I apologize for the delay, but I had taken a trip to Disneyland this 4th of July weekend which was hella fun and amazeballs, as Chloe would say. Told ya I may not start writing 'till I get back. Now that I'm back, the next chapters will come by quicker. Enjoy!

Chapter 2 182 Days Without an Incident

Max

April 11th, 2014 8:21 AM

The bus arrives at the bus stop by the psychiatry center and I hop on, find a seat, and I'm on my way to Blackwell. I plug in my pair of headphones and listen to 'The Scientist' by Coldplay.

You don't often wake up in the morning telling yourself you'll be a time traveler in order to save the love of your life the day she's tragically killed. I know I didn't. It was hard to believe that in less than a week the inhabitants of my power would create a vortex of mass destruction killing six-hundred people and the town being declared a destruction zone in Oregon. Six months later, the town is as good as new. Six months ago, there were thirteen hundred people living in Arcadia Bay. Today, only nine-hundred in fifty. Including newcomers.

Every now and then I think to myself, what was the true inevitability I had to face. The so-called death of Chloe Price or the storm laying waste to Arcadia Bay? There are people in this town who had lost friends and family to the mess I created. There were even some students from Blackwell who were caught in the crossfire. Not very many, however. A boy named Luke didn't survive. A girl from the Vortex Club named Sarah didn't survive. As well as a few others who never made it out of the storm alive. Nathan Prescott was indeed part of the Vortex Club, but had been shot and killed by Jefferson the night before the storm. So that made two Vortex Club members erased from the board.

I sit on my seat hovering next to the window as the bus drives me to school. Some students from Blackwell such as Evan, Alyssa, Daniel, Dana, Stella, Logan, and Hayden were on the bus with me. The bus drives through the rehabilitated town of Arcadia. Back to the way I remember it. I look out my window seeing my hometown non-desecrated and back to the way I remember it. No National Guard. No military vehicles. No nothing. Just the good citizens of Arcadia Bay walking and driving safely every day and night in their own neighborhoods. As well as rebuilt homes with rebuilt public and economic property.

Every once in a while, I would occasionally use my powers for whatever reason. Me and Chloe had built ourselves an obstacle course out of scrap from the junkyard and had set it up there so we could test my new powers. I would begin to brace myself for an imminent disaster that could destroy town. But it didn't come. Either I don't use my powers to excess or the storm was supposed to come naturally. Also, despite me and Chloe still living happily together as we always wanted, I always thought to myself that Chloe's inevitable demise would begin to purge once more. But it never came. Turns out that perhaps I actually let Chloe escape death for good this time. I was only getting ready for someone to pull the trigger incase if it was going to happen again. And if that time ever came, I'd know what to do. No matter how times I've done it before.

The bus approaches the school where there's no Sanctuary. Just students spending their time out in the courtyard before class begins. I get off the bus with the rest of my classmates and walk into to courtyard in front of the school. It was going on 8:30 in the morning. I sat on the fountain with the Jeremiah Blackwell statue centering the courtyard to relax. I can feel the morning breeze cool my body as the morning sun illuminates the peaceful area.

I activate my time vision and everything turns monochrome. I use this ability whenever I want to have a moment of calm and relaxation. To be honest, this is the only ability that never appears to effect my health the way my rewind or freeze does. As long as I take my medication that is.

I look around the vicinity in darkness with my pupils glowing blue and people highlighted in orange. I can hear the voices of students laughing and socializing. I see Courtney and Taylor laughing. I see Justin and Trevor at their usual spot doing tricks with their skateboards. I see Brooke modifying her drone she flies around with often. I see Zachary flirting with Juliet. Just another day at the office for Blackwell. I pretty much eavesdrop on everyone as voices echo through my ears and into my brain Daredevil style.

"Max," a voice calls over next to me as I gasp and return to my normal vision.

"I'm sorry, Max. You alright," asks Warren.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I reply. "What's up?"

Warren sits next to me on the fountain.

"Well, now that you're here, I was wondering if we can go on a double date together."

"A double date, Warren?"

"Yeah, it'll be me, you, Brooke, and Chloe. We'll all do something together."

"Like what?"

"There doing a Marvel marathon at the drive-in theater tomorrow night. They'll even be showing the new Marvel film 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier'. Or we can play some 'Titanfall' on my Xbox One I got for Christmas."

