The Shape (Book 1)

Safe and Guilt

Everything was a haze, I honestly couldn't tell what I was feeling right now, it was as if my body had been hit by a truck and I was still somehow all in one piece and just now waking from the trauma. It took a couple moments for me to open my eyes, the weight from my eyelids begging me to keep them closed and just keep sleeping.

As they opened it took a bit for me to really focus on anything and the first thing was an old dim light on the roof that hardly lit up the room.

"Madeleine?" I moved my neck from where the voice came from only to see Tom sitting next to me in a chair."W-What happened?" I groaned, sitting up slowly."You passed out."

"Where are we?" I asked."Back at home and safe."

"Do you remember what happened last night?" Tom asked."The shoot out, the bridge,Tate.." My heart seized with dread as I remembered Tate."Is Tate alright?" I questioned."She's okay, she hasn't woken up yet though."

"Oh," was all I managed to get out at that moment."Did the bullet go through or did they have to get it out?" I asked."They had to get it out, but don't worry she was asleep," Tom reassured.

"Listen, about what Deena said last night," Tom started."About my mom?" Tom nodded."It's okay you can ask,"I told him.

"How'd she die?" Tom asked."She drowned when I was about five, she was umm trying to save me after I had fallen overboard off the boat, my father was on the boat too, once my mom didn't come back up from the water, my father started to scream for help. But it was too late." I say, gripping the blankets with my trembling hands.

"And I've had a fear of water ever since," I added looking at Tom."But you jumped right into the water to save Tate. You didn't even hesitate, you just jumped." Tom strangled out."Well what did you expect me to do? Not save her. She would've died. She could've died. I pushed my trauma aside because I knew she needed help." I hissed.

Tom sighed."You're brave. Bravery's something we need in this mafia." I exhaled a ragged breath."Can I see Tate?" I asked softly.Tom nodded in agreement.Walking out of the Tom led down the hall to Tates room.

Walking into Tates room,I looked over at Georg who was sitting by her bedside holding her hand.Her head was bandaged and her side to.She only had on a sports bra and shorts.

Georg was holding her hand with such a gentle touch as if he was afraid he'd hurt her more."Are you sure you're not hungry? You haven't eaten in almost 30 hours," Anna said.Georg shook his head."You need to eat something before you faint,"Anna coaxed.

"How can I eat anything when my girlfriend is lying here unconscious." Georg snapped. "Okay, well I've got some stuff to work on."Anna said, standing up before bumping into me."Oh sorry Maddie,"

"No it's okay," I reassured her. Georg looked at me with a soft expression.Sitting down next to him."Thank you," Georg muttered it was almost inaudible.

"For saving Tate, she would've drowned if it weren't you," Your mother drowned because of you.I pushed those thoughts back."I would've done that for anyone," I say.

"That bridge was 30 feet tall, and you jumped into those dark waters, you could've died as well," Georg says.I wish I did die."She's my friend, it's like that saying 'if your friend jumped off a bridge would you?'" Georg let out a slight chuckle.I smiled at his reaction.

"Deena and Blaire were so worried when you passed out,"Georg tells me."You probably should go talk to them," Georg coaxed."Will you be okay in here?" I asked carefully."I'm always okay,"

Standing up, I walked out of the room with Tom."I think they're in the living room." Tom says.Walking into the living room, there were my two friends sitting on the couch side by side.When Blaire noticed me her eyes lit up as she tapped Deena's shoulder.

"Maddie," Deena said, before rushing over and bringing me into a tight hug.Her voice cracked."I'm so happy you're okay,"Deena sobbed, caressing my face in her hands as Blaire hugged me.

"I'm okay," I reassured."I'm still here ain't I?" Deena choked out a laugh."Yeah you are," Deena said."How's Tate? Is she awake yet?" Blaire asked me."She's still unconscious, hopefully she'll wake up within the next hour or so," Tom says, from behind me.

"I was afraid you were gonna drown last night, I mean you usually freeze up when you're in the water...but you pulled through." Deena says."I know,"I replied calmly.

"If I'm being completely honest, it was probably adrenaline," I say truthfully. "Whatever it was, I'm glad it helped you." Deena says. "I know,"I replied calmly.
"If I'm being completely honest, it was probably adrenaline," I say truthfully. "Whatever it was, I'm glad it helped you." Deena says.

"You guys hungry? You can help yourself to some food in the pantry,"Tom says

"Yeah I am actually pretty hungry," I said, turning back to Tom.

***
In the kitchen, I sat at the table as Tom brought me food.I looked down at what he had brought me.two pieces of toast with smeared nutella on them with three cut up pieces of strawberries."I've seen you eat that snack more than once so I figured," Tom said in soft tone.

"She's loved it ever since she was a little girl, and red velvet cake as well, every birthday it was a red velvet cake, me and deena actually had that cake grow onto us, we used to hate it but after like the first three birthday's we learned to love it," Blaire spoke before Deena nudged her in the side.

"Red velvet huh?" I blushed at the tone of Tom's voice."My favorite type of cake is Chocolate," Tom says, biting into a banana."Mine to," Blaire agreed.

"Pfft, Vanilla is way better than chocolate," Deena mused.Blaire gasped, offended at what Deena had said."I can't believe you just said that,"

"Deena's right, vanilla is good,"Bill said from behind us."Finally someone agrees with me," Deena said."You guys are lame, and where have you been Bill?" Tom asked."Asleep, what else would I be doing?"

"I went and saw Tate and talked to Georg and he's doing as good as you'd expect him to be doing." Bill says, grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl.Biting into my toast, I glanced at Deena who was looking at Bill.

They're gonna start dating soon, something in my bones tells me so."Where's Nadia?" Blaire asked Bill."Down in the cellar with Anna, I think they're working on making some type of bomb,"

Tom furrowed his brows. "A bomb? A bomb for what?" Tom hissed.Bill shrugged."Ask Nadia for yourself," Bill said, looking at Tom.

"Later, we have a discussion in about an hour, minus Tate."