Hello my dear readers! I am sorry for taking so long with this chapter, work kinda takes away your free time, but I finally finished this chapter here.
I can't promise regular updates, since I take my time writing, I can promise you that I am not stopping, just not regular updates, not with work now, and college coming soon, I will try my best however to give you quality here.
I am keeping a minimum of 5000 words and a maximum of 10000 words, so no worries, the next chapter won't have 20000 words XD
Thank you everybody who is following, favoriting and reviewing this fic, I am really happy that you guys are liking it.
And Special thanks for Berserker66666, ShadowDragon8685 and egerke for beta-reading and the support, thank you very much :)
Bobyl: Glad you liked.
Redkrules7: Well you are discovering what Max will do in this chapter ;) .
Momijifan Low-Ki: I am happy that this fic caught your attention.
White Story: As our favorite teacher, Mr. Jefferson would say (quoting John Lennon): "life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
GrumpyCat42: Yes, this story is what could have been if Max's mind, when she had to choose between Chloe or Arcadia Bay was sent five years in the past after she saved William.
I think I should let this part clear for everybody who is reading this fic, about the direction that I am taking here.
What this story is about, is what Max, when she was forced to choose between Chloe or Arcadia Bay, can and will change if her mind was sent back to her body when she was 13 years old, after she saved Chloe's dad, with all this information and experiences she had from her journey that lasted a week.
So what happened here:
1- Max's mind is sent back to her younger self to when she was 13 with all her memories intact.
2 - She won't go to Auto-Max mode in this case, she didn't use a polaroid photo, her mind was just send back to her younger self.
3 - She still has all her powers (rewind, time-stop, photo-travel) that didn't change.
4 - Max already saved William.
So without further delay, let's start.
Chloe
For the last 3 hours, her parents had called Max's parents, to warn them that their daughter and Chloe's best friend not only already knew of their plan to leave Arcadia Bay, but she was the closest thing to what a devastated person could become, which was clear to anyone that her friend wasn't in any condition of leaving in a week without risking something far, far worse now.
When the Caulfields came, wanting to know what happened with Max, Joyce and Vanessa started a fight about who told Max first, both women accusing each other of telling her, and not handling the situation adequately.
The only reason that it didn't get any worse, was because their husbands, William and Ryan, were there to serve as mediators and to remind both wives that their daughters could hear the shouts from Chloe's room.
Her mother and dad sent Chloe to her room with Max, they knew their daughter well, and if she was there with her parents, she would say to Max's parents…words that were carefully selected in Chloe Price's vast collection of curses, than any teenager with self-respect should rightful keep in times like that, and would fill the swear jar to the top, more than enough for two trips to Paris.
There was no need however, as she wouldn't leave Max's side to argue about something so stupid as leaving, because she was sure they wouldn't.
Chloe wasn't angry, she was outraged with their actions, not only they were the reason for their own daughter's sadness, her best friend, they were planning to leave town with Max, taking Chloe's sister with them.
She was going upstairs to bring Max down with her and help her parents in convincing Max's parents, to stay in Arcadia Bay.
It was her last attempt to reach a peaceful solution, because if their own daughter couldn't convince them to stay permanently for good, nothing would, they already agreed in staying for three more weeks, to give time for both girls to properly say goodbye to each other, with promises to keep contact and bring Max and Chloe to visit to each other.
But that wasn't enough, not by a long shot, maybe before, with guarantees by both sides to visit each other, but after seeing Max in that state she knew that this wasn't an option any longer, Max can't leave like this and I won't let her go, not after what I saw...
Chloe was never scared, she was always the fearless of the pair, however, that was one of the few days when she wasn't, when she saw Max crying that way, she was truly sacred, not for herself but for Max that day. She thought I would leave her, I could have had an accident if it wasn't for Spider Max and her Caulfield senses, she always got me out of trouble but, fuck, that was something else, she looked so lost and I did...nothing, I just looked like a dumbass and started shouting her name, that really helped Chloe.
What type of Best Friend Forever doesn't know when her other half isn't fine? I should have talked to her, the minute dad took that picture of us and she started acting weird.
It was obvious that Max was going to freak out about leaving her behind, I would too...well, not in the same way, I would probably break some stuff and, I don't know, run away?
She was closer to her room and to opening it now. Her parents have to stay, mom and dad know what to do, they always do.
And if we can't convince them...we are running away together, you and me Max, I am not letting you go, screw your parents if they think any different, you are my best friend, that will never change.
She opened the door and looked inside, everything was dark, but she could see Max covered by her blankets, sleeping peacefully in her bed.
I am never leaving you, and you will never leave me too.
"Hey, Max? Our parents want you to come downstairs, we're gonna convince them to stay."
She heard no sounds however.
"Max, come on, you know we won't let you go, you are staying here at Arcadia Bay, with us." With me…
Yet, no sound, damn Max, I know you are really tired, but you gotta to wake up now.
She decided to sit on the far end of the bed.
"I swear that if we can't convince them, we are running away together, we promise to not never leave each other behind, and we won't, now please wake up?"
No sounds, not even a grunt, or a snore, or anything that resembles a Caulfield.
She decided to get closer to Max and shake her up.
"Max, Max, Max!" she was calling her name and shaking the bundle of blankets, but there was no reaction for her.
"Alright enough of this!" she pulled all the blankets that revealed…nothing? Just a bunch of pillows, a letter and a note?
Okay, she must be fucking with me then.
"Max, if you think I am going to play around now, you are completely wrong, stop fucking around and show up!"
She only heard absolute silence, pissed, Chloe decided to give a closer look at that note, It is written…"Chole, can you give this letter to mom and dad? Please?"
"What is the deal here Caulfield?"
She looked for her lost friend, in the entire room, then her parents room, then the bathroom, but she wasn't anywhere, worried, Chloe took the letter with her and started to go downstairs, from there she could hear their parents talking and see them, all seated in their chairs, close to the table.
"Honey...we should stay here for more than three weeks, don't you think?" Ryan was asking his wife.
"Ryan, I wasn't going to change my mind, but...I don't want to hurt our Maxine this way, and to be honest, I want to stay here too, it's just, this is a great chance for us."
