Max's eyes fluttered open, her lashes flicking across something as they moved. A light blue color encroached on her vision, moving outward from her nose. Somewhat startled, she clapped a hand to her face, hitting herself much too hard.

The fuck?

Her fingers traced the object, a thin piece of paper. Grunting, she ripped the Post-It note off of her forehead. Sleepily, she read:

max,

had to bail – mom wanted 2 talk 2 me

couldn't wake u up, 2 cute 2 disturb

check journal

xoxo

Though disappointed that hers was the only body in her bed, she grinned at the note. She sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

Was kind of hoping for morning snuggles. Hmph.

From her bed, she grabbed her phone off of her makeshift nightstand. Yawning, she looked through her messages.

Warren: Maximus Prime!

Warren: We should totally hang out today after classes, feels like forever since I've seen you!

Yeah, it does, Warren. Ugh...should I tell him about everything? That could cause some trouble... Either way, it would be nice to catch up with him.

She typed back, yawning once more.

Max: Totally! Let me know when you're free! :)

She scrunched her lips to the side, rehearsing in her mind.

Hey Warren, I can time travel. No, I can't PROVE it because I'm not doing it anymore. Anyway, long story short, that's why I'm making out with Chloe and not you.

"We'll workshop it," Max said aloud. She scrolled to a new set of messages.

Dad: Hey kid, Pop here.

Dad: Give me a call when you're free. I miss your voice. Want to make sure everything's going okay after all that craziness.

Dad: Love ya.

Max's stomach churned a bit.

Okay, I'll call him and just...casually mention that Chloe and I are dating. That should be fine, right? They're progressive. They'll get it. It's cool. It's cool.

"It's so cool, it's fine," Max continued out loud, flopping back onto the bed. Clicking through to her last unread message, she grew a huge smile.

Chloe: goooooood morning whenever you get this! love you, ya nerd

Sighing dreamily, she carefully grasped the bullet laying on her chest. Part of her still couldn't believe how everything had turned out. It wasn't pretty or easy, but things had shaken out to look pretty great. Finally slipping out of bed, she examined herself in the mirror.

There are those zombie eyes. Return of the living dead!

She struck a Thriller pose before shaking her head, chuckling.

Maybe best to leave that to Dana.

Her eyes moved to the now dark purple marks on her neck. She smiled again.

Dear lord, Chloe. Maybe she is a vampire!

She snapped her fingers and pointed at her reflection, like 'you cracked the case, Maxine.' Something about the hickeys on her neck gave her a strange, powerful feeling. Like of all the things that had happened in the past week, these little purple splotches were the symbol of the fact that she had kicked the shit out of destiny. That she wasn't just going to bow down to any cosmic sense of order. She earned these lovely, little bruises.

Like I said, badges of awesome!

In the mirror, she caught a glance of her journal open on her desk behind her. Curious, she decided to find out what Chloe had meant by 'check journal.' A big smile bloomed on her face as she began to read:

October 13th* October 14th

*Wrong fuckin date and this is permanent pen

Hellooooo Max Caulfield!

I just woke up with you in my arms and had to go through my 15 minute 'ohshitshitshit' mental marathon to remind myself that this is all real. You mentioned me writing and drawing last night, and it got me thinking...I should fuckin VANDALIZE my girlfriend's journal!

[cue evil laughter]

But it also made me think about how...we're bonded for life, obvs, but there is actually a bunch of stuff we need to catch up on. So I think we should go on a date tonight! You get ten tries to guess where!

…

Yeah, Two Whales, fuck you.

But for serious, this will be hella fun! We can be like a real couple! I mean, we ARE a real couple, but you know what I mean. So Maxine, would you like to accompany me to a lovely night out at the uh...finest eatery in Arcadia Bay?

Y/N/MAYBZ – circle one, but do the one on the left

Anyway, sorry in advance if this is actually not cool of me to do. Just now kinda thought of that. And I swear I didn't read any previous entries! I'm going to bounce out without wakin you up cuz you're too cute, so hopefully this suffices instead of morning time makeouts!

I love you to death, Max. This whole experience has been hella fuckin strange but I wouldn't want to go through it with anyone else. You mean the world to me.

WHEN DID YOU TURN ME INTO A BIG BALL OF MUSHY!? Hmph. Some punk I am. Aaaactually, I think I'll leave you a picture!

