Max encountered Warren outside the classroom after class had finished. He seemed to be waiting for her.
"Hey Warren." She smiled. "What's going on?" She really did miss his company. No drama, no romance, no bullshit. Just two good friends nerding out together. They may have been two entirely different peas, but they were still grown in the same pod.
"Maximillion Pegasus!" Warren grinned. "How's it hanging?"
"I asked you first." Max giggled.
Warren chuckled. "That you did, my friend. I'm alright. Classes sucked, as usual. How about you?"
"Oh what, physics with me wasn't fun?" Max joked.
"That was the one good class of the day." Warren smiled sweetly. "So, do tell me: How was our master photographer's first class?"
"Pretty interesting. Got to know a lot about my classmates. Jefferson got us to do a pretty cool icebreaker."
"Oh yeah, you told me. Can I see the photo again?"
"Sure." Max handed Warren the photo.
"This is still an amazing shot. You should be teaching the class, not that pretentious asshole."
"I see you've made acquaintances."
"Nope. I just have good ears."
Max giggled. "Ugh, it's not that I don't like him, like he's a good teacher, he's just so creepy. Did you know he sits on Daniel's desk and doesn't face any of the male students?"
"Ew! What the fuck? That's so weird!" Warren pulled a face. "Especially considering his photos."
Max sighed. "Whatever it takes for me to get famous."
"Fame shouldn't be your priority. It should be what you put out into the world, not what you receive from it."
"Wow, thanks Confucius."
"I'm serious. That's the first step to beating your insecurities."
"Huh, you know what? That's actually really good advice."
"I'm not all about making things blow up and watching shitty 80's movies." Warren laughed, and Max joined in. "Which reminds me, we should chill and have a movie night together some time."
"That sounds like a lot of fun, Warren." Max said. She heard a noise from ahead, so she craned her neck around Warren's head to see what was happening. "Hold that thought, I have to see to something."
"If you don't want to, that's totally fine." Warren mumbled more to himself rather than to Max. Max walked around Warren to the commotion, to find Taylor and Victoria pinning Kate up against her locker.
"Community service with my youth group!" Victoria mocked.
"Uh oh." Max sighed.
"God, could you be any more self-righteous and performative? 'Look at me I'm so selfless!' It's honestly pathetic."
"No!" Kate insisted. "It's not like that at all!"
"Oh, give me a break." Victoria rolled her eyes.
"Hey!" Max stepped in between them, shoving Victoria backwards.
"What the fuck, Caulfield? What is wrong with you?"
"I could ask you the same question, Chase ." Max put extra effort into emphasising Victoria's last name, to the desired effect. Victoria was fuming. "Why the hell are you going around picking on people like this? This isn't middle school. You're almost a fucking adult. Grow the fuck up."
"Oh right, cause you're so grown up yourself." Victoria commented. Taylor giggled.
"Maybe I'm not, I just know that it's far better to uplift other people and be there for them, instead of putting people down just because I can't handle my own insecurities."
"W- Excuse me?" Victoria was furious. "So I'm insecure?"
'Yes, Victoria. I can see it in your eyes. Honestly, it's rather pathetic. I'd feel sorry for you right now if you weren't just such a bitch to someone who proved today how kind she is."
Victoria snarled. "Screw you, Caulfield!"
"Oh right, I'll remember that next time you almost get hit by a car. Maybe I'll just let it happen."
"Wait holy shit that was you?" Taylor cried. "That was her?" She turned to Victoria.
"Don't remind me of that, Max. I'm still freaked out over it."
"Then maybe you should spend your energy working on that, instead of bullying other students."
Victoria scowled.
"Funny, Rachel said you changed. I guess old habits die hard."
At the mention of Rachel's name, Victoria's face turned red with anger. Max could hear Warren holding back laughter. Max smirked.
"Shut the fuck up! Don't even talk about her!" Victoria cried. "That's so ironic, you bringing a photo of her and her stupid girlfriend along for class. That was literally the dumbest photo out of all of them. Even worse than Kate's. Like seriously, you look like such a third wheel it's not even funny."
"She's not a third wheel." Came a voice from behind Victoria. Victoria spun around quickly, watching as Rachel walked right past her and kissed Max on the lips.
"Ew! What the fuck?" Victoria cried as she dropped her jaw.
"If you keep your mouth like that, it'll stay that way." Rachel said after she broke the kiss. "Actually, please keep it like that. It looks nicer."
Victoria closed her mouth and scowled again. She stormed off angrily. Taylor seemed too stunned to react at first, before quickly turning and running after Victoria.