"I know Ness, but Max isn't in any condition to leave, if you decide to go this week, you risk your daughter doing something reckless and dangerous." Her dad added his argument to the debate, and Joyce added her words to William's words.
"Besides, it isn't like we won't help you if your family needs support, during those weeks we could..."
But Vanessa wouldn't have it.
"Joy, we can't ask you to borrow us money! That wouldn't be fair, we..."
"Who said anything about borrowing? Vanessa, we would give it, not borrow it to you, we are family after all."
"I know Joyce, but that's still unfair."
"Vanessa, we always considered your daughter and by extension you and Ryan, part of our family too." dad said.
"We always thought the same about Chloe and you as well." Ryan confirmed what was already known to both families.
"So, this means you and Vanessa will think about it?" dad asked with a smile.
"I am not sure Bill, but…we can stay a few more weeks and we are going to discuss this together with Maxine, even if we don't stay, we are going to keep contact anyway." Ryan answered his question and Vanessa was continuing his line of thought.
"And my husband can and will bring Chloe to our home, or he can drive our Max to your home, so she can stay with her for the weekends and holidays, if you wish."
"Why me? You can drive too, did you forget?"
"Maybe I will "forget" some other things, if you don't change your tone quickly enough..."
Everybody was laughing now.
It was then that Vanessa saw Chloe by the stairs.
"Sweet pea, good thing you and Max had decided to join...Chloe, where is Max?"
"I didn't find her..."
"Chloe, what do you mean you didn't find her?" Mother didn't like that answer, not one bit.
Chloe was readying herself for the future lecturing that her mother would give, about not keeping a better eye on her best friend.
"She left a letter for Vanessa and Ryan." she was walked to Ness to hand her the letter.
"Give it here dear." She took it from her hands and started to read it with Ryan in a low voice.
Their brows were getting higher and higher the more they read it, and Chloe couldn't help but think, What did Max just write? It can't be that shocking.
Dad was getting worried so he asked.
"Ryan, Vanessa, is everything okay?"
"She...she just wrote that she is running away." Vanessa answered his question.
Okay, that is quite shocking...
"What are you talking about Vanessa?" Mom asked and took the letter to read it aloud.
"Hi mom, dad, I know you two want to leave Arcadia Bay to Seattle, but I don't want to leave, Chloe is my best friend...no, she is more than that, she is my sister, she is everything for me, I promised to never leave her behind, and I won't break this promise for no one. Not even for you two, I know this is the opportunity you were looking for, I understand this is a dream come true for you...but not for me, my dream has Chloe in it and I am not going to waste my chance of being happy anymore.
You can leave for Seattle if you wish, without your daughter, I am staying in Arcadia Bay, with the sister I chose.
My pirate sister :)
Ps: Sorry, I didn't mean to sound like an asshole with that line, but it is true! That's kinda cruel of you making me leave Chloe, WTF Mom and Dad?! :(
Pss: Please tell Chloe to not leave that stupid skateboard at the stairs...or the door, again, I almost got hurt because of that, for cereal Chloe STOP being so lazy you dork! -_-+ Ծ_Ծ
Psss: Sorry sorry there must be a limit of ps, but dad, if you are looking for your car keys, you left them at the kitchen, soooo...you gonna find out what I did with them in few seconds. ;)
Pssss: Wtf Max, stop using the ps and get to the point! Joyce, William, it wasn't Chloe's fault, I didn't tell her anything, which is why she is here with you two now and not running away with me.
Infinite ps: I am sorry for not inviting you Chlo, I will make up for that, somehow.
With love, your daughter forever and ever.
Max "Never Maxine" Caulfield.
Nobody said a word, it was unbelievable, Max Caulfield, the shyest girl yet to date, Chloe's best friend, wrote a letter and decided to run away? The mischievous little brat decided to run away? Alone? Without inviting me!?
Dad was the first to break the silence.
"Wait...Max stole your keys Ryan?"
The sound of the motor starting answered her father's question.
"Max!" was Vanessa's and Ryan's reactions as they, with the Price family behind them, were running to the front door just in time to see Ryan Caulfield car in the street, a red Jeep Grand Wagoneer, the meaning of uncool for any teenager her age...and Max was driving it, with the sound blasting it is way across the street.
Chloe could only think and say one sentence aloud, after being witness of such unique moment in her life…
"This is so fucking badass!"
She covered her mouth with her left hand, as mom turned her head and gave her daughter a look, one that meant we are going to have a very serious talk young lady.
I am so screwed…
Chloe, Joyce, William, Vanessa and Ryan were still at the house, while going after Max in the Price's car would be a great idea, they didn't have Bill's car keys, and without that, the only way to get to her, would be walking, until by some miracle they bumped on her by dumb luck, it would be easier if they used the car, so it wasn't unreasonable that they should find the keys first and then search for Max.
While the rest was looking for them, Chloe and her mom were talking with a lot of calm and control (having Vanessa, Ryan and William at Chloe's side helped) about her role into all this.
"Chloe, this isn't time for games, where Max is going?
"I don't know mom! I told her to stay in my room."
"How did she even get out without making a sound?" Dad asked aloud.
Mom wasn't going to be interrupted however.
"Bill! Focus here, now Chloe, what did you tell Max?
"Nothing! She just wrote to you that she didn't tell me anything, I swear to god, I didn't know she was going to be so hella badass."
"Hella?" Dad couldn't hold his tongue and asked.
"Max came up with this one, it is cool isn't it dad?"
Daughter and father started to talk about her new slang that would be used for now on, in her vast collection of slangs at the side of the curse collection, that she was going to use as well.
Mom was getting closer and closer to snap at her daughter and her dear husband, but Vanessa decided to intervene.
"Joyce, you are wasting your time, Chloe doesn't know."
"And how do you know? She could have come up…"
"And she wouldn't go with Max? You really think she would stay behind? Please Joyce, you know your daughter better than that...I just hoped I knew mine better." Vanessa was feeling guilty to the bone.
But Joyce wouldn't let her feel this way.
"Vanessa, this it isn't your fault."
"Yes Joyce it is! You two just told us how much this is was a bad idea, why didn't I listen?"
Neither would her husband.
"No honey, it's my fault, I shouldn't have took that call, if I didn't..."
