from Chloe.

Max: Yeah, we just checked into the hotel.

Chloe: Send me pics of everything. I may not look like it, but I am also a science nerd like your buddy, Warren.

Just less geeky.

Max: I'll defo do that. I'll even try to take a selfie of me in front of the golden gate bridge for ya.

Chloe: Nah, save that for when u & me go there. 😘

The use of the winky-kiss emoji surprised Max a little, she remembered Chloe mentioning how lame emojis were. So what made her send one just now....and why the winky-kiss one at that?