…

Okay, I took it and IMMEDIATE REGRET. Way overboard. I'm leaving it for you on the next page, please don't make fun of me. Ugh, what have you turned me into.

Love forever

Chloe

Max's face was actually starting to hurt from her gigantic grin, but it was a pain she was all too happy to experience. Turning the page, she found the photo, a small squeal escaping her lips.

The photo was of Chloe blowing a kiss, the camera being held out at optimal selfie length. Her blue eyes were enormous, her lips puckered in an adorably tiny way. She held her hand palm up below her chin, providing the kiss enough land to get off the ground.

"Chloe fucking Price!" Max shrieked, clutching the photo to her chest, rocking side to side. She inspected it again, feeling an insane desire to catch the kiss being blown at her. Sighing happily, she picked up the pen and circled the Y in Chloe's proposition.

Looks like you're not the only mushball, Chlo. Fuck, is this really what love feels like? Those movies and songs didn't prepare me for this!

Smirking to herself, she meandered back over to her bed where her Polaroid collage awaited. Spying a sufficient space somewhere in the middle, she attached Chloe's selfie next to the one they took the night before. She stood back, admiring her handiwork.

She might kill me if she sees it up here but...totally worth it.

While surveying her work, her eyes wandered to a photo of her father she had taken. A small seize occurred in her stomach.

Let's get this over with...

She dialed her dad's number, hesitating a bit before pressing the 'call' button. As the phone rang, a million thoughts and strategies glided through her head, all of which disappeared when his voice sprang through the phone.

"Maxine?" Her father asked, an audible smile in his voice.

"Hey Pop, how's it going?" She fiddled with the end of her shirt with her free hand.

"Ah, same shit, different day. It's good. How are you doing? How's Chloe?" He asked. She sat on the bed, afraid her knees would buckle.

Straight to the point, Pop. If only you knew...

She took a moment to recollect all that her parents knew. Obviously, they had heard about Nathan and Jefferson and were stunned to find out the victim of the shooting was none other than her old pal Chloe Price. Max squinted, shifting her head from side to side.

"You there, kiddo?" His voice bled through.

"Yeah, sorry! Actually, just trying to figure out how to tell you this..." She furrowed her brow, knowing exactly how her voice sounded.

"Oh no, is everything okay?" Her father hesitated. "Er...as okay as it can be?" Without meaning to, Max laughed at the absurdity.

Things are actually pretty much perfect! I've seen the other outcomes...

"Yeah, yeah, everything's cool, Pop. Just wanted to let you know, I'm actually seeing someone..." She felt her voice trail off, her mind screaming at her for prolonging the inevitable.

"Oh?" He asked, amused. "Some boy I'm gonna have to give a stern talking to?" He chuckled a little.

"Well, no, not exactly..." She sighed a bit too dramatically for the situation. "It's Chloe. We're, uh, dating." She cringed, holding the phone away from her ear just barely. There were a few moments of silence.

"Chloe as in Chloe Price as in B-F-F Chloe?" He asked. She couldn't get a read on his tone.

"Yes. We've had a...crazy week, with her being shot and everything, but we picked right back up where we left off. Turns out we have some feelings for each other."

"Huh." He stated plainly.

"Huh? What does that mean?" She waved her hand around in annoyance. "Dad, I'm trying to figure out if you approve or not!"

"Wait, what? Why wouldn't I approve?" He seemed sincerely confused.

"Uh...because we are both girls? I dunno, not everyone is cool with that!" She bit her lip, now more flustered that she expected anything different from her father.

"Max, I am the coolest dad," he laughed. "You know we raised you to understand that same sex relationships are perfectly natural. Why would I change my mind now?"

"I dunno," she whispered. "Anxiety, I guess." Her father's laughter boomed through the phone.

"All I care about is that you're happy! Plus, it gives me a head start on finding out every little detail about the..." He cleared his throat. "HORRIBLE PERSON CORRUPTING MY DAUGTER!" Max snickered at his awful attempt at savagery. "That's actually really cool that it's Chloe. Seems like destiny almost, huh?"

Father of mine, you are treading awfully close to the truth here.

"Yeah," Max conceded. "Seems like it."

"Shit," he said, his attention snapping elsewhere. "I actually have a meeting in a few minutes. But we can talk more about this later, okay?"

