Amazement

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

***

It was 3:15; school had just ended and Maddie stood in front of her open locker with her planner in her hands, going over which textbooks she needed to bring home for her homework.

She stuffed her math textbook into her backpack before slamming her locker door shut.

She was shocked to see who stood in front of her.

Sage Ashlyn Hastings was a tall, beautiful dark haired girl with brown eyes and a rumored fierce temper. Maddie typically tried her hardest, sometimes going out of her way, to steer well clear of Sage. As for Berry and Heather, Maddie could handle, and even tolerate the feather headed teens.

"Maddie," Sage purred in a silky tone. "Just the girl I was looking for!"

Well you are standing right next to my locker, Maddie thought sarcastically.

"Hi, Sage." Maddie nervously shifted her books from one arm to the other.

"So I hear you're hanging out with Luke?" Sage's voice was carefully neutral, her eyes unnaturally bright, and a big faux smile plastered across her pretty face.

"Actually his mother is friends with mine," Maddie explained quietly, looking down at her Sperry's. "And he uh...he asked me to tutor him."

A flash of anger was noticeable in Sage's eyes, and her nostrils flared. But it was all so brief that Maddie wondered if she had imagined the strong hostility reflected on Sage's face; in a moment she was back to normal.

"Well," she drawled, her voice terrifyingly soft as she twirled a strand of her hair. Maddie couldn't have been more afraid if Sage had flat out screamed bloody murder. "You might want to stay away from him. We kind of have a thing. We wouldn't want anything to happen to you, now would we?"

Sage cast Maddie one last wicked glare before she turned on her heel and flounced down the hallway and out the door.

***

Maddie didn't know what to expect for her tutoring session with Luke. He hasn't given her any information except what time he would get there; 3:30.

Maddie got home by 3:25 and ran upstairs to change quickly. She threw on a pink tank top and dark denim jeans with a dark brown cardigan and her Sperry's. Her long white-blonde hair was in a side fishtail braid.

She glanced at her phone. 3:37. Luke wasn't there yet.

So why do I feel disappointed?

Maddie slumped down on the couch, feeling depressed. Almost as soon as she turned the television on, the doorbell rang. Sighing, Maddie stood and answered it.

Luke stood there, wearing a black t-shirt that hugged his torso in very way it should and dark jeans, his backpack slung carelessly over one shoulder.

"Hey."

"You're late." Maddie crossed her arms over her chest and tried to look tough, although it was difficult fm for her considering that he was about a foot and three inches taller than her.

Luke visibly stifled a laugh as he barged past her into her house.

She closed the front door and followed Luke into the living room.

"So I was thinking we could work on History first," he said, taking a blue textbook out of his backpack before placing it gently on the glass coffee table and making himself comfortable on the couch.

"You should've just taken notes in class. You know, like everyone else." Maddie muttered mutinously, opening up the book. "So in 1563, William Lee invented this machine that can knit stockings," she explained as she sat down beside them.