Her | Maddox x OC | HSMTMTS

Episode 3 -- Part 2

We were all walking to the camping spot, Maddie explaining the situation to the newbies. "Now, everybody, sometimes there are snakes," she started. "Most of them are not poisonous."

"Most of them?" Kourtney asked, seeming shaken.

Maddie just snapped her fingers and grinned. "Yes."

"I can't. I can't, I can't. I'm sorry." Kourtney ran off.

"You can't really do that," Maddox started, calling out to the girl. "You have to come back!"

"It's okay. She'll come back when she's ready for it," I told her. She seemed unsure. "Just go with it." She nodded. "Are we sharing a tent?"

"Obviously!" she said. "We can't ruin tradition, now, can we?" I smiled.

"I'll set up," I offered, but Maddie shook her head.

"No way. You weasel your way into setting up the tent every. Year. Without fail. There's no way you're doing it again this year."

"I do not!" She gave me a look. "Okay, so maybe kinda sorta that's just a tad bit true. But it calms me! Are you really going to take that away from me?"

She let out a sigh. "Fine. But you have to let me help at least a little!"

"I always let you help." Again she gave me a look.

"Summer before eighth grade? And ninth? And-"

I cut her off. "Okay, okay. I get the point. I promise I won't actively prevent you from helping."

***********

Just as we were finishing setting up the tent (read: Maddie tried to help and I "unintentionally" was about to do what she was about to do because she's a princess and deserves to be treated as such), Maddie spotted my brother and called out, "Hey, you're still gonna do the traditional song tonight, right?"

He seemed conflicted. "I was kinda hoping you'd take it. I have a lot of homework for the show, and..."

Maddie cut him off right there. "No, no, no. Come on. When I sing country songs, I sound like a frog." I nodded in agreement for the sake of convincing him to take the song.

"Okay, listen," EJ conceded. "I'll do the scary song. You do the scary story."

"Oh, don't get it twisted," Maddie started.

"She was always gonna do the scary story," I finished. The two of us had small smirks on our faces. "Your Wildcats won't know what hit them after the story of Susan Fine."

Right as my brother left, my cousin came up to us.

"Oh, hey!" Maddie said, all her attention instantly on my cousin. "Tent all set up?" She had that look on her face. I averted my eyes and pretended to be completely consumed in the setting up of the tent.

"Yeah," my cousin answered. "Gina's basically professionally trained in survival arts. I think that tent could survive a hurricane."

"Hey, I'm sorry if I overstepped with the whole Leo Rising thing. I just... picked up a vibe, and..."

"Oh, all good," my cousin reassured her. "You're wrong, but... all good."

"Are you sure you don't have any Leo in your big three?" Maddox asked again. I internally groaned. There was no way my cousin would take this well. "Because, you know, your rising signs are based off your birth time, so..." Oh, may the spirit of Bob Fosse protect us all.

"Of course, I know rising signs are based on your birth time." Here we go again. "I am basically fluent in the stars," my cousin continued to yell. "I don't know why I'm yelling." With that, she walked away.

Honestly, in some ways, I almost wished they'd hurry up and get together. Whatever higher powers were controlling how their lives went in accordance to their respective faiths was clearly making them "endgame," and it would be much less excruciating for me if they'd speed up the process and 'fess up already. But alas, I'll probably be condemned to at least another 6 months of torture.

"She's not super fond of me, huh?" Maddie asked. Right. In the mean time, I'll have to comfort her about my cousin's behavior. The things I do for this girl.

"Who, Ash?" I asked.

"Yeah..."

"No, no, she's just... going through something. Give her time. Ashlyn loves everybody," I said.

"And she's a feminist," EJ piped up.

"Okay..." Maddie said.

"Hey, really. She definitely likes you. She's just a little awkward around new people," I tried to reason. "I'd know. I'm her cousin!"

"You mean the same cousin who hates her?" Maddie asked, raising an eyebrow, clearly teasing me.

"Hey! I don't hate her. I just... Everyone gets to be someone's favorite. Then there's me."

"Well... it's not quite the same thing, but for the record, you're my favorite," Maddie said, giving me a brief hug. I smiled.

"Okay, enough cringe. We have to get ready for the bonfire slash campfire stuff," I said.