So, this one is back to the more usual length, it just worked out that way. I'm warning you now though I've kinda gone off the path with this one. I had an idea while writing the last chapter that wouldn't leave me alone. I was originally thinking I'd just write it up as a one shot, separate from everything else, but the longer it stuck with me, the more I felt it belonged as part of this story, so I hope I didn't mess things up too badly. We're headed into unfamiliar waters, and I'm not sure we're headed for the same destination anymore. We'll see!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Max ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Smoke curls away from my mouth, up and away into the morning sky, the gentle sound of waves surrounding me. My arm feel heavy as it brings the joint back up to my lips, the fingers of my other hand idly run through the sand beneath them. It's really fucking peaceful, but handling stress has not been my forte in a very long time, and that fight with Chloe was a big one. More smoke pours from my lips, and I'm entranced for a moment by the way it dances away from me. My responses to stress tend to be fight, fight, or run and hide. I'm not going to fight Chloe, she was right. I know she was right, even if I was just trying to do what I thought was best. What I thought was best? Fuck... how arrogant am I? Like my opinion is the one that matters. I mean okay, going to the cops wouldn't have helped, that's just a fact, but... if I had just trusted Chloe, and told her, or just not rewound at all maybe we'd have found Kate before... Another drag on my joint, and the warm fuzziness I'm looking for starts to settle in. Maybe this will stop me from starting another round of tears, at least for a little while. You really fucked this one up Max, and now here you are, not even letting yourself suffer for it. Another long drag on my joint helps to silence my inner voice, but it doesn't stop thoughts of Chloe from filtering through the haze. Smiling Chloe, worried Chloe, angry Chloe. I love all the Chloes. Maybe I should go back now... things are bad, I should be there for her, she needs me. Maybe I should wait for her to call me, things are bad, and she doesn't need me to make them worse, she needs space. Why not both? I take another long drag from my joint, and stare out to sea. I could do both, I could go back now, and if I fuck it up, I can just rewind... Fuck, that's sort of what got me into this mess. I can't fuck around with Chloe like that, maybe everyone else, but not her. Man... when did I get so jaded? Oh right...when mom and dad died, and the whole fucking system failed me. I stare at my joint for a few minutes. There's something wrong with this weed, I'm getting all introspective, and shit, except not fun. If I could go back in time, I could make all of this not happen. I begin to laugh hysterically, because I Can go back in time, it's so funny. Not far enough... is that ironic, or just unfortunate? I look at my joint, and bring it to my lips, trying to pull whatever I can out of the roach, and then I shove it down into the sand. I'm clearly not medicated enough, so I begin rummaging around in my pocket for a fresh one. Instead I find a photograph. The one I stuffed into my pocket a couple nights ago. My Chloe and I, so young, and full of hope. She walked me home that day to protect me from bullies. I may have over dramatized it just a bit, because I knew she'd walk me home if I did. I wanted to take a picture of her with my new camera, but she insisted it be of both of us. Even though it's held at arms length, and it was facing us, the framing isn't too bad. Probably just lucky. I'm just seconds away from my life spiraling out of control, and into a big pile of shit. Just seconds before that happy smile disappears. I don't remember ever being quite as happy as I look here after we left Arcadia Bay. And of course there was everything else... If I had just erased that stupid message or something, maybe dad would have kept his job here, maybe everything would be good still, or at least better than this. Maybe I wouldn't be such a colossal asshole. I stare down at the picture of me a Chloe so hard it begins to blur. I blink a few times trying to clear my vision, but it doesn't seem to help. The weed must have hit me harder than I thought. I swear I can hear us from that day, laughing, and having fun. Looking away from the picture, everything looks shiny, but much less blurry, that's...weird. Not the shiny part, that always happens when I smoke, but the blurry...shouldn't that be everywhere? Bringing the picture back up, it look perfectly normal again. I must be higher than I thought. Still... it almost feels like there's something in there waiting for me, if I could just see it... Staring hard at the picture it once again goes blurry, the sounds of my childhood drifting back to me as though through a tunnel. Focusing on the picture the events of that day begin to play out in my mind, becoming clearer, and clearer until the memory of the moment in the photograph is as clear as if it was just happening now. There's a sudden pressure in my head, and my vision goes white.
