Lumberjill

Two

Maddie was standing in the kitchen with her coffee, chatting with Amy as she prepared breakfast, when they heard the back door open.
“Hi, Aunty...Hehe he!”
“It’s not funny!”
They heard Quinn as Kylie came running back into the kitchen laughing. Amy turned around just as Maddie sprayed her mouthful of coffee over herself seeing the new look on Quinn’s face. Their eyes met.
“Madeline Campbell!” Quinn bit through gritted teeth. “For fuck sake! We are not five-year-olds!” Amy couldn’t hold her laughter as Maddie wiped down her top, trying to contain hers.
Not only had she got artistic on Quinn’s arm, but she’d got a little carried away with chiselling Quinn’s features and giving her a moustache and goatee to draw out her masculine look.
“Hey, Quinn.” Noah came past, suddenly stopping to notice her added features. “Quinten...” He laughed. “Shit, it didn’t take you long to grow a beard.”
“Alright!” Quinn grumbled, her eyes falling back on the woman who’d 'tattooed' her in her sleep. “What did you use? I can’t get it bloody off!” Maddie put her cup down, coming around the table, feeling bad for what she had done to her. She tried to rub it off.
“It’s only a whiteboard marker. It will wash off.”
William walked past, seeing Quinn’s new look. He turned back to his brother behind him.
“Whose this guy?” Charlie caught Quinn’s knitted brow as his daughter tried wiping off the drawings while hiding her smile beside her.
“My daughter’s new boyfriend, I think.” They all laughed except for Quinn and Maddie, who suddenly blushed.
“I can’t believe you did this!” Quinn looked back at her. “This isn’t funny!”
“When did this happen?”
“Last night.” Maddie reached for Quinn’s hand, about to take her to the bathroom. “Quinn stayed last night, and I kind of...”
“She took advantage of me, which is what she did!” Quinn reluctantly followed her. Annie bumped past them in the hallway. She burst out laughing as Quinn made eye contact with her before being pushed into the bathroom.
“What the hell?!” She laughed, meeting everyone else in the kitchen. Amy poured another pancake into the pan.
“By the sounds of it, Quinn stayed at Maddie’s last night, and she got a little artistic while she was asleep.”
“Wait?” Annie’s eyes met Noah’s as he joined them with his coffee. “Quinn and Maddie spent the night together?” Amy looked over her shoulder.
“That’s not what I said. Quinn must have stayed at Maddie’s last night.”
“I heard ya!” She leaned closer to her cousin, wondering if he was thinking the same thing. She whispered. “Does Maddie know about Quinn?” Noah shrugged, sipping his cup.
“I don’t think so unless she said something last night.”

“Maddie!” They heard Quinn yell from the bathroom, followed by Maddie’s distinctive laugh. Amy smiled.
“They’re cute together. Leave them alone. And who cares anyway. At least they are getting along now ‘cause if I go by what you’ve told me in the past, they didn’t.”
“Hmm, nope.” Noah acknowledged his wife. “They didn’t.” He looked at his cousin, giving her a wink. “This could be the start of something new.”

“Ouch! You’re scrubbing too hard!”
“Hold still then!” Quinn huffed as Maddie tilted her chin again, taking to her moustache. Quinn sighed, staying quiet for a minute. She didn’t know how she was supposed to feel about this. She’d gone to get changed and saw the little heart with an arrow drawn on her forearm. She’d smiled a minute, thinking it was something really sweet, until she noticed her whole tattooed upper arm. It wasn’t until she’d seen Maddie had drawn all over her face too, that reality set in.
Her brows knitted as she watched Maddie now trying to erase her mistake. She wet her lip.
“So, what was this?” She bit.
Maddie stopped a moment, searching her eyes. Quinn continued.
“Revenge for something I did as a kid?” She searched her eyes, looking up at her. “Cause seriously, I don’t understand why you would embarrass me in front of your family like this?” Maddie laughed a little until she realised she was being serious. She stepped back momentarily, not knowing what to say now that she was being confronted. Quinn shook her head in disbelief.
“You know, I actually saw this first.” She pulled up her sleeve, showing her the still intact heart and arrow. “We’d had such a good time together yesterday, and I thought...” Her brow knitted as she shook her head. “How stupid was I for thinking you had changed.” Maddie swallowed, seeing her eyes water up. Her shoulders dropped, realising she really had fucked this up.
“Quinn, I really didn’t mean to make you feel...”
“Breakfast, guys!”
Quinn stood up, taking the sponge from her hand. She’d had enough. “Go. Go and have breakfast with your family.”
“I can wait...”
“Nah, just go! I’m not going out there like this. And I'm not in the mood for you.” Maddie looked up at her, seeing the disappointment in her eyes. Dropping her head, she walked around her, reaching for the doorknob. She looked back just as Quinn leaned over the sink, holding back her tears. Maddie closed the door, leaning back against it.
“Shit.” She closed her eyes, feeling the tears suddenly behind them. She couldn’t go back into the kitchen. The questions and laughs of what she’d done didn’t seem right to indulge in anymore.