Life Is Strange

By My Side

Chapter One

Twist My Arm

The butterfly glimmered a pearlescent blue, the meager specks of sun just managing to flow off its wings was a sight to behold, one could probably say picture-perfect. Max being Max rummaged through her bag, feeling the ever-so-familiar outlines of her camera, carefully extracting it as she had done what must've been a million times over at this point. Oh, this little guy knows it's his moment in the spotlight Max thought to herself, a soft grin lathered on her face.

SNAP

The camera clicked a hopeful click with the polaroid zipping out a suspenseful black slide. Max knew it would be a good picture, she always could tell the difference between a throwaway and an "almost-masterpiece." Maybe not good enough for Jefferson's contest or any contest, in Max's eyes anyways. If only she knew what a treasure trove she had sprayed across her wall. She knelt with an eager temptation in her neck, flapping the picture to reveal it's contents quicker. "C'mon you little-"

"It's cool, Nathan… Don't stress… You're okay, bro. Just count to three…" From seemingly out of nowhere, Nathan Prescott had emerged in a flurry of frantic woes, fumbling over his own words in a panic. Max crept from besides the toilet stall, remaining out of view while still being pry to Nathan's rambling. Why is he here, in the girls' restroom? "Don't be scared…" he continued. "You own this school… If I wanted, I could blow it up… You're the boss…"

Nathan already carried his ego like a trophy as was, letting everyone know he was the heir to the Prescott fortune, his parents owned the school - more-or-less anyways - and that he was the golden child. Being in a confined space with him while he was in the midst of what appeared to be a nervous break was not on Max's bucket list. Would it be safer to stay hidden? Or try and make her presence known in the least unruly way possible? Or just run and pray?

There was an odd feeling in the air, like static but not. A weird aura you could almost chew on, as if everything rested on this one moment. In an act of determination to be anywhere but here, Max stepped out from her hiding place, clearing her throat. Nathan gasped, startled that his lacking search of the restroom didn't avail him to the knowledge of Max's presence. "C-Caulfield? What are you doing in here? How long have you been there?"

"What am I doing in here? Nathan, this is the girls' restroom, I should be-" Before she could finish, Nathan jumped in, slight anger in his voice.

"I said how long have you been there?! You like just creeping around, listening in on people? You freak!"

"No I was just here to get some fresh-"

You're all freaks! Everyone at this school thinks they know me…" Nathan had slowly begun creeping towards Max, right hand veiled behind his back. Max had noticed this, panic setting in. With a single glance to the door, Max bolted for it, although Nathan had clocked on to this also, grabbing her with his left arm as she tried to evade him, pushing something into her gut and blocking her up against a stall divider.

"You dweeb-y little loser types just love to think you're so high and mighty above the rest of us! What, you think 'cause you take a few pretty pictures you're cool and a smart-ass? Feel cool now, bitch!?" The heat radiating off of Nathan's whole presence was uncomfortable, craggy and claustrophobic. Max daren't look anywhere but the ceiling as the fear of the situation choked her. Whatever Nathan had done or was going to do with whatever he was shoving into Max's stomach had her paralyzed.

"Nathan I-"

You don't know me! You don't know who the fuck I am or who you're messing around with! Don't ever try to think you're better than me, I-I am so sick of people thinking they know me, talking about me, or my family! Nobody would ever even miss your "hipster-ass" would they?"

"Nathan! Please-"

CRASH

A short breath from Max came to a stop. A stagnant silence filled the air while everything around them stopped. What had just happened? Even the dust particles in the air had seemingly frozen.

Am I dead?

Then-

"I hope you checked the perimeter, as my step-ass would say. Now, let's talk-" Max peeled her eyes open to more than just a squint, shades of blue peering through. Perhaps the butterfly she snapped earlier had come to her rescue, a guardian angel dressed in robes of aqua. Taking a moment to readjust, she saw this was no insect but instead a person, standing in the bathroom doorway. The silence, however, persisted, only brought to an end by the door clicking back shut behind the stranger. "What's going on?" they asked - a soft, if not abrasive voice.

