* Wednesday, 9:45 a.m., After the Funeral *

'So, that's it.'

'That's it?'

Echo much?

Warren's expression floats between excitement and mania. 'Max, this is huge! This confirms the multiverse theory I have!' Tearing out pages from a spiral notebook. A complicated diagram. 'Look. FM isn't just you from this timeline at the end. She isn't just... all of the yous that will be. It's all the yous that you have ever been.'

Max and Kate answer with confusion.

'Okay, step-by-step. The whole I-we thing you described, that-' He gestures to the drawing. '-leads to this.' He sketches out the explanation. 'We assumed your FM voice was just the, the possible yous at when you hear her. Them... whatever. But it's got to be all of you. All the possible yous at one point. So not just the ones you're making in this timeline but also ones from the alternate timelines that exist now.'

Kate butts in with the question on the tip on Max's tongue. 'Why? Why does this prove it?'

A prideful smile crosses his face. 'Because if voices go silent and we're still here, that means FM has been talking to other Max's. That's why. We're here, FM is talking to you, and it happened before. Ipso facto, other Max worlds are the ones to go silent.' If anything, his smile grows wider.

'Warren...'

'Yeah Max?'

'If... if a voice goes silent...' Her breath quickens. Don't freak don't freak don't freak- '...that means... I fail. I die. Or lose my powers. I'm not there to talk to. If Future Max can't talk to me I can't hear which means-' Max cuts herself off before she rambles too far.

I can die.

'I need to...' Catching the stutter before it appears. 'I need to figure this out. And Warren. I need you to figure it out too. Lunch.'

A bit deflated. 'Sure, Max. I'll, uh. I'll hit up the library. I have second period empty, I'll see what I can... I'll dig something up.' A hand provides comfort, squeezing Max's shoulder. 'Max, we got this. My brains, Kate's optimism. Heck, we could get Victoria some full plate and have her tank for us.'

In spite, a smile makes it's appearance across Max's lips. 'Yeah? What does that make me?'

'The scout. With your eye for detail, makes perfect sense.'

A full laugh. Even Kate supplies a quiet titter. 'You're such a dork.'

'You love it.'

I do. 'Yeah, I do.' Pulling an arm, Max gives him a quick embrace. 'I don't say this enough. To- to either of you. But thanks. I don't know what I'd be doing without you.'

Bashful, and inheriting Max's stammer, Warren retreats slightly. 'Yeah, o-of course. What are friends for? I gotta get to- to class.' It isn't exactly that Warren flees from the pair, but it isn't too far off.

A poke on her shoulder stops the giggles threatening. 'What Kate?'

'Don't play with him. That's not very kind.'

'But I mean it. The three of you are all that's keeping me together.' Starting their own walk to class. 'I keep apologizing 'cause I keep messing up. I figure it'd be nice, you know, to say thank you. You know, because...' A small swallow. '...I'm grateful. Not just because I feel guilty.'

An arm entwines her own. 'Well. In that case, you're welcome.'

The halls not overly crowded, but too much for any more quiet conversation. The usual cliques are in attendance. The same noise, same faces, same laughter and side glances. For the first time, though, a thought strikes Max.

There's something off about the school.

She notices Dana turn from Trevor to give her a warm smile. So too does Justin, standing next to his best friend. A determined Juliet passes quickly by Logan, who gives Max one of those bro-nods she was becoming so familiar with. The intrepid reporter herself stops in front of the increasingly confused brunette- Something's off -and examines her with a critical eye. 'Max, you okay?' Gaze darts just below eye contact, searching for red.

What's going on? 'Uh, yeah Jules. I'm all good.' Max waves her bandaged palm. 'Nothing to report.'

'Kay. But I'm serious. Call me later.' A quick exchange of pleasantries with Kate and gone.

The blonde girl trades her eyes back and forth from the receding reporter and the perplexed person next to her. 'What was that?'

'Juliet made me promise to call her later. About the whole, uh, event this morning.'

'Oh, that.' Kate focuses down the hall. 'She's a good friend to have.'

Yeah. Just can't let her pry too much.

'Come on, we're gonna be late.'

A path opens as they travel to world history. The classroom quiet and nearly empty. Max and Kate take side-by-side seats. Slowly filling, Max still can't shake that feeling.

Whispers. 'Kate, you notice something weird?'

Confused. 'No? What do you mean weird?'

'I can't put my finger on it...'

A cleared throat calls attention. 'Okay kids, let's get back into it. Romes fall wan't a single event or date. Many scholars will point you to the end of the Fourth Century but even that time can be considered later than it's actual beginning...'

Two hours later and an exhausted Max drags herself into the cafeteria. Two classes. How am I going to make it through the day if two classes kicked my ass? No coffee available, she grabs a soda. Maybe I'll try one of those energy drinks. If they ever start selling them on campus. Spying Kate and Victoria sitting, and Warren bringing Brooke over to the table. Max makes her way, grabbing a slice of pizza. She nearly trips when she sees the rest of the table.

Courtney and Taylor. Okay, not too unusual. But... Logan? And Daniel on the opposite side?

It's very clear the table is centered around Victoria. Courtney on her left, Kate on her right. The 'nerds' to one side, the ex-Vortex club on the other. Yet it looks like the old social barriers may be coming down. Victoria finds herself literally in the middle of a three-way conversation. Warren and Logan are laughing in unison at whatever joke one of them told. Even Brooke isn't giving anyone sidelong sharp glances.

That's not a nice thought, you know.

Shaking her head, Max dispels the intrusion without answering. Sitting down (the only spot left across from Victoria), the conversation only momentarily pauses before picking back up. Talking about everything and nothing around her, Max retreats, her head down and small bites making quick work of her slice.

'So Max, are you going with Tori and Kate?'

