Chapter 2: Future

Warren...no.. Max thought, How? She burst through the door into the lobby and slammed to a halt. The left of the diner was mainly intact, broken window and wood was littered everywhere, but the booths still stood. What brought Max to a stop was the right side. The entire roof was collapsed from the giant semi that was tossed on top of the diner. The back end of the truck had demolished the front doors and everything that was below it. Warren is underneath that thing?! Warren! Max cried in her head, tears erupted down her cheeks. She never had feelings beyond friends for him, but he was a close friend, and always sweet to her.

Max slid down the counter to her knees and wrapped her arms around herself as she sobbed. Her fault. Her Fault! It was all her FAULT! Her breathing started to get short and difficult to take in air. Arms wrapped themselves around Max and pulled her tight. The familiar spell of tobacco and leather flooded Max's nose. Chloe..Max though. She turned her head into Chloe's leather jacket and cried. She cried until her ducts were empty and all she could do is shake.

Chloe didn't say anything, just let Max cry it out. She knew Max had to get it out, and now was better than waiting for it to build.

"Max, this isn't your fault." Chloe said sternly. "If you need to blame someone blame me."

"No Chloe! Don't you see! I couldn't save him. I couldn't save anyone!" Max cried harder, squeezing the leather of Chloe's jacket.

Chloe lifted Max's face and wiped the wet tears from beneath her face. She kissed each freckled cheek twice, then gave Max a kiss on the lips. Max could feel the storm in her head subside as she felt Chloe's lips on hers.

"You hella saved me Max. You saved me." Chloe said after she withdrew from their kiss. "This isn't your fault."

"But it's not yours either Chloe. You didn't give me my rewind power, you didn't change time again and again." Max could feel the tears start to swell up again. She wiped them with the back of her hand furiously.

"Exactly! You didn't choose to have this happen to you. No one should have to make the choices you did. If this was a judgement by God then it was hella cruel. You're Maxine Caulfield, Super-Max! Maxipad!" Chloe grinned slightly as she said the nickname she gave Max.

Max's nose wrinkled at the last nickname, but she knew Chloe was just trying to cheer her up. She managed a weak smile, "Thanks Chloe."

A voice boomed from outside from what sounded like an intercom. "Attention residents of Arcadia Bay. If you are fit to walk, please make your way to the east edge of town where an emergency rescue and relief center has been constructed. If you need medical attention or know of an individual that does, please notify us immediately."

"That was hella fast," Chloe said, "Though I suppose a storm that big and large would attract attention."

Joyce walking into the diner lobby dabbing her eyes. "Girls, it's time to go, you heard the P.A. System."

Chloe drove everyone from the Two-Whales Diner through the wrecked town. There was a rescuer driving a medical truck with the P.A. System repeating the same thing again and again for people to hear. It only took about 7 minutes to find the Rescue Center, though it was mostly a few medium tents and one large one with a red cross on it, the medical bay. Max started to look around the instant they stepped out of the truck.

Medical vans were strewed all over the place with EMT's checking on people. Max saw some she knew including Kate and Brooke being treated for cuts at one van. Oh thank god Kate! She is ok! Oh Brooke..she is going to be devastated by Warren.. Max fought back the fresh wave of tears she felt. To the right in the forest Max saw what she was hoping to not see, lumps under white sheets. Some had large red stains, ruining the pure white cotton.

Chloe intertwined her hand with Max's before Max could start her guilt trip on herself.

"Girls, why don't you go check to see if you can find any of your friends, I am sure you want to know if they are ok. I am going to go see if they need any volunteers." Joyce said from behind them. Max noticed Joyce glance at the two girls hands, frown slightly, then shake her head quickly as if to clear her thoughts. "Stay together okay? I will find you soon."

This left Max and Chloe alone to wander a bit. Max checked in with Kate and Brooke and broke the news to them about Warren. Brooke took it as hard as Max thought.

Chloe and Max found a few others they knew. Alyssa, Victoria and Courtney, Dana, a handful of students that Max didn't know personally, and another handful of adults and families from around the area. Most seemed okay, but they all had the same vacant, sad stare.

Chloe squeezed Max's hand tight and Max flashed her a small smile in response. With Chloe here with her, Max knew they would figure things out. The question was though,

What are their next steps?