Jaddie: Our Story

Chapter One

MADDIE'S POV

It's here. My first day of high school. The first day of my future. And yes, I guess I'm a walking clique considering I already took my first day of high school selfie and my mom already took a photo of me standing on our porch; my denim backpack hanging over my right shoulder - you'll see it on her instagram later.

I suppose I feel like I have more independence now - even though my mom still made me lunch but let's not talk about that - and I feel as though I'm much more grown up. I don't know, I guess starting high school has that effect on people.

"Maddie!" I heard my mom yell.

"What?" I replied.

"Come here, please." She said.

I sighed reluctantly as I walked downstairs to meet my mom in the kitchen, knowing that she would ultimately just get mad if I ignored her.

"What's up mom?" I said.

"I want you to look for Jack today and maybe get him to show you around. His mom texted me saying that he would be happy to do that."

"But mom I barely know him, it would be so awkward to talk to him." I said looking down at my hands.

"Maddie, you can't go your whole life being scared of social contact with people you don't know well. That's the whole point: to get to know him." My mom said with a sigh.

"Ok ok, I'll talk to him. But just because you and his mom are best friends, doesn't mean Jack and I will be." I replied.

With that, I grabbed my lunch, slipped on my vans and ran outside to catch the bus.

••

As I walked down the bus, I saw person after person, each sat with somebody to call a friend. Everyone looked as though they already had some sort of place in high school; I didn't even have a place to sit. All of a sudden, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to find Jack and he expressed a beaming smile as soon as our eyes caught sight on each other.

"Hi, Maddie. Wanna sit?" He asked.

"Y-yeah." I replied taking a seat next to him.

At first, the air was filled with silence. Well, the small air bubble around Jack and I. Everybody else was talking about their new schedules and classes and whatever else high schoolers usually talk about.

As I adjusted myself on the seat, feeling kind of awkward by the silence, my hand brushed against Jack's. He turned to me and smiled and I moved my hand away quickly. "Sorry," I said with a small laugh.

"That's ok," he replied, "so, did your mom tell you to talk to me?"

"Yeah, my mom says that I should socialise with new people." I said imitating my mom.

"Right right," Jack laughed, "well I haven't seen you for a while. With you being in the grade below me and all, we only really saw each other around the halls a few times before I moved to high school..."

"... and here we are." I said.

"Yep." He said.

We sat in silence for a little while longer before the bus pulled up outside the school.

"Wow, it's huge." I said, admiring the school.

"That's what she said..." Jack laughed.

I hit his arm in jest and laughed at his immaturity. Boys really do never grow up, even when they are 15.

I slung my backpack over my shoulder and walked off the bus, Jack following closely behind me.

"Maddie wait up," he said. I stopped in my tracks and turned around to face him.

"So do you have your schedule yet?" Jack asked as we began walking towards the school entrance.

"Not yet, would you mind showing me to the main reception?" I asked.

"Of course. I mean, of course I'll do it not of course I mind but-"

"Okay, Jack," I interrupted with a laugh.

"Wow, we really are awkward huh." Jack said.

"Too right," I replied as I arrived at main reception, "maybe we should find each other at lunch and try to make things a little less awkward?"

"For sure. Just text me which class you have before lunch and I'll meet you." Jack said.

"Umm... I don't have your number." I said with an awkward laugh.

"Oh right, yeah, of course," Jack said, "give me your phone for a second and I will add my number into your contacts."

I handed him my phone and he put his number in before handing it back to me.

"Well, I guess I'll see you later, Mads." Jack said.

Mads I thought to myself. I could get used to that nickname.

"See you later," I replied, biting my lip slightly as I watched him walk off into the distance.

I shook my head to throw myself out of my thoughts. Please don't tell me that I'm catching feelings for him. For Jack. For my mom's best friend's son...

My mom is going to have one hell of an "I told you so" moment when I get home. Well, if I decide to tell her, that is.