Warren finally couldn't contain it, and burst out laughing. "That was the best shit I have ever seen!" He cried. "I'm so glad I was able to witness that."
"I just thank you for staying out of it." Max replied. "You alright, Kate?"
"Y-yes, I-I think so... " Kate cleared her throat. "Thank you. I don't know why Victoria was so rude to me."
Rachel waved her hand dismissively. "Victoria just loves to project. She probably actually thinks you're super cool, and she hates it, because she can't deem anybody as good."
"Who knows what's going on her head?" Warren shrugged. "Who even cares?"
"That's the right attitude, Warren." Max smiled. "Anyway, thanks for making an entrance, Rachel. As usual."
"Well I did just come out of drama class..."
"That was quite the show, yes." Kate coughed.
"You sure you're okay?" Warren asked.
"I'll be fine."
Warren looks at Max hesitantly, and she gives him a knowing nod.
"Come, Kate. Let me carry your stuff. I'll walk with you to the bus stop." Warren says.
"That's very kind of you." Kate smiles. As they walk off, their conversation slowly fades. "So, it's Warren, right?"
"Yeah. I had physics with Max this morning. She's in your photography class right?..." Warren's voice fades to nothing as they leave the school building. Max and Rachel are still standing by the lockers.
"Future lovers in the making." Rachel smirked.
Max shuddered. "Better her than me, that's for sure."
Rachel nodded. "They'd actually be cute together."
"An atheist scientist and a devout Christian photographer? You're high."
Rachel shrugged. "Can I see the photo again?"
"Sure." Max smiled as she handed her the picture.
Rachel grabbed Max's hand and together they walked outside into the sunshine. It's hot, but there's a slight cool breeze that tickles Rachel's bare legs. She wore a skirt that was probably too short for school code. Luckily Blackwell didn't seem to care. Max spied David and smiled at him, and he simply gave a nod.
"Let's sit down here. We got plenty of time to kill before Chloe finishes work." Rachel said, sitting down under the shade of a small tree.
"Like, an hour?"
Rachel shrugged again. She spotted Samantha at a nearby tree, reading Shakespeare. She waved to her, and Samantha looked up and enthusiastically waved back.
"You know her?"
"Oh yeah, totally. I got her to audition for the school play last year. She always has her nose in one, so I figured I'd get her to see what it's actually like."
"What was the school play last year?"
"Another Shakespeare, as Keaton can't seem to let him go. Othello ."
"Oh cool! I would have loved to see that."
"Problem is, there were a lot more actresses than female characters, and vice-versa for the men." Rachel sighed. "I had to play another male character again. At least Hayden and Dana knocked it out of the park again as the main characters."
"Men hate putting themselves out there anywhere that isn't a sports ground, huh?"
Rachel laughed. "Oh no, but you see, Maxine, it doesn't involve absolute brute strength and aggression, therefore it isn't manly, and therefore it's not 'cool' or worth our attention!" She cried sarcastically.
Max laughed. "I'd be keen to take some photos for the newsletter about this year's one."
"Oh please do. That would be wonderful." Rachel sighed. She remembered she still had the photograph in her hand. "This is a wonderful shot, Max. I had no idea you could exhibit so much emotion from one stupid selfie."
"It certainly is powerful, isn't it?" Max lay down next to Rachel, looking up at the clear blue sky. "That photo represents the fruit of our struggles. How far we've come and where our pain has led us. That's why it's so powerful." Max chuckled. "It's also a subtle 'fuck you' to Jefferson. Like 'We're still here you crusty-ass pedo'."
"Amen to that, sister." Rachel chuckled.
"Just one thing, though." Max said, suddenly serious.
"Yes, Max?"
"I… still don't know what happened. I did change the course of history, and I'm caught up on certain things, but I don't remember anything that we all did together." She rolled over and turned to face Rachel. "Can you tell me what happened, please?"
"Not everything was all sunshine and rainbows and kisses." Rachel sighed.
"There'll be a cold day in hell before we get even a week's worth of that."
"Heh, you're not wrong." Rachel slid her legs down on the grass so that she was lying right next to Max on the grass, looking up at the same patch of sky. "I assume you want the full story?"
Max blinked. "Of course. Is that even a question?"
"Oh shit!" Chloe cried. "Max just texted me."
Rachel came running over. They were in their regular shack out in the junkyard. They hadn't needed it as much as they used to, but every once in a while it was nice to escape there. Particularly when negative emotions were high.
