Reminder: new update schedule aim is bi-monthly on a Sunday.

Chapter Twenty-Three: Interrogation

Max's POV

As much as I thought I might hate the party, I was actually starting to enjoy myself. And while I had been a little unsure about the whole weed and booze thing, it did help take the edge off. Maybe going out once in a while wasn't so bad.

Unexpectedly, Rachel grabbed hold of me. "Whoa, careful. I won't be happy getting a broken nose… and neither will the rest of Blackwell."

"Shit, sorry… got carried away," I muttered, realizing I should have been paying more attention.

"So, you getting carried away equals me almost getting a punch to the face? I'll have to keep that in mind, won't I?" Feeling bad, I averted my eyes. "Geez, Max, don't worry. I'm kidding. If in doubt, I always am."

Sometimes, it was hard to tell when Rachel was joking or not. Still, there had been very few times she'd been genuinely mad at me. "Yeah, I think I've worked that much out."

"Oh, you have, huh? Guess I need to start being a little more… unpredictable." I didn't even get the chance to feel worried about what she may have planned, feeling her lips on mine.

I froze up, the whole thing feeling surreal. We were in the middle of a fucking party, surrounded by people I would have to pass in the hallway, and the most popular girl in school was openly kissing me. That was certain to turn a few heads. I had no idea what to do, panic slowly kicking in as she pulled back. Part of me wanted to rewind, knowing there would be backlash, but… for some reason, I didn't. Instead, I let Rachel grab hold of my wrist and ran like hell out of the pool building, not once looking back.

My heart was racing, mind going at a million miles an hour as we sprinted back to the dorm building. Seriously, why didn't I rewind? Was I just too shocked, everything happening way too fast to react? No, surely something like that would've been an instinctive rewind, no thought required. Or would it?

As I was debating that, we reached Rachel's room and piled in. The blonde exhaled deeply. "Damn, that was a rush. That'll give something for Blackwell to gossip about for the next couple days at least."

Honestly, I didn't really register what she was saying, too busy wondering what was going to happen next. No doubt it would spread like wildfire, especially seeing as how Rachel was at the top of the Blackwell hierarchy… and I was way down the bottom.

"I'm surprised you didn't rewind, you know. Isn't that what you usually do in these situations?" Rachel asked, a hint of accusation in her tone.

"I… am as surprised as you are. It didn't even cross my mind at the time," I admitted shakily.

Rachel gave me a searching stare, deep in thought. "Well, maybe deep down you kind of wanted it to go public instead of hiding it all the time, not very well I might add. I think there were already rumors, even if people didn't believe them."

Maybe… part of me had wanted to let everyone know but I was being a coward, as usual. "You think?"

She actually laughed at that. "Please, there are always rumors where I'm concerned. If I suddenly take an interest in someone, everybody starts theorizing. With snoops around like Juliet and Dana, it's bound to spread around."

"I'm guessing you're not really worried then," I concluded, expecting as much.

"Uh, no. I was seen kissing a hot chick, so what do I have to be worried about? Why, are you?" she returned the question.

"I…" I hesitated, knowing it wasn't worth lying. "Maybe a little?"

"Like I've said before, you'll get mad respect for being able to pin me down," she insisted, trying to reassure me. "Yeah, there might be a few assholes, always are some, but nothing you can't handle. I mean, you're probably the only person I know who's slapped Victoria Chase and gotten away with it."

"Only because I rewound…" I reminded her, feeling a little lame.

"Still, the fact you actually did it in the first place was awesome. As sad as I am to have missed it, even the mental image alone is enough. You might not think it, but you have some serious balls, Caulfield." Offering me a smile, she continued. "And I'm hella impressed."

"Hella?" I questioned.

"It's a Cali thing… and something Chloe liked to say, too. Guess I have to take the blame for that one…" She sighed softly, bouncing back from her moment of sad reflection. "Anyway, I know you're tough and powered up. So, you don't even need to worry. Besides, you have me around to protect you. Although, you don't need it. Somehow, I can't really picture you as a damsel in distress, especially with your power. More like the one doing the saving."

