Max felt an immense sense of deja-vu walking through the hallway to her photography class. She took out her headphones and looked around. Various people were putting up posters. Logan was pinning one to his locker in the hallway. As he walked off, Max walked up to have a closer look, and scowled.
"Of course." Max muttered through gritted teeth.
"What's wrong, Max?" Kate asked as she walked up to Max. "Oh."
"The infamous Vortex Club Party." Max sighed.
"Infamous?" Kate asked.
"Ah- I just don't like the vortex club." Max said hurriedly. "That's all."
"The vortex club has parties all the time. Why is this one so special?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, it was the way you said party. Singular, like this one is of any particular importance."
"Oh, I guess my tongue just slipped."
"If you say so, Max." Kate shrugged and smiled. "Come, we should get to class."
"I really have to tell her at some point…" A nagging thought plagued Max's mind. She shook her head, and followed Kate into the art class. Jefferson waved to them. Kate waved back. Max refused to acknowledge his presence, feigning a level of shyness her past self would have been jealous of. She sat down at the table at the back next to Kate. Kate took out her notepad.
"What have you been drawing?" Max asked.
"Hm? Oh, just some doodles. Potential character designs." Kate shrugged like it was nothing.
"This is very impressive, Kate. You should consider illustrating for a children's book. Your art style suits it."
"Really?" Kate asked, smiling. "Thank you, Max. That makes me feel so blessed that you like my artwork."
"Who wouldn't? You have a great eye." Max smiled.
Just then, Victoria and Taylor walked into the classroom. Taylor looked tired and stressed. Victoria scowled at Max and Kate as she walked over to them. Max simply smirked proudly, trying her best to replicate a 'try me bitch' expression. Victoria turned her nose up and sat down. Taylor sat down at her regular chair next to the cabinet of cameras and practically smacked her forehead on the table. She sighed loudly.
"What's up with her?" Max whispered to Kate.
"I don't know." Kate whispered back. "We should talk to her after class."
Max nodded.
"You know, it's not nice to talk about people behind their back." Victoria said smugly.
"Oh right, like you would know, Victoria." Max fired back.
"Two seconds and you're already bickering." Jefferson shouted from the front of the classroom, momentarily taking his attention off his laptop to rub his eyes. "Give it a rest, you two. For once."
"Sorry, Mr. Jefferson." Victoria looked down at the ground, doing her best impression at a humbled teenager. Max rolled her eyes and said nothing.
"I can see right through you." Max whispered to Victoria.
Victoria scowled at her. "You are so. Fucking. Dead." She whispered back. She quickly snapped her head back to Mr. Jefferson, who was staring at them with one eyebrow raised. When Victoria smiled at him, he shrugged and went back to his laptop.
"Max, that was probably on you this time." Kate said. "I know Victoria can be… ah… not nice but you do tend to aggravate her."
Max sighed. "Sorry, Kate. You're right. Victoria and I have history that goes beyond my time at Blackwell, though."
"That's not your history, though." Kate admonished. "That's Rachel Amber's."
Max said nothing. Daniel walked in sheepishly, like he'd forgotten something. Stella was right behind him. They each took their seats. By the time the bell rang a few minutes later, everyone was seated, with Alyssa being the last to walk in. She saw Jefferson get up from his desk and she jogged to her desk, taking out her headphones.
"Well. Nice to see everyone on time for a change." Jefferson smiled, making a concerted effort to side-eye Hayden.
"Oh come on, it was one time!" Hayden cried.
"I know!" Jefferson laughed. "I'm only joking."
Hayden laughed and rolled his eyes. "Sure thing, Jeffo."
Jefferson rolled his eyes in return. "I get that you're all cool Hayden, but stick to Mr. Jefferson for now, please? Thank you."
Hayden blinked in shock, then quickly flipped back to his normal relaxed expression.
"Okay! Without further ado, let's begin today's lesson." Jefferson clapped his hands and stood in front of the whiteboard. "First, I must remind you that you have two weeks today to submit your photo for the Everyday Heroes contest. I need not remind you that this is a brilliant opportunity to put yourselves out there and be noticed by the rest of the world. Plus it's a free trip to San Francisco and I know the gallery serves great food every year." He winked.
"Ugh. So not worth it." Max thought.
"I trust that you all will have made your decision on whether or not to enter by now, so I look forward to seeing all your entries! If you don't enter, that's fine, you'll have plenty of time to kickstart your career. But enough of that. Today we're looking at Daguerreotypes, and how they paved the way for modern photography."
