Chapter 1: Sacrifice Max

After using the photo to go back to that time when she took it, Maxine Caulfield found herself hiding behind one of the stalls in the girl's bathroom. She glanced down at the photo she held in her hand before she let it go and watched it as it fell slowly to the ground. Max sighed a little, knowing what event would play after she took the picture, but she couldn't let her best friend die; not after all they had been through in the other realities.

She took a deep breath before she heard the door to the bathroom open. It was Nathan Prescott, talking to himself again. She listened to what he had to his words again. It wasn't until she heard the door open again.

'Chloe!' Max thought to herself.

"So, what do you want?" Asked Nathan, coldly.

"I hope you checked the premier as my step-ass would say." Paused Chloe Price, before she answered his question with this, "Now, let's talk bid-ness."

Max stood against the wall of the stall as she heard the conversation start escalating into a heated argument. She began thinking about what she could do to save Chloe. Going back in time wouldn't solve anything, it wouldn't save Chloe; and Max knew that from experience. She thought back to the last time she did that, back in Mark Jefferson's class with the "Everyday Hero" contest. Now that was an idea!

"You don't know who the FUCK I am or who you're messing around with!" Yelled Nathan.

"Where'd you get that?" Chloe asked, sounding frightened, "What are you doing? C'mon put that thing down!"

"Don't tell me what to do!" Began Nathan, he was in complete RAGE, "I'm so SICK of people trying to control me!"

'Max, we have to think of something before he kills Chloe!' Thought Max, 'I don't wanna use my power to go back in time.'

"You're gonna get in a hella more trouble for this than drugs!" Said Chloe.

Max took a deep breath in, she finally had thought of something to do that would save her friend's life.

'Alright, Max, it's time to be an Everyday Hero.' Thought Max, slowly walking out from behind the bathroom stall, 'Time to change time.'

"No one would ever miss your punk ass would they?!" Nathan hissed, holding the gun down at Chloe's abdomen, looking at her dead in the eye.

"Get that gun-!" Started Chloe.

"Chloe!" Max cried, "Put the gun down, Nathan!"

"What?!" He asked before he turned the gun around and pulled the trigger.

The bullet ended up hit Max in the lower right abdomen and she fell to the ground. She tried hard not to cry out to pain. Nathan's eyes widened as he dropped the gun, he shook his head; he couldn't believe what he had done.

"No! No!" Nathan cried, "What have I done!? Hey! Are you okay? Oh God!"

"MAX!" Chloe yelled as she came running over to her and Nathan ran out of the bathroom, "Max, hold on!"

"C-Chloe…" She said as she felt Chloe carefully lifting her up in her arms, "I-I'm glad that you're ok-okay."

"Why did you-?" Chloe began to ask.

"Chloe, I couldn't let you die. I've seen that happen so many times."

"What are you talking about?"

"T-There's no time to explain that…" Paused Max, "I-In my notebook, I've written it down. It will explain everything. Chloe…"

"Max." Spoke Chloe, seeing the notebook on the ground next to Max's bag.

"There's… something I-I need you to do for me." Said Max.

"What is it?" Asked Chloe.

"Please… get Mark Jefferson behind bars." Answered Max, before she tensed up.

"Max! Please! No!" Chloe began crying.

"What's going on in here?!" A familiar voice to Chloe rang.

"David, help! Please!" Chloe begged, "Max needs medical attention! Please send help!"

David's eyes were wide when he saw Chloe holding onto Max in her arms. He noticed the gunshot wound in Max's abdomen and he gave a nod.

"Prescott?" Asked David, looking right at Chloe.

All Chloe did was nod, she kept her eyes on Max. Max began groaning in pain, feeling her tears fall. David left the girl's restroom and went to go find Nathan, who was already on the phone with police. Inside the restroom, Max glanced to look at Chloe to see her in tears, which was something she hasn't seen in years; not since the day her dad, William, passed away from a car accident.

"Chloe, I shouldn't have left you that day." Max paused, "I-I hope you'll forgive me."

