"Alright, so Maxter. You changed history today"
"I didn't change history, Chloe"
"Then tell us what you did"
"Are you seriously filming this?"
"Years from now, scholars will need to know how one girl stood above the rest while they were under her, lucky enough to kiss her hipster sneakers"
"I think you're overselling this. All I did was-"
"No, shh! We need to build tension"
"God"
"Among the crowd, the sheeple of America, a single Maxgician saw through the lies, she cleaned out the sewers of ignorance and cleaned the toilet covered in idiocy"
"You are really bad at getting metaphors across, you know that?"
"Not even dolphins that literally follow seabirds and fishing boats to feed on the fish they scare up or discard- how sweet is that?"
"It's pretty sweet"
"Nay! Not even the fish that has convinced mankind that they're mammals- even though they're clearly fish"
"It's a conspiracy, really"
"Not even they could have accomplished what my best friend has done today! Tell them! Tell the world of your everlasting superiority!"
"I got an A on my history test"
"Damn right, you did! This girl right here, with her Dixie Kong ponytail-"
"You don't like my hair?"
"She is the smartest person in the world! And I'm her sexy sidekick that gets all the girls, while you have... I don't know, I guess you can have a butler like Batman"
"I get Alfred?"
"That's right. Seriously, though. I'm proud of you, dude"
"Thanks, but I can't take all the glory. Why don't you tell the millions of people watching this video in the future, what you have accomplished today?"
"Have I done something cool recently?"
"Yeah, you know..."
"Oh, shit you're right. I ate an entire bag of pretzels, all by myself"
"I didn't even help. Not that I had a choice, though. Every time I got close to the bag, you hissed at me like some ghoul"
"What are you talking about? I did not"
"You did, man. You were like 'GHHHSSSSS'"
"What are you doing?"
"GHHHSSSSS!"
"No! Stay away! I'm too unsuccessful in life to die!"
"YAAAR"
"Get off! Nooooo!"
"Haha, once I'm finished with you, I will eat all your snacks!"
"They're mine! Oh, hold on, I think my mom's coming"
"What are you kids doing on the floor?"
"We're just trying to murder each other, jeez mom"
"Alright, but dinner is ready. Dad will be home in five minutes, so please don't lose. I don't want to explain to him how Chloe's best friend killed his daughter"
"Oh, so you're rooting for Chloe?"
"Well, she has a school meeting tomorrow. It will be a whole thing if we cancel again"
"Fair"
"Eurgh. Let's just eat. But when we're done, I'm gonna grab a bag of Doritos and devour them in front of you"
"Tss. We'll see about that"
The screen turned black, the mollifying sounds went silent and Chloe fell back in the chair with a forlorn smile on her dry lips. She moved the cursor to the edge of the screen to close the video and returned to the folder with dated pictures and videos, taken from Chloe's old camera phone. Most of the files were dated back to 2007 and the particular video she just watched by her lonesome, was filmed only a few months before Max left Arcadia Bay all that time back. It was just something random Chloe had decided to film in her old room, never having imagined it would once be used to spark the tiniest of calm amidst the storm inside of her body. Now, when Chloe turned the chair and looked at the girl from the video, lying uneasy in her bed with all her clothes on, not even under the covers, she could only recognize the freckles and the pale skin, but not the girl. It didn't feel right to be sad or angry, she just wanted to feel sympathy. Max was the one going through all of these struggles, but there was still some part of her that felt the pain her friend was going through, but there was nothing that could ease the ache, nothing that could change what she felt.
