Chapter Eighteen: Mystery Inc.
Rachel's POV - Rachel's Dorm Room - Two Days Later, After Class
Max had been acting so strangely after going to Chloe's house, when her powers had a major freak out. For some reason, it felt like she had been trying to avoid me. Something I didn't really appreciate. I had no idea what was going on with her and she kept the explanation way too vague last time for me to make a proper guess. Evidently, something to do with me.
Whatever was going on, I had to get to the bottom of it… and fast. I'd come too far now to let all my hard work go to waste. Especially considering how close it was to the Vortex Club party, where I planned to push my luck just a little. I would be in my element, while Max would be on the back foot slightly. With her powers, I had to gain any advantage possible while I could.
Not even bothering to warn her - I didn't want to give her a chance to conveniently disappear - I headed to her room. On my way, I spotted Victoria returning to her dorm room with her full posse in tow. As she passed, I offered a smug grin. If only I could distill the pure hatred in the glare I got back… whatever Max said about it being cruel, messing with Victoria was one of my favorite pastimes. After all the shit she had given me and Chloe, not to mention so many other people, it made blackmailing her so satisfying. I had to take advantage of it while it lasted.
With the mini-standoff ending once Victoria and her minions – who gave me equally scathing glares although not quite as intense as their blonde leader – moved on, I pushed my way into Max's room without knocking. It was dark, the blinds drawn. My eyes settled on the bed, finding her asleep with David's file and a bunch of papers surrounding her. She really was intent on finding Chloe, it seemed.
Smirking, I took a quick picture for posterity's sake and approached her sleeping form. Now, time to have some fun… Quickly, I gathered up all the papers and stacked them on the desk - Max would probably not be too happy if I messed those up - before testing out just how ticklish she was. It took me all of three seconds to find out, the answer being very.
Still dazed from sleep with her eyes tight shut, she batted away my hand. "Lay off it, Chloe…"
Not all that surprised by the mistake, I sat down on the edge of the bed. "Nope, guess again."
"Rach? What…" she muttered sleepily, blue eyes opening slowly as her sentence was lost to a yawn.
"I'm kinda offended you'd be calling out the name of another girl. Honestly…" I teased lightly, giving her a gentle nudge. "Guess I can forgive you this time."
"Sorry, guess I'm still out of it from reading David's file like a million times." She blinked a few times, rubbing her eyes before going to sit up.
When I noticed her shuffling, I firmly pushed her back down. "Ah-ah, who said you could go anywhere yet. We have something to talk about first."
"Oh, r-really?" she managed, visibly swallowing.
"Yes, and don't even think about using that rewind of yours." As I said that, Max looked guilty like she had been planning on doing just that. "It's been lonely without you around, Max. So, what gives? If I've done something to piss you off, just say. I can take it."
"No, it's… not that. I just…" she stammered, letting out a huge sigh.
"I'm guessing it has something to do with the other day round at Chloe's, right?" I theorized, already pretty sure I was right in my assumptions.
For a second, it looked like she was going to try and deny it, ultimately deciding that her lie wouldn't be convincing enough to fool me. "Maybe… the fast forward thing just freaked me out, is all."
While I suspected that was part of the reason behind her standoffish behavior, there was definitely more to it… and Max sure as hell didn't hide it well. "Girl, there's something else going on. I don't know what exactly, but you've been acting weird and using that as an excuse won't cut it. If it does involve me, I have a right to know."
"But…" she began, faltering as she met my no-nonsense stare. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Not gonna be easy to explain."
"Try me," I challenged.
After a few moments of hesitant lip biting, she gave up her evasion attempt. "When we were up in Chloe's room and you were… I dunno, I guess I panicked and triggered this weird fast forward thing. Everything went crazy and… way too fast. Before things got too out of hand, I managed to slow it down and rewind. So yeah, it scared me a bit and because of that, I've been avoiding it… well, you."
Admittedly, I was curious for more detail but decided against pressing on information Max almost definitely wouldn't divulge. "And you really thought ignoring the problem would help?"
"No, I knew it wouldn't but…" she paused, guilt slowly consuming her expression. "It was the same with Chloe. Out of sight, out of mind… until one day it comes back to bite you in the ass."
Shaking my head, I laid down beside her and pulled her into a hug. "Listen, Max. Please don't hide things from me, okay. I was worried that you might hate me, that I'd said or done something really bad."
