Lost and Found: Return to Arcadia bay

Chapter 8: The eyes of the beholder

Max and I walks next to Chloe as we stroll down the path next to the beach. "It's weird hanging out with you again." Chloe said as she was stuck in the wheel chair and I walked beside her. Poor Chloe....what have I done? "I know... I'm glad we are, though." Max sighed and I glanced around and noticed nothing has changed except Chloe's condition and my hair. "It was nice that you sent me actual letters. That's more than any of my other friends have done... And you even wrote on that cool parchment paper. That's so Max." Chloe sighed as she zoomed in her chair. "So pretentious. But I love writing on it, like an English poet. You deserve the best stationery." Max said and Chloe nodded. "Probably easier to write than to visit me. I don't mean that in a bitchy way. Not totally. You probably wanted to avoid awkward conversations like this." Chloe said and Max nodded shyly. "Uh...pretty much, yeah." Max said and Chloe stopped as we looked at the sunset. "Look, the worst thing you can do is treat me like a baby. I still want to laugh and talk shit with my best friend and my little sister. Can we stop,Zabrina? This is seriously the best view of the sunset. What do photographers call that?" Chloe asked and Max nodded. ""The golden hour."" Max said and Chloe smiled at us. "See? Without you here, We'd have no clue. Bet you could take some amazing shots... Those beached whales are so sad. I kind of know how they feel... At least I'm alive here with you." Chloe said and I nodded. "You're a real survivor, Chloe." I said as I stroked her head. "I know you have to deal with so much." Max sighed and Chloe shook her head. " I don't want anybody else feeling sorry for me. I can do that...along with my parents and Zabrina. My dad still feels guilty about buying me that car." Chloe sighed and I leaned down to her level. "Are you okay to talk about the accident to Max?" I asked and she raised a brow. "We never actually have, huh? There's not much to say. Some prick in an SUV cut us off and I flew into a ditch." Chloe said and my heart dropped. "D-Do you...remember everything?" Max asked and Chloe glanced at her. "I saw everything in bullet time. I remember pushing Zabrina out of the truck....I felt my back snap and... And that was the last thing I ever felt in my body. When I woke up in the hospital, I literally couldn't move a muscle." Chloe said and I closed my eyes to not let tears out. Just like William did..."Jesus! I...I don't know what to say." Max said and Chloe smiled at us. "Don't say anything. I'm just happy I did get to see you again. I could have ended up vanishing out of the blue like that girl from Blackwell." Chloe said and my eyes widened. "You mean Rachel Amber? When was the last time you talked to her?" I asked and she raised a brow. "Uh, never. I just read about her in the news. I didn't even know her name. You did?" Chloe asked and my eyes widened. She never met Rachel? Oh my god..."This is such a different world than when we were kids, isn't it..." Max said changing the subject and Chloe nodded. "After that snow and eclipse, it's more like the end of the world." Chloe sighed and I raised a brow. "Do you think so? I haven't kept up with the details." I said and Chloe smirked at me. "I have more time on my hands than you... Plus I'm a science nerd. But none of this makes sense." Chloe said and I nodded. "I know things seem out of control, but...as long as we're together, I don't feel afraid." I said and Chloe smiled at us. "Hanging out with you two makes me feel like a total kid again. You don't even know..." Chloe said and Max nodded. "Listen, Chloe...I'm sorry I haven't been out to see you more. That was wrong. You're my best friend." Max said and Chloe nodded. "Max, thanks for coming out to see me. You're...you're doing awesome." Chloe smiled and Max shook her head. "I don't think so." Max blushed and Chloe looked at me. "Um. My...my nose is getting cold. Maybe we should get back to our place." Chloe said and a cold wind blew my hair back and I shivered. "You're right, It is hella cold out here." I said and Chloe chuckled. " "Hella"? I hate that word, no offense." Chloe smiled and I shrugged. "None taken." I said as we turned around and head back towards our house...

