"You're Max?" Rachel asked, leveling a glare at Max as she advanced. Chloe knew she should step in. Rachel wasn't one to pull punches, and Max didn't really like confrontation. The least she could do was say something, but she couldn't make her mouth work. Nothing was working really, she hadn't even recovered from Max kissing her and now Rachel was back and could apparently see Max. And she hadn't even had breakfast yet.
"Yeah…" Max said, drawing back a little at the intense look Rachel was giving her. Rachel moved forward again, her glare going from icey to positively murderous. Max stepped back, her eyes going to Chloe, wide and pleading. Chloe took a step forward, trying to push her confusion aside for a moment before her girlfriend (exgirlfriend?) murdered her best friend.
"You can see her?!" Chloe repeated uselessly. At least she'd managed to say something. Rachel froze a moment before whirling to face Chloe.
"Of course I can fucking see her, she's right there!"
"Rachel, you don't understand! Calm down for one damn minute and…"
"No! You had your chance to explain and you lied to me," Rachel said. She paused a moment, meeting Chloe's eyes, then she abruptly turned and headed towards the door.
"Damnit Rachel," Chloe said as she followed after her. "Just wait a sec, I'll explain."
"At least have the decency not to insult my intelligence," Rachel said, but she stopped as she reached the door. She glanced back at Chloe, and the look on her face made Chloe freeze. She hadn't seen Rachel look that raw in...fuck it must have been when her parents got divorced. "Why couldn't you just tell me the truth Chloe," Rachel said quietly. "That used to be who we were for each other." She blinked, clearing away tears that were just starting to form. "Good luck Max, you'll need it," she muttered darkly and then turned the doorknob.
Chloe rushed forward, slamming her hand into the door above Rachel's head so she couldn't pull it open.
"Just calm down, it's not what you think it is."
"Like hell it's not! What were you thinking Chloe? You made up a whole story just so you could cheat behind my back? I was worried about you! How could you…"
"Do you really think that sounds like me?" Chloe said as Rachel started tugging on the door with all her might. Chloe swore as the door started opening. She moved her hand and then charged forward, slamming her shoulder into the door and crashing it shut.
"What is going on up there?!" Chloe heard her mom calling from the first floor.
"Let me out Chloe!" Rachel said, not letting up on the door.
"Not till you listen!"
"I've heard enough from…"
"Why don't you tell Chloe why you left Arcadia Bay so quickly," Max said suddenly. She wasn't loud, she was far quieter than either of them, but her voice shook Rachel and Chloe out of their moment. Neither one moved away from the door, but at least they weren't threatening to rip it from its hinges anymore. For now.
"What did you say?" Rachel asked as she turned back towards Max. Max hadn't moved, she was still standing by Chloe's blue desk. When it came to the fight or flight response, Max generally went with 'freeze in place.'
"You left Arcadia Bay right after you graduated is what I heard. Why'd you leave so fast?"
"I was anxious to get out," Rachel said, but her voice had a strange edge to it. Chloe frowned.
"What's going on?" Chloe asked.
"You probably were anxious. I mean, I wanted to make sure you were," Max said as she walked closer.
"You did?" Rachel asked, sounding as confused as Chloe felt.
"After all, I did tell you you might die if you stayed." Max stopped just a couple feet away from Rachel as Rachel's eyes widened.
"You?" She asked.
"Me."
"What…" Chloe started and then it clicked. "Oh! The letter, that's what you're talking about." Rachel jerked towards Chloe.
"How do you know about that?!"
"Max just told me last night, though she didn't tell me what she wrote."
"Rachel, Chloe didn't tell you the whole truth because she didn't know it. She didn't mean to hurt you. And...she didn't kiss me, I kissed her. She was as surprised as you. So please, don't be mad at her. I'm the only one who hurt you."
"She said you weren't real," Rachel said. She leaned back from Max, a worried look on her face. Now Chloe really wanted to read that letter. Whatever Max had written in it had really messed her up.
"I'm not technically, not like you and Chloe are."
"I don't…"
"Hold out your hand," Max said. Rachel looked at her hand, stared at it as if debating. Finally she frowned and thrust it out. Max reached out and put her hand over Rachel's, hovering above it. Then her hand went down and passed right through.
Rachel gasped and quickly pulled her hand back, cradling it against her chest like it had just been burnt.
"Chloe wasn't lying to you. I'm not real, and most people really can't see me. I know it sounds crazy, but it's the truth."
"What do you mean most people, I thought I was the only one?" Chloe asked. Max shook her head, her face darkening as if remembering a painful memory.
"Not the only one Chloe, there are some other people too."
"Who? Because you've been with me all over this whole fucking town and no one else has ever even glanced at you."
"No one else in town," Max said, but then she frowned. "At least I think so."
"Why? Why can I see you?" Rachel asked. She still held her hand against her chest, but she seemed to be recovering quickly. Chloe had to hand it to her, Rachel was always quicker on the uptake.
"You were supposed to die six months ago Rachel. But, because I gave you some information you shouldn't have had, that didn't happen. I altered your timeline, just like I've altered Chloe's. That's why."
"Six months…" Rachel whispered. Max smiled.
"I'm glad you're here Rachel, you have no idea how good it is to see you. I sorry about the...circumstances," Max said. Her eyes shifted, looking towards the back of Chloe's room with an annoyed expression. "I have to get downstairs."
"Now? You can't just drop that bomb on Rachel and then leave," Chloe said.