"Call me now. Got exciting news." Chloe read out the text. 'Dosed' by Red Hot Chili Peppers was playing quietly in the background.
"That's ominous." Rachel frowned. "I hope it is actually exciting, and not another one of Max's trademark sarcastic jokes."
"I don't know, she does seem quite excited. She sent me this emoji. That means you know she's serious."
"Well, call then!" She sat down on the spool next to Chloe, turning off the music playing through her bluetooth speaker.
Chloe hesitated. She was never overly comfortable with phone calls, particularly to the friend who didn't often call back. She shook herself off and rang, putting the phone on speakerphone.
"Chloe!" Max's voice immediately rang through, making Chloe jump.
"Caulfield, how many times do I have to tell you? NO EMOJI!" Chloe laughed.
"Aw, but it's cute." Max replied. "Besides, I think it's cute the way you get flustered like this."
Chloe spluttered. "I do NOT get flustered."
Rachel leaned and whispered into Chloe's ear, "Hey honey? You just did."
Chloe huffed. Max laughed. "Anyway, what's the news, star photographer?"
"It's actually about photography." Max said, her voice briefly resembling a robot.
"The service out here sucks." Rachel muttered.
"I got accepted into the photography course at Blackwell! I'll be moving back to Arcadia Bay in a couple months!"
"Shit, Max! That's wonderful news!" Chloe exclaimed. She turned and whispered to Rachel. "We should have seen this coming. It's as Max predicted. Did she just forget?"
Rachel shook her head. "Maybe for once she actually wants to forget that anything ever happened there."
Chloe shrugged and turned back to the cellphone in her hand. "Actually, we've just found a place to live for the coming school year, and the only place we've found is way too big and way too expensive for just the two of us, did you want to move in?"
"Move in!?" Max cried. "With you guys!?" She squealed. "I'd love to!"
"Did she actually just squeal? Like a 14-year-old?" Rachel laughed
"Ah, the gift of youth." Chloe smirked. "About time she had it." She murmured.
"Anyway, is that all you called us about? To squeal like a little schoolgirl about coming back to shithole bay?" Rachel asked.
"I'm coming back for you guys. You know that." Max replied. Chloe looked away.
"Yeah, of course." Rachel said. "It's just that… you've been kind of distant, lately and…" She trailed off.
"I know. I'm sorry. I'll do better."
"You better, Supermax! Not long now." Rachel laughed. "Come now, you guys! We'll all have fun? Right?"
"Yeah! You're right. Anyway, do gotta dash. Got shit to do."
"Got shit to do on a Sunday, Max? Guess some things never change." Chloe chuckled.
"No. Guess not."
"Max Caulfield! How's my favourite photographer?" Chloe beamed.
"CHLOE!" Max cried, jumping off the bus and into Chloe's open arms.
"Woah, Max! Down girl!" Chloe coughed. "You're not as light as you used to be."
"Says the resident strong-girl." Max said dryly.
Chloe flexed her muscles. Rachel stared. Chloe had gotten a lot more muscular since they started going to the gym together. Rachel mostly did it for her weight, but it seemed to be providing more of an actual effect on her girlfriend instead.
Max turned to Rachel. "Rachel! How are you?"
Rachel hugged Max. "It's so good to finally meet you." She felt Max's body go rigid, so she let go and looked at her. She seemed sad. "Hey, Max? You alright?"
Max shook her body violently, as if she'd been jolted out of a trance. "Sorry, it's weird. Being back in Arcadia. I didn't get much sleep on the bus."
"Can't say I blame you." Chloe chuckled. "Rickety old bastard."
"Better get my bags out." Max sighed.
"We'll help. And we won't take no for an answer." Rachel said. Max looked grateful, but dazed.
"Christ, Max! What's in this?" Chloe cried in a strained voice, heaving a large suitcase out of the bus.
Max blinked. "All of my clothes."
"You wear the same hoodie every day." Chloe replied, finally managing to put the suitcase on the concrete.
"How would you know?" Max asked.
"Dude, you send me selfies all the time. We're like, viewers of your private social media."
Max smiled wryly. "Better than actually using my social media. I'd just about die from sheer embarrassment."
"Well, you know you're gonna have to put yourself out there eventually." Rachel said. "You and me both."
Max's expression didn't change, aside from a slight sadness Rachel could see in her eyes. She said nothing. Rachel couldn't help but feel like Max saw a ghost every time she looked at her.
Unfortunately, she knew why.
Chloe coughed, sensing the tension. "You guys gonna help, or…?"
Rachel blinked. "Sorry. I just got lost in Max's eyes for a second."
