Dec 1, 2013 - First Choice Timeline

"I just don't understand why you didn't let us know you weren't going home," Dana said.

She sat on Max's bed, her face lit aglow in the afternoon light. Across from her, Max sat on the futon, her legs pulled under her as she snuggled into a blanket, and sipped from a steaming cup of tea. Kate sat at Max's desk pouring a second cup of tea, which she offered up to Dana.

"I know," Max said. She had been dreading this conversation.

She had been the first to wake, having slept almost the entirety of the previous day. As her exhausted friends had slept in (and it had only been five in the morning when Max got up, so she really couldn't blame them), Max had snuck off to shower and dress for the day, choosing her Jane Doe t-shirt and hoodie, so as to possibly delay the inevitable conversation about why she had been wearing Chloe's clothes. They had enough to discuss as it was, and at least perhaps that one detail she could delay.

Once dressed, she'd grabbed a thick jacket and a scarf, pulled up her hood, and wandered out to the quad for a smoke, being careful to stay by the dormitory's door in case of the need for a quick escape. This time, however, it wasn't a need to remember Chloe that lured her out, so much as a need to calm her nerves. She knew it was a bad sign that cigarettes were now becoming a natural part of her coping strategy, but considering the huge amount of stress under which she had been buried the past few days, she had decided to let that be a problem for a future Max, like the Max who eventually actually went back to Seattle and had to either get the cigarettes under control or let her parents know she was now a smoker.

Her morning smoke out of the way, Max had bathed herself in air freshener, doing what she could to disguise the scent of the smoke, before returning to her room and dragging out her schoolbooks to the TV lounge, being careful not to wake Dana and Kate as she did. Once alone in the lounge she had dabbled at her homework, at least until seven am when the cafeteria opened. Then she had made her way to the main building suspecting correctly that the building would be open and that the cafeteria would have resumed operation. Arriving just as the cafeteria doors were unlocked, Max was the first student in and managed to grab three breakfast trays, and was halfway to the exit before spotting any other students. Just as she was leaving, Stella entered, school books in tow and setting up a morning study session in the cafeteria. Max cast her a friendly wave, then hurried on her way, hoping to avoid anyone else.

As she exited the main building, she noticed a small trickle of returning students making their way to the dorms, including Warren, but she managed to duck out of sight until he had passed. She had most definitely not been ready to see him. Although his advances seemed to have eased off, she had not wanted to risk a potential return to their previous status quo.

From there she had brought breakfast to her friends, and, certain that Kate would not begrudge her for it, dipped into Kate's room to brew them each a breakfast tea. Everything laid out across her 'Keep Calm' rug, Max stirred her friends, who had greeted her with those concerned eyes, but before they had started in on their worries, she had asked that they eat. The pleading in her own eyes must have been enough, because they did not question her, and simply ate and enjoyed each other's company.

From there the day progressed slowly, neither girl willing to leave Max alone, always ensuring that one or the other were at her side, despite her assurances (false as they were) that she would be fine. They had tried to start in after breakfast, but Max had asked that they wait; and insisted instead that they tell her about their breaks, or watch a movie, or otherwise just enjoy the morning; and for her benefit that is just what they did.

Yet as the afternoon arrived, finally Max had no longer been able to delay. Kate had gone off for her kettle and brewed the three friends some fresh tea, and now here they sat, and Max knew that she had to be open with them; or at least as open as she could be.

"I know," Max repeated, stretching out and shifting her legs over the front of the futon, kicking them about nervously. "But if I told you," she continued, "I knew that you wouldn't have let me stay alone."

"You're damn right we wouldn't," Dana started, only to be interrupted by Kate, who cast her a stern glare.

"Dana," Kate warned, and the cheerleader backed down, softening her words.

"We just… Max, even if we didn't know how bad it was, there's no way we would've wanted you alone over break."

"I know," Max nodded, ashamed. "But I didn't want to leave."

"And that's what I don't get," Dana said.