Max felt her attention drifting. After all, she had heard all of these lectures before, much to her regret. She looked out the window. The weather was wild and indecisive. Every few minutes it seemed to start and stop raining, and the wind beat at the trees fiercely, scattering the leaves around the campus. She turned back around to look at Taylor, who could hardly focus herself. Everyone else was fully attentive to the teacher. Max looked closer and saw that Taylor's eyes were red and puffy. Victoria was sneaking the occasional glance at Taylor as well. At one point Victoria gave her a slight nod and Taylor smiled a thanks back.
"Hmm…" Max thought. She started to ponder what was wrong when she heard her name being called. Everyone turned to look at her.
"Welcome back to the real world, Miss Caulfield." Jefferson called out, sitting at his usual spot on Daniel's desk and staring right at her. "If you're done staring at Taylor's face, which I imagine must be very gorgeous to you, you can repeat what I just said."
"I, um…" Max's face turned red.
Victoria laughed.
"I'm waiting." Jefferson prompted.
"Yeah I'm sure you are, asshole. Waiting for an opportunity to drug and kidnap your entire class of female students!" She shouted.
Everyone gasped. Jefferson looked shocked. "W- Where on earth did that come from?" He chuckled nervously. "Someone clearly hasn't had their morning coffee." He chuckled. His face turned serious as he stared at Max. "Maxine Caulfield, you will see me after class."
Max scowled and stood up. "Like hell you will." She held out her right hand.
Rapidly, the images of her classmates moved backwards as their movements, their memories, and their speeches were reversed. She could hear Jefferson's laughter echo in her mind as she slowly sat back down and resumed the timeline, her attention fully on Jefferson.
"You alright, Max? Your face is so intense." Kate whispered.
"Hm? Oh I'm fine." Max said, immediately turning back to Jefferson.
"Daguerre was born in a commune in Northern France in 1851…" Jefferson was in the midst of his spiel, so Max turned back to Kate.
"By the way, are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm actually pretty good at the moment." Kate smiled. "I am still worried about you though. Do you want to have some tea after this?"
"That would be good." Max smiled. "We could invite Taylor too, if we can separate her from Victoria."
Kate giggled. "That might be an idea. See why she looks so down."
Max grinned. "It's a plan."
An eternity later, the bell rang. Victoria, completely ignoring Taylor's helpless expression, got straight up and made a beeline for Jefferson. Max, resisting the urge to claw Victoria's impressionable self away from Jefferson, sucked air through her teeth and approached Taylor.
"Hi, Taylor." Max said awkwardly.
"Hi Taylor." Taylor mocked Max. "If you're here to bitch about Victoria and lecture me about my friends, beat it." She was trying so hard to still sound tough, but her eyes looked like they were about to burst into tears.
"No, I just wanted to know how you were. You seemed pretty downcast today, and I couldn't help but notice that Victoria actually seemed like she cared."
"Victoria does care, for the record. And if you paid to notice, she actually cares a lot about a lot of things." Taylor said sourly.
Kate stood next to Max and smiled at Taylor. Taylor scowled, and then sighed.
"No, seriously. Thank you for asking. Truth be told, I'm not doing great. Victoria isn't the best person to go to when you need to vent. She just gets too upset herself, she just lets me know I have her support."
"Fair enough." Max replied.
"Victoria's probably gonna be a while, so I'll guess we'll walk and talk." Taylor slowly stood up, slinging her expensive handbag over her shoulder. Max couldn't help but notice this was the first time she'd seen Taylor wear long pants. Her outfit was uncharacteristic, but in a way that suited her. A grey oversized hoodie and nice tight jeans.
"That's a nice outfit, Taylor." Max pointed out.
"Oh. Thanks." Taylor said as she looked at her hoodie. This hoodie is quite special to me." She quickly glanced at Victoria. "We'd better go." She walked over to Victoria. "I'll text you later, okay?"
"Of course. Let me know if you need anything, babe." Victoria said sweetly. She scowled at Max and Kate as they followed Taylor out of the classroom.
"Kate and I were actually just about to meet up for some tea, did you wanna join us?" Kate asked.
Taylor turned around suddenly and blinked. "I, um, sure. Wasn't expecting that from you, Max. But thank you. I'd love to." As she approached her locker, she sighed deeply and opened it, putting various books inside. Max looked at the picture she had taped on the inside of her locker.
"Hey, is that-" Max asked.
