A/N: Hello everyone! And welcome to my first piece of fiction. This is something I've been stewing on for awhile and just finally managed to work up the courage to my thoughts and ideas to words. It's probably a complete mess to be honest but. I don't know I really enjoyed writing it. It took me a solid 16 hours to do so. Of course I had to scrap and rewrite large portions of this, and of course I had to replay/rewatch parts of the game to get dialogue correct.
So this idea stems from a similar fic I read where the characters from LiS were basically forced to watch the events of the games play out from Max's perspective. I've borrowed a few things from that idea, such as the auditorium and the idea of it being a 'movie.' even the idea of the screen rippling as Max's emotions run haywire. But I've introduced or will be introducing my own ideas as well.
First; my Max is slightly different from their Max. My Max is a more… tired Max. One who has been pushed far, far beyond her limits. One whose hope is dwindling down to nothing. This is my Max's final gambit. If this doesn't work out. Well… lets just say things that aren't great will happen.
Second; I've decided to add elements from Before the Storm in as well. Not a lot of the plot but basically all the of the character interactions and histories together. Such as Victoria and Chloe, Nathan and Chloe, Frank and Chloe, Rachel and Chloe, David, Joyce and Chloe. Warren was also there. Or at least was alluded to being there. But was never actually physically seen. Kate wasn't mentioned in the game so she is speculated to be a new student like Max.
Third; I've also decided to add Frank and Nathan for various reasons. I was okay with Frank and I even found myself liking him after BtS. Nathan is a bit more complicated. In Before the Storm you can see the beginnings of what he'd come to do in LiS. But in both games you can also see just how much of a product of his situation that he was. So you'll also see some redemption from him. Especially with Victoria's help.
Story themes that will be included are Mystery, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Family, Friendship, Romance, Suspense, Tragedy, Sci-fi, Supernatural, Spiritual.
Obviously it'll also include lots and lots of fluffy pricefield as well.
In the end this is my attempt to give the characters of the series a better ending than the game did. I understood the reasoning behind the way the game ended. But in the end. I wanted to see them getting a mostly happy ending. They all deserve it in some form or another.
Anyways that's all for my long ass Author Notes. I hope you enjoy what ya read and if you do feel free to drop me a review. I can't promise I'll respond to all of them but it's the thought that counts!
Oh also somewhat of a warning. I can't tell you exactly how long this story is going to be. Or how long it'll take to finish. Or even when the next chapter will come. I've got no clue where I'm taking this so we're both on this crazy ride I've started. I'll completely understand if you don't want to read the story because of that.
Oh! and if anyone is curious about that story I mentioned that was similar it's called "Throwing out the Script" by Nothing You Can Prove. I high recommend you go and read it! It's a really great story!
So all of you people other there have a grand ole morning/afternoon/evening and thanks for reading!
Theme of this chapter: 'Taking You There' By the 'Broods'. I personally listened to Koethe Koethe's cover. But the original is just as good and even better in some ways! I can also say with complete confidence that this entire story will basically be written to the entire sound tracks of both Life is Strange and Before the Storm, as well as Koethe Koethe's entire list.
She was a great big bag of mixed emotions. From sadness to anger. Her body shook as she processed and pushed aside every single one. Above all this, the only emotion she wanted to feel right now was tiredness. If that could even be classified as an emotion. Honestly she hadn't even wanted to contemplate that line of thought.
It had taken her every bit of her strength to be here in this moment and now she was truly beginning to feel the effects from everything she had done to make this possible. To make this one single moment possible. This was her last resort. She had done everything she could think of before this. Nothing ended the way she wanted them to. It never did.
She was asked that fateful question at the top of the hill, near the lighthouse. The same question, asked by the same person. Over and over again. The same beautiful, blue haired girl.
Just the thought of those beautiful blue eyes, behind those beautiful blue locks was enough to elicit something halfway between a sniffle and a sob from the tired brunette girl.
Said Brunette sat alone, at least for now, within the confines of the blackwell auditorium.
She sat alone, waiting for that moment that she had created to finally come. That moment when everything she had done would finally be revealed. That moment when she was no longer the sole bearer of these memories and the emotions that came attached.
In some sick and twisted way she was…. Happy that she could finally share this burden, even if not all of the people who would be present would share equal amounts of responsibility.
A long drawn out sigh escaped a pair of chapped, pink lips. She couldn't help the light whimper that followed. A moment later cold fingers were sliding down into her trusty pack that held her camera alongside a number of polaroid photos. Not feeling up to one of her 'selfie' moments she instead reached for her phone. She withdrew it and looked at the time and date.
9:49 AM, March 23rd, 2013
"Just a little bit more Max. You can do this. No you HAVE to do this. For Chloe." She mumbled out tiredly, her free hand coming up to rub at her watery eyes. Not much longer now and so she waited. Holding herself back as much as she could. She recessed herself into her seat allowing her to easily hide within the dark shadows of the dimly lit auditorium.
A loud bang echoed through the large room. The sound had caused Max to jump awake, though she had managed to keep herself from screaming. Had she been asleep? When was the last time she had actually slept? Did she even need to sleep when she was using her powers to jump from 'body to body?' Turns out she did if the growing fatigue in her muscles and the sting in her eyes was anything to go by. It was fine though. She could sleep when everything was done and over with. She just hoped she could last that long.
