I force the water down, and the pill followed suit. I never liked taking pills. No matter what timeline, universe or any situation really.

The bathroom was full of grays and sickly blues. It smelled of things I didn't want to bother putting too much thought into. It would only give them more meaning and a reason to barf.

This is what it is, Max. You're both 13, got 43 dollars between you, unsure of what to do next and straight up winging it. Well, the last part was Chloe's choice of words.

I left the bathroom, as the light of the setting sun hitting the windows and horizon greeted me. It gave me an easy feeling to wash away the gross that was the bathroom. I look over and see Chloe sitting at a booth, waiting for me to return to our table.

Plopping down across from her, she looks to me. Clearly thought had been interrupted, but she smiled nonetheless. Energy and excitement still boasted through her expressions. I don't think I've ever seen Chloe so willing to just... leap. Who am I kidding? She was always full of surprises.

"Have a good time in there?" She says, her voice nearly mirroring the one I had been accustomed to for so long almost perfectly, "I have to say, through my experience, I've never quite reached so much of a low to appreciate the bathroom at Two Whales. Well, never until today. Way to go Gustav's Grill. You are the winner."

I chuckle slightly before looking to our plates. We finished eating a bit ago and my hand went toward my bag. I looked to Chloe, noticing she hadn't quite taken her eyes off me yet, but our exchange of looks told me she knew what I was thinking. And then her eyes swept ever so smoothly to the side, and her expression told me she was up to what you'd expect. No good.

And then it hits me. Of course…! Was I really expecting Chloe to agree to pay for a meal like this? We have no income, and are basically homeless...

"Ooh..." I manage through my lips, seeming incapable of any intellect at that moment. Chloe sends me a look, one I can only manage to decipher as "Stop looking so obvious Maxine".

I shrink. Which probably didn't help my case either, but I couldn't help the instinct. I spared the establishment a quick scan. The employees seemed busy enough. But I could tell one of them was keeping an eye on us. I noticed it from that guy since we got here. Even if it was just peripheral or a quick take, he clearly seemed suspicious.

I want to say her name in just a whisper, and play my usual straight man shtick. But instead, I watch her. She continues to gaze back, almost like a mastermind. Her eyes seeming to counter act that of the employee who was watching us through his edged gaze. Chloe's position wasn't exactly favorable to notice this said employee, yet her movements seemed to be more than a coincidence.

Was she always this pro? Maybe she was just born for this.

Just as the man turned as though to finally confront us, another employee blocks his way. And as they begin to speak, I feel Chloe tap my foot with her own, getting me out of my thoughts. We slink out as discreet as a moment passing.

No one seems to give us a thought, let alone a wink. And only I seem to think I'm the sorest thumb in Arcadia Bay.

After we turn the corner of the street Gustav's Grill was nested, we both seem to let out two different breaths. I give a sigh, while Chloe's was a loud boom.

"Fuck YEAH!" Chloe shouted, throwing her arms upwards in any which way before looking to me, "That was BAWS, Max- oh don't look at me like that. You know that was hella fun." She says putting her arm around my shoulder.

"I know, but..." I pause, wondering to myself and then giggling, "... no, you're right. It was fun."

"Just, fun?"

I roll my eyes, "Whatever Chloe... alotta fun."

"You mean hella."

"Uuh, no."

She laughs. I watch Chloe skip ahead once she releases me from that comforting embrace. She balances carefree on the edge of the sidewalk. God forbid she's scathed by the lava perfectly aligned with either side of the edge. I blink, noticing a car drive by and I can't help but grab her from behind.

"Whoa!" Chloe blurts out glancing back to me as I pull her back. She looks forward, as though expecting something to have been there that I was protecting her from, but nothing immediate is there. Not that I'd give it a chance...

"Erh- sorry. Just, be careful." I murmur awkwardly as she looks to me. She opens her mouth, and I expect her to say anything to make me seem like a dunce. In a joking way, I hope. But those eyes go from confused to warmth I had seen every now and again when I've been with her. She smiles as though knowing and patient, hooking her arm with mine.

"Oh cute little Princess Max, fearing her knight could be consumed by the evil hellish dragon of Arcadia Bay. Fear not my dear, for we have yet to reach the forsaken forest... so this is only the beginning! I may be defeated yet!" She says dramatically as I'm unsure to laugh or feel mocked, "Not gonna lie Princess, I like it when you worry about me." She states smugly as I look to her, "But there's a whole mysterious world ahead of us. It's pretty damn scary... and we'll destroy it all if we have to. Together."

Oh Chloe, no matter what world or time, you've always liked to romanticize everything around us.

"Does that mean I get to be the knight sometimes?" I ask as she immediately snorts and I scoff, "Not cool."

"Come on, like you could be the knight. You're too clumsy." She says as we walk across a park. It seemed really shabby and lonely. I only gave it a moment worth of thought before looking to Chloe.