And William decided to put an end to the guilt trip.
"Did you forgot who recommend you in the first place? Ryan, Vanessa, if even Chloe, who knows Max since they were kids and are thick as thieves, didn't know she was going to steal your car, and drive god knows where, how you two were hoping to know either? Actually…when did she learn to drive anyway?"
Ryan and Vanessa just looked at each other, it was a very good question, one that Chloe was asking the same now, when the fuck did she learn how to drive? And how didn't I know that?
"We don't know."
"We never taught her."
"That was very impressive driving for her age, she could teach Chloe someday…"
That's a hella good idea...
"Bill! Have you found your keys yet?" Mom wasn't in the mood for dad's small talk while they were searching for them.
"No yet dear."
"Less talking and more searching then."
"Yes dear…"
"And about you pumpkin." Joyce turned to her daughter and said. "I know you are worried about Max, we are too, that's why we need to know anything you think Max would do if you were in her place."
"Mom I can't tell you that, I…"
"We won't go to Seattle anymore." Vanessa interrupted Chloe before she could continue.
"Ness you don't need to decide this now." mom said.
But Vanessa already made her decision.
"Joy, our daughter, our Maxine just took our car to run away, from her own parents, because she wanted to stay with her sister."
She looked at Chloe in that instant, her husband putting his hand at his wife shoulder.
And Ryan said the next words.
"This isn't a question anymore, we just want her back, we won't lose her because of some chance in Seattle, we won't go without our daughter."
"You can talk to her first, you don't need to decide now."
"Mom!" Which side are you on anyway?!
"What would you do in our place Joyce?" Vanessa asked
Joyce just smiled.
"The same thing, but I know how much you two wanted this."
"We want our daughter's happiness more." Ryan said.
"Then it is settled, now we have to find those keys and then our daughter." Vanessa was driven in finding her daughter, to hug her and not let her go...And afterwards give her the mother of all scoldings ever done, but this could be left for later.
"We need something first...Bill! Where did you leave those keys? How did you not find them yet?" Joyce asked, it was unacceptable that her husband could lose those damned things by pure unluckiness, dumbness, or both.
William answered, pointing to the table.
"Honey, I was sure I left those keys here, at this table, I have no idea where they are."
Chloe decided to ask then.
"Did you try outside?"
Dad just looked at her and started to laugh at such absurd.
"Why would they be outside?"
Mom didn't waste a minute she just took dad's location tool, opened the glass door and pressed the button. The beep sound could be heard by everybody, dad was ashamed and mom looked at him with a face of incredulity.
Ryan asked what everybody's question was.
"How..."
Dad and mom answered simultaneously.
"No idea."
"Don't ask."
Vanessa didn't waste a minute either, she grasped Chloe's arms, kneeling before her, like she held all the answers and asked her.
"Chloe, sweetheart, I swear to you, we won't go to Seattle anymore...but please, you need your help to find her."
She didn't know what to say, until yesterday, she was sure that Max would never try something so insane and bold like running away...For me, just to stay with me.
"Please Chloe, you are the only one here who would know where she going now." Ryan was desperate just as Vanessa.
Okay Price, you know her better than everybody here, where she would go…wait, that is it!
"Our treefort, it is the closest place she could go." And the only place she knows the best.
"Are you sure sweetie? Wouldn't that be too obvious for us?" Dad asked.
"Not for you, there are places that are hard to find around the treefort, Max can hide there for weeks and you still wouldn't find her, even with more help, and if we wanted we could have hid there together...I was planning this, but I didn't expect Max trying that alone, without me."
"She would still need food and water, Max doesn't have those things at your treehouse, right?" Dad asked her.
"Well...not really." Take note Chloe, next time, remember to bring food and water.
"You are right William, she has to leave the lighthouse one way or another." Vanessa answered.
"But Max could go to her house to get that stuff, couldn't she?" Chloe asked.
"No without my house ke..." Ryan stopped speaking when he realized one small problem, one that Vanessa realized too.
"You left them in the car." It wasn't a question, it was an affirmation. Vanessa wasn't even angry, she should have expected that her husband would leave the house keys in the car anyway.
Joyce wasn't bothered either.
"Then Max may stop at your house first, but it doesn't matter, we need to go now."
"You're right Joyce, let's go Chloe."
Ryan didn't think this was good idea or safe.
"Are you sure that you want to bring her with us?"
But Vanessa insisted.
"We have to, otherwise we will take weeks instead."
"I am going too?" Chloe was sure that they would punish her or do anything else, but not bring her with them.
"Of course you are, we are finding Max together, right honey?" Dad looked at mom.
"That we are." Her mom said that with a confidence that convinced all the rest that they would find Max and bring her home.
As Chloe was sitting inside the car at the middle of the Caulfield's she thought, we're gonna find you and bring you back Max...and you are teaching me how to drive a car.
Max
Playing "Bad Reputation" on the radio loud enough to be heard by anyone in the neighborhood, Max was truly feeling a rebel, Wowser, I am running away, Chloe is going to be sooo proud, and sooo pissed! I didn't even invite her to do this!
That was the wildest thing she ever did in her entire life, being the shyest of the pair, what she was doing would be something that Chloe would suggest, but Max doing that? Alone? Nobody would expect that, not without a certain troublemaker's suggestion...
Max was having the night of her life, she still had to deal with the coming of the storm, in five days or maybe more, she wasn't sure, but I could have planned something! I had two week to do so.
Of course, having to deal with:
A mentally disturbed boy, a psychotic teacher...And a fucking E6 tornado, one that came out of absolutely nowhere, because apparently saving her friend's life was too much for some screwed up cosmic entity to accept, that's it, if something did give her those time traveling powers, which she didn't have any idea.
And Rachel...but she is alive now! I don't need to protect everybody else, I only need to protect you Chloe, you and our parents, our friends are safe! They will only come to Arcadia Bay in a few years.
There is nothing else to distract me now, I can make some plans, and if the storm does come in a week, I can get us out of here.
Me, Chloe, our parents, and whoever else wants to join us.
Getting out of the house was easier that Max would have thought, nobody was expecting her to try something that bold in the first place, well...it would be easier if Chloe didn't let that freaking skate in the front door, I had to rewind because I fell to the ground like a dolt.
