* Tuesday, 3:30ish, After the Storm *

The food wasn't good, per se, but it wasn't bad either. What it did have going for it was quantity.

Runny corn, runny mashed potatoes. Dry steak-like object. At least the sauce is good.

The plastic ware given to the girls with their meals are just up to the task.

'So I said that we need to make sure she has the best room because, like, I sooo know Court needs to have her feng-shea going even when she's sleeping. So I'm going to be all like moving stuff around. So that her Chi doesn't get all snarled.'

Runny mouth.

To be fair, Max's mood isn't Taylor's fault. The cloud of ire that has settled around her shoulders is the same one that has been plaguing her for days now.

Bet she thinks it has something to do with shea butter.

The current situation, unfortunately, is not helping this.

'And Mrs. Wagner was all like "We totally need to make sure her sheets are the right color". I mean, she totally gets it.'

Save me from chitchat. Let us please talk about anything else.

A moment of inspiration strikes.

'How's your mom?'

'Huh?'

'I mean, how's her back? Did she get through surgery all right?'

The blonde girl stops mid thought, derailed in her rant. Too easy. She collects herself, cheeks slightly colored.

'She's, uh, fine. I mean, not do yoga or any of that any time soon. The doc's said she's probably going to be in phys therapy longer than they thought. Something about her erect spine muscles more worn than they thought. I don't really know.'

Harsh. 'But she's doing okay, right? Moving around?'

'Walking a bit. It hurts her a lot to stand for more than a few minutes. But she gets around with just crutches now, no more old-biddy walker any more.' An exhalation of breath. It's a bit too theatrical to be just a sigh. 'I wish she'd take the pain meds the doc's prescribed for her. But she's got to be all New Wavy about it and chew on roots. Come on, I saw what they gave her. Top shelf pills. Take two and a glass of wine and you won't remember a weekend.'

A quick hiss of 'taylor' before three sets of eyes turn to the diminutive blonde on the other end of the table. Sitting there, mashed potatoes frozen half-way to her open mouth. Max hopes she's the only one who sees the fork slightly shaking.

Chloe turns back first. 'Great job, Taylor.'

'Huh? What's up?'

The bluenette issues a sound of disgust. 'Really? Are you that dense?'

'The hell you talking about?'

This is not going to end well. 'Chloe don't worry abo-'

'No Max. She should apologize. Like, right now.' Arms crossed, leaning back. Daggers across the table.

'What the hell's your problem Price?'

'Your fat mouth for starters. I think I'll-'

'Chloe. It's fine.'

Now four pairs of eyes turn down the table.

Kate continues. 'Don't worry about it. It's fine, I'm fine. Let's just move on.'

'Are you..?' Wagging eyebrows, asking if some skulls should be cracked.

'Yes. Let's just eat.' A pained smile, asking for violence be postponed. 'So, yeah.' A lull, tension.

So very not hungry anymore.

'Shit! The party!'

Oh Dog Taylor.

'I'm sorry Katie! I didn't mean anythi-'

'She said drop it.'

Not a request. Not even a statement. A demand.

Vicky?

'You've already stepped in shit twice. Just leave her alone.'

This is the former Victoria. The ex-queen bee of Blackwell talking to one of her drones. Normally enough to quell any dissension.

Normally.

'You don't get to talk to me like that!'

'When you can't watch your mouth I do.'

'You're not in charge anymore. You don't control me anymore.'

We're getting stares.

'Considering you're too dense to realize making drug jokes in front of the person who got drugged and assaulted might be a little fucked up maybe you need someone to tell you what to do!'

Come on Vicky... '...just calm down.'

A dirty smile. 'Yeah, Tori, just be calm. Listen to your girlfriend.'

The blonde turns beet red. 'You little bit-'

'Stop!'

On her feet and breathing deep, Kate's eyes are wet. Whether frustration, anger, or depression, she's obviously had enough. 'You're supposed to be best friends. Friends don't hurt each other. They don't stay mad. So just forgive and forget.'

A moment of silence. Can we please just-

'Guess it makes sense the religious girl would just like to forget everything. Do you think Natha-'

An arm slap from her side shuts Taylor up. Not before the damage is done.

How dare she?!

With a very, very quiet 'bitch', Kate flees for the stairs. One last dirty look towards Taylor, Victoria and Chloe follows. The bluenette glances back, questioning Max. A shake of a head answers.

