It was 15 years ago, right around this time of year.
The day Max Caulfield had left her partner in piracy, Chloe Price. Her parents and her left Arcadia Bay for Seattle. They left the very day of her dad, Willlam's, funeral. A new job, a new life, Max's dad had said.
After years of just surviving in Seattle, almost friendless, she got the letter confirming her acceptance into Blackwell Academy. She’d be taught by the famous Mark Jefferson! Kick ass! She also knew she’d have to repair bridges with Chloe. She was so excited on her first day!
But you can’t repair bridges with someone who isn’t there. She had left town, a year ago, with a girl called Rachel Amber. Left for the bright lights of Los Angeles. Joyce didn’t even know her address or phone number. ‘I guess she wanted to make a truly clean break”, she had said, misery coloring her face.
So, Max threw herself into her studies. 4.0 GPA. She met a fellow nerd, totally adorkable, one Warren Graham. They grew closer over their time there. After graduating, she applied, and was accepted to, CalArts, in Santa Clarita. Warren got a full ride, to UCLA
As much as she loved that she and Warren weren't going to be separated, she was worried about the possibility of seeing Chloe. She needn’t have worried. SoCal was a big area, after all. She had seen an review in the Times about a rising theater star named Rachel….Rachel Price. That was the only time she saw something related to Chloe.
After her CalArts years, Max had settled into a small studio, taking wedding photos, graduation pictures. It sure as hell wasn’t setting the world on fire, as she had naively dreamed, years ago. But, it put food on the table.
Warren was in graduate school for physics. He had changed since their Blackwell days. Max guessed the pressure of the science world was immense.
Warren had stumbled home again, drunk. The sweet guy (‘Chloe probably would have called him a tryhard’, Max’s mind snorted) had become more controlling. He had gone from “Let’s Go Ape” to ‘Come on, Max. I NEED this’ ending in unsatisfying sex. It was worse when he was drunk.
When she talked about her day, he had to one up her, about how this experiment wasn’t turning out, or how that co-worker was such a bitch/bastard.
They had left the honeymoon period, without ever getting married.
Warren was asleep, snoring and mumbling. Another night where he had only cared about himself. Just like every day and every night. The radio was turned to a college station.
And it’s one more beer
And I don’t hear you anymore
We’ve all gone crazy lately
Max bit down on her bottom lip, swallowed back tears, and waited for sleep to come.
A week later, 15 years, almost to the day, after she abandoned Chloe, was the first time he hit her.
She had been talking about the graduation set she had done for a girl. In a blink, she was on the floor, Warren standing above her. She didn’t know what had happened.
“Goddamit, Max! Why do you have to bitch about your bullshit? I just want to come home, and fucking relax. The lab’s so damn stressful!”, he had shouted.
He never apologized for hitting her. He never would apologize for hitting her.
Max was going through some old papers she had found, trying to get rid of the random clutter lying around. Warren liked a clean house. She was listening to a mix CD of 70’s and 80’s stuff, being true to her hipster core.
A photo fell out. It was of her and Chloe playing pirates in the Price’s backyard. William must have taken the picture.
Sweet freedom whispered in my ear
You’re a butterfly
And butterflies are free to fly
Fly away, high away, bye bye
She tore the picture up. That world was dead and gone,now.
Another late night. Warren stumbling home, early in the morning, yet again. Max said “I don’t like it when you drink. Could you sleep on the couch, please?”
And it’s four o’clock in the morning
damn it listen to me, good
I’m sleeping by myself tonight.
Warren did not sleep on the couch.
She was standing on top of a parking building, downtown. It was sunny. She had half expected It to be raining, to fit her mood. Just another way life didn’t give a fuck about her. A storm was crashing through her head. That'd have to do, as far as ambiance went.
She stepped closer to the edge. Seeing all of the people going about their day, living life. It made her think. She hadn’t really lived, since the day she left Arcadia Bay for the first time. Warren, her schooling, her job, it was all an existence. She had settled, for most of her life. Because the one thing, the one person who had made her life, her life, had went off with the girl who had cleaned up the mess Max had made.
And they deserved each other. Chloe deserved love, deserved to forget about her painful past.
Warren? He’d pretend to grieve, then find someone else.
She hadn’t talked to her parents in a few years. They’d be heartbroken, naturally.
But, Max couldn’t do this, anymore…
Soon, it would all end. Freeing herself of her pain. She had always thought those who committed suicide selfish, for leaving people behind.
She knew, now, that they had so much pain. Pain that blackened out everything else.
A voice. “Hey...hey are you OK? What are you doing?”
She closed her eyes, ignoring it. They probably just wanted to get an ego boost, saving a jumper, getting in the papers.
“P..please leave me. Leave me alone.”
“..I know that voice…. ...Max? Max Caulfield?”
That voice, she knew it now. “Chloe? Chloe.... Price?”
She turned. It was Chloe, yes. Long purple hair, and a tattoo that flowed down her arm, but, her. Next to her, but, not close enough to unsettle her into jumping. A blonde stood in the distance, by a what seemed to be a brand new Mercedes Benz.
“Yup. Been awhile. Not since..” Her blue eyes darkened. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing, just correcting a mistake.” She motioned at who must be Rachel Am..Price, in the background. “I’m glad you have someone. Someone who picked up the girl I broke. Fixed her”
“What mistake? You’re going to… end it?”
“Yes, Chloe. I’m not strong, not as strong as you were. It’s the reason you were always the Captain.”, she smiled, sadly
“Bullshit, Max. You were.. you ARE stronger than you give yourself credit for”
Max took another step toward the edge. Chloe’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry you had to see this, Chloe. I’m sorry how it’s going to make you feel, but, I can’t take it anymore. I’m going to wake up from this nightmare. By going to sleep.”
She put one foot out into the air.
And was on the concrete a second later, a yellow line filling her vision.
Sharp gasps. A tearful voice. “God.. goddamn it, Max! I I couldn’t live with myself if you.. if you..”
“Why did you stop me? You have Rachel, you have everything! You don’t need me!”,she sobbed.
“No, Max. I’ll always need you. Always. What good is a Captain without her First Mate, huh?”, Chloe smiled through her tears.
Someone saved my life tonight
Someone saved my life tonight
Max broke down, sobbing into Chloe’s chest. “it’s okay…. it’s okay, Max. I’m here. I’ll always be here”, Chloe whispered.
She distantly heard a voice call “Hey, Chloe? Why don’t you introduce me to your friend?”
Chloe helped Max up, brushing a quick kiss across her forehead.
As they walked over to the car, she said “Rachel, my Angel? Meet Long Max Silver, my First Mate.”