Finding Maddie

Everywhere

"Maddie you can't sneak out the back, you promised you would come to dinner with me," Gino said popping into the break room. I shut the door and sighed. Gino stuck out his hand to me.

"I don't do that," I said pushing his hand away from me, "can we go to a restaurant out of town I can't risk anyone seeing me."

"Am I really that lame?" Gino asked with sorrow in his voice. I immediately felt really bad I mean this kid was my friend and crush at one point.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean it like that..."

"No Maddie I get it after this I promise I'll leave you alone," he said opening the car door for me.

"Gino really, it's fine. I'm happy to see you again," I said as he slid into the drivers seat.

"You mean it?"

"Yeah," I smiled.

We pulled up to an old diner that I never seen before called Pats Diner.

"Hey Betsy, two please?" he said to an old lady who was standing at the counter.

"How do you know these people?" I asked looking around this very 50's looking diner.

"It's my aunts," he said as we sat into a booth in the back corner of the restaurant, "so what's new?"

"A lot," I said playing with the packs of sugar that were sitting on the edge of the table.

"Well start with your new group of friends. Who are they?" he asked.

"Christina and Jessie, I love them they're so much fun I didn't really know a good time until I partied with them," I laughed.

"Who's who?"

"Christina is the one who's my height with the black hair and Jessie is the tall blonde," I said.

"How'd you start becoming friends with them?" he asked me.

"Are we playing twenty questions here?" I fired back at him.

"I thought we were catching up. Isn't this how people catch up?" he defended.

"Oh yeah," I said, "well all of us did cheer together freshman year and really clicked. The rest is basically history."

"What made you not be friends with Chloe, Paige, Kendall and Nia anymore?" he asked.

"I knew it. I knew they sent you here to find out why I cut them off. They really can't drop something that happened in the 9th grade. How mature. To think I might've liked you," I said grabbing my bag and storming off.

"They don't have anything to do with this!" I said chasing after her, "but wait you actually liked me?"

"It doesn't matter anymore this was only a stupid trick. You can leave," I said sitting on the curb.

"Maddie I'm not leaving you here you don't even have a car," he said sitting next to me. I slid over. I was right why was a loser like him even worth it.

"It's fine I'll call Jessie," I said picking up my phone and dialing her number, "she's gonna be here in 5, I'm okay."

"I'll wait," he said and sat next to me in complete silence until Jessie showed up to pick me up.

"Bye Maddie," he said but instead of answering I slammed the door shut.

"Why are you with Mr. Stalker.?" Christina called from the back seat.

"I don't even know myself, pass me my emergency clothes were going out, I heard Mike from the football team was having a party tonight," I said reaching my hand into the back seat where Jessie had extra clothes for all of us which came in handy more than you think. I slipped off my work clothes and shimmied into a pair of high waisted shorts and my lace bra top.

"Hey ladies," the drunk football team players said as we walked in the house.

"Maddie you look nice," Josh said checking me out from the back corner of the party, "walk that hot body over here."

"What do you want," I said biting my lip and looking at him in the eye.

"You," he said and pushed me up against the wall. His mouth tasted like a mixture of Mikes Hard Lemonade and Corona Lite.

****

"Madison where have you been!" my mom said as I stumbled into my house at about 3 in the morning.

"Out," I replied trying to make my way to the steps.

"No calls no texts I was worried sick about you!" she said leading me up the stairs.

"Well here I am," I said flopping on my bed.

"I hope you're aware that you have to go to school tomorrow one more absence and you have to repeat the 11th grade," she said, "now please get a good night sleep."

****

"Maddie!" I heard a voice call that wasn't my moms, my sisters or my step dad's. I peeled my eyes open to see who it was and who else was it besides Gino.

"What the hell! Why are you in my house!" I yelled.

"The key was under the mat outside, and I figured you weren't going to come to school today but I'm here telling you that your going to school."

"You can't tell me to do anything," I replied sassily.

"Guess I'll have to stay here all day with you then," he said sitting on the corner of my bed.

"On that thought I'll start getting ready now," I said flying out of my bed.