"Okay," she said, breathing deeply. "Oh, wait!" She yelled. "Will you tell Mom for me? I can't have this conversation twice, my weak heart can't take it." Her dad laughed again.

"I'll tell her, but you know she'll say the same thing I did." There was a small pause. "So, I feel like I don't need to ask now, but how are you doing?"

"I'm...great, Pop. Best I've ever been." That was the actual truth.

"Good, sweetie. That's what I like to hear. We'll talk more later. Love you."

"Love you," she responded, smiling deviously as she ended the call.

Immediately, she bounced from her bed and moved to her laptop. After some clicking, she began typing on her phone.

Max: Thanks sooooo much for my present, baby! It made me smile like :D

Chloe: im glad you liked it because i think it took part of my soul

Chloe: and NO EMOJI!

Max: Well I've got a small present for you as well. Keep an eye on your phone.

Max shifted back to the laptop, clicking one final time. She stood there, holding her phone out, striking a sassy pose.

3...2...1...

Chloe: FACEBOOK OFFICIAL FUCK YES

Chloe: does this mean you told your folks?

Max: My dad, yeah. Super chill about it.

Chloe: yes this is fucking awesome!

Chloe: WHICH THING DID YOU CIRCLE FOR TONIGHT

Max giggled, taking a picture of the journal page with her phone.

Chloe: yessss im gonna date the fuck out of you, caulfield

Max: Never have I heard such romantic prose

Chloe: gonna date you so fuckin hard

Max: Stop being weird! Gotta go take a shower. TTYL? :*

Chloe: thats an emoji but ill let it slide since you gave me shower imagery

"Fuckin' perv," Max snorted, giggling as she tucked her phone away. She hummed to herself as she rearranged some things on her desk, her smile never leaving her. As she had her hand on the door, ready to head for the shower she sighed, shaking her head.

"I love that fuckin' perv."

Max was still humming as she left the bathroom, heading back down the hall to her dorm.

What song is even stuck in my head? I can't place it...

"Max Caulfield!" A voice excitedly burst from behind her. She stopped, her lips tugging up in a small smile.

"Hey Dana," she greeted before she was even fully turned around.

"You get your ass over here now!" The cheerleader pointed to the floor, her face stern. Max groaned sarcastically, dragging her feet to Dana's room.

"So I just saw something interesting pop up on my Facebook," Dana said once Max was in the room.

"Oh really?" The hipster prodded, acting oblivious. The cheerleader shook her head, a big smile on her face.

"Yes, really! So you two finally made it FB official, that's a big step." She hopped onto her bed, patting the space next to her for Max.

"Well, I just wanted to tell my parents first. Didn't want them to find out through my aunt because I'm friends with my cousin or anything," Max said, taking a seat.

"Oh." The taller girl thought for a moment. "And how'd that go?"

"It was fine, they're really cool about stuff so...I don't know why I was ever worried." She rubbed under one of her eyes as Dana eyed her curiously.

"So...this is kind of personal and I won't be upset if you don't want to talk about it, but have you always been...?" She trailed off.

"Been what?" Max asked.

"Er...I dunno, gay?" The cheerleader shrugged, puffing out her lips.

"Oh, I'm not gay..." Max said. Her face contorted in confusion. "Uh, actually, I'm not sure what I am." She looked at Dana with a bit of worry in her eyes. "Is that weird? Now I'm confused. I hadn't even thought about it..."

What the hell...how has my actual orientation never crossed my mind?

"Woah, woah, calm down," Dana said, placing a hand on Max's shoulder. "It's not weird. Like, okay...do you think boys are cute?" Max nodded. "And girls?"

"I've never thought of girls romantically before Chloe." Max shrugged. "It's just...with her, it doesn't really matter to me? She's just Chloe." Dana looked on, a playful look in her eyes.

"Well, to tell you the truth..." She began, leaning toward Max as if it were a secret. "I'm kind of starting to think all those labels are bullshit anyway." She pointed to Trevor's jacket in the corner of the room. "You can have preferences or whatever, like that's totally normal, but sometimes someone comes along and they're just...like the personification of love?" She recoiled a little, wooshing her head around a bit. "Jesus, I still sound stoned. I just mean like, you can like boys or girls for the most part but I believe that when you meet that special someone for you, none of that shit matters." She squinted, looking at Max. "I'm not really making sense, am I?"

"No, you are...for the most part," Max laughed. "This is pretty philosophical stuff, I guess. It sort of depends on where you stand on the concept of 'true love.'"