Blinking away my confusion, I look around a little. Everything is wrong, a little off somehow. Too tall? Why am I in a house. "Whoa dude are you okay? Did you dazzle yourself with the flash?" There's laughter in that voice, but also a hint of real concern. Chloe? I look over at her. Long blonde hair, slimmer, younger. Oh fuck! I'm thirteen again. This is so fucked up... it's gotta be a dream or something right? I smoked too much, got sleepy, and now I'm dreaming... It feels so real though. I'm in the foyer of my old house in Arcadia Bay. "Uh... yeah I'm alright, just yeah.. the flash got me." I laugh half heartedly. She gives me a skeptical looks, but brushes it off. "Dork." she snatches the picture from my camera, and gives it a look. "This one's a keeper, so... I'll keep it!" she laughs tucking it into her pocket. I smile at her, probably staring, but I don't care right now. If this is real, I could change everything. Chloe puts her hand on my shoulder, giving me a sympathetic look. "Look Max, you should just forget about those assholes okay? If they give you anymore shit you just tell me, and I'll set them straight. I got your back sista." She puts her fists up, and makes a couple play jabs. "I'll kick All their asses, nobody messes with my Ma...in girl Max." her cheeks flush a little, and she laughs a little nervously. I laugh too, was she always this obvious? Fuck does that mean I was too, and both of were too oblivious to notice? "Alright well Maximus Prime, I gotta go before mom gets pissed at me for being late." she grins, rolling her eyes. "I'll call you later, maybe we can hang after dinner?" I nod, and she starts to turn to leave. "Chloe wait." She turns back to look at me, her brow perks curiously, and I bite my lip. Her perked brow turns into a mild frown as she watches me reconsider what I'm about to do. Fuck it right? I'm here might as well try and make things as awesome as possible in the future. I step up to her and get up on my toes to kiss her cheek. It's way to weird to kiss a fourteen year old on the lips, even if I am technically a thirteen year old again. "Um... thanks for, being my hero." I step back, and look down at my feet. This may have been a mistake, we were so young still, I might just freak her out, and then what? Maybe I really should start thinking more before I act... "AlrightwellIgottagobye! Calllandhangoutlater!" I look up to see a red faced Chloe quickly make her escape. Well, at least right now she still wants to hang out. I guess I can always just come back here again and not do it if I ruin everything. Now... it's time to see if I can stop us from moving away. I walk down the short hallway to the living room, where the answering machine waits, red light blinking, mocking me. I stand staring down at the machine, eyes narrowed. I can just erase the message, and he'd never know he got the job. Might not be enough... if they don't call he might call them. I bite my lip thinking it over. If I erase it, and say I took a message... I was such a goody goody before I found out we were moving. I should listen to the message, make sure I get good details. He'll be home soon... so I just write a message, and then play all upset at him for not telling me he wanted us to move. I listen to the message a couple times, and then craft my note.