"Could you be any louder there Chloe Price?" Came an unfamiliar, sarcastic sounding voice. A quick peek over the back of her chair was all she needed to know who it was.
Rachel Amber. This had been the first time she had ever heard the girl and would be the first time they had ever met. She knew it was Rachel though based on what seemed to be her signature, single blue jay feather earring. Her moment of gawking at the now alive girl was cut short though by the next voice.
"Hey! I've heard you get even louder than that so don't you go lecturing me on being quiet" Came the teasing voice of a blue haired woman, now known as Chloe Price. She was just as Max remembered. Beanie on her head, sleeveless white shirt, black leather jacket, blue ripped jeans and black leather boots to finish off her outfit. This girl screamed punk chick.
But to Max… She screamed perfect.
"Ugh, whatever you say Price." Mock disgust dripped from her half curled up lips. Both girls peered into the mostly dimly lit room. Now that light spilled in from the wide open door a lot more could be seen with a greater level of detail. Luckily though Max had anticipated this and had picked the furthest and darkest seat she could.
"Hm… I don't see anyone. You think this was a prank?" Came the question from Rachel.
"Maybe? Not sure what kind of prank it would be in this emo haven." Chloe shrugged her shoulders as she strode further into the room. "Why don't we stick around? Maybe there's more to it than just showing up?"
Rachel couldn't or wouldn't really argue with that logic and instead followed the punk girl deeper into room.
Eventually the two girls took a pair of seats, second from the front row. Mostly cause Chloe just wanted to put her feet up and lean back into her chair.
It was just as the two were beginning to get comfortable that another set of faces appeared in the brightly lit doorway.
"Woa this like straight out of a horror movie or something!" That voice was easily recognizable by Max. She didn't even have to look back to know who it was. Warren Graham had proceeded straight into the dimly lit room like not a care in the world. He had caught the sight of a bright red light in the second row and had gone to investigate.
"Oh! It's Rachel and Chloe. Heya there. Are you the ones who gave me and Kate these notes?" He held a sheet of parchment up though it was too dark to read the text on it. Kate had stepped up beside him a sunny smile on her lips.
Chloe and Rachel hadn't said anything when the new faces had appeared. Chloe had instead chosen to take a long drag from her cigarette before slowly blowing the smoke out.
"Nope! Seems we got one too. Though I was curious about what time yours said to be here."
"Mine says to be here at 11:00 AM Sharp." This voice was bright and cheery though it had a hint of reservedness to it. This was obviously Kate Marsh.
"What that's hella not cool! I can't be on time to something. My badass punk image couldn't take it." Lamented the blue haired girl as she angrily puffed on her cigarette to busy herself.
"Oh? Than whomever sent these notes must know you well Chloe. What with them knowing about you and your chronic lateness. Makes me wonder if they even calculated it down to the minute. Enough to bring you here exactly fifteen minutes early."
Max felt her cheeks warm lightly at that. She uh.. Might have actually been able to guess just how late Chloe would have been if she had been given the proper time. With all the time she had spent with Chloe she had certainly picked up on a lot of the bluenettes quirks.
"This better not be Joyce staging some kinda intervention." Chloe mumbled as she tossed the cigarette butt down to the floor and stamped it out with her boot.
"Yuck if this is some kinda intervention for a faux-punk slut like yourself than I certainly don't want to be here." Came the snobby and stuck up voice of the queen bee of the school herself. "Victoria." Was all Rachel said. The earring waring girl had plastered a fake smile and nodded her head. "I see you're here as well Nathan." Nathan hadn't said a word. Instead he seemed so much more preoccupied staring at his shoes and stealing an occasional stare at Rachel.
Before Chloe could retort a loud barking echoed through room causing everyone to look towards the doorway once again. There standing in the doorway was a tall scruffy figure. One who Chloe, Rachel and Nathan knew all too well. Frank Bowers. The only and mostly reliable dealer in all of Arcadia Bay stood at the door, wearing his usual gear of red shirt, black leather coat, faded ratty looking jeans and black combat boots. By his side was his trusty furry partner, Pompidou who was currently on a leash.
"The fuck is going on here. What is this a get up for all of the troubled little teens in Arcadia Bay?" He asked mostly rhetorically to the group. "Where's that little bitch who shoved this note into my face when I was enjoying my beans?" He barked. His eyes finally adjusted to the light and he caught sight of some of the teens in the room. His eye softened when they landed on Rachel, though she was playing one hell of a poker face, one that showed a bit of disgust. "I bet this was all your idea wasn't it Chloe?" he finally said turning his gaze towards the blue haired girl. "Whatever 'this' is isn't going to get you out of paying me back all that fucking money you owe." He sneered at her.
"Fuck that this ain't my doing Frank!" She practically yelled at him. "You should know this shit seems way to complicated for a Chloe Plan!"
"Actually I would say it's not complicated enough." Rachel piped up with a smirk. "You're shit at coming up with simple, effective plans."
Chloe could only flip her the bird, before grumbling under her breath before reaching into her pocket and producing another cigarette.
"So what the fuck is this then?" Frank asked as he neared the group. He occasionally tugged on pompidou's leash, keeping him from bum rushing the kids, more than likely Rachel specifically.