"Exactly!" Dana clapped, then pointed at Max. "I'm a grand romantic, and I believe in 'true love.' So I think you shouldn't worry about classifying yourself." She patted Max's knee.

"Then why did you even ask?" Max snickered, shaking her head. Dana shrugged innocently.

"Curiosity killed the Dana!" She grinned, sliding off her bed and getting in front of Max. "So, anyway...about these, uh, black holes on your neck."

Badges, Dana.

"What about 'em?" Max beamed.

"You going to cover them up or show 'em off?" Dana rubbed her hands together.

Normally this gossipy, in your business stuff puts me off but...Dana is so charming with it.

"I wasn't going to cover them," Max said. "Do you think I should?"

"Hell no! Wear that shit proudly, Max. Besides, deep down everyone secretly loves showing off their hickeys." She tilted her head up, revealing a small purple mark under her jaw.

"Oh dog," Max chuckled. "It's less appealing on other people, I have to admit." Dana cackled in response.

"Still, it's a nice club to be in," she winked. "And hey, last night really was a ton of fun. I know the guys had a good time too. You and Chloe should hang out with us more." Max's heart fluttered.

Yay! Friends!

"That would be great, Dana. I hope I didn't embarrass myself smoking." Max rubbed at the back of her neck.

"It was hilarious! I love chill hangouts like that. No shitty drama..." She began to look annoyed.

"What's uh...going to happen with the whole Vortex Club thing?" Max asked.

"It's fucking dead, as it should be." Dana shook her head. "I don't know, are you referring to like Victoria and her crew? Who knows what they'll do. To be honest, I feel kind of bad for them."

"How so?" The hipster asked.

"Well, with Victoria in particular...Nathan was like her brother." She squinted, rocking her shoulders. "Maybe in a Game of Thrones-y way, but still. She and Nathan basically owned the school from a social standpoint. You know she was super comfy in that position, too. Then this happens and she's all alone while her little underlings run around like chickens with their heads cut off." She shrugged. "That's a pretty far fall from grace."

"Yeah...yikes," Max agreed. The gears in her head began to churn slowly.

Ugh, I might regret this.

"Well, Dana, I'm going to go actually get dressed. It was nice talking, as always." Max snirked. "Thanks for the small existential crisis, by the way."

"Anytime!" Dana offered sarcastically. Then she blushed. "Actually, I am sorry. I had no business asking."

"Nah, it's cool, Dana. I look forward to more of these talks with you. Friends?" Max held her arms out, Dana instantly suctioning into them.

"Of course friends, you nerd! You better come to the Halloween party. Bring everyone!"

Do I really want to do this? Shit...

Max slowly knocked on the door, her nerve threatening to leave her. The door cracked open, one brown eye peeking through the crack. The girl behind the door made an audible sound of disgust before opening the door wider.

"What do you want, Max?" Victoria asked.

"Uh, hey, Victoria. I just...wanted to see how you were doing?" The brunette chewed her lip, shifting uncomfortably.

"Why?" Victoria responded, her eyes narrowing.

Can't make this easy on me, can you? Christ.

"Because, Victoria, I think what went down last week is probably affecting you more than you're letting on. Look, I know how close you were with Nathan..."

"No, you don't," she said bitterly. Max sighed and carried on.

"And I know that you, just like I did, revered Jefferson. And neither of them turned out to be who we thought they were. It's been hurting me, and I know it has to be hurting you."

"Why are you being nice to me, Max? My best friend shot your girlfriend." Victoria nodded when Max grew confused. "Yeah, we're friends on Facebook. Why would you be nice to me?" Her lips drew taut, her grip on the door growing tighter.

"Because...why would I hold you accountable for what Nathan did? You didn't know what was going on." Max's eyes were pleading.

"I didn't!" Victoria nearly shouted, as if Max was implying the opposite.

"I know, Vic. I know." Max's hand found a spot on her other arm.

"If he just told me, if he let me in, I could have helped..." She pressed a palm to her forehead. "His fucking piece of shit dad just let him wither into a psychopath! I wanted to help him! I tried so fucking hard!" She sobbed, bringing a hand to her mouth.

"You're a good friend, Victoria. You tried your best...you're right, Sean Prescott is to blame here."

"Fucking...fuck," the blonde muttered, yanking the door open all the way. "Do you want to come in?" Her expression was familiarly mean but her voice betrayed it.