Huh? 'W-what do you mean?'

Brooke straighten's her glasses, a nervous motion. 'After class. They're going clothes shopping. Not my thing.'

They said they were... 'Uh, no. Not my thing either.' Guess that's the cover lie.

After a bit more chitchat, Max thankfully mostly excluded, lunch closes out with the table dispersing. Cleaning her mess and dumping the garbage, Max almost runs through Logan waiting behind her.

Uh... 'Hi.'

'Hi, um, Max.' Intense focus on the ground between them, Logan's mumbles are almost lost in the din of the emptying cafeteria. 'I just, uh, wanted to say thanks.'

'Th-thanks?'

'Yeah. You know.' A halfhearted gesture at the bandage on her hand. 'You saved me from some bad shit yesterday. I fucked up.'

Oh, yeah. He's... 'Don't worry about it.'

'Does it still hurt?'

It does. 'Not really. As long as I don't make a fist it's fine.'

A smile appears, and most of Logan's self confidence is back. 'Good. That's good.' A fist comes up. 'I owe you one, Max.'

A bump. 'Don't worry about it.' Damn. I'm repeating myself.

'No, really. I got you, let me know.'

Max enters the hallway in a fugue. A hand guides her, and it's four steps later she realizes who the manicured nails belong to. 'Victoria, I am having a very weird day.'

Green eyes barely contain the laughter. 'Max.' Another breath, keeping in the mirth. 'Max, the sky was literally falling yesterday.'

A snap back. 'Crap, yeah.' A mental shake, cleaning the cobwebs. 'I mean, like, normal-weird.'

Weaving through a few loitering students, the pair arrives at the end of the hall to their photography lab. 'You have no idea how nice normal-weird is right now. So, what's up?'

'It's just... Something's going on. It's like, uh, like everyone... I don't know. People have been...' Rawr! How the hell do I explain this.

A pensive look, mostly the scrunching between the brows. 'What are people doing? Someone messing with you?'

'No. It's just... Okay, lunch. Logan? And Daniel? I mean, I know you're friends with Logan. But he was joking with Warren, and I don't think those two have ever said anything to each other on purpose. And Daniel has never eaten with anyone. He usually takes lunch where he can draw. And then Logan came up to me after. Told me thanks and that "he owed me one". What does that even mean?'

'So? You upset he's grateful you saved his ass yesterday?'

'No, of course not. It was actually a little sweet. But this morning, and in class. I mean, Juliet will usually say hello if she notices me. But today she stopped to chat. Dana and Justin waved me hello. Trevor made a joke to me in class. It's like everyone is staring at me.' The worry in her is spilling out now. 'I don't know. It's just so weird that...'

'People are noticing you?'

Is that it? Is it that people see me?

'That's not it.'

'Yeah, Max. It is.'

Am I such a wallflower that-

'Am I really that- that invisible?'

Stopping outside their class, already full with the rest of their class. Victoria turns. 'Max, you're not invisible. People noticed you. I did, when you kept kicking my ass in photography. Just before, I think, you were the hipster artist in the hipster art school. But yesterday you stopped someone from getting really hurt and got a scar for it. You're in my clique, or maybe I'm in yours. And I know you said something to Court and Tay. They were all apologetic and crap. And you have one of the skater boys chasing you. Max, I hate to break it to you.'

Don't say it.

'You're becoming popular.'

She said it.

'Crap.' Staring into the bright room as the bell rings. 'Crap.'

'Yeah, sucks. Now you just have to be perfect all the time.' The laughter starts as Victoria pushes the door open. 'Luckily, I am the perfect teacher.'

A playful shove as she closes the door behind. 'You wish. I'll just retreat into Arte Povera of indie rock vinyls and hoodies.'

Victoria pauses half-way to her seat. 'You have to be shitting me. What am I saying, of course you know Arte Povera.' Unpacking her supplies, she slips a folded page onto Max's table. 'Warren gave me this. Said it should help you. Made me promise not to read it.'

Max quickly glances at it, not to read but to see it's length. A couple of paragraphs. He must have found something. Eyeballing the front of class, Max whispers across the aisle. 'So, you read it?'

'Nope. All I know is that Warren said it's heavy stuff.' Victoria starts organizing her lab assignment, working on the computer at her desk and following today's graphic commands.

Heavy, huh?

Unable to concentrate on the pages or screen in front of her, Max sneaks the loose-leaf onto her pile. Warren's handwriting, usually messy, is much neater than expected. The first words set Max's blood racing, and only energize her from there.

There have always been multiple worlds. FM has said sometimes a 'you' goes silent, but if you only made parallel worlds by photo jumping we'd either be the last one or close to that and FM would only be a couple of 'yous' right now, which she obviously isn't. Which means that parallel worlds are made when you at least use any of your powers. Which means their's hundreds, at least, and our theory about the collapsing Whirlpool would have happened a lot sooner. The worlds aren't crashing back together because of your power because it would have happened days ago, or even years ago in the 'William world'. Your power made the Storm when you abused it.

The fact is someone is moving between worlds or pulling stuff through. That means they've got a power like you do. That person is abusing it. They're the one that caused the Whirlpool. Which means they can stop it. I think it's someone we know. Fact: they are personally going after you. Fact: it has to do with Chloe. Fact: it started after you chose this world.

I thinks it's Jefferson or Nathan.

And if my theory about FM and the multiple worlds are right, there's one thing I never said before. FM is ALL of yous. Which means there are multiple yous with this problem. And multiple yous that are only slight variations of this world wouldn't necessarily make you crazy because you'd be the same basic person. There has to be drastically different versions of you. Worlds where you experience is a lot different and makes you a different person.

Which means there is still a William-world where you saved him.

There's a world where Chloe's alive. And you killed the town.