Chapter 1 – What had I done?

What the hell had I done?! This was the question which I asked myself a numerous times, while I stood right in front of Chloe, my hands covering my mouth in shock. I just wanted Chloe to have her father back. She went through so much shit in the original timeline! So I thought by going through that photo and saving William I would for once had helped my blue haired friend. But nope! Karma is a bitch and decided to put my best friend in a wheelchair instead!

"Max! I thought I would never see you again.", Chloe said with a big smile plastered on her face.

Wait, what? A smile? Did that mean that she was actually.. happy?

Confusion ran through my head while I replied: "What? No! I would never do such a thing to you, Chloe."

"Don´t you want to come in? I bet there is a lot that you two want to talk about.", Mr. Price suggested.

"Umm.. Yeah.. Sure..", I hesitated.

Since I was already here, I figured I could as well ask my friend what had happened to her. So as William had suggested I went through the doorstep and followed Chloe to her room. When I entered it I once again was in shock. Instead of entering a messy paradise which had been familiar to me I entered a clean, tidy room. Nevertheless I sat down on a neat, blue sofa and waited for my friend to join me.

"So.. How should I start? How did... you know..", I tried to ask her.

"How did I end up in that chair? Well, after getting a car for my eighteenth birthday, I kind of got in an accident.", Chloe replied.

"You actually got a car? I suppose from William..?"

"Exactly.", my now blonde friend answered.

That explained some things.. So because William had survived he managed to get Chloe a car and that´s how she ended up like this? God, if I had known that that would happen..

I talked a little more with my friend, only to end up in a similar discussion we had in the original timeline, after seeing each other again.

After a while I said my goodbyes to her and went downstairs. Though Chloe seemed a lot happier right now I just couldn´t stand to see her in her current condition. I mean she wasn´t the steam punk girl I used to know! But did that give me the right to take her father from her again? Maybe I should just leave things like they were now. If I had the choice whether to have my father but being handicapped or being okay but without having my father, I would definitely choose option one. But how should I solve the mystery of missing Rachel Amber and the tornado destroying Arcadia Bay on my own?

As I was about to leave the house, Chloe´s father stopped me.

"Wait a sec there Max. Can I have a minute with you?", he asked.

"Sure..", I went back and followed him to sit in the living room.

An awkward silence entered between us. And if I´m honest I was really curious what Mr. Price had to say to me.

After a little while he finally spoke: "I´m sorry, Max.. It´s all my fault."

Well, that was unexpected! In a little shock I answered: "What? No! I mean.. How can it be your fault. You didn´t know that Chloe would get in an accident!"

"After that had happened, Joyce fell into depression.. I tried to comfort her.. Tried to see the good things instead of only the bad ones.. But that didn´t stop her from taking those pills.. and doing... Gods, I would do anything to have my old family back!", Mr. Price started to sob.

I just sat there in awe. So Joyce was gone now? This timeline was so fucked up! I shook my head in disbelief and stood up.

"Mr. Price.. Would you even give your own life to save your daughter and your wife?", I whispered.

Slowly he looked up at me and and nodded.

That was the only thing I had to know..