Then it was rewriting that letter, Joyce and William came gunning on Chloe, thinking she was planning all this, so I rewinded and added some extra stuff, which worked, you are welcome Chloe.
Then I remember that dad usually let the car keys at the table, I could give a try and drive dad's jeep.
Okay so I rewinded sometimes, but I still ran away and I barely needed them! So why is my nose still bleeding?
She had ran away almost 10 minutes ago and the bleeding didn't want to stop, Max was betting to see which would stop first, her nose or herself, and she apparently was winning since her nose was finally stopping...but not the headache.
Lowering the radio and slowing and driving more cautiously, so she wouldn't risk hitting an animal or a human being, Max was stopping at the Caulfield family's house, my house.
I never thought I would see home sweet home again, it was five years since I left, I remember that someone bought it...but I didn't want to see it again and it wasn't like I was going to start crying over it.
The house wasn't really nostalgic for Max, it was her time with Chloe and their parents that made those days so great.
She stopped the jeep at the house, turning off the motor and getting out, she looked at her "old" house, wowser, it looks the same…
It was like the Price family's home, it was an unremarkably red house, nothing special, aside for the memories...memories that she could remake again, remake her entire life, do it right, like I should have in this timeline, this house may be destroyed too, so...I guess this is a sort of goodbye?
She took her dad's house keys and got inside, as she closed the door and locked, she looked around inside it.
The tv is here, the kitchen table looks the same and our drawings are there! We made our anime characters, Ice and Red Rain...okay those names sucked! How did we invent that?! Oh right, Chloe read a manga with that blue haired girl, and then she started to obsess about having blue hair too, and she tried to convince me to dye my hair red with her, because 'we would totally look cool' and...
...Fuck Max! Stay focused for two minutes, you don't know have time to be nostalgic now! You don't know when dad and mom are coming back, for all you know they can come back any minute with William's and Joyce's car, if they find the keys that is.
Alright, the fridge must be full of food, you need to eat something too Max, and water, lots of water…
Then my diary, it must be in my room inside my backpack, I can use it and make some plans with it.
She was going fast upstairs to her room, she readied herself for...what? It just your old room, it isn't anything special.
Opening the door, she saw her room, she wondered, it looked...the same, my books, comics and mangas are all on the stand, Lord of the Rings, Battle Royale, Death Note, the table is here, with my math homework, ugh, homework, are you cereal?
At least I already learned it so it wouldn't be as bad, well as I had already learned everything,I kinda have the upper hand over everybody else at school…
It was bit unfair but, it wasn't like she had great ambitions at school, she wanted to be a photographer, so that didn't matter.
Max looked inside her closet and took her backpack, there was her diary, she gave it a quick look and memorized as fast she could about everything she had forgotten about what was happening when she was thirteen, then she took her old clothes, all generic as Chloe would say.
But where do I go?
Max needed a place to go, somewhere she could hide easily but her parents wouldn't have too much of a hard time finding her, she was going to return in a few days after all, she wasn't staying in the wild, even though that idea did look cool to try, Max didn't have the heart to do that to her parents, that would be too cruel.
Seeing her room was...weird, Max never thought she would see it again, her bed was in order like she always left.
The grey wall was full of pictures, recordings of everything that she did with Chloe and their parents, at school, at the lighthouse, on the street, she loved to take photos and put them on the wall, a tradition she brought with her to Seattle and back with her to Blackwell.
That's one where Chloe was rocking that skate on the rails, it was a cool shot, and this is one…
She looked closer at that photo and took it from the wall, it was a photo of the lighthouse.
I could go to the lighthouse and hide there, it is a bit obvious but I can easily hide around the park, the trees...
Wait, our treefort, I could go there, I can hide for some days and plan everything there.
There was another reason about why she was running away, the first reason was Chloe, but as Max was thinking and the minutes were passing she understood that she needed to make plans as soon as possible, Max couldn't do that at home, she needed to be alone for some days.
Alone to think about everything that was happening, how was she here? The storm, when is it coming now? How is it coming? Can she stop the storm? Or does she need to run away fast?
And about herself and what she wanted in the end, Max wanted to protect Chloe and be at her side, she already knew that, but what else do I want afterwards?
She took the photo and looked at it.
There's always a lighthouse, a woman, and a town right? So am I lost in a loop? Trying and trying to save everybody, but I will always fail? No, I can't believe that, even if I can't save everybody, I will save our family Chloe, and fuck anybody who says otherwise.
The lighthouse, the place where all this started, when I had that vision, I can see if anything starts to change there, it didn't snow yet, the radio didn't say anything about it, and Chloe would have told me otherwise before I left.
There is only one way to know...
Here I am...
Max was at the treehouse, it was Max's and Chloe's place, where nobody and nothing could touch them, far from everything, they always came there to play around, talk, anything.
The walls were full of drawings, posters of movies, bands and games that both girls liked, they had comics and mangas of all different genres that they loved to collect, Max would always add a different photo to the walls and Chloe would always add a different drawing, always inviting Max to join her and draw something too.
Chloe was always the artist of the two, making the coolest drawings and unique ideas, the treehouse was basically Chloe's and Max's gallery of drawing and photography.
Leaving the car close, as nobody was likely to steal it; after all, Arcadia Bay was somewhat calm as a town, the boring town, not exciting as other places, but at least it didn't have the shit that people usually have to deal with in other cities like New York, Los Angeles or even Seattle, like crime, pollution.
But the true was more complicated, on the surface, Arcadia Bay looked calm, but if you looked close enough, you could see how uncalm the place truly was, as Max had discovered a week ago.
The surrounding place was empty, not a soul could be seen or heard, not that she was expecting somebody, that was the point of returning in the first place, people usually didn't wander in the forest, aside from other teenagers if they got lost, or wanted to explore the place, but Max could hide, there were places around where Chloe and she played, she wasn't going to be found unless she wanted to be.
After making some sounds to be sure she was completely and utterly alone, ready to rewind otherwise, and armed with a kitchen knife for emergencies, she didn't like those things and Max was sure that there wasn't any real danger out there...but it wasn't a bad idea to take some steps in protecting herself anyway, that and the forest at night was a bit scary, you can never know if some madman is just waiting to kill her or eat her body or whatever so there is that.
