...

Eventually, Warren peered up at her with guilty eyes. "Look, Max—" he began.

"Are you finished?" Max asked, cutting him off. She smiled as warmly as she could muster, trying to communicate that he needn't say anything. It was already in the past as far as she was concerned. It was best it stayed that way.

"Ah- yeah I am," he sputtered, eyes widening. But the disarming look in her eyes brought a sense of calm along with them and he relaxed. "Do… do you want to exchange answers?"

"Sure."

The two sat in silence a moment longer, Max comparing papers. Fidgeting on the floor and not being able to take it much longer, Warren hopped up and went to his stereo. He clicked it on and Alt-J's 'Breezeblocks' began to play. He hoped some music would dispel the strange mood that had descended upon the pair.

Max glanced up briefly. Warren was swaying with the tune.

"You know, even though this is one of their more famous songs, it's still one of my favorites," remarked Max from the bed.

Warren looked at her over his shoulder and conjured up what he hoped was a sly grin. "Really Max? That's not very 'hipstery' of you."

"Yup. You caught me. By the way, we both got the same answers! Looks like I'm catching up to you in the brains department."

Warren turned fully to face her, his back pressed up against his dresser, maintaining the greatest distance possible in the small dorm room. The stereo continued softly: "She's morphine, queen of my vaccine my love my love love love…"

"I… know right?" Warren sighed and looked at the floor.

Seeing this, Max sprung into action, not letting the tone of the room fall quite towards the solemn direction it was heading in. She stood quickly, bringing the plastic bag along with her. 'This damn thing is the reason for all this awkwardness.'

"Do you still want to know what's in the bag?"

Warren nodded stiffly.

The stereo continued in the background, "Please don't go, I'll eat you whole, I love you so, I love you so…"

"Alright. Well you have to close your eyes, okay?"

"I don't really like the sound of that…" He shut his eyes, a distinct furrow visible between his brows, "but I trust you, Max."

Max smiled even though he couldn't see her and she began to rummage through the bag. She produced a small set of black kitty cat ears, a tail, and paws, clipping them to Warren's head, the back of his shirt, and sliding the gloves onto his outstretched fingers. Guiding him over to his bedroom mirror, Max positioned him in the direct center. "You can open them now."

Warren's brown eyes fluttered open and seeing the costume pieces, he grinned, admiring himself at every angle. "Damn, I look good."

Max laughed, holding her hands out in front of her. "Hold that pose!" She dug out her insta-camera and Warren flashed his signature peace sign as she took a picture. Max flicked the newly developed photo and placed it securely into her bag. "I feel like I haven't taken a picture in forever."

"I'm glad I could be your first… in a while…," he said. His smile faltered as if to say 'that didn't come out right' and the correction barely helped either.

Max shook her head, turning to put her camera away.

"So what else you got in here…?"

"Wait!"

But it was too late to stop him. Warren had already dug into the bag and pulled out a slinky and sexy latex outfit that paired with the kitty cat accessories. Holding it out in front of him, his face quickly changed from confused to amused and then stopped on embarrassed, flicking his eyes from the costume to Max and back to the costume again. Max yanked it from his hands and forcibly stuffed it back into the bag.

"Well, well, well," Warren drawled, doing his best to sound smug and failing miserably, his voice bumping up an octave.

"Don't worry. I won't be wearing that to the party."

Warren had the gall to look disappointed. "Such a shame. Black really suits you." He grinned again, his usual expression back on his face. Max felt a sense of relief wash over her. If they can joke again as usual, then she had nothing to fear. Warren really did instill an odd sense of peace within her and she was completely comfortable around him, barring any unusual circumstances.

"Well, I hope to see you wearing it. At least the ears." Max flicked them as she passed, picking up her homework packet and packing up the rest of her belongings.

"Heading out?" Warren asked, seating himself on his bed. He took off the cat ears, ruffling his hair in the process.

"Yeah, thanks for helping me finish! Be seeing you tomorrow at the lab still?"

Warren nodded. "Nah it was all you. And yeah… for sure."

"Please break my heart, ah ha…" The tune carried on, forgotten now.

Max bobbed her head in the affirmative and walked through his door. "Seeya, Warren Washington." He waved back at her, hands still pawed. He looked at his hand as it lowered slowly to his lap. The door shut.

From the hallway, Max heard his angry and muffled voice say from within, "I am such a fucking asshole."

Max took a moment to collect herself, her mind running over the events that had transpired since this morning began. More happened in a single afternoon than had happened in the past two weeks. It was a little overwhelming, but with each passing minute, she felt more and more like herself again.

