There was a slight chill in the air as you walked from the girl's dormitory, which was strange considering that yesterday it was at least eighty degrees. Regardless you headed toward Blackwell Academy's main building content to enjoy the sight of Arcadia Bay waking up. As you were walking towards your locker you ran into your friends Dana and Juliet you greeted them both but you sensed a heavy amount of tension between the two. Before you could get into any details you saw someone over Dana's shoulder that made you break out into a grin; you excused yourself and jogged over to Nathan. He looked a little distracted but when he saw you his face lit up and he broke into a smile; you jumped into his arms and he easily caught you.
You smiled up at Nathan and leaned in to give him a kiss which he responded to with great enthusiasm but it was cut short when Victoria walked by. She gave a loud disgusted sigh, "Ew, go and get a room; nobody wants to see you two playing tonsil hockey in the hallway."
Without missing a beat you turned toward her and fired back, "Bite me, Victoria." She just rolled her eyes and continued walking through the halls; Victoria has never been your biggest fan but she really started hating you just over a year ago when you and Nathan started dating. Nathan gave a small chuckle and held you firmly by the waist you smiled back at him until you saw his expression falter. You gently ran a hand through his hair looked him directly in the eye, "Hey, What is it? What's wrong?"
Nathan looked a little hesitant but he intertwined your fingers together and smiled at you, "It's nothing I'm just a little tired... y'know long night."
You nodded thoughtfully, "Where were you last night, by the way? I tried calling you but it went straight to voicemail."
Nathan looked down at his feet and shrugged his shoulders, "You know my family wanted to talk to me so I was over at the house pretty much all night. Sorry... how about we go somewhere tonight? Let me make it up to you..."
He was definitely acting strange but you let it go for now, you gave him a tentative smile and squeezed his hand, "Sure, that sounds great! Come one the bell is going to ring..." You walked through the halls with Nathan, hand in hand; you tried to focus on your science lesson but Nathan's behavior was bugging you. Was it drugs? You weren't stupid you knew that Nathan had a history with drugs but whenever you had asked him to stop he brushed you off. However, he did manage to leave you out of his dealings out of respect for you. You peeked over at him and noticed he was looking at his phone suddenly he grew very pale before slamming his phone down on his desk.
Now he was really starting worry you but the bell rang and he was already out of his seat and out the door. You gathered your things and made your way through the halls once again walking towards your art class. You walked towards the back of the classroom and dropped your bag onto your table when you came in Max was already sitting down at the table to your right. Max had just recently moved back to Arcadia Bay but she was nice, sometimes pretty quiet, but that didn't stop you two from hitting it off and becoming friends. Much like you Max was a photographer and a pretty talented one even if she didn't want to admit it. You smiled at her, "Hey Max, How are you?"
Max looked over to you and gave a shy smile, "Hey, Y/N... I'm alright just having a bit of an off day..."
You nodded in understanding and sat down just as Mr. Jefferson called for everyone to take their seats as he began his lecture. Your mind began to wander as Mr. Jefferson droned on you honestly did enjoy the class but you were just a little bit distracted today. You started doodling in your notebook when a movement to your right caught your attention; Max's head fell forward before she snapped back looking startled. You quickly jotted down a note and passed it over to Max, asking if she was okay, she looked frightened but she gave you an unconvincing nod before turning away.
You shrugged and tried to focus on the lecture again, you hadn't missed much, Mr. Jefferson was droning on and Victoria was being her usual brown nosing self. You heard the distinctive click of Max's Polaroid camera and Mr. Jefferson hushed the class and turned toward Max, "I believe Max has just taken what your generation refers to as a 'selfie'." Mr. Jefferson proceeded to ask Max question about the origins of the self-portrait, which she surprisingly got right; which in turn royally pissed Victoria off.
Mercifully class ended shortly thereafter and Max was out the door in the blink of an eye; you made a quick stop at your locker to switch textbooks when the fire alarm started ringing. That put all of the students into a mild panic as everyone filed outside; there was of course one person that you were looking for that wasn't present. You didn't see Nathan anywhere but you figured out why when you heard the principal ordering him to report to his office. Long story short everyone, was released from classes that afternoon so you found yourself making the arduous trip back to your dorm.
With a heavy sigh you tossed your bag onto your chair and slumped down onto your bed while flipping through your incoming text messages on your phone. You typed out a couple quick replies before dialing Nathan's number but the call went straight to voicemail; just like it did last night. You were getting stir crazy so you decided that you would pretty much rather be anywhere but your dorm room right now. So you picked up your bag and car keys, heading toward the parking lot with no real destination in mind.
