Love Me (On hold)

Four- No Josh

Maddie's POV

I didn't see Josh again for the next few weeks. I didn't see him on the bus, I didn't see him at the cafeteria, and I didn't even see him with Jane. One day I was fed up. I stomped up to Jane and consulted her.
"Have you seen Josh anywhere?" I said angrily.
"No, sorry," she looked upset about something but I didn't know what. Was it Josh? Jane's friends snickered behind her.
"Maybe he's trying to avoid you?" An ugly brat named Dotty said.
I chose to ignore her and went down the hallway again, thrusting open my locker and throwing my bags in. Everyone sneered at me. It felt like the whole world was against me. I was starting to realize life whithout Josh was too hard to handle. At lunch time, I saw Josh's friends laughing and wrestling. I slowly walked up to them. "Have you seen Josh anywhere?"
They shook their heads and kept wrestling. It was like he didn't exist.
I hated school. It wasn't a hate that was  you being mean to the person you hate, it was a deep detestation that wanted to scream and cry and mark all over the desks and do graffiti on the walls. I needed to find Josh or I would go insane.

After school I had piano lessons. Mom made me do it once a week. I also hated that. Nothing could match the hate that I was feeling now.
I couldn't concentrate during piano. My teacher kept asking me to focus, but I was out of it. Finally the lesson was over.
The basement was my room. It was the biggest part of the house and I had it all to myself. There was a staircase down to the basement with a golden railing and a bead curtain for the door. There was a washroom with a shower, and a space with a couch and a flat screen TV.  My sleeping area was my mother's old office, so it was also huge. Two large bookcases stacked with books, a desk with a laptop and my I phone, and my queen bed. Some of my old childhood Barbie dolls were lined up along suspending shelves along with some stuffed animals, also from my childhood. It was every teenager's dream in my opinion.
When I got in my room, I bounced onto the couch and flicked on the TV. I wanted to watch Josh's favourite TV show that he always watched with me on Saturday, Parks and Rec.

20 minutes into the first episode of season two, I thought about calling him. Pausing the TV, I got my phone from my desk and dialled his number. 10 times it buzzed and there was no answer. It just went to voice mail. What was up with him? He always answered the phone when I called him. I tried again. Still there was no answer. Frustrated, I threw the phone down onto the little table in front of me. I sat there staring at the wall. Then I had an idea. Picking up the phone again, I called Jane.
"Hey Jane. It's Maddie. Want to hang out?"
--"Sure. Come over to my house in 10 minutes."
"Yeah," I responded and went to get my purse. I went up the stairs and into the kitchen where my mom was cooking dinner.
"Hmmm. Smells good. What is it?"
"Chicken Pot pie," she replied.
"I'm going to Jane's house," I announced. "Will you take me?"
"That's different. Sure, give me 5."
I went out to the front porch and waited on the steps. I had never been to Jane's house before. Apparently she had the biggest mansion in all of California. Everyone knew where it was. It was enormous, with 30 rooms and 5 floors. She had a a limo and a rolls-Royce. I was getting excited.
Mom burst through my thoughts as she came down the steps.
"I'm sorry, Maddie. I have to take Kate with us." Kate was my younger sister; she was 5 years old and very annoying.
"Yeah, whatever," I replied quietly.
"Thank you," my mother said. "Come on Kate, get into the car, please."
Kate was whining about wanting to play. She was carrying a doll in her hand, crying her eyes out.
"I'm sorry, sweetie, this is just how it is," mom said. "Daddy isn't home, so you have to come with us," my mom said, calmly as possible.
My dad worked in the oil company so he had to leave for awhile for work.
Mom picked up the screaming demon child and placed her in her seat, strapping her tight in. Mom went around to the front and sighed. "Play with your dollies in the car, sweetie. I know you want your dollhouse but it's at home," mom said.
"Why does she have to make such a big deal about it? It's only like 5 minutes away," I said.
"Please be quiet, Maddie," mom said wearily.
I stayed quiet the rest of the ride, though I was itching to say stuff about Kate. But, I didn't. Mom was pleased.

10 minutes later we arrived at a sloping driveway that was at least 10 feet long. A gate was before it with a red button on the side. Mom looked at the button, wondering what to do. The gate didn't open.
"Maddie, honey, will you please step out and see what it's about?" Mom asked me. I did what I was told. Stepping out of the car I went to the button and pressed it.
"State your name and reason," a strange voice said, crackling on a speaker.
"I- ummm, Madeline Bishop and I'm here to see Jane Rutt," I said quietly.
"Speak up!" The strange voice snapped. I said it again, louder and the gate opened. I looked back at Mom in the car. Such strange security. I waved to her and went down the driveway.