I got something to say first.

A satisfied smirk graces Taylor before turning to Max. A lone target. 'You sure you don't wa-'

'Do you like being alone?'

The direction of the conversation throws the other girl. 'What?'

'It's a simple question. Do you like being alone?' Max presses. 'That's how you'll end up. You keep pushing away people and sooner than you think, you'll be all alone.'

'How dare you talk to me like that?'

Max keeps her voice low. An effort through the risen anger. 'How dare I? I'm the only one still here. No one else. You're pushing away everyone.'

The other girl's eyes turn hard. 'And why are you still here?'

'Because...' Because why?

Because I want to bitch you out for what you did. Because you need to hurt the way you hurt others. Because you deserve it.

Because I need to lash out at someone and-

Raising a hand. A quiver in the air, a moment for Max to calm down. And say what she really feels without anyone knowing.

'Because I'm such a mess and can't control my emotions so when I get angry it always takes me a moment to realize that when I'm this way I need to direct myself away from the people I care about so that I don't hurt them.'

Keep going. Don't forget to breath.

'And even though we aren't really friends I still care enough about you to feel some of that same pain that's making you do this. And I want it to stop.'

But that's not all...

'And the reason you are this way is my fault. Directly. I made the world like this and your pain is at least partly my fault.'

There's the guilt.

'Shut up.'

What? You're being honest. Look at it as something therapeutic.

Stepping back a few seconds.

'Because...' She begins again. '...I know you're pissed off at Victoria and I kinda know why, I think. But that doesn't give you carte blanche to treat her the way you are.'

'Listen, you little hipster trash. You are the reason I'm pissed off at Tori.'

I know, in many more ways than you can even guess.

'Then be angry at me. At least tell me why.'

'You ruined everything!'

The outburst draws further glares from the other patrons of the cafeteria. Standing and walking for the exit, Taylor flips Max off.

Stunned, though not outside what she expects, Max sits for a minute. Wallowing in her guilt.

It isn't just the physical pain. All the people left are still suffering, and are going to continue to do so.

Then do something.

What's the point of it? All I know how to do is hurt people.

I/we can't believe I/we were ever this wussy. Quit making excuses!

I don't-

No. Don't make up some bullshit. You're just trying to give a reason why you shouldn't try.

...

You're scared and hurting and not the only one. You need to do something about it!

Max sits for a few heartbeats longer. In silence, external and internal. With a minor grunt of effort, against the sour bile rolling in her stomach, she goes back to-

'Then be angry with me. Not her. I know I ruined everything for you. It's not Vicky's, or Kate's, fault. Just mine.'

'You little...'

'I know I upended your life. That Courtney's hurt and you're sharing that pain. I know you blame me for what happened with her, and with- with Nathan. Vicky didn't do any of that.'

'No Max.' There's a vibration around her. 'That's not- You're taking Tori away. I already lost Courtney and Nathan and everyone else. Hayden's dead. Logan and Zack are both long gone.' The blonde girl runs her hands through her hair, giving it a slight tug.

She's not just angry. She's frustrated.

'Now you've gone and taken the only one left here.'

I take and take and take...

'Taylor, I didn't take Victoria from you. I just picked her up...'

Be honest. Lying won't help.

'When you left her.'

'I didn't leave her!' And a few octaves lower. 'She just, just...'

'She was just falling apart in the Blackwell bathroom yesterday. She thought Court was dead. She thought you blamed her for that.'

Out in the open. Something Victoria couldn't say, not directly, not to the person who needed to hear it. It curls in her stomach as Max remembers those conversations. No one should have to go through what Victoria did.

Everyone's going through that and worse, anyway.

'But... but I never said anything like that.'

'Maybe not, but that's what she feels. Taylor, she's lost as much and more as the rest of us this past week. Everyone thought Courtney was dead. Two people she counted on are in jail. She couldn't even talk to her parents until last evening. Taylor, she needed you and she felt abandoned.'

Like what I did with Chloe.

Digging up that old guilt? You have enough on your plate already.

'I didn't- I didn't think of that.'

Of course not.

Be nice. People don't have your powers or perception.

