Blood on the Pitch

Chapter Twelve

"Hey! Madison!"
Madison turns around, regressing a sigh as Kyle's voice alerts her.
"Hey,"
He stands in front of her, "So, Veronica tells me you're good at...well everything,"
Madison raises a brow.
"Look, I'm struggling in Biology right now and I need to get at least a C+ to keep playing football. Can you please help me tonight, I have a test on Monday,"
Madison sighs, her and Veronica still hadn't talked since their spat the morning prior, she was feeling significantly better after Sophie spent the night last night, feeling nothing but warmth and comfort in the shaggy blonde's arms.
"I don't-"
"Please, Madison. Please, I can't get kicked off the team and risk getting my scholarships taken away,"
Madison feels a mix of pity and unsettlement rest in her stomach.
Madison runs a hand over her face, "Fuck, okay, where?"
"We can go to my house? My dad is working late,"
"Fine, I don't have practice or anything, so I guess I'll see you later,"
"Thank you!" Kyle puts his fist out for a fist bump.
Madison awkwardly bumps his first.
"I owe you!
"Yeah. You do," Madison mumbles, shaking her head slightly, heading to her Spanish class.
"Why were you talking to Kyle?"
Madison glances at Sophie, who joins her on the walk, her photography class being down the same hall.
"He was asking for my help in Biology,"
Sophie scrunches her nose, "And you agreed?"
Madison nods, "Yeah,"
"Isn't he like, top on that suspect list of yours?"
Madison nods again.
"So..."
"So, I'm going to do a bit of...detective work,"
"Ah, Nancy Drew, hey?"
Madison gives a proud smile, "Mhm, and I'm telling you that way you know where I am, kay?"
Sophie nods, "Just, be safe, okay?"
"I will, I promise," she holds out her pinky, Sophie playfully rolls her eyes, locking their pinkies,
"You're a dork,"
Madison smiles, "I'll see you later,"
Sophie nods and the girls go their separate ways.
"Did Kyle talk to you?"
"Yeah, about his Biology work,"
"Are you going to help him?"
"Is it okay with you?"
"Yeah. I trust you both," Veronica pauses for a minute, "I'm sorry about yesterday. I was being insensitive,"
"Yeah, you were,"
"Are you okay, after practice?"
Madison nods, "Yeah, I'm alright,"
"Did you have another panic attack?"
"Yeah, I did," she mumbles, "But Sophie was there. I was okay,"
Veronica nods, "I'm sorry I wasn't there. I'm really sucking at this best friend thing,"
Madison shrugs, "Well, it's not all you. You're going through a lot and I've been spending a lot of time with Soph,"
"I'm glad you two are hanging out. She's really gotten her shit together since,"
Madison doesn't know how to respond, twiddling with her pen. "She likes you, a lot," Veronica adds as the teacher walls in.
"What does that mean?" she whispers.
Veronica looks at her, "I think you know,"
Madison's thoughts spiral like a tornado, her feelings towards Sophie fully sink in, and the possibility of her liking her back is what makes her stomach feel like it's being flipped inside out.
This occupied her thoughts for the rest of the day, it was like her brain was in the ultimate loop.
Even as she was driving to Kyle's house, she was thinking about it.

"Okay," Kyle plops the textbook on the table, along with his chicken scratch notes that made Madison's brain hurt just looking at them.
"Okay, so what is the test on?"
"Uh, something to do with mushrooms and germs?"
Madison bites her lip, "Fungus and Bacteria?"
"Yes! So smart,"
Madison fights an eye roll, going over things in the textbook and practicing worksheets. She also shows Kyle how to properly write notes.

"Coffee?" Kyle asks, rising from his seat.
Madison looks up, eyeing the pot, "Sure. Cream and sugar, please,"
"Veronica mentioned you liked your coffee super sweet,"
"Black coffee is disgusting,"
"Hey, I agree," he puts a generous amount of sugar and cream in both coffees, sliding the mug to Madison.
"Thanks," she mumbles, waiting until Kyle sips his before she takes a sip from hers.
"Hey, uh, I'm sorry for what I said...at the party,"
Madison places the mug down, "Oh, it's fine. No worries,"
"No, I shouldn't have said anything, it was rude and I was being a dick, to you and Veronica,"
"If you and Veronica are fine, then we're fine,"
"I'm also sorry for kinda stealing her from you this summer, also not cool of me,"
Madison shrugs, "Water under the bridge,"
Kyle gives a soft smile, "Thanks. You're a good person Maddie. You're handling everything going on a lot better than I would,"
"I just fake it until I make it," she jokes. The two sit in silence for a moment, Madison clears her throat.
"Uh, do you have a bathroom I can use?"
"Oh, yeah, upstairs, second door on the right,"
Madison gives a soft smile, making her way up the stairs.
Madison locks the door behind her in the bathroom, her nerves slowly ease, but the curious side gets the better of her when she checks his bathroom.