"I…" Max searched carefully for her words, and started again. "I didn't think my parents would let me come back. I thought for sure they'd take one look at me… really look at me, and they would've made me stay in Seattle."

Dana and Kate both paused at this for a moment, Dana really seeming to mull over Max's words. Finally, Dana asked, "Is that what you need?"

Too quickly, Max jumped in, barking out a very loud, "No!"

"Okay." Dana held up her hands. "Just checking."

Kate set her own cup of tea down, and placed her hands clasped in her lap, chewing at her lower lip, before speaking herself. "You want to be here," she said.

"Blackwell," Dana asked, but Kate shook her head, knowing that wasn't the answer.

"Arcadia Bay," Kate prompted. "That's it isn't it, Max? You want to be close… close to your friend?"

Max hung her head, not wanting to answer, but the act itself made her answer perfectly clear. Dana puzzled over Kate's words and Max's silent acceptance for a moment, until at last realization seemed to dawn in her eyes.

"Close to Chloe?"

Max winced at the mention of her name. She wasn't ready to speak. She didn't like being laid bare like this, but she knew that after all these two had done for her, she had to be honest. She nodded, and tried to answer them, but the words caught in her throat, and she merely swallowed them back, holding her emotions in check as best as she could.

"You hadn't seen her in, what, five years," Dana asked.

Max nodded again, but she wanted to find a way to make them understand. Taylor knew some already, so would it really hurt to let them in, too?

"Yeah," Max managed. "Sort of…"

She couldn't tell them the complete truth, but a version of it; that might do.

"We were best friends… growing up," she said. "She was the best friend I ever had. Here. Seattle. Just ever." Max kept her gaze down staring at her feet as she toed with the boxes beneath her futon, unable to look her friends in their eyes.

"We… reconnected," she started. She had to keep this simple; keep the lie as close to the truth as possible. Max knew she was a terrible liar, but the truth was too unbelievable, and telling them nothing, that was worse. And plus, in another timeline, it had been true, which is probably the only reason Max could pull off the lie at all. "Not long. A week… ish. But it was… it was like old times, again," she said. Her voice cracked, and she caught herself, pulled herself back in, pulled her legs back up onto the futon and tucked them against her chest.

Dana rose, and walked over to Max, sitting down beside her and wrapping her arm over her shoulder, pulling her in close. "I'm sorry."

Max couldn't look at Dana, but she cast her eyes up at Kate and she saw something there in Kate's expression – a knowledge perhaps, and maybe even a question? It looked as if Kate were asking permission, and Max feared she knew what for, but she also felt that she owed her this much, so she nodded her silent assent.

Kate glanced down, her eyes wet, and sipped at her tea, while she tried to find the words. Dana simply hugged Max closer, having not yet picked up on the silent communication between her two friends.

"She was… more," Kate started, Dana looking up as Kate spoke. "More than a friend," she finished, the question clear in her tone. Max didn't know for sure how Kate knew, but from the way she asked, Max knew it was okay. Kate's voice held no judgment, only acceptance and grief.

"I think… I think so…" Max nodded. "I think a few more days and maybe. Maybe before I even moved." She caught herself again at that; she had been thinking the same thing just the day before, and yet she had never admitted it out loud. Suddenly, she couldn't hold it in any longer, and she broke down again, sobbing, her face buried into Dana's shoulder. Dog, she cried too much these days. It was a wonder anyone put up with her at all.

Dana and Kate said nothing. Dana simply pulled her closer and tighter, and Kate rose and sat on Max's other side, joining in the hug and holding her friend as Max finally opened up to them.

Max didn't know how much time passed like this, wrapped in the embrace of her now two closest friends. It could have been a few minutes, it might have been twenty or thirty. What she did know is that when finally the three broke apart, she had managed to collect herself together at least enough to slow and stop her tears. She still had trouble looking either Dana or Kate in the eyes, not used to opening up as she had, and she felt raw once more, with a deep desire to talk about anything else – anything but Chloe, their time together, and how Nathan had ripped them apart once more.