You were pretty much stuck in your thoughts when you heard someone calling out to you; you looked up and saw Max sitting with Warren on top of his car. You walked over and greeted them both, "Hey Max... Hey Warren! How are you guys doing?" You looked over at Max and noticed that she seemed a little out of it, "Max, are you all right? You don't seem like yourself especially back in art class..."
Max gave a timid smile and shook her head, "It's been one hell of a day and I'm not sure you'll believe me if I tell you..."
You quirked your lips, "Come on, try me..."
Max smiled but something over your shoulder caught her attention, you turned around and saw Nathan storming up to Max, "Max Caulfield, do you like hanging out in the bathroom and taking pictures of people, huh?"
You were shocked to see Nathan acting this way but it was as if he didn't even notice your presence. Max found her voice and stared Nathan down, "Look I don't know what the hell you're talking about..."
That only spurred Nathan on as he got in her face, "I know you're new here but you've got a lot of nerve sending the principal after me. Nobody messes with me... I own this school."
Warren tried to intervene but Nathan gave him a vicious head-butt that sent him hurtling to the ground. And then he was charging after Max again you reached out and grabbed Nathan's arm but to your surprise he pushed you to the ground. You were terrified you had never seen Nathan get this angry before when he realized what he had done he looked almost remorseful but that was short-lived. It was a flurry of motion after that, Warren tackled Nathan to the ground as Max pulled you up off the floor and the two of you were nearly hit by a truck. You looked up and saw someone that you really weren't expecting, a blast from the past, Chloe was behind the wheel staring at you and Max in shock. She quickly threw the door of her car open and called to the two of you, "Max! Y/N! Hurry up and get in!"
You and Max quickly scurried into Chloe's truck just as Nathan came running over, he kicked the door of Chloe's truck, "Get your punk ass out of the truck!"
You had never seen Nathan this angry before so you quickly looked over at Chloe, "Go, Chloe! Let's just get out of here!" Within the blink of an eye Chloe was peeling out of the parking lot and speeding down the highway. You let go of a breath that you weren't aware you were holding, "Holy shit! What the hell was that about? Thanks for that Chloe. Uh, how do you and Max know each other?"
Chloe just kept her eyes on the road, "Back when Max here was still living in Arcadia Bay we were pretty much inseparable. That is until she abandoned me five years ago..."
Max and Chloe began talking back and forth and honestly you were too busy thinking about how Nathan reacted back in the parking lot to add anything helpful to the conversation. You arrived back at Chloe's place which brought back some memories; you used to hang out with Chloe quite a bit because of a mutual friend Rachel Amber but about six months ago Rachel went missing. After that Chloe became sort of distant. She was heartbroken and honestly so were you but Chloe and Rachel had a much deeper connection with each other; so you could understand where she was coming from.
When you arrived in Chloe's room, Chloe immediately stated that she was going to "medicate" which didn't really surprise you, you were used to seeing her smoke weed. After about twenty minutes you got the full story of just how close Max and Chloe were before she moved to Seattle and how broken up Chloe was after Max left. You also found out why Chloe was hanging around Blackwell today she had apparently gotten into a confrontation with Nathan in the girl's bathroom but Max was there to pull the fire alarm before it went any further. What really had your head spinning was how both Chloe and Max confirmed that Nathan pulled a gun on Chloe and threatened her. You felt nauseous at the very thought but the story started to piece itself together; Nathan's odd behavior this morning, that sudden text message that set him off, the false fire alarm, Nathan being called to the principal's office, and the huge blow up in the parking lot.
Chloe looked at you with a tinge of sympathy, "Look, Y/N, I'm sorry. I know you're dating that asshole but he is bad news... trust me."
Unfortunately Chloe's stepdad came home and he was notorious for being a real ass; most of the time you just tried to stay out of his way when he was patrolling Blackwell. Right away he found Chloe's pot but she played it off on Max who floundered under the evil stepdad's gaze. You sighed and looked him straight in the eye, "It's mine, I brought it over here not Max. If you want someone to blame then blame me."
He was on your case in a flash, "It's yours? You know what I am so sick of you kids trying to drag Chloe down to your level. You can bet that I'll have my eye on you from now on, missy."
You tried incredibly hard not to roll your eyes at his empty threats but once he was finally gone Chloe suggested that you all sneak out the window. Which sounded like a great idea to you, you could really use some fresh air before you ended up getting a contact high. Walking out into the woods made you really appreciate the just how beautiful Arcadia Bay was sure it was a small town but it had its charms. The three of you stopped in front of the lighthouse and took a seat before chatting.
Max was the one that eventually got the ball rolling, "Chloe... why were you meeting with Nathan in the girl's bathroom? Why did he pull a gun on you?"