Dad
Karen from the Seattle times called, and left a message. She says she regrets to inform you that the position has been filled. You submitted an excellent resume, but they decided to go with someone local. She also said you should submit again in the future if a position opens up. Dad were you going to make us move, and not tell me? :(
-Max
I head up the stairs, and settle on the top step to wait for dad. I need to put on a good performance, both to really sell it, and hopefully to distract or guilt him from deciding to follow up anyway. Maybe I can get some tears going. I feel a little bad manipulating him like this, but... he'll be alive. He gets to live, we all get a new chance at happiness, it's worth some dishonesty. Isn't it? Is this just the same thing I was doing with Chloe earlier? It's not the same though... it's not. Everything has been so fucked up lately. I thought getting super powers would be cool, but so far I haven't been able to save anyone. I even hurt Chloe. This is my chance now, right? I can save lives, and I don't know... maybe if I'm in Arcadia Bay that'll chance things enough that nothing will happen to Kate. That's probably a long shot, but I don't know what else I can do. Though if this works, and doesn't like erase all my memories or something, maybe I could find a way to go back to another time, and save Kate the same way I'm doing this. That'd be fucking awesome! Of course I don't know if I'll remember any of this, or hell I don't even know for sure this isn't like a super realistic dream or something. Maybe everything has been a dream... Maybe I'm like comatose in a hospital or some shit. I have no idea if that sucks or not... depending on what happens or what was real before the coma, it might suck, or it might be more awesome to be here in coma dream world, or whatever. Shit, I just realized I'm stuck living my life over again from thirteen onward. That's going to be rough, I just hope it turns out to be worth it. How could it not? No stupid Seattle, no dead parents, no foster fucking care, and I get all that time with Chloe back. Might be weird to have to go through all my awkward years again, but so worth it. The sound of the door pulls me from my thoughts. Dad's home, it's show time.
I listen to my father's footsteps as he heads for the living room. I quietly slip down the steps, and follow. Summoning memories of their deaths, and thoughts of my fight with Chloe, it's not too difficult to tear up. He picks up the note I left, and curses softly to himself after reading it over. When he starts to reach fore the phone I decide it's time to intervene. "Daddy... Why do you want to leave Arcadia Bay?" He sighs, and puts down the phone. "It's not so much about wanting to leave, kiddo..." I sniffle to play it up. "But aren't we doing okay here? Are we in trouble?" He shakes his head, and closes the distance between us. He kneels down and wraps his arms around me, and I need no more help producing tears. "We're not in trouble Max, we are doing okay, but we're only doing okay. Does that make sense?" I shake my head, face buried in his chest. "No... if we're not doing badly, I don't understand why we have to leave. I like it here. My life is here... everything I know and love is here. Chloe's here." He sighs, and kisses the top of my head. "Your mother, and I we, want to be able to give you things. Things we just can't get here. You have a gift... and you deserve a chance to let it flourish." I press my face into him more tightly. "I can do that here dad... I don't want to leave." He pushes me away from his chest a little so he can meet my eye. "Well... at least for now, you won't have to. That was my last lead. I can't promise you this won't come up again later..." he holds up a finger. "But... how about if we at least let you be part of the conversation next time... hows that sound?" I nod enthusiastically, and press myself back into his embrace. I did it! I did it, we're not moving, no one's going to die in Seattle, and I'll get to stay here with Chloe. Everything is going to be okay. Everything is going to finally be okay. The world begins to fray around the edges, melting away like old celluloid film. Maybe this is just a dream after all... I hope not. If there is a God out there, please don't let this be a dream. The world goes white.
Blinking away the dazzled sensation, the first thing I realize is I'm not at the beach anymore. I'd just had a fight with Chloe the night before, and I was hanging out on the beach, smoking out...then I had that dream. Was it a dream? I look around the room, it looks kinda like my room used to, when we lived in Arcadia Bay. Fuck, it wasn't a dream! Yes, it wasn't a fucking dream! I jump out of bed, dancing around. Fist pumping the air, just generally celebrating. I mean I just scored a victory right? Everything is going to be awesome from now on! Out of breath, I begin to wander around my room a little, examining things. I'm so scrawny in this timeline. There are lot's of pictures on the walls, people, places, animals. Tons with Chloe in them, which is an encouraging sight. I find a couple cameras, my ancient analogue, and a sleeker digital model. Nice... well except now I have to relearn photography. Still, looking stupid is a small price to pay for all of this. I'm about to go check my computer, when an alarm goes off. I search around until I find my phone, a smart phone even. No more cheap ass garbage for Max! Awww... my background is Chloe and I kissing. We are so a thing in this new timeline, like I knew we would be. Excitedly I ready myself to snoop on my own phone. Is it still snooping if it's mine? Actually... since I had a complete life I don't remember, does that mean I like killed this other me? Or is it just more like amnesia...like it's still in here, but I don't remember anymore because I got my memories from the other timeline? This is complicated. "Max! Come down and have breakfast sweetheart!" a familiar voice calls up the stairs. Mom! I hurry out of my room and down the stairs. Running into the kitchen I throw my arms around my mom, squeezing tightly. I'm crying, and I can't do anything else at the moment. Mom for her part seems to be taking this like it's normal, but I don't care, because she's here, and she's alive. I've got my mom back!
