rachel reunion

The girls slowly approached the truck, covering their bodies as best as they could, when just as they did, they saw a girl about their age leaning against the truck. Chloe looked at her face, and her jaw dropped. “No way,” Chloe said.

“What is it?” Max asked.

Chloe felt her heart racing, her brain moving 100 MPH as she looked at Rachel Amber. She let go of Max’s hand and ran right up to her, not believing this was real. “Rachel?!”

“I’m gone for what a few months maybe years, and you turn yourself into a nudist? I really did have a bad influence on you,” Rachel grinned.

“How? Where? I thought... oh my God, I thought...” Chloe teared up as Rachel wrapped her arms around Chloe.

“There’s a lot to explain, but I’m okay. I’m alive. I’m here, Chloe. Like we talked about. I know... actually I don’t know how long it has been... but I have a lot to catch you up on. Everything that happened. But um, are you going to introduce me to your friend?” Rachel asked.

Chloe blushed. “Oh. Right. Rachel, this is Max. Max, this is... this is Rachel.”

“That’s Rachel Amber?” Max said, jaw dropping. “But I thought...”

“Yeah, so did I,” Chloe said.

“And you’re the famous Super Max?” Rachel laughed. “Chloe used to tell me all about you and your adventures. She never told me you were a nudist, though.”

“I’m not!” Max shouted.

“Then why are you naked?” Rachel asked, holding up the girls’ clothes. “And why did I find these in our hangout area?”

“Um.... it’s a long story,” Chloe said.

“Yeah... and you might not believe us...” Max said.

“Shoot,” Rachel said.

“Max can time travel, but has to do it naked,” Chloe blurted out.

Rachel tilted her head. “Really? Naked? Prove it. I’ll give you a sentence and you have to repeat it before I say it. Are you ready?”

Max nodded.

“Who cares if the stars are dead. As long as we can see them, that means they’re real to us.”

Max raised her hand and went back in time and then said the exact sentence just before Rachel opened her mouth.

“Wow,” Rachel said. “Now that’s cool.”

“So... are we going to talk?” Chloe asked.

“We are talking,” Rachel said.

“I mean... about where you were... all these years. How you up and left? Ghosted me?” Chloe said.

Rachel sighed. “I guess we should catch up, but let’s go back to the inner sanctum. Also, you’re going to want to put your clothes on for this.”

Chloe and Max nodded as Rachel handed them their clothes back. They quickly put their clothes on and then followed Rachel to the hangout area. “Okay, Rachel. Tell me. Where have you been?” Chloe asked.

“I... don’t know exactly where. All I remember is one moment I was at a Vortex Club party, and then I blacked out. I think I heard Nathan’s voice, but when I came to it was Mr. Jefferson I saw. And I was in this... white room. And he had a camera. I think he... took photos of me. And not like the portrait kind. He stripped my clothes off. He.... he did things to me. Chloe, he... he...”

Rachel stopped as she looked down as if ashamed to say it. Chloe rested a hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay. You don’t have to say it.”

Rachel nodded, tears streaming down her face. “I don’t know. I... I was scared. I was confused. I mean at one point I admired him. Wanted to be him. And then... and then I realized the truth. But then he left one day. And it was just Nathan and me. It seemed... Nathan was just a puppet. He **** me. I think he tried to overdose me on purpose... like... like he wanted to spare me. And then all I remember was waking up stranded in the middle of nowhere. Ditched on the side of a road. I think... I think he thought I was dead, and honestly maybe I was. But I made it back here like we talked about. And now I’m here. It took awhile, but I’m here.”

“Mr. Jefferson.... he... he did that to you?” Chloe said.

“And that’s not the worst. He’s done it to other girls. Samantha. Kelly. Lynn. Kate. And.... his next target is... Victoria Chase,” Rachel said.

“Oh my God,” Max said. “We... we have to do something. Notify the police someone.”

“We can’t go to the department,” Rachel said. “We have no evidence and if they go knocking on Jefferson’s door it will be too late. We need someone who is cautious and careful. But has the means do so. Someone who we can trust.”

Chloe sighed. “I don’t know about trust exactly. But... there is one person who could possibly help us.”

Max nodded. “I think he’s our only option.”

“Who?” Rachel asked.

“Stepdouche,” Chloe answered.

Rachel nodded knowingly. “Yeah, that makes sense. So... let’s go I guess.”