Here's a new chapter like I promised, hope you enjoy!

"Hey Darling, how are you today?"

"Hello Mom, I'm fine, thanks, and you?"

My Mom sits down where Mr. Smith was sitting some hours ago. "I'm just happy to be able to speak with you. I'm so sorry that Ryan can't take off from work, but the doctor said something wonderful, he'll arrive soon… but I'm telling you right now: You can leave the hospital, and come with us until Blackwell will be opened again!" She smiles, waiting eagerly for my reaction. I don't know what to say.

"Oh wow, that's cool… I guess." I don't know. Why am I not happy about this? As I thought, my mom isn't really pleased about this.

"But Max, what's wrong? You're finally able to spend time with us again, before all of this, you did text me that you miss us… And now you're somehow not satisfied with this?" She looks at me, somehow sad, but her expression changes, as she would understand something, even I don't know.

"I don't know, Mom. I'm sorry, but I really don't know why I'm not bursting with joy about hearing this…" I'm searching for words, but she interrupts me.

"No, it's good. I think I know why, I'm your mother after all." She pauses, smiles at me. "After this coma, and all what you've been through, you surely want to stay a little more in Arcadia Bay, am I right?" Oh, I'm so glad that my mother is so understanding. I stand up and give her a hug, while whispering "I love you, Mom." in her ear.

"I love you, too, Max. So you're going to stay in your room at the dorms?" The school is temporarily closed because of this whole mess… The dorms are open, but somehow, I don't want to stay there. Alone, in this room would feel like a cage to me. I could stay at someone's house, right? Hotels are too expensive. And I don't even know, how long I want to stay here. Mom stares outside the window, and suddenly has an idea.

"What if I ask Joyce if you could stay at her house for some time?" I cringe. "I'm sure that she would be okay with it. Maybe she even would be glad to have someone like a daughter around? You and Chloe were close after all." You don't even know how close we were, but were we only in my coma? As I'm sitting there, being hesitant, mom decides to do it.

"You know what, I'm just gonna call her right now." And before I could protest, she already dialed the number.

"Hello Joyce, how are you?" Yes, she's my mother after all…

"Good evening, Joyce" My mom and I are standing in front of the door of this familiar house.

"Hello Vanessa, hi, Max! How are you? Come in." While my mother and Joyce walk into the kitchen, already talking in a cheerful manner. I carry my bag with my belongings, while feeling somehow out of place. Without Chloe, this place seems so strange. One thing I'm sure of, is, that I won't sleep in Chloe's room. I'd rather crash at the couch. I leave my bag next to the door, and go to where the other two are. Joyce prepared tea and pancakes, and instantly, I feel how hungry I really am.

"Eat up, honey. You've been through so much." Joyce smiles at me, waiting for me to start eating. But instead, I feel myself getting overwhelmed by guilt. "Oh Joyce, I'm so sorry…" My voice cracks and I start to cry. My mom and Joyce both stand up, hugging me, and trying to comfort me, but I just can't stop the tears from falling down. Somehow, my guilt can't be stopped, and because even Joyce is comforting me, even though she lost her daughter, is not helping with this either.

After I calmed down, I apologize to everyone. I'm such a burden, I don't even want to stay here anymore, but I want to be in Arcadia Bay a little bit longer. I eat the pancakes, Joyce warmed them up for me, still shivering a little, but I'm fine again.

"I'm going to sleep on the couch." I decide. Joyce looks at me questioningly.

"Don't you want to stay in Chloe's room? I mean, it's free now, we also cleaned the bed…but you can also stay on the couch, I can understand that" She changed her mind, when she saw my face, when she mentioned Chloe's name. I can't stay at her room. I can't even go into her room.

"Thank you so much, Joyce."

"But you have to deal with me waking up in the morning and eating breakfast and so on. Your school may be closed for now, but the Diner isn't" She smirks, and I also manage to smile and nod.

"Well, if that is settled, I'm going home, I have to start working again tomorrow. Max, call or message me, if something's wrong, okay? But I'm sure, you're in good hands. Stay as long as you want… and as long as you're causing no problems for Joyce." Both of them laugh, and I nod. I hug my mother one more time, before she drives off with her car. Joyce goes upstairs, and when she comes back, she gives me a blanket and a pillow. I thank her, and I walk into the living room. The moment I sit down, the door is opened.

"Honey, I'm home! Is Max already here?" David! Wow, that scared me at first. But he is a good guy after all.

"Oh David, don't scare Max like that, she just came out of the hospital." She laughs, and greets him with a kiss.

"Hello Max, it's good to see you're fine again. You were sleeping a long time in there." We shake hands, but it feels so weird.

"Yeah, I'm fine now. And you were working until now?" I ask him, wondering, what he's doing, since the school is closed.

"Oh, you don't remember, right? I'm now a police officer here. After I found out about Mr. Jefferson, right before he could do something too evil to you… Well, not quick enough for…"

"David, please stop! You did what you could! And don't let Max remember all of these cruel things, she has it hard enough." Joyce scolds him. I wonder what he wanted to say, but somehow, I'm also scared of his answer, so I decide not to ask.

"I'm sorry, Max." He says, with a worried look. He seems so different from then. Maybe it's because he's finally a police officer, and not only a security guard at school. But maybe he just changed, too, because of all these events. Chloe…

"Well, we'll be going to bed now. If you need something, just tell me, okay? You're my second daughter after all." She smiles, David nods.

"Got it, but right now I'm fine, thanks. Good night, Joyce, David."

I walk over to the couch and lie down, putting the blanket over me. I feel somehow nostalgic. I remember sitting on the couch with Chloe when we were kids. I miss her so much. After turning myself for half an hour, I decide that I'm not able to sleep. I turn on the lights and open my diary. There's still a lot I have to write down. I don't know how long my pen is flying across the pages, when in the middle of one word, it only scratches as if pushing out his last breath. Oh hell no, my good old pen is out of ink… Maybe I should go to sleep and ask for a pen tomorrow, I don't want to wake Joyce over something unimportant. I lay down and close my eyes, and after shifting around for half an hour I finally manage to fall asleep.

Hope you enjoyed, I'm not sure but I'm afraid about some characters being too out of character... Hope it's not that bad :')I'm kinda busy, but I'll manage to upload the next chapter next week again, I think :)