'I know, Taylor. But that's what she's been going through. So you freezing her out was the last straw for her.' Gah, I'm oversharing Vicky's personal shit, but this is her best friend. 'I found her in the dorm bathroom yesterday about to explode. She ended up crying in my arms. I had to do something.'

Narrowed eyes. 'Yeah. Stepped into the BFF role pretty quick, didn't you?'

'What would you have liked me to do? Let her go crazy all on her own?'

A shake, but not in negative. 'Max, you have no idea how obsessed Tori's been with you.'

The brunette's sputtering is almost comical. What the fu-?

'I half believe she's into you. Max, I've never seen Victoria devote a quarter of the effort into anyone else she did trying to outdo you.' A smirk appears, not a friendly one. 'You fully took up half the complaints she had with school. That should tell you how deep under her skin you got.'

Did I really have that impact on her?

'Tay, I don't know what to say.'

A scoff. 'Go figure, the wallflower is quiet.' Still pissed, she continues jabbing in her point. 'You are almost as oblivious as Samuel. So let me explain my point of view. First, I can finally get out from under Tori's thumb, now that those murders a fucking gone. Except Victoria goes crazy with the guilt at the same time a fucking freak tornado destroys my home. Then my best friend goes missing, my other friends die or leave me. So, back to square one with Tori, except her guilt has her hanging out with Kate, trying to make it up to her. And Chloe Price, shit. I thought Victoria hated Chloe. And now you stand here, basically replacing me while one of her proclaimed "best friends" is about to get airlifted and she'd rather play house. Tell me, Max, how should I react?'

Crossed arms and wide stance. Taylor wants a fight.

She's wrong. Wrong to blame others. Blaming me for what she's going through. But only because she doesn't know everything.

Gonna tell her everything?

Did you?

A sigh, that almost turns into a hiccup. Max knows she won't be able to fix this. Too much between the two friends spoiled over the years from the sound of things. The sour turns worse.

'I don't know, Taylor. You do whatever you want, doesn't matter to me.' This is useless, but I have to try. 'But try to realize something. You were tired of the way Vicky treated you, right? Wanted to get away from her? But you're also pissed someone "took" her away from you.' Max turns, done trying to fix this problem. She's vibrating from the effort, keeping her composure. 'Maybe you just don't understand what it is you want. I hope you figure it out.'

An arm pauses Max from leaving. 'I''m not done yet.'

'But I'm done. You aren't the only one going through a hard time. The whole town, everyone left, has lost someone. We've all lost a lot of things. Some of us are trying to make it better.' Shaking her arm loose, Max leaves.

She tries to tell herself she isn't fleeing. Her attention is too divided between her walking and wiping her eyes to truly focus on that thought. Or the person she tries walking through as soon as she turns a corner.

If it weren't for the fact the body Max walks into is waiting to embrace her, she would have ended up lying on the floor.

Chlo?

'Shh. I got you Max. Don't worry, I got you.'

Max tries to hold herself together, to little success. Checking the hallway, Chloe leads them both to a mostly empty waiting room. Chloe makes an apologetic face to the nurse behind a counter, but he just nods his consent, closing the dividing partition and turning to his computer.

Sitting, staying close. Max buries her face into her girlfriends shirt as quiet but consistent sobs wrack her.

A hand smooths and soothes her hair, it's mate supporting her back. 'Try to calm down. Just take a few breaths and calm a bit.' A nuzzle against the brunette's crown. 'You did good in there.'

'N-no I didn't. I did n-nothing. I couldn't help her. I c-couldn't help anyone.'

Quiet cooing warms Max's scalp. 'It doesn't matter.'

A muffled whine emits from the younger girl. 'It does!'

'No Max. What matters is that you try. That's all you can do. Try to help people. Some people, like Taylor, won't accept your help. No matter what you do come people just can't be helped. And it's not your fault for that.'

'It's-'

'Do not start with the pity party again. We are such fucking messes right now, neither of us needs to go down that road right now.'

Sniffling. 'I, uh... I need a minute, Chlo.' Slow circles on her back.

'Take the time you need.'

Max finally emerges from her Chloe-cocoon, though the tears had stopped some time earlier. She looks up into blue eyes, embarrassed.

'Hey you.'

The depths of those eyes speak volumes. 'Hey. Doing better?'

'Yeah.' She turns away, reddening.