"I don't have a choice," Max said with a sigh. "I'll be downstairs for a little while. You two should...talk in private probably," Max said, her voice catching slightly.
"Max, just stay, it's alright…" Chloe said.
"I'll be downstairs, try not to take too long," Max said quickly, and then walked through them and the door.
"What the fuck?" Rachel said with a shudder.
"Welcome to my madness," Chloe said tonelessly. Truth be told, she was pretty shook up too. Max hardly ever walked through people, she normally went out of her way to avoid it.
"No seriously, this can't be happening!" Chloe glanced over at Rachel. She looked a mess, which was a very un-Rachel thing to do. She obviously was having a hard time with everything, which, honestly, Chloe couldn't blame her for. Unfortunately, Chloe wasn't in the mood to take it easy on her.
"So you left me alone in this shithole because a letter claiming to be from the future told you to. And you call me crazy?!" Chloe said instead. Rachel glanced at her and a slight blush formed on her checks.
"It was just a precaution."
"A precaution you followed without telling me," Chloe said stubbornly.
"And what was I supposed to tell you, I had a letter from the future that says to pack my bags before I die? You'd think I was crazy."
"Gee, wonder how that would feel?" Chloe said as she kicked off the door and started pacing her room. Rachel breathed out a sigh.
"Chloe, I don't want to argue right now, my brain is struggling enough as it is." Chloe ground her teeth, but didn't say anything. Honestly, she was arguing more out of general frustration than anything Rachel had done. They'd both kept secrets. Now they were paying the price.
"So what did your letter say exactly?"
"Mostly it just had movie releases," Rachel said with a shrug.
"Movie releases?" Chloe asked, pausing in her pacing.
"Yeah," Rachel said. "It took me awhile to pick up on it, but it had a whole list of movies and when they would release. Years worth of releases. At first it wasn't that surprising, but it just kept going. I got the letter when I was fourteen. That's four years of movie times." Chloe blinked and then burst out laughing.
"God, she's such a nerd. Saving lives with movie releases." Rachel stared at her for a moment and then a smile broke her face.
"Okay, but it was kinda freaky at the time. I mean, I had a letter from a legit time-traveler and she was warning about my impending death."
"So what, you had to leave Arcadia Bay after you graduated and then you wouldn't die?" Chloe asked. Chloe did some quick counting in her head. Max had said Rachel died six months ago which would be...April. So leaving in May shouldn't have saved her.
"It...said some other things. Said there was some people and activities I shouldn't get involved with."
"Like Nathan Prescott and Mark Jefferson?" Chloe asked before she could stop herself. Rachel's eyes went wide, and then narrowed in suspicion.
"She already told you," Rachel whispered, her voice as sharp as a knife. Chloe shook her head.
"No, she didn't, but she did tell me how you were supposed to die so I could make some guesses."
"You know how I die?" Rachel asked. Chloe slammed her mouth shut, cussing herself out in her head. That was a topic she did not want to talk about, not right after seeing the Dark Room in person.
"How you were supposed to die," Chloe clarified.
"Tell me," Rachel said. She moved closer to Chloe. It made Chloe feel uncomfortable, which was a weird reaction. She couldn't remember ever giving a shit if Rachel was in her personal space, that's usually right where she wanted her.
"Not yet," Chloe said. She reached out and stopped Rachel from getting any closer. Rachel looked down at Chloe's hand on her shoulder and frowned. Chloe let go and walked back towards her desk. "We'll get into that with Max but…Mark Jefferson and Nathan Prescott, why would you even want to get involved with those pricks?" Rachel turned towards her, but thankfully stayed where she was.
"He's a world famous photographer and he liked my work. You know what a good word from him could have done for me?"
"Get you killed," Chloe said flatly.
"Allegedly," Rachel retorted.
"But you followed the letter. You barely talked to the guy."
"Yep, I listened to the crazy letter, and now I'm living in a crappy apartment in Portland, alone, taking part-time jobs and wondering if I've already ruined my life."
"Oh boohoo, things didn't go easy for you. As if kissing that douche's ass would have been worth it."
"I won't fail Chloe. I won't prove my parents right," Rachel said. Chloe glanced at her. She wasn't looking at Chloe now. Her mind was somewhere else. Chloe liked Rachel's drive, it was probably what attracted Chloe to her so much in the first place. Most of the time it was hard for Chloe to care about...anything really. She admired people like Rachel. But sometimes...sometimes it felt like Rachel's goals were more important than anything else in her life. Or anyone.
"So what, everyone's just a tool to get you higher?" Chloe asked. Rachel frowned and then looked over at her, her eyes hard.
"If that's what it takes."
"What about me? What did I give you?" Chloe asked. Rachel's eyes widened, her face softening as she looked worriedly over at Chloe.
"Chloe…"
"Breakfast is ready girls!" Joyce called out, her voice carrying from downstairs.
"Don't want to leave her waiting, you know how she complains if the food gets cold," Chloe said.
"Chloe, you were never…"
"It's fine Rachel," Chloe said as she walked over to the door. She flung it open, blocking Rachel as she moved towards her. "Lets get breakfast, I'm starving."
"What was going on upstairs? Nothing better be broken," Joyce said as Chloe and Rachel entered the kitchen.
"We were having…a discussion," Chloe said neutrally. Joyce raised an eyebrow at her and looked between the two of them.