Inside the treehouse, seated on an old bed with her diary in hands with lots of water, food, which was mostly chips and cookies, and three pieces of clean shirt and pants, Max started to make plans and make up her own conclusions about everything that happened during that week since she became a time traveler, the conclusions weren't the best to be honest, she only had more questions.
But she made sure to take note of everything she did during that week, to write the dates of everything that happened during those days.
As she was taking notes in her diary some things were more or less confirmed for her.
1- The storm came earlier that it should, she remembered the vision well, Tuesday, October 20th, 2013, that was the date the storm came, But the storm would always hit on Oct 11th, not the 20th.
Something had accelerated its coming.
Stopping time once and traveling between photos without control were likely the reason, so if she just kept using only her rewind and use only when necessary, she could keep the storm away for now, but for how long, that was a bit more complicated...
The universe could be trying to…"adapt" itself to my powers? The world wouldn't be ending then, at least it should have done worse than a E6 Tornado after everything I did in a week, then it wouldn't be my fault, the universe is just unable to not cause destruction around, while it adapts to me.
2- Her powers worked like a muscle, and as any muscle, it could be trained and become better, but if she overstretched, at best she would pass out, at worse Max could die. Or bring unforeseen collateral effects, like stopping time.
It explained why her nose kept bleeding for so long in the car, since she was in her younger body, her powers left Max more strained, physically and mentally, which means that she needed to take good care of herself, reduce the number of rewinds and only use them when necessary.
Her time stopping would be used only in emergencies, like Kate's.
And the photos...I have sworn to never use my powers again, but if the storm comes and I can't save them, I need a backup plan, but only if I don't have any other choice, otherwise I am never using those photos again.
The photos were too reckless, too chaotic to be used, she couldn't control the outcome with that, last time she tried, Chloe was in a wheelchair, only as a last resort, in a life or death situation, with no other option, Max would use it again and not before.
3- In this timeline the storm came five years later, it never came before and Max used her rewind there too, but It was here that she would confirm this or not, that was the most important question, whether she did have time, but she would learn this soon, the omens started fast, her cellphone had a radio in it to keep her tabs during the nights.
Max had to be sure, those days outside would convince her parents to stay, she could plan everything she needed, and watch Arcadia Bay for any strange occurrences, omens, or any general strangeness…if that happened she had to make sure that her family would survive the coming storm no matter what, if she could bring more people with her she would, but Chloe and their parents was Max only priority.
If everything worked out, if in two weeks the storm does not come, she could be absolutely sure that it would come only in five years then, like it happened in this timeline before.
Otherwise, she would have to act and get her family out of Arcadia Bay.
She kept writing in her diary, putting in paper everything that she could remember, and adding her thoughts about the connection between her abilities and the storm...
My powers started this mess, I am the reason, but if I am the cause…am I the solution?
Is there a scientific answer? Mrs. Grant told me that not even the best from NASA were capable of explaining the snow, an eclipse and double moons. But it could have been caused by my constant meddling with time, and as I was affecting reality, the universe reacted with a storm?
But why saving William didn't destroy Arcadia Bay then?
In the other timeline, when I saved William, the snow, the eclipse, the birds, whales, everything happened again, and it didn't happen before, saving her father was a massive change, it should have brought the apocalypse to Arcadia Bay.
But if using my rewind to save Chloe brought a storm in two weeks…then why saving her father didn't as well?
The storm came five years later, it never came before and I used my rewind there too.
No, there is no logical reason for the storm here, there isn't science behind it, no matter how much Warren tried to explain it to me, everything that is happening in Arcadia Bay looks more like some sort of fuck up magic than any science, it doesn't make any sense, the only thing that makes "sense", is that apparently the universe wishes Chloe's death above anything else.
But to be fair, he just discovered now that I could time travel, when I told him in the diner, his guesses would be just good as my own, maybe I should have told him in the beginning? Then I wouldn't be so lost trying to understand this madness.
What about a supernatural reason? A god or gods gave me those powers...for what? To see what I would do with it? See if I would be worthy of these godlike abilities? By choosing between my best friend and a town full of innocent people? If that was the test, I don't think I would have passed.
Or it is like that manga "Death Note"? Some bored time god saw me and thought, "hum...maybe I will give this hipster human girl a bit of my powers for her to play with, let's see how much chaos she will bring."
Okay...maybe I should stop thinking about that manga or Shinigami, or I am going to start thinking that I am a "god" too.
Or there is no reason, I just got them by pure chance, one in a trillion, and the storm comes with the cool "gifts"?
Maybe I always had them, and discovered my potential later? Maybe I made the storm, but if I did, how do I stop it?
The only thing that she never considered or better saying, refused to consider was Chloe.
Max couldn't see her as the cause of this destruction or even more future destruction, if she was, then the world was doomed, it was already hard for her to consider letting Chloe die at the hands of Nathan Prescott, the only reason she considered in the first place was because she asked her, now to let a 14 years old Chloe die? Nothing in this world would convince Max to do so, not when she was so young and full of life, a Chloe who had her father William, who wasn't bitter with his death and the bullshit that life brought afterwards.
And Max was going to make their lives much better, they deserved that much.
What about that blue butterfly in the bathroom? Maybe that was what started that mess? No, it can't be that easy, but that butterfly was strangely connected in all this, and I felt something different that day, a spirit? It couldn't be just a coincidence right?
That was something she was thinking for some time now, and it looked possible.
Samuel said something about me being connected to Arcadia Bay by time and tide, did he know what I could do? He said he could feel something was coming, that something was causing all this, change was coming to Arcadia Bay.
And that something is me, but what does that mean? That I was supposed to bring the storm here?
If the storm was always supposed to come, then as long as I live...the storm is coming.
Than what was the solution? Killing herself? Nothing said that anybody's death would resolve anything, and if she did killed herself, what happens with her dad? Her mother? Chloe?
That wasn't a solution, that was giving up, she thought about dying in the bathroom to save everybody's life, but even that didn't guarantee anything, for all she knew the storm would come regardless and Arcadia Bay wouldn't have anyone to help weathering the storm.