"No Max, I should be the one who should fucking apologize." Chloe began, "I'm sorry that I pushed you away after my family drama. I've been hoping that… that you would accept my apology and forgive me for that shit."

"Chloe…"

"I'm sorry, Max."

"You know that I forgive you for t-that." Max paused, tensing up again, trying to apply pressure on the wound, hoping that it would stop the bleeding, "A-And I-I accept your apology f-for a-all of that sh-shit that happened."

"Max…"

Chloe's dear friend had felt faint from the blood loss and she felt herself lose her consciousness. Chloe saw Max's eyelids shut together and noticed that Max's breathing was slowing down. The sound of sirens filled the halls and the outside of Blackwell Academy as they pulled up to the front of the building.

"Max?" Chloe asked, "Max!"

'No… no! This can't be happening!' Thought Chloe.

"Goddammit! No! Max!" She cried, "No! God, why is life so strange and cruel!? I loved her so much! She can't die! Max can't die! Someone help, please! Dammit!"

EMTs rushed into the bathroom and began to make sure Max was still alive. Once they found out that he breathing was slow and steady, they put her on oxygen and placed her on the gurney to take her to the ambulance to transport her to the local hospital. Chloe watched in complete horror and shock as they did their job. David and Joyce were standing outside the school building as well as were other students of Blackwell, watching with shocked faces when they saw not only Max being brought out, but Nathan Prescott and Mark Jefferson as well.

Both Nathan and Jefferson was being escorted by police, in handcuffs. Chloe followed after the EMTs down to mother and stepfather. She stood in the middle of the two of them, looking right at Max. Joyce wrapped an arm around her daughter, trying to calm her down. David had placed a hand on Chloe's shoulder, knowing that she was taking this was very, very hard. Warren stood close to them, he was taking it very hard as well, he was crying about this situation.

Kate was standing next to him, trying to comfort him to the best of her abilities. Kate and Max were good friends, she was taking this really hard as well, but she wanted to make sure that the others were taken care of before she focused on herself. Victoria and the rest of the Vortex Club were in complete shock that it happened. They couldn't believe that Nathan Prescott, their friend, would do such a thing, but for Max to be an Everyday Hero for a friend; that was something Victoria couldn't easily wrap her head around. Joyce felt her phone vibrate and she pulled it out to answer it after the police and EMTs left the school premises.

"Hello?" She asked.

"Joyce, it's Ryan, Max's father." A male voice answered.

"Oh, hi Ryan." Replied Joyce, and that caught Chloe's attention.

"Vanessa and I received a call from Principal Wells of Blackwell Academy." He paused, "Did our daughter really save Chloe from getting shot by a student?"

"Yes, Max did." Answered Joyce, "Chloe is taking it… hard."

"Is our baby girl dead?" Vanessa's voice came through.

"They just took her to the hospital. I'm gonna be heading up there with Chloe and wait for the news." Joyce paused, taking a deep breath, "I would suggest that you two should get on the next plane and come back to Arcadia Bay."

"We were planning on that, we already got our tickets." Ryan paused, "We leave tomorrow morning."

"Alright." Joyce said, "Until then, we'll stay with Max and watch over her."

"Thank you, Joyce." Vanessa said, "This really means a lot to us."

'I knew that Max's parents were gonna call sometime.' Chloe paused, thinking to herself again, holding onto the notebook in her hands, 'I should read this later to find out what Max was talking about. God, if only I had the fucking power to turn back time, I could've saved her from getting hurt.'

"You're welcome, Vanessa: Ryan." Joyce began, "Goodbye."

Joyce hung up and turned to look right at David and Chloe. Chloe wiped her tears away and glanced to look at her mother with puffy red eyes. David looked at his wife with worried eyes. She put her phone away and then hugged the both of them.

"Come on, Chloe, let's go see Max." She said.

Chloe looked at her mother and gave a small nod before they started walking. David looked at the two of them as they walked, he couldn't really get out of this because he had to help with the investigation of both Nathan Prescott and Mark Jefferson.

'Max…' Thought Chloe, silently.