A Walk Apart (Episode 4: All In)

Chapter Seven

Madison peeked over her fan of cards at Nathan and his three-year-old baby sis Jordan, trying to read their faces across the table. Nathan stared back. A blank slate. Tough shell to break. Jordan grinned with her chin on the coffee table, poking at the sliding pile of cards between them. What was she hiding behind that adorable smile? Madison took her time with this hand. This was crucial. "Do you have any red fish?"

Nathan looked at Jordan to consult. Giggling, she shook her head swinging her long, curly pigtails. His eyes slid back to Maddie. "Go fish."

Protecting her hand, Madison discretely plucked a card from the deck. She smiled. "I win. For the third time in a row." With a flourish, she laid out her cards to display her Noah's ark of a rainbow school. "I am the queen of Go Fish." She and Jordan smacked high-fives.

Nathan sighed and folded his cards face down on the table. "You two are conspiring against me, I know it." A cheerful melody floated up to the window and Jordan's wide eyes flashed at Nathan. He smirked. "You want ice cream, don't you." Grabbing his sleeve she nodded with urgency. "Then we should make a run for it." Nathan got up from the floor and lifted Jordan to her feet, securing her hand in his. As Jordan pulled him toward the door, he turned to Madison. "Can you order some real food so my parents won't completely disown me?" They raced into the hall while desperately calling out for the Chills on Wheel's ice cream truck.

Madison loved seeing the two of them together. They were the cutest thing ever. You couldn't keep a smile off of Nathan's face whenever Jordan was around, and Jordan loved clinging to her big brother's side. Being an only child, Madison was just as excited when Jordan became the newest member of the Carr family and adopted her as her own little sister. Nathan wouldn't stand a chance.

What do I have a taste for? Madison grabbed her phone and powered it on. Only, it wouldn't turn on. Instead, the dreaded dead battery symbol appeared. She forgot to charge it again. Maybe she would invest in a self-charging phone case. Or invent the first every immortal device. She reached for Nate's phone and turned it on, unobstructed by a lock. For someone who was private by nature, he left one of the most vulnerable possessions of his life unprotected. Go figure.

There was a video on the screen. After a closer look, she realized who was in it. That was definitely Adam. Playing guitar? She had to see this. She pressed play and listened until the very last note. Wow.

Moments later, Nate and Jordan returned. Nate stopped at the door and Jordan walked past him, dipping her finger in her chocolate ice cream cone and licking it clean. Madison made a mental note to help Nate clean up the sprinkle trail she left behind on the floor. And now the couch.

Madison held up Nate's phone. "Why didn't you tell me the bartender had vocals?"

Nate closed the door behind him and collected the cards from the table. "It never came up."

She looked at the freeze frame of Adam. It was unbelievable how good he was. This was exactly what Santora was looking for for the music video. "He has to do the contest."

The cards spilled from Nate's hands and scattered to the carpet. Jordan giggled from her seat, her treat one tilt away from suffering the same fate. Nate crouched to the floor and started all over again. "There's probably going to be a ton of people with great voices. We can't choose favorites."

"You're right." Madison gathered the cards close to her and handed them to him. "But we can make sure it's a good show."

"I guess." Nate took the cards and stuffed them in the box. Madison completely agreed with him. They were going to judge fair. She looked forward to the singers making their decision nearly impossible. But on the slim chance that most of the competitors lacked...proper training, she wanted to at least crown someone good. And Adam was good. Image what the three of them could come up with. Working with him would be amazing. Hopefully, he'd feel the same way.

***

Maddie likes Adam's song. Good news for Adam. Bad news for Nate. Stay tuned to find out what happens next!

-Love, Charly