"What the hell are you doing here?" This voice was rough and tight, speaking of discipline as it got straight to the point. David Madsen, dressed in his usual slacks and collared shirt, stood at the bright doorway, Joyce Madsen (née Price) standing just behind him in simple green blouse and blue jeans. Even further behind still was another man and woman. The man was dressed and looked almost like a stereotypical lumberjack. His big build and thick brown beard and short cut hair definitely helped fuel that stereotype further. The woman was dressed in a black blouse and pencil skirt that stopped halfway between her knees and ankles. Her hair was wavy and brown, sliding just a bit past shoulder length.
David stood there, shoulders square looking as if he was ready to move an react at a moments notice. The lumberjack, That being Ryan Caulfield had followed suit.
BAM!
The sound was so sudden it made everyone jump and turn their heads towards the front of the auditorium. Just as their heads turned another loud crack of a lighting strike that was much too close for comfort echoed throughout the auditorium. This was quickly followed up by the sounds of heavy rain and winds. It was so loud, so deafening. As if it was demanding the full attention of everyone here.
Frank turned back towards the figures at the door before sighing and shrugging his shoulders. He took a far away seat from the others with pompidou curling up beside his feet. "Well fucking come in. It's obvious someone wanted us here for this. Whatever this is." It was obvious he was agitated but her certainly spoke the solid truth.
The two sets of adults each took quick glances at each other before nodding and proceeded into the doorway. The moment they stepped in fully the door slammed shut behind them. David had attempted to push the door open but no amount of muscle he put into it would open it. Turning towards the other three he wordlessly shook his head. Joyce reached out taking his hand into her own and gave it a squeeze, a small comforting smile on her lips. It wasn't long before the two were seated, David having put them, mostly himself, between Frank and the kids, who sat mostly towards the front.
Ryan and Vanessa on the other hand shared their own private conversation with their gaze before finally relenting. Both were desperate enough to drop the situation. Maxine Caulfield had been missing for a number of days now, alongside a bit of cash from her Mother's purse. It seemed likely that Max had ended up here, back in Arcadia Bay. Both adults had an inkling of a suspicion of why that was. How right, yet wrong they were.
A tense silence filled the room before things began to shift. The front of the auditorium had begun to shimmer and slowly, like a movie screen an image began to appear.
There she lay. Short brown hair, plain t-shirt with a hoodie thrown over it and a pair of simple blue jeans. This was Max Caulfield. A groan escaped the girls lips as the loud rhythm sounds of bad weather finally roused her from whatever sleep she was having.
Four people all gasped at the same time as the girls face came into focus. And three out of four of the following shouts of her name were different.
"Maximus!?"
"Max!?"
"Maxine!?"
Before any of the voices could properly give voice to their thoughts things continued on, much like a movie in a theater. It waited for no one and demanded that you shut up and watched whatever was on screen.
"W-where am I? What's happening?" All valid questions to ask oneself when they wake up in the middle of the storm of a century.
"Am I…. Trapped in a storm? How did I get here? ...And Where is here?"
The plain looking girl had quickly taken a look around, freaked at what was going on but doing her best to keep her cool. That was when her eyes finally laid upon the white tower that lay just north of her. The lighthouse!
"There's the lighthouse… I'll be safe if I can just make it there… I hope... Please let me make it there." She couldn't exactly explain 'why' she felt she'd be safe if she made it there. Just that she knew she would.
So with that gut feeling she began the trek up the hill. The wind buffeted against her the entire way and made her journey painstakingly slow.
Eventually though after what felt like easily thirty minutes of hiking (but was really only five.) Max had finally reached the lighthouse. As she approached the edge everyone could now finally see and understand the true scope and size of the storm. At its center was a tornado. It easily dwarfed the city in size and seemingly extended up infinitely into the atmosphere.
"Holy shit…" That was certainly the understatement of the year. Max could only watch on helplessly as the massive storm cell moved further and further inland. Houses and businesses began to get sucked up into it. Boats from the harbor could be seen swirling around the vortex and then suddenly. BAM! One of the boats had slammed into tip of lighthouse. Max barely had a moment to register it when she looked up, just in time to watch as a large chunk of the lighthouse fell right on top of her….
This caused a mixture of gasps and cries of 'no.' Chloe the Blue Haired Punk couldn't stop herself from reaching out, as if she was going to pull Max to safety. "Max!"
The last, unknown figure in the auditorium was damn lucky that it had been so loud or everyone would have heard a quiet sob escape her lips. Max watched everyone's reaction. Rather… she had watched Chloe's reaction. To see Chloe, even at the stage where they hadn't reconnected yet to suddenly reach for her, much like she herself had done the first time (Even if she hadn't realized it was Chloe yet!) was… moving. That one action allowed her to once again steel her crumbling resolves. They had to see this. They all had to see this.
'Whoa..' Came the sudden startled mutterings of the very same brunette who had just been crushed. She had sat up straight in her chair, suddenly feeling very anxious. 'That was… so surreal.' She had trouble suddenly disconnecting herself from the vision or whatever it was from the speech that was currently going on.
"Alfred Hitchcock famously called film, 'Little pieces of time' but he could be talking about photography as he likely was."