"Hey- .. well, if I had to, you know... under pressure. I could..." I say awkwardly. Whoa, way to knock em out of the water. Well I guess I could maybe possibly try to attempt giving it a shot at saving you from the dragon if I felt like not tripping over myself and obstacles. Cringe much? No wonder I have rewind powers... so I can make up for all those spilled glasses.

"And that moment of silence we just shared was to look over what you just said and come to an agreement. And the jury decides that... you are forever my Princess." Chloe says.

"Your princess? What happened to no homo?" I ask, amused by her as she turns her head only slightly as though she was going to look to me but hesitates. Her eyes never meet mine as she shrugs and gives her usual breath of who-gives-a-hoot.

"Who cares." She says aloof as she turns only for us to hear a clatter. We both jump slightly, but Chloe is the first to react as she grabs my hand and pulls me to a spot to hide. Her reaction time was always faster than mine. Maybe she really is a better knight than me...

"Damn it Rachel!" A man shouts, clearly at his wit's end. Rachel? Wait ...

There's an awkward silence as everyone seemed to hold their breath in unison. He's an older man, tall, blond, and pink with anger and frustration. He seems out of breath as though he had been on pursuit for a while. He looks around, his angered gaze forming into defeat as he turns and walks off muttering to himself.

I look to the side, seeing Chloe. But not the one I should have seen. Her hair blue, matching her look of melancholy. Rachel Amber. She was her angel. Her words of Rachel had been so deep, so genuine and clear. There was no denying it. Even a skeptic wouldn't stand a chance against her.

Can you believe it? She loved someone, more than you.

Ouch, right where it hurt...

A shadow cast over my eyes before slowly moving passed. It was a hand. I blinked once, then twice and looked to Chloe. Her hair was long and flowing over her shoulders and her eyes still held that wild but at the moment, gentle stare. She raised a brow before frowning.

"Max, if you have an aneurysm on my watch, I'm going to flip some tables."

"Sorry..." I mutter again, as the amount of apologies I mustered every time I spaced out was becoming an abysmal hole of meaningless. I don't know why this is happening, or what I can do about it... but I really wish I could get a break.

Chloe was rightfully not convinced, but her gaze shifted up away from me. She was looking at something, or someone. I hesitated, not wanting to look. I felt as though whatever I was going to see was going to somehow upset me.

"Who are you?" Chloe asked as she tugged me closer as though protectively. I blame her being taller than me. I looked to Chloe from the mid turn I had made as another voice rose. It was soft, but daring. It almost reminded me of Chloe... but somehow seemed sly.

"My name's Rachel... I'm sure you would have guessed from the screaming monolith..." The voice says quietly from behind my gaze. I wanted to look, I had to. And eventually I did. She was almost a spitting image of the Rachel I had seen in the pictures. She just looked a bit younger, but still had a sort of mysterious maturity about her. Despite the elegance of her photos that displayed her wild and flawless form, this was slightly different. Her clothes were a bit dirty, and her hair ruffled and storing a leaf.

As though reading my mind, she seemed to notice the leaf as she took it out with a gentle pinch. It swayed off to the side as she released it. Somehow, it made her look as though she embodied the meaning of graceful, and give you a reason to ignore her imperfections.

"That your dad?" Chloe asked, gesturing to where the man had walked off.

"No." She said smoothly without a skipped beat, before looking to us and our bags, "That's a lot of stuff... where are you running to?" She asked curiously, her eyes peering to me as I couldn't help but be shy. It was her... Rachel. I had only wondered and dreamt of what it would be like to speak with her. This was somehow... intense...

Chloe seemed impressed, "Got all that from back packs?"

"Well, let's just say I've had my experience with similar endeavors." Rachel replied, "What are your names?" She asked, not hiding her curiosity as her eyes kept with Chloe's. They seemed like they were trying to figure each other out with just eye contact. Their presence with one another seemed so strong, so similar. Like two suns trying to see which would falter first. I feel so out of place...

"Chloe." Chloe glances to me as though giving me my cue.

I glanced to the side, muttering my name quietly. Oh god, Rachel's looking at me like I'm an idiot isn't she, "...err, Max..." I mutter louder. Okay, better I guess. But let's just pretend we're not a complete nut job. It's not like she's a zombie. Heck, you've seen Chloe die a dozen times and never acted this weird around her. Just play it cool Max, for once...

"Max and Chloe huh?" She looks between us, as though deciding what role we had in this world before the corner of her lips tugged upward, "You two seem cool. Mind if I tag along?" She says. This seems to raise some flags with me. It couldn't be a good idea, right? It made me uneasy for several reasons. The first being, we just met her. So why would she want to leave with us, two strangers? That's rather suspicious. And also, Chloe and Rachel seem destined to be friends. So I'm not sure why I even doubt this being a good thing.

What's wrong with me...?