"I never really played an Xbox before, but I think Chloe might be down for the drive-in theater. I'll have to ask Chloe. When do you want to plan on doing that?"

"It's tomorrow night. It'll be just like the Planet of the Apes marathon. Even though none of us got to go to it.

"Alright, Warren. I'll be sure to let Chloe know and I'll text ya if she feels like going."

"Okay then. Sounds good. Hey, by the way, how did your therapy session go?"

"It went well, I guess. All I have to do is remember to take my meds every day and I should be able to keep my symptom or syndrome or whatever it is under control. What's your story?"

"Well, I just got accepted into Metropolitan State University of Denver. Me and Brooke are gonna be studying science there. Have you applied into anything?"

"Believe it or not, I just got accepted to the University of Portland. I'll studying some Photography there. Chloe's gonna try and apply to an online college. Despite her bad rep at Blackwell before her expulsion."

"Speaking of Chloe, her Step-Dad used to be head of security at this school before he resigned. Where is he now?"

"David's working in the Sheriff's department as a deputy. Nowadays, me and Chloe don't see him very often since he's working with the law enforcement now. Her Mom, Joyce, is still running the diner as you maybe have noticed."

"Take care, Max. See you after class."

"You too, Warren."

I walk into the girls dormitory to hang out in my dorm before class. Upon entering, there are no longer Rachel Amber posters on the walls. There are Prescott and O'Donohue election posters on the walls. Sean Prescott and Riley O'Donohue were both running a campaign to be the next Mayor of Arcadia Bay.

I take a look at Prescott's poster with his name underlined with stars saying: Prescott for Mayor 2014

"For someone who wants to own everything in Arcadia Bay, being Mayor is the way to go," I say to myself."If only Nathan could see his Father now."

Then I take a look at O'Donohue's poster: O'Donohue for Mayor 2014

"I'm surprised more people are voting for Prescott compared to O'Donohue. After everything the Prescotts have done corrupting this town, somehow their redeeming themselves. It's not like anything Sean Prescott says to convince people to elect him is true. How I hate politicians."

I then take a look at a poster on the wall for Prom Night at Blackwell that'll be happening sometime next month before the school year ends.

"Senior Prom! Chloe should be my date. It'll be the night of our lives."

I finally walk into my dorm room, set my purse aside, grab my pills off my desk, sit on my bed, and take pill swallowing it hardly to heal my symptom. I take a moment to relax on my bed.

"Well, Max, this is it. As long as I have my powers, this is how my life is gonna work. After months of Arcadia Bay spending cold days in hell, it's finally a bit closer to heaven. At least I still have Chloe by my side whenever I need her. My angel with butterfly wings. Meanwhile, the end of time is on it's way. I've spent one-hundred in eighty-two days without an incident, without a tragedy, without answers. I have a feeling I would be the key to making things right again. As I should've done six months ago."

I dig into my photo box and take a look at some photos me and Chloe took throughout the past six months. I find some pictures of me and Chloe as children. I find the picture of me and Chloe on her tenth birthday. Then the picture of me and Chloe and her cat Bongo she used to have in the house before it died during the same year William had. Then I find my favorite picture of me and Chloe dressed as pirates. I smile.

I then find pics of me and Chloe that we've taken more recently. I find the selfie me and Chloe took in her bedroom six months ago with William's camera. Then I find the selfie we took on Halloween in our costumes. I dressed as Supergirl as Chloe went as Batgirl. Then I find pictures of me and Chloe on Thanksgiving. My parents had invited me and Chloe as well as Joyce and David back to Seattle for Thanksgiving dinner. And then, there were the pictures of me and Chloe on Christmas and New Years. Including the one where we kissed under a mistletoe.

Finally, the pictures of us on Valentine's Day, then our trip to Portland on Spring Break, and finally Easter. The holiday that came early this year. We had gone to Portland not only for Spring Break, but for Chloe's twentieth birthday. I kept smiling.

"Wowser, Chloe. It feels like we lived the American dream these past six months. None of this would've occurred if I had let you die in that bathroom just for the good people that died in Arcadia. None."