That went in one ear and out the other as she used her inner monologue to keep herself from freaking. 'Okay… I'm in class… Everything's cool… I'm cool…'
Of course the speech didn't stop and so the teacher continued on. "These pieces of time can frame us in our glory and our sorrow; from light to shadow; from color to Chiaroscuro." As the goatee wearing teacher began his trek back towards the class, Max watched as one of her classmates, Taylor throw a wadded up piece of paper across the classroom, pelting Kate in the side of the face.
Just as the paper hit Kate in the face the image bagan to ripple. It looked like an angry ocean for just a moment before it returned to its pristine film grade quality. This had the effect of having a few of the people present turn and look around hoping to spot whatever might have caused it. Max only sunk further into her chair, hoping the darkness could keep her hidden, if only for a little bit longer. Just a bit longer before she could reveal herself. Hopefully she didn't lose it...
Max hadn't paid attention to the next bit of the speech, something about photographic capture of the perfect human condition in black and white. She had instead chosen to focus on the ringing phone one one Victoria Chase. 'I didn't fall asleep, and… that sure didn't feel like a dream...weird'
It was at that point that the world came back into focus. Just like one might see in a third person video game, the point of view seemed to be entirely shot from over Max's right shoulder.
A moment later Victoria raised her hand the name of a photographer to answer her teachers question on her lip. "Diane Arbus"
"There you go, Victoria! Why Arbus?"
"Because of her images of hopeless faces."
That was all Max heard before focus seemed to slide away from the class and down to what was in front of her. Specifically it had focused upon a polaroid picture. One of Max's many selfies she had taken. This one had been a bit special though. This one she had anticipated turning into her teacher for an entry into the "Everyday Hero" contest. The winner of the contest would be whisked away to San Francisco to schmooze with and show off their talent to some of the photography worlds biggest players.
"Look at this crap! How can I show this to Mr. Jefferson?"
The picture was rather simple, yet oddly complex. Max's back was front and center. Taking up the whole middle of the picture. Weirdly though she was out of focus. She blurred around the edges. Yet the pictures that surrounded her were all completely in focus allowing one to see all of the different photos she had taken. From selfies to landscapes. It was all there, and they were all the focus of this picture. Not 'boring ole' Maxine Caulfield.
"I can just hear the class laughing at me now…" She inwardly sighed before dropping her focus on the picture. She hadn't immediately returned her focus to the class though. Instead she had begun to gently leaf through her journal. The journal she'd been keeping just a bit before she had gotten accepted into Blackwell Academy.
None of the people present had been able to read more than a few lines though as Max had paged through it much too fast. There were a few things here that made some present grin and smile. Or in Chloe's case whooping. "Hell yeah. You would look hella great with some tats and piercings! Oh maybe even some red bangs?"
Those words had made Max smile, they were words she would latch onto in the coming moments as anger began to bubble up inside her. 'Relax Max, he can't… hurt Chloe… Nor you… Nor anyone else anymore.'
Just like that though the journal was closed and set aside, to be filled out at a later date. It was just in time to hear Mr. Jefferson's segue into his next line of discussion.
"Seriously though, I could frame anyone of you in a dark corner, and capture you in a moment of desperation." As he spoke the image once again began to ripple. Much more violently than before.
One person present, that being Nathan Prescott, began to inwardly panic. His thoughts growing confused and dangerous as the scene continued to play. Slowly he had begun to look around, as if he was scoping for a way out. Not that he would find a way out.
Max wouldn't let them escape. He had the right to see this just as much as the rest of them. If anything perhaps this would finally be that moment when she could help him. If he wasn't already to far past that point of redemption though.
"And anyone of you could do that to me. Isn't that too easy? Too obvious? What if Arbus chose to capture people at the height of their beauty or innocence? She had a brilliant eye, so she could have taken another approach." The rippling crew worse as he talked. Now it was like nothing but a raging river. One that was angry and would stop at nothing to swallow any who tread upon its surface.
And then with the sudden flash of a camera the film quality was back and the soft sound of a camera whirring could be heard as it spit out it's image. Just a few shakes and it would be viewable to the world!
Unfortunately for Max though. Her goatee wearing teacher had seen the flash.
"Shh shh." Came the shushing sounds of her teacher. All attention was directed at Max as he began to speak.
"I believe Max has just taken what you kids call a 'selfie'... A dumb word for a wonderful photographic tradition. And Max… Has a gift."
"Of course as you all know, the photo portrait has been popular sing the late 1800's. Your generation was not the first generation to use images for selfie-expression. Sorry."
"Dude what is with this guy? Does he just like to hear himself talk?" Came Chloe's words as she finally decided she couldn't stay quite any longer.
"For your information that is Mark Jefferson. One of the most well known photographers in the world!-" Victoria had started in on the punk girl but the punk girl wasn't one to lie down like that.
Interrupting the preppy woman Chloe continued on into her next statement. "Don't care about that, what I do know though. Is that this guy is seriously giving me the creeps. I mean did you even see the way he was talking about corning people in a dark place to 'catch them in a moment of desperation'? That just screams psycho to me. But what do I know?" She finished with a shrug.