Chloe looked toward the ground and sighed, "I found Nathan at this bar last night and he was already really drunk... so I thought it would be really easy to score something from him. I started drinking with him but after the first drink I blacked out... I'm pretty sure he dosed me because when I woke up he was crawling over me with a camera. I freaked out and got out of there but I owe someone a lot of money and I don't know... I thought I could blackmail him for money but you saw what happened..."
You put your hand over your mouth to keep yourself from crying out but you failed miserably; Max tried her best to console you but it was no use. Could that really be true? You knew that Nathan had problems that he was working through but could he really be capable of something like that? You didn't want to believe it but you saw a side of Nathan in the parking lot today that you had never seen before.
Suddenly you remembered what Nathan told you this morning; about how he was visiting his family last night and that was the reason that you couldn't reach him. You quickly stood up and pulled your phone out of your pocket and called up the Prescott Residence. You wiped away your tears and did your best to sound normal as Nathan's mother answered the phone. You tried to sound chipper, "Hello, Mrs. Prescott its Y/N."
The woman on the other end brightened up, "Oh hello dear! It's been too long since you've been by the house... You should come over for dinner and bring my son with you. It's been too long since Nathan has come home for a visit."
You swallowed the lump in your throat, "Has it? Nathan actually told me he spent the night over at your home with the whole family."
Mrs. Prescott sounded confused, "I'm afraid not dear we haven't seen Nathan in a little over week."
Well that confirmed everything that you were bitterly trying to deny, "Oh ok, Listen Mrs. Prescott I have to run but I'll talk to you soon." You quickly hung up the phone and stalked over to where Max and Chloe were sitting, desperately trying to wipe the tears from your eyes.
Max and Chloe watched you approach with a pitying look but Chloe had the good sense to change the subject, "So Max, how exactly did you save my ass back there in the girl's bathroom?"
Max looked a little uneasy, "Well after I snapped that picture of the butterfly I heard your exchange with Nathan and I mean... Chloe I didn't save you right away... I saw you get shot. Then I don't know how but I rewound time and was able to pull the fire alarm."
That seemed a little far-fetched to both you and Chloe but Chloe was the one to react, "So you have superpowers? That's a little hard to believe Max..."
Chloe and Max started walking towards the old train yard to hang out but you really needed to get back to Blackwell and sort some things out. You stopped walking, "Hey guys I'm actually going to head back I have something that I need to take care of..."
Max nodded in understanding but Chloe called out to you, "Hey don't think you're getting off the hook... Max here still needs to show us her super powers." You waved at them and ended up taking a cab back to Blackwell Academy; you arrived back at the girl's dormitory only to find that someone was already waiting for you on the steps.
Nathan sat up immediately and walked over to you, "Y/N, please just let me explain. I'm sorry I didn't mean to push you down in the parking lot it's just that freaking new girl really gets under my skin."
You sighed, "Nathan why were you in the girl's bathroom today? Why were you meeting Chloe?"
He looked bewildered, "Who told you that? Was it that freak of a new girl?"
You shook your head, "That new girl has a name, it's Max and she says that she pulled the fire alarm because you had a gun pointed at Chloe."
Nathan was starting to lose it, "And you're just going to believe her? I'm your boyfriend, shouldn't you have my back? You should trust what I say not her."
You just shook your head, "You're right you are my boyfriend and I should trust you... So tell me, where were you last night?"
Nathan scoffed and threw his arms out, "I already told you I was with my family last night..."
You could feel tears welling up in your eyes as you looked at him, "Yeah you said that but your mother told me that you haven't been home to visit in over a week. You see Chloe told me some really messed up things about how you were at a bar drinking and when she found you. But here's the thing, she doesn't remember anything after that but she does remember waking up with you crawling over her taking pictures. " A sob ripped its way out of you and at this point Nathan looked completely distraught. You tried to collect yourself when you spoke again, "So tell me... Is that true, Nathan? Did you drug Chloe and did you pull a gun on her?"
Nathan looked down at the ground unable to hold your gaze any longer, "Y/N... Please..."
He didn't deny it, he hadn't confirmed it outright, but that was all you needed to hear, "Nathan... I don't think that we should see each other anymore. I'm sorry but it's over."
You turned to walk away but Nathan grabbed your hand, "No! Y/N please... don't do this. Please, I love you, Y/N. I need you..."
You were openly sobbing at this point so you ripped your arm from Nathan's grasp and made a mad dash to your room. You slammed the door shut and collapsed in front of it crying until you felt numb and exhausted. You vaguely remember crawling over to your bed and passing out under the covers.
