Life Is Strange: Final Destination

Alone

Max had no idea what to do. She ran out of the room to chase after Chloe, but she was already gone, along with Sophia and Joshua.

Fuck. You've really done it this time, Caulfield. She thought to herself bitterly.

She didn't want to stay in this apartment alone. It felt eerie, but it was already getting dark outside.

Screw it. Max grabbed her keys and her bag, rushing out of the door.

When she made it outside, she looked down the street. She had no idea where to go. Maybe she could find a park, relax a little, and take photos. That always helped her to calm down. So that's what she did, after 5 minutes of walking one way, she found a park, and sat on the bench.

It was a fairly large park, with fences circling it, and grass and trees everywhere. There was a large fountain in the middle, and benches surrounded it, also formed in a circle. Max closed her eyes, listening to the relaxing sounds of the water pouring out of the fountain.

"Hey." A soft voice sounded suddenly, making her jump. She opened her eyes, which were blurry with tears. A figure was leaning over to look her in the eyes, the face was blurry- but it looked familiar.

"Rachel?" She questioned, obviously not believing herself. She rubbed her eyes, getting a clear view of the girl.

It was Rachel. Rachel Amber- Chloe's ex-best friend. Who they thought was dead. But then they knew she was alive, and probably in L.A. What was she doing in Seattle??

"Oh my god. I'm dreaming right? Am I high? I must be high." Max muttered, continuing to rub her eyes. Rachel placed her hand on the time traveler's thigh, causing her to stiffen.

"Leave it to Chloe to get you high." She giggled, her voice ringing in Max's ears. It was nothing like she expected. Some reason Max had pictured her with a rough and raspy voice, kind of like how Lana Del Rey sounded when she sang. But instead, she sounded like Lana when she spoke, soft, and hypnotizing.

"Holy... Shit." She whispered as Rachel sat beside her. She looked a lot different than the missing poster, probably so she could keep a low profile, but Max could recognize that face anywhere. Sometimes she had nightmares about Chloe crying about Rachel.

She tilted her body to face the older girl, looking at her intently. Rachel Amber had a short bob, which was died a bleach blonde rather than her natural blonde, and shaggy bangs that covered her forehead. She was also wearing a blue sundress and black leather boots, even in this cold weather.

"I know, I look weird. I had to make sure that no one would find me." She sang, putting her hair behind her ear. Clearly she was good at reading people. Max shifted uncomfortably, still gaping at her.

"You know Chloe is heartbroken?" She finally said. It was all she could say. It was all she cared about. Rachel surprisingly laughed. It was a haunting sound, a lot different than the giggle from earlier.

"Y'know, Chloe never talked about you, at least not to me." She replied, her face had a playful smile on it. Max raised her eyebrow, uncertain of where this conversation was going.

"I mean, like never. Surely she talked about me to you? That's because she loved me, before I left. But when you left, you hurt her in a different way, because she loved you. Do you get the difference?" She tried to register what the hell that meant. Was she giving her a riddle? It seemed that she was big on games, and Max probably just had to play along.

"She was in love with us both, sure. But her love for you was way stronger, because she loved you as a friend, and maybe more, right? For me, it was just the maybe more. Sadly. But, you guys had been friends for a long time, right? I honestly don't know, like I said, she didn't tell me a thing about you. Sure, I've seen evidence of your existence sometimes when I was over at her place. But I knew nothing."

"I became friends with her a few years after you left. We were just hanging one day, when she just started crying. Chloe, crying, in front of me. She never cries, she puts up a tough front. I'm sure you know that, I don't think she changed that much since she was friends with you the first time, as much as you think she has." Max stared at her, still really confused about this all. She was still getting over the initial shock that Rachel was here. With her, sitting on this bench.

"I asked her what the matter was, but she didn't answer. Not until the next day at least. She told me that sometimes she thinks about the past, and it hurts her a lot. The pain of losing someone you love, she said. She made it sound like she was talking about her dad, but I could tell it was something else. She wasn't talking about the love for a family member, not with that voice. So yea, it's interesting to see you in front of me. Kinda like spotting a celebrity, even though I've been following you since you left Arcadia Bay." She shrugged and Max looked at her shocked. Did she just say it was surprising to see her??? How about to see Rachel!? It was so fucking surreal!!

"Maxine Caulfield." Rachel giggled, letting out a deep sigh. Max went to correct her, but she continued.

"Tell Chloe I'm sorry. Sorry about that night. She'll know what I'm talking about, if you don't already. I doubt you do, like I said, she tells people jack shit. Tell her I was happy, but afraid. And I still am afraid." Her soft voice was growing weaker, and Max was scared that she was about to get up and run.

"You shouldn't be afraid. Chloe may have me but she doesn't have you. She needs both of her friends, not just me. I'm a mess right now, and I can't help her." She pleaded. She couldn't just let her go, Chloe would be devastated.

"I can't help her either." Rachel stood up, and Max went to go follow but she held out her hand to indicate her not to. As she walked away, she didn't look behind her, but did call behind her.

"Let's face it Max, we're both a lot more than Chloe's best friends." And with that, she was gone, vanishing into the park trees.

Max was left to sit alone, wondering if what just happened was real. She was shaking a lot, and the cold was starting to get to her. She angrily stood up, marching back to her apartment.

What the fuck was happening?!