'Damn Chloe maybe I should have told you about Jefferson the first time around…' Those were the thoughts of one Max Caulfield, one who hides in the shadows. 'Maybe if I had mentioned that we wouldn't have…' at those dark thoughts she could only shake her head. Looking up it was at that moment she realized she hadn't even paused the 'memory film.'
The scene had continued on with Max being poked at by Jefferson for not paying attention in class. He had asked her a question and unfortunately she hadn't know the answer to it. Of course though there was at least one person who knew the answer. That was Victoria Chase.
"Louis Daguerre was a French painter who created 'daguerreotypes' a process that gave portraits a sharp reflective style, like a mirror." As she spoke she had turned towards Max who had her head down in a mixture of embarrassment and shame.
"Now you're totally stuck in the retro zone. Sad Face."
"You did NOT just say an emoji out loud." That was of course the hater of all things Emoji. Chloe Price. "Dude that is so lame. Like beyond even hipster levels up lame." Victoria could only scoff, finding herself at a loss of words. She crossed her arms and turned her nose up.
Everyone's attention was brought back to the 'film' with the sudden ringing of a bell. Class had just been released. Students had begun to get up, Jefferson singling out a few people and telling them to get their act together and turn in their photograph for the 'Everyday Hero' contest.
Sling her bag up and over her shoulder she had finally been free to go to the bathroom in order to get away from the people and hopefully hide her freaking out over the embarrassment she had just been a victim of. First though she had to at least go and see what was up with sad looking Kate.
"Hi Kate." Max said with a lazy wave and smile.
Looking up almost as in surprise Kate had put on a just the tiniest of smiles. "Oh, hi Max." her voice was quiet and sounded strained.
"You seem Quiet today…" Max trailed off letting the question hang in the air gently.
"O-oh. Just… thinking too much." She sounded tired and defeated like she had been ready to give up.
Thinking fast Max knew what should cheer up. "I hear that. Want to grab a cup of tea and go bitch about life?" She hopefully as a way to give Kate and outlet.
"Thanks, But… Not today. I have to go over homework." Inwardly Max was sighing at that. Well she couldn't exactly force the poor thing into talking about whatever was going on.
"No worries. We can hang later if you want." It was posed as less of a question and more of an statement.
Kate could only nod. "Sure." With that she returned her work. Though to Max it didn't look like she was working too much. She looked way to down and in the dumps for that. Shaking her head Max turned away. Over the course of the next minute or too she had gone about exploring the classroom. Taking her time to examine her thoughts on various things. This also included the waded up note that had been chucked at Kate.
'Hey kate, We love your porn video -xoxo, Blackwell Academy.' it read.
"W-what?" This was none other than the blond haired girl herself. "B-but I would never…" she trailed off and looked as if she was about to cry with her glassy eyes. Reaching over the back of her chair Rachel Amber herself had set a hand onto the girls knee and gave it a pat. "Hey. It's alright. Don't let those beeatch's get you down. Whatever is going on here in… whatever this is. Will work itself out in time."
"T-thanks." Kate said with a small grin. She wiped away the tears and returned to the screen just in time to catch Max finishing up a talk with .
"Max, you're a better photographer than a liar… Now I know it's a drag to have some old dude lecture you… But life won't wait for you to play catch up."
At this point Max had sighed, crossing her arms over her chest as his words rolled over her.
"You're young, the world is yours, blah blah blah blah, right?"
"But you do have a gift, you have the fever to take images, to frame the world only the way you envision it. Now, all you need is the courage to share your gift with others. That's what separates the artist, from the amateur."
Sensing the conversation over Max turned away, feeling her strength sapping away and that freak out coming closer and closer. A sigh escaped her lips as she approached the door and pushed her way out. 'Welcome to the real world… I need a serious time out in the bathroom. Splash some water on my face and make sure I don't look like a total loser.'
As she began her trek down the hallway soft music began to play, obviously coming from her earbuds as she had slipped them on. But everyone in the auditorium could hear it just like you would in the movies.
"If this is all it's gonna be then I am so outtie. I don't need to watch some Hipster's boring life." The preppy Victoria moved to get up but she stopped as Rachel Amber began to speak.
"I don't know about you. But I'm betting there's something more going on here. I've never seen this girl in our school before. Yet it's obvious she attends Blackwell. Not to mention none of us besides Chloe, Joyce and those two strangers up there, whom I would assume are her parents, know who she is. If that doesn't scream weird than I don't know what does."
The logic was solid and it was more than strong enough to make Victoria rethink her leaving. Not that she was happy with being swatted down by Rachel Fucking Amber. "Whatever…" she grumbled and leaned back into her seat, an angry scowl on her face.
"But… that does beg the question. What 'are' we being shown?" The question that everyone was asking themselves, given verbal que by the big film and science buff himself. Warren.
"Well why do we all just shut the fuck up and watch it?" In stepped Frank with his half demand, half question. He was still a bit pissed off at having his meal ruined by this hipster bitch. But at the same time he found himself oddly intrigued.
With that outburst all of the hushed conversations between people had been silenced and all attention was returned to the 'film' screen. Just in time to watch as Max ripped up her photo that she had planned to turn in for the contest.
Max watched as the pieces of her photo gently floated to the floor of the bathroom. She instantly regretted it as she ripped it in half. That regret didn't last long though. She caught the flutter of blue wings from the corner of her eye and watched as a the prettiest, majestic blue butterfly glided into the bathroom from a vent.