"Well, I dunno… in the past, I've always been the one who needed saving. Just ask… Chloe…" Saying her name hurt, the familiar pang of guilt. While she was missing, I was out partying… World's greatest detective...

"I will, if…" she stopped mid-sentence, shaking her head. "No, when we find her."

"You sound so confident all of a sudden," I observed, wondering what got into her.

She shrugged. "What can I say? I think whatever happens, you'll find a way to bring her back. Kicking and screaming if you have to."

I could only hope that option was possible.

Rachel's Room - Early Afternoon

I woke up late the next day, the party last night taking its toll. All the excitement was too much, and maybe I was trying to hide from the consequences of the very public kiss Rachel snuck on me. I seriously didn't want to face anyone after that, not until the heat had died down. So, that meant avoiding everyone until at least Monday. That would be… interesting.

Rachel was still fast asleep, her grip on me surprisingly strong in her sleep, legs tangled up with mine. It almost felt like I was some kind of teddy bear to snuggle up to. Not that I really minded. At least I actually managed to stay in bed properly, unlike when I had slept over at Chloe's. She sure wasn't a still sleeper, stealing blankets and space. What I wouldn't give for that struggle now just so she could be here…

Sighing, I tried to detach myself from the blonde's grip with limited success the first few times. Each time I moved, she seemed to grip on tighter. Part of me had to wonder if she was actually asleep at this point.

"Rach? You up?" I asked, a little dazed myself.

"Nope," she mumbled into my shoulder.

"Liar," I scoffed playfully. "C'mon, I need to get up."

Her arms and legs clamped around me, completely restricting movement. "No you don't. You just need to stay here and be my hot water bottle."

"Well, I need to go take those dresses back for one, and go see Kate about the work you made me miss," I pointed out with a sigh.

That didn't seem to register as a good reason to let me go. "Pfft, dresses can wait. And work can, too."

Realizing that I wasn't getting anywhere, I pulled out a sneaky rewind. This time, I didn't hold back twisting from her hold right from the get go. She didn't seem too happy by my eventually successful escape, narrowing hazel eyes sleepily.

"I'll get you back for that, Caulfield… after I'm actually awake." Not putting up a further fight, she let her head rest on the pillow again.

Shaking my head, I snuck down the hallway to my room to get dressed, then darted over to Kate's after confirming she was around over text. I had a near miss with Juliet, inspiring a panic rewind. Out of all the people I could bump into now, she would probably be the worst.

Fortunately, Kate answered her door pretty damn quickly once I'd knocked. She invited me to sit while she grabbed the notes she'd made for me in our shared classes. I knew I could rely on her. Not wanting to leave straight away, I accepted her offer of tea. It would help me wake up, too.

I thanked her for the cup, the bed dipping as she sat beside me. She was quiet for a second or two, considering something. "So, I… heard about the party last night."

"Oh…" My hand tightened around the cup in my hands, a little worried at what she might have heard. "Guess I'm not really that surprised."

She took a tactical sip to bide herself some time. "Want to talk about it?"

"Do you?" I countered weakly.

Offering a gentle smile, she nodded. "Of course, Max. You're my friend. I'd rather hear it from you than somebody who just wants to cause a fuss."

Exhaling deeply, I worked up the resolve to tell her. "Okay, well… I think maybe you already kinda guessed before but… Rachel and me are… honestly, I'm not sure what's going on there."

"But there's something going on, right?" she prompted, expression hard to read.

With no real point of denying it now, I gave in. "Yeah, there is. I don't really know what to think about it sometimes… especially when I suspect that maybe her and Chloe had something going on before she… disappeared."

Her face softened, sympathetic. "Ah, I see. That sounds… complicated."

"Just a little," I agreed.

There were a few seconds of silence before Kate spoke again. "Do you want to, you know, be with her like that?"

"I mean, it's not like I don't want to. I just don't really understand it all," I admitted, still trying to work it all out in my own head. "Not like I've known her that long but… we're so different. Sometimes, I wonder if she's just with me so she can play around with my powers."