Once she's got me calmed down, she gets me settled at the table with a bowl of cereal, and a cup of black coffee. At least my tastes seem to be the same. I keep sneaking glances at my mom, while she eats her own cereal, and reads the newspaper. "Um..." Mom looks up from her paper at me curiously. "So... how about we all play hooky today, I... could use some family time." Mom sighs softly, and puts her paper down. "Max, honey... I know you've been having a really hard time lately, but you promised you were going to start trying again." Fuck, apparently something's been going on I should know about. "I uh.. yeah, I just..." She shakes her head. "No excuses Max, it's time to start living your life again." She gets up and comes around to straighten out my hair, it's meant to be a soothing gesture, but I don't feel very soothed by it. "If you want, your dad and I can cancel our plans for later, and we can all have a nice family dinner?" I really want to say yes, but... I mean we have the rest of our lives again, so letting them have time to themselves is not a big deal right? I take a deep breath, and shake my head. "No... that's okay, you guys go do your thing, I'll be fine." She tilts her head up searching my face for a moment, and nods. "Alright, if you're sure... But you call can always call us if you need us. You know we'll be right there for you sweetheart." I smile, and nod. "Yeah... I know, thanks mom." She smiles down at me fondly, and leans in to kiss my forehead. "Now hurry up and go get dressed, or you'll miss the bus." The bus? I guess neither I nor Chloe drive in this timeline. I nod at mom, and get up to go get changed. I'll at least get to see Chloe on the bus, probably. Fuck, what if she's not going to Blackwell for some reason in this timeline? This causes me to pause on my way up, and I shake it off. It'll be fine, we don't need to go to school together, it'd just be nice. I continue on up, and into my room, so I can choose an outfit for the day. Unfortunately, whatever I lived through in this timeline killed my sense of style. Killed or left undiscovered? I don't know, but my closet, and drawers are only full generic hipster bullshit. I'll just have to make do. Ugh... this also means I don't have my armor anymore. Dad probably still wears his leather coat. Maybe when things settle down I can start an entirely new wardrobe. Dressed, and feeling uncomfortable, I head out of the house to meet the bus. Chloe wasn't there either.
Apparently I go to Blackwell in this timeline. I found my schedule in my messenger bag, and spent most of my bus ride memorizing it, and looking to see if I kept any old materials, like a school map. I never found one, but I'm sure there's one on a bulletin board somewhere. Walking across the Blackwell campus as a student feels weird. Mostly I just hung out in the parking lot. Hopefully I'll meet up with Chloe soon. I'll tell her what's going on, it might take some work, but I'm sure she'll believe me. She might even know about what I can do already. It'll be nice to have Chloe fill me on all of our adventures between the event I changed, and now. I never considered I'd still be the me from the other timeline though. This does mean I'm going to have to learn not to be an asshole all on my own. Still that should be easier with my parents still alive, and everything being... great again, right? I'm definitely not built for fighting anymore, so I had better at least be more careful for a while. I still need to figure out where I'm going as far as my classes. There are bulletin boards around outside, so I stop at one to check and see if there's a map posted up on one of them. Yanking a flier down, I stare at it in shock, and disbelief. This can't be real, this isn't her. My eyes blur with tears. This isn't right... It can't be a missing persons notice for Chloe. As I stand, crying onto the flier, trying to will it out of existence, will it to just be a bad joke, a pair of arms slip around me from behind. "Oh Max..." an unfamiliar feminine voice says. "You have got to stop doing this to yourself... I know it's hard, I know you love her, but you promised you'd try to move on. She left us behind, but... I'm still here, and you know how I feel about you. I thought we were on the same page?" She injects just the right amount of hurt into her voice at the end that it cuts into me, and I feel guilty. "Maybe it's still too soon? It's okay, I'm willing to wait for you... if you've changed your mind, if you're not ready. I know you feel something for me too though." There's a strange flash of sudden, deep affection for this stranger. Is that left over from the Max before I took over? I don't even know who's talking to me, so how could I feel anything for them unless maybe the other Max did? Is that even possible? I twist in her arms, the confusion quickly turning into shock as I come face to face with none other than Rachel fucking Amber.
