Chapter Fourteen

A familiar voice desperately calls to me. "Max? You okay?"

"Max? Oh god, please wake up."

"Max!"

"Ughh…" I groggily respond as I slowly open my eyes. I'm back in my dorm room, and Victoria is holding me on the floor. Her hands run through my hair, which prevents the panic that I felt about to burst through me from taking control.

Relief comes over her as I wake up. "Oh god, Max. You totally scared the shit out of me."

"How long was I out for?"

"About a couple minutes. Not long. I was going to call for Madsen before you came back to me." Victoria beams at me. I guess she was really worried.

I sit up and try to clear my head. Another storm is coming, but I have so many questions. Why was I alone? Why did I get a vision for a storm in this timeline when I saved Victoria in a different timeline? Does the rift work that way? If the visions are connected to my powers, how did I get one when I was in a timeline without my "gift?" And the biggest question: how the hell is this Arcadia Bay still in trouble?

"Sorry, one of the many 'perks' to my powers. Visions of impending doom." I move to my bed and hold Captain.

Victoria takes her place on my couch. "Impending doom?"

I shrug. "It's a storm that will wipe out the bay in another timeline because I saved you with my powers after you were shot dead. I can prevent it by letting that version of you die, just like I did with Chloe in this timeline. I have no idea how that's affecting this timeline though."

I am lying to Victoria to protect her from the truth. No use in worrying her with it when she can't do anything to prevent it. Fortunately, she quickly drops talk of the vision.

"Wait, hold on. You had to let Chloe die? What the fuck? No wonder you have been so messed up."

I deeply sigh. "Yeah, I used a photo to go back to the bathroom and prevented myself from saving her so the tornado would never appear."

I really should be more freaked out right now about this vision, but I know how to stop all of this from happening. It sucks that I will have to let someone else that's close to me die so the universe can be happy, but there's no way I'm giving up on Arcadia Bay after all that I've done to save it. Alternate Victoria will understand, and she didn't want me to save her in the first place. I just wish I didn't have to let people die when I could save them.

"Shit, that blows." An awkward pause comes between us as neither of us knows what to add. I mean, what can you say about all of this crazy shit?

Finally, the Queen Bee changes topics. "Anyway, I'm still freaked out by my Dark Room dream. Mind if I crash on your couch tonight?" Shit. Will she timeline jump if she sleeps in my room? I wish I had tested this with Warren, though on second thought, asking him to spend a night with me would have ended badly. Victoria won't jump. She doesn't have my powers. That's why I'm jumping in a room connected with the rifts. She should be fine. Besides, how the hell would I get her to leave?

"No, not at all. I also had a dream that was a bit fucked up, so I wouldn't mind the company."

"Was Kate the most popular girl at Blackwell?" Victoria playfully asks.

"I wish it was that. No, I was in the Dark Room."

Victoria drops her smirk and replaces it with a frown. "Shit. I take it that you are alright? I mean, as okay as you can be after that crap."

"Yeah, Chloe rescued me. Long story."

The Queen Bee shrugs. "Okay, well, I'm glad you are fine now, my love." She shoots me a wide smile and begins to take the couch.

What am I going to do about Victoria? I guess I should stop lying to myself and admit that I feel something for her, but I also know that I never, ever want to betray Chloe. My girlfriend means too much to me. That means I will need to find some way of telling her that we can never be. But she's so fragile right now with her world collapsing around her. I should be honest that I'm still with Chloe. But not now. She could hurt herself like Kate. I can't take that risk.

"You can take the bed. I can't sleep tonight. Not with everything that's happened to me lately. If you don't mind, I'll just stay up and play on my laptop."

Victoria smiles and takes my bed. "It will be weird being in your bed for the first time without sharing it with you, but I can deal. Please use headphones if you play some WoW. Don't want to hear those dirty orcs grunting. Everyone knows that the Alliance are the real heroes of Azeroth."

I shoot her a wounded look. "You did not just say that! I don't think we can be friends now."

"Good thing we aren't just friends," Victoria winks at me. Before I can come up with an appropriate response, she saves me with a simple "good night."