"Well next time have your discussions outside," Joyce said with a sigh. "Now sit down and eat. And no fighting at the table."
"Yeah yeah," Chloe said. She grabbed a plate and made for the table. Rachel grabbed her own plate and looked around, trying to figure out where Max had gone. She couldn't see her anywhere, and after Joyce gave her a questioning look, she decided to just make her way to the table too. Usually she sat across from Chloe, but that didn't feel right at the moment. She made her way to the other corner and sat down. Chloe didn't even glance at her.
"School's canceled today," Joyce called out from the kitchen.
"What? Why?" Chloe asked, perking up instantly.
"Well there was that girl on the roof yesterday, and now something else has come up. I can't say much, but you should be proud of David. He did an amazing thing last night." Chloe just snorted.
"I'm sorry, proud? David? Are sure you're making complete sentences here? I can't process."
"You will be proud, mark my words Chloe. He's going to be a town hero."
"Oh yeah, so proud he could take all the credit," Chloe muttered as she started into her pancakes. Rachel arched her eyebrow, but Chloe ignored it.
"Oh good, you made it downstairs. We have to go soon," Max said from behind Rachel.
"Holy shit," Rachel said through clenched teeth, her heart racing in her chest. Chloe actually laughed, which almost made the minor heart attack worth it.
"I'm sorry, I walk quietly," Max said apologetically. Rachel opened her mouth to say something, which was when Joyce walked into the room.
"What's wrong Rachel?" She asked as she sat down across from her. Rachel glanced from Max to Joyce to Max, but Joyce didn't give any indication she could see the girl.
"She really can't see me Rachel. Or hear me. Just you and Chloe," Max said.
"You okay honey? Chloe, what did you do to the poor girl?" Joyce asked.
"I didn't do anything," Chloe said irritably. She shot Rachel a glare and Rachel tried her best to ignore the girl standing right behind her.
"How do you do it, just act like she's not there? I couldn't stop staring at her. I'm pretty sure your mom gave me a few weird looks," Rachel said quietly to Chloe as they walked out the front door.
"You get used to it, not a big deal. You should try being Max," Chloe said with a nod toward the girl. She was standing next to Chloe's truck, waiting for them to catch up. Apparently whatever she had planned involved Chloe chaperoning.
"I can't even imagine…" Rachel said to herself as Chloe walked ahead to met up with Max.
"So where to now Maxaroni?" Chloe asked as she pulled the truck door open and climbed in. Rachel paused as she walked up. Usually she would jump into the side seat, but Max was standing there. One of them would have to ride in the middle. If Max even rode in cars. Wouldn't she just fall through a car? Wait, how was she even standing on the ground? Fuck, this was not how Rachel imagined today going.
"To the diner, for a little bit at least. Sorry, today has a lot of movement to it," Max said as she climbed into the truck. That answered Rachel's questions. Max in the middle. Which would put her next to Chloe. Rachel sighed as she got into the truck.
"And you're going to explain why we have to keep moving when?" Chloe asked as Rachel climbed in. Chloe glanced at her, her look less than accommodating. For a moment Rachel thought she was going to be kicked out, but then Max started talking again.
"I want to do it in order, now that Rachel's here. I want to at least try to make this possible to understand," Max said quietly. Rachel was starting to think she said everything quietly. She had a soothing kind of voice, one that was naturally inclined to compliments and apologies. Rachel could kind of see the attraction, and she was cute in a defenseless kitten kind of way.
"That reminds me, what the hell were you doing here anyway Rachel?" Chloe asked suddenly, interrupting Rachel's thoughts.
"Is it a crime to visit my girlfriend?" Rachel asked, matching her tone to Chloe.
"After you break up with them for being crazy? Fuck yes," Chloe said as she jerked down hard on her gearshaft and backed out of the driveway. Between them, Max shifted uncomfortably. It seemed like Max wasn't a fan of conflict. How'd she get to be Chloe's friend then? Chloe breathes out conflict and mayhem. Rachel thought.
"I didn't say I broke up with you…" Rachel began, but Chloe interrupted her.
"No, just heavily implied it. Multiple times. And then acted like you were leaving town without so much as a goodbye."
"Like lying and sneaking around with other women is so much better."
"It wasn't like that…"
"Oh yeah, then what exactly did I interrupt this morning?"
"Again, that was entirely…" Max began.
"Well maybe you shouldn't have ran out on me last night. Then I could have explained everything to you," Chloe said.
"I was worried about you! I wanted to help you get better, not enable you."
"Yeah, because abandonment is a great way to help," Chloe said, her voice practically dripping venom. She glanced over at Max who hurriedly looked away. "That goes for you too, time wizard." Max settled back into her seat, her face a mask. Rachel looked over at Chloe, but didn't have anything else to say. She wasn't sorry exactly, she still believed she did the right thing with the information she had, but there was no explaining that to Chloe. She was too fucking stubborn.
Usually when Chloe got like this, Rachel would let her blow off her steam for a couple days and then some weed and a good makeout session would put them back together. But that was before there was a Max. That...complicated things.
"So what, you came back to make up?" Chloe asked after a moment. At least Max looked just as miserable as Rachel felt.
"I came back because of the eclipse," Rachel said as she looked out the window, watching Arcadia Bay flash by.
"Huh?" Chloe asked.
"I checked into it Chloe, Arcadia Bay is the only place in the world that had an eclipse last night. Whatever was covering up the sun, it wasn't the moon," Rachel said as something caught her eye. A bird, laying dead in someone's front lawn. For some reason it made her shiver.