- Chloe -
"Dark..."
"...hurts..."
"Max..."
"Help..."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rachel xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Max, and Chloe. They were always something of a social group all to themselves. They had a few acquaintances they would socialize with, but no one was really part of their private inner circle. They were also essentially the only social group I wasn't privy to in some way, so of course I had to try to stick my nose in there. You never know when knowing someone might turn out in your favor after all. Insinuating myself into their twosome wasn't easy. They were nearly impossible to get catch apart, at least when they weren't in class. There were rumors of course about the nature of their relationship, but I had never seen any displays of PDA that were overtly romantic in nature. No one seemed to have ever questioned them directly either, preferring to speculate, or in some cases fantasize about it instead. Even though it was difficult, I still managed to focus on Chloe first. She seemed pretty cool, someone I had more in common with. She was smart, a pretty good student, and while not a delinquent by any stretch of the imagination, she did have a reputation for mouthing off from time to time. Max was, well easily dismissed at first, as nothing but a shy hipster nerd. They were too wrapped up in each other for me to use my usual tricks. My attempts to get Chloe to crush on me wasn't very successful. I did manage to grab her eye, but it seemed anything that even reminded her of Max would erase me from her thoughts, and Max was... either more impervious, or more discreet with her attention. Still this did engender friendly feelings towards me, and eventually I was part of their in-crowd. This was how I found out the rumors were true, they were in fact a couple. Max was just too shy for any PDA, and in fact it took her a long time to be comfortable enough around me to engage with Chloe when we were all alone together. Max turned out to be pretty cool when she relaxed, still hella moral, but pretty cool. I had some actual fun with the two of them. The fact that the two of them had powers much more impressive then mine was just icing on the cake. I mean teleporting, and turning back time? I kinda felt like I had gone from the kiddie pool into the ocean. Making people feel what I want them to is very useful, but it's in a whole different category than what they could do. I guess ultimately, we all kind of became friends. I mean, they were definitely my friends but I need to keep a certain amount of distance from everyone, it makes things easier when I have to think about myself first. It's also much easier if they don't realize that I'm keeping them at arms length, especially if I need them to do something for me. Sometimes I don't even know I need them until they do something in the name of our friendship, so yeah, giving people the illusion of friendship has always been something I've engaged in where possible. It's worked out pretty well too, I've only managed to make a couple enemies so far, which is likely a result of my popularity. Even I can't win over absolutely everyone, but I can mitigate the effects of those hard feelings.
My relationship with them in theory has proved to be very useful. I very well might still be alive because of it. I was going out to a Vortex club party, stag, or would that be doe if you're a girl? Max and Chloe weren't going, and pretty much everyone else I knew would be there, so... I figured I'd just go on alone. Sometimes that keeping my distance thing means keeping an actual physical distance. Helps keep me from getting attached. Attachments are dangerous, they can be used against you. That night I got a surprise visit from Max and Chloe. Max was freaked out. She said she came back through a photograph. That she was here to warn me that if I went to the party tonight, I'd disappear. Now, I know I'd jump at any chance to get out of this hick town, but... It's best not to burn bridges when they lead to useful places, so I'd have let one of them know, just in case I needed them in the future. So I decided to trust her and stay in. I did hear a girl went missing that night, but she showed up on Monday with a weekend bender sized headache, so it's hard to say if anything bad actually happened. Still, I feel my investment was well placed, Max's powers might have saved my life, and alone could pay off for me hugely if I played my cards right, approached what I wanted from the right angle, and sold it well enough. Keeping her happy, so long as it doesn't inconvenience me too much is fine.
