Blackwell Academy
Arcadia Bay, Oregon

"Have I mentioned that I hate this?" Chloe mutters, eying the two-story brick building resentfully.

It's taken us over an hour to get here, making our way along the various service and logging roads that weave through the woods that surround the town, trying to get as close to Blackwell as we can without being seen.

"Yes. Repeatedly."

That includes ten minutes of walking through the woods and the fifteen we've spent lurking in the trees like a couple of weirdos. And the entire time, Chloe has been grumbling about why we've come here at all.

"We can't ask someone else? Anyone else?"

"No, it has to be Victoria." I knew that Chloe and Victoria didn't get along, but I didn't realize it was this bad. "I already told you she's a friend. I wouldn't be here without her."

She might be able to fool someone else into thinking she's doing better, especially compared to how she was in the truck, but not me. I know her too well to ignore the 'I'm repressing my feelings!' vibe she's giving off. Unfortunately, I also know her well enough to know that calling her on it won't help at all; she'll just dig her heels in and build her walls even higher.

"Future Victoria was your friend," she reminds me. "Present Victoria is a spoiled little bitch."

I love Chloe so much, but that doesn't change how much of a great big pain in the butt she can be sometimes. "I know. We still need her to help set things right."

"But..."

"And even if I wasn't here to see Victoria, I still need to check in on Alice."

"Who's Alice?" If she thinks she's hiding the note of jealousy in her voice, she's nuts.

"Alice is Kate's pet rabbit, Chloe. I'm taking care of her while Kate's in the hosp-" My phone chirps in my pocket. "That was quick."

Pulling it out, I open it to read Warren's latest message.

Max: Hey, Warren. I need a favor.

Warren: More wacky spy craft, 007?

Max: Sorry, nothing that cool. I just need you to come let me into the dorms.

Warren: The dorms where you live?

Warren: Can't you just walk in the front door like everyone else?

Max: I want to get in without being seen. All sneaky-like.

Warren: This isn't some walk of shame thing, is it?

Max: Ew! No!

Warren: Then what's up? Anything you need to talk about?

Warren: I'm as good at listening as I am at science! :)

Max: I just want to get to my room without anyone asking about what happened with Kate, okay?

Warren: Say no more! I'm at your service.

Warren: Ready at the door. Just knock when you're here.

"He's at your service?" Chloe reads, cringing a little as she peers over my shoulder. "The nerd has it bad for you."

"I'm aware." I tuck my phone away. "Stay here. I shouldn't be too long."

"Fuck that. I'm coming with you."

"Pretty sure people would wonder why you were on campus," I point out. "I actually live here."

"You know what, Caulfield?" Her eyes narrow a little. "I've had it up to here with your logic bullshit."

"I'm sure you'll be fine." I don't even think about it before I lean in and kiss her. It's just a quick peck on the lips, but before I can apologize (I really am trying to cool it with that kind of stuff!) she puts a hand to my cheek and kisses me back. When she pulls away, there's a kind of excitement in her eyes that makes me want to leave Warren hanging for a little while longer.

"Okay," she breathes. "You'd better get going. Before I decide I want to do that again."

"That doesn't really make me want to leave."

"Go," she laughs, giving me a light push. "The sooner you leave, the sooner you'll be back. Just don't make me bust in there and rescue you," she warns. "Cause I'd do it."

I feel that little flutter of happiness that Chloe's protective side always gives me, bringing back the memory of her going after reporters with a garden hose. "I know you would. Be back soon." Grinning, I snatch the beanie off her head. "Just gonna borrow this!"

"Hey!"

"I'll give it back! Promise!"

"You better. Now get going already. You're keeping the boy wonder waiting."

I'm happy it's a short jog to the dorm's south fire door. It's just around the corner from the door to Samuel's equipment room, which is lucky for me. With classes cancelled for the rest of the week, there are students milling around everywhere. I don't know if any of them know about my brief stay in the hospital this morning, but I'd rather avoid any awkward conversations if I can.

