Max leaned her head against the window of an old pickup truck which had seen better days a good while ago. She was deep in her thoughts while Chloe drove along the streets of Arcadia Bay. Or what still was left of it. Where ever Max looked, all she saw was destruction and devastation. The tornado had taken its toll on the once so beautiful Arcadia Bay. Street after another offered nothing but wrecked houses and cars fallen on their sides. Chloe's eyes had focused on the road in front of them, and her expression was somewhat inscrutable. Max felt like her head was ready to explode because of the destruction which she felt like being responsible for. Finally Chloe decided to break the silence and said:

- Well, this shithole sure took a beating.

Max turned to look at her best friend. The tone in Chloe's voice was harsh and unconcerned, but Max knew that there was more to it than that, she knew that Chloe had feelings too, she just had learned to express them differently. As they drove past the Two Whales Diner, Max had to ask:

- Listen, Chloe.. Do you think that they made it..?

Of course she talked about Joyce.. but also David, Kate.. Warren.. The thought that Max possibly had destroyed the lives of so many people, was unbearable. Chloe didn't answer, but Max knew that she thought about these things too and hoped for the best. Max just had to talk about her thoughts to someone.

- Chloe, did I do the right thing?

she asked.

- People have died because of everything I did! Even though I could have..-

Max didn't finish her sentence as Chloe drove off the road, stopped the car and took Max's hand into hers.

- Hey, Super Max, you did a difficult choice. It was either Arcadia Bay or me. And you chose me.

Max tilted her head slightly, and despite of her melancholy she managed to give Chloe a little, yet still astonished smile.

- Chloe Price, are YOU getting mushy on me?

she had to ask. Chloe of course shook her head and started the engine yet again.

- No. I just told you the truth, Max,

Chloe corrected her friend as they drove off.

Mile after mile Arcadia Bay and everything it once had had to offer, got left behind. Max couldn't explain it, but she had the feeling she would not be coming back soon.. if ever. After all the chaos Arcadia Bay with its inhabitants stepped aside, starting a new chapter in Max's life. Soon both Chloe and Max fell back into their thoughts. Max still found it hard to believe that Mark Jefferson had fooled her like that. Of course he had fooled everyone else too, but Max still couldn't help but feel herself humiliated. For her Jefferson had been like a role model for her, but in the end he had just used her like that.. and not only her, but others as well. Jefferson hadn't been that person who Max thought he was. He had been a psychopath.

- Are you thinking about that fuckface again?

Chloe asked whilst driving into the sunset, which after all this felt almost too calm in a sort of paranormal way. Max could not deny Chloe's words, for as she knew Chloe, Chloe also knew her.

- Forget about him already, he's gone for good,

Chloe still added. And of course she was right.

After driving for a while in silence they stopped at a vantage point which had remained untouched by the tornado which had ripped Arcadia Bay into pieces. Chloe stepped out of the car, and Max followed.

- Max, tell me that you still have that camera I gave you?

Chloe wanted to know as she gazed into the slowly setting sun which had colored the landscape with a warm shade of gold.

- Of course I do, I'm not going anywhere without it,

Max gave Chloe that exact answer which she wanted to hear.

- Good, because this moment is something I want to remember. Take that camera and come here. Let's take a photo together of this.. golden hour, right?

Max nodded and smiled again. This time her smile was a little more genuine than it had been before. She took her camera out of her bag and stood right next to Chloe, putting her another arm around Chloe's shoulders. One quick flash captured them both, and also the setting sun behind them. It just captured them in a positive way.

- Max, we belong together, you and I,

Chloe said in a serious tone.

- This photo is the proof of it, it's the proof of the next life, where there won't be others. Just you and I. Anything or anyone will come between us, ever again.

Max nodded and finally started walking back to the car, and said:

- Come with me, Chloe. Let's go.. into the next life.