I can't stop the storm then? Why the fuck I even got those powers in the first place? To bring destruction!?
She threw her water bottle against the wall, her diary, her notes, all scattered on the ground, after five minutes of pure anger at everything, she calmed herself, I guess I can only save as much as I can and hope for no more storms.
Max didn't like those conclusions, but it was the closest one to the truth, if there was one anyway.
There was only one more thing that was really nagging the back of her head without end, how she got back here without using that photo?
Max didn't have any idea about how she was back, she thought of hundreds of reasons, none of them were possible, or made sense, the only thing that made sense was, she was sent here somehow, either by something...or herself.
It didn't make sense, that was downright impossible, she wasn't that powerful, if she was, Max would have already done that a long time ago, Max knew that she could never replicate that.
Then again, she was a time traveler, the line about what was impossible and possible was becoming nonexistent, as that week had proven, and her days in this timeline were proving.
Wait, days? How long have I been here? I must be what, two days in this timeline right?
Max took her flip-phone, a relic, compared to the last generation of cellphones from two thousand thirteen, "Thursday, October 10, 2:30am, Wowser, I didn't rest for like, ever?" She was trying to remember when was the last time she rested and slept soundly, without being in an automatic mode, it felt like months without resting.
Max couldn't sleep, she was tired, but she feared that the storm would come now, and if it did, she knew what to do, she took some selfies in the treehouse and in her home, if it did come, she could come back with her new selfies and make sure that the other Max would know that the storm came and she had to act.
She would get outside, take a fresh breath of air once in awhile in the night while hearing the news on the radio on her cellphone, but thankfully it was always the same boring news, nothing that included the words "weird", "strange" "snow" or "storm".
Maybe I have time, I can rest for some weeks and then start to act.
But if I do have time, what am I going to do later? Am I going back to school and live the same life? No, I won't live the same way again, I won't be Max Caulfield any longer, I don't know what happened to me during this timeline, but I know that I won't leave Chloe anymore...or become a Vortex member, fuck that.
Her alternative self didn't make any sense, how William not dying made her a member of the Vortex club? And a popular kid to boot? Are you cereal?
And I still lost contact with Chloe anyway, it didn't end in bad terms at least, but I still wasn't there, she was in a fucking wheelchair and I still wasn't there, what fuck was wrong with that Max? She just left her behind and wanted to be the popular kid? If I could beat her I would, she was such a bitch.
Max knew she wasn't being fair with herself, that Max or Maxine, as she was called by her friend Victoria didn't look like a bad person, but that was because she didn't have enough time to truly see her that way or judge, but for what she did see, Maxine was an asshole and bitchy to boot, an unloyal friend, a puppet queen for the Vortex club.
That's was all Max saw and nothing was changing her mind, after seeing Chloe like that, she was much less forgiving to herself, mistakes were unacceptable, she was determined in making this time a great one for her and Chloe, to recover the lost time, and perhaps...enjoy life, if the storm doesn't come in a week of course, otherwise things were going to be much more complicated.
It was three in the morning and Max still couldn't sleep, sometimes she was in doubt if she was thinking too much, or not enough.
Ever since she used her rewind, her head was killing her, like someone was bashing her head in with a rock, slowly and painfully.
Fuck, when this is going to stop...
So she just kept writing in her diary, hundreds of plans for each different outcome, each more insane than the other, theories that were not even close to reality, plans to deal with the storm, and Mark Jefferson.
The name was disgusting to her, the more she thought about him, the more she wanted to kill him herself, she had a desire of making him pay the price in full for everything he did, was doing and was going to do, sooner or later.
But I am not a killer and I never killed someone before...but he hurt me, Kate, Rachel, Chloe, and how many other girls did he hurt? Or was going to hurt? With or without Nathan?
She didn't need to kill him however, she remembered the coordinates of the barn well, all she needed to do was making one call to the police and Jefferson was getting the big house for the rest of his life, him and Nathan.
But somebody would have to get hurt for this to happen, Jefferson only started teaching in Arcadia Bay in a few years, she didn't have proof of anything he did yet, and Max didn't have the heart to let some innocent girl be hurt to make sure he was going to fall, she wasn't that ruthless...at least Max hoped she wasn't.
He only started to make his mark here thanks to Prescott money, if Nathan wasn't around, how was he planning to continue his "art"?
Nathan wasn't evil, he was still pretty bad as a human being, but he needed help too, he did warn me about Jefferson, so he isn't completely bad just...lost, if I could help him, but how? I could try contacting his sister, Kristine right? She could have helped him, maybe she didn't know how bad it was for her brother.
And without the Prescott money, Jefferson can only depend of his influence, but what will he do without it anymore?
Thinking better, if I can't find proof against him...I don't need to take a gun and shoot him, I could arrange an "accident", just a minute sooner or later can bring a lot of chaos to someone's life…
She got up from the bad and looked herself in the mirror.
"God...what I am saying? I am not a murder, but if someone deserves this end, it is him."
Was this revenge or justice? A mix of both? No, it was only revenge here, everything he did…
"Is nothing compared to what you will do to this town for her." her reflection answered Max.
She saw her 18 years old reflection instead of her younger 13, how...how is this even possible? I am dreaming…
"You are not dreaming, not this night." her reflection decided to answer her question, it looked at her with an unflinching gaze, there was a night that she would be sacred of such gaze, but not today.
Both Maxes were looking at each other with full hatred, but for different reasons.
"What the fuck you want now? I already told you that I made my..."
"Choice? Yeah I know, "I love her too much!" "She is my best friend" "I would die for her" "I would kill all of us for Chloe Elizabeth Price." I got that part the second you raised your hand, so spare me the details."
"Then what are you doing here? You already know my decision and you have no reason to exist, as a matter of fact...fuck off."
"Oh believe me, I will leave your mind and this mirror forever, and I will make sure we will never see each other again, But I can't do that without asking you one last question, without understanding why."
I can't believe it, sooo much bullshit happening in one night.
"Just my luck...alright, ask."
"Why she is more worthy than all of our friends? I get it why you want to die for her, you don't give a fuck about yourself, you never did anyway, always thinking that everybody was better than you, and you always idolized her in a bizarre way, but this? This is an obsession, not love or friendship, all of our friends will die, our parents will die, yet you are willing to choose this?"
