Community Service

Chapter 3: The Right Thing to Do

Judge Malcolm sends an email to the court disqualifying him from acting as Maddie's judge in the rest of her case. He cites a personal bias concerning Maddie and having too much personal knowledge by working with her so closely. He feels lines being blurred and now knows her too well outside of the court not to give her special treatment.

He does recommend her school only suspend her and not expulsion as she's a good student and the Adderall she insists was a one-time thing.

Maddie spends her first day at the middle school tutoring, and it's not going well. None of the children even want tutoring.

Jaxon asks, "So you went to prison?"

Maddie sighs, "No, I didn't."

"The teacher said you're a criminal."

"She did!"

Jaxon leaves while see sits at the table in her lavender dress.

She says her last goodbye as she is finally done being a homework helper for four hours to kids who don't want help.

She prays in the car, "All I want for Christmas is this nightmare to be over."

Checking her email she sees that Judge Malcolm is no longer her judge, and she wonders why? Is it about her? Did she do something wrong?

The next morning, Maddie walks into the office, and she sees Michael. He says, "Hey can you get the mail?" He then walks into his office and closes the door.

"Yes," she says, but he doesn't hear her.

She walks out of the room to get the mail outside, but when she walks out of the building she sees her toxic ex, Patrick.

"What are you doing here?" Maddie asks.

Patrick laughs, "Your life really took a 180 since last year."

"Shut up!"

"It's fine. I'm not here to judge."

"That's not what it feels like,"

"Sorry for being a delinquent. You still look pretty."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

"Yeah, I want to be friends."

"Whatever. Sure. We're friends."

Maddie walks past the trees outside and goes inside the glass doors. After last night she's never going to be friends with him, but if friends is what he wants, then just friends is what he gets.

"So what did you do?" Patrick yells.

Maddie ignores him, what a little gossip. How did she ever fall in love with him? He was her first love. She loved him unconditionally, well, until he cheated, so not really.

She walks back into the office as Beatrice runs to the front desk, "Snap! Did I see your ex-boyfriend outside?"

"Were you stocking me?"

"Don't make me call my cousin!"

"I didn't ask him to come. He was just there, I hardly engaged and then came back up here. It's not that juicy."

"Fine, Will you make a snowman for my daughter? I don't want to."

"What? How do I make a snowman?"

"Buy one of the light-up ones at home depot and drop it off at her school, here's the address."

Beatrice hands her a piece of paper.

"Am I allowed to be doing this during community service hours?"

"I'm your boss now so yeah, it is your community service silly."