Of course things started going to hell shortly after that. Chloe disappeared. Max was, understandably upset. She said she had gone out of town because her grandmother was sick, and somewhere in there, Chloe was just gone. So apparently she began to do photo jumps, to feign illness and stay here in town, to warn Chloe, and try to be with her all the time. I got to know all about her photo jumps, and the side effects over that, what was to me a very short period. No matter what though, somewhere in there, Chloe would still just be gone one day. Max, well she wouldn't face the truth, and while I wouldn't have pegged Chloe as a runner, what else could it be? Chloe had to have run off on her own, and since she could teleport, it'd be really easy. This was a good opportunity for me though, if I could get Max to let go of Chloe, and fall in love with me, well... My sweet life would be all but ensured. So, I began pushing her gently, to let go of Chloe, to like me more, and more. I'd of course go with her on whatever wild scheme she had, or just to put of posters, and play the caring friend. I was with her as much as possible. I do feel bad for her, and I even do kind of miss Chloe, she was cool. I hope she's happier out there wherever she ran off to, but her loss is my gain. I was making progress, good progress, until today. Max is standing there looking at me with a mixture of confusion, and surprise, like she wasn't expecting to see me, like she doesn't actually even know me. Fuck, does this mean she photo jumped again and changed it so we don't know each other? That doesn't make sense... If she changed something, and we didn't know each other anymore, I wouldn't know her either... so...This isn't the original timeline? All my work down the drain. I sigh heavily. "Okay... So let me guess. My Max was not Max prime, and you photo jumped to get here?" She just stares at me with her mouth open. I purse my lips, this is going to be a pain in the ass I just know it. I take a deep breath and put on a smile. "Okay, how about this... I'm Rach-" She interrupts me. "Rachel Amber, yes... I know. I just... I don't know why you're... here." I keep my smile plastered on. "Oh, well then I take we weren't friends in your original time line?" she shakes her head. "Okay, well you and me, and Chloe we were friends in this one, umm... maybe a little more than that, you know after Chloe ran off." She shakes her head vigorously. " No. Fuck that, Chloe didn't just run away. She wouldn't have. I know she loves me, just like in the other timeline, I've seen the pictures." I sigh, and soften my voice. "Max, we've been over this a million times... there's just no other explanation." I give her a sympathetic look, and she just glares back at me. "Bullshit!" Max yells, clearly becoming more and more agitated. I put my hands on my hips, and shake my head. "Then where is she Max? What other explanation is there?" She begins to pace around in front of me. " I don't... wait, yes I do! They took her, they fucking took her... oh dog.." her eyes get really wide. "They fucking killed you... but no that was an accident right? But they killed Kate, the fucking killed Kate. Something about recruitment though.. or the Imperious project.. she might still be alive... right?" My blood runs cold. I was dead in the other timeline, I was fucking dead? Shit, I need to know what Max is talking about, I need to know what happened, and I need her to calm the fuck down. I reach out and place my hand on her arm, pushing a feeling of calm into her. She slaps my hand away hard. "Don't you fucking use your powers on me!" I pull back shocked. "You... you know about my power?" She nods. "It was in your file, in that creepy-ass bunker." I frown, start to reach for her, but put my hands up defensively when she jerks away. "Look... I... come on, we're skipping school, we need to go somewhere, calm you down, and you need to tell me Everything." She looks at me for a few moments, sizing me up. She finally nods, and I reach for her hand. She jerks it away again, and it actually kind of hurts a little. Where we really starting to become friends? That'd be unfortunate. I put my hands up defensively again, and gesture her to follow me instead.
