Max felt herself relax as Chloe drove through the streets of Arcadia Bay. She wasn't sure what would have happened in that fight but it definitely wouldn't have been pretty. Honestly, it was a good thing Chloe intervened when she did.

"God, Nathan is fucking messed up. I don't get how he's hasn't been expelled already!" Max complained.

"Uh, 'you're welcome, Chloe?'" Chloe said with an obvious tone.

"Sorry, thanks a lot Chloe. It'd make perfect sense I see you today." Max said gratefully.

"Yeah, it's been that kind of day. Gotta say though, pretty badass the way you stood up to him despite having the muscles of a twig. Definitely not the Max I grew up with." Chloe pointed out.

"Yeah, lots of stuff has happened since the last time we met." Max said. "Quite literally too." She added inside her head. "On a side note, you really shouldn't park that way." She added.

"Oh come on. I was only there for a couple of minutes." Chloe brushed off. "Besides, I'm not the one starting fights in the parking lot." She teased.

"He started it. Honestly, I thought it would be quiet here. Feels so weird to be back." Max told her.

"Been back a whole month and only now we're finally talking again." Chloe reminded her with a begrudging tone.

"I wanted to Chloe. I just wanted to settle in at Blackwell first and not be some shy, cliched-geek." Max said apologetically.

"And the five years before that?" Chloe said with a raised eyebrow. She wasn't feeling as angry about it before due in part to Max helping her out earlier but it was still something on her mind.

"…You're right. There's no excuse. I guess I was afraid. I know I moved just right after your dad died and I wasn't sure how to talk to you, what I could say to make you feel better. Eventually, it just got to a point where I thought you wouldn't want to talk to me." Max said quietly.

"I didn't need someone to garble a bunch of condolences, Max. I just needed my friend." Chloe told her.

"I'm sorry Chloe, really…" Max said guiltily. Chloe looked at her quietly, seeing that she meant it.

They then sat there in an awkward silence for a few moments before Chloe sighed in frustration.

"I suppose you want to know what exactly was going between me and Nathan in the bathroom earlier?" Chloe asked.

"You mean that incident with the gun? How could something like that have slipped my mind so easily?" Max teased sarcastically.

"Still a smartass." Chloe chuckled. "Let's go to my usual hangout. I don't want to deal with step-douche in case he comes home."

…

The rain shot against her like bullets.

The wind tried to force her back.

Lightning struck all of the place.

But she ran through it all as she made her way to the top of the lighthouse.

Her clothes were drenched and her shoes squeaked with water inside.

She looked to her left and saw Arcadia Bay.

She looked to her right and saw something that made her eye bulge.

It was a tornado like no other. Twice the size of a hurricane and twice as powerful!

And it was coming.

Right for Arcadia Bay.

"No." Was all Max could mutter.

Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder.

…

"Yo, Max! Wake up!" Chloe said as she shook her awake.

Max woke up with a startle, taking in some deep breaths.

"You okay, dude?" Chloe asked confused.

"Yeah…just…weird dream is all." Max said, shaking herself awake.

"Well maybe some good old nature will help you out." Chloe teased.

Max got out of the car to stretch and then she and Chloe made to their way to a junkyard.

"Welcome to the American Rust. The place I go when I need to get away from Arcadia Bay's bullshit." Chloe said as she waved to the area around her.

"Rough and bullish. Fits you nicely." Max said.

"What can I say, I like who I am." Chloe said proudly.

Max couldn't help but smile, always loved her friend's passionate attitude.

"Come on. Let's go by the train tracks." Chloe told her as she ran out of the junkyard and up the hill.

Max couldn't help but breath in the fresh air around her. Besides Chloe, this was one thing she missed about being in Oregon. They balanced along the railroad tracks as they continued walking.

"So. Nathan?" Max finally asked.

"(Sighs)To explain that I need to take it back a bit. I met someone a few years ago, her name's Rachel…" Chloe started to explain.

"Rachel Amber? I've seen her Missing Person posters around the school campus. You were the one who put those up?" Max asked with surprise.

"Somebody has to give a shit. Even if the cops or anyone else don't anymore." Chloe said bitterly. "But that's for another time. Me and Rachel had a plan to ditch Arcadia and move down to California." She told Max.

"Holy shit, seriously?!" Max asked with shock.

"Yep. Right down to the Golden State itself. I borrowed money from this asshole to get my truck fixed up so the both of us could split." Chloe continued.

"How much do you owe?" Max asked.

Chloe muttered something under her breath.

"Say again?" Max asked.

"Three grand…" Chloe said, embarrassed.

"Chloe!" Max said incredulously.

"I was supposed to be suntanning on a beach already! I didn't have intention on paying him back!" Chloe quickly explained. "But now Rachel's gone and the guy has been on my ass to give him his money." She continued.

"What does this have to do with Nathan?" Max asked.

"He came into a bar I was hanging out at one night. He was already tipsy and waving his Prescott cash around. So I thought, easy score." Chloe continued to explain.

"Oh, Chloe." Max said sadly.

