Finding Maddie

Searching

*Ginos POV*

I walked over to Chloe and Paige to help them clean up. I couldn't get the scene of Maddie laughing with Josh and all of them out of my head. What had happened to her weren't these her best friends?

"Paige it's okay," Chloe said putting her arm around Paige's pepsi stained body.

"He embarrassed me in front of everyone," she cried putting her face into Chloe's shoulder.

"Why was Maddie going along with them?" I asked.

"She is not the Maddie you remember," Chloe explained to me, "she barely shows up to school, she party's, hangs out with all the wrong people. It's sad honestly."

My stomach felt uneasy how could the Maddie who was basically perfect in every single way now be the Maddie who is sitting across from the restaurant. The image of her laughing along with those awful people still circled my head. Tonight when we catch up maybe I can talk some sense into her because I can't watch her go on like this any longer.

*Later that night*

Beep

I checked my phone to see a message from Maddie illuminating my screen.

Sorry I can't come tonight I completely forgot that I had work maybe another time.

I sighed. I wonder if she even has a job she's probably blowing me off for Josh Hyland or something. So I decided to text Chloe and ask. She seems like she knows quite a bit about Maddie's life so she'd be a good source.

Hey Chlo, where does Maddie work?

Oh hi, and she works at the Staples down the street.

Thanks.

Looks like I'm going to the staples down the street. I grabbed my coat and walked down the road until I saw the bright red lights of Staples. I walked in and looked for Maddie. I found her sitting in the back near the printers playing on her phone.

"Hey, um do you know where I can speak to a manager?" I asked playing dumb, "I'm looking to apply for a job here."

Maddie looked up, "Are you stalking me?"

"No? I didn't even know that this was you!" I lied, "I saw you guys were hiring and I could use a job."

"Back there," she said pointing to the hallway behind her. And I nodded and proceeded to the managers office.

Looks like I'm getting a job today.

"Hi I'm Gino and I'm interested in a job here," I said to the man sitting in the desk.

"You know what I don't even care you're hired, were so short staffed we need you to get dressed right now and start working," he said handing me the uniform. I grabbed the uniform and changed into it leaving my clothes I was wearing before in the employee break room.

"Hey coworker," I said cooly walking past Maddie. She looked up from her phone.

"You're kidding me right?" she said.

"Nope, mind showing me how it's done?" I asked.

"It's not hard all you do is walk around the isles and ask people if they need help with anything," she said.

"Doesn't look like you're doing that," I said eyeing her phone.

She slid it in her back pocket and began walking around the store with me.

"Wanna grab a bite after our shifts are up?" I asked while we are walking in the binder isle.

"Will it get you to stop following me everywhere?" she said nonchalantly.

"Well we work at the same store, go to the same school and live in the same town there's no guarantees," I said.

"Fine I'll go."

I smiled.