"... and then I woke up in my house, and headed for school. You know what happened from there basically. All I really wanted to do was make myself less of an asshole. I didn't even think that I'd have all my original memories, and none from the new timeline." Max shakes her head, and takes a big draw on the joint I very nicely provided for us. She let's the smoke out slowly, watching it curl away towards the lighthouse, as she lounges on the bench facing the overlook. She passes the joint my way, and I take my own big draw, as I digest her story. "I guess all I have to do is find that picture again, and go back... Let everything happen like it did." Cold fingers grip my heart, and I choke on the smoke as I let it out. "You... I mean from what you said, Chloe might not be dead... we could still find her, you don't need to go back. I mean what about your parents?" She shakes her head. "What about me...?" I add in a whisper that sounds far more stricken than I'd like. She does at least have the decency to look guilty when I ask. "I... Chloe's more important..." I can feel my eyes bug out as she speaks. "But, It doesn't hurt to try to find her, and rescue her first." she adds quickly, and I exhale a breath I didn't even realize I was holding. This Max is intense, hardcore, and a little scary. She's not the shy hipster I knew before, and honestly it's kind of hot, too bad she's not going to fall for my usual tricks, it might actually have been kind of fun. Still, she's talking about killing me, and her parents for Chloe, that's crazy right? Who does that? I mean that's three people for just one person. I'd probably choose to let them die if it meant saving my life though... so maybe it's not so different. Still self preservation is kind of a big instinct thing right? So maybe still crazy after all. I wish someone would love me like that, and if I'm being honest I don't even care what I could get out of it, I just think it'd be nice. I shake my head, to break myself out of my thoughts. "Right, so we go to save Chloe. How do we do that? I mean you've searched all over the place... I mean the other you did." She shakes her head. "Probably not everywhere. Other me didn't know about the bunker right?" she doesn't really pause for confirmation. "I know where it is, so we can check there... also I know Nathan Prescott has something to do with all of this, so we could squeeze him for information." I nod slowly. "Yeah... maybe we don't Have to squeeze him though." She sits up a little, and tilts her head at me. "So what, we just go up and ask nicely, and he's going to tell us what we want to know out of the goodness of his fucking heart?" I nod once, grinning. "Yup." I pop my P at the end. "You know... after I cozy up to him a little bit, besides it sounds almost like maybe he was trying to help... you know in the most dickish way possible." Max laughs, and shrugs. "Yeah, maybe... it's hard to tell, plus if he Is the guy, well... you're alive, and that might have changed something... like remorse or some shit." I feel a stab in my chest when she mentions my death again. I give her a weak smile to try and cover. "Yeah... maybe that's true." She bites her lip and reaches up to rub her face. "Sorry... I shouldn't just talk about what happened so casually." She gives me a half shrug, and a rueful smile. "I told you I was an asshole. This whole thing started because I was trying to be less of one." This Max is definitely different from the one I know, she's still in there, still Max, but...bolder, and tougher. She's gotten hard. This version of Max would definitely be better to have wrapped around my finger, but this Max already knows what I can do. Still, I have no doubt she'd let me die again for Chloe, so it's best to try and keep on her good side. I give her a shrug. "It's fine... It didn't happen, so it's okay." She looks guilty, maybe she's not as different as she seems after all. She chews her lip for a moment. "I think I have an idea... in case I need to reset everything again. I'll need you to tell me some things... personal things you've never told anyone, things that would make you believe a message from a stranger." I purse my lips considering. This is a hard request for her to make. I keep very strict control over what people know about me, and while I could have trusted the old Max with probably anything, I'd never have considered telling her anything. This Max seems like she's much less trustworthy, but... the alternative is what? My life? That's a steep price to pay to keep my secrets from everyone. I sigh softly, and nod. "This is... hard for me, I don't just go around telling people anything deeply personal, but... I kinda Have to trust you right?" She shakes her head. "You don't Have to do anything... but if I go back to save Chloe, it's the only way I can think of. Though, if they went after Chloe because they never got you, I'll need you to help save her." I sigh heavily. "You're making