Survive

Chapter Thirty Six

Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

October 31, 2022.

Madison Stone's Point Of View.

As I had in mind, after I leave the boardroom, I go to the room that Andrey must be in. Could I wait for the break? I could, but I can't imagine myself in this school until then.

I stop in front of the room and knock on the door, being answered by teacher Scarlet some time later.

"Madison?" I don't think I have ever heard people speak my name with surprise as much as I am hearing it today.

"Hi. Could I talk to Andrey quickly?" I ask already knowing that she will probably say no, but she seems to think, so that gives me some hope.

"I will call him, but it has to be quick anyway."

"Okay." I smile and she enters the room again, but then comes back.

"By the way, my condolences for your loss," and now I understand why she allowed. What a weight on the conscience doesn't do, right?

"Thank you.." I thank her, no longer as happy as when I hear her permission and she goes back into the room.

After a few seconds, Andrey leaves the room and looks at me normally, without showing surprise, longing, or even sadness.

"Hi Madison.." he greets me and in a way, it hurts the way he calls me, because since the day we met he calls me "Mad" or "my cheerleader," but never Madison.

It may sound silly, but this shows how much our relationship has changed in these past few days. I just don't know how it happened.

"Hi Andrey.. can I talk to you?" He agrees, so I start walking and he follows me.

We walked until we were a little far from the rooms.

"So..?" He leans against a cabinet and I stop in front of him, but keep a small distance.

"I want to hear what you have to say to me," I say.

"What do I have to tell you about?" He asks looking at his hands that are placed inside the pocket of his cold sweater.

"Whatever you want. It's not possible that you think everything is okay between us," he looks away and takes a deep breath, which he always does when he's upset about something but doesn't want to say anything.

"I didn't cheat on you with Sarah." He looks deep into my eyes.

"Why was she with your cell phone?"

"After my appointment, my mom and I went to a cafeteria..." he tells what happened. "And if you don't want to believe me, you can ask my mom," he says seriously.

"I don't need to ask your mother.. I believe you." I say and he shakes his head in agreement, making me realize that there is something wrong with him. "Is there anything else you want to tell me..?"

"Why did you come today and instead of going to talk to me, you went to talk to him?" He asks looking at me disappointed.

"With him who?" I ask and he gives a wry laugh.

"Your ex," and now I understand why he is like this.

"I didn't go to talk to you because you were in Alexander's class and I wasn't going to come after you until after class was over," I think about talking about what happened, but I don't think it's a good idea to talk about it now.

"And why, when class was over, didn't you come to me? Because when I saw you two talking, the bell had already rung."

"I did look for you. That's why we're talking now. And if you saw me talking to him, why didn't you come to us?"

"I didn't see. Sarah told me you were in front of the board, so I went to talk to you, but when I got there, you were hugging each other, so I thought I'd better not get in the way." And now I laugh angrily.

"She did that on purpose, because she knew you would be upset with me. And besides why are you still talk to her?"

"You talk to Bryan," he replies and I start to get annoyed. There is no way he is trying to blame me for the situation we are in.

I always understood his insecurity about Bryan, but I never stopped talking to him because he never gave me any reason to. Ok, I know that he sometimes flirts with me, but I always cut him off and he respects that, without ever overstepping the bounds.

Sarah, on the other hand, has shown several times that she is capable of doing anything to end what we have. If she hadn't taken my call, I'm sure we would be fine with each other right now.

It upsets me that even after she spread personal stuff about me around the school, made me understand that they were together on that day and tried to turn him against me, he still talks to her and prefers to believe her.

"He was just talking to me, it was no big deal. And besides, it's not because of that that you're acting indifferent to me, because since last week you haven't come to see me, texted me or called me."

"I wanted to give you some time to think."

"Time to think?" I mock with anger. "I was suffering and you wanted me to think?.. I assure you that instead of you making me well, you made me sadder."

"I thought you didn't want to see me." He defends himself and I deny disappointed.

"Even if you didn't want to look me in the face, if I knew you needed me, I would come to you," I speak and silence settles between us. "I think she got what she wanted."

"What do you mean?" He asks confused.

"She has managed to get us to be upset with each other. She's managed to turn you against me and make me disappointed in you for it."

"No, she just showed me that he still has feelings for you and that if you let up, he will take advantage." And now I look at him indignantly.

"But I don't want him! Don't you realize that she's trying to play us off against each other? I came to talk to you and you acted indifferent to me just because you saw me hugging him when you also hug her and as much as I don't like it, I don't say anything because I trust you."

"But it's different. I don't want her!" He says angrily and soon after regrets it, but it's too late. "That's not what I meant."

"That's exactly what you meant. You see? You believe her more than you believe me. I don't want Bryan.. and besides, at no point did he try to ruin what you and I had."

"We had?" He asks and even though I don't want to, I agree.

The last thing I need right now is a boyfriend who would rather believe other people than me.

"If you believe in her more than you believe in me, there's no point in us being together. You'd better stay with her," I say angrily and he laughs disdainfully.

"Maybe it's better anyway, at least she doesn't have an ex on her back," he teases angrily and I just nod my head as I try to hide the disappointment I'm feeling.

"Good luck to you then," I say and turn to leave.

"Are you going to be with him already?" He teases more and I turn around as calmly as I can.

"My life doesn't concern you anymore."
And I pull away further, walking away.