Shaking her head, Kate put a hand on my shoulder to comfort me. "Oh Max, I'm sure that's not it. You have a lot more going for you than just that. You're smart, kind, talented, funny and pretty… a lot of other things that it would take me a good day to list, too."

That made me smile, temporarily forgetting my worries. "Glad I can rely on my own personal cheerleader to cheer me up. I guess I just feel like we're from different planets sometimes."

"While I don't know her that well, she does seem…" the blonde paused, searching for the right words, "...unreachable sometimes."

"If she hadn't come to me, none of this would have happened. I definitely couldn't have strolled up to her and just… talked. Not like she did." I had a long way to go before I even stood a chance of measuring up to her confidence.

"We're all different, Max," Kate replied softly. "And that's not a bad thing."

I appreciated the sentiment but still… "Sometimes, I just wonder what I'm missing out on because I don't have the confidence, you know."

"Believe me, I know." She glanced over to her window, eyes darting back to me. "Yes, you might miss out on one thing, but you gain something else in return as a rule for going down a different path. Or sometimes, it all leads to the same outcome regardless."

And maybe sometimes one little difference can change everything.

Late Afternoon

After catching up with Kate, I'd traveled into town to return the dresses we had… borrowed. I still felt a little bad about it, better now they had been safely returned. I wondered if I had let her whether Rachel would've kept the dress. Of course, I could never do that. The second I started using my powers like that, where would I draw the line?

Now I was here, I decided to go to the Two Whales for a while. Joyce should be working today, so I might have the chance to catch up with her. With Chloe missing, we both needed each other.

As I walked into the diner, Joyce spotted me almost instantly. "Max, fancy seeing you here."

"Hi, Joyce," I greeted, returning her smile. "I was passing by. Thought I'd stop in for a while."

"Honey, no need to justify it to me." She guided me to my usual booth, getting some strong coffee. "How're you feeling?"

Taking a sip of the steaming black liquid, I thought about the answer I should give. Truthfully, I felt… kind of lost. What with Chloe, my rewind, Blackwell drama, and Rachel… "Tired, but could be worse."

That made her laugh. "I hear that." She glanced around, eyes settling on me. "I'm surprised. Thought Rachel might be with you."

"Oh, uh… she was… busy," I lied unconvincingly.

Raising an eyebrow, she stared me down. "You two seem… close."

"I… guess so," I replied hesitantly, wondering what exactly she was getting at.

Again, Joyce chuckled. "Oh Max, sweetie. You need to practice your poker face. I've been living with an adept liar for years." A flicker of sadness filtered through, shaken off. "So, what's going on with you two? I mean, I can take a decent guess."

Shuffling uncomfortably, I had a feeling she was referring to the hickey which had decorated my neck the last time I came. It was almost like she could read my mind, pluck out my admittedly weak lies.

"I… yeah, we're… close," I stuttered, making it sound so much worse for myself.

Curiosity seemingly sated, she smirked. "I see. Rachel is a pretty girl, and so are you."

"If you say so, Joyce," I muttered self-consciously.

"I do," she insisted. "You can't knock the infallible Price logic, as… Chloe seemed to think." With a sigh, her expression shifted to something much sadder. "What I wouldn't give to see her barge through that door demanding food…"

"Yeah, me too, Joyce." Right now, I could handle being glared and shouted at if it meant I knew she was okay.

The older woman glanced out of the window. "Between you and me, Max... I wouldn't be surprised if…" Joyce faltered, temporarily losing her composure, "...if one of the long line of people she's pissed off had a hand in her disappearance."

David's files had seemed to suggest that. "How do you mean?"

"Chloe, she… liked to push the boundaries. A lotta people didn't like that. Hell, I don't even know what she was up to ninety percent of the time. It scared me then, scares me even more now. She's gotten in so many fights over the years, borrowed and stolen, and..." The sentence remained unfinished.

"If she's out there, I will find her, Joyce," I added with immense determination.

For whatever reason, she seemed to believe me. Maybe because she was running out of options. "I know."

One thing she didn't know that swung this all in my favor… I had time on my side.