Having separated and Max having calmed, she could tell that Dana was preparing to launch into a new set of questions, so quickly Max deflected, hoping to delay at least the remainder of this heart-to-heart.

"I didn't think you'd be back until today, Dana," Max started. "Trevor called you?"

"Trevor," Dana asked, shaking her head. "No. I talked to Juliet on Friday night. She told me you were here. I came back as soon as I could."

Max shot Dana a quizzical look, confused as to where Juliet fit into the occasion.

"You know how Juliet is. If something's happening at Blackwell, eventually she'll know – and usually sooner than almost anyone else. She heard from Courtney, who apparently heard from Taylor that you were still in the dorms, at least by the time Taylor left on Wednesday. And, Juliet being Juliet, she confirmed you were still here as of Thanksgiving from a second source, who for some reason, she refused to name."

"Oh." Max looked away. "Okay."

"Wait," Dana shot back. "Trevor knew?"

Crap. Max knew she should have kept her mouth shut. She really didn't want to get Trevor in trouble with his girlfriend.

"Uh… yes and noooo?"

"Oh, I'm going to kill him."

"No, no," Max waved frantically. "No. He didn't know until Friday, I promise."

"Still dead."

"But, but," Max stammered. "He was really sweet, I swear. Kept insisting that he couldn't lie to you."

"Just not tell me that you were here, when he knew I was worried sick about you; especially in light of Nathan."

Max winced at the mention of Prescott, but tried to play it down, slipping right back into her defense of Trevor.

"Really, Dana. I asked him not to tell you, and he swore he couldn't keep it from you."

"Words," Dana said, her left hand imitating a scale, then raising her right hand palm up imitating a second scale. "Actions," she finished. It was clear the latter weighed more heavily for her.

Max wanted to further defend Trevor, much as it appeared to be a losing battle, but before she could press further, Kate interjected.

"Why didn't you tell us before?"

"Huh?"

"About Chloe…"

It seemed a simple question, and in ordinary circumstances, it likely would have been; but Max's life had not been normal in a long time. The impossibility of that week defied explanation, and as such, everything that had transpired within that week became a knot of lies or omissions. To admit any of it, began the weaving of a complex web that could easily ensnare her at any moment. Even now, having merely admitted to spending a week reconnecting with (falling for) Chloe, and Max found the snare tightening. She was caught. She couldn't tell them why she had kept it to herself, and yet she had to tell them something.

"Max," Kate prodded, waking Max from her thoughts.

"Sorry," Max said, swallowing back her nerves. "It's.. It's not like anyone knew. That time, after Chloe was… it wasn't about me, and, like I said, maybe it was more, but we never had the chance to find out, so… so what right do I have to even claim that; to try to make her… her death about me?"

You don't. 'Cause it's not. You're just being self-centered as always.

Dana grabbed Max's shoulder. "That's not making it about you, Max. It's letting someone in."

"So they can help me. But I'm here. Chloe's not. Yet, again, about me."

"No," Dana said. "No, you said it. You're here. She's not. We can grieve for her, but you, you we can help; but we can't do that if you don't let us."

"You'll let us," Kate asked. "Right, Max?"

Max nodded.

"Okay," Kate continued. "So tonight, your room or mine?"

"Huh?"

"Your room or mine?" Kate looked Max straight in the eyes, despite Max's hesitance to meet her gaze. "You're not sleeping alone tonight."

"But I can't ask that of you."

"You didn't," Dana interrupted. "We offered. Well, technically Kate offered, but just because she beat me to the punch. So, now we're both telling you. You're not sleeping on your own. Not until we're sure you're okay."

Max held her face in her hands. This was going to get complicated fast. She didn't feel right accepting their help, but she felt worse refusing it. Not knowing what else to say, she made do with the only response that seemed acceptable.

"Thank you."

"So, your room or mine?" Kate again.

"Here, please."