"Curtis." Taylor nodded. "My... late boyfriend." She sniffed.
"I'm really sorry, Taylor." Kate said.
"Thank you." Taylor replied. "Today's the 6-month anniversary. And my mom has just been admitted to hospital."
"Oh jesus, I had no idea." Max said sympathetically.
"Why would you? It's not like we ever talk." Taylor said without malice.
"Well maybe it's time we start." Max affectionately touched Taylor's arm.
Taylor smiled. "I could really use that cup of tea." She chuckled.
"Well, let's not keep my kettle waiting." Kate smiled.
On the bus ride over to Kate's house, Max and Kate listened as Taylor gushed about her late boyfriend and her mom, detailing how amazing they were. Max couldn't help but notice that Taylor seemed a lot brighter and cheerier now. By the time they got to Kate's house, Taylor was smiling and her face was full of colour.
"I'm home!" Kate called out as she stepped in the front door.
"Hi honey." A thin but masculine voice called from a nearby room.
Kate sighed in relief. "Phew. I think that means Mom's not home yet." She said to Max. Max nodded. Taylor looked confused, but didn't want to push the conversation. "Is Mom home yet?"
"No, she's at work. She'll be another hour or so. You are home pretty early." Kate's dad said.
"Classes finish early today." Kate said simply. "I brought a couple of friends from my photography class for a cup of tea."
"Oh, how lovely." Kate's dad said. "Do show them in, I'd love to meet them."
Max and Taylor nervously walked into the living room, with Kate's guidance. Max resisted the urge to noticeably freeze. Everything was ornate and pristine. The fireplace was massive and consisted of layers upon layers of brown bricks. Above it rested a large portrait of Jesus Christ, with two crosses on either side. The walls were made of a dark brown wood. The lighting was very dim and cold. If it weren't for Kate's father's warm smile, the whole place would feel cold and uninviting. Max shivered. "It feels equal and opposite to the Dark Room…" Max felt awful that something so lovely as Kate's home could remind her of that.
"Good afternoon. How blessed it is to have friends of Kate in our home on this fine day." Kate's dad said, standing up from his armchair to greet them. Both Taylor and Max were visibly uncomfortable. Thankfully, Father Marsh didn't seem to notice.
"Uh…" Max mumbled first, looking at Taylor, who looked back at her, just as nervous. "It's very nice to meet you, Father Marsh."
Father Marsh chuckled. "Please. I'm not hosting a service in my own household, you can call me Richard."
Max swallowed. "It's very nice to meet you, Richard." She said, clutching the straps of her handbag."
"Uh, yeah." Taylor said. "It's lovely to meet you."
"I'm sure my friends would love to stay and chat with you," Kate butted in politely. "But we have to go over some work from today, and we want some privacy."
"Of course, my sweet daughter." Richard Marsh smiled. "After all, I'd prefer it if the house was clean by the time your mother gets home. I'll go put the kettle on, shall I?"
"Oh, dad, you don't need to-"
"No, I insist!" He smiled. "You just make yourself comfortable." He walked over to the kitchen, leaving the three girls alone. Kate grimaced.
"I know he can be a little overbearing." Kate said.
"No, no, he's really lovely." Max said hurriedly. "I appreciate his hospitality. Right, Taylor?"
Taylor blinked like she'd awoken from a trance. "Ah- yes. Me too. He seems nice." Taylor sat down on the couch and rubbed her eyes.
"You okay?" Max asked, sitting next to her.
"Yeah. Just a little tired." She looked up at Kate. "No offense, but your house is kinda weird."
Kate looked around. "I guess it kinda is." She chuckled. "If Blackwell has taught me anything, it's that my family is weird."
Max shrugged. "That's not necessarily a bad thing. We're all a little bit weird, deep down."
Kate sat down on a chair next to Max and Taylor. "Yeah. You're right. Oh!" She stood up again. "Do either of you want some cookies?"
Taylor sighed. "That would be great."
Max placed an affectionate hand on Taylor's shoulder and rubbed her back. "You sure you're feeling alright?"
"Yeah. Thanks for looking out for me. Although this isn't entirely how I expected my afternoon to plan out, but it's not all bad." She looked at Max. "Max, don't ever let Victoria hear this, but you're honestly one of the coolest people at Blackwell. I feel that, and I know Victoria does too."
"I know for a fact how Victoria feels about me." Max sighed. "I know I shouldn't be so mean to her, cause I know deep down she's just terrified and insecure, just like all of us."