Max rolled her eyes. "Got several more boxes to carry. How far away is the truck?"
"Couple blocks thataways." Chloe said, pointing down the road. "Not easy to get a park too close."
"That's fine. I could manage that far."
Rachel nodded. "Sure. Can't be too hard."
Max smirked. "In that case, you can carry my books. I'll get the guitar, my laptop, my photos, and essentially everything else."
"I can just wheel this along the ground, so I can carry something else."
"Cool. I think the box for my stereo is somewhere…"
"Jesus, Caulfield. I do still have to carry your clothes."
"Oh, fine. You can just take this box of miscellaneous shit. It should be pretty light."
Rachel picked up the box of books and almost collapsed. "Christ, Max!" She cried. She heaved the box with great effort and managed to move it a couple feet before having to place it on the ground.
"Be careful! The ground is still wet." Max squeaked.
"More like, 'be careful, don't break your fucking back!'" Rachel cried.
"This might take more than one trip." Chloe murmured.
"Yeah you're telling me. Come on, let's get this shit in the truck."
After getting everything in the back of the truck, the girls all climbed in. Chloe took extra care on the road to make sure nothing of Max's broke or fell out. The drive to the apartment was done mostly in silence, mostly because Max fell asleep instantly, her head resting on Rachel's shoulder. Rachel couldn't help but feel her heart race because of it.
"Chloe?" Rachel asked quietly.
"Yeah, Rachel?" Chloe replied just as quietly, turning to look at her.
"I'm worried about Max. She seemed so… distant."
"She's back in hell, Rach." Chloe smiled. She turned her attention back to the road. "I joke, but I'm worried about her too. This is where, or rather when, it all happened."
"Yet, I'm alive. Is that not a bit of justice?" Rachel said. "Max looked at me and saw a ghost. This is different from hearing my voice through a phone, I could tell."
"Her memory of you is missing person posters and a dead body. I can't exactly blame her." Chloe sighed.
"I know, but I feel like there's something else."
"About her or about you?" Chloe smirked.
"Well… both. Max just seems.. vacant. Like she's on autopilot."
"Maybe. But I can't help but feel like there's something you're not telling me. You haven't shoved Max off your shoulder, but you're leaning further away from her, like you're nervous."
Rachel scowled. "Since when did you get so perceptive?"
"Since I started dating the DA's daughter."
"Touché." Rachel said. "It's a little deeper, and I suppose a lot dumber, than that." She sighed. "I think I'm developing a crush on Max."
"Wow. Didn't think she'd be your type." Chloe said dryly.
"I didn't think you'd be my type either, dumbass." Rachel grinned.
"Max will never have the pleasure of granting you your sexual awakening. How sad." Chloe grinned back.
"Shut up!" Rachel giggled and shoved Chloe.
"Hey! Hands off the driver!" Chloe cried, trying her best not to swerve the truck as it edged towards the centre line.
"How come everything is so different, and yet still the same?" Rachel asked.
"Cause we're here. Together." Chloe sighed. "It's as Max said, 5 years ago. 'I'll come back, and it'll be like I never left.'"
"Did you miss how it was?"
"There's a lot of things I miss about that time. My dad, Max, the actual enjoyment I felt for school." Chloe smiled wryly. "But mostly Max. And now that she's back, I…"
Rachel's heart skipped a beat. "You feel the same?"
"Fuck yeah. I was ecstatic when you told me. Plus, it's only natural that it would happen. Between me and her, at least."
"Do you think this is what would have happened? If you guys found me, alive? We would all be together, alive?"
"Watching as a giant tornado destroyed our town? I think I prefer this one better."
"So… what did Max leave behind, do you think?"
Chloe pulled over, slowing the truck to a stop. She turned off the ignition and leaned back in her seat. "I don't know. Max said something about me getting shot. So the two of us dead in the junkyard together? Does it even matter anymore?"
Rachel smiled. "Probably not. We're here now, aren't we?"
"The three of us, all together. Do you think it'll work? All three of us dating each other?" Chloe asked.
Careful not to disturb Max, Rachel reached her arm over Max to stroke Chloe's cheek. "Of course it will. Max loves us both, I can tell."
"Isn't that a bit weird? Like cheating?"
"Cheating implies an air of deceit and manipulation." Rachel explained. "This is three consenting individuals, all communicating with each other romantically."
Chloe stared straight ahead and nodded. "You always did know what to say, Rachel." She took Rachel's hand and squeezed it. "Come on, we better get this sleepy girl inside."