"Excellent." Max's decision made, Kate perked up, rising from the futon. "I'm going to grab a few things, then I'll be back." Glancing to Dana she added, "play nice while I'm gone."

"Of course," Dana smiled, but Max didn't trust that look in her eyes. As the door shut behind Kate, and the sounds of her footsteps faded away, a stern look replaced Dana's smile proving Max's fears correct.

"That doesn't… doesn't look like your 'play nice' face."

"Matter of interpretation. See, Kate doesn't want to push you, and I get that, but you're not telling us something."

"B-but—"

"— Nope," Dana interrupted. "I'm not trying to be mean here, but Kate, she didn't see you yesterday morning. She didn't even see the worst of whatever tornado you unleashed in here."

Max flinched at her words, but Dana didn't seem to notice pushing on to whatever conclusion she had determined she was going to reach.

"So, she can look at the past few weeks, at the missed classes and the isolation, and, let's be real, the depression, and she can take you at your word that it's all about Chloe; even the nightmares. And don't get me wrong, Max, I believe you, and I really am sorry, but what concerns me is that while everything you told us explains so much of what you've been going through, it doesn't explain the absolute panic attack I saw. You were screaming and shaking and for a moment there I'm not even sure you realized that I was there."

"I'm s-sorry."

"I don't need an apology, Max, but we meant it when we said you need to let us in."

Max wanted to tell Dana that she couldn't, that she couldn't let her in, not on this; but she didn't know how to say that to this girl who was only trying to help; to help her, the absolute craziest of the crazy at Blackwell. It didn't even make sense why Dana would want to bother, but telling her that she wouldn't let her in, well that would just be a slap in the face that Dana didn't deserve.

"Max," Dana prodded. "You're zoning, again."

"S-sorry."

Dana let out an exasperated sigh, closed her eyes, and then centered herself in what Max could only guess was some sort of yoga exercise, her hands pressed palms together and pushed out as she exhaled. Calmed, Dana started again.

"You don't need to keep apologizing. I don't expect you're going to tell me everything. Maybe not even, Kate. Still, I'd be a terrible friend if I didn't press this at least a little."

"Y-you're a great friend." Max blushed, realizing how childish she sounded. Well that came out stupid.

"Thanks, but I'm not leaving here until I at least have some idea what set off that panic attack. So you can share with me, or you can share with the whole class when Kate returns."

"You." Max felt terrible, but the thought of telling Kate as well seemed too much for her to handle at the moment.

"Okay then."

"Nathan."

"What?"

"It was Nathan. That's what set off my panic attack."

"Hearing the news about Nathan's bail?"

"Yes… and noooo?"

Dana paused, waiting for Max to elaborate. She didn't have to wait long.

"Hearing about his bail was… well it was awful, yes. Hearing about it and being alone, that was worse. And yes, I see why it was a dumb idea to stay here alone over the break."

"Well, it's not like you could have predicted that would happen. Still, you found out on Tuesday after class…"

"That night, yeah, but after Taylor left on Wednesday, I was doing alright I guess." Just don't mention how your panic attacks started before you even heard about Nathan… that won't do… just keep it simple and close to the truth… you can do this.

"And…"

"And then, just being here alone, I started to picture him, Nathan, on the other side of every door, around every bend. I mean, not right away, but I ran into David — er, Officer Madsen on, oh Dog, um, Friday? Yeah, Friday morning I think. He was, I guess, trying to make me feel comfortable in his own paranoid, delusional way. That's not too mean is it?"

"I guess I'd have to hear more, but it sounds on point for Madsen."

"Well, he wanted to tell me, in no uncertain terms, that he wouldn't let Nathan onto school grounds no matter how much money his family donates to Blackwell."

"Nathan under-house-arrest can't-legally-be-here-anyway Nathan?"

"Yeah, that's the one. Anyway, before that I was mad, and hurt, but I hadn't even considered that his family influence might cut him even more favors. Suddenly, I don't know, I just… I s-saw him behind every door… and a-around every corner."