"Victoria's really cool. She's a good person, once you get to know her." Taylor replied. "She was there for Nathan when all that shit went down, and she's here for me."
"Yeha, I know. I just wish she wasn't so mean all the time. Like I get why she's insecure, but she shouldn't be, and she shouldn't take those insecurities out on other people."
"Believe me, I'm starting to get sick of it too. At first I thought it was funny, but then I realised, Victoria is just that jealous and hateful." Taylor sighed. "The day after you and Rachel pulled us off Kate, I tried to talk to her about it. Kate was just so nice in the face of adversity, I was starting to wonder what Victoria even got out of it. But my timing must have been super bad, cause, you know, Victoria can't stand Rachel Amber." She looked at Max. "Not to mention you lit her up pretty good. Dick move on your part, by the way."
Max sighed. "I know. What did she say?"
"She threatened to get me kicked out of the Vortex Club. And she can do that, considering she's practically the President with Nathan out of commission."
"Jesus Christ."
"Yeah. When Victoria gets her rage on, there's no talking sense into her." Taylor huffed.
Kate smiled as she returned with a mug of tea and a plate of cookies. "You guys ragging on about Victoria? Not in my good Christian household, thank you."
"Sorry, Kate." Max chuckled. "Besides, we still have yet to finish talking about how awesome Curtis was."
Taylor smiled. "Max, how the hell do you always know the right thing to say?"
"Hey, language." Kate said, sipping her tea. "By the way, how do you have your tea, Taylor? Max and I have it the same."
"Oh, I don't know, guess I'll just have it the same as you guys, then." Taylor shrugged. "I'm not much of a tea drinker."
"Alcohol's more your style?" Max said smugly.
"Oh f- uh… buzz off." Taylor replied, causing Max and Kate to laugh.
"Here you are." Richard Marsh returned, with a platter containing two cups with matching saucers, a cup of sugar cubes and a small jug of milk.
"Dad!" Kate cried. "Did you really use Mom's expensive tea set?"
"We have special guests." Richard Marsh replied simply.
Kate laughed. "You try too hard, Dad."
"Sweetie, from what your report cards are telling us, you are the one who's trying too hard. Keep up the good work, honey." Richard Marsh kissed Kate's forehead, then went back to his armchair, reading his Bible.
"Aw, that's so sweet." Max said. Kate blushed and said nothing. Max turned back to Taylor. "To answer your question from earlier, I guess I just kinda know."
"You just 'know'?" Taylor scoffed. "Everything you say almost sounds rehearsed. And I don't mean that in a bad way, I just mean you always think about what you're gonna say."
"As today's class proves, that's not true at all."
"Well, no, I mean-" Taylor sighed. "It's like you might spit at Victoria in such a way that she actually shuts up, then you ask me if I'm doing okay. It's bizarre. You're so scarily on point with how others are feeling and how to respond to them."
Max shrugged. "Just lucky, I guess."
"Consistently?" Taylor asked.
"Can we change the subject? I liked hearing about Curtis." Max said nervously, sipping her tea and munching on a cookie.
"I'm sorry to push you further Max, but this past month you've been acting so… strangely. Especially on your birthday. And today was no exception." Kate said.
Max looked back and forth between Kate and Taylor. "Am I really gonna tell Kate now, while Taylor is in the room with me? What will they think? "
"I'm sorry Max. You seem stressed." Taylor said. "I'm probably just overthinking it. Hey, can I use your bathroom real quick?"
"Sure thing!" Kate replied. "Just down the hall we came in and to your left."
"Thanks so much!" Taylor got up and walked out of the living room.
"I can imagine whatever's going on can't involve Taylor, right?" Kate said, looking very serious. "It's been plaguing your mind ever since I met you. I can tell. It must be serious."
"Okay- fine. Yes." Max sighed. "I did tell Warren the other day, it's only fair I tell you."
"You told Warren?" Kate pondered for a couple seconds. "That would explain why he was acting so weird yesterday."
"Yeah. But there's a reason I held off from telling you specifically for so long. And not a word of this to Taylor, or anyone else. I don't want this spreading."
"I would never do that to you, Max. You have my word." Kate nodded.
"Okay. Come sit next to me on the couch." Max said. Kate obliged. Max kept her voice low so Richard couldn't hear. "I don't know how I can explain this in a way that convinces you, or makes me sound like a witch of some kind."
Kate chuckled. "Okay, Max."
"Hold on to my shoulder." Max ordered. "Now, concentrate as hard as you can on where you are right now."