Her head fell down as she began drawing circles in the palm of her hand with her finger, only being allowed to listen to the fidgeting Max did in the bed. She was sleeping, Chloe was certain of it, but she looked so uncomfortable and distressed and she had considered waking her up, but what would be the point? She would need sleep sooner or later and for some reason, some disconcert, thorny reason that just tore a hole in her heart, it was easier to cope with everything with Max not being awake and miserable. And there was the other thing, the one drop of blood in the water that frightened her more than anything... that Max would break up with her. Chloe remembered what she had said in the shower, only two days ago, when Max voiced her concerns about starting a relationship. She remembered her worried expression and her flustered face as she feared that if someday that bond they would create at this moment in time would break, it would take break their friendship in the progress. The simple answer back then was a confident "no". Chloe wasn't worried. She just wanted it to happen and not focus on the possible downfall, but now, if Max asked her again, with that same expression, with that glow in her eyes "Aren't you scared that this will just... break us?" Then the answer would be a staggering "Yes"
Chloe pulled herself up from the chair, seeing the beam of light shining through the window, hitting the discarded gift on the ground and eventually disappearing behind a gray cloud as she lowered her head. "I'm terrified"
She turned her back to her sleeping friend and with light steps, walked out of her room, closed the door behind her with a drop in her heart before walking downstairs.
The usual sounds of a running TV were no longer present, the comfort of the warm air and soothing atmosphere had vanished away to an unknown place and everything felt tilted as she saw her grandfather sitting on the couch with collected hands and an unengaged look in his waned blue eyes.
"Gramps?" She whispered while taking a step closer, feeling uneasy when he didn't respond.
"Hey," she spoke up, stared at his empty face, his still body sitting in the faded green couch with an absent of light in the room, triggering her heart into a heavy thumb.
"What are you doing?" She felt something in her legs, a warm liquid rising inside of her body. The pack of nuts on the table was gone, replaced by a bottle of pills with a white label.
"Fucking react!" She let out a deadened yell that only felt weak in the muddy air.
In frustration of being ignored, Chloe pulled her body forward and kicked the leg of the chair in front of her, making a loud screeching noise.
"Chloe? Are you okay? Chloe!" The voice finally passed through her ears as everything went black for a millisecond until her eyes shot open with her body jerking backward into the chair. Her heart was racing as she flung her head around, utterly confused as to what had just happened. She quickly recognized the living room she was in and saw Alfred sitting in front of her on the couch, nervously staring at her with his pack of nuts in front of him on the table.
"Is everything alright? I think you passed out for a second" Alfred spoke once more while leaning forward, with Chloe taking quick breaths and her eyes buzzing inside of her skull.
"What happened?" She questioned dazed and confused, shifting on the wooden chair, feeling sweat skating down her back.
"Look at me" Alfred requested seriously with authority in his voice.
"You wobbled down here like you were drunk, sat down in the chair and mumbled something about Max, and before I knew it, your eyes were closed and your body limb" He looked her over slowly.
"Come. I'll drive you to the doctors, see if everything's okay" Pulling his chin up, Alfred placed a hand on the couch about to push himself up.
"No, it's fine. I think I just... fell asleep. I haven't had the chance to lay down for a long time, but I'm- I'm fine" Chloe attempted to say with confidence in her voice, but still felt bemused about suddenly awakening without remembering falling asleep.
Alfred looked at her hesitantly, but his trust always came through as he leaned back down into the couch and nodded. "Okay, but you should really go to bed then. Staying awake for too long is not healthy"
Chloe had only seen her grandfather with this concerned look in his eyes a few times before and while she knew that he always tried his best to give Chloe her space, it was nice to see that he was still fatherly enough to draw the line somewhere.
"Yeah, I will in just a second, but I actually... wanted to talk with you" Chloe still felt her body begging for her to lie back and drift away, but there was a splinter in her brain that had bugged her for a while and she needed someone to talk to and if it could not be Max, it would have to be her grandfather, and while she did respect his opinions more than most, the fact that he was still in the dark about all the events, would mean he wouldn't know exactly what Chloe was reaching for with her question.
"I've... it's kind of weird to tell you this, but I've had some troubles with Max recently, and it's come to the point where I feel like she's pushing me away. I mean, she is going through a lot of, eh... private stuff, but I don't know... I'm not sure if I should back off or try to force my help on her?" Chloe was aware of how she barely eased into such a grievous question, but for various reasons, time seemed evanescent at the moment and however much she wanted to just make casual conversation, it was a time where all the help she could get to not make a wrong move would be appreciated.
Alfred nodded a few times, moving his tongue around in his mouth and looked off into the distance like he did so often. "I don't know" and just like this, his reassuring nods turned into minor shakes of his head with a response Chloe had never expected.