After a moment or two, I felt her hug me back, head buried into my shoulder. "Sorry. I'm just a coward…"
"Well, there are things we can do to break that habit. Nothing sinister, I promise. Just a little harmless fun. It also gives us a chance to test out your powers some more. And now you've had a nap, seems like the perfect time to me." Without waiting for a reply, I dragged her to her feet.
She didn't even protest, letting me guide her over to the door. For the moment, passive compliance would suffice. Before we left my room, I gave a slight smile and put my hands on her shoulders, holding her in place. "Now, before you start with the protests, just hear me out."
"So, whatever you're about to suggest I'm not gonna like, am I?" she asked, already pulling a pre-emptive face of disapproval.
Shaking my head, I prepared for at least a small battle of Max's morals vs. my persuasiveness. "Well, I think you'll get a rush once you actually do it. Getting past those almost unbending morals of yours is the only catch. And no, it's not really bad. Nobody will get hurt or anything. Just a fun little exercise."
Uncertain, she gave a tentative reply. "At the risk of regretting answering… what did you have in mind?"
"Just a little…" I paused, trying to think of the best way to put it to get her interested but not immediately shooting it down, "...Blackwell treasure hunt, we'll call it. Everybody has their secrets and quirks, and I'm very curious to uncover them or at least, confirm a few rumors."
Her eyes met mine, trying to dig for a deeper explanation without directly asking. "This is sounding very ominous already…"
Now was the time to really hammer it home, apply pressure. "Oh come on, don't you ever find yourself curious about other people's lives? What makes them tick? Their guilty pleasures? Things they'd rather you never see?"
"Well, yeah it's only natural," she agreed, however reluctantly. "But… there's usually a reason people don't want you to see it."
Already, I knew she had a healthy - some might suggest overt - curiosity. Now was the time to tease it out. "Not always a good one, Max. Arcadia is full of deep, dark secrets. Just like anywhere else. And some not so dark ones, too. To stay ahead of the game, you need to know as much as possible about what's going on around you."
Thinking it over for a second or two, she shrugged lightly. "And how do you actually propose on doing that?"
I allowed myself a small smile; I had her interest now. "By using your power to snoop around a little. You can go anywhere, do anything and never get caught. Don't you realize how amazing that is?"
"Or intrusive," she muttered.
Maybe it was time for a different approach, one I saved as a trump card. "Think about it like this, you could find out what any asshole you wanted around here has to do with Chloe going missing. And, they would never even know you're investigating them. You could get into people's dorms, the Principal's office, security… the possibilities are endless. You do want to find her, right?"
"Of course I do," she replied without hesitation.
"So, here's your chance to find out things even David can't uncover," I insisted firmly now I'd found something to latch onto. "As much as he might want to, he can't just barge into student dorms like he owns the place. But you can. And he's done all the work gathering suspects."
"You included," the brunette reminded, clearly not sure what to think about that.
"Yeah, well, you can interrogate me all you like, Caulfield. I might need a little… persuading to make all my secrets tumble out," I added with a coy smile, diverting the attention from myself. "Seriously though, there are plenty of places to start. Wells, for one. God knows what he's hiding and his reluctance to investigate is suspicious. Then you've got Victoria, although I think she was just trying to threaten you when she mentioned Chloe before. And I wouldn't be surprised if Nathan knew something, since his family practically own this shithole. To name but a few."
"David mentioned Frank Bowers, too," she recalled, frowning slightly.
"Of course he did," I muttered, more to myself than Max. David was obsessed with drugs, the first accusation he made would often be related to that. "Listen, Max, Frank's a decent guy for the most part. Bit of a temper, but I don't think he'd be capable of hurting anyone, unless threatened himself."
"The file said that she owed him money," Max added worriedly.
I could practically see the worst case scenarios forming in her head, deciding to ease her concerns. "Max, Chloe owed everybody money. And it wouldn't do Frank any good to seriously hurt her or whatever is running through that mind of yours. He definitely wouldn't get his loan back that way. Trust me, he should be low on the list of people to investigate. At most, he might make a few empty threats."
In fact, Frank might be one of the better sort living in Arcadia… which admittedly wasn't saying a lot. Pompidou, his rescued fighting dog, was about the only thing he really cared for. He had his problems, but nothing compared to other residents.