A hand gingerly turns her back to those eyes. 'Wait. Look at me.' The depths widen. 'Don't hide from me, okay? You never need to hide anything from me.'

In spite of her depression, of her anxiety, of her tears and anger, she smiles. It hurts, at odds with all the chaos within, but Max smiles.

I love her.

'I love you.'

The smile is reciprocated. 'Love you too, you dork.'

'Nerd.'

'Hipster.'

'Anarchist.'

'What's wrong with a little chaos?'

'Nothing, as long as I get to say "shaka Brah" ironically.'

'Caulfield, you're playing a dangerous game.'

'Any game with you is dangerous.'

'Don't you know it.' She stands, careful to make sure Max has proper balance. 'You ready to leave now?'

'So soon? All I did was pop in on the parents.'

'I already hit up your dad. Mom's out cold, again.' Brief worry appears. 'She isn't as young as she used to be. At least her eyes are good now.'

'No problems?'

'Naw. We spent about an hour her just lecturing me about what to do at the house. Trust me, she's okay.'

'What about my dad? I've barely seen him.'

'Oh, he and step-David are working on clean-up crew.' She stares down at Max. 'For someone who barely knows what end of a hammer to hold, Ryan's really gung-ho to do some manual labor.'

A giggle. 'Let's hope they don't need him to actually fix anything.'

They stroll out of the room, Chloe throwing a thankful wave to the nurse still manning the counter.

'Shit! Chloe, how's Kate?'

'Dunno. Victoria said she'd take care of her.' She raises an eyebrow. 'I still can't believe she cursed at Taylor.'

Me neither. 'Text them. See if they're good, if they're spending the night again.'

'Sure Maxi-pad.' The soft click of keys and an almost instant response. 'Oh, they're coming down to meet us. Kate says, quote, "Victoria is a messy crier", end quote.' A look of glee. "I hope her makeup's all runny.'

Not now, please. 'Chlo...'

'Don't worry, I'll play nice. Vicky isn't as big a bitch as she puts on.' Turning away and mumbling. 'She's still a bitch thought.'

'Chloe!'

'Don't worry! I won't start any trouble.' Hands to ward off blows she knows Max won't throw. 'She's actually pretty chill. And hysterical when stoned. Not with the jokes. You can just tell that, for all her talk, she really doesn't have much experience. It was freaking amazing watching her try to work a doorknob.'

'You could, you know, not be mean about it.'

'Max, she tried open the garage door that was already open. And half off it's hinges. For, like, five minutes.'

Okay, I would have loved to see that.

The front entrance of the hospital are as busy as ever. That is, there isn't a mad dash through the doors, rather a steady flow of personnel in and out.

Not many patients. Looks like it's mostly official-type business.

The slack in patients in need should lift Max's spirits. Instead the sour of her stomach, still not fully gone, adds a drop of anxiety. She feels like something is still wrong. Max notices their paired friends appear from across the entrance, waving. That distraction still nags at Max.

What am I missing?

And then it hits her, just as it does Chloe. Both stop to see, out the glass and past the awning, several people staring up and out to the sky.

Nonononono. No more.

She pushes through the crowd, luckily thin enough for her small frame to shoulder through. Breaking free of the doors, she races to look to the sky.

A most-beautiful Armageddon greets her.

White lines of clouds fan out from a center, off in the distance. Above the Whirlpool. Dozens, maybe hundreds, of these lines seem to originate from some unidentified point. Most end into nothing but a few give clue to their origin. At their lowest ends, small pinpricks of light brighten the waning day. As she watches a few seem to explode, as their ends finally burn themselves up.

A meteor shower?

For all the clarity the sky has had the last few days, the clouds are back.

Max turns to one of the other onlookers.

'H-how long-' The catch in her throat makes her restart. 'How long has this been going on?'

The uniformed man glances at his watch. 'At least a half hour.' He turns back upward. 'Would be beautiful if it wasn't so damn messed up in town.' He turns away, speaking into a radio as he leaves.

Where's Chloe? Where is she?

Looking back, she spies the blue flash of Chloe's hair as it finally emerges from the entrance. But Max almost ignore's it, noticing something else.

Brown hair, just past the shoulders. Tan skin, but still on the pale side. A more defined physique, but obviously feminine. Getting into the first parked car, about to leave.

It's her.