18 (An Andy Biersack fanfic) *ON HIATUS*

Chapter One

A/N: The girl in the picture is Madeline. xxx
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Madeline had been up since 5am, excited for her induction and birthday party. At 8 she went to her college orientation and was already awarded a certificate for Amazing Scholar Academics. It was true, in high school she was an all "A" student. She worked hard to get where she was now. Truly the perfect student and daughter.

As she drove back home to show her mother her success, she was confused to find that no one was home. Actually, no one in the village seemed to be anywhere in sight. It was eerily quiet in the streets of Barin.

Driving up to her house, she noticed the front door was ajar. Turning off the engine and getting out of her car, Madeline slowly walked inside her house only to be greeted with darkness.

By now, fear was coursing through her body. She walked into the kitchen where it was pitch black and blindly felt along the wall, flipping the light switch on.

"SURPRISE!" About fifty voices filled the air as everyone jumped out from behind furniture and tables.

Startled, Madeline screamed.

"Aww, baby, it's just us! We're sorry. We just wanted it to be a surprise for your special day." Karen Tori, her mother, walked forward and greeted her with a hug. "Are you okay now?" she said jokingly.

"I'm good, I'm good." Madeline looked around, holding her hand to her chest, feeling the rapid beat of her heart. It seemed almost everyone from the village was here.

Madeline didn't come from a rich family, no one in Barin was rich, but her family name was definitely well-respected for having such a selfless and intelligent daughter. She was glad that this many people cared about her.

"Thank you all for coming," she said graciously with a smile on her face. "I didn't expect my birthday to be THIS big." Madeline's eyes scanned the room once again until they fell upon Casey, her best friend.

Casey Lent came from a family in poverty. Her mother was a struggling worker in the coal mines and rarely ever saw her. Casey was almost always on her own in the small house that Ms. Lent could afford. Just like Madeline, she didn't have a father figure in her life, but Casey's father died before she was born. In Madeline's case, her father had walked out on her and her mother when Madelyn was only four or five years old. Since then, he had never contacted either one of them.

Most of Casey's life she spent over at the Tori's house, which was fine with Karen. Karen even said it was nice to have "two daughters" in the house, as Madeline was the only child. Without Casey and her mother in her life, Madeline wouldn't have pushed herself as hard as she did in school. This was because she wanted to give both a better life than they were given initially. Madeline thought it was unfair how such amazing people got dealt such a bad card in life.

Casey ran up to her best friend and hugged her tightly. "Um, duh! It's your 18th birthday! How could it not be big??"

Madeline laughed and shrugged a bit, hugging her friend back.

"Well, come on! We have presents and cake to get to." Her mother ushered her into a seat in the kitchen and placed lots of wrapped gift boxes on the table in front of her. "Open mine first," she said.

"Mine next!" Casey yelled happily. "You'll looovveee mine!"

Madeline shook her head and smiled at both of them before turning to the first gift, her mother's, and ripping it open. It was a smaller box than the others. When Madeline ripped off the wrapping paper, she realized it was a jewelry box. She looked up at her mother, astonished on how she could afford such a thing.