Hey guys, welcome back. Another shift to Max for this one, see how she feels about all this.

Chapter Nine: Consequence Free

Max's POV

The second I snapped the photo, I burst out of the closet and made a move for the door. This was insane. Even though Rachel had briefed me on her plan, watching it take shape before my eyes was… I couldn't have ever prepared myself. That same rush flooded through my body, even stronger than before. My heart was still racing as I shoved the photo in my bag, rewinding until I could see Rachel back outside. Before she had the chance to knock, I grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the door.

She seemed confused for just a second, her eyes lighting up with anticipation. "You get it?"

I looked around to make sure nobody was watching us. "Not here."

Shrugging, she led the way back to her room. Taking up a spot on the bed, she patted the space beside her. "Come on, show me the goods." Hesitantly taking her up on the offer, I sat down and handed her the photo. "Holy shit! This is… I think I might have to frame this."

She passed it back to me and I got the chance to see it properly for the first time. Despite the nerves, it had come out pretty well. You could clearly see who was involved. From an outsider's perspective, it would look like… well… a blush crept onto my cheeks as I thought about that.

"No need to be embarrassed about it, Max. You should be glad I only suggested a kiss. I could have gone way further, made it first class blackmail material." Rachel threw a sly grin my way. "Now I've got a taste, I might want more anyway. Being photographed while doing that kind of thing… that could be interesting."

"You are…" I stumbled over my words, not sure how to finish that particular sentence.

"Chill out, Max. I'm joking," she said before adding as an afterthought, "Mostly. I'm open."

"Ugh, please can we stop talking about this…" I begged, feeling my cheeks heat up.

She just shrugged. "Suit yourself. Anyway, we have some really good stuff to work with here."

Almost afraid to ask, I posed the obvious question to change the subject. "What are you gonna do with it?"

"Simple, if Victoria doesn't want this little affair blown out of proportion, she'll behave herself from now on. This and the video of her bullying Kate, even she wouldn't survive both a hit to her academic and social rep. If she doesn't comply, it'll still be fun. She can say whatever she wants, but like I said we have proof now." She held up the picture with a smile. "I'll keep this back for the time being, let it settle. Victoria can pretend she's in charge for a little while longer. The second she tries to fuck with anyone and BAM, out comes the evidence. Shouldn't take her long."

I let out a deep sigh, still feeling my heart racing at like a million miles an hour. "I still can't believe that happened."

"You aren't the only one. Max, this is amazing." She smiled at me, totally in awe. "You need a medal or something."

"I do accept cash prizes," I added wryly.

She chuckled at that. "Can't help you much there, but… there might be something else I can offer."

The way she was looking at me right now made me feel a little uneasy. "Dare I ask?"

"Close your eyes," she demanded, her expression saying that she would not take no for an answer.

"Am I going to regret this?" I asked, very conflicted about this.

Her eyes flickered with mischief. "Who knows?"

Rolling my eyes, I complied. Worst case scenario, I could rewind. Once my eyes were closed, I felt something on my cheek. Something soft. When I opened my eyes again, Rachel was grinning. "See, nothing unpleasant. Consider that a thank you." I reached up to touch my cheek, my fingers coming back coated in some kind of lip gloss. "Shame it's not permanent, huh? A lot of people would pay good money for that kind of thanks."

"I… uh…" I really wasn't sure how to feel about what just happened. It could mean a lot of things, most of which probably weren't true.

"I personally hope I find more reasons to thank you." Rachel leaned in closer to my ear, warm breath tickling as she whispered, "The bigger, the better."

It was getting harder and harder to tell if she was just messing with me or… the second option was never going to happen. That much I was certain of, or I had been until now. The way she was looking at me right now threw me, her face still very close to mine. After some time, she patted my cheek and pulled back.

Rachel gave me a grin I couldn't quite work out. "I have a feeling things are going to get very interesting around here, and you'll be at the center of it all. I look forward to seeing what you have to offer, Max."

The Next Day – Morning

When I woke up the next morning, I was once again in Rachel's room. I couldn't even remember falling asleep or staying long enough to fall asleep. Weird. At this rate, I'd be more familiar with Rachel's dorm room than my own. Surprisingly, I didn't mind that as much as I thought I would. Maybe having Victoria Chase directly opposite me in the hallway had something to do with that. Also… Rachel was kinda fun to be around, reckless sure, but that was half the fun. It sort of reminded me of how Chloe used to be, always looking for trouble. Around Rachel, that trait had probably only gotten stronger. Yesterday proved that much.

I still couldn't believe I had been roped into something like that. Totally crazy… and a pretty big rush too. Rachel sure as hell didn't do half measures. For all she knew, I could've been making the whole thing up or unconsciously deluded myself into thinking I could rewind time, stress from the accident maybe. Either of those would have been very valid assumptions. She hadn't even questioned it, potentially risked getting kicked out or worse. That was an awful lot of trust she had put in me and I really didn't know why. Was it because I had been friends with Chloe? Even that seemed unlikely. I could imagine Chloe hadn't cast me in the best light over the years, not that I could blame her. So… why?