"Daddy? Can you help us?" I asked William as we made it to the house and he nodded. "Sure, sweetie." He answered as he came into the what used to be a garage, instantly became Chloe's new room. "Zabrina, grab her legs." William said and I nodded holding on to Chloe's legs, while he held her shoulders, and Max held her equipment together. "When I count to three, Zabrina and I will hoist her on the bed and Max, I want you to plug the equipment to the exhaler so she could breath, Okay?" He questioned and I nodded. "Okay." Max answered and he nodded at us. "One.." I glanced at Chloe full of worry. "Two...." I stared at Max nodding for her to get ready. "Three..." He said as we gently pulled her onto the bed and Max plugged the equipment and Chloe smiled at us. "See? That was easy." Chloe sighed and William gave me a high-five and I got tears in my eyes. "Zabrina, it's okay....Chloe will be fine." William cooed and I shook my head. "It's not that....It's just....I'm so glad to see you...Here with me...." I said as I rubbed the tears off my face and he raised a brow. "Girls, you can have time to catch-up...Zabrina and I need to talk." He said as he led me to the kitchen and he sat down on the chair and I sat next to him. "Zabrina, ever since Max came back, you've been acting so...." He stop mid-sentence when he realized I was crying. He's back....It's been such a long, long time since I heard his voice....It makes me feel even more guilty realizing that his death was related to Chloe's condition...She saved me, too. I broke into sobs and I glanced at him with his eyes full of worry as he held my hand. "Zabrina, Why are you so sad?" He asked and I looked down. "Look....I-It's nothing....It's..." I glanced at him and he smiles at me. His body flashed as I saw his body burned up and bloody. I closed my eyes and looked away. "It's....complicated." I sighed and he raised a brow. "Is there something you want to tell me?" He asked and I nodded. "I-I....I don't know what to say..." I said and he looked down at me. "Are you in trouble?" He asked and I shook my head. "N-No! Of course not! I would never get into any trouble..." I admitted and he raised a brow. "Not after you dropped out of school to raise money for Chloe?" He questioned and my eyes widened. "Wait...What?" I questioned and he shook his head. "Don't you remember?" William asked with a concerned look and I shook my head. "N-no." I answered and he furrowed his brow. "That's strange....Almost like you're not yourself." He said and I gave him a worried stare. "Dad, There's something I want to tell you, but I can't....Because, I'm sure you won't believe me." I whimpered and he raised a brow. "You know I'll always believe you." He said reassuringly as he gave me his full attention and I sighed. "Okay. As you know, I don't know how you're Zabrina is in this timeline, but I'm from the other timeline and you....you....Well.." I said looking down and he looked at me with warm kind eyes. "Chloe and I have been together ever since, but you were....Dead." I said looking down and his eyes widened as I said that and he smiled. "Zabrina, even when I was dead during that time....I will still be with you even when you can't see me.." William said and I shook my head. "It didn't feel like it! You were dead! Because of me!" I shouted not caring if Max and Chloe heard and he shook his head. "Never. Chloe managed to save you and I'm happy for it....See it from your sister's view...She saved you....She saved you because she loves you...I probably did the same, because I thought about you first." William explained and my eyes widened. "Y-You're right...You did it because I'm your child, too, you kept your promise. You and Chloe..." I whimpered and he smiled. "That's right..." He said as he hugged me. "I'm sorry, Zabrina. That you had to go through that..." He said and I cried into his shirt and he held me tightly. "I missed you." I sobbed and he nodded. "I know. I know." He cooed. "ShhhShhh... It's okay....It's okay..." He murmured and I smiled into the hug. I sat up and smiled at him. "I should head back to my pirate crew." I said as I stood up from the chair and walked over towards the garage. "Shall they walk the plank? Avast they may be in trouble..." William joked and I rolled my eyes. "Oh my god..." I laughed at him as I opened the door and walked in to see Max and Chloe talking. "Hey, Zab." Chloe said as Max and Chloe looked towards me and I looked around at all the high-tech equipment. "Hey Chloe. Hey Max." I greeted as I sat right on the chair next to Max and I leaned my head on Max's shoulder. "This is a pretty sweet liar." I said and Chloe raised a brow at me. "Feels like a high-tech cell. But I am lucky my parents bust their ass to take care of us. I know it's hard for them..." Chloe said sadly and Max nodded. "They're grateful you are here with them." Max said and Chloe rolled her eyes. "Right. Especially when they can't even take a walk alone. Sometimes I act like a total teenage brat just to give them an excuse to yell at me. Pathetic, I know." Chloe muttered and I shook my head. "Chloe, you're a great daughter. You're kind, sensitive, and protective when you don't even have to be." I said and Chloe smirked at me. "Trust me, I still get my rage on. Especially when a nurse has to watch while I take a dump, so she can wipe my bum. Or when doctors flip me around like I was a science doll..." Chloe sighed and Max shook her head. "I can't even imagine... But you're still amazing. You always have been since we were kids." Max said and Chloe smiled at her. "Thanks again for coming, Max. I, uh...need to get my drink on. Can you bring me some water?" Chloe asked and Max gets up from her chair. "It should be close by." Chloe said and I nodded getting up with Max as she gives Chloe a cup of water on the nightstand. "Drink up, buttercup." Max chuckled as Chloe took big gulps of water. I stared at the equipment hooked to her throat and I looked away sadly. "Oh man, no wonder my throat is dry. I don't think I've talked this much the whole year." Chloe chuckled and Max smiled at her. "Have you ever thought about doing a podcast or something?" Max asked and Chloe smirked at her. " I wish I could punch your face right now. A podcast? Dude, I am a pod in a cast. Boring. " Chloe chuckled and Max eyes widened. "Ouch. It was just a thought-""I know you're just trying to help." Chloe interrupted Max and she nodded. "Yeah, that's become a bad habit of mine... " Max said raising a brow at me and I chuckled. "Oh, yeah! Don't look at me, I love to help people it's my job." I smirked and Chloe smiled at me. "You sound like an adult now. It seems like we were all kids in another life." Chloe sighed and I smiled. "You're right.What do you remember?Seems like yesterday." I said and Max smiled. "You're right... I wish I could take us all the way back there again." Max sighed and Chloe smiled. "Wish I could build us a...DeLorean." Chloe chuckled and the room got silent. "Well, um, with your scientific mind, you might do that. But time travel can screw things up, too..." Max said and Chloe nodded at us both. "Plus, you'd have to be my live-in assistant to help me build a machine. As you can see, I can't keep all my other friends away." Chloe sighed and I glared at her. "You have me. I'm not leaving you, Chloe." I said and Chloe smiled at me. "Well, you didn't visit me a lot either. I mean, I loved your arts and talents, but..." Chloe stopped mid-sentence to stare at me with a face full of concern. "But what?" I asked and she furrowed her brows. "But after my accident you thought you were too cool for school." Chloe said as if she's disappointed in me and I looked down. " I know I wasn't around much. No excuses, I'm a loser. But, I am trying to make things right." I said and Chloe smiled at me. "How? Dude, you're not human. You're stronger than I am and I'm proud of that. And I'm not trying to guilt-trip you. That's what our parents are for..." Chloe said and I nodded. "Are they okay? I mean, are they still happy together and everything?" I asked and Chloe raised a brow at me. "So now you're Dr. Bill? I guess they're good, considering they have to deal with me. They laugh and hold hands...and I hope they still get busy too..." Chloe chuckled and Max laughed with her. "I think Joyce and William are incredible." Max said and Chloe looked down at me. "Max, the accident has been so hard on them. Our insurance sucks and the medical bills are fucking insane."