"You asked me a question, "Is she worth all this?" Yes, Chloe is worth all this, that's doesn't mean that I have to kill…"
"Didn't you just said 'For Chloe I am willing to do worse, I will do worse if I must, and I won't regret it?' What fuck you thought was going to happen? You would live a life of adventure with your best friend, but not under the bodies of our parents and friends?"
"Oh fuck you! Are you telling me you wouldn't do the same for our best friend?! How can somebody be so heartless? You..."
"Heartless!? You bitch! I am not the one who…"
"You are not even real, why I am still talking with you? I am going to sleep or write on my diary, I am just losing my time."
"You still think I am not real? You want to believe that, don't you?"
"Why should I believe you are real in the first place? You are just a combination of all my fears."
Her reflection just smiled, a smile which Max would call an evil one, if she was capable of such smile in the first place, Max hoped she wasn't.
"Then you only have two possibilities, either your mind has become so fucked up that you can't separate what is real from a dream any longer, which wouldn't be surprising by the way...Or I am real, can you tell me which is worse?"
"Then answer my question, I gave you my answer, only fair if you answer my too, if you are real that's it."
Her reflection didn't like that word "real" got you angry now? Bitch.
Her reflection was looking like she was using all her willpower not to snap, after a full minute she answered back with her eyes in the ground, like she felt ashamed of her answer.
"The irony is that...yes, I think I would do the same."
What? If she would, then why she is judging me in the first place?
"Then why..."
"But not for her, I wouldn't sacrifice all of our friends for her, and even if I do understand why I would do it myself in the first place, that doesn't make it what you are doing any less wrong."
She tried to answer back, but she was stunned by the answer.
Her reflection didn't care.
"You must despise me don't you? You think I can't hear what you think about me? About how much I am bitch for not caring enough about Chloe? For not being at her side? About how I am evil?"
Something was very wrong with those lines she just said, how does she know about that?
"I...what do you mean you know..."
"Did you ever thought for one minute, that the world doesn't rotate around her? That there are other people who are just as worthy to live too? People, who you just condemn to death, because you can't let it go, and you call me heartless?"
Max was remembering something, about a certain talk in the diner...
"Wait, you...you said that there were other Max's before, if you are real, then you are...no...that can't be, there is no way you are." No no no that can't be I...
"Yeah, I am that one."
"But, if you are real, if, if you are really real, then, why did you leave Chloe behind? She was in a wheelchair, and you just...how are you even talking with me then?"
"Two questions for the price of one huh? Alright, I will indulge you, I did contact Chloe, true...I didn't visit her even though I wanted too, someday, but I had a life you know, and I wanted to enjoy it, what fuck I was even supposed to say? 'Hi Chloe, I am sorry that you are quadriplegic, but as you know, life sucks, amiright?' Are you for real? What you expected me to do? At least I still kept contact! You didn't even do that and you still look at me like I am some sort of monster? Like you can judge yourself, in fact...you always did that anyway.
"Always thinking you suck, that you aren't better than anyone, but let me say something to myself, all that humility? Only lies, you always thought you were superior to others, or are you going to tell me that you didn't think that Victoria didn't deserve to win the everyday hero contest? Because she had the courage to fight for what she wanted? For all her faults, at least she had courage, of course you were shocked when you saw yourself actually achieving something in life! And all that without those freaking rewinds! I did all by myself, I didn't need mystical time traveling to do that for me, or needed someone other than myself to see my own worthy.
"And about how I am talking with you? After you killed her, I was confused about why I was here, or why she was dead, then William came through the door, asking questions about why his daughter was just dead."
Oh my god...
She had to ask her what happened next.
"What...what did he do?"
"My luck is that William already knew, well, not all the details, but he had an idea about why you came there, Chloe was never a good liar and it was fishy as fuck for you to be suddenly there, but he just let me go, he wasn't even angry at me, William would never accuse us for wanting nothing but the best for his daughter, and he always saw us as his second daughter...a daughter that returned just to kill her sister."
"Chloe...Chloe was in pain, she felt betrayed when I said no, I couldn't just leave her and abandon her in pain! Would you even stay at her side afterwards?"
"You asshole! That Chloe, deserved to live much more than that whore you want to protect sooo much! You couldn't stay at her side for at least a fucking month?! You had to leave no matter what right? All for a girl who kept whining about how her life was unfair! Who wasted her life, who isn't worthy twice the Chloe you left behind, just so you could be at that punk's side for the rest of your life. You two deserve each other."
The mirror cracked.
Her reflection didn't mind.
"Got you angry now?"
"You want to hate me? Go ahead, I deserve it, but don't you dare to say that Chloe wasn't a hero, don't you fucking dare."
"On that we can agree...she is a hero, more than you, at least she was ready to fix your fuck ups, when you brought the storm here."
"I...I didn't..." Max was trying to counter that, but her reflection wouldn't give her the chance.
"Then afterwards, when the storm came, I have gone with Victoria, Courtney and Taylor to the hospital, because Taylor's mom was still there, and we couldn't just leave the town for shelter, not without making sure she was fine.
"A fucking whale was flying straight at us, it almost hit our car and when Victoria tried to dodge it, we rolled over and I hit my head with full force against the front chair.
"I woke up, with the worst of headaches and the car on fire, I was sure I was going to die then, but I saw those three dumbasses trying to save my life. I told them to leave me behind before that fucking car blew up, they didn't hear me of course, they had to save me…idiots, they got me out and Victoria was hugging me, thinking I had died, and...and a piece of a metal was flying straight at my back but she saw it and threw me to the side, but it hit her instead, straight in her stomach.
"It was then that I...raised my hand, and...and I was rewinding, I rewinded time for the first time, but something had gone wrong, it was always stopping a few seconds, I had to watch that same fucking piece of metal in and out of her body, but I couldn't stop trying, I had to save her life, I managed to get myself a few extra seconds, with my nose, my ears, my eyes, they were all a fucking mess of blood but I managed to throw my body and protect her with it...I told her to leave, Taylor and Courtney were trying to get her out of me because the tornado was almost there, but she wouldn't leave, I heard her screaming my name, screaming that she loved me, they finally got her out of me before the car would blow up…
"But the last thing I saw, was those three going straight to the two whales and...and...do I need to say what I saw? What I heard?"
