This is one of two chapters I've really been looking forward to writing since I started it. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
*WHAM*
Max let out a gasp of air as the pillow hit her stomach hard—she wasn't awake yet, but in a moment she would be.
*WHAM*
*WHAM*
Two more hits of the pillow before Victoria said what was on her mind. "You fucking bitch Max Caulfield, how dare you?"
More hits were attempted but Max was awake enough now to try to fend herself off from the vicious attack Victoria was throwing at her out of seemingly nowhere. Grabbing the pillow as Victoria took another swing, Max finally was able to say a coherent thought.
"What the fuck Victoria?"
When Max actually looked up she could see that Victoria was crying. A few more tugs at the pillow before Victoria let it go and sank into Max's couch.
"People like you are the reason I have to be bitchy all the time. I tried being real to you, honest, letting down my guard with you and you fucking betray me. I thought I could trust you Max, but you're the worst of all of them," Victoria said, tears streaming harder and harder down her face.
Max looked at the tall blonde with a blank stare of confusion. "I've never betrayed you Victoria."
"Bullshit Max, I know you did. Gawd, I feel like such a loser right now. Taylor was right all along."
Max hesitated for a moment but she set the pillow she was still holding aside and crawled down off her bed to approach Victoria slowly.
"What did I do Victoria? I don't even know what's make you flip out."
"Yeah right Max," Victoria said, not looking at the hipster brunette.
You're such an idiot Victoria. Letting Max get to you like this. I mean who the hell does she think she is that she could steal from you and then act like nothing is wrong. I know she acts all aloof but there is something conniving about her.
Max continued moving to sit on the couch with Victoria. "I'm here. Tell me what you think I did and if I'm guilty you can beat the shit out of me, but I swear I didn't do anything that should make you react like this."
Victoria sighed and glared at Max. "You've been hiding stuff from Kate and me Max. Kate and I know that there's parts of your story that don't add up, and you have the audacity to do what you did and still tell me you didn't do anything."
She heard several deep breaths from Max. "You're right Victoria, there's stuff I haven't talked about yet, but I don't even know how to put it into words let alone convey it to someone who had suicidal thoughts, or someone who just a few days ago seemed to hate my guts."
The glaring continued. "That may be well and true Max, and I can understand that you aren't ready to talk about the last few days yet, but what about the stealing?"
This seemed to catch Max off guard. "I've not stolen anything Victoria."
Victoria got up off the couch and went over to Max's bad on her desk. "I was looking through this while you were still sleeping…"
"WHAT?" Max said, looking a little mad.
"Don't you what me you little lying, backstabbing thief." Victoria reached her hand into the bag and pulled out her gold bracelet that she always wore.
Max looked at Victoria still a little confused.
"Don't give me that look Max," Victoria said, her voice close to breaking as more tears started falling. "I got this gold bracelet from my grandpa Chase for my sixteenth birthday, a week before he passed away. It used to belong to his mother, and then my grandma."
"That's not what you think it is Victoria."
"Bullshit Max. My grandpa even had it engraved for me, and it has all the little nicks and dings on it." The tears were fully flowing at this point. "And you sit there and lie to me, saying it's not mine when it has my name on it. You've seen it before Max, how can you betray me like this when you know I always wear it," Victoria lifted her right arm to show max, "on this fu…"
Victoria paused.
"king… wrist."
How?
Max looked confused by Victoria's sudden freezing up until she saw it too.
How is that possible?
In Victoria's left hand was her one-of-a-kind gold bracelet she pulled out of Max's bag. On her right wrist was the exact same one-of-a-kind gold bracelet that had started this whole screaming fest. Max stood up and rushed to Victoria, helping the taller girl back to the couch as she looked ready to faint. When Victoria was seated on the couch once more she looked up at Max, no longer mad but definitely scared. "Max, what's going on? How can my bracelet be both on me and in your bag?"
Max sighed the longest sigh of her life. "It's a long, complicated, confusing story Victoria, are you sure you're ready to know it?"
Victoria looked more scared, perhaps even more so than she had in the darkroom. She nodded slightly, just enough that if Max didn't catch it then she could pretend she hadn't.
Max went back over to her bag and grabbed out her journal and held it out for Victoria.
Why is she giving me this?
As if she were reading Victoria's mind, Max said, "Read it. And don't judge, when I wrote all that stuff about you and everyone else it was a lifetime ago."
Victoria started to read the diary, and chose to look up and ask questions at various points.
"In your journal it says that you stopped Nathan from shooting Chloe, so why is she dead?"
"Just keep reading Victoria."
"You seriously spilled paint on me and got me to apologize to you?"
Max actually managed a sheepish grin at that.
When Victoria got to the part about Kate's suicide she looked up with tears in her eyes.
"You saw her jump?"
Max took a deep breath and nodded. "I couldn't let it happen again, and I didn't know if I'd make it back to Blackwell in time to save her."
You poor thing.
"How did I react?"
"Your façade broke Victoria. You felt horrible and that you might have had something to do with it. Well, when you weren't on Facebook blaming me for failing so save her.
Victoria winced at that. "I'm sorry Max."
"I know."
"You know Max, I'm kind of ashamed that I went to such lengths just to try and win some stupid contest. I mean even now I can't say it's another Victoria that did it because I would have done it. I was starting to do it before the bathroom incident."
"Max, how would you define our friendship after things changed and you were a member of the Vortex Club?"
Max hesitated, "You won't get mad at me?"
Victoria shook her head.
"Well, you know how Taylor and Courtney look, well, looked to you?"
A simple nod from the blonde.
"It was kind of like that. I was the queen bee and you wanted to make me happy."
Victoria quirked an eyebrow at Max. Like in what way?
"I don't know how else to describe it Victoria, I spent almost no time around the alternate you."
Once Victoria let the matter drop she went back to reading. Max moved to sit on her bed and hugged her one-eyed teddy bear. It was quite a while before Victoria spoke up again, though as she read she would occasionally just glance up at Max, or even a few times glance up at Max looking all sad. Max could probably guess which times these were.
"Aww, you warned me and were glad that we seemed to be getting along," Victoria said feeling a little bit better at the situation.
"Yeah…" Max said and left it at that.
Victoria kept on reading and gasping, and reading, and gasping. Tear filled eyes could steal glances at Max who just remained on the bed the bear getting squeezed tighter and tighter.
An audible sob told Max that Victoria had read about Jefferson murdering her. Victoria got to the end and closed the journal.
"What's the end of the story Max?"
Max's own eyes started to water, she knew that this moment would come.
"Chloe said there was only one solution to stop the storm, and that was that she needed to die."
A sharp gasp from Victoria.
"We said our goodbyes and I looked into the butterfly photograph and sat in the bathroom doing nothing as Nathan murdered Chloe. Everything else you know."
Victoria was downright shaking as she stood up from the couch. This is so unbelievable, but I've been with Max this whole time—these are pictures of things that never happened and everything seems to fit what I know to be true. I can't say for sure that this is completely real but it makes all too much sense. Poor Max, no wonder she's having nightmares. At least I can finally tell Kate.
"Victoria?"
"Yeah Max," Victoria said, her voice quivering to match her body's shaking.
"You can't tell Kate, not yet."
"Alright." A pause. "Max?"
"Yeah?"
"Can I give you a hug?"
Max laughed a little, "Sure Victoria."
And Victoria crawled up on Max's bed and wrapped her arms tightly around the tiny hipster.
You've been through so much Max, I just want to protect you from the world! I never want you to go back to that dark room again.
Victoria just hugged tighter, hoping that Max felt comfort in her arms.
Comments, critiques and suggestions are all welcome.