"I wish I could stay in this moment forever..but then it wouldn't be a moment."

-Max Caulfield

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Forgive Me

(A/N: Once again, sorry for the long waits for updates. It's very hard to sit down and write these chapters out because I'm so busy. Enjoy!)

"Okay, so here's the plan. I'll go to the diner and distract Frank by telling him I have his money, but he needs to come with me. Then you come in and rewind so Frank doesn't see me, then you can tell Frank he needs to check out his RV and then you rewind after you get the key...and then..uh...and...uh.."
    Mark tried to have a plan ready, but his determination soon turned to stuttering and mumbling after he started confusing himself. I chuckled and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Mark, I got this. I'll be back."

"Don't let my epic plan be in the way of yours. I'll try to scrounge up a scooby snack to distract his mangy mutt." I nodded, watching Mark walk off to try and find food for Frank's dog. I sighed and looked into the diner window, seeing Frank scarfing down his breakfast.
    Now to find a way a quick and easy way to snag Frank's keys. I walked into the diner, the jukebox music filling my ears. I inhaled deeply, smiling at the scent of fresh food. Good lord, bacon. I'm ready to nosh again..but I need to get those keys from Frank. My stomach churned uneasily before I gulped and shrugged. I did still have my rewind powers. I walked up to Frank, grabbing his plate full of beans.

"You eat like a pig, try the floor." I couldn't believe what I was doing as I let the beans slip off the plate and splatter to the ground. Anger instantly twisted in Frank's face.

"I was eating those beans..are you fucking insane? I WAS EATING THOSE BEANS!" He got up, throwing his fork to the counter. I stepped back, watching him walk towards me. His foot stepped in the pile of beans, making him slip and fall to the floor.
    I gasped, covering my mouth to try and stifle the giggles. He groaned and slammed his fist on the ground, looking up at me. My smile dropped as he lunged for me, his hand aiming at my throat. I shot my hand up, freezing time. Okay, maybe not the best option I could've picked. I rewind time until Frank was sitting at the table again, eating his food that wasn't thrown on the floor.
    I walk up to the table, placing my hand on the table by his plate. I waited in silence until his eyes caught my hand and he looked up at me. He let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head.

"You have some serious balls, little girl. But hanging out with Mark, playing with guns, and dressing up like Rachel doesn't make you cool or tough. What the fuck do you want? Take a picture of me and I'll break your fucking camera." His icy voice made me want to cringe, but I struggled through it and straightened my back.

"How do you know these are Rachel's clothes?"

"Because she looks beautiful in them and you look like an ass. You're lucky I just took that gun away from you."

"Grab your keys and let's check out your RV."

"Let's not. You fucking creep me out." I sighed in frustration, rewinding time again to where he was sitting at the table. I ran a hand through my hair, looking out the window to see Mark rummaging through the trash outside.
    I made a face and turned back to Frank, pursing my lips. What to do, what to do. I weighed my options and looked at his beer can sitting in front of him. I reached over and grabbed it, leaning it over Frank's pants. He didn't have time to react as it spilled all over his crotch and legs.

"I just wanted to see what would happen if I did this." He looked up, a scowl deep on his lips. He rose from his seat, his arms reaching out to me.

"I'm gonna kill you!" I froze time before it could get any worse, my heart pounding in my chest. I groaned and rewound time to the beginning once again. He looked up at me, displeasure written all over his face.

"What the fuck now?" I crossed my arms, getting angry quickly at his dick attitude.

"Could I get you to drop Mark's debt?"

"Aren't you supposed to be a smart student?"

"You'll find out if you do me this favor."

"Thanks, Godmother. But I don't need your favors. And Mark doesn't get any from me." I turned around and walked away, feeling defeated. I couldn't make this asshole budge, what the hell do I do now!? I walked down the hallway, my heart dropping when I saw Nathan sitting at one of the booths. I took a deep breath, swallowing my anger and walking up to him. He looked over, gasping and looking at me with wide eyes.

"Rachel!? What the fu-oh. Oh look, "Max Amber." Nice outfit. By the way, thanks for getting me fucking expelled, you twee bitch. You're lucky this is a public place."