"It's not that I don't know the feeling- It's exactly how I felt about you when you were younger. I tried so hard to understand you and get on your good side, but it was as if I had thorns sticking out of me that would hurt you every time I got close" He paused for a breath, his eyes lit with memories.
"I eventually backed off. I figured you didn't have room enough for so many people worrying about you because God knows, you mother and father worried about you a lot in a way parents do" Something about the colors- not just on Alfred's increasingly pale face, but the entirety of Chloe's vision seemed off.
"Wound up barely talking with you for years after your grandmother died" His voice sunk deep, his veiny hands perfectly still on his thighs. He blinked once to rip himself free from the possibility of a different past.
Chloe unnoticeable shook her head, barely remembering those memories her grandfather so often told stories about and she wanted to feel guilty- it felt odd that she didn't; as if the blame was on someone else's shoulder. "I'm sorry about that"
"Don't be. Life just gets in the way and I understood that, but..." He curled his lips and looked in the direction of the staircase, unconsciously making Chloe look down with closed eyes.
"To get back on topic... I don't know Max like you do. I know-" The name quickly made Chloe fight to keep her body from shutting down once more.
"-that you care deeply about her and if you make each other happy in times of great stress, then it's a perfect fit"
There was something else in the room, a troubling warmth, a two-sided countenance, and with her last remaining shred of perception came a thought that was hidden- something that had to be stored away. A wondering if all of these events, all these shared moments, actually had a purpose. It scared her when she couldn't answer the question floating around in her head- if they actually made each other happy. She had tried so hard to convince herself that it would get better someday. That their happiness is just waiting around the corner, waiting for their problems to leave before it dared to show itself.
"But there's- how much energy is worth using, how much is worth sacrificing, to make it work?" A smell of rain pervaded the room.
Chloe caught on to Alfred staying quiet for a second to ponder about the right words to say, the needed advice for his granddaughter. "That's... really subjective, but it is important to realize that being in a relationship doesn't- or shouldn't- erase your individuality. Love can make you lose sight of the world and yourself. You are still you, with your own opinions and beliefs, and that, you should never sacrifice"
"Is it..." All her thoughts went back to one place, a curious prickle in her mind that desired for an outside opinion of the dreadful choices that had been made. A person that wasn't involved in the calamitous incident could bring a new perspective to it all. These were her thoughts, these were her worries.
"Is it fair to sacrifice pieces of the world around you, if- if it means you can stay together with... the single person you really want?" She tried to word it as vague as possible, but still felt the secret burning to get out.
Alfred lifted his shoulders, ground his sweater along the back of the couch. "I'm not sure I understand"
A flicker in her vision, two shadows to every object with only a single light source. She wanted to close her eyes and disappear, she no longer felt the toll and the weight, only despair.
"Is the love between two people worth causing misery to several uninvolved people?" So fragile her words has become and such sensitive skin covering her aggravate self, and even before there had been a second to allow an answer, she felt it.
"Oh, I- you're asking if it's okay to be with a person if it will harm other people?"
She felt the mistake and could only nod.
"I can't say for sure, but there are a few things to take into consideration... there will certainly be an obligation to stay happy with your partner, or else you would have caused harm to preserve something that fell apart in the end anyway, but, no, you know what... Chloe, everyone will fall in love at some point, it's just a thing humans do, but that doesn't mean that the world stops spinning. I mean, a person is a being with their own life and story, and while being in love can bring out the best in you, it does not automatically make you better than everyone else or grant special powers or rights. Like you, I believe that sometimes it's only right to sacrifice your own happiness, you know? If it means other people won't get hurt" His voice so soft, but his words so sharp; it cut a long wound in her stomach. Alfred didn't know what he was talking about, he didn't understand.
"No. I don't believe that. If you're in a situation- the worst situation of your entire life, where you have to... hurt others to protect the person you love, there can't be any other choice. There can't and there isn't" Slowly, colors dispersed and the warmth had sucked the girl from her body into a fiery pit of denial. Alfred didn't have a say in the matter, he wasn't allowed to talk as if Max had a choice. As if she did something wrong. He was trying to hurt her, he was a threat.