Pulling the beanie on and tucking my hair mostly out of sight, I thump my fist against the door. Warren opens it so fast that he nearly hits me. When he said he was ready, I didn't think he meant he was that ready.

"Hey Warren. Thanks for the sneak-assist."

"Sure, I..." He falters the tiniest bit at the sight of me, which I guess I should have expected. My cunning beanie-based disguise can only do so much to hide the fact that I'm not the same Max he saw just yesterday. His surprise doesn't last long, though, and a second later he's back to his usual self. "Uh...don't mention it. I gotta say, though, I'm pretty curious about what you're up to this week. First bombs and now covert operations? Makes me wonder whether my girl Max is actually a secret agent."

I pointedly ignore the way he drops 'my girl' in there, like I wouldn't even notice. "I can neither confirm nor deny, Mr. Graham."

"Fair enough." He glances away, scratching the back of his neck and leaning against one of the vending machines in a failed attempt to look casual. "So, uh, I don't know if you got my message this morning, but I still have that extra ticket for the drive-in tonight. If you changed your mind, I mean."

Crap.

For all my talk of setting things right for a better future, this is a conversation I'd really been hoping to avoid. Warren is pretty much the definition of a good friend, but I need to make it clear that's all he'll ever be for me. I wish there were an easier way to do it, but it's better to just rip the band-aid off now than leave the poor guy hanging.

"Look, Warren. You're asking me out, right? On a date?"

"I..." He blinks, smiling hesitantly. "Er, yeah, pretty much."

"Yeah," I echo. "Look, I'm really flattered, but you should probably know that I'm..."

His smile collapses. "Not interested?"

"...gay."

I can almost see the gears in his head grind to a halt, and I sort of want to pinch his cheek and coo at how adorably bewildered he looks. "You're...gay?"

"Yup."

"And when you say that you're gay, you mean..."

"That I'm a girl who likes other girls."

"Oh." A beat. "So it's not me?"

I laugh, despite myself. "No, Warren, it's definitely not you. You're great, but you're just not my type."

"Yeah, I guess not." He scratches his neck again, looking like he can't decide whether to cut his losses or keep talking, then asks, "Just out of curiosity, what is your type?"

I step to one side, pointing to where Chloe leans casually against a tree. She smirks back at us, looking every bit the rebellious punk girl I'm head over heels in love with, and he swallows heavily. "Is that Chloe Price?"

"Sure is."

"You're dating Chloe Price."

"Sure am."

"...holy shit." He turns back to me, stunned. "I am seriously not your type."

"Sorry I didn't say something sooner."

"No, I'm sorry. I probably should've taken a hint." I fight the urge to apologize again. The kicked-puppy vibe he's giving off is killing me. "But thanks for being straight with me."

"Just the opposite, actually."

"What?" A second passes, then he groans and rolls his eyes. "Very funny. Thanks for being honest with me."

"Of course."

"Right." He coughs, toeing the floor awkwardly. "Look, if you're all good here I think I'm just gonna go...be somewhere else."

Smiling, I lean a little closer, lowering my voice. "A quick word of advice first?"

"Er...sure?"

"When you're feeling up to it, you should go talk to Brooke Scott."

"I should?"

"Yeah, you should."

"How come?"

"Sorry, little buddy." Smirking, I reach out to pat him on the head. "I can't do all the work for you."

Warren heads back into the boy's dorms, looking slightly baffled and a little put out by the 'little buddy' remark. A quick glimpse over his shoulder makes me glad I'm not doing the same. There has to be a dozen students milling in the hallway and I'd have better luck walking through the walls than making it through that crowd unnoticed.

I take the steps up to the second floor two at a time. This shouldn't be too hard. I just have to sneak past almost every other room in the dorms without bumping into anyone I know or having any conversations. Unfortunately, my room is at the end of the hall, so if anybody has come around asking about me, everyone probably knows it already.

