Blood on the Pitch

Chapter Twenty Nine

Madison finds herself sitting on the cold grass.
Veronica's gray tombstone stared back at her, the dull gray being lit up by the bright colors of the flowers that littered the ground.
Madison stares for a few more seconds before clearing her throat.
"Hi," she takes a shaky breath. "Uh, I'm sorry I haven't been visiting. Things have just been...really fucking shitty," tears stream down Madison's face.
"I'm really sorry...for what I said. What I did. The fact that you probably died thinking I didn't care about you, but I did. I do. I miss you so much Veronica. And I think your ego would be inflated by how much I think about you and how much my life revolves around you," she can't help the small, tearful laugh that escapes her mouth.
The laugh turns into a sob, a loud, painful sob. Madison covers her face with her hands, shuddering against the cold October air.

Madison's shoulders fall up and down as she loudly sobs, they painfully rack her body making her chest and head throb.
Her throat feels raw from the previous yelling mixed with the sobs.
"I really messed up, Ronnie. I really fucked up," she wipes her nose. "I hurt Soph. I hurt the most important person in my life. Everything's falling apart. I messed everything up and I don't know how to fix it. I really messed up," she sobs.
"This is all my fault," she sniffles. "I'm so sorry, Veronica. I'm so, so fucking sorry,"
Madison continued to cry, rambling nonsense to her best friend's grave.
She sat there until her fingers began to feel numb and she was surrounded by darkness.
Only then did she get into her car, driving back to her house.
She inhales sharply, getting ready for the wrath of her parents as soon as the door opens.
And that's what she got.

"Where the hell were you?"
Madison cringes at her fathers voice, his face is as angry as his tone, Susana is nowhere to be seen.
Madison's lip quivers slightly, Richards face softens as he sees the tear track down his daughter's face.
"I was visiting Veronica's grave," she looks at her father.
Richard pinches the bridge of his nose, "Maddie. What happened?"
"What do you mean?"
"Your mother and I heard yelling. What happened?"
Madison bites her lip, "I messed up," her lip quivers more, "I really messed up dad,"
Richard gently leads his daughter to the kitchen, turning on the tea kettle.
Madison sits down, sniffling, Richard pulls up a chair in front of the brunette.
"What do you mean, Maddie?"
"Everything's falling apart," Madison softly cries. "I messed everything up. I-I hurt Sophie and I pushed her away and I said some really mean things. Things I didn't mean," she sniffles.

Richard gently rubs his daughter's shoulder, "What did you say?"
"A lot. A lot of things were said,"
"Madison," Richard's voice sounds like a warning.
Madison rubs her face with the heels of her palms, taking a long exhale.

"We were fighting about how I was still looking in on this. She was making me feel crazy since I thought that Patterson wasn't the only one behind this. We started yelling then one thing led to another and I called her a coward," she begins.
"And?"
"And then she got mad, and was hurt," Madison swallows thickly, "Then she said the only reason I was doing this was because I was feeling guilty because I couldn't save everyone else. And she said I was part of the reason Veronica died," her voice cracks.
Richard's face twists, "Oh Maddie, she shouldn't have-"
"No," Madison interrupts, "Don't pity me. Don't feel bad,"
"She shouldn't have-"
"I did something worse," Madison confesses.
Richard looks at his daughter, waiting for Madison to continue.
"I got really mad. It was like all my judgment had flown out the window and all my anger had blinded me and I wasn't even thinking. I crossed the line-"
"Madison," Richard interrupts, "What did you do?"
"I grabbed her. I grabbed her and slammed her against the wall, then I yelled at her and-and," Madison covers her face with her hands, "I'm a horrible person,"
"No you aren't," Richard soothes.

"Maddie. You made a mistake. You have been through more trauma in the last couple months than you've ever had in your entire life. You're a teenager who says stupid things and makes stupid mistakes. However, you and Sophie do need to talk. I agree lines were crossed, but in the heat of the moment, I understand why things went south,"
Madison sighs, rubbing the tears from her freckled cheeks, sighing. "Where's mom?"
"Upstairs. Sophie didn't come down for dinner. She went up there with tea and I haven't seen her since,"
Madison nods, "I feel like I'm a horrible person,"
"Horrible people don't believe they are horrible,"
Madison locks eyes with her dad, a small smile tugs on her lips before she wraps her arms around her fathers neck.
Richard wraps his arms around his daughter, giving her the hug that she so desperately needed.
The hug felt like it lasted hours, Madison was the first to pull away.
"Thanks dad,"
Richard nods, "Now. No more leaving the house and skipping school. And, maybe you should put the case to rest, just for a bit,"
Madison nods, "Okay,"
"Go talk to Sophie, apologize and make sure things smooth over, alright?"
Madison nods, making her way up to her bedroom, softly opening her door.
She is met with Susana and Sophie sitting on her bed across from each other, mugs of tea in hand.