"Turns out I wasn't as smart as I thought I was as he ended up putting something in my drink." Chloe said quietly.

Max's heart stopped at that.

"He roofied you?!" Max said furiously.

"When I came to, I was in his dorm room and he was taking pictures of me. I punched that perverted asswipe right in his prick and hightailed there as fast as I could. I figured I could blackmail him into giving me some cash instead to keep my mouth shut. So I met him in the bathroom." Chloe told her.

"And he brought a gun." Max said darkly. "That motherfucker!" She thought to herself, her rage boiling up.

"That was Nathan's last mistake. The next time I see that fucker, I swear." Chloe said angrily.

"He's still dangerous. We should go to the police." Max told her.

"A lot of good that'll do. His family has half this town in their pocket." Chloe said dismissively.

"I won't always be here to help you Chloe." Max told her.

"You did today Max. You saved me." Chloe told her with a bright smile. "Seeing you after all these years feels like…"

"Destiny?" Max teased.

Chloe turned solemn to that statement and stopped walking.

"If this is destiny, I hope it means we can find Rachel. I miss her, Max. I think she would have liked you." Chloe told her sadly before turning angry. "This shit-pit of a town has taken away everything I've ever loved! I would love to just drop a bomb on Arcadia Bay and see it all turn into fucking glass." She said with a dark tone.

Max wasn't sure what to say to that. She could see how much her friend had changed over the years.

Seeing how awkward it became, Chloe decided to change the subject.

"You know, I always felt better around railroad tracks. I have no idea why." Chloe said as she laid down on the tracks.

"Kerouac knew. It's the romance between travel and moment." Max started to explain. "The sound of a train whistle at night-"

"Alright, alright. Quit spouting beat poetry to me and just relax for a moment." Chloe told her as she gestured to a spot next to her.

Max took her invitation and sat down the opposite of her.

"So, what made you want to come back for Blackwell? I'm sure there's other prestigious schools out there that would have fit a photo nerd like you." Chloe asked.

"Mark Jefferson. He had a lot of popular work back in the 90s, I want to learn everything I can from him." Max said as she laid down on the tracks next to Chloe.

"Those who can't do, teach I guess." Chloe said with a smirk.

"Come on Chloe, he's very good at what he does. And I want to be the best photographer I can be." Max told her.

"You already are, Max." Chloe said proudly.

"Come on, Chloe…" Max said dismissively.

"You are. You just have to stop being afraid." Chloe encouraged her.

"Maybe I am now…" Max thought quietly before noticing something on top of the hill.

It was a deer. Staring right at her.

Almost like it was calling out to her.

"One sec, Chloe. I think I just found something for my portfolio." Max said as she took out her camera.

"Do your thing, Picasso." Chloe teased.

"Picasso was a painter, Chloe." Max said as she shook her head in amusement.

"Same difference." Chloe countered, making Max chuckle.

Chloe stayed on the tracks while Max got closer to the deer, but not too close as she didn't want to scare it off.

She focused her lens and noticed something peculiar about the deer. Almost as if it was transparent, like a spirit or something.

Max figured it was just the camera lens and took the picture. The deer went on its way as the picture came out of the camera. Before Max could get a good look at the picture, she heard a scream.

"Max! Help, I'm stuck!" Chloe said frantically.

Max turned back around and saw that Chloe was struggling to get her foot out of the tracks. The point blade must have closed in on Chloe's foot without her realizing it.

Suddenly, she could hear a train whistle blow.

A train was coming!

"Hang on Chloe!" Max said quickly as she came running back.

"There's a switchbox over there!" Chloe said as she pointed over to installation on her left.

Max quickly went over there and opened it and tried to turn it on. Instead the wiring short-circuited, rendering it useless.

She could hear the train getting closer.

"Oh God Max, hurry!" Chloe begged.

Max looked around, trying to find another solution.

There wasn't one.

The train was getting closer. Chloe's screams were getting louder. And there was only one way Max knew she was going to be able to save her.

"Screw it!"

She quickly ran back to Chloe spot and grabbed the point blade.

"Max! What the Hell are you-"

She didn't finish her statement though as she witnessed her friend bend the metal away from her foot.

And for a moment, she forgot there was roaring train headed right towards her.

"…Wha-"

"CHLOE! GET OFF THE TRACK!" Max shouted at her.

Snapping out of it, she quickly got up and off the tracks. Max then bent the metal back to its original place and push herself away from the train that barely passed her in the nick of time.

Both Max and Chloe took deep breaths of relief before Chloe looked at Max in bewilderment.

"Max…how'd you do that?" Chloe asked with fascination and awe.

Max shifted uncomfortably as she scratched her head in nervousness.

"Um…that story requires me to take it back a bit…" Max said with an awkward grin.

To Be Continued…

And now Chloe's in on the secret!

I know they originally went to Chloe's house before this scene but I figured since Max didn't break her camera this time around, I could mess around with the canon a bit more. Plus, I wanted a way to show off Max's powers to Chloe. Either way, you know Chloe's going to be all in on having a superhero as a best friend!

Until next time, comment and tell me what you think!