'When a door closes, a window opens…. Or something like that.' Max's curiosity was now at maximum levels as slowly made her way towards the end of the bathroom towards where she saw the butterfly disappear. She rounded the corner just in time to see the butterfly land on the edge of a bucket.
'Okay girl, you don't get a photo op like this everyday.' So like a true photographer would, she stepped closer. She tugged out her camera before kneeling down bringing the camera up.
'The blue wings are practically glowing… I can almost feel the air moving around me… The butterfly almost… feels like a spirit." A flash of the camera later and quick shake of the photo and it was soon safely tucked away into her bag.
SQUEAK, Bang. The sound of the bathroom door opening and closing could be heard, catching Max's attention. Quickly and quietly she was pressing herself against the bathroom stall wall. Attempting to keep herself as hidden as she could. A quick peek around the corner and she could see someone dressed in a red jack and black jeans. That was when the frantic talking began.
"It's cool, Nathan… Don't stress… You're okay bro. Just count to three…" There in front of Max was Nathan Prescott. Who honestly looked a little raddled. A little unstable. Even more so as his whispering grew more frantic.
"Don't be scared… You own this school… If I wanted, I could blow it up.. You're the boss."
All eyes turned to the person himself. His eyes had never left his own figure. He himself could admit he looked like shit. Looked like he had been tweaking hardcore. But another part of him was angry. This was practically someone's attempt at slander! "What the fuck are you all looking at?" He asked angrily as he looked out at all the people in the room.
He had just been about to explode when he felt something on his shoulder. Looking down he saw a hand and connected to that hand was Victoria Chase. She squeezed his shoulder gently attempting to comfort him. This had been what he had needed as the anger began to ebb it's way out of his system. A strained sigh escaped his lips before she shook his head. Remembering that there had been a reason he was given a note and told to be here. He just had to bide his time to figure those reasons out.
A quick nod and small smile was what Victoria received in return. Her eyes watched him, and she made sure to keep her hand on his shoulder as a sign of support.
The squeaking open of the bathroom door once again drew everyone's attention. There standing in the open door was someone no one expected to be there.
Her signature Beanie covered blue hair and equally blue eyes was more than enough for any of the people present to know who she was, even without her normal punkish outfit.
"So what do you want?" Nathan had taken a quick glance at her before turning to staring down into the sink or at himself in the mirror.
"I hope you checked the perimeter, as my step-ass would say." She had fully stepped into the bathroom now and was going about checking stalls. "Now, Let's talk bidness."
"I got nothing for you."
"Wrong. You got hella cash." Came Chloe's instant reply.
"That's my family, not me."
"Oh boohoo, poor little rich kid. I know you been pumpin' drugs n' shit to kids around here…" She had quickly approached his right side attempting to get into Nathan's face. Who for the most part had kept himself facing the mirror and sink.
"I bet your respectable family would help me out if I went to them… Man I can see the headlines now-"
"Leave them out of this, bitch."
"I can tell everybody Nathan Prescott is a punk ass who begs like a girl and talks to himself-" Chloe shoved him a few times here. But it turns out. Threatening and pushing him was the wrong thing to do.
"You don't know who the fuck I am or who you're messing with!" As he had spoke he had slipped his hand into his pocket and withdrew a small pistol. The make and model was mostly undistinguishable.
In an instant Chloe had gone from confident punk to slightly fearful punk. Backing away slowly she attempted to talk him down. That would be a mistake unfortunately.
"Where'd you get that? What are you doing? Come on, put that thing down!" The pistol was now placed directly against her stomach even as she wrestled with and attempted to push it away.
"Don't EVER tell me what to do. I'm so SICK of people trying to control me." Nathan hit the wall beside her head hard and shoved the pistol hard into her stomach.
"You are going to get into hella more trouble for this than drugs."
"Nobody would even miss your 'Punk Ass' would they?"
Chloe found a bit more confidence in herself and moved to push him away. "Get that gun away from me, psycho!" That was the wrong move though. On instinct Nathan pulled the trigger and resounding BANG! Filled the bathroom.
As all of this was going on the screen had begun to gently ripple followed by what looked like rain drops dripping onto the screen, similar to how it might look like on the surface of a calm lake.
A loud cry of 'NO!' and Max stepping out from around the corner, hand up as if to reach for the pair distracted most from the detailing on the screen. Just like that the world seemed to slow down, everything moving slow motion. Chloe's eyes had moved up towards the scream, her face a mixture of fear and regret.
The gun dropped from Nathan's hand and one could see him start to fall to his knees, following the blue haired bunk down.
And then it happened. Like someone had hit rewind on the remote everything began to move backwards, slowly at first, and then a moment later Max was lifting her head up from her desk. Her eyes wild as she quickly looked around.
'Whoa! What the fuck…? How? How can that be? I was… in the bathroom. He shot that poor girl… I held up my hand… and then I was back here…'
"What the fuck?!" Of course it was Chloe first who screamed out. Then there was an explosion of movement as most people present began to react. Chloe had jumped up to her feet to stomp towards Nathan. Rachel had tried, and failed, to grab at Chloe's wrist. Victoria had jumped up to her feet to put herself between Nathan and Chloe. David was up putting himself between both parties, Ryan was up as well backing him up and Joyce had stepped up beside David. Only Kate, Warren, Vanessa, Frank and oddly enough Nathan himself hadn't moved.
