the nickname game

𝗼𝗻𝗲 - clumsy encounter

a few days earlier

It was the second week of September and the leaves of the trees were starting to turn shift colors. Just like almost every other morning Madison managed to run late. She had been running all the way from the subway to school.

Usually she didn't really mind being late for class. Madison was a regular in detention but today she couldn't afford any time in school jail at all. She had promised her best friend, Hailey, to go to the mall after school and she hated to disappoint Hailey more than anything in the entire world.

She was so focused on sending Hailey a text that she forgot to pay any attention to her surroundings. To text and run wasn't the best idea but she had done it plenty of times without any consequences. This time she wasn't as lucky. She managed to run into something and collapse onto the floor in the middle of the hallway.

Ignoring the giggles from bystanders she combed back her dark brown hair from her face to see what she had ran into. Seeing a boy sitting before her on the floor made her draw the conclusion that she hadn't ran into something, but someone. He looked up at her with his brown eyes and she immediately recognized that it was Lawrence.

A normal person would have gotten upset by this sort of encounter this early in the morning but he didn't seem to be upset at all. Instead he just stood up and as soon as he was back up on his feet he offered her a helping hand.

"I think I can manage to get up by myself without the help of you, golden boy" Madison said pushing her hands onto the ground in order to get up.

"Of course you can, girl boss" he replied smilingly and she gazed back at him in disgust.

"If you ever call me that again I'll slit your throat" he knew her threats were harmless, he was used to her sarcasm by now.

They weren't the best of friends by any means but they were in the same friend group so they knew each other pretty well. Their friend group was on the smaller scale consisting of only six people. Lawrence and Madison got along for the most part and had this little unspoken game of calling each other by these silly little nicknames made up on the spot.

"We should hurry up if we want to make it to class in time" Madison said and started power walking away but was slowed down by Lawerence's hand grabbing her arm. "Does the good boy want to be late? Didn't see that one coming."

"What are you talking about? Class doesn't start for another fifteen minutes" Lawrence said calmly looking at the silver watch on his arm.

"So we're not starting ten minutes early today?" he shook his head. "I'm gonna kill Hailey!"

They continued walking to class together but slowed down their pace.

"Lance, I'm sorry for crashing into you by the way" Madison said turning her head towards Lawrence who smiled back at her in a polite manner.

"Don't worry about it. If someone was going to crash into me I'm happy it was you" his response made her a bit flustered for some reason.

"Happy? I wasn't very happy that I ran into you" Madison said confidently but it only made him chuckle.

"Trust me, I am very aware of that" was the only thing he said before they noticed Hailey walking up to them with a wide smile across her face.

How Hailey and Madison got along so well was the biggest mystery of the universe. They were complete opposite - like day and night. Hailey was a colorful, childish, optimist while Madison was a troublemaking, depressed, pessimist. They were proof that opposites do attract.

During their entire childhood Madison had envied everything about Hailey's life. She had the picture perfect family. With two loving parents, a protective older brother and the sweetest little brother. Meanwhile Madison was an only child stuck in the middle of her parents' constant arguments. Well, that was until her dad decided to leave them which didn't exactly make things any better.

"Good morning!" Hailey said in the happiest of voices. "And look who's here in time today. I just know this is the start of a wonderful day!"

"I'm in time thanks to you, sunshine. I think this is the first time I'm here this early all year" Madison replied as Hailey squeezed her into a tight hug.

"Honestly, we should just tell you to be here fifteen minutes before school starts every morning, sleepy head" Lawrence said with a grin that made Madison glare back at him.

"Oh, you wouldn't dare" Madison pointed her index finger at him as she spoke.

The bell rang which was the cue for everyone to head into their respective classrooms. As per usual Madison and Hailey sat down next to each other. The second the teacher started talking Madison opened a page in her notebook and began doodling. Hailey paid attention to the lesson but her gaze quickly shifted over to Lawrence and his best friend Kayden seated next to him.

Kayden was also a part of their friend group. Both of them were a year older than the girls, and the rest of their grade for that matter. All Madison knew was that they transferred from a private school to public school and had to repeat their Sophomore year.

Neither one of them had confessed why they transferred but Madison had an idea. She was sure it was because Lawrence had gotten taken advantage of by the other posh kids and couldn't say no because he was too nice. So he had no other option but to transfer schools and Kayden just tagged along because wherever Lawrence went Kayden went.

"He's so dreamy! If he isn't my future husband I don't want it" Hailey whispered to Madison as she was admiring him. "Do you think he likes me back?"

Hailey had been crushing on Lawrence since the first time she saw him a year ago. It was typical for her to obsess over boys but the difference between him and her other crushes was that it didn't go away. Her crush on Lawrence wasn't fading but growing stronger with every day that went by.

"Absolutely" Madison replied out of pure reflex.

She didn't even believe it herself anymore but she didn't want to break Hailey's heart. If Lawrence had feelings for her he would've told her by now. He seemed to be a pretty straight forward sort of guy. Besides, she wasn't the only girl at school that wanted a piece of the objectively attractive Lawrence.

"I would be the happiest girl on earth if he asked me out" Hailey whispered and Madison nodded even though she wasn't listening to anything she was saying anymore.