"You seem to know him well," she observed, searching for further explanation.
I chuckled at her curiosity. "Well, he is the only dealer in Arcadia. Where else am I gonna get my weed? You don't want to end up like David, so suspicious of everyone that you can't narrow it down."
"I guess not," she conceded, not seeming overly convinced but enough to drop the subject for now. "So, what? We just go ahead and break into everyone's dorm rooms, and Principal Wells office? Because that'll end well."
"You make it sound so criminal…" I sighed melodramatically at her continued resistance. "Like I said, you have mad powers. We won't get caught, so don't even worry about it. And we're only going to be looking at the people who matter."
Rubbing the back of her neck, she averted her gaze. "You're relying on me a lot, you know."
"I have faith in you. We've already seen your magic in action, so we know it can be done. And if you humor me, I might have something in mind to return the favor," I added with a flirtatious smirk to sweeten the deal.
When she didn't say anything, I took her silence as a sign that she was on board. Checking the coast was clear, we headed across the hall to Victoria's room - one I was getting quite used to entering in, mostly uninvited or begrudgingly if I was allowed inside.
"Now, first off we've gotta check the Queen Bitch of Blackwell isn't here," I announced, not hearing any sound from behind the door like there usually was when Victoria was around. "I think she's hanging out with her clones, but best to check. So, when you're ready, go waltz in there."
I gave her an encouraging shove, and then a playful tap on her ass as she got in range. That made her jump, head swiveling to face me with a confused blush working its way across her freckled face.
"Sorry, couldn't help myself," I grinned, not sorry at all.
More guarded this time, she turned away and after some hesitation pushed on Victoria's door. It creaked open, revealing an empty room. I watched her shoulders slump alongside a sigh of relief at not being caught red-handed sneaking into another student's dorm without invitation. Before someone could come along and bust us, I shepherded her inside and shut the door again.
"See? Easy," I whispered softly, sticking close to her. "Now, let's find out some of Victoria's secrets."
I took one side while Max took the other, both of us carefully searching her drawers, closet, and desk. I rifled through her clothes, debating whether I could 'borrow' an item without her knowing. Honestly, in this sea of fabric she might not even notice. Instead of following through, I made a mental note to perhaps test my theory out later once Max was less concerned about the moral consequences of her actions.
Looking over at the couch, I noticed the girl in question practically drooling over the very expensive camera lying on the couch. When she caught me staring, she moved on but still passed a lingering glance at the high tech photo equipment. Smiling, I shifted over to the huge flat screen TV, yet another thing I caught Max eyeing up. Personally, I was much more interested in the contents of the chest of drawers it was balanced on.
Rubbing my hands together, I opened drawer after drawer. Just as expected, Victoria had a lot of expensive, designer brand underwear, bras, even socks. I couldn't help but let my mind wander, imagining her in the lacier numbers. Had to hand it to her, she would look stunning if a little intimidating. Or maybe she was the type to get flustered, when she was alone and the mask crumbled.
Curiosity sated, I moved on to the desk beside, finding a printer and some flyer for the upcoming Vortex Club party. On the chest of drawers/bookcase combo in the far left-hand corner, there was some kind of figure perched on top.
"Nerd alert," I muttered under my breath with a smirk.
As much as Victoria pretended otherwise, she seemed to have her guilty pleasures. Finally, I came to her laptop which Max was already searching through. She was deep in the investigation, totally oblivious to her surroundings as she scrolled through various pages and tabs.
I came up behind her, closing the distance so my mouth was close to her ear. "Found anything?" Disappointingly, she didn't even react. I suspected foul play. "Damn it, Max. Why rewind away my fun?"
"Because… your 'fun' can get… out of hand," she countered, looking a little flustered all of a sudden.
"Ooooh, did something happen, then?" I teased lightly, pressing into her back more and penning her in with my hands firmly placed on the desk.
"I… never said that…" she stuttered, not fooling anybody. "But, I've found a couple things. Most of which just confirms that Victoria hated Chloe's guts and vice versa. Not enough to pin this on her or anything."
Keeping the closeness, I leaned forward to rest my chin on her shoulder, putting a hand over hers on the touchpad as Victoria's social media page came into view. There were a few insulting comments on posts from Chloe, alongside some threatening private messages. Chloe and I took great delight in goading her, a fun way to burn some time. In my experience, Victoria was always up for a fight. Aside from that, there was very little related to our mutual blue-haired friend.