"And…you wanted to come talk about the moon with me?"
"I…was going to ask you to come to Portland with me," Rachel said with a sigh.
"You...what?!"
"Not for long term, I still want you to finish school, but…" Rachel turned towards Chloe, her face serious. "Chloe, something's happening in Arcadia Bay, the snow, the eclipse, it's all centered here. Everyone might be acting like it's some fluke, but I know it means something." Chloe glanced over at Rachel and then looked at Max. The girl was practically fidgeting in her seat. Chloe arched an eyebrow at her.
"Got something to add Max?" She asked.
"It...might not be a bad idea, going to Portland." Max said evasively. Chloe frowned.
"It might not be a bad idea?" Chloe repeated. "You do realize how maddeningly vague that is?"
"We're almost to the diner, I'll explain there."
"On Friday a storm will form out in the bay, a massive tornado," Max said after the waitress brought drinks for Rachel and Chloe. Rachel felt kind of weird drinking in front of Max, apparently she didn't eat or drink go figure. It just seemed like they were rubbing it in her face. If it bothered Max, however, she gave no sign.
"And that's what the eclipse and everything is about? Some tornado?" Rachel asked. Max nodded.
"It looks like a tornado, but it's more like...a time storm," Max said.
"Time storm? God you're a nerd," Chloe said before slurping loudly on her straw.
"Oh, we're just getting started. I haven't even begun to nerd!" Max declared and Rachel tried to hold back a groan.
"Focus. Time storm. Explain," Rachel said between clenched teeth. It was already a struggle to get Chloe to stay on a topic, if Max was just as bad Rachel foresaw a massive headache in her future.
"It's something I didn't understand before. I couldn't, until I could look at it from a different…perspective. The storm is just part of a larger event, the part we can see here. But it's more like a…tear. A rip in…"
"She's going to say space-time," Chloe said quickly.
"...space-time," Max finished right with Chloe.
"Jinx!" Chloe called out as she slammed her fist down on the table.
"Seriously?!" Rachel said, every last one of her nerves snapping.
"You're just jealous I'm getting this faster than you," Chloe said with a smirk as Max continued laughing on her side of the booth. Behind her, Rachel happened to catch a glimpse of the TV. The newsman was talking about last night's eclipse. Max glanced at her and then over at the TV and her face sobered up some.
"Anyway, the storm reaches through the tear. It's like…a release of tension that helps put everything back in balance," Max continued.
"And why aren't things balanced?" Rachel asked.
"That...would be me," Max said a little sheepishly. Rachel stared at her a moment. She glanced over at Chloe, who shrugged and then nodded.
"You? You…ripped space-time and summoned a giant tornado?" Rachel asked.
"Yes."
"How?"
"Max can rewind time. Could rewind time? She's from a different timeline," Chloe said matter-of-factly, as if commenting on the weather.
"You're from a different timeline?" Rachel asked. She felt like all she was doing was repeating everything they said, but she was struggling to keep up.
"Guilty," Max said with an apologetic smile.
"And…in that timeline you could…rewind time?" Max nodded. "God I'm going to need therapy after this," Rachel muttered as she picked up her drink, more out of a desire for something normal than because she was thirsty.
"Try living it," Chloe said, a small smile on her face. She was definitely enjoying this Rachel knew. She probably saw this as poetic karma.
"So what, you played with time and now some tornado is coming to make you pay?" Rachel asked.
"Yes, that's pretty much it."
"Pretty much it?!" Chloe broke in. "Dude, you weren't 'playing with time.' You were saving people!"
"Regardless," Max said with a shake of her head. "This is my fault."
"Hey, I'm tired of this martyr shit, its not your fault Max. If anything, it's mine."
"How is it your fault?" Rachel asked, interrupting before Max could continue the blame taking game. Rachel looked at Chloe for an answer, but for some reason she pointed at Max. Max frowned but started talking.
"I saved Chloe's life. In my timeline. She was supposed to die in the Blackwell bathroom on October 7th. I...got my powers then. I unconsciously rewound time and undid it."
"But you didn't use your powers to save me this time. You just…told me not to go into the bathroom. So why is the tornado still coming?" Chloe asked.
"It doesn't matter what I do in this timeline. It was always going to come," Max responded.
"Huh?" Chloe asked. Rachel was glad she wasn't the only one not following any of this.
"It took me so long to understand this, you have no idea. The storm isn't tied to any one timeline. It's a tear in time itself, I can't use my powers to escape it. No matter what I do, no matter what timeline I create, the storm still comes."
"Wait," Rachel said. "I don't understand. How are you creating timelines?"
"Actually yeah, you never told me," Chloe said.
"Eventually I discovered I have another power, beyond just rewinding time. Actually, I discovered it today, the today of my timeline that is," Max said.
"Because that wasn't confusing," Chloe said dryly.
"Right," Max said, blushing slightly. "Anyway, I discovered if I look at any picture that has me in it, really look closely at it, I can travel back to the moment that picture was taken. Once I'm there, I have to stay in the location of the photo, and I only get a few minutes, but I can do anything I want, change anything I want. After the moment passes, I zoom back to the present, only it's not my present anymore. The changes I make, it creates a different timeline."
"That...is both really powerful and really limiting," Rachel said.