"I…"
"That fucking fire...it hurt sooo, sooo much, I...I hate you for everything you did to me. And now I am locked inside your head ever since, and I can't get out, not without dying, just talking to you hurts..."
Max was already crying, but she was trying to say something, anything to comfort herself, however, the words wouldn't come out.
"I...I am sor..."
But Maxine had gone ballistic, pounding the mirror with her fists, cracks all around it.
"You took everything from me! All my friends! I had to watch all of them die! I lost everything! Yet you got to live a happy dream?! You're gonna kill all my friends again, I have to watch Victoria die again?! All because of you?! Not again!"
In a moment Maxine was in the mirror pounding her fist on it, then the mirror, all cracked in pieces, screaming all sorts of profanities and curses, damning herself for everything that happened to her, then suddenly, she just disappeared.
Where...where she is? She was in the mirror, where did she…
"I am here!" she took her by the neck and pinned her to the wall with a knife dangerous close to her jugular, Max's knife.
"I am not going to watch you kill all of our friends because of a memory of some punk bitch that should have died in that bathroom!"
Maxine hand was holding her throat tight, but she managed to squeeze some words out.
"You can't kill me...I am..." Max was fighting for air.
"Why? Because I am going to die too? I already signed my death sentence the second I walked out of the back of your head, that doesn't matter any longer, I won't live as a fucking ghost! Watching you kill more people you monster!"
Max had only one last word to say before Maxine cut her throat.
"Victoria..."
"What?" the hold weakened, just a bit for Max to say the rest.
"I am the only thing...that stands between Jefferson and Victoria, I am the one who can protect her from him...and you know...what he will do to her if I don't stop him...you saw it."
"I...why should I trust you? You let her die, she died…"
"Because...I warned her, yes, I know she died because of me, but I tried to save her all the same, I know who is going to kill her now, I know it's not Nathan."
Maxine hold was starting to falter, but she still drew blood...blood she felt running down her throat, either Max convinced herself to let her go, or she was dying right there.
"You told me that if the choice was between Chloe and Arcadia Bay you..."
"Why do I have to make a choice?! Who said I can't save all of them? That's bullshit! I have the powers of a god! I can save their lives, I will save all of them! Screw fate! We are not giving up.
The hand was starting to shake now.
"But I can't do that alone, I need your help. Maxine...give yourself a chance."
The knife was waiting for an answer, both girls were shaking, one for air, one in pain, with blood running, both girls were bleeding.
And when Max looked at herself, she saw her blue eyes, and saw herself all blooded, with burning marks all over her body, but she didn't see a monster...only pain and hurt.
"Can you save them?" It was a question that Max was ready to answer.
"I won't give up..."
She opened her hand and she released herself then.
The pain in her head was doubling, if it looked bad before, now it was like she was going to die right there, but she raised her eyes from the ground and she looked at herself.
"I...I...I am sorry...sorry, I promise you...I will save our friends…all of them."
Maxine just looked at her, judging herself.
Then she started to walk to the door, it was twisted the way she walked, it was painful to see, but she could guess what Maxine was doing.
She wants to die, no, no I am not letting her do this! If I can't even save myself, then how can I hope to save anyone?
And Max rose, getting closer and closer to Maxine, whose legs were giving away, she wasn't afraid of herself any longer, Maxine raised her arms and was going to fall.
But Max caught her by the torso, and held herself close, not letting her go away, trying to keep her at her side.
They were seated with their backs on the wall, younger Max holding the older one. Both were crying.
"You need...to let me go." Maxine said slowly, the blood running from her mouth, nose, her eyes...
"You won't die alone."
"Promise me that you...are going to save..."
"I will save all of them."
"all?"
"all."
I just hoped I could save myself too, what a hero I am.
"You are a hero, you just saved and gave yourself hope...if that isn't being a hero, what else is?"
"I don't feel heroic."
"I was almost going to ask you to...kiss me for saving me..."
What…I...I...
"I am kidding..."
"You...ass...you are dying and you still making a joke?" Max still smiled regardless.
"I don't look good crying...I rather die seeing myself smile."
"Just...just shut up, you won't die like that."
"Max...you suck at lying, I know myself enough...to know that. But It's alright...I want to see her again, I want to see her smile...please...make sure Victoria is happy here too...please, I want to trust myself...promise me."
"I promise Maxine."
"Thank you...then I hope...you can be happy here too. Goodbye Max..."
She cried for hours with Maxine in her arms, the rain and thunder breaking through the clouds, as the world knew what it just lost, it was then that she would lose consciousness because of the pain, welcoming darkness…
And when she finally woke up, not seeing herself in her arms any longer, with the light of sunrise shining in through the windows, with her knife in her right hand and her diary in her left hand, Max rose and looked at herself in her cracked mirror, she saw hundreds of Max's, all looking to her, judging her.
She looked down at her hands then, full of blood.
Max looked at herself again, for minutes she just...looked, remembering everything that happened in that week in all timelines, all the pain that she felt.
She screamed full of anger at the injustice that life could have brought to her.
Max got herself on her knees and started to punch the wood in pure rage, it hurt, but it felt like it helped her pass through the pain, anything was better that what she felt now, she was shaking in rage.
I don't even know if she was real, I am either losing it or I destroyed her entire life, what is worse?!
She saw her diary on the ground then, she took it, she had gone through the pages and saw it…a page full of names, of all the people she cared, written in blood.
"Victoria, Chloe, Kate, Taylor, Courtney, Warren, Dana, Juliet, Alyssa, Joyce, William, David, Nathan, Rachel..."
Max said all the names, of all the people she knew, until the last one, she decided to write one last name..."Maxine."
After a few days, they would describe that the screams heard in the forest, were terrifying enough that the police had to be called to search for the possibility of deaths, the stories of those screams brought nightmares of such magnitude, that many refused to go to the forest, fearing to be the next ones, urban legends were told about those screams, stories about "the girl in the woods."
The police didn't find any bodies however and decided, uneasily, to let the matter rest.
But they were right, someone did die that morning, a girl was killed and a woman was born in that sunrise…