I almost yelped when Rachel suddenly grabbed me, her arms and legs wrapping around me like a vice. In my deep thought, I hadn't even realized she was awake. "Mornin' Max."

Exhaling to calm my nerves, I mumbled, "Holy shit, you scared me."

"Come on, I'm not scary. There are much better words to use than that to describe me. I could list a few if you wanted." From her tone, I could tell she was plotting to embarrass me with that little exercise.

"No thanks," I instantly declined, "I can see that taking a sudden turn."

She let out a soft chuckle, her mouth very close to my ear. "At least it got you thinking. If being in foreign territory scares you so much, next time we'll have to host the sleepover in your room."

Very aware of the close proximity, I swallowed and cleared my throat. "I think yours is better suited for sleepovers."

"You're quite welcome to stay whenever you like, Max. I appreciate the company." She whispered that last past, sending an involuntary shiver down my spine as warm breath hit my skin.

Not sure how to reply to that, I settled on, "I'll, uh, keep that in mind."

"You'd better. I'm starting to get used to having a snuggle buddy." To demonstrate her point, Rachel gave me a light squeeze.

My earlier mini-internal comparison between Rachel and Chloe's love of risk got me thinking. Just what was Rachel to Chloe and vice versa? She hadn't really talked much about it. "This might seem sudden, but I… did you know Chloe well? You guys were friends, right? I've been wondering about it."

"More or less," she replied, keeping it vague.

"What do you mean?" I asked, trying to twist back to look at her, not the most comfortable position.

She sighed, loosening her hold enough for me to turn around and face her. "It's… a little complicated, but just think of us as friends."

There was obviously more to it than that, but Rachel didn't seem forthcoming with extra detail. Instead, I used it as an opportunity to ask more questions. "What was she like?"

"Now that's a question." Rachel smiled, tinged with sadness. "Best summary, a punk ass rebel without a cause."

"Sounds a bit familiar. She always had a problem with authority even as a kid. Always testing the rules," I revealed, losing count of how many times Chloe had pushed the boundaries.

"Guess she didn't change much there, except the scale. She had…" Rachel hesitated, clearly trying to find the right words, "…a lot of problems. Got angry easily, didn't really trust anyone and got jealous very quickly. She also had her good days, fun and daring. That wild side got us both in trouble more times than I can count. Not that I can talk."

I nodded, again recognizing some of those traits in early-teens Chloe. "She's always been a trouble maker."

"She got a tattoo, you know. Hold on, let me try to find a decent pic." Rachel got up and began scanning the walls for a good enough photo, plucking one down and handing it to me. "Full sleeve. Half measures never suited her."

I lightly traced the pattern, fingertips following the ink. "I'm not surprised she ended up getting one, or dying her hair blue."

"She talked about it for ages, had a streak done first before she went all in. I think she did it mostly to piss David off, same with the tat." That made Rachel smirk fondly. "One way of getting back at him. It sure worked, too."

The tattoo on Rachel's wrist caught my eye then. Now seemed as good a time as any to ask her about it. "I noticed you have one, too."

"Not just one. Have the star on my left wrist," she held it up to demonstrate, mischief flickering in her hazel eyes, "and the other one… I'll leave you to guess what and where."

Sometimes, I really couldn't tell if she was just messing with me or being serious. "I hope you're not saying what I think you're saying."

"Want me to show you?" Rachel asked, voice low almost seductive.

Yesterday's events running through my mind, I decided to take the risk already feeling the familiar increase in heart rate and promise of an adrenaline kick. "Damn my curiosity… fine."

I braced myself for the worst, relieved when Rachel rolled up her right pants leg to reveal a large dragon on her calf. "There you have it. You seem surprised, and relieved. Where did you think I had it?" She grinned evilly, knowing the possible answer already.

I turned my head away slightly, defiant. "I am not going to dignify that with an answer."

That made her laugh. "Well, ain't that cute. These two hurt enough without me considering other more sensitive places. I might be tough, but damn it hurt like a bitch. Worth it, though. I'm guessing you don't have any yourself."

It was my turn to laugh, the notion so ridiculous. "Oh, god no. I'm not good with pain and even if I was, I would have no idea what to get."

"It's better that they mean something, sure," Rachel agreed, shifting slightly. "Don't want to be regretting it later down the line. They don't come cheap and aren't easy to get rid of."

"Do you regret getting yours?"

She shook her head, answering instantly, "No way. Then again, I rarely regret anything. It's best to keep looking forward, much easier. So, you make a few mistakes, big deal. We can all go around, moaning about how unfair it all is. Not much you can do about it, well… you might be able to now, what with your rewind – which I am still trying to get my head around, by the way."

"Join the club," I muttered to myself. All of this was so bizarre. Trying to make sense of it was pointless.