Whatever. Can't do anything about that now. I'm hoping I can just get in, talk to Victoria, duck into my room to check on Alice, then get out again without anyone else knowing I was ever here.

So, naturally, it makes perfect sense that I walk right into Taylor at the top of the stairs.

"Hey, watch where you're...Max? Is that you?"

I give her a sheepish smile. "Hey, Taylor."

She glances past me. "Sneaking in the side door, huh?"

"I...uh..."

"Hey, I don't blame you. I'd be sneaking around too if I got Nathan suspended."

Shit. I actually forgot about that. Like I need any more problems. "Yeah, I figured I'd keep a low profile and wait for him to cool off."

"You'll be waiting a while." She hesitates. "Look, I don't want to sound like I'm trying to scare you, but you might want to consider going home for a few days. Nathan's always been kinda high-strung, but the last few months...I dunno."

"I appreciate the heads up. Really."

"Least I could do for the hero of Blackwell." She fidgets with one of her jacket buttons. "Look, before you go, I wanted to say sorry for being kind of a bitch to you this year. Especially when you were one of the few people to actually give a shit about me and my mom."

"Apology accepted," I say, watching some of the tension bleed out of her. "How'd her back surgery go?"

"Really good. She'll be recovering for a while, but the doctors are really optimistic."

"That's awesome. Give her my best next time you talk to her?"

"I will." Her smile falters a bit. "You know, it feels like the only ones who've actually cared enough to ask are you and Victoria." Some expression must pass over my face, because Taylor frowns and looks away. "Yeah, I guess she's no one's favorite person right now."

"I didn't say anything."

"I know. It's just..." She runs a hand over her face. "She wasn't always like this, you know."

I've got places to be, but there's something in Taylor's voice that makes me curious. "She wasn't?"

"No. Before we came to Blackwell she was..." Taylor looks back over her shoulder, sighing. "She was actually really sweet."

I might be reading into things here, or just seeing what I want to see, but the expression on her face feels awfully familiar. It's wistful, regretful, a little affectionate, and a lot like Victoria herself used to look when she'd talk about Taylor to me.

That's...interesting.

Is it possible that she...? I mean, it's not impossible. And I know I said I wasn't going to get involved, but if I'm right (which, knowing me, is probably fifty-fifty) than this definitely changes things.

That's a big if, though.

What should I do now? Should I say something? It's not like there'd be any risk in asking, right? If I'm wrong or it goes badly, I can just rewind it away.

Fuck it. I didn't come back in time to tip-toe around.

"Hey, Taylor? Can I ask you a personal question?"

She turns back, surprised. "Uh...I guess?"

"Are you gay?"

The thing is, there's really no subtle way to ask someone if they're gay. You either ask it or you don't. There's also no way you can really predict someone's reaction. And while I don't expect Taylor to flip out on me, I'm still pretty relieved when she responds with a neutral, "Why do you ask?"

"My gaydar can be a little hit-or-miss." I lie, tapping the side of my head and putting my pride tattoo on full display. Her eyes briefly jump between it and my face. She looks a little nervous, so I add. "I'm not planning to ask you out. I mean, in case you were wondering."

"Oh, good." She cringes. "Shit. Sorry."

"It's fine," I laugh, waving off the apology.

"I didn't mean for that to sound so...it's just, you're cute but..." She stops, her not-quite-a-confession catching up with her.

"But I'm not your type?" Say what you will about time travel, it definitely makes navigating conversations like this a lot less stressful.

She shakes her head, slowly.

"If it helps, you're not my type either."

It's kind of funny to watch her expression rapidly cycle through shock, indignance, and embarrassment so quickly. I think a part of her is used to being most people's type. "Oh. Yeah, cool, I get it. You're...uh...you're probably more into sexy librarians, right?"

"Tattooed punk rock chicks, actually."

Surprised, it takes her a second to respond. "Seriously?"