"And when I came knocking…" Dana trailed off, but her question was clear. She was off, of course. Max had already collapsed to panic before Dana got there, but this was easier. She didn't have to build the lie; just nod along and not deny it.

Max nodded.

"I'm sorry."

Oh shit. She didn't think this through. Max was looking for an easy way out of this confessional, not to put the blame squarely on Dana's shoulders.

"No," Max started, trying to think fast. Dog, she needed to learn to lie better. "I mean… I had already destroyed my room. It's not like I hadn't already gone batshit the night before." Which is true. See, stick with the truth as much as possible.

"I guess."

Another long quiet settled over the room, and Max prayed that Kate would return soon. How much stuff did she have to pack?

"The thing is, Max…" Oh Dog, how does she still have more questions… Give a dog a bone. Oh man, did I just compare Dana to a dog. That's so not cool.

"Earth to Max," Dana snapped her fingers in front of Max's face.

"I zoned, again?"

"You zoned, again."

"Okay. I'm back. All yours."

"You sure?"

"Meh. Take it or leave it."

"I'll settle. So, I get that you're afraid of Nathan, that you're panicking because Madsen implied that he might try to get on campus. What I don't get is why you think he would come after you. And fear, I get it, it's not always rational, but from the news, he was there in that bathroom to meet Chloe. It had nothing to do with you, right?"

That question mark at the end seemed awfully pointed, but it wasn't like Max had much of an answer to give Dana. Here, what she was saying made sense — if you discount the fact that Max witnessed him shoot Chloe. Nope, nope, nope.

"Max? Right?"

"Right," Max said. That was a direct lie. Well, direct-ish. Him being there had nothing to do with Max. But Nathan himself, well he had a lot to do with Max. He assaulted her in the parking lot. He assaulted her in the dorms, even drawing a gun. He had been working with Jefferson — who… No, no, nope, nopity nope.

"Uh huh." Dana nodded, but Max felt pretty confident she wasn't fully buying it.

Before Dana could start in again, however, a knock sounded on Max's door. Thank you, Kate, she thought. Perfect timing.

"Come in," she called, casting Dana an apologetic shrug.

"Yo, Maximus," Warren called out as he eased in. "How was break?"

Oh, Max thought. Why couldn't you have been Kate?

"Oh, hey, Dana." Warren flashed his nice guy smile, though it held an awful lot of anxiety behind it. Apparently barging in on Blackwell hipster and selfie weirdo Max Caulfield was one thing, barging in on Vortex Club royalty, cheerleader queen Dana Ward was another.

"Hello, Warren." Dana smiled. Oh no, she wasn't planning on setting them up was she? She knew about Chloe now, she wouldn't try to play matchmaker here. Plus, completely wrong gender… although, Max thought, I guess I didn't say I was gay… just gay for Chloe Price. Am I gay? Oh Dog, how have I not worked through this yet? Aw crap.

"Max," Dana said, pushing up from Max's bed, "if you're good here, I need to get cleaned up. You two, play nice."

Oh, I'm so going to murder her.

"And Warren," Dana continued as she pushed past the nerd boy and out into the hall. "Don't get too comfortable. Kate will be along shortly." She then mouthed an 'I'm sorry' to Max, while holding a finger phone to her ear as if to suggest she needed to make a call. Even so, Max flushed, both embarrassed and a little peeved that Dana would even insinuate the slightest hint of her matchmaker persona after the conversation they had just had. Once Max got over feeling guilty about this most recent panic attack, she was seriously going to have to have a talk with Dana about this Warren pressure BS.

"Um…" Warren gulped, his face flushing a deep, deep red. He scratched at the back of his neck, then returned his attention to Max, flashing his goofy grin. "Soooo…."

"Hi, Warren," Max said, accepting that she wasn't going to be avoiding him, today. Plus, with Dana taking her exit, the point had been kind of forced. If Thanksgiving break had made anything clear for Max, it was just how much she needed the few friends she had left if she was going to survive this timeline and make sure Chloe's sacrifice had not been for nothing. "What's up," she finished, waving for him to take a seat on her bed, which yeah, awkward, but she'd rather that then he plop down beside her on the futon.