Before we could look much further, Max grabbed hold of my wrist and practically dove into the closet. I was caught off guard by the sudden move, taking a moment to reorient myself. The closets at Blackwell were definitely not designed as hiding spots, let alone for two people. It was a very tight squeeze, especially amongst the clothes.
Footsteps shuffled, something heavy dropped to the floor accompanied by several voices – belonging to Victoria, Taylor, and Courtney.
"What is wrong with you recently?" One voice, most likely Taylor, demanded.
Another - by process of elimination Courtney - provided backup. "Yeah, you've been acting so strange."
"I've already told you, it's none of your concern," Victoria snapped back, the creak of bedsprings suggesting she had sat down.
"But it is," Taylor insisted firmly. "We're supposed to be your friends."
"Even if you don't always treat us like that," Courtney muttered.
This was met with an aggressive, "And what the fuck is that supposed to mean?"
Tension increasing, Taylor intervened. "What Courtney means is that we just want you to trust us, like we trust you. That's all."
"We're just worried," her friend reiterated, not wanting to piss Victoria off further.
Silence followed, finally broken by the queen bee. "I… I don't want to talk about it now. Maybe… maybe some other time. I just need to figure a few things out for myself first."
"Well, we're here when you need us," Courtney reassured softly.
"Like you were with my mom," Taylor added, voice thick with emotion.
It was hard to see what they were doing, but it seemed like they were in no hurry to leave.
"Doesn't look like they'll be moving for a while," I muttered under my breath, just loud enough for Max to catch. "Fast forward time?"
"I…" Whatever she was about to say, I interrupted with a quiet and brief kiss.
"If you don't… I might have to start making some noise… or I'll get you making some." As I said this, I slide my hands into the back pockets of her jeans and lightly pressed my lips to her neck.
She tensed, not really able to escape me like this without bailing out right into the lion's den. If she could've rewound far enough back for us to leave before Victoria arrived, she would have done it already. There seemed to be a limit on how far back she could go. All she could do now to avoid detection was go forward.
"Fine, just… gimme a minute," she mumbled reluctantly and I backed off, waiting.
Her expression became focused, the air feeling a little warmer and slightly charged. Suddenly, my mind flashed with images of the possible future - or maybe futures - we had skipped over, not like last time where it had been such a seamless transaction I hadn't even noticed. Maybe it was because Max was consciously evoking her fast forward this time, or because this was more than a few seconds at a time and I was so close. Whatever the reason, it felt really weird.
Eventually, the feeling faded, world jarring back to a stop as Max slumped against me. "And I thought my rewind was a mind fuck…" she muttered into my shoulder.
"Max, that was fucking insane. I felt it this time. Saw it." Knowing she could time travel was one thing, experiencing it myself even in a small way like this was off the chain.
"Believe me, it's pretty fucking crazy for me too," she admitted, rubbing her temples. "Jeez, wish it didn't feel like my skull's about to get crushed. Should pass in a few."
Keeping her supported, I cautiously poked my head out to find Victoria and her posse gone. "Looks like it did the trick."
Knowing this, I helped Max out of the closet and over to the bed to sit for a bit while she recovered. I could smell the faint scent of Victoria's perfume lingering on the air and the sheet still warm from where she had been sitting. A few moments later and Max seemed much better, not pale as a ghost anymore. Well, no more than usual at least.
"I guess experiencing something I haven't seen yet is harder than going over something I already have," Max managed, getting to her feet.
I used the opportunity to keep it intimate, letting her rest against me while she found her feet. "Seems so. I'm sure you'll adjust eventually. Might take some practice."
"Or a lot…" she corrected as we headed outside, still leaning some of her weight against me. Less than before, though. "Think I'll hold off for a while until I use it again, if possible."
"I bet you'll be a time pro before you know it," I reassured, really hoping that would be the case. That really would make life interesting. "So, ready to keep going?"
Max was quiet for a second or two, thinking over her options. "Well, we didn't find much in Victoria's room… I kinda want to come away with something."
"That's the spirit. Next stop, good old Principal Wells' office," I announced, excited to see how the rest of our investigation would play out.
Next time, investigation part 2 from Max's POV.