'Almost forgot, Justin wanted to talk to me.' Max snapped her fingers and went in the direction of Justin's dorm room. She passed by Trevor's room on the way and could hear a feminine voice ringing out from inside. 'Dana and Trevor are at it again. Hope they don't get caught. Actually, hope I don't caught, now that I think about it.'

Max knocked on Justin's door and it creaked open, a hazy smoke drifting out. Max waved it out of her face.

"Max Attack! Made it after all. Enter at your leisure." Justin gestured her inside and she plopped herself down on the nearest bean-bag chair, making herself comfortable. Justin sat across from her.

"What did you need to talk about?" Max asked, doing her best not to breathe in too deeply.

"You wanna hit?" Justin held out a slender glass bong.

"Excuse me?"

"A hit? Don't you smoke? No worries if not." Justin brought the bong to his mouth and lit the end. Max heard the bubbles tumbling within.

Even while hanging out with a constantly "medicating" Chloe Price, Max never actually had the opportunity to smoke. She took the blame for Chloe once, but that was the closest she had ever come to actually getting high. In the company of Justin, Max actually began to feel a little… lame. She asked herself what Chloe might have done in this situation.

"I wanted to talk about Chloe, actually," he started, breaking Max out of her reverie. "I knew her. Through hanging with Rachel. She was really cool; one of the coolest people that could've walked through this massive shithole. I miss her. And I'm sorry. Trevor told me you guys were bros once upon a time. I had no idea even though I knew I saw you at the funeral..." He lowered his head, his cap shielding his expression. "It fucking sucks man."

Thinking about all the people that Chloe had personally known and left behind made Max sad. Her legacy would become one of death. Of being on the peripherals of peoples' lives and then exiting it. Was this the right thing? Was this destiny? The question continually popped into her head. What was all that stuff that Chloe and her talked about before Max chose to sacrifice her?

Does Chloe have any idea what she went through only to die?

The thought severely wounded Max; tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. Max held there, shaking, not willing to let them drop. There must have been a reason she thought. A reason for Chloe to come and go. Was it so they could have one last week together? So that they could solve the mystery of Rachel Amber? So Chloe could finally get her life in order before throwing it to the dogs? So that she could die? Over and over as a swirling vortex in Max's head?

'No. I don't know.'

What would Chloe do now?

'She wanted to leave. To change.'

But did she?

'No. I don't know.'

"You feeling okay?" Justin was watching her with red-shot eyes.

Max looked up at him, trying to rid her mind of the strange stretch of thoughts that had just shot through her. It was no good to dwell on something she couldn't do anything about. Chloe was gone. Regardless of how or why, she was gone. She told herself this.

The pair sat in silence. Justin extended a sympathetic hand and patted it gently on her arm.

Max plastered a smile on her face. "Thanks Justin. Actually… I think I will take that hit. It's what Chloe would've wanted."

"That's the spirit," he smiled, handing her the bong and positioning it under her mouth. "Do you know how to use this?" he asked. Max was in no position to pretend anymore. She shook her head 'no.'

"Thought so. Well, let this be the ride of your life. I'm happy to be the conductor on your first trip."

"You don't think I'm a poser?" Max asked sardonically.

Justin just smirked. "What you posing as? All I see is Max right now." He held his hands out in front of him, forming his fore fingers and thumbs into the shape of a frame. He peered at her through it, closing one eye. "Yup. All Max. Now here, let me help you." Justin leaned forward and got her started.

Before she knew it, Max was coughing up a storm. She's never smoked before, let alone ripped a bong. She barely even drank. She was always above that shit, like she was so high and mighty. And to think she had once berated Hayden for engaging in such an act.

"Cough it up, bro, that actually makes it better."

Once she had settled down, Max made a second attempt, a third, and then a fourth. This last time without any coughing involved. She released a large smoky cloud above her head.

"How you feeling?"

"I feel… I feel pretty good." Max gave him two thumbs up while smiling from ear to ear. Her eyelids drooped and she was having trouble sitting up properly in her chair. Justin snickered. 'If only Chloe could see me now. I am Maxipad no more.'

"Oh shit, Max! I've corrupted you! Little goody two shoes!"

"I'm no goody two shoes," she slurred, swatting him on the side. "I am Dr. Caulfield."

"Ha-ha fuck, Max. What are we gonna do with you?" Justin took a hit of his own. "You know, I never thought in a million years I'd be chillin' with you like this. I ever told you that I wish we hung out more?"