"Tell me about it," Max said, giving Rachel a smile. Rachel considered, and then smiled back. Rachel didn't know too much about her, and she did kiss Chloe, but it seemed like she was stuck with her for now. Rachel figured you might as well have the time-traveling, ghost girl on your side. And she didn't seem like a bad person, for a girlfriend-stealing cheat.
"So...if I'm thinking of this right...that would mean you're from the future? How far?" Rachel asked. Max's eyes widened slightly.
"Y-yeah, that's right. At this point...a little over a week. About a week after the storm."
"So why didn't you zoom ahead this time? And I assume you weren't a ghost originally. How did that happen?" Rachel asked.
"She erased herself," Chloe said darkly, glaring at Max.
"It's not important…" Max began, but Chloe slammed her hand down and stood up.
"Like fuck it's not important! I don't give a damn about this storm, we should be talking about how to help you!" Rachel grabbed Chloe's arm and yanked her back into her seat.
"Quieter you idiot," Rachel whispered into Chloe's ear. Already half the diner was staring at them. Chloe looked around and grimaced.
"Still, I meant what I said."
"And I meant what I said. There is no helping me, let's focus on what we can help. Arcadia Bay. Where, it just so happens, your mother lives Chloe. And Kate," Max said forcibly, glaring at Chloe. Rachel had to admit, she was a little impressed. She was beginning to think Max was a bit of a push over, but it seemed she had more steel in her than Rachel gave her credit for.
"Wait, there's something else I wanted to know," Rachel said, cutting into their argument yet again. And she thought Chloe and her had a lot of tense moments.
"What?" Chloe asked, clearly irritated at the interruption.
"You mentioned you had to come here, why's that?" Chloe blinked, and then turned her attention back to Max. Apparently this was an interruption she was okay with.
"You know how I mentioned when I photo jump through time I can't move far?" Rachel and Chloe nodded. "Well, that's my entire life now. I'm tied to that other timeline still, stuck on what happened there. Picture a TV, I can move around the scene, but I can't move beyond the edges. And when the camera moves, I have to move with it. Wherever I went then, I have to go now."
"What happens if you don't follow? Do you just get drug around?" Rachel asked.
"Kinda. I'm, I don't have a physical body to drag, but my mind follows."
"But I don't get why. You erase yourself from this timeline so you have to follow your past timeline?" Chloe asked. It was a good question, Rachel didn't get it either. Max shrugged.
"Don't look at me, time travel doesn't come with a manual. I'm just trying to piece it together too. Best I can figure is that, since the photo jump didn't complete, I'm stuck in endless photo jump. What I do know is that I can drag that timeline into this one momentarily. Make them touch. It's why I can do things sometimes. If it's something I did in the other timeline, I can make it real here. So I can hug Kate on the top of the girl's dormitory for instance."
"Or kiss me," Chloe said, her eyes going wide.
"I...yes," Max said with a nervous glance at Rachel. Rachel's stomach felt like it was full of acid for a moment. She pushed the feeling aside and pressed on.
"Why can I see you? I mean, I know you said you saved my life, but why does that mean I can see you?" Max blinked, thrown off by the sudden question, but she quickly recovered.
"I changed the course of your life Rachel. Me, personally. There wasn't an outcome where you escaped the Dark Room until I directly interfered. You can't feel it, but that marked you. I changed you, moved you in a direction people aren't meant to go," Max said.
"Well that...sounds ominous," Rachel said. "And what's the Dark Room?" Max smiled.
"Don't worry, the Dark Room doesn't matter anymore. Fuck does that sound good to say. As far as the rest of it, it's not as weird as it sounds. It's just...man where's Warren when you need him?" Max muttered.
"Warren? Warren Graham?" Chloe asked, confused. Max waved the question away.
"Okay, you know how time is it's own dimension?" Rachel nodded. "Well, normally people are affected by time, but they don't interact with it. The storm and me, we do, we're fully part of that fourth dimension. When I saved you and Chloe, I made you...I don't know, more like me. It's like we exist near the same level now. You're not fully three-dimensional anymore, you're puesdo fourth dimensional."
"And this Storm is...fourth dimensional too?" Rachel asked. Max nodded enthusiastically.
"It looks like a normal storm, but it's more than that. It's bigger than that, broader. All the signs you've been seeing? They're the windup, the preparation. And there's going to be more. Dead whales, two moons Friday night. It's all part of this buildup. And this time I can feel it. I didn't understand before, couldn't understand really. But I'm more than I was, or less. This time I can do something about it"
"Do what exactly?" Rachel asked. Max opened her mouth, but then grimaced.
"We need to move outside. Out to the parking lot," she said with a sigh.
"I'll pay real quick," Rachel said, getting up. She glanced over at Chloe. "I'll pay for you too, at least one of us has a job," she said with a wink and moved to the cash register before Chloe could respond.
Once Rachel was gone Max slumped against the back of her seat.
"Holy fuck she's intense. I feel like I'm being grilled," Max said with a groan.
"You have no idea. You should try playing twenty questions with her. She's a master," Chloe said. They didn't look at each other, Max starred up at the ceiling and Chloe down at her drink. Chloe opened and closed her mouth a couple times, chewing on a question that had been building inside her.
"So...you...kissed me in that other timeline huh?" She managed to get out. Max's face went beat red as she glanced over at Chloe, her eyes wide.
"You dared me to," Max said in a rush before turning away from her again.
"I dared you to kiss me?"
"Yes." Chloe chewed on that for a moment.