"Oh, not much. You know," he ran his hands through his bushy head of hair, "just got settled back in, and thought, hey, why not an impromptu movie night. You game?"

"Um, maybe. Like here, or…?"

"Oh, no. No, it's like a whole thing. Going to camp out in the boy's TV lounge and claim it, so we can go co-ed, which come to think of it, I'm totally not supposed to be up here. You cool?"

"Yeah," Max laughed. "Yeah, I'm cool."

"Cool, cool. So, I'm thinking we go sci-fi, tonight, but I thought I'd give you the honors of movie selection."

"Me?" Max so wanted to throttle him. This had better not be another attempt at a date. "Why not Brooke?"

A puzzled expression stole over Warren's face. "Brooke?"

"Yeah, Brooke Scott. You know she's totally into you, right?"

"She's totally what?"

"Oh my god, you're oblivious," Max laughed. "Sorry, I don't mean to laugh."

"You wound me." Warren feigns as if shot. "I mean, you know, I kind of had my eyes set elsewhere."

Damn it, Warren. You can't just take a hint, can you?

"Um, you know I'm gay, right?" Well, gay for Chloe, she thought. Still actually need to figure this shit out one day, when I'm not a complete mess. Probably should have just kicked Warren out, too… So tired of this stalkery, date me drama… but when he's not hitting on me, I actually like him as a friend. If he could just get with the program already.

"What? N-no, I wasn't; I didn't mean. Crap." Once more he scratched at his neck. He needed to get that tic under control. "That obvious?"

"You might as well have been wearing one of those sandwich boards with 'I heart Max' written on either side." Max had to stop herself from adding an I'm sorry at the end. She was not going to apologize just to spare his feelings. He should have been able to take a no without her having to provide a reason. She'd already gone too far to spare his feelings. Warren was going to have to learn to put on his big boy pants.

"Damn. Sorry. Are you okay with me… like, should I go?"

"No, we're cool. Just, word of advice, maybe learn to take no for answer every so often."

"Yeah. Yep. Noted." Oh, Dog. Did he have hurt puppy dog eyes. He's just a kid, Max reminded herself. He's like two years younger than you; uber smart and uber not mature yet. You don't have to apologize to him, you don't have to apologize to him, you don't have to apologize —

"So what's this about Brooke?" He interrupted her thoughts, the puppy dog look gone, replaced by a very well performed 'all's fine' act or a seriously quick transference of emotions.

Max shook her head. "I'm not doing all the work for you. But how about this? After we pick out a good selection, you make sure you swing by Brooke's and invite her. She's just one door down."

"Sounds like a plan, Maximus Prime."

"And one more thing."

"Yeah, anything."

"Never ever, ever, under any circumstance, mention that you asked her out after I turned you down. Ever. Like even on your deathbed, ever."

"Oh God, no. Never. These lips are sealed."

"Excellent. So how about you throw me that drive," Max said, rising and heading over to her computer, and we'll see what we can pick out?"

"Sure thing." Warren tossed her the drive, which Max immediately fumbled and had to retrieve from under her futon. Real smooth, Max. "Sorry, Maximus."

"Completely on me." Max rooted under her futon, snatching the drive and then heading back to her computer, while Warren appeared preoccupied with her photo wall.

"I like the changes," Warren said behind her.

"Oh, yeah. Thanks."

"So, you like, refresh this every couple of months or something?"

"No," Max mumbled, opening up the drive and rooting through a sci-fi folder, itself divided into numerous sub-folders, including one appropriately labeled time-travel. Hmmm… too on the nose? Or potentially useful? A failsafe?

"No?"

"Well, um…" Max started. She really had to stop zoning out like that. "I mean, I don't know. It's sort of a Blackwell thing. I guess I'm still making the rules as I go. Half of those aren't even mine."

"Oooh, you're taking submissions now?"