"...Price?" Nathan peeped.

"What the fuck is this?" they asked.

"Price, you gotta-" Without another word the stranger shoved into Nathan, rustling him away from Max, the pressure in her stomach alleviating. The physical pressure that was, the emotional pressure was still just as strong.

"Holy shit… is that a gun?" Max clocked back into reality at this point, gathering what little thought she could. Nathan lay sprawled on his behind, looking up between Max and the stranger. "Wait… Max?" The call of her name sprung Max to life, recognising that voice from a time long-since passed.

"Chloe…?"

Before a reconciliation could be had, Nathan leaped to his feet and tackled Chloe, barely affording Max the chance to confirm the stranger's identity. But it was her. Chloe Price. Captain Bluebeard, or at least that was her, once upon a time.

Nathan began pummeling on Chloe, flooring her with his weight. Max immediately began looking for help, be it person or item. Nothing looked useful, Chloe falling victim to more and more strikes.

There. On the floor was Nathan's firearm, him forgetting about it in his blind fury. Max ran to reach for it, hesitating before she picked it up. It weighed heavy in her hand and more-so upon her conscience. Would this really solve everything?

"N-n… Nathan" she muttered. He did not listen.

"Nathan!" she cried, fear winning out over the faux-intimidation in her voice. Still, he did not listen.

"Nath-"

BANG

The gun went off in her hand, throwing itself from her grip and pushing her off her feet. Barely a beat passed as Nathan's raspy grunts could be heard as if choking on his own spit. "...Chloe?" Nathan spluttered a heavy cough, sounding almost like trying to form a sentence.

"M-m… Ma-" And with one last wheeze, he collapsed besides Chloe, revealing a red splatter across her upper torso. Blood - Nathan's blood.

Chloe slowly sat herself up, speechless and wearing the buddings of a black eye, as well as bruising across the left side of her head. The two looked at each other as the severity of what just happened slowly set in.

"Max?" Chloe said. "What have you done?"

"I… I…" Max stumbled. She looked at Chloe, at Nathan; lifeless and the gun in front of her. "I didn't… I didn't mean to… to shoot him." Chloe pulled herself together, fast at the draw.

"Max w-we gotta go, like now. Somebody will have heard that." She sped forward and picked up the gun, placing it underneath her white vest top as she took Max by the hand, bringing her just-about to eye level. Max was void in the eyes, staring blankly past Chloe as her mouth sat agape. "Max, I need you here with me right now. Hey!" A few light pats to the face was enough to awaken at least half of Max's conscience. "Look, I got my truck parked out back, we just… just jump in and get somewhere quiet, alright?"

"Y-yeah. Yeah."

"Okay, stick by my side and don't make eye contact with anyone, especially any staff or anyone you're close with. We gotta go, like, now." The two joined at the hand, turning to leave before facing Nathan's body. "Shit" Chloe huffed. "The blood on my top."

"H-here…" Max removed her pale-gray hoodie and handed it to Chloe, removing her evidential clothing and rolling it up under her arm as she donned the out-of-place garment, by comparison with the rest of her outfit.

"Good thing it doesn't really show up on black" Chloe remarked, getting nothing out of the still shook Max. They crept over Nathan's husk, trying - and failing - to avoid looking any further at him, Max placing her hand over her vacant-scarred face.

They stepped out of the girls' restroom with the students seemingly unaware of anything that had transpired, lucky for them. Principal Wells was in view but not in reach, nobody appeared to be approaching them. All seemed right. "C'mon, let's go." Chloe essentially dragged Max and her heavy guilt behind her, Max staring flat at the ground.

"Hi Max." No, who was that, caught already? Chloe hadn't paid attention and kept patrolling forward, not realizing Max had stopped and extending her arm until the two disconnected from one another. Max resolved herself to face the greeting, looking up to see that in reality, it was no threat at all. It was Kate Marsh.