"But then you felt the need to do it again. I don't remember daring you this time," Chloe said carefully. Max glanced at her and then back at Rachel, who had already paid and was heading back towards them.
"I did," she said simply. Chloe looked up at her, locking eyes with Max.
"Okay, let's head out...what'd I miss?" Rachel asked, looking between the two of them.
"Nothing," Chloe said quickly. "Let's head outside."
"So, you said you think you can save us all from time-tornado destruction?" Rachel asked as they walked across the parking lot.
"Yeah, like I was saying, the storm is on another level. I didn't realize that at first. I tried everything I could think of to stop it, but no matter what I changed it still came. As long as Chloe is alive, as long as I have my powers, the storm destroys the town."
"Couldn't you just jump back in a photo, warn me about the bathroom, and then jump back? Then you don't have to save me in the bathroom so you won't get your powers. Crisis averted," Chloe said. Max shook her head.
"That's what I was saying, it doesn't work like that. Even if I use a photo jump, it still departs from the original timeline and I still have my powers. Only reverting to the original timeline can stop the storm. Which I wouldn't do even if I could," Max said forcibly. Rachel glanced over at her, a thoughtful look on her face.
"But you don't have your powers now right? Maybe it's not coming," Chloe said hopefully.
"It's coming Chloe, there's no doubt. I might not have my powers, but I've definitely made a mess of this timeline."
"So what's the plan? How do you stop it?" Rachel asked.
"Well, it happens because of an imbalance right? And I'm that imbalance. The problem isn't Chloe, it's me saving Chloe, my powers. I'm a walking bundle of paradoxes. If I just...go to the tear myself before the storm comes and go through, I might be able to balance it out. Hopefully enough that things won't explode." Chloe froze, stopping in place.
"No," she said. Max glanced back at her, pausing in her steps. Chloe met her eye. "You're talking about killing yourself. That's your grand plan, sacrifice yourself to the storm."
"It's the only way. I can't fix the timeline, but I can relieve some of the tension," Max said, her face impassive.
"That's not a plan!" Chloe yelled at her. Instead of responding, Max turned and kept walking. Chloe suddenly realized she was headed for Frank's RV instead of her truck.
"Get back here Max, I'm not done. Nowhere fucking close to done."
"I have to go inside, we'll talk when I'm done," Max said calmly as she walked up to Frank's RV.
"You have to go inside Frank's nasty drug den? Why?" Chloe asked.
"It's not important. I'll be right back," Max said.
"Well how fucking convenient," Chloe said through clenched teeth. Max paused for just a moment, and then walked right through the door. Chloe turned and kicked Frank's tire so hard her foot started throbbing. From inside the truck she could hear Frank's dog starting to bark.
"Oh shut up!" Chloe screamed, loud enough her voice went a little hoarse. She turned and spotted Rachel staring at her.
"What are you looking at?" She asked darkly, turning away from her.
"You kissed Max," Rachel said as she walked in front of her.
"We've been over this," Chloe said, pushing past her.
"I could tell you were crushing on her in your journal. So what, you're crushing on her again?" Rachel called after her as she walked away. Chloe froze.
"I don't know Rachel. She keeps telling me to let her go, don't get attached, then she turns around and kisses me. And now she wants to kill herself and leave me all alone again."
"She's crushing on you too, I can tell," Rachel said. Chloe turned around. Rachel looked blurry standing by the RV. Chloe wiped her eyes on her sleeve.
"Then why does she keep pushing me away? Why won't she just trust me?"
"Because she loves you, you dense idiot. That's what you do when you're afraid you're going to hurt someone you love, you push them away," Rachel said as she walked over to her. Chloe sighed and then sat down on the asphalt.
"This is so messed up, I'm getting relationship advice about my imaginary friend from my girlfriend."
"So we're still girlfriends?" Rachel asked as she sat down beside her.
"Fuck Rachel, I have no clue. Leaving yesterday, that felt final. And now with Max…"
"I meant what I said Chloe, we can work through you kissing another girl. If that's what you want." Chloe sighed.
"I can't just...go back to how it was before. I'm not like that."
"I know," Rachel said quietly. The two lapsed into silence, watching the RV. "Just to warn you, once I'm done figuring out everything, I might punch her in the face."
"Won't do anything you know?"
"It'll make me feel better…"
"Into the truck," Max said after walking back out of the RV.
"God damn it Max, you can't keep avoiding this," Chloe said as she stood back up. "Think of a new plan, this isn't happening."
"Drive Chloe. Back to Blackwell," Max said as she walked past her. Her face was a mess, and her checks were specalled with tears.
"No, not till you answer," Chloe said, stepping in front of Max and blocking her way to the car. At least in theory, in reality Max just walked right through her.
"I'm going there regardless, do you want to come along?" She asked as she walked up to the passenger door.
"No, I'm tired of you ignoring me when it's convenient for you! Think of another fucking plan! Or fuck this town, because I won't lose you. Not now."
"There isn't another plan Chloe! I'm dead no matter what happens!" Max burst out. Chloe paused, confusion and fear deflating her anger.
"What are you talking about Max?" Chloe asked, her voice coming back down to normal levels. Rachel watched from where she sat on the asphalt as Max suddenly broke down entirely, tears streaming from her face. Chloe rushed over, awkwardly standing near Max. It hit Rachel then, Chloe couldn't even touch her to reassure her. What would a relationship like that be like?