You woke up to about fifty messages from Nathan; you chose to ignore them all, and a message from Chloe and one from Max. You read both messages that were basically an invitation to meet up for breakfast this morning to which you agreed; happy to have the distraction. You even offered to give Max a ride so she wouldn't have to ride the bus. You were ready to go after about thirty minutes, you did your very best to clean yourself up, but your eyes were still red and puffy from crying. Nevertheless, you met Max out in the parking lot and drove over to the Two Whales Diner.
The car ride was filled with small talk mostly about Max's powers because you were incredibly curious. It was a pleasant conversation but the Max turned serious and asked you, "Y/N, do you know Kate from our art class?"
You did know Kate, she was a really nice girl, but she was being teased mercilessly after her experience at the Vortex Club party went viral. You gave a slight nod, "Yes I do know Kate. And I hate how everyone has been treating her recently, why?"
Max looked rather uncomfortable, "I was talking to her this morning and she says that she can't remember anything that happened on that video. The way she described it, I think she may have been drugged and Kate agrees. She also believes that it might have been Nathan's doing."
You felt a new wave of tears coming on but thankfully you pulled into the diner's parking lot. You and Max grabbed a booth while Chloe's Mom took your orders and reminisced with the two of you. By the time you had your food, you were quietly chatting with Max about your break-up with Nathan and the Chloe finally showed up.
Chloe was super eager to test Max's powers, so Max suggested that she could predict what Chloe had in her pockets. Which Max did with a surprising accuracy down to the little details and then she continued to predict everything that would happen in the following thirty seconds. With that little test you and Chloe had no doubt that Max had a gift; Chloe wanted to test Max further but you decided to head to class.
You said your goodbyes to Max and Chloe before heading to your car and driving back to Blackwell Academy. You did your best to dodge Nathan even going so far as to switch seats with other students. But by the time you had made it to your art class, Nathan was already waiting for you outside of the classroom. You tried to walk past him but he grabbed your arm, "Y/N, please I just want to talk to you."
You looked at Nathan and realized that he looked a bit worse for wear, he had dark circles under his eyes and his actual eyes appeared to be red, as if he had been crying. You looked at him, "Fine, are you ready to talk about what happened with Chloe?" Nathan opened his mouth but seemed to think better of it because he closed it once more. You nodded and continued, "Okay, well how about you tell me what you gave Kate at your Vortex Club party? You remember the night that terrible video was recorded and plastered around the internet."
Nathan shut his eyes and shook his head, "Y/N please..."
This was going nowhere so when the bell rang you walked right past Nathan and took a seat next to Max. No one stayed in their seats for long however because a random student ducked into your class to tell you about the situation over at the girl's dormitory. You looked over to Max and she gave you a quick nod and you both sprinted across campus to your dormitory. When you arrived you gasped in horror, "Oh my god, Max! It's Kate she's going to jump." But Max didn't respond, you realized Max wasn't even behind you anymore. When you got closer to the dorm you saw Max comforting Kate and carefully easing her away from the ledge. Thank god Max has her gifts otherwise Kate might not be here right now and poor Kate was suffering because of some video. You didn't want to think about it like that but she was probably suffering because of Nathan.
Everything worked out in the end Kate was safe but classes were cancelled for the rest of the afternoon; you heard through Max that she got called into the Principal's office; along with Nathan, Mr. Jefferson, and even Chloe's stepdad. Max promised she would tell you all about it in the morning.
It was about nine o'clock in the evening and you were sitting at your desk studying for your history exam when you heard someone knock at your door. You weren't expecting company especially this late at night but nevertheless you got up and opened the door. You were a little shocked to find Nathan standing in your doorway; you immediately started closing the door on him.
However, Nathan grabbed the door and pleaded with you, "No, please wait... Just let me in for five minutes, that's it then I'll go."
You sighed and let him in as you turned around and walked toward your bed, and took a seat. You weren't exactly in the mood to talk with him so you just sat there and watched him. His eyes were red and he looked exhausted, "Y/N, Please will you just talk to me? I can't stand silence especially when it's coming from you."
You walked toward him and looked him straight in the eye, "Nathan we've already tried talking and it didn't work because you refuse to tell me the truth."
Nathan looked as if he was about to cry, "Y/N I can't do this without you. I will do anything to get you back just name it."
You got up and started pacing, "What I want is the truth. What did you do to Kate and Chloe? I need to hear it from you."
Nathan covered his face with his hand, "I-I can't... I'm sorry but I can't do that."
You shook your head at him, "Why not? What is holding you back from telling me the truth?"
He looked like he was in physical pain when he spoke up, "I can't because if I tell you the truth then I could lose you forever."
You sighed and thought about it for a moment, Nathan had done so many terrible things and he still wasn't going to answer you. You couldn't deny that you still loved him but this couldn't go on, "I'm sorry Nathan but you've already lost me."