"Considering we're in a public diner with a police officer right over there..you shouldn't advertise your rage, Prescott."

"Oh yeah? Well you're the one who shouldn't have bitch-snitched on me to that fucked up Principle!"

"I heard your dad hired a local cop to keep an eye out on you and Frank Bowers..like a babysitter."

"Bullshit. My dad doesn't hire, he owns. And these pigs know better than to narc on me." I crossed my arms, glaring right back at him.

"Do they? I hope that means Frank won't get busted."

"Eventually, he will. The guy is into some freaky shit. He told me once he took a weird blood oath for Rachel..uh..forget I told you that. Seriously. Now, get off my crack, whore, keep your piehole shut."

Rewind..

"What the fuck do you want now?"

"I thought you were supposed to keep your mouth shut about the blood oath Frank took for Rachel?"

"Blood oath!? What the fuck..I never told anybody about that freaky shit! Besides, everyone knows Frank is a liar and a loser, even Rachel did."

"Yet Rachel Amber hung out with him more than you."

"So? Rachel wanted Frank's stash. She let him take pictures. Then, he carries around her photo liked she pose out of love. Dumbass." I soon walked away from Nathan, new information stored in my head. I walked back up to Frank, smirking.

"You know I saw that photo Rachel gave you."

"Uh...how'd you know about that, Mark, right?"

"She just told me that one of Rachel's favorite pictures was the one she did for you."

"Really? Yeah, I mean that's what I thought. She was just a natural beauty, ya know. Wait..wait..lemme find it..here, judge for yourself." He laid his wallet, keys, and the picture of Rachel in front of him. While he ate, I looked at the keys. I scooped them up, dangling them in front of his face.

"I'll be taking these now."

"You did not just do that. Give me back my keys, bitch." Before he could lunge at me again, I shot up my hand and placed him back into the seat. While he ate, I felt the keys gripped tightly in my hand. I smiled, turning and rushing back out the door.
    After preventing Alyssa from getting water splashed all over her from a passing truck, I headed back to the RV. Mark was leaning against the front door, playing with his necklace. He smiled when I dangled the keys in front of his face.

"I should've known. The Amazing SpiderMax."

"I couldn't have done it without Frank. Now let's get in and out." He handed me a large bone, looking at me with a wink.

"You'll need this, Max." I took a deep breath, holding the bone tightly. He grabbed the keys and stuck them in the door, preparing himself. I gulped, nodding at him.

"On your mark, get set..THROW!" He yelled, throwing open the door. Frank's dog lunged out the door, heading straight for my face. I had a split second to decide as I flung it beside me, towards the parking lot. The dog spotted the bone in the air and sprinted towards it, forgetting about me and Mark completely.

"I think we just made that dog our bitch..get it?" Mark peeked from behind the door, smirking. I rolled my eyes and walked to the front door, pulling him inside.

"Now I can snoop in peace. But let's not waste time." He nodded, following me inside before shutting the door behind him. The RV was dimly lit and trash was littered all over the place. The sink was overflowing with dirty plates and dozens of empty beer bottles. Dirty clothes strewn across the place and the smell lingered in the air.

"Damn, and I thought my room was a shithole."

"You're not a creepy drug dealer."

"Frank has issues, but he's not creepy. At least I didn't think so until I saw Rachel's bracelet on his wrist." Mark plopped down in the driver's seat, hands wrapped around the wheel. He had a huge smile as he turned the wheel and laughed.

"Awh, we could cruise everywhere in this bad boy! Can you see us heading down the coast to Big Sur and beyond?" I chuckled with him, smiling a little.

"Yes, we'd be tearing up the highway. And you'd probably want me to kiss you again. Mark, we're on a schedule. We need more clues about Rachel." I looked at him as he stared off into space, smiling about something I must have said. He snapped out of it, shaking his head and standing up.

"I know, just daydreaming." We then began to search around, hoping to find something. Mark hopped on Frank's computer, seeing if he could hack into something.

"The wifi is crappy here. Must take him days to download porn."

"Yuck."

"Woah, what the hell is he doing with that dog!?" I giggled a little.

"Stop it!"