"Okay…" Kate said as she obeyed.
Max breathed in and out. "Now watch the sugar cube." Max said as she held up a sugar cube.
"Okay I'm watching it."
Max threw it up in the air. As it fell, she held out her right hand, stopping it in mid-air.
"What on earth…?" Kate breathed. She looked around. "I can't hear the grandfather clock…" She looked over at her father, who was completely still. "Did you just... stop time?" She cried.
"Not really." Max said. "Keep watching, and whatever you do, don't let go. It'll probably hurt like a bitch." Kate nodded. Max slowly let the cube rise up into the air, before letting time resume and catching the sugar cube. "Okay you can let go now."
Kate tentatively let go. "What did you do?"
"I can reverse time." Max said simply. "Crazy as it sounds, it's true. And right now, I need your help more than ever."
"What… what happened? How did this happen?"
"I don't know exactly. The story is very long and complicated."
"Well if you're telling the truth then I guess we have all the time in the world."
"Heh. I suppose we do."
"How many other people know about this?"
"Just Chloe and Rachel. And Warren, obviously."
"Okay, that makes sense." Kate replied. "So, that explains what Taylor was saying earlier - about how you always seem to know what to say. You can just keep rewinding until you get it right."
"I haven't done that for a long time. I just know everyone too well now."
"But how? You've only known us for less than a month."
Max looked at her.
"Unless, of course, you've known us for longer…" Kate trailed off. "My brain is already muddled. Start from the beginning, maybe that'll clear things up."
"There's a reason why I'm so weird around Jefferson and Victoria, and unfortunately it involves you."
"Me? And why do you keep calling him 'Jefferson', and not Mr. Jefferson?"
"Like I said, there's a reason I held off from telling you. I'll explain:"
Max didn't go into as much detail relaying her story to Kate as much as she did with Warren. A couple times, Richard would interrupt, and Max would have to rewind. Max mostly focused on Jefferson and Kate's downward spiral, as well as her current situation with Carlos Merrick.
"And it all started, with a tornado vision? How?" Kate asked.
"I don't know. But that's the least of our concern right now. Jefferson will be after you soon and we have to stop him before he does." Max gripped Kate's hand. "I understand you're going to need some time to process this. Let me know if there's anything you need."
Kate's face was white. "Of course." She shook her head. "I still can't believe that happened - or will happen. And you witnessed the whole thing! How did you get through it?"
"With my friends by my side, Kate." Max smiled and hugged Kate.
"I'm so sorry, Max."
"Thank you."
"Woah, are you guys okay?" Taylor said as she walked back in. "And I thought I was bad."
"Yeah, Kate's just not feeling well, so I was just on my way out." Max quickly lied.
"Aw, really? I haven't even finished my tea yet." Taylor replied. "Well, thanks for having me. It was kinda fun, in a weird way."
"Pleasure is all mine." Kate smiled. "We should do this more often." She looked over at her dad, who was fully engrossed in the Bible he was reading. "Just… maybe not at my parents' house."
"Fair call, Katie." Taylor said. "Hey, are you guys going to the vortex club party in a couple weeks? I could call Courtney and we could have a cool makeover session before then." She smiled.
Kate and Max looked at each other. Kate's face dropped in sadness and fear. Max looked awkwardly back at Taylor.
"It's not really our style…" Max said.
"Of course. I knew that." Taylor said hurriedly. "Just a thought."
"No, but-" Max spluttered. "I'm game. It could be fun. Plus, I know for sure Rachel will be going, so at least I have someone cool to hang with."
"Oh My God, we get it!" Taylor said jokingly, rolling her eyes. "But that's great!" Taylor clapped her hands together excitedly. "Walk with me and we'll discuss outfit plans."
"Hold up, let me check my phone…" Max said, pulling out her cellphone. "Ah, okay. Chloe wants to know where I am and she's offering to pick me up."
"Chloe Price?" Taylor asked, her voice much lower than before.
"Yes, Taylor, my best friend and girlfriend." Max said sarcastically. "No other Chloe I can think of."
"Right." Taylor said. "Well uh… tell her I said hi."
"Sure." Max said. "I'll walk with you out the door. How far away are you?"
"I can just text my dad. No big deal." Taylor shrugged.
"See you later, Kate. We'll talk soon." Max leant down and hugged Kate.
"Yeah. For sure. Anything I can do to help, just let me know."
Max smiled. "Of course." Max stood back up and walked over to Taylor. "Right with you."