All eyes rested on Chloe and Nathan.
Chloe was seething hands clenched into a fist, knuckles white. "What the fuck Nathan? You fucking shot me!" She had attempted to move around David but his strong hands on her shoulder kept her from moving. She wanted nothing more than to shove him aside and bum rush Nathan. She wanted answers and she wanted them fucking yesterday damn it!
"Stop Chloe! That's an order." David's voice was firm yet it didn't hold it's usual edge. He had an inkling of an idea what Chloe might be experiencing. He had witnessed enough death in the war to help with that. But even he knew that watching your own death wouldn't compare nearly enough to understand completely.
"What? That punk ass fucking shot me! I want some fucking answers!" Chloe struggled against David for a moment longer before suddenly darting under his hold. Displaying a level of agility only achievable with an adrenaline high, Chloe moved around David with ease. With Ryan facing Victoria, he hadn't had the reflexes to react either and she slid right by him.
But not even reflexes pushed to their limits with adrenaline could fight instantaneous movement.
"Wait!" Came a voice that now stood right between Chloe and Victoria. Everyone's attention was now on the main star of the movie they had just been watching. Maxine Caulfield stood before everyone and man… she looked like shit.
Her eyes were bloodshot, face covered in tear stains and dark bags hun beneath her eyes. Her hair was matted down against her neck. Her clothing was a mess, looking like she had been wearing the same get up for days. Her bag was slung over her shoulder and her shoes certainly looked like they had seen much better days.
Before anyone could react the tiny, mess of a girl had flung herself at the blue haired punk with a surprising amount of strength. Her tiny arms wrapped around the punks shoulders and her head buried into Chloe's neck. "Please. Wait Chloe I… I can explain." She sounded as if she was on the verge of collapsing as she stood there holding Chloe back from doing something drastic.
Chloe had been stunned speechless and thoughtless when Max had first appeared. It was like one moment the space was empty and the next. She was simply there. It was… hard for her to wrap her head around, but that was all thrown out the window when she realized the mess that her BFF from five years ago was in. She didn't know what was going on but for some reason. She knew she'd get answers.
A long sigh escaped Chloe's lips as she nodded. "Alright… But if I don't like what I hear I'm gonna kick Nathan's ass." Her hands had come up to wrap gently around Max's waist, almost as if she was going to break the tiny girl whose face was buried into her neck. "...And Max. You smell like shit." She added with a small chuckle, her attempt to lighten the mood.
It worked though and a pained chuckle bubbled up in Max's chest. "Well I did run away from home a week ago. I haven't had a good shower since." Suddenly Max began to hiccup as a fresh set of warm tears began to stream down her face. "Oh Chloe…" She mumbled as she buried herself further into the woman's arms. "I-it's been… so difficult." Was all she could spit out before the hiccups overtook her.
Chloe instinctively wrapped her arms tighter around Max's frame, pulling her close. "Shh. It's alright. You're here now. I'm… here now." Those words were… so foreign to her in this kind of situation. She knew that this should be reversed. That it should be Max comforting her and telling her that she was here. Yet… Yet… she just knew that whatever Max had experienced. Probably would make anything Chloe experienced in the last five years pale in comparison.
Chloe afterall had had Rachel.
Max? Max seemed as if she had had no one. Or if she did have someone, they had been forcibly ripped from her arms.
"T-thanks Chloe." Was all Max could choke out. They stood there like that for who knows how long. Chloe awkwardly holding Max while Max held onto Chloe like her life depended on it. Like if she blinked Chloe would disappear.
As the pair had their moment. Everyone else had been left in stunned silence. Different emotions played over everyone's faces. Ryan and Vanessa were equal parts relieved and distraught at the state of their daughter.
Joyce had a sad little smile on her face, as if she was reliving memories from her past. David was stiff and slightly confused, yet somewhat understanding. He had seen the mess Max was in. It was… eerily similar to moments in his past just after the war.
Warren and Kate had varying degrees of worry etched into their faces. Neither of them knew who the girl was. But obviously she had known them. If the 'movie' they were watching was anything to go by. Kate especially found herself praying and hoping that the girl would be alright. She had seen just how much the girl had wanted to comfort her after whatever ordeal Kate had just gone through.
Victoria had a relieved yet guarded look on her face. She knew she couldn't stand up to Chloe on a warpath. She'd known this from experience when they were younger and she had attempted to dose Rachel's tea with a sleeping drug. She had seen just how scary a determined Chloe could be. She stole a few glances behind her at Nathan who looked visibly shaken up. He was staring down at his hands, which were shaking and balling up into fists before releasing them. As if he was trying to feel the weight and recoil of the gun he had just shot. Hoping that whoever this Max was had Chloe under control the preppy girl turned around slowly, as if not to attract attention and dropped down to kneel before Nathan. She took his hands into her own forcing his view to change. "Look at me Nathan. That… that wasn't you. That… isn't you." She tried to comfort him. Nathan for the most part was un-reacting. Though his fingers did curl lightly around Victorias, as if to say 'thanks'
That left the last two people. Rachel and Frank. Rachel was stone faced, though one could see a range of emotions from her eyes. Worry, pity, a little bit of anger and even a little bit of jealousy. It was overall very confusing for her. She was worried about the mess of a girl who had simply appeared before them. She was angry at Nathan for shooting Chloe and that little bit of jealousy reared its ugly head as she watched the blue haired punk hug Max close.