"You just did," Max said, raising a pointer finger at him, "oh, and that time you got wasted at the party."

"What party?" He asked, genuinely puzzled.

Max smiled. She referenced the wrong timeline again. "Nevermind, I forget. But... I wish we hung out more too." Max paused, eyes sinking to the floor. "And that stuff you said about Chloe… thank you. I bet she misses you too."

Justin inclined his head, letting Max's words sink in. After a moment of quiet reflection, a smile lit up on his face. "Hey, you hungry?"

"Starved."

…

The pair stumbled into the hallway beyond the door, Max feeling particularly loopy. What was she doing, sneaking around the boy's dormitory? Laughter bubbled in her throat, a total disregard for whatever trouble may befall her.

"Shh!" Justin warned, failing to keep quiet just as badly. "Ok, wait a sec. I gotta go to the vending machine room. Keep a look out."

"Aye aye, captain," Max saluted.

Justin gave her a passing grin as he descended into the darkened room beyond.

'What time is it?' Max wondered as she wandered the empty dormitory. She heard muffled voices from different rooms, saw trash collected in corners and in front of door ways. The smell of burnt hot pockets slammed her senses. 'At least I know where I am still.'

Max found herself face to face with Nathan's barricaded room a second time that afternoon. She recalled her own journey inside, the disturbing images she witnessed, as well as the morbid hints of Nathan's cruel reality. His family was messed up in all sorts of ways and the darkness of it had seeped into Nathan's life. He was clearly disturbed, but not without remorse. Max could still hear it, the voicemail he had left on her phone as she raced towards oblivion. His voice was filled with such a visceral pain, Max was afraid she would never truly understand what he was feeling at that moment.

But then images of Chloe's bleeding body on the floor of the girl's bathroom pops into her head and all and every sympathetic feeling she could have had for Nathan gets wiped from existence.

Max wrapped her arms around herself and turned away. She spotted Warren's slate pun and her smile returned. Marching over to the board, she erased it with her sleeve. 'Just a couple of friends having fun, right?' Max had done this before, written an equally nerdy saying on his slate. 'I'm still allowed some fun in this reality.'

She contemplated what to write, her mind a cloud of separate memories, made worse by her drug intoxication. 'Ugh, what did I write…before?' She held her head, stumbling backwards. A series of images flashed through her mind, similar to what happened in Kate's dorm 'Not this… why am I seeing this?' She saw it clear as day: the tornado in the distance, rain on the windshield of Jefferson's car, Nathan's name on her phone, the Two Whales Diner bursting into flame. Bodies of those she couldn't save. 'No! No!'

"Max?"

"Max!"

The girl in question saw a distressed Warren standing in his doorway, looking at her in confusion. On the other side, she saw Justin, running towards her at full speed. Max fell into the wall, trying to hold herself up, her vision blurring as the sight of a thousand different memories zoomed across her eyes. "Ugh my head," she moaned.

Justin propped her back up, slightly amused. He eyed Warren. "She's really Max'd out, huh? Ha-ha."

Warren stepped forward. "What the fuck, man? What did you give her?" He put a hand on Max's shoulder, her head lolling to the side. She could barely make out what was happening in front of her.

"Relax, she just smoked some top-shelf shit and couldn't handle. It's no big deal," Justin shrugged, a bundle of snacks held in his other hand.

Warren rounded on Justin, a red fury overtaking his features as he got in his face. "No big deal? Are you fucking kidding me? She's in a really vulnerable place right now. Don't take advantage of her!" As soon as the words left his mouth, Warren's expression fell and he backed away. He looked away in shame.

Justin paid no mind to his internal struggle, irritation cutting across his features. "It was her choice to come in, don't pretend like you're some fuckin' hero that needs to take care of her. You're embarrassing yourself." Justin turned around, pulling up Max by the shoulder. She groaned in response.

Warren reacted instantly, grabbing Justin's forearm. "Where are you—"

Justin yanked his arm away, pushing Warren off of him. "Will you fuck off!"

Before long, the pair was engaged in a tussle.

In a split second, Max was in her own head again, the collection of past memories retreating mechanically back into the depths of her mind. When she came to, she saw Justin holding Warren in a headlock in the middle of the boy's dormitory. Different students were just beginning to poke their heads out, witnessing the two boys wrestling around.