this harder Max... you'll probably have to tell me how that'll benefit me." I give her a rueful smile. "I'm kinda selfish..." She laughs and shakes her head. "You're whatever you want to be Rachel... choose to do better, and you will. I get that it'll be hard... but I believe in you. Fuck... if I had realized that before I went back and changed everything we wouldn't be here now. I've spent a good portion of my life being an asshole just to survive... but I don't need to do that anymore, and I need to remember that. All I really wanted was to make everything better for everyone, myself included, and well... I fucked everything up." She reaches out and places her hand on my arm. "I hope I can give you the time to make those changes, if you want." she shrugs, and throws me a roguish smile as she stands, and stretches. I got chills, I really had no idea Max could be so... I don't even know what this is. "I'm going to go find that picture... in case I need it. Why don't you write some things down for me to memorize if we go to plan B." I chew my lip a moment, and nod. "Yeah... and Max? Thanks. I mean I wasn't even really other Max's friend, no matter what I made her think, and you don't really owe me anything. The way you treated me in the beginning... like I was dangerous, or something was probably more appropriate." She flashes me a grin, and a lackadaisical shrug. "Maybe we'll be friends for real after all this is said and done then... you might actually like it, if you give it a try." she winks at me, and walks away, leaving me staring after her with a confusing heat rising in my cheeks.
Sitting at my desk in my room, staring down at a blank piece of paper, has me feeling surprisingly naked. I haven't even written anything yet, but I feel exposed. This is my life preserver, and so it has to be good, it has to be personal. I'm not used to trusting anyone with myself though. I've spent so much time working on protecting myself, on making sure I was always in control, that I'm not sure if I even can anymore. I stand up pacing away from my desk. I can do this, I Have to do this. Plan B kills me for sure if I don't do this. Taking a deep breath, I stretch, shaking out my limbs. I can do this, I can do this, it's just Max. Wild, asshole, kinda hot Max, but... still just Max. I settle back in to my chair and pick up my pen. Things no one knows about me. Okay, so let's see... I could put down that I'm bi, but someone might be able to guess that, maybe if I mention that my first girl-crush was Lacy Chabert. I saw her in Mean Girls when I was ten. The fact that my Mom isn't my birth mom, should be on this list too. Max is pretty nosy she's going to want more on that one, probably, but... she doesn't need it. Just knowing that much should be enough, at least it should be with the rest I'm giving her. I could tell her that I'm terrified of letting people get the upper hand on me, but also that I'm terrified of being completely alone too. I could tell her how I really need everyone's approval, how I'm so afraid they'll see the real me, and hate it... I should also note down that she should mention my power too. That should do. There's no way someone could know that much about me without being a mind reader, or a time traveler who has my cooperation. I stare down at the list I've made, wanting nothing more than to crumple it up, and throw it away, or burn it no no one can ever find it. This is my life line... This is how Max will save me, if things go wrong. I have to believe that. I take a deep breath, and make one last note for Max: "Max if you go through with this, lie to me. Tell me we were friends, that's how you knew all this stuff. Tell me you and Chloe were close to me. Tell me what you and Chloe can do, and then... ask me for my help in saving Chloe." I look around, waiting. For what I'm not sure, maybe for the timeline to change around me or something. I guess I wouldn't know any different if it did though. A big part of me, is telling me it's really dumb to trust Max, but I kind of want to. This could be the best thing I've ever done, and her stupid little speech about being better actually kind of got to me. I suppose if I get too worried about it, I could always switch sides, she did say the file mentioned recruitment. Maybe we could get the drop on her before she can rewind or something. That's probably a terrible idea. I pick up my list, and fold it neatly before shoving it into my pocket. It's time to go meet Max, and determine the course of my fate I guess. I'm scared.
So yeah, as always thanks for reading, and I'd love to hear from you! Originally there was never going to be any photo jumping in this story. Rachel Amber was supposed to just be a dead girl, and that was that... but then this happened. I have a lot of complicated feelings about Rachel, so I am a little worried about her characterization. I want her to be a person(if not a terribly good one), and not just shadows from my past.