"Okay, so: What colour do you like?" Taylor asked as she opened the front door, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Um…" Max trailed off. "I never really gave it that much thought."
"No offense, but I can tell." Taylor giggled, pointing to Max's dull-gray hoodie and regular blue jeans.
"Hey, screw you!" Max giggled back. "I like my hoodie and jeans."
"No, I know. Honestly you rock that look. It's so simple and nice. It doesn't draw too much attention."
"Well, that's me."
"Actually, I think you like to make yourself known. Like you give off this vibe of 'I may look pretty and shy but don't fuck with me or I will end you' type feel."
"Really?" Max asked.
"Yeah, it's fucking rocks." Taylor replied. She looked at her phone. "My dad said he'll be about 20 minutes. Lucky it's not too cold out here."
"Chloe will be here pretty soon. She must have just finished work so she'll be driving from the diner."
"In that glorious truck of hers." Taylor giggled. "God, not to be catty, but she looks like she found that in a dump."
Max laughed. "She DID find it in a dump."
"No fucking way, really?"
"Yeah! And like a beast she tore it all apart, put some parts in from other cars and bam! Good as new." Max said. "Well, maybe not as new , but you get what I mean."
"God, that's impressive." Taylor's face dropped and she suddenly looked serious. "Look, Max. I had a lot of fun today. Thank you."
"No problem." Max smiled. "Listen, anytime you need to get away from Victoria, let me know. Ah- I'm joking. Of course."
"Heh, yeah. But according to what you were saying, it seems like it's Victoria that needs to stay away. From Mr. Jefferson."
Max's face turned white. "What? What do you mean?"
"I heard it all, Max. Every single word."
Max was stunned. "But how?"
"I don't think the Marsh's have very thick walls." Taylor replied. "I heard Kate cry about you being able to rewind time, and of course that piqued my interest."
"Jesus, Taylor, I- I'm sorry you had to hear all that."
"You're sorry? You had to live through all of that. That must have been hell on Earth."
Max shuddered and said nothing.
"I can't even begin to imagine how to help you in this situation. For God's sake you're hiding from a fucking drug dealer and having to be taught by a creepy pedo weirdo!"
"I don't want you breathing a word of this to anyone, got it? Especially Victoria."
"Victoria? Ah- of course. You have my word."
"Good. At the very least, just look out for Victoria. She's desperate for Jefferson's attention, and that's something he will take advantage of."
"And what about Kate? And yourself, for that matter."
"Don't worry about me. I have people I can rely on. As for Kate, we're already watching out for her."
"God, Max. I just feel so awful. I can't believe I almost made Kate-" She shook her head. "I can't even say it."
"Don't worry. You and Victoria made it up to her. Besides, not only has it not happened yet, but it wasn't your fault. It was Nathan and Jefferson's fault."
"God. I can't believe I was ever friends with that Prescott freak."
"Nathan was bad, yes, but Jefferson groomed him. Jefferson was so eager to tell me that he had murdered Nathan in the previous timeline."
"He- He did?" Taylor looked shocked. "Why?"
"Easy scapegoat. The whole time Jefferson was monologuing, he held Nathan responsible for everything. Even Chloe's death."
"What are you gonna do?"
"Don't worry. We have a plan. Right now we gotta focus on not getting kidnapped or murdered by this crazy, vengeful drug dealer."
"Godspeed, friend." Taylor sighed.
"Thanks." Max looked up. "There's Chloe's truck. I'll see you tomorrow, Taylor."
"Yeah. See ya."
Chloe stopped the truck in the middle of the road and Max got in.
"Since when do you hang around with her?" Chloe asked.
"She had a shit day, and we wanted to make her feel better."
"Looks like you didn't do that good of a job."
Max sighed. "Let's just say she's as good of an eavesdropper as I am."
"Wait, so she knows about your power?"
Max nodded. "As does Kate. I figured Kate should know by now what's going on. It was just unfortunate that Taylor could hear us from the bathroom."
"As usual, Caulfield, your timing is impeccable."
"I'm desperate to get home. I wanna just fucking lie down. And maybe cuddle my girlfriends."
"Your wish has been granted." Chloe quickly leaned over and kissed Max. "Rachel's at home getting dinner ready. She has to head out early."
"Have I ever told you how much I love you both?"
"Hmm…" Chloe pretended to think. "Not often enough."
"Well, in that case, I love you two so fucking much. Now let's get home, I'm fucking tired as shit."