The Girl Who Rewinds Time [Life is Strange]

Chapter 23: Pained Memories

"Chloe, you can't keep blaming me and everybody for everything wrong in your life." Max said to her. "It's so not fair."

"I gotta blame somebody. Otherwise it's all my fault. Fuck that." Chloe told her. She sniffed and wiped at her eyes. "It's just life, shit happens, it's nobody's fault, "blah blah blah." as Mr. Jefferson would say." Max said. "And Kate Marsh..."

"Yes, Kate Marsh almost killed herself. Such sad. Okay?" Chloe told her. "That doesn't make me feel any better about my fucked-up life, get it?" She said. "So who do you most want to blame?" Max asked her. "My fucking dad of course... hello!?" Chloe said.

"William?" I questioned.

"Really?" Max added.

"Yes, I do. Damn right." Chloe said. "He chose to go out that door and leave me forever."

"Chloe, your dad didn't choose to... "leave" you." Max told her. "I know that, Max. My mom actually blames herself..." Chloe said. "Just because she wanted a ride home from work." Max looked at me over her shoulder. "Sometimes even I blame her..." Chloe added. "No, you don't." Max said. "Yes, Max, I do." Chloe told her. "Do you know what it's like to wait for your father to come home when you're a kid... and he never does?" Chloe asked. "No, of course not." Max said.

"...Yes." I said.

The truck went silent. Max looked at me again. Chloe slammed on the brakes. She quickly turned to me. Her eyes were bloodshot from her tears. "Really?" She asked me. I connected eyes with her and nodded.

"Yes. I do know what it's like." I said. I sighed. "It happened a long time ago. I was five. My dad said he was going out with some friends that night. I waited for so long. But he never came back. We thought he was killed in an accident." I sighed again. "But then my mom found a letter from him."

Emily.

I'm sorry. But I'm done with you. I've been done for a long time. I just never told you. I'm leaving and I'm never coming back. Please don't try to contact me or see me. Because you can't change my mind. And I'm just saying... Daniel is the biggest fucking mistake I've ever made in my life... We should've gotten an abortion for that kid. Anyway, I don't want to see you or him again.

Mason.

They both looked at me with sad looks as I told them the story.

"My mom only told me a few years ago when I was eleven. It was so fucking hard to hear. I cried in her arms for so long... because I never knew what I did to drive him away." I looked at Chloe. "So yes, Chloe. I know exactly how you feel about William." I said.

"Jesus. I'm so sorry, Daniel... I never..." Chloe said. "It's okay. You didn't know." I told her. Chloe sighed. Wiping away her tears. "You've both been through a lot." Max said.

"But look at everything that's happened the past week." She said. "You guys changed my life and that's not shit." Chloe shut her eyes tightly. "I'd really love to believe that... I'd like to believe in something after what's happened..." Chloe said.

"Chloe, Daniel, I can't do this out on my own. I need you guys with me. And Rachel needs you..." Max said. Chloe started driving down the road again. I sighed and looked out the window.

I never thought I'd share that story with anyone else. My mother and I always kept it to ourselves. It seemed to have calmed Chloe down a little bit. But she's still very hurt. I don't blame her for feeling this way. I felt the exact thing she's feeling. And it's not a pretty one. It makes you feel broken inside. Like you want to scream and destroy the world. To shut everything and everyone out of your life.

Chloe stopped the truck in front of Blackwell. Max looked at her. But Chloe didn't look back. She was waiting for us to leave. Chloe made it clear when she faced away from Max. Looking out her window. Max frowned at me. I lifted my shoulders. Shaking my head. Max and I silently left her truck. We watched as Chloe drove off. I felt a hand press against my shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Daniel." She said. I just responded with a nod. "You... want to sit down and talk about it with me?"

"No..." I immediately told her. I turned and walked away from her. Leaving her behind me.

I walked through my door and dropped my skateboard on the floor. I walked to my bed and flopped down onto it. I looked up at the ceiling. My vision went blurry as tears filled my eyes. I just let them slip out of my eyes and slide down my face. I pulled out my phone and pulled up my texts. I opened my mothers contact on my phone. I started typing her a message.

Then everything went white.