"I know it sometimes feels that way, but, love is not about being better than everyone and not caring about other people. It's a beautiful thing, no doubt, but it does not grant the right to make decisions that lead to the destruction of other people's lives. God sees us all as equal, and even though I know it's impossible to care about a stranger just as much as you would care about, say, your daughter, wouldn't you feel that if the love you have was the direct result of suffering, that your love would then be tainted, but if you sacrifice your happiness with another person to avoid the suffering of others, then your love would be a symbol of good? Which is something that lasts forever"
If only Chloe could take a step back, if she could see that he only spoke his mind and was completely unaware that this conversation was any more than just shared thoughts, but right now, with a worn-out soul and a black heart, all she could see was the tortured face on Max she saw when Chloe had said something similar back at the hotel. She remembered how much it broke her, and no one was allowed to say something like that ever again.
"You're wrong! If she tells me that I'm more important, then I believe her! There was no right- no justice to what happened. Nobody knows what it's like, it was a fucked up situation so don't you dare judge her! She never wanted it to happen, she never wanted the choice! What kind of God would punish an innocent 18-year old for being in love?! Fuck that "we're all equal" shit! There is no justice in the world! It's not even a world anymore, it's hell! I am in hell!" She clutched her chest and shot her body forward, staring with such an intensity that it hurt the back of her red eyes. Alfred retracted a little, looking confused at his granddaughter in response to the sudden yelling and anger, having no clue as to what she was referring to, yet, he was attentive enough to see that her anger came from pain, and whatever it was Chloe was referring to, it was something that had shocked her heart and it had never seized to be in a state of paralysis. He blinked slowly, knowing the sagacious response would be silence.
A moment stuck in time, a quivering vision that bounced her words around in the room, finding no peace. With her yells came an opening in the wall. The fit of rage and everything upon had destroyed the boundary in which her thoughts were allowed to wander, and now, with no strength to keep it out any longer, everything dropped and Chloe felt herself bursting from the inside with a bitterness in her mouth.
"I can't stand it! I know that you have no idea what I'm talking about, but fuck! I miss my parents so much... I miss my life so much" The smallest of openings in her eyes pushed out a tear, the freezing darkness surrounding her shook her breath and wrapped her in memories of an eluded past that she had clung to like it was life itself. The only life she ever wanted.
"They're in heaven, right? My mom... my dad" The faces so familiar and so reoccurring in her unhinged mind, yet, it had become a puzzle to place the curves and cracks, the color of the eyes and the shade on the lips. Every fear-inducing moment had washed away a tiny detail of her parents, details that were so precious to her, and now she could barely remember their smiles.
"Yes" The vivid tones passed through the tremulous air and the sounds of tears scraping against a poor girl's cheeks.
"They're in heaven" So unequivocal his words had become and Chloe craved to look at him, to see his calm and assured face, but in all the flaming water, he was only a misshapen figure reaching out to her.
Desperate, fragile, and scared, Chloe enfolded herself as she got up from the chair dragged her chained feet across the floor, only to fall down on her knees before her only succor and wept.
"And... what about me? When I die... can I see them again?" All her insecurities in this darkened moment were cried out, her body empty of what she had fought for and it crept upon her neck how she only desired for the last promise of silence.
Seeing her granddaughter, down on her knees before him with her emotions at their peak, being flushed out through tears and frightened breaths, Alfred got off the couch, heedfully placing himself before the grieving girl, down on his knees as well, grabbed Chloe behind her shoulder and pulled her in for a hug.
"Of course you will see them again" His soft voice so clear to her ear, and his embrace so wanted.
"and they will tell you how proud they are of you" Chloe pressed her body against his and let herself be overtaken by all of her shattered expectations and every lying promise.
"You're an angel, Chloe"
Hisending words lifted all of her emotions she had fought so hard to suppress forso long, every tear she failed to shed at her parents funeral, every cry sheheld in to prove that she wasn't broken, every doubt she had about herinadequacy to keep her loved ones happy and safe, the remaining few... it all hitin her chest, emptied her lungs of air and the filled the room with the soundsof crying. A sound only broken by two hard knocks on the front door...