"Just imagine all the shit you could do with it…" Rachel really seemed to be considering all the different possibilities. "Nobody would even stand a chance against you. You could do anything you wanted to literally anyone. No consequences."

"I don't know if it works like that."

"In films and shit maybe, where the aim is to create drama," she responded excitedly. "Real life, though, that's a total unknown."

"All the more reason to be careful," I reminded her. Whether time travel worked the same as in films or not, it was better to be safe than sorry.

Rachel rolled her eyes in disapproval at my caution. "Pfft, Max come on. You've been given this awesome power and you're telling me you're not going to use it. Ever."

"I never said that, I just… think I need to use it sparingly." The whole Victoria incident proved that there were some situations that required a rewind. So long as they were few and far between, it should be okay.

"We'll see what happens, won't we? In the meantime," Rachel paused while she quickly checked her phone, "we'd better get our asses to class. Teachers are really hot on attendance for the first few weeks."

"Yeah, I also want to quickly check in on Kate, see if she's doing okay after yesterday." I had to admit, I was worried for her. She seemed really shaken. At least if it happened again, we had some blackmail material as a preventative measure. Hopefully, it wouldn't come down to that.

"We can escort her to class," Rachel suggested as she sat up. "I don't think Victoria's gonna pull anything yet. Give it a few days."

Shuffling over to the edge of the bed, I stood up. "Sounds good. I'll go get changed and grab Kate then, if she's still here."

"She should be. We still have like half an hour before classes start. It's a shame we only share photography." Her disheartened expression quickly faded. "Before anybody else claims it, I call dibs on you at lunch. By the fountain. I don't mind if Kate tags along, though. Anyone else can suck it."

"I'll be sure to relay that to whoever tries to steal me away at lunch, aka nobody." With that, I left for my room. Quickly changing into a fresh set of clothes, I went to Kate's room and knocked.

The door opened almost immediately. Kate, who seemed to have a much better morning face than I did, smiled when she saw me. "Hi, Max."

I returned her smile, although mine was probably sleepier. "Hey, Kate. I was just wondering if you wanted to walk to class with me and Rachel. I, uh, wanted to have a quick chat along the way."

"Of course, just let me grab my bag." Kate ducked back into her room and slung her bag over her shoulder before returning. "I'm good to go."

The two of us headed back down to Rachel's room and I knocked on the door. A familiar voice called back instantly. "It's open." I opened the door to see Rachel halfway through changing, searching around her room for a clean top. When she heard the door open, she grinned. "No need to be shy. Nothing you haven't seen before, right?"

I turned my head away, waiting for her to be finished. Knowing where to look, that was the problem. Once or twice, I caught my eyes wandering back to Rachel, immediately looking away again. I could swear that she knew and was dragging it out on purpose. At least Kate hadn't been subjected to that unexpected sight, staying out in the hallway waiting. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally found a shirt, taking her sweet time to get it on. Or maybe that was just in my head. Either way, she was done soon enough and we were on our way to class.

While walking, I turned to Kate. "How are you feeling?"

She thought for a moment, deciding on an answer. "Not too bad, considering. It could have been a lot worse with Victoria if you and Rachel hadn't stepped in."

"Like I said before, Max is the real hero in all this," Rachel mentioned as she threw her arm around my shoulder.

"Yeah, right."

"You are, Max. Don't sell yourself short," Kate insisted, agreeing with Rachel on this.

Rachel got this very smug look on her face. "See, everyone can see it but you. That's a real hero right there."

"Okay, now I know you're messing with me." I really wasn't used to all this attention.

"Would I mess with you, Max?" Rachel asked innocently. When I gave her a skeptical look, she grinned. "Maybe, but not this time."

"I'm definitely not messing with you," Kate reassured before turning the question back on me. "You keep asking me how I feel, but how are you feeling?"

"I'm…" I paused, trying to figure out myself, "okay, more than okay. Yesterday was rough, but it turned out better than I had anticipated."

Kate nodded, seeming relieved but also uneasy. "I just hope Victoria doesn't start planning her revenge."

"Oh, I kinda hope she does," Rachel replied predictably. "Max and I have a plan in place to make that eventuality pretty interesting. You'll have to let us know if she starts harassing you, or anyone for that matter. I am dying to find an excuse to drop this bombshell."

"I'm almost afraid to ask."

Rachel waggled her finger at Kate. "Ah, ah, it's a surprise. One of the best. However this goes down, it will be… legendary. Just how legendary, that's up to Miss Chase herself."

When we made it to the main hallway, we parted ways for the morning. As I was leaving, Rachel shouted after me. "Remember, you're mine at lunch, Caulfield."

I could feel the eyes on me, and hear Rachel laughing away at the embarrassment she had caused. All I could do was keep my head down and head to class, ignoring everyone else around me. My plans to remain invisible seemed impossible by this point.

How long will it take before Victoria exacts her revenge, or at least try to? Will Rachel best her? And what will she do with Max next? Stick around to find out.