Community Service

Chapter 8: I Got Caught

Maddie stands at the kitchen table with Patrick and other friends, "I literally can't stand you guys, you're idiots. How could you risk your lives by drinking?"

Jake asks, "Do you want a martini?"

"Okay, yeah, I do." Laughs Patrick. "But none for Maddie, she only drinks water and tea now seeing as she's dating her grandfather."

"What?!?" Laughs Jake.

"That's not true. My grandfather's dead." Says Maddie, unamused.

Patrick looks at her, "I wasn't talking about your literal grandfather. I was talking about your boyfriend, that could be your grandfather."

Maddie crosses her arms, "He couldn't be my grandfather. He couldn't even be my father, he's only 15 years older than me."

Jake raises his hand, "Well, I know a 15-year-old who had a baby, so it's possible."

"But it's rare." Claps back, Maddie.

Patrick laughs.

"You should date me," Says Jake which is strange seeing as he kissed her neck and then never talked to her again. "I can do a really great impression of the wind, listen, whoosh."

"Dude," says Patrick as he puts his hand out to stop him. "That's my ex-girlfriend."

"Oh, dude, I'm sorry, but did you call dibs, like, where do you see yourself with her in 5 years?" Asks Jake.

"I don't know where I'll be with her, but I'll be on an exotic beach somewhere." Answers Patrick.

"And I will not be with him," quips Maddie

Michael is in the courthouse, after he gives this final verdict he goes to his chambers and calls Maddie.

Michael: Hi, Maddie.

Maddie: Hey, I've missed you.

Michael: I know me too, sorry the court has been hectic lately. I hear a lot of noise.

Maddie: Oh, I'm just walking.

She's not.

Michael: Dapper, well the next hearing is starting soon, so I have to go. Love you. Bye.

He realizes he said love you and is humiliated.

Maddie: I love you too.

They hang up and our both shocked at how fast their relationship is progressing.

Maddie goes to the study hall area of her school UCLA to clean the theatre, Jordan is doing some of her DUI community services here too. It's a year-long commitment for the new theatre they're building which is frustrating but she was ordered to get involved by her judge. When she walks in it is most definitely not what she expected. She sees one of the girls from the sorority that rejected her, her name's Candice and she's always had a feeling so trashed talked her to the whole sorority. With Candice are a bunch of older guys. When she gets closer she notices it's the whole fraternity including Patrick, Jake, and Darryl. She doesn't want to be here luckily Jordan doesn't want to be here and she whispers in Maddie's ear, "Oh no, Jake's here, I slept with him, I'm quitting cleaning the theatre, I'll just pick up more trash at the park."

Patrick smiles and waves at Maddie.

Out of fear and desperation, she says, "Um, me too."

They leave. After all, the greek life participating in cleaning the theatre is probably some joke where they all get drunk but for Jordan and Maddie it's serious and embarrassing. They don't need to be demeaned like this.