"What exactly are you running from?" Chloe asks curiously, distancing herself from me slightly. As she does, I feel like grabbing on to her, but instead I keep my feet firmly in place. I keep feeling like I'm acting like a kid. Oh man, is being here this long making me go back a few years, brain wise? That's confusing.

"I didn't know I had to meet certain criteria." Rachel says with a chuckle as though amused by Chloe as she walks closer. I observe them, expecting Chloe to be snarky. Or give at least an ounce of a smart ass tone.

"Well, it would only make sense if we know more about you. Since, you want to tag along and all." She says, taking the mysterious appearance of Rachel rather well. Maybe I'm being a little over dramatic in the Mad Mind of Max...

"… I'm sure you can piece together at least one thing, since you witnessed that guy being so subtle." She said calmly with a slight wave of her hand, "The grownups just don't get it. They say they care and know better, but they just don't." She says in a factual way, shrugging nonchalantly. She really reminded me of Chloe… it was spooky, "I've been trying to get away, but it's hard… by yourself. Ya know?" She says before looking to us, like we were the last two pieces of her puzzle.

Though I felt she was hoping to use us. I could see that she really meant well. She seemed like someone who probably just didn't have any friends. Or at least, any good friends. I look to Chloe, seeing she has yet to turn to me, but then her eyes glanced to me. Was she looking to me for approval? I was expecting her to just go with it.

I look to Rachel, as she looked to me. She's so cool and so pretty. But she looked at me like she really cared what I thought. This made me feel really good.

"Yeah, you can come with us…" I manage to say. Woo! Way to go! You didn't sound like a complete awkmonster! And you made her smile. More points!

"Well, there you have it. The Pri- .. she's spoken!" Chloe catches herself. I find it odd. Was she embarrassed? Well, maybe it was better not to weird out Rachel… I wonder if she caught that, "I guess we should leave before Frankenstein decides to show up again." Chloe says.

"Sounds like a plan." Rachel laughs slightly, walking beside Chloe and me. She's smiling, clearly feeling good about this. She definitely seemed optimistic, much like Chloe. You know, despite the fact we're three kids who have little to no idea how the world works. I mean, I at least have my experiences retained from my time travel… but I wish I was as high in hopes as them, "So, do you have any idea where you're going from here?"

"Nope, not really." Chloe says bluntly, "We're kind of winging it, to be honest. But we've gotten this far."

"And, how far is that if I may ask?" Rachel asks as Chloe looks to her.

"Well, we live on the other side of town and have been out for a few hours." She says, "Honestly we need to pick up the pace before… someone notices." She says, her voice goes a little quiet at the last part. My thoughts go to Joyce and what she could be, or will be feeling and thinking. I can't recall if Chloe left a note or not. A part of me wished she did, so her mother would at least know someone didn't kidnap us.

"Oh, well… if you need a good place to stay for the night I can hook us up." Rachel says, "I doubt he even noticed I took this." She says slyly, holding up a card. Chloe's eyes go wide, clearly since she's been trying to get Joyce to trust her with one of those. I gulp slightly, as the color of the credit card reflected the very one my parents had given me. The text my mother sent me in the timeline I had saved William flashed through my mind. Apparently I had been quite a spender… and I seemed so snippy and Victoria. She had been my friend there too. Yikes, I should have gotten red flags about that timeline just from that alone…

"No shit! That's flippin' awesome Rachel." Chloe laughs, clearly growing to like Rachel at a rate I didn't think was possible for Chloe. But as I tried to keep up, I found myself stopping to watch them. Chloe is here. Max is here. Rachel is here. She IS here. That carving in the wall of that building in Chloe's paradise seemed like it had been trying to tell me this was possible. And really, my mind was going crazy over this. Oh, maybe a little too crazy.

"Hey are you alright?" Rachel's voice reached my ears. I blinked, with each image passing through my mind being of the two girls. They were laughing and smiling with each other, sometimes in places I couldn't recognize. They were so good together… so happy. I wasn't there.

"Max…!" I hear Chloe alert me, as I look up slightly and see her in front of me. She's close and looks really worried. She had taken my hands at some point, and I hadn't noticed. I can't seem to speak, as she watches me, "Are you okay?" She asks quietly, as the space between us seemed to lock us away from the rest of the world. Was Rachel still there? I felt slight worry.

"Yeah…" I say quietly. There is a silence as Chloe kept staring into my eyes, and I felt rather embarrassed. I looked down and eventually Chloe released one of my hands.

"We should probably find a place to crash... we've been at it for a while." Chloe said, stepping to the side so we both can see Rachel. My gaze met with Rachel's, as she looked rather concerned.

"… Okay." She says before looking away from us, "There's a place nearby we can go." She says. Chloe starts to walk toward Rachel, but looks to me as I realize she still had my hand in hers. I promptly follow after her. This is going to be a regular thing, isn't it?

For some reason, I'm sure this isn't even the worst of it.

Max is here though.

I'm here.