THE MATCHMAKER ➢ JB MZ

one

"HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! new year, new me!" maddie cheered the second she got into school the day after winter break. everybody sighed, not in the mood this morning. but maddie didn't seem to care what they thought.

maddie's best friend, stephanie olson, followed closely behind. "you really gotta stop cheering so loudly, the people hate it!"

maddie laughed as she walked to her locker. "chill out steph, it's a new year and a-"

"new you! yes, i know," steph cut her off. steph opened her locker and started looking for her textbook. maddie rolled her eyes.

"mood killer," she muttered as she grabbed what she needed for the day. "anyways, we need to go over my plans during homeroom. i told you about them, right?"

steph scoffed. "you mean, becoming vanessa smith's best friend and earning the title as the second most popular girl in school. i mean yeah, i think you told me."

"yeah, i think i did," maddie laughed.

"it's not gonna happen," steph shook her head. "but a dream's a dream."

"hey! i am going to make it happen," maddie replied. "just watch me."

steph shook her head once more and shut her locker. maddie had already closed hers and was already a step ahead of steph. they went to homeroom, steph clearly annoyed with maddie.

i am her best friend. why is she trying to replace me with stupid vanessa? steph thought to herself. personally, steph hated the popular crew and she never knew why maddie wanted to be apart of it. sure their lives were great, but they were all so stuck up and obnoxious. maddie would never fit in.

maddie and steph sat in the back corner of the class. maddie had a notebook full of her ideas, she was really focused on this plan. it wasn't just an idea, it was a full out step by step process that she set up over break.

"i think you're crazy," steph said. maddie shook her head as she turned to page one. her aha! expression was enough to make steph roll her eyes for the hundredth time this morning.

"okay so first," maddie cleared her throat. "walk past vanessa's lunch table, pretending that i'm surveying the popular kid's or something. you know, like those newspaper kids who say they'll write a page about you. once i tell them, they'll invite me to sit."

"you really did all of this during break?" asked steph. "i slept the whole time i-"

"i take pride in my work, yes, if that's what you mean." maddie clapped her hands and went back to looking at her notebook. "okay so the-"

steph sighed, loudly, which interrupted maddie.

"okay so then," she repeated, putting emphasis on the word then. "i might just say, 'oh hey the newspaper kicked me out but since you guys like my humor, consider me apart of your group!' and then hopefully they let me."

steph groaned. "vanessa smith is the most stuck up person in this school, town, world, you name it. you really think she's going to let you into her group that easily. besides, why do you even want to be apart of their group?"

maddie shrugged. "i don't know, it seems fun. look steph it's a new year and i wanna be someone new! new year, new-"

"you! yes, i heard you the first time."

maddie sighed. "it'll happen. now back to my plan. here's plan b in case things go horribly wrong and not as i planned."

maddie tried explaining but the teacher started calling out names for attendance. she was always the last one to be called so she wasn't too bothered, so she continued.

"maybe i can just impress vanessa. i don't really have any talents but i think i can-"

"maddie?" the teacher called out.

"here!" maddie yelled. role call was finished and maddie went back to talking. "steph, what are my talents again?"

"you're funny."

"not a talent, but, maybe i can just try to make vanessa laugh?"

"she's evil, cold-hearted, and feels no emotion. trust me, i don't think she laughs," said steph. maddie shrugged and closed her notebook. she placed it back into her bag. "you're already popular, if you want my honest opinion."

shrugging, maddie replied. "nah."

it was only a matter of time before homeroom ended and they were off to first period. maddie walked in and the first thing she yelled was, "happy new year! new year, new me!"

everyone groaned.

"give it a break maddie!" someone yelled, a boy in the back who she identified as lucas triana.

"no lucas!" she yelled back. everyone started laughing until she went to her seat.

she sat next to joey birlem, a popular kid, how ironic! they talked here and there, i guess you could call them friends.

"hey maddie," he said as soon as she sat down.

"hi joey," she responded. "new year, new you?"

he laughed. "probably not."

she raised her eyes. "that's unfortunate."

it didn't make sense as to why maddie wanted to be popular, when she was friends with literally everyone.

and everyone knew who she was, she wasn't a nobody like she claimed she was. maddie sat through the rest of her classes until lunch. lunch was her favorite period.

she left her fourth period class like there was no tomorrow and found steph sitting at their table.

"hey maddie," she said.

"hi," she replied. "so glad it's lunch. do you think i should go up to vanessa today or is it too soon?"

steph rolled her eyes as soon as maddie sat down. "no, not at all. why don't you go up to her right now?"

maddie thought about it for a second. vanessa wasn't even there. "she's not there. i gotta use the bathroom anyway so, i'll be right back!"

she got up and walked out of the cafeteria. steph sighed.

maddie went into the bathroom, only to hear vanessa talking on the phone. "but he's so hot!"

not trying to eavesdrop, maddie walked past vanessa and into the bathroom stall. but it was clear that she was eavesdropping. vanessa finished talking on the phone and maddie ran out of the stall before vanessa could leave.

"so who exactly is hot?" maddie questioned. vanessa turned around, and examined maddie. then it was like a lightbulb went on above her head. vanessa didn't say anything for a bit, which confused maddie. earth to vanessa?

"so you're that girl who got jacob sartorius and kendall vertes together, right?" vanessa queried, grinning. her small smile also confused maddie, but it also excited her. it made her think that she was finally doing something right.

"yeah, that's me," maddie tried not to brag but this was vanessa she was standing in front of. "i also got lilia buckingham and jaeden wesley together, lexi jayde and chase keith, my sister mackenzie with johnny-"

"yeah, i know. you're the famous matchmaker," vanessa complimented sarcastically. maddie didn't even notice. she couldn't even believe she was talking to this girl right now! "do you know a boy named joey birlem?"

"joey! yeah, we talk sometimes," maddie replied. "you like him, don't you?"

vanessa nodded. "get him to date me?"

maddie thought about it for a moment.

"alright."

a/n

this happened so soon and i hate it UGH
i also wanted to add joey right away because it's a joey fanfic but i hate the way i set up the plot but oh well!
but please vote thanks!