Chapter 2 | Missing You
Its been another few hours since Max's hand moved in my own, David left earlier and I'm still here. Waiting.
Today is when more visitors are allowed to visit besides imediate family and family known guests like myself and the other Price-Masdsen people. I know that Max has made friends from Blackwell so there's probably going to be a couple of them visiting.
Tuesday.
Another day to just wait and hope that Max'll get up and help me understand everything... I can see that her bag is next to her on the floor from when I put it there last night- She wouldn't mind if I read her pages again.. right? Naw. Probably anyway, she must've known how interested I am with her now even after how long she left me for and now she's claimed to be a time traveller ontop of everything.
I picked up her bag and placed it on my lap, I went through it and found more items I didn't notice from before.
A number of polaroid photos were in there, the one with the blue butterfly she was holding in the bathroom. I put it in here earlier but now there were more polaroids somehow.. I didn't see these earlier.
One had us in..?
I was behind her, but its my now look. Not from when we were kids, she and I are in my room. She's wearing my old clothes? As pyjamas?! Did- When did she take this? How did she take this?
The image seems to be recent but not at the same time, a strange feeling came over me. A sense of fear went over me, I began to feel upset.. She- Max knows what happened between us and I don't know what even did happen.
She's lived a week without me.
A week I don't know about.
A few moments of me being in my self-pity went down the drain when a knock on the door forced me out of them, I looked up and saw the Christian girl who's at Blackwell. Her name was... Kate? I think?
"Oh..? I- I didn't know you knew Max.." The girl said softly as she stepped in, she looked at me and looked guilty,
"No biggie. I guess she never told you how she ditched me for Seattle then." My tone seemed to be a bit more sarcastic and snappy, not what I meant but it is at the same time.
"I'm sorry... She did sometimes mention someone from Arcadia Bay but never said who"
"She... did..?" I looked back at Max and the polaroid in my hand. Maybe she did care... This time travelling thing has made me think so much already and I'm not sure if she told Kate about me before or after her antics. I put the polaroid on Max's side table and just watched Kate,
"Yes. We had tea a couple of times-" She sat on a chair on the other side of Max and looked at her softly, "She always mentioned something from her past life here and having an old friend that she'd love to catch up with... She never said anyone's name so I assumed that she must've known that they left.."
I blinked and smiled softly, "Its alright. Max was never good at feelings... I... I missed her too..." I squeezed the hand of Max which was infront of me, trying to indicate that I was there for her no matter what. Kate seemed to notice and tilt her head slightly,
"You're Chloe Price right?"
"Yup. And you're Kate... Something"
"That's right, Kate Marsh"
Kate Marsh, huh? She seems nice, Christian look with the cross on and Max knew her. They had tea together it seems and she seems to care about Max. Wasn't there a video with her in? She seems like someone I've seen on one of the porn sites I've watched from so I'm probably just thinking too much into this.
"How long have you known her..?" She asked, making me blink and get out of my head;
"Uh...," I had to think for a second, just thinking about our past together seems so long ago. "We've known each other since she was four and I was five. Stayed close friends till she was thirteen and left"
"Oh... You two must've been so close"
"We fucking were...." I mumble out, just holding Max's hand tighter and looking at her intently.
"Why did she have to distract Nathan- Why did she get shot" I said, my emotions got the better of me and I teared up; I was clinging onto Max's hand just wishing to whoever's out there to wake her up and she isn't. I need her to tell me what to do, how to help her, how to just do anything but wait around for her. But I'm still going to wait for her no matter what.
"Hey, Chloe... Look at me.." Kate said, seeing my state and going into whatever action she reconed would help now, I looked at her with my eyes red and tears leaving them.
"Max is a great person. Okay? She wanted to help you, she helped me just before... She told me to not listen to anyone else but myself and to believe that things would get better soon. I was in a dark place and her words yesterday saved me. She physically saved you. She's a hero Chloe. Be proud to know her and she will wake up, God doesn't help villains, he rewards heros."
I don't believe in God or the many other Gods of the world, I never listen to preachers or anything like that. Mom is a Christian though, she isn't as heavy on the preach side but still is one and only wants whats best for me. Kate on the other hand, she's making me believe that someone is out there. Helping Max to come back, for her to come back to me.
"Okay..." I reply, my voice hearse and breaking, Kate smiled softly at me and nodded.
"I'm going now, do you want me to bring anything from Max's room for you?" she offered,
"In case she wakes up soon, maybe some of her clothes? Would be nice to know if she's still a hippie" I smiled back and she chuckled,
"Whatever joke you have with one another, she dresses like her clothes are from a thrift store."
"I knew it! She still is a hippie!" I look back at Max and her heart monitor, its at a normal rate and I sigh out.
"She'll be awake soon Chloe, don't worry... She's an angel."
Angel.
Those words triggered something ugly inside of me, the hatred of how my own angel abandoned me for a better life or that she's somewhere here still. Maybe in a ditch somewhere near the junkyard, maybe just wearing contacts and put on a new mask, maybe just gone. Rachel fucking Amber. The girl of my dreams, gone.