"Sure, Vic," Max said, hoping the nickname eased some tension.

Victoria hurried to her bed, plucking tissues out of their box on the way. She sat down, putting her head in her hands. Max took a seat on her couch.

"I just don't know what to think about fucking anything," Victoria said, blowing her nose. "It's totally cliché, that 'my whole life is a lie' shit but it fucking feels like it right now." She threw her head back, slamming a fist into her pillow. "I didn't know what they did to Kate! Those fucking monsters!"

Okay, Max, be tactful. Don't throw any blame her way.

"I know, but Kate is strong. She's doing really well right now," Max offered. "I'm sure...she'd be happy to talk to you about stuff." Max winced slightly, unsure of her advice.

"I seriously doubt that," the blonde declared. "I wouldn't want to look at me if I were her...fuck, Max, I can't even look in the mirror."

"Victoria!" Max scolded, getting to her feet and startling the girl. "Look, I get it. This is serious shit and we all have to deal with it in our own ways. But I'm not going to let you feel like it's your fault." The brunette rolled her eyes. "Yes, you treated Kate like shit. But you didn't drug her and you certainly didn't kidnap her so you could fucking molest her with a camera."

Whoops. So long, tact. Hello, emotional Max.

"Kate is so loving and forgiving, Vic. I think, if it'll make you feel better, you should talk to her." Max stood in front of the blonde. "I get that you feel betrayed and upset, I really, really do. But the way to fight it is to find people who feel similarly and talk to them about it. I certainly don't blame you for Nathan's actions and neither does Chloe. I'm here to help you." Victoria sat in shock, staring at the brunette.

"I can't believe you just talked to me like that, you..." Her lips curled into a smile. "Bitch."

Theeeere she is.

"Yeah well, get fucking used to it. Because as long as you're skulking about in a sunless room, blaming yourself for things you had no control over, I'm going to be here kicking your ass." Max flashed a victorious smirk. She let it dissipate before continuing. "Look, I know we weren't friends before all this, but I don't know why. We're very similar, which I'm sure just makes you sick to hear."

"No, no...you're right. I've actually always thought you were kind of cool. Just...you don't fucking care what anyone thinks and I'm so jealous of that." The blonde traced circles on her sheets.

"Dude, I am constantly worried about what people think! It's like ninety percent of my DNA." Max grinned again, flicking a finger between her and Victoria. "See, similar."

"You're kind of crazy, aren't you?" Victoria asked, amused. A familiar scene played out in Max's head, causing her to smile even bigger.

"Yep, yep, I'm fuckin' insane in the brain," Max growled. Victoria giggled.

That girl is the best worst influence.

"Never knew you had this," the blonde waved her hand at Max, "in you."

"Well, stick around, Vic. Let's not be hostile assholes to each other and actually try to be friends?"

"Hm..." Victoria eyed the girl before shrugging indifferently. "Deal."

"Good!" Max beamed. "Now, I need to get to class. But we'll talk later, okay? To like, actually talk about this shit."

"Sure, Max," the blonde nodded. "Uh...thanks for that. I needed the kick in the ass."

"Anytime," the brunette smiled, turning to leave.

As soon as the door closed behind her, Max deflated, giving a deep sigh.

Holy shit, where did that come from Max?

She made a small amount of progress down the hall before leaning against the wall, feeling exhausted.

I guess...I was talking to myself as much as I was talking to her. I mean, it's my fault she died in the other timeline, but...I didn't KNOW. The difference is I have a Chloe to pull me out of it, she doesn't.

Max giggled a little, the thought of her being the Chloe for someone else seeming too absurd to handle. With the blue haired devil on her mind, she pulled out her phone.

Max: So I had a discussion about my sexuality and also I think I'm friends with Victoria.

Max: How's YOUR day going?

Chloe: damn max its not even 10 your makin me feel lazy

Chloe: i mean ive just been sitting here thinking about the shower thing still

"Fuckin' perv!" Max squealed, laughing to herself in the hallway.

A/N: This chapter bounces around a bit, hope it's coherent!

Some Chloe cuteness, some more Dana and the Queen Bee herself! Was slightly worried about my first chapter without Chloe, let me know how it turned out!

I just keep getting more and more ideas for this thing, so let's see where this crazy ride takes us, shall we?

Thanks for reading!