"You know how I said I'm from the future, from just a few days from now?" Max asked when she'd calmed down somewhat.
"Yeah," Chloe said
"And that I'm following that other timeline, moment to moment." Chloe nodded.
"Think about it Chloe. Next Friday, there won't be anymore moments to follow. After next week, I have nothing to tie myself here anymore. What happens to the character on the screen when the TV turns off? Worst case scenario, I drift through time, unconnected for the rest of eternity. Best case, I simply cease to exist. That 's the only two options Chloe. Either I try to save Arcadia Bay, or I let it be flattened and disappear a couple days later anyway. That's it. There isn't another ending."
"No," Chloe said, her voice quiet. "There's another way. We'll find it. You haven't even told us what made you like this. You might not be able to think of anything, but me or Rachel might be able to. I'm not giving up Max."
"There's nothing you can do," Max said, a sad smile crossing her face. "And...I think we missed our window," she said as she looked past Chloe. Chloe whipped around, as if trying to see this edge thing Max talked about. Of course, she couldn't see a thing.
"It's fine, I'll meet you at Blackwell and we can start working on something. Just tell me where to find you."
"It's okay," Max said. "I photojump for the first time back at Blackwell. I'm not really sure what will happen to me while that happens. But I know for certain I'll be in your room in a couple hours. Meet me there and we can talk."
"Max…" Chloe said, unsure what else to say.
"It's okay Chloe, thank you so much for caring. After everything I've done…"
"Max, you haven't…" Chloe started, but Max wasn't there anymore. Chloe starred for a moment, and then walked around to get inside her truck.
Rachel blinked a couple times before registering that Chloe's truck was her only ride out of here. At least the only ride she was interested in at the moment. She picked herself off the asphalt and hurried over to the truck before gingerly opening the door.
Chloe sat on her seat, her head slumped against the steering wheel. She didn't say anything so Rachel slid inside and buckled herself in.
"So what now?" Rachel asked after a few awkward moments. Chloe's first instinct was to snap at her, work some of her frustration out, but she held back. It wasn't Rachel's fault, none of it really was. That said, she still didn't have a fucking clue what to do. So instead of answer, she just growled in frustration and started hitting the steering wheel.
"I suppose we could go back to your house and wait on her…" Rachel mused, remaining calm despite Chloe's meltdown, she'd seen enough of them. Going home did not sound like a good idea to Chloe. Sitting and waiting was not one of her strong suits, especially when she was just waiting to restart an argument that she wasn't sure she could win. But she had to. She wouldn't lose Max, not again, not after all her feelings for her had been ripped back open.
"Fuck!" Chloe screamed out, slamming her arms down so hard on the steering wheel they started tingling painfully.
"Take that as a no?" Rachel asked.
"No," Chloe agreed. She needed something to take her mind off things, calm her down. "I've got an idea," Chloe said and she took her keys out of her pocket.
"Chloe!" Kate called out excitedly as Chloe walked into the room. It had barely been a day since Kate Marsh had tried to jump off a roof, but the difference was already stark. She had a smile on her face as she sat by the window, the most beautifully free smile Chloe had seen in a long time. The last time Chloe had seen her she'd been a wet, frazzled mess, but now she looked warm and fresh.
It wasn't perfect of course. She still had dark circles under her eyes. Her hospital gown and the stark white walls didn't let you forget for a moment why she was here. But, maybe, in a couple weeks, all of that would be in the past, and Chloe could meet the real Kate Marsh.
Arcadia Bay. Where, it just so happens, your mother lives Chloe. And Kate.
Chloe pushed the thought aside and walked into the room.
"Hey Kate, how's it hanging?" She asked.
"Hanging well," Kate said with a laugh. The laugh dried up when Rachel walked into the room.
"O-oh Rachel Amber…" Kate stammered out.
"Yeah, sorry, she's visiting this week and she insisted…"
"Hey Kate," Rachel said, interrupting Chloe. Chloe huffed in annoyance, but moved aside so she could walk in.
"H-hi," Kate managed. Chloe forgot this sometimes, the effect Rachel had on people, especially since she'd been gone for so long. Chloe didn't blame Kate, she hadn't faired much better when she first started hanging out with Rachel. She was intoxicating.
"I know you don't know me, and I won't stay long, I just wanted to say that I'm so glad I got to meet you. Chloe just wouldn't stop talking about you so I wanted to say hi." That was a bit of an exaggeration. Chloe had just wanted to stress how awesome Kate was so Rachel would understand she was so much more than 'that Christian girl.'
"Oh, uh, hi. It's, uh...very nice to meet you," Kate said, holding out her hand. Rachel took it with a firm, yet feminine, shake and a warm smile. She turned to Chloe. "I'll be outside, take as long as you like."
"Yeah," Chloe said, and the other two girls watched as Rachel walked out of the room.
"So she's your girlfriend?" Kate asked as Chloe walked over to her table.
"Girlfriend is a strong word. We're…going through a rough patch," Chloe said as she sat on the chair across from Kate. "Oh! I didn't even ask, are you okay with the whole...you know, gay thing?" Chloe asked.
"After what you've done for me, I'd be your friend if you said you just committed murder," Kate said with a smile.
"I'm not sure being gay is really comparable to murder," Chloe said, already regretting the comment before it was done leaving her mouth. Kate's face flushed as her eyes widened with terror. Way to go Chloe, pick on the depressed girl.
