Neighbors

Something Like Fireworks

13.

That was the number of orchids sitting in various spots around Madison's room. Coincidentally that was all Madison's "lucky" or favorite number. She was born on the 13th day of the 3rd month of the year at 3:13 am. Her cancer went into remission when she was thirteen, though two years later it had returned. So maybe, thirteen wasn't all that lucky but it was the one number that always seemed to resonate with Madison. So as she placed the thirteenth orchid on her desk right between the first and third, she let out a defeated sigh. There was absolutely no room for a fourteenth and at this rate she was positive that Alex wouldn't stop sending them.

So, with that sigh she checked her reflection in the mirror that sat on the wall behind her desk and she ran a hand through her knotted hair before pushing her glasses onto her face and marching over to that oh so annoying yet very persistent boy that she was supposed to be mad at.
Her hand curled into a tight fist and rapidly beat rhythmic knock on the glass pane of the dark wooden door.

On the other side, a barely awake Alex rubbed at his eyes and half fell down the stairs in a rush to answer the door. His mom had said something about being awake to sign for a package and he knew se would chew him out if he slept through its arrival.

"Hey, sorry I was aslee---madi?" He rubbed his eyes for good measure and blinked. His heart jumped a beat when he finally realized that it was real, that Madison was standing on his front porch. He almost wanted to reach out and touch her just to make sure, but he knew that wouldn't go over well. Madison surely would have made fun of him or made a snappy comment even if they were on good terms.

Madison's eyes shamelessly raked over the disorientated boys bare chest, her cheeks turning pink. She cleared her throat and forced herself to look away, not daring to be caught ogling.

"Wh-what are you doing here?"

"I just came to tell you to stop sending me flowers. I don't have any room left." Madison replied curtly. The tone of her voice causing Alex to shrink back, he already knew how cold she could be but for her to be so directly icy towards him really hurt.

"Oh" Alex whispered, his lips forming a tight line as he stepped back to close the door. However, he was forced to stop when Madison grasped the door frame with her small fingers. He looked up at the girl, eyebrows furrowed in a silent question.

"I also wanted to say that I forgive you, doofus" she shyly smiled, her green eyes speaking sincerity to Alex who immediately pulled her into his arms, his face burrowed into her neck while hers hooked over his shoulder. Madison awkwardly wrapped her arms around Alex's frame as well, her hands lighting a path of flames up his bare back.

After was seemed like hours, Alex finally stepped back from the embrace and grabbed Madison's hand, pulling her into his house and up the stairs to his room. Madison stood in the center of the room, her eyes scanning every surface. The plethora of posters on the wall showing that Alex had impeccable taste in music, though she already knew that, but what surprised her was how organized and clean his room was.

"Are you sure you're a teenage boy?" Madison mused, poking Alex in the side. He squirmed away from her touch and laughed "We aren't all a bunch of Neanderthal snobs, just jack, really" Alex joked in return as he pulled clothes out for the day and that was when Madison finally realized that he was only in his boxers. Her cheeks grew hot as she stared as his almost nude body, from the strong build of his shoulders, to the small dimples in the small of his back, there was no denying that Alex was attractive.

"Like what you see?"

Madison's eyes snapped up, her cheeks burning now "I---uh, you....shut up" she muttered.
Alex chuckeled to himself as he jumped into his skinny jeans and pulled on a simple white v-neck t-shirt.

"So, I was thinking we could maybe go for some ice cream and talk?"

"Talk?"

"yeah...I just, I want to know about you Mads" Alex stepped closer to Madison , her back almost against the wall.

"You do know about me...." Madison whispered, suddenly aware of how close Alex was to her. His breath just barely fanning over her lips

"I want to know everything" Alex whispered in return, his right hand lightly grasping her cheek as his thumb ran down her jaw. Madison's heart was rapidly beating; she swore she could hear each beat in her ears, her breathing stalled as Alex moved closer and her eyes closed as his lips just barely touching hers before she was left with a simple kiss to the cheek.

"Okay...ice cream, it is" She blindly intertwined her fingers with Alex's and opened her eyes to see him smiling at her, adoration in his eyes.

Alex and Madison stood in the long line at Regina's Ice Creamery, a cozy but popular ice cream parlor that sat on the outskirts of the city. Madison's eyes scanned over the numerous flavors listed on the board, a smile stretching across her face when she saw they had birthday cake flavor, her favorite. Alex instantly knew what flavor he would get so instead of aimlessly looking at the board he watched Madison, taking in the way her eyes scanned left and right, the way she bit her lip as if she were in deep concentration, and most of all how her eyes lit up with joy when she found what she was searching for. Alex couldn't help the small smile that graced his own face as he stared at her. He still wasn't sure what it was about her, but he couldn't deny that she was something special to him, like a firework or something, she lit up his world.