I want to shed a tear. And I do. A small one at that. Despite my obsession with the end of time, me and my bluenette had so much ground to pick up with each other. So much to look forward to. And we did. Chloe should thank me for all this. She really should. And she already has. This was our one true destiny to fulfill once in a lifetime. My phone then bleeped from my pocket and I set the pictures aside to answer my text. It was Chloe.

Chloe: Hey, Max! Want to hit up 2 Whales later on 4 lunch today?

Max: Sure. Why not. BTW, Warren asked me if we could go double dating tomorrow nite with him and Brooke to the drive-in theater? What do u say?

Chloe: What would we see at the drive-in?

Max: There doing a Marvel marathon at the drive-in. U in?

Chloe: Sure. I guess. I hella love Marvel. SYL

Max: U2

I walk out of my dorm to check on everyone else. I see Victoria in her dorm surfing through her Facebook on her laptop looking depressed. I walk into her dorm to check on her.

"Hey, Victoria."

"What do you want, Max?"

"I just wanted to say hi is all."

"Same old Max. Nosy little selfie taker as usual."

"You sound pissed today. Why?"

"None of your business."

"It's about Nathan. Isn't it?"

Victoria frowned at me taking offense of what I said. Then she put her hand over her eyes.

"Victoria, I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to-"

"Max, just shut up! Alright?! Don't ever bring him up again! Ever! You want to know why I'm upset? It's because some asshole named Mark Jefferson, the man who murdered Nathan, betrays me into letting me win that contest by blackmailing him in doing so!"

"So why are you upset at me than?! That would be your own fault for blackmailing now, would it?! Especially for something you did six months ago!"

"Because you just don't know when to mind your business! And to add insult to injury, we have to lose members of the Vortex Club. Nathan gets shot and killed and Sarah dies in a fucking storm. With Nathan gone, I have to take charge of the club now."

"I know how that feels."

"No, you don't know how that feels! Unless you want to run the Vortex Club. How does that sound? That's what I thought. Now how 'bout you go fuck your selfie and bother someone else. Will you?

"Whatever, Victoria. Nice talking to you. For what it's worth."

I walk out of Victoria's dorm to check on Kate in her dorm. I walk into Kate's dorm, seeing her feed her rabbit, Alice. She turns towards me with a slight grin.

"Hey, Kate."

"Hey, Max. What's up."

"Just checking on ya. How've you been?"

"I've been okay I guess. I overheard you and Victoria arguing. What's wrong with her?"

"Just her typical attitude. As you've said before, she can be sometimes...not nice."

Kate sat on her bed to get back to finishing her illustrations.

"What are you working, Kate?"

"Well I am still working on my book about bullying. I also had plans for writing a book on how to survive a storm."

"Sounds interesting."

I then just think up of something. A question Kate may or may not have the answer to.

"Hey, Kate. I...might have a question for you. Maybe you would know the answer?"

"What is it, Max?"

"There's nothing in the bible about time travel, is there?"

"Time travel? What do you mean?"

"Well, maybe not necessarily time travel, but rather destinies. Does God ever know when people will die? So that he'll have plans for them in heaven or something?"

"The bible never quotes anything about time travel, but it does tend to appoint people's destinies. Why?"

"Are there any examples you could share?"

"I remember reading a quote about God appointing to a time of death. Hebrews 9:27 - 'And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.' I also read one about God foreseeing destiny. Jeremiah 1:5 - 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations."

"Do you believe that the people that died during the storm was destiny or that the storm hitting the town was fate given by God?"

"I believe what I must, Max. I believe in whatever God gives us all. Though fate isn't always an easy thing to confront, it is more than necessary to accept in the end."

"Like when God put you on the roof of this dormitory six months ago?"

"I think God put you on that roof save me. Because perhaps God didn't have a plan for me in heaven. Not yet."

The school intercom comes on and I hear Principal Wells' voice.

"Max Caulfield, please report to the office. Max Caulfield."

"I better go, Kate. Whatever reason Mr. Wells wants me anyways. Take care."

"You too, Max."

Note:

First of all, I'm no Christian, but I had looked up a few quotes from the bible regarding time and prophecy. For anyone who's Christian, let me know if my writing was off. Forgive me if it was. Second, has anyone ever thought the most powerful and richest man in Arcadia Bay like Sean Prescott could run for mayor?

There's chapter two people. Expect a few new characters introduced, including a new major one I've been developing for some time, to be in the next chapter.

Until next time, stay tuned!