Prologue: Quantum Mechanics states that there are an infinite number of worlds. This is boring, and you have likely heard it before. Something more interesting that you might have not heard is that on one of those worlds, Max Caulfield never met Chloe Price before leaving Arcadia Bay. Let me tell you the story of what happened when she came back.

Chapter 1: A Chance Sighting

Friday, September 13th, 2013

I sighed as I left class, looking around for something to do. Blackwell was amazing, and photography class was amazing, and I got to study under Mark Jefferson, but… but… It was so boooring the rest of the time. Why did I have to go to science class? So dumb. I kept walking, looking around. There's Dana, there's Daniel. So many people, god it was overwhelming.

Someone said something beside me, but I didn't hear. I turned around, and when they spoke again I heard them.

"Earth to Max? Hello? Anyone home?" It was Kate, and I took a moment to compose herself before responding.

"Sorry Kate,I guess I zoned out."

"I asked if you were thinking about going to one of the Vortex Club parties."

They had been walking for a while now, and were in the courtyard outside. I opened my mouth to speak;

"I don't know Kate, I've heard bad things about those-" I cut off as I saw something in the courtyard. A bright flash of blue, something she would never see otherwise. There was a girl in dark torn jeans and a white tank top with a skull over it, covered up with a leather jacket. Her hair was a bright blue, covered up at the top with a beanie.

"Kate who is that? She's so cute." The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them, and I clasped a hand over it, too late, blushing bright red at what I had said.

I looked over, and Kate was quirking her eyebrow, a smirk on her face.

"Someone has a crush!" She said, her voice sing-song.

"Do not!" I said, my face reddening even more.

"Suure you don't. Well, Lovergirl, that over there is Chloe Price. She got kicked out of Blackwell a few months ago, though she swings by every so often to talk to Justin, since they're old friends. The staff ignore it because she's actually kinda nice, and the reason she got kicked out was mostly bullshit." Now it was Kate's turn to cover her mouth, blushing as she rapidly sputtered;

"I'm so sorry, pardon my language, I wasn't thinking, and I was kind of mad because it was dumb when she got kicked out, and she's nice, and, and"

"Don't worry Kate, it's cute to hear you adding some color to your language. Um… catch you later?" I said, trying to calm her down. It worked and the color faded from her face as her eyebrows worked, trying to parse my last statement.

"What, are you going to chat up Chloe Price, Lovergirl?" She responded.

"No… okay maybe. Her hair is, and her outfit is, god I don't know how to describe it. I HAVE to talk to her." I responded. There were butterflies in my stomach, and I couldn't articulate what I was feeling properly.

"Go ahead, try and score a date, get out of your dorm maybe. If you strike out, I'll be in the dorms if you want to talk later."

I waved her goodbye, and walked up to Justin and the newly-named Chloe, trying to act casual.

"Hi Justin."

He turned to face me, and I could actually see him struggle to remember my name. God, he was such an airhead.

"Hey Max, how's it going?"

"Good, good. Thought I'd swing by and say hello, we haven't talked in awhile." Or Ever.

"Well I was just going, but I'll introduce you before I leave. Chloe, this is Max, the best photographer I know, and all-around nice person. Max, this is Chloe, the most punk badass I've ever met."

He walked off, and when I turned towards Chloe, I could see her looking me up and down, sizing me up.

"So you're a photographer? Does that mean, you like, learn how to take better selfies?"

She sounded flippant, but I could tell it was kind of meant as a genuine question.

"Yes, I'm a photographer, we are standing in a high school with one of the best photography programs in the state. And I learn plenty about photography, including how to take better selfies." I had no idea where this bravado was coming from. The butterflies in my stomach were working overtime, and I don't know who was in charge of the words coming out of my mouth, but it sure wasn't me.

Chloe quirked her head at me. She looked kind of surprised, but I couldn't tell what she was thinking. She opened her mouth to talk, and I hung onto her every word.

"You know, from what Justin said, and from what I've heard, I thought you were going to be a total wuss. But you seem pretty cool." I spluttered, surprised by her response.

"What've you heard about me? Who said, what did they said, what?" I was freaking out. Had she talked to Victoria, Warren, Kate, who?