Warren was trying with all his might to break free as Justin laughed at his predicament. "What now, bitch boy?" he taunted. Warren swept his leg back, catching Justin off guard and knocking them both to the ground. They rolled around on the floor hitting each other. Max stood off to the side, stock-still in shock.

"Stop! Stop!" She ran in to try and break the boys up but Trevor and Zachary beat her to it, picking them up and restraining them. Disappointed shouts from the bystanders demanded they be let free.

Warren was furious. He kicked away at Zachary, trying to wiggle his way free but failing. Justin, on the other hand, had a bleeding lip from where Warren had scratched him during their scuffle on the floor. His glasses had a crack in them. He wiped at his lip with an annoyed glare. "You feel strong now?" Justin asked with contempt as he broke out of Trevor's hold on him.

The crowd in the hallway slowly disbanded, not wanting to stick around in case any security showed up, and also since it was obvious that this fight was over. Zachary easily dropped Warren and went on his way, already disinterested. Trevor and Justin walked back to their rooms, Justin nodding at Max as he passed. She was too stunned to react or respond.

After a moment of shuffling feet, and the sounds of shutting doors, Max looked on to see Warren standing alone in the middle of the hall. His face was concealed by his hair and his arms laid limp at his sides. He looked defeated.

Max rushed up to him and placed a hesitant hand on his shoulder. He looked up and Max saw that same serious expression he had on after he beat up Nathan in the original timeline. Dark eyes filled with malice. Max shivered at the sight of him.

He broke up his face with a saddened smile. "Sorry you had to see that, Max."

"Are… are you okay?" She asked with lack of anything better to say. Her head was still swimming, the effects of the drugs still having a hold on her proper judgment.

He ignored her question. "Are you okay? You didn't look so good, falling into walls…" He rubbed his reddened cheek and hissed in pain. "And what the hell are you doing with Justin?"

Max held her palms up over his wound, wanting to soothe Warren somehow but lacking the capacity necessary to assist him. "He… wanted to talk to me about something. I just suddenly got a headache…" she struggled to get her words in order.

"I see," was all Warren muttered, refusing eye contact.

"Warren—"

"Some white knight I am, huh?" he cut her off, looking wistfully at something in the distance, "I thought I was gonna go all crazy on him."

The words were too alike not to notice. Even though this was a completely different timeline, similar circumstances were resulting in similar situations that she had underwent before. Max felt like she was still tripping; a mess within her own mind. She wondered what it all meant or if there would be any sort of consequences. Every time the images flashed through her head of the past, whether it actually occurred or not, Max was struck by what she could only interpret as… guilt.

"Warren, you don't… have to worry about me." Max didn't want him to get involved in a situation where he would get hurt. She felt like he's been hurt enough, the image of the exploding Two Whales diner burned into her brain forever. She wasn't exactly sure what lead to the scuffle between him and Justin, but she'd prefer if something like it never happened again.

"Can't help myself," he murmured, voice low.

Max placed her hand on his shoulder again and attempted a comforting smile. "Thank you." He rubbed at his neck, looking sore. Physically or emotionally, she wasn't sure. "Should we get you cleaned up?" Max asked when he didn't respond.

Warren lightly touched his aching cheek, wincing at the contact. "I'm okay. I think maybe you should get some rest. We got a busy day tomorrow, Dr. Max." The grin he gave her felt forced.

"Right..." Max's hand fell to her side, her eyes filled with pity for her dear friend. It seemed obvious that he just wanted to be left alone now. It didn't even feel like they had school tomorrow, the days having been so abnormal for so long. "I'll see you then," she said quietly, unsure of the air that now swirled between them. She hoped Warren would be okay as she made her way to the exit of the boy's dormitory, watching him slowly drag himself through his door.

The slate next to his room remained blank.

…

AN: I've actually received hate for this fanfic. I know Max/Warren isn't the most popular ship but I distinctly remember a time when it was on decent footing with Pricefield. I guess with the passage of time, only the diehard Pricefield fans remain.

If you dislike Max/Warren, just don't read, simple as that. There are millions of Pricefield fanfics out there, I just happen to write something else. Besides, this fic is far more a MAX centric fic than simply a Max/Warren one. I'm exploring multiple aspects, even the aspects of Max and Chloe's relationship.

Anyway, it's a little disheartening lol. I see people saving this fic but no reviews! I'd love to hear thoughts.

Love Justin. Lol there's a lot of him in this fic (and coming). More exploration of Warren's character too. Stay tuned.

Also that Breezeblocks inclusion of music LOL Sorry was trying to emulate the game and couldn't help myself. Enjoy!