Frank was also of conflicted emotions. His anger from before was muted a bit when he'd seen the mess the girl had appeared in. And after seeing that 'movie' he could see why. Watching your friend die right before you? It was tough. Frank knew this from experience. Though he admittedly thought his experience was worse. Afterall he had killed his friend. Though he thought it was actually kind of ironic that he had done it to protect Chloe who would later go onto to have her best friend watch her die.
A loud deep breath broke the moment as Max steadied herself. Her nostrils were full of the scent that she had come to love and uniquely identify as... Chloe. Smoke, Tobacco, Spearmint and oil. Most scents she hated when they were alone. But when together they were simply…
That thought was left to hang as she began to push away from the blue haired punk. Said woman was… reluctant to let the Max pull away. But she knew deep down she needed answers. Answers that only Max could give her. The moment Max pulled away she was assaulted with that need to once again feel Chloe's warmth against her body. To hold the taller tattooed woman against her forever. But it wasn't to be at the moment. Details, answers. She needed to answer the spoken and unspoken questions.
Max stepped away from Chloe as she turned to face everyone.
"W-what you just saw. Was the future. Will be the future? Sorry it's…" She sighed and shook her head. "This takes place six and a half months from now. Starting on October 7th. That is or will be... the day that changed everything…" She trailed off and found herself wringing her hands. Instantly she found herself beginning to clam up. Her throat tightened and another set of fresh tears threatened to spill. A strong hand on her shoulder nearly startles her but when she follows that hand to most beautiful pair of blue eyes she's ever seen, it gives her strength to continue on.
"If you haven't guessed yet…" she says she gestures up towards the 'movie' that shimmered before them. "These are… my memories. I'm… showing you my memories from that day and four following days because I… don't think I could do them justice. Not to mention that it would be hard to believe. I mean… Who in their right mind would believe that I have the ability to manipulate time?"
"I would. You've… never lied to me before Maxipad. Sure you.. May have abandoned me right after my Dad died. But it's not like you had promised to stay in touch one hundred percent of the time."
Max already knew that Chloe would be that one exception. That one crazy who would believe her. Yet hearing those words made her heart beat a thousand beats a second and those butterflies to flip around over and over in her stomach. "I… I… Thank you Chloe..." She gave the punk a watery smile.
"If it helps I'd probably believe you too. Though I'd probably try and get you show me your wicked awesome powers." This was Warren. Of course he would believe her. He was into all that science fiction stuff after all.
The others had mixed reactions. Kate though had a grin on her lips. "I-I could have come to believe you in time…" She had said quietly.
As for Vanessa and Ryan. Their first words should have been that they would have believed her. But they knew that deep down that they… probably wouldn't have. If anything they would have begun to worry that perhaps their daughter was going crazy. "With time I think…. Me and your Mom could have come to believe you as well… though it's equal possibility we may have hurt you between that time…" It was a tough and bitter pill to swallow. That you couldn't believe your own daughter at face value. At least not something that seemed so… far fetched.
Everyone else present didn't feel though that their opinions really mattered. They knew they would have probably been out right against trusting her. Though Rachel may have wound up being persuaded by Chloe in the end.
"It doesn't matter in the end though." as Max spoke her voice got stronger and stronger. As if she was drawing on Chloe's strength. "What matters now is that we're all here. And we're all going to have a role in the events… to come. Some of us may have bigger roles but…" She trailed off as she lost herself for a moment. "Please. I ask you to please. Watch these events. I think it's the only way that… that…" Tears began to fall from her eyes once again, followed by rough hiccups that thoroughly rocked the tiny girls frame.
A strong pair of arms wrapped themselves around Max's waist, hesitant at first, before they fully pulled her close. Once again her nose was assaulted with Chloe's trademarked scent. "I'm here for ya Super Max… Just relax and l-lets watch your 'movie' though I'm sensing that… that I'm probably going to be dying a lot."
Leave it to Chloe to be laughing in the face of death. "Y-you have no idea." Came Max's mumbled words as she spun in Chloe's arm and buried herself into the woman's body. Chloe gently tugged the girl out of the isles and down to the front row seats. A moment later she was tugging the battered mess of a girl into her lap.
"You know I'd say I'm pretty lucky that you're so small. I don't have to worry about my lap falling asleep." she said with a small, albeit awkward grin. Chloe as never really the best at handling crying women. Even more so ones that might as well have been strangers. But was Max really a stranger? It… didn't feel like it.
This earned a small laugh as more tension ebbed it's way out of Max's body. "Thank you… Chloe. For everything." She sighed and buried herself into the girls body. In that single moment she was filled with hope. Hope that what was to come out of this would save everyone. Not just Chloe and not just Arcadia Bay. But everyone. Including herself.
Word count before A/N: 8497
Pages Before A/N: 19
Word count After A/N: roughly 9124
Pages After A/N: 20
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