Rachel giggled. "She looks like she hasn't slept in 5 years."
Chloe grimaced. "I wouldn't be surprised if she hasn't. You carry all the light stuff. We'll come back for the heavy stuff when Max wakes."
Rachel stepped out of the truck and looked up. "Or when it rains."
"Yes, that is a possibility." Chloe scowled. "Let's just throw it in the truck in the meantime."
Rachel nodded, and began to work putting all the heavy boxes and suitcase she couldn't carry up to the apartment by herself in the truck, as Chloe scooped up Max and carried her into the apartment building.
"She looks like a baby." Rachel giggled.
"God, she does." Chloe laughed. "Remember when you were young, and you'd pretend to fall asleep in the car on the way home from long trips, just so your dad would carry you back to the house and tuck you in bed?"
Rachel nodded. "It's nice to have some some good memories of our dads."
"God knows we need them."
"Where's Chloe?" Max asked.
"Oh. Hi Max." Rachel said, sitting at the table, a beer in hand. Max had just aroused from a nap, something that had become more and more frequent in Max's daily schedule as time went on. She was still wearing her pyjamas.
"If you're drinking beer, that's a bad sign, Miss 'Beer is Disgusting'"
Rachel was tired and pissed off. "Yeah well I wasn't feeling like a fucking vodka." She spat.
"Okay, jeez. Take it easy." Max raised her hands and backed away.
Rachel sighed. "Sorry Max. I'm a little angry right now. I didn't mean to take it out on you."
Max closed the distance between them, sitting down next to Rachel. She swallowed. "So, where is Chloe?"
"We… had another argument. First one for a while."
"Another?"
Rachel looked at Max. "We argue fairly often, Max. Put two short fuses in one circuit and..." She sighed. "Anyway, it was a particularly bad one, so Chloe stormed off and went for a drive."
"Oh."
"I have no idea where she is."
"Ah."
Rachel slumped onto the table, no longer bothering with her beer. "You're right. This is disgusting."
"That's my Rachel." Max smiled. "So, what was the argument about? Must have been serious."
"Funny you should ask - it was actually about you, Max."
Max looked confused. "Me?"
"Yes." Rachel said. She sat up and rested her head on her elbow, turning her head to look at Max. "I'm worried about you. We both are."
"Why? I'm right here. Everything's fine."
"Is that what you want us to think?" Rachel asked. "Or do you just not see it yourself."
Max opened her mouth, and shut it again.
"You've barely talked to us since you got here."
"Yes I have. I went with you to the junkyard and-"
"I know your memory is fine - believe me I've already tested it. It's just that you seem so distant. Like your mind is still back in Seattle. Or still back in your October."
"Rachel, I-"
"Listen, Max. Chloe said it herself. You being back in Arcadia Bay is likely to bring back painful memories. I just want you to know you can talk to us. Both of us."
Max nodded.
"I reckon Chloe was right. This is something for you to process slowly, on your own, before coming to us." Rachel shook her head. "I was stupid. 'Professional help'. What's a therapist gonna do about the qualms of a time-traveller?"
"Yeah. This is probably the safest bet." Max replied. She was staring at the table.
"Is the table really that much more interesting?"
"No I just-" Max coughed. "I guess I'm still a bit delirious from the nap."
"You say that every time, Max."
Max looked like she was going to cry.
"I'm sorry for grilling you." Rachel said, giving Max a hug. "Just please, talk to us. It doesn't have to be me, if you don't want. After all, we've only just met, right?"
"Haha. Yeah." Max chuckled nervously.
"Anyway. Enough of that crap. Want some ice cream?"
"Yes please, it's like 90 degrees outside." Max fanned her face. "I'm sweating like crazy."
"You're gonna have to get used to that. Once we inevitably move to LA, it'll be like this all year round." Rachel smirked.
"Inevitably, huh?"
"I'm an optimist. Chloe's a pessimist. Which would make you the realist."
"Ha! Yet here I am, the one with a supernatural power and crippling anxiety."
Rachel shrugged and opened the freezer. "Oh yes! Chloe bought mint chocolate chip!"
"Sick." Max said casually. "I'll certainly eat it, but I'm more of a vanilla kind of gal."
"That's cause you're a boring white girl with no taste buds."
"Excuse you! You're white too!"
"Yeah but I have taste." Rachel winked. She scooped the ice-cream into two bowls and sat down next to Max, then ruffled her hair.
"Hey!" Max giggled. "Knock it off!"
Rachel laughed, and then tenderly touched Max's hand. "I love you Max."
"I love you too, Rachel."