I sit down and turn on the laptop. Warren must have reset it earlier as it boots up without a password prompt. I add a password of "tacos" in case other me takes over again. I turn around and check on my new roommate. She's out cold. I still need to write this crazy shit down, but without my diary, I am forced to be digital. Like my photography, I prefer to be analog, but I don't have a choice.

Sunday, October 19, 2013

I was tempted to just call this entry Monday as it is so close now, but I suppose that would be cheating. Not that I actually know anything about that.

This is so weird, typing when I should be writing. I can't watch the ink dry as I decide what to say next. Instead, a blinking cursor taunts my indecision. It's so impersonal. I can't even really doodle in the margins! Should I start from the beginning? Do you, my dear diary, know it all? Or have you be shorn of your memory, just like the other versions of me after I've used my powers?

Where is that other version of you? I suppose it is appropriate that I've created another you, to run around in this world independently of the original who is a complete stranger to you. Are you two cut from the same cloth? How much of my former diary exists in you? Is it right that I've made you when my former diary still lives?

I've got a lot to work through, it seems. I guess I'll just begin where I left off with other you. Let's see. A series of fucked up nightmares with Warren chasing me through San Francisco, me as that psycho Jeffershit, and back in the asylum where the only way out was blowing my head off. So, yeah, that was fun.

Then I found myself back in the Dark Room, but this time I sorta wanted to be there this time as Dark Room Max saved me from those nightmares. I had to get her out of there, away from the monster that I left her with. But Jefferson was too much for me, even with my powers. Just when I thought I was about to die, my love comes out of nowhere and saves me!

Chloe can travel across timelines through the rifts. Maybe that means we can finally be together, but I'm wondering if the universe is going to try to find some way to fuck us again. It seems like we are fated to end tragically like star-crossed lovers out of a Shakespearean play. Well, you know what? Fuck that. I'm tired of fate deciding things for me. I'll make my own destiny.

In the meantime, I need to figure out what to do with Victoria, who is sleeping on my bed right now. No, don't get any ideas. She's just sleeping over, though other me did take advantage of her earlier. Add that situation to my list of problems. Thing is, if I'm being honest, part of me feels something for her. It's part of me that I completely loathe for being so disloyal to Chloe. I need to figure out how to tell Vic that I'm with someone else, but she's so vulnerable right now.

I've so got enough on my plate with this rift crap and impending doom for Arcadia Bay yet again. I'll get with Warren in the morning and figure this out.

I spent the rest of the night playing around on my laptop, trying to forget my troubles for the night. It was nice to just feel like a normal teenager for a night, just playing around on Arbus, my undead priest. I killed so much Alliance scum thanks to Victoria's remark.

Light trickles into my room as my worries slowly creep back to me just like the sun stalking the horizon. My concerns leave me every night only to inevitably return in the morning as I awaken.

I checked on my guest throughout the night for any sign that she is timeline jumping. I guess I don't really know what I'm looking for as it is not like I've ever seen myself sleeping. She looked like she slept well, never tossing around in a fit. I guess that means all is well.

She eventually awakens, and she shoots me a sleepy smile. "Hey, you."

"Hey," I wittily respond. "I need to bail on you as I have to go talk to Warren about this vision I had. Are you going to be alright?"

Victoria nods. "Yeah, thanks to you, I think I'll make it. It's still early though. I don't think nerd boy will be up for a little bit. Let's go hang in my room until he does. I would love to get your thoughts on some shots."

Seeing more of Victoria's work also sounds like fun. "Sure, let's go."

We scamper across the hall to her room, running as fast as we could to avoid someone spotting us. We both collapse on her couch in a fit of giggles suppressed into pillows. We look at her work for some time, and I make sure to give her praise. She gives me a wide smile and then pulls me into a sweet kiss. I start to return it when the door bursts open.

Warren is standing there with his arm over his face as he trying not to look at us making out on the couch. "Max, I've come to rescue you. You shouldn't be here right now."

"Shit, you perv!" Victoria yells. "Get the fuck out. Max does not need to be rescued from her girlfriend."

"Umm, I appreciate you looking out for me, Warren, but you should go. I'll meet up with you later this morning and we will get some breakfast tacos." I place a heavy emphasis on the last word and nod to Warren as I do so.

