If You Can't Beat Them, Join Them // Kendall Vertes

Chapter 10

The next day at school was kind of different.

"Kendall, have you heard about Paige-" Megan, a girl who Kendall sat with in Chemistry, was the first to ask. The first, but definitely not the last.

"Yes, I have, Megan."

That was all anyone would talk about. When Maddie and Kendall met up at break, to do their customary walk down the hall, to Maddie's car, to get lunch, everyone whispered about Paige.

One good-looking jock strode up to us and stared at Maddie-or rather her body- before asking, "does Paige really have...it....Josh wants to know."

Maddie smiled sweetly at him. "If Josh wants to know, I'd rather tell him somewhere that's not here. I'd rather not let everyone know."

From behind us, someone spoke, and it was Josh.

"Well come on, then, Mads."

Josh took Maddie's arm lightly, but Maddie stopped him.

"Wait. Kendall comes too."

Maddie winked at me and I grinned. None of my old friends went out of their way to include me.

She looked at Josh, daring him to contradict her. He gave an exasperated sigh.

"Fine, but so does Jake."

Maddie and I looked to the jock, who I understood was Jake. A smirk tugged on Maddie's lips.

"What are we waiting for, then?"

Josh pulled Maddie towards him and casually slung an arm around her waist. Maddie looked back at me and rolled her eyes in Josh's direction.

I fell in behind them, next to Jake. People looked at the four of us, and I remembered, from years of watching Maddie, how to act.

I chatted to Jake, keeping my posture and making sure we weren't too far apart- I didn't want people to think we were third and fourth wheeling on Josh and Maddie.

We finally reached Maddie's car, and Maddie hopped in the drivers seat, and beckoned for me to sit next to her.

I did, and then Maddie winked at the boys who sat in the back, as if challenging them to ask why they had to sit there.

That one certainly likes mind games.

Maddie drove us to a sushi store.

"What do you want, people?"

"Tuna," I said automatically.

"Gross, Mads, take us to Burger King." Josh said, trying to ruffle Maddie's hair. She darted out of the way.

"Ew, guys." She shook her head. "But fine. Kendall, let's get our sushi."

We went inside, and Maddie ordered my tuna and her California roll.

She paid without a blink of an eye. I was about to offer to pay, but she waved it aside.

"Relax. It's on me."

I thanked her, and we got back to the car, to find Josh and Jake chatting to some girls. They were hanging on the side of Maddie's car, and they froze when they saw Maddie and I.

They went to our school, I could tell, because one of them held a Franklin Regional High binder.

We got in and stared icily at them.

"I-I didn't know Maddie was driving." Said one. I guess Josh had forgotten to mention that.

Maddie raised an eyebrow.

"Well, now you do." She said, and it was deathly sweet. Unless you knew Maddie well, it just sounded sweet, but I knew better.

"Maddie and Kendall, huh? Where's Paige?"

This one, the one that didn't stutter, seemed a lot more brave.

"Not here." I answered this time, earning me a grateful look from Maddie.

"Well duh." She said.

"Well duh, you're leaning on the car, and we've got a Burger King to get to." Josh said, obviously bored of the girls.

"Toodles." Maddie murmured, before she stepped on it and floored it out of the parking lot, and to a Burger King.

The wind rushed on our faces. It was exhilarating, one of the many reasons I loved convertibles.

The boys got their greasy meals, then Maddie brought us to a park, where we sat in her car and are our food.

"So now, Josh. Down to business."

Josh adopted a rather stony look.

"I know she's got it. I just want to know how it got out."

Maddie sighed, and recounted almost all of what happened that night.

"So, after Nick blackmailing us, he spread the video confession. Of course, the camera angle didn't get me, and he cropped the length so it was only her talking. Kendall and I begged him to not post it. We said we'd let Paige deal with it herself. But he did, and now everyone knows."

Maddie sighed sadly, but I was still confused. This sort of scandal had happened to Chloe, so why didn't Maddie have the same venomous attitude towards Paige?

I knew I needed to see someone, and I knew that I didn't want anyone to know. I needed to see Chloe.

-

A/N

I'm excited to write Chloe's visit in! Are you? Anyway, please vote and comment, tell me what you think should happen!

Question: where should Chloe be living now? (Keep in mind it should be near Pitrsburg)