Oh Dog, what Pandora's Box did I just open?

"Um, m-maybe? I don't know. I think submissions just closed."

"Aw."

Oh man, he sounded so hurt. Fine, throw him a bone. "For December."

"Soooo, you're saying there could be an open call in January?"

"Maybe. Kind of focusing here, Warren."

"Oh yeah, right, right."

"So… I see a few time-travel options here that I don't know about. Primer? The Girl Who Leapt Through Time? Safety Not Guaranteed?"

"Ooooh. Eschewing the classics for cult gems. You'd like Safety Not Guaranteed."

"Uh-huh. And the others?"

"The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is an anime about a school girl that gains the ability to leap through time, but ends up using it to fix awkward everyday scenarios, leading to unintentional consequences."

Yeah that one sounds a bit too on the nose for tonight. Don't think I can deal with that.

"And Primer?"

"Micro budget mindfuck of the accidental discovery of time travel and the creation of overlapping multiple selves and the friction between the two creators as one tries to undue and the other tries to preserve their invention."

Promise. Maybe?

"Okay, let's do that, and Safety Not Guaranteed. And you should pick something Brooke might like," Max paused guessing Warren's next question. "And don't you dare ask me what that might be. That's one's totally on you."

"Are you like a mind-reader Mad Max? You're hiding secret superpowers, aren't you?"

"Yeah, something like that."

Max resumed perusing the drive, looking for other options for future study, then ejecting it and rising from her desk. "I may have to borrow this from you again, sometime."

"Yeah, yeah. Of course," Warren said, but Max had already stopped paying attention.

Who was that man peeking around the bend near Principal Wells' residence? She couldn't get a good look at him through her window. The corner of the building had him mostly concealed, but she could make out that he had a thick, stocky build, and was dressed in appropriate layers, while his face was shielded by glasses and a baseball cap. Even hidden under those layers and concealed by the bend in the dormitories, Max had the distinct feeling that the man was not part of the Blackwell faculty. And was he staring at her window? Was he watching her?

Don't be paranoid, Max. This is why Dana and Kate don't want you to be alone. All this business with Nathan has you seriously weirded out.

Yet that didn't change the fact that there was a strange man on campus seemingly peering up into her dorm room. She glanced back but the man had moved on. Had she imagined him? Was she seriously losing her mind and making up imaginary stalkers now? Especially when her previous stalker was sitting on her bed right this minute.

As if summoned by her thoughts, Warren called over to her.

"Hey, is that Chloe?"

"Huh?"

"On your photo wall? I see you've got a photo from the Tempest up here. That would have been 2010, when I was a freshman, you know before Blackwell went all weird with the senior, super senior extension program, or whatever this nonsense is we're pulling nowadays."

Max walked over to look, forgetting instantly about the alleged man outside her window. "Where?"

"Right here," Warren tapped at a photo placed almost center on the wall. In it she could make out a much younger Chloe in full costume and make-up standing center stage right beside Rachel Amber and a cast of familiar faces, including Juliet, Hayden, and Dana. It looks like there may have been another cast member there on the far left, but, whoever had been there, that portion of the photo had been cut off.

Max peered closer. Chloe's hair was still its natural strawberry blonde, and she wore a skin-tight blue costume with blue feathered plumage around her shoulders and off from a bird-like headpiece, with glittery blue makeup framing in her eyes, and even more glitter spread over every visible portion of her skin. Oh Dog, how had she never seen this photo?

She knew the answer; she knew that she had cut Chloe out of her life for nearly five years, and this wasn't the sort of blackmail material Chloe would have just handed over of her own free will, but Dog, she owed Dana. This had to be Dana's photo, and now, it was quite possibly Max's favorite photo on her wall.

"Yeah, that's her," she said, smiling; all thoughts of the mystery man outside completely forgotten as she puzzled over this gem from Chloe's missing years, and how she might actually have to let Dana's misguided matchmaker attempt slide once more, if just on the value of this photo alone. Maybe.