I took the knife from the counter, walking into his bedroom. After finding some disgusting and useless things, I spotted the vent on the wall. When I pulled at it, I could tell it was loose. Using my handy dandy new knife, I easily pried the vent open.
    When it fell open, a mysterious book was placed inside. I grabbed it quickly, eager to know what was inside. I pulled out photos, interesting photos. The first one was a smiling Rachel holding Frank's dog. I turned it over, seeing a long note on the back. My eyes scanned through it, not sure whether to feel touched or disturbed.

"Frankie B.

Hope you see this first thing in the morning! Sorry about last night. I was being a monstrous bitch and took it out on you. And poor Pompidou. There's a lot of weird shit going on in my life and sometimes i feel like I'm never going to get out of Arcadia Bay. Thank god for you. You're one of the best things I have here and I smile when I think of us together. Let's just drive out of here. Forever.

Love you always,

R.A. -<3"

The next picture was of Rachel driving Frank's RV, a huge smile on her face. The third picture was of the two of them, Frank and Rachel. They were close together, a happy closed smile on their faces. I was shocked that she actually did hang out with Frank.
   The fourth photo was of Rachel dancing on Frank's bed, her her hair covering her face. She was wearing a bright pink bra and lacy black underwear. I'm learning more about Rachel than I wanted to know. I stuck the file in my bag, heading towards Mark. I handed him the book, laying it in his hands. He looked at them before slumping back in the seat and closing his eyes.

"That makes me ill that Rachel posed like this for Frank. Or wrote him love letters. I can't believe she was banging Frank! Rachel straight up lied to my face! Why didn't she say anything!?"

"Because she knew how you'd react."

"Then she wasn't much of a friend, was she. Just another person who shits all over me. Why does everybody in my life let me down? My dad gets killed, you bail on me for years, my mother gloms onto step fucker..now Rachel betrays me."

"Mark, Rachel is missing. Nobody betrayed you."

"Bullshit, who hasn't!? Fuck everybody!"

"Mark!" I called after him, getting pushed out of the way as he walked out of the RV. I watched as he threw the keys on the roof of a nearby building, glaring as he walked off. I followed him, know quite knowing what to say.
    We got into his truck, peeling out of the drive and catching a glimpse of Frank watching us leave. We sat in silence for a few minutes, Mark stewing in his anger in the driver's seat.

"Mark, you can't keep blaming me and everybody else for everything wrong in your life. It's so not fair."

"I gotta blame somebody, or else it's all my fault. Fuck that."

"Grow up. And I'm not trying to be mean. But you're not the only one in Arcadia Bay who has problems. Kate Marsh killed herself, you know."

"Yes, Kate Marsh killed herself. She's dead. Such sad. Okay? That doesn't make me feel any better about my fucked up life, get it?"

"So who do you most want to blame?"

"My fucking dad of course..hello!?"

"You're blaming David?"

"I said "my dad"! My father, who got himself killed for nothing! Not the human placeholder for Joyce."

"Mark, your dad didn't choose to "leave" you."

"I know that, Max. My mom actually blames herself. Just because she wanted a ride home from work. Sometimes even I blame her."

"No you don't."

"Yes, Max, I do. Do you know what it's like to wait for your father to come home when you're a kid..and he never does?"

"No, of course not. But I was with you that day. It was a terrible accident."

"I wish that made me feel better, but ever since he died, my life has been dipped in shit." I watched him tighten his grip on the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. He bit hit lip hard and took deep breaths, his eyes shimmering with tears.

"I know you don't want to hear this but, you're still here. Alive. With me. And that is no accident."

"You're right, I don't want to hear this."

"Mark, I can't do this on my own. I need you with me. And Rachel needs you." He didn't respond, just kept driving. We reached my school in no time, his eyes averted to the road. He glared at the steering wheel, his whole body tense.
    We sat there, listening to his old truck rumble before I sighed and climbed out. I shut the door, stepping back and watching Mark tear out of the highway. I let my shoulders slump as I turned and trudged slowly up the steps to my dorm. As I walked with my head down, I wiped away a stray tear that had fallen down my cheek.

I'm sorry, Mark...