Rachel was my angel... Max was one now too.
Max used to be someone I disliked; I never hated her, I couldn't hate her. None of this was ever her fault, besides the not texting bit. But now? She was a hero, she helped to save Kate with her words of support and she helped me bu getting shot in my place. How is she a person still?
She said in her journal that she was a time-travelling individual and... Did Kate die before? Did I die before?
The information of Max being a time manipulator is just confusing, that's why she saved me though. She must've regretted me dying and she took my place? She could've pulled the old fire alarm near where she was hiding. She could've used the powers to make the event even happen by sending me a text or something... But then again, I can't control her powers and maybe she can't herself so I should simply just wait till she can answer them.
"She is an angel, Kate." I say, looking back up to see Kate walking towards the door,
"Before I go, have my number so you can give me any updates. I'd love to know anything if something happens, thank you." She handed me a piece of paper with numbers ontop which seemed to mean her number, I nodded and she left the room.
Now it was simply Max and me, alone again.
With nothing else to do, I looked at the polaroid on the desk and looked at the piece of paper in my hand. I picked my phone up from my pocket and notied that it was nearly dead and that I needed to charge it soon. It was on 22% and I needed to do stuff while Max was sleeping still, I made the decision to leave her briefly and go home for some stuff. Snacks, clothes for myself, phone charger-
I looked up and saw that there was a TV there, it had a DVD player on the bottom and after further inspection, I found out that it was usable. So, once Max wakes up, movie time.
Quietly smiling to myself, I kissed Max on the forehead softly and collected my mess. I realised that I didn't have a ride but there was a bus I could take coming soon, with the small amount left on my card I'd be able to take it.
I closed the door to her room and walked out of the hospital, only then realising how much I stink. I've not cared for myself for hours and I really should have a shower before coming back.
After a bus journey and people staring at me, I went into my house and both parents were out for work like they said earlier. I quickly went into the bathroom and had a shower, after the hot water scoulded my skin for a while, I wrapped my pirate towel acrpss myself and walked into my room to choose what to wear and bring with me.
I also plugged my phone into a charger so it wouldn't die instantly, I picked out a couple white tank tops and decided to go with a more casual look. I'm going to stay with Max for a while, maybe the whole week at this rate. I'd rather be in a good mood to talk to her then looking uber hot but grumpy and in pain cuz of my weird sitting positions in tight jeans.
She'd understand that. She was wearing jeans herself.
I packed a backpack with my stuff in and put in a sketchbook, pencils and a sharpener. My phone was now on 50% and I unplugged it, taking the charger with me and ploppinig them into the bagpack.
Thinking about it and deciding to do this, I looked ay my shelf and saw some old DVDs of ours which we used to watch, Bladerunner and a Hawtdog man episode complation. I put the two in my bag and knew that if Max woke up and asked, she'd bring more and we'd watch more from our childhood. I'd litteraly do anything to make her happy now.
Putting on a black top and dad's jacket, I slid into some joggers and put on some of my comfy converse rip-offs and grabbed my keys for my truck. I got a few things from the pantry, a couple packet of chips and some sweets. I finally grabbed a couple dollars from the 'Paris' jar for myself and to buy some snack foods if I needed too.
Once I packed the food up, I took my phone out and put it into my jogger's pocket, walking out the door and locking it after myself, then I walked towards my truck. I got inside and remembered getting into it yesterday.
I panicked so much, I had Max's blood on my hands and David told me to go home.
Now though, its the next day. I'm fine. Max is fine.
Not like she's in a coma for probably a long time and that she might not make it out for ages and might get amnesia for being under for so long- she might forget me. She might forget the alternate universes she's claimed to be from... Anything could have happened to her and I'm not there.
My head was making me think too much in a short amount of time, my breathing was ragged and the world was spinning. I knew what was happening to me but my head wasn't cooperating with logic. I was having a panic attack and everything felt too hot, too loud, too scary. I was shaking and heaving in breathes.
A few minutes went by and I calmed myself down by thinking about Max waking up and seeing me again, seeing her smiling and hugging me again just like how she used too. I've missed it horribly and I really crave for it again. Just to feel her smile against me as we hug just like from when we were kids.
I really need to see her again.
I calmed down and finally turned the key in my truck, I reversed and drove off towards the hospital once more. Once I arrived, I shoved my bag on and nearly sprinted onwards for Max's room and after I opened the door, I saw her still there.
Still asleep, even her hand was in the same position I left it in... I smiled softly and stepped closer into the room, walking to my seat next to her.
I plugged in my phone charger and charged my phone some more, adding Kate's number into my contacts and looked at the polaroid one more time.
It showed a smile I never thought I had coming from me, I was genuinely happy here and now learning that Max can make me this happy again made me just hopeful for when she does wake up.
I turned on the television and put it on mute, subtitles on and I observed the news. The weather report came on and I watched intently. Max said that any signs were a sign to a storm but nothing was irregular, there wasn't even snow on Monday nor anything peculiar so far yet.
"Hey Max..." I muttered as I got closer to her, leaning close to her ear and whispering, "I don't think a storms coming..."