"Oh… OH!" Warren awkwardly says. "I'm so, so sorry. I should go." He quickly turns around to exit the room and runs into Victoria's photo wall. "Oww!" Warren takes what is left of his dignity and leaves.

"Well, where were we before that ass interrupted us?" The Queen Bee asks as she wraps herself around me, kissing my neck.

"Hey, Warren means well. He is just concerned for me after that video game out. Please don't give him a hard time."

Victoria looks up from my neck and pouts. "If there's one thing I enjoy the most by being the Queen Bee-well, I guess former Queen Bee of Blackwell-is giving people who deserve it a hard time. That fucker had no right to come barging in like that. Please don't take this from me."

"Fine," Victoria says as she looks at my pleading face. "Christ, I can't believe how much you own me."

I smile at her. "I appreciate it, Victoria. It means a lot to me. I think Warren ruined the moment though, and I do need to talk to him about my vision. Mind if I bail on you now?" I hope she takes my excuse on stopping this intimacy. My feelings are so conflicted with her. I don't know if I could really stop myself it this continued. I don't know if I would want to stop myself. That thought scares me. Doesn't Chloe mean more to me than that?

"Yes, I mind, very much so in fact, but I don't have a choice. As much as I want to selfishly keep you to myself all day, I know figuring out this vision thing is important. I would suggest coming with you, but I wouldn't be able to control myself around your friend." Victoria gives me a final kiss on the cheek and smiles at me. "I would say take your time, but that would be a lie. Hurry back to me."

I send Warren a text after leaving my friend (girlfriend?).

Max (7:27 a.m.): sorry about that.

Warren (7:27 a.m.): Sorry for walking in on you. Thought that it was other you.

Max (7:28 a.m.): don't worry about it. Free now?

Warren (7:28 a.m.): Yeah, though not sure where we can get breakfast tacos in town.

Max (7:28 a.m.): wish that's all I wanted to do. need to talk. it's really important.

Warren (7:29 a.m.): Let's meet at the Two Whales.

I take Chloe's truck and make my way to the diner. As I linger over her graffiti in the cab at a stop, I can't stop beating myself up for kissing Victoria back this morning. Chloe deserves someone better than me. I abandoned her when she needed me at the lighthouse. She forgave me and has been there for me ever since. She even risked her life to save me from Jefferson. Now, I just betrayed her.

And what am I doing to Victoria? I'm going to have to break up with her eventually. I shouldn't lead her on so much in the meantime. I guess I'm not being dishonest with her as I do feel something, but I know that it can't go anywhere. I should tell her, but I'm so afraid that she will hurt herself without me as her girlfriend. I can't have someone else do that when I have the power to stop it.

I finish the short trip to the diner and take my usual booth. I absent-mindedly trace my finger over the carving of a equation likely made in the table by Warren. I inwardly groan as Joyce walks over. It's not that I don't want to see her, but she's another reminder of what I did to Chloe. I still remember Joyce dying in Chloe's arms. I put those thoughts in the vault as Joyce approaches.

"Hey, Max. I haven't seen you around in a while. Everything alright?" Joyce asks in her usual motherly tone.

"I'm fine," I say as I fake a smile to back up my words. "Just been busy at school."

Joyce nods, apparently not recognizing the insincerity of my smile. "It's okay. I was just concerned is all as you had been coming around every day since…" Joyce sighs and shakes her head. "Anyway, I just wanted to say you are welcome whenever. Don't feel pressured to come over. Oh, and I will be right back with your coffee."

My smile deepens as it now reflects my mood. "Thanks, mom, but I didn't order coffee yet."

"But you were going to. And don't even try to pay for your breakfast. My daughter eats on my tab here." Joyce returns my smile and then returns to the kitchen before I can protest. I remember all the times that Joyce gave Chloe a hard time for eating at the Two Whales without paying, but I don't know if Joyce would really have it any other way. I think she was really complaining about Chloe's lack of direction in her life.

The diner door opens. Warren walks in carrying a seriousness about him that weighs him down along with his obvious fatigue from waking up so early. He's probably worried about my terse message that we need to talk. I want to panic right now knowing that a storm is headed for this reality, but I know that if I do, I won't be able to think of a way out. I'm the only one who can stop this. I owe it to the sacrifice Chloe made for this timeline to save it.

