The Spoken Truth

Chapter Seven: Maggie's Dilemma

After I woke up the next day, I realized it was Saturday. I wasn’t on the floor anymore; I was in my bed. I wondered who had moved me, because my mom couldn’t move me. I needed some girl time so I decided to call Kacie and Maggie. I called Maggie first, she didn’t answer so I called Kacie.

“Hello?”

“Hi. It’s Marcie.”

“Oh, hey.” Her tone seemed sad.

“What’s wrong?” I asked sympathetically.

“Oh, nothing--just a little sick is all.”

“Sorry, I was wondering if you wanted to go and do something to day.”

“Sure!” She was obviously better now and that made me fell good.

“So do you want to come over?”

She was at my house in five minutes. I let her in and she asked if I invited Maggie over.

“I tried, but no one was home.”

“Did you notice that she hasn’t been coming to school? I asked her why and she just walked away. I think she needs our help. I think something is wrong with her family or something. I can hear yells from my house!”

“Well, what do you think we should do?” I didn’t know she wasn’t coming to school! I felt awful. I needed to pay more attention.

“I think we should go over to her house and talk to her. You know how good it feels to talk to someone.”

“OK, so when do you want to go?” I asked looking at the clock.

“We should go now!” She started toward the door.

We walked to Maggie’s house. It didn’t take long because she only lived two houses up. When we got there I was the one to knock on the big red door. Maggie opened the door. She looked at me with annoyance and then looked at Kacie.

“Sorry, I can’t hang out today I have piano and then I have tons of homework.”

“When can we see you again?”

“Tuesdays are my free days so maybe then?”

“Sure, see you after school on Tuesday?”

“Yup, see you,” and she shut the door.

As we walked down the front steps of Maggie’s house Kacie looked back at the house and said, “That was really weird.”

“Why?”

“Did you listen to her voice? It was different.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“And she doesn’t have piano on Saturdays.”

“She doesn’t?”

“No. She goes on Wednesdays.”

I was starting to get worried like Kacie. We walked back to my house in silence. I didn’t know what to say. Maggie looked so broken, like she lost something really important to her.  I thought about that for a while and then looked at Kacie. Her head was dropped to look at the ground and she a blank expression on her face.

“Hey,” Mom yelled for the front porch of my house. “Do you guys want to go to the grocery store with me? It would be something to do.”

“No thanks, Mom, we thought of ordering pizza if that’s OK?”

“Sure.” She started toward the car. “I’ll be back in…well, I’ll be back.”

Kacie and I walked inside. I got the phone off the cradle and dialed the pizza place’s number. Kacie sat on the couch and I sat on the kitchen table chair waiting for someone to pick up. I finally ordered the pizza and then sat down next to Kacie.

“So,” I tried not to be too loud.

“What did you do yesterday?” her voice was hard and curious. “ I saw Clyde’s Mustang in your driveway at like…ten.”

“You did?” He must have moved me to my bed when he came in.

“Yeah, his is the red one, right?”

“Yeah,” I agreed, “Well, what do you think we should do about Maggie?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Do you have any ideas?” She asked.

“I think we should just leave her alone and see if this blows over.”

“What? No. There has to be something we could do.”

“Hummm, maybe we could just talk to her and see if anything pops up.”

So we called the Gages’ house and they didn’t answer. I thought at least Mrs. Gage would pick up. I guess she is just ignoring us.

“I guess we could—“

The ring of the phone interrupted her sentence. I held it to my ear.

“Hello?”

“Hi. It’s Maggie.”

“Oh, hi,” I was surprised to hear her voice through the speaker. “Don’t you have piano?”

“I decided that I do need to talk to you guys. So come over. I’ll be in my room.”

I walked, while Kacie ran, at almost full speed, up the cul-de-sac. We didn’t ring the doorbell, but walked in and climbed the steps to her bedroom. Then we knocked on the door. Maggie opened the door only a crack to see who was there and let us in. She closed the door in silence. And sat down on the floor. We sat next to her. She leaned in as if she didn’t want anyone else to hear.

“I have a secret,” she spoke in a whisper.

“Are you going to tell us?” I asked her.

“I’m in hell!”  she screamed.

“Why?” asked Kacie.

“I can’t tell you!” Her voice was still loud.

“Why not?”

“OK, I’ll tell you.” She seemed a little out of it. “I’m dating someone, he told me not to tell you, but screw it!”

“OK, that’s why you’re not coming to school?”

“No, I’m not coming to school because, I’m afraid of it slipping out.”

“Well, you told us so you can come back to school now.” Kacie was trying to cheer her up and failing.

“Yeah, I guess so.” She looked at me.

“Why didn’t he want anyone to know that you were dating him?” I asked.

“’Cause he said that you guys wouldn’t be supportive.” She kept her eyes on me.

“Did he tell you anything about him? ...I mean, what do you like about him?” I wasn’t buying it.

“I like his smile, his eyes, he loves the ocean, and we have a lot in common.”

“So, why did you say you where in hell?” I tried to get as many answers as I could.

“I said that because I don’t think he likes me. I think he just wants me to get to you.”

“Why would he want me over you?”

“I don’t know he just seems interested in you.”

“Who is he, what’s his name?”

“His name is Chad Dubois.”