"Yup." Though if Chloe ever felt like trying out a tight pencil skirt and glasses, I definitely wouldn't say no.

"Well, aren't you just full of surprises."

"I like to keep people on their toes." I shrug. "Don't worry, though. I won't say anything to anyone. I was just curious."

"No, it's...I mean, it's not that I'm hiding, exactly. And no one's ever really asked." She looks over her shoulder again. I wonder if she realizes she's doing it. "I just don't...er..."

Time to go all in. "Want Victoria to know you like her?"

Her head snaps around so fast I'm surprised she doesn't sprain something. "What?"

"Victoria. You like her." I give her a mildly stern look. "And don't even try that 'of course I like her she's my friend' junk. I know pining when I see it."

"I..." Sagging against the stairwell wall, she drops her face into her hands. "Crap. Am I really that obvious?"

"Probably not to most people. Definitely not to Victoria."

"You think not?"

"If you were, do you really think she wouldn't have said anything?"

"Good point."

"You probably should tell her, though."

"Seriously?" She looks up with a flat, unimpressed look. "Would you risk losing your best friend over a crush?"

"I already did." I smirk. "Ended up with a girlfriend."

"I...this is different."

No, it isn't! I want to shout. Victoria loves you and it's killing her not telling you!

For a second, I consider dragging her to Victoria's room and locking them both in there because this is not difficult. If a brick-head like me can figure it out with someone like Chloe, there is zero reason why Taylor and Victoria shouldn't be able to as well.

But this still isn't my problem to solve. They have to get there on their own. What I can do, however, is give them a little head start. Maybe help Taylor see it's worth taking a risk.

"Okay, I've got a question for you. You know how Victoria chews gum in the shower and sometimes spits it out before she leaves?" At her surprised look, I add, "You only have to step on so many wads in the morning before you figure out where they're coming from."

"Oh. Yeah, fair enough," she laughs. That's a good sign.

"So here's the question. Do you think that's a gross-but-still-kinda-cute personal quirk, or a completely disgusting habit? Because if your answer is what I'm betting it is, you might want to reconsider whether or not your crush is just a crush."

"I..." She stops, brow furrowed as I watch the wheels turning in her head, then her eyes go wide. "Oh."

"Thought so," I sing-song.

"Okay...wow. Did you seriously Miyagi me just now?"

"Little bit," I reply, winking.

She laughs, shaking her head. "You're pretty cool, Max. You know that?"

"Aw, shucks." I'm still not great at taking complements, so I don't really have to play up my sheepish expression.

"I mean it. You're a good person, too. Kate's lucky you were here when she needed you." She looks away, her smile fading. "The rest of us sure as fuck weren't."

"You're not a bad person, Taylor," I tell her, picking up on the subtext.

"Tell that to Kate," she scoffs. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to look her in the eye again."

"Hey, seriously, you're not a bad person. What you did was wrong, and you all let it get way out of hand, but we both know that you never meant for things to go that far." I put a hand on her shoulder. "A really bad person would've wanted to see Kate up on that roof."

"I guess." She doesn't look totally convinced, but it's a start. "What's with you dropping all the wisdom bombs today?"

"I've got an old soul." I shrug. "Kate will forgive you. She's like that."

"No one is like that."

"Trust me. Kate is."

"I just wish I could make it up to her somehow. Something to show her I'm...I dunno..."

"Worth forgiving?"

She winces, but she doesn't argue.

I could probably try all day to convince her that Kate really isn't the kind of person she needs to make things up to, but even I can see that she's desperate to make amends. The Victoria I left behind in the future had still carried so much guilt over what she'd done, and for Taylor the wound is still open and raw. And if she wants to do something for Kate, I have just the job for her. "You know, I might have a way you could start."

"You do?! How?! Whatever it is, I'm your girl!"

I can't help but laugh at her enthusiasm. "Alright. How do you feel about rabbits?"