Warren joins me at the booth, casually sitting down. I miss Chloe's jump-slide. "Hey, Max. What's going on?"

I try to smile at my friend to calm his anxiety over what I'm about to say, but just like the one I wore earlier for Joyce, it lacks sincerity. "Warren, we need to figure out these rifts really soon. Like, really really soon."

"H-how soon is really soon?" Warren stammers, even more anxious than when he sat in the booth.

"Friday," I say nonchalantly.

"W-what's going on, Max?"

"I had a vision of Arcadia Bay, this Arcadia Bay, getting destroyed by a huge storm on Friday just like a couple weeks ago. I think it's tied to me saving someone from another timeline, though I don't know why it's affecting this timeline."

Warren silently sits in the booth for a moment, lost in thought. "I have been having some strange dreams lately. They don't really feel like dreams, more like memories. I was back home after a huge storm destroyed the bay. So many people had died, and I saw that you were arrested for the murder of Chloe. None of it made sense, so even though it felt so real, I thought it must be a dream."

"That wasn't a dream," I shake my head. "Those were memories of the timeline in which I saved Victoria from being shot."

"Maybe this means the rifts are getting worse. That events in other timelines are affecting this one. Now it may just be memories that people can dismiss as strange dreams, but it sounds like it will get worse."

I was hoping that Victoria was the only one affected by the rifts, and that was only because she sleeps so close to my room. "Victoria has been having dreams of that same timeline. That's why she feels so close to me. We are dating in that one, so she has many memories of us together. After other me got close to her, I have been trapped in this pseudo-relationship with her as I can't break up with her or she might hurt herself. Things are pretty bad for her."

"So that's why you were making out with her when I walked in? I mean, you really looked into it."

It's my turn to stammer. "I-i wasn't!" That was not even remotely believable. I am going to need to come clean with Chloe the next time I see her, so I might as well get some practice in now. "Fine. You are right. I was. I don't know what would have happened had you not barged in."

Of course, Joyce picks this time to come back with two coffees. "Glad to see you getting back out there, Max. Chloe would have wanted that."

"You have the worst timing," I protest.

"As your mother, I have the best timing," Joyce counters. "You shouldn't feel like you are betraying her, Max. She's gone, and you are clearly interested in this Victoria girl. I know she fancies you. I couldn't help but notice how her face lit up every time she mentioned you. You deserve to be happy, Max."

There's no arguing with her. I can't even begin to explain why she's wrong and why I did actually betray her daughter. "Thanks."

Joyce then took our breakfast orders and left.

"That was awkward," Warren adds after Joyce is out of earshot.

"So, how did you know I was even in Victoria's room? Please tell me you did not set up some surveillance camera. I made that joke on my slate, but I wasn't being serious."

My last comment confuses Warren. "You did? I would have noticed that."

"Oh, that's right. I did that during the week that never was. Nevermind. But still, are you stalking me? I didn't think we agreed to that." I'm glad that he is concerned about me, but I'm a bit uncomfortable with how he knew so quickly.

"Brooke told me you went over to Victoria's room. The walls are thin, so she can hear most everything. I asked her to keep an ear out for me because you came to me for help. You told me that you couldn't control yourself around Victoria and she was bad for you. Brooke agreed, and I ran over as quickly as I could once she let me know what was going on."

"Well, that's better than what I was fearing," I shrug. "What are we going to do, Warren? I prevented the last storm by stopping myself from saving Chloe, but what if that doesn't work?"

Warren nervously taps the table. "And… why wouldn't that work?"

"I told alternate Victoria that the decision was hers and Maxine's. Knowing Maxine, she probably destroyed the photo I would use to set this right. Even if it's still in one piece, there's no guarantee that letting Victoria die will fix this. I mean, time is pretty fucked right now. This is too important to not have a backup plan."

Again, my friend pauses to chart out our course of action. This time, however, he comes up empty. "Well, fuck, I dunno."

"That's not reassuring," I shake my head. I was hoping that Warren would have an answer just in case something went wrong with other Victoria. What the hell am I going to do?