"Chill, chill. This is like, the smallest town in the middle of nowhere. Someone moves here, you hear about it. Plus, I'm like, best friends with Rachel Amber, so she gave me the low-down on you."

I heard her response, but it took me a few seconds to process. Then the latter part of what she had said earlier caught up to me. "You think I'm cool?"

She was smirking now, and responded. "Yeah, you seem alright, not like most of the people in this town. I gotta jet now, but tell you what, take this," She grabbed the journal that was peeking out of my bag, and ripped out a piece of paper. She pulled a pen out of one of the many pockets of her jacket, and then jotted something down. She pushed it into my palm, and our hands touched. I froze up at the physical contact. She noticed and looked me up and down again.

"Are you okay?" Her head dipped down, and I wasn't sure what she was doing until I felt her lips lightly brushing my cheek. "Well I do really have to go now, see ya later. You look cute when you freeze up from emotional overload. Bye." She skipped away, but I barely noticed it. I hobbled over to a nearby bench, and collapsed onto it.

I came to a while later. I was still sitting on the bench, and Warren was standing above me. He was saying something, and I tuned in, hearing what he was saying.

"Max, are you okay? I asked around, and Alyssa said you've been just sitting here for the last like, 2 hours with that zoned-out expression on your face. What happened?"

I opened my mouth to respond, and then I remembered what had happened. I remembered Chloe's lips brushing my cheek, I remembered my brain slowly melting. I remembered sitting down at this bench.

"Chloe kissed me." The words were out of my mouth before I could decide whether or not I wanted to say them. Warren gave me a look that conveyed well you seem kind of crazy pretty well, before he hefted me up from the bench, grabbing one of my arms to help me up.

"You know what, you're either stoned or super tired, and either way I don't think you should be just sitting here. I'm going to take you back to your dorm, and you're gonna sleep whatever this is off, okay?"

"Sure. Thanks Warren." I walked with him, leaning pretty heavily, just sort of walking on auto-pilot.

We walked for a few minutes until we got to the girl's dorms. Warren knocked on the door, and sort of stood around for a few minutes. I looked at him. And he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Well I'm not going to go into the girls dorms, and I still don't trust you to operate under your own power, so we're going to wait for like, Dana or Rachel or something."

"Okay." I spoke quietly, and my mouth closed before I realized it had opened. We stood for a few more minutes, and Kate opened the door, looking us up and down.

"What happened? Warren, she looks half-dead. Where did you take her, the Vortex Club?"

Kate had her hands on her hips, and with her outfit and stern expression, she reminded me of a stern mother. I giggled, and covered up my mouth afterwards.

"No, no, nothing like that. I found her sitting on the bench outside the school, and Alyssa said she had been sitting there, for like 2 hours! So I figured there was probably something wrong, so I helped her back here." Warren sputtered, looking pretty cowed by Kate and her stern looks.

"Mhm, very likely. Max, is this true?" She asked me, and it took me a second to figure out that she meant me. "Warren didn't do anything. He helped me back here, after, after, after… " I leaned in towards her, like I was whispering a secret. "Chloe kissed me."

Kate raised her eyebrows at that, but she took me from Warren. I turned to him as I left, opening my mouth to speak.

"Thanks Warren."

He waved to me as I left, and I waved back. Then Kate helped me to my dorm. She sat me down on the bed, and went over to hers, coming back with a small bottle of medicine. She spooned some of it into my mouth, and I recognized the bittersweet taste of Nyquil. She went back to her room to put it away, and when she came back, the medicine had started to take effect. I was getting kind of drowsy. Kate laid me down on the bed, and pulled the blanket over me.

"Goodnight Max. I hope you feel better in the morning." Kate walked to the door, and hit the light.

"Goodnight Kate." I yawned, and then I closed my eyes, and it was dark.

AN: Hullo. It's me. Characterization on Max was kind of weird in this chapter, but I wanted to show that she was really shocked by Chloe. I might have gone overboard. Whatever. If you have the time, drop a review. Reviews are great. Next chapter SHOULD be up within a week of this one.

Uploaded Thursday, March 17th, 2016.