"No, I didn't mean...I'm not really...I don't think…" Kate shoulders slumped in defeat. "I don't have much experience with stuff like this," she said quietly.
"I didn't think so," Chloe said. She reached across the table and gave Kate a hard slap on her shoulder. "It's okay, not everyone can be as awesome as me." Kate gave a weak smile, but Chloe could tell she still felt bad. Couldn't just let it go this once? The girl's got enough on her plate.
"I don't know if being gay is a sin. I'm not God," Kate said suddenly before Chloe could think of what to say. "But...I don't know how He could be against love and...you are who you are Chloe, and I'm so very appreciative of that."
"Oh, uh, well thanks," Chloe said with a smile. The God talk still made her uncomfortable, but she knew Kate meant well.
"So...is Rachel the reason you look so down?"
"I look down?" Chloe asked, surprised. She thought she'd been hiding it better.
"You look more depressed than me and I'm the one on suicide watch," Kate said. "That...was supposed to be a joke…" Chloe laughed.
"Jokes are good. Jokes are very good."
"So?" Kate prompted.
"No, it's not Rachel. At least not entirely. It's just…" Chloe waved her hand in the arm, desperately trying to conjure some way of telling Kate her imaginary friend turned out to be real right after Chloe had fallen in love with her, but now she wanted to sacrifice herself to save the town. Preferably in a way that didn't sound completely crazy.
"It's just…" Chloe said again. "Okay, so hypothetically, let's say I have this friend. And she's in the hospital because she's got this disease. And she's not doing well, we're talking weeks left to live at the most. And there's some other people in the hospital who could, like, really use her organs. And now she wants to pull herself off life support right now so she can help all these other people before it's too late. But I don't want her to because I want those couple weeks with her. I want all the time I can get."
"Wow," Kate said, obviously not expecting that.
"Yeah."
"And...this is real? Your friend?"
"Well...it's a little more complicated than that but...yeah."
"Chloe that's...that's really hard. I'm so sorry," Kate said. She reached across the table and took Chloe's hand in hers. Her hands were smaller than Chloe's, not that that was surprising. Chloe had big hands for a girl. It was soft too, kinda like Max's was just yesterday at the railway. Chloe gave Kate a smile.
"You don't have to be sorry, it's just...what it is."
"Did you tell her this?"
"I did. It...did not go well. I was going to try again." Kate frowned, her other hand going to her chin as she thought. It was cute, Chloe didn't think people actually did that outside TV shows.
"I...can I be honest Chloe?"
"Of course Kate, hit me up."
"If it were me...I think I'd want to do it too." Chloe felt the pit of her stomach harden.
"...why?" She asked.
"I would...want my life to mean something. Better to be remembered for something hopeful, than to waste away in a hospital bed. Sorry, I know that's not what you wanted to hear."
"No," Chloe said as she quickly rubbed a sleeve against her eyes. "It's good to get some perspective. Sorry, I shouldn't have bothered you with this. That's not why I came here."
"I'm glad you did," Kate said as she squeezed Chloe's hand. "It's the least I could do."
"How'd it go?" Rachel asked as Chloe walked out of the hospital room.
"Peachy," Chloe said as she walked past her.
"Have you been crying?" Rachel asked, sounding surprised.
"Why would I do that?"
Chloe stared at her computer, trying to drag her eyes away from the clock on the desktop and failing. Chloe didn't think Max would be back any time soon. It'd only been an hour and a half, earliest Max would be back was probably in half an hour. And Chloe watching each second tick by was definitely not helping.
"How can they not see how weird this is…" Rachel muttered to herself behind Chloe. She was glued to the news on Chloe's old TV. Chloe didn't know why she bothered, they just kept saying the same unhelpful things.
Chloe grabbed her mouse and opened the web browser, desperate for something to distract herself. She opened up Google and tried to think of something.
She typed in Max Caulfield into the search bar. Because apparently she wasn't able to think of anything else.
As expected, the search got her nowhere. There were a lot of Max Caulfield's, and about 80% of them were male. She went up to close the browser.
Instead she changed the search to Maxine Caulfield. She had no self control.
This time the search at least came up with females. That's about all she could say. She wasn't sure what she was hoping for anyway, there shouldn't be anything. Max had erased herself, there wouldn't be any record of her.
But maybe some part of her hoped there was because she typed Arcadia Bay, Oregon in front of Maxine and hit the enter button. She wasn't expecting anything. Which is why she skipped over the article at first, her brain taking a second to process.
Her whole body jolted awake as she read the title for a second time. She clicked on it, her hand shaking as she hurriedly started reading.
"Holy shit," she said.
"What?" Rachel asked, glancing over at her.
"Holy fucking shit!" Chloe repeated.
"What?" Rachel asked again. Chloe didn't even know where to begin so she just vigorously pointed at the screen until Rachel came over. Rachel's eyes widened.
"What...the fuck?"
"Max's been lying to us," Chloe said. "She's lying Rachel. She's fucking lying."
A/N: First off, if you haven't had a chance, check out the new cover image for the story! kaijyena over on tumblr drew it for me completely out of the blue and its so perfect and awesome and I'm just blown away. And check out the rest of her work, she just keeps getting better. No seriously, just look up kaijyena on tumblr and thank me later.
Secondly, why do I keep ending in terrible cliffhangers when I refuse to update at least once a month? I don't know either reader. I'm so sorry, but thanks for putting up with me. I really hope this next one won't take near as long!