"What I meant to say is I don't know what to do right now, but we can figure that out. We will need to conduct some experiments on the rifts to see what affects them. As the rifts are tied to your powers, it makes sense that you would be the key to getting rid of them. We just need to figure out how."

I smile. This is what I was expecting from Warren. "Okay, well, where do we begin?"

"Well, the rift is currently not visible in this timeline, and you don't have your powers here. You will need to go elsewhere to try using your powers on the rifts. You should try everything and see if anything disrupts them. It would be good if you could recruit some people to study the rifts from other timelines so we can see if what you are doing is really working."

That could work. I feel much better now that I have a plan. I'll go to bed tonight and start building a team to test the rifts. I have a week to figure this out.

Warren and I share breakfast together and then part ways.

I return to the dorms and knock on Victoria's door. No response. I shoot her a text. No response. Maybe she had to study or her parents called. They weren't happy with recent events. If that's the case, she probably just wants to be alone. I know they aren't the easiest people to deal with.

I go back to my room and lay down on my bed, wondering how I'm going to get out of this mess with Victoria.

A series of loud, furious knocks rings on my door a few hours later. I quickly open the door to find the old Victoria, full of anger and disdain for me.

"What the hell? Victoria? Are you okay?" I am at a loss to explain all of this.

"Am I okay? How dare you, bitch. You have some fucking nerve after what you have done to me!" The unmitigated hate behind her words was unmistakable.

What the hell did she think I did? I can't think of anything. "W-what is g-going on?"

"Don't even pretend to play dumb with me. You know exactly what you did. You even decided to gloat about it in your diary and then give me the fucking thing to read. You piece of shit. I will get you back for this."

Victoria drops my diary at my feet and storms off to her room. Witnesses in the hall whisper to themselves as they behold the spectacle in front of them. I pick up the diary and read the entry that Victoria opened it to. It is written in a foreign hand though the handwriting is identical to my own.

Hey Victoria,

Glad you have read this far. By now, you know that I have never loved you. I loved and still love Chloe above all others. She's still out there, and you mean nothing to me.

I bet you are wondering what the other night was all about then. Why I decided to come over and throw myself at you. Isn't it obvious? I had the power to ruin the one person who has been tormenting me since I have come back to Arcadia Bay. Oh, how I have savored these last few days with you losing your precious reputation. It was so easy to convince Courtney to make that video and post it online. You have treated her like disposable furniture. You did this to yourself.

So, in short, fuck you.

After Victoria left, I couldn't stop pacing in my room. I must have frayed my keep calm and carry on rug in those few hours. We both have been played so well by other me. Not only does she destroy Victoria's relationship with me, but she also managed to damage both of our reputations.

I need to go to sleep tonight, though. Arcadia Bay, this Arcadia Bay, will be destroyed in less than a week unless I can figure this out. I have to try to stop myself from saving Victoria or find out how I can close these rifts. I can't stop thinking about what just happened, so I need some help to fall asleep. I take some sleeping pills from Warren, and I eventually drift into a medicated slumber.

I awaken in a strange hotel room, handcuffed to the bed and with a gag in my mouth. As I'm in a hotel room, this must be the William timeline. Where's Victoria? Surely this kinky setup due to her. I yell out, as much as I can with the gag, but I'm met by only silence.

A/N:

Whew, that was a long time between updates. I needed a bit of a break as writing began to feel like a chore. I didn't want that feeling to affect the quality of my work. So, I took a break and got distracted by other video games (finally got to legend rank in hearthstone). This chapter was a bit hard to write as it is setting up the rest of the story and didn't really get to the plot points I'm excited about. It was necessary though.

So, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that there isn't much left in the story (though I suppose that could be interpreted as bad news). I'm guessing 3-4 chapters, and I know exactly how this is going to end. I've been looking forward to sharing that with you all for quite some time.

The bad news is that I am now getting really busy at work, and that will last until June. I don't think that it will take that long to write the remaining chapters, but they might be a bit delayed. Maybe a similar schedule to this chapter. I'm done providing estimates because I don't want to disappoint, but I am committed to finishing this.

Thanks again for reading. I appreciate your comments and support.