𝐝𝐮𝐦𝐛 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞 ➳ೃ༄*

eight

( chapter eight )

MADELEINE STOOD in front of the mirror per usual. no, the girl wasn't naked. she was wrapped in her usual night time attire. the loose ends of her white tank top cut off on the middle of her stomach, her belly button peaking through. her pajama bottoms were silky purple ones that tailored to her mid thigh, she couldn't help but look at herself in disgust. her fingers crawled up to where her stomach resided as she pinched the small inch of skin on each side. she wasn't 'fat' or 'skinny' but she still stood looking at herself with resentment. she finally let go of the skin that enraptured her and made her way to her face. the skin was tinted with pink, her cheeks grew irritated from the hot shower she enveloped herself in for a couple of hours. she pushed back the baby hairs that stuck to her wet forehead and she huffed in dissatisfaction. 'stop doing this to yourself' she thought, finally walking away from the mirror and sitting on the edge of her bed. quickly she went to reach for her phone, dialing the numbers that correlate to blane's contact and pressing call.

it rang for a few seconds, her heart beating ever beep. finally the boy answered, his voice sounded raspy, she was unaware of why it could've been this way. "lane? you okay?" she asked confusedly, the brunette responding with small words. "can we talk? or?" she questioned, removing her phone from her ear and making sure it was his number. "hey babe, i'm seriously so sorry i actually can't talk right now, i'll text you though. love you." he stated, he didn't give the girl any time to respond, ending the phone call after his last words. she couldn't blame him for not being there for her, i mean he has a life. he can't just be waiting by his phone to pick up madeleine when she was falling.

she waited a few more minutes, finally getting the guts to call george, her cousin. the boy answered instantly, letting the girl speak, "georgie you have a minute?" she asked the boy. he mumbled a few words to someone beside him before answering with a yes. george walked out of the room, to the restroom  in where he turned the faucet on so where reece couldn't hear him. "what's up cookie, you alright? you sound stressed." his immediate words caused the girl to sigh in relief, he would always be their to calm her. "i-i'm sorry, are you with friends? i can just text you." she replied her finger tracing circles on her thigh. "madeleine, tell me or i'm going over there right now. don't test me." he chuckled over the phone, causing the blonde girl to smile. "just felt a little off today. anyways i had my first tutor session with your friend. he's quite sassy." she began the conversation with her month older cousin, trying her best to ignore the previous statement.

"madeleine i know what you're doing. tell me what's wrong, please?" george asked turning off the faucet to have the girl better understand him. reece from the other room, heard this and decided out of curiosity to eavesdrop. the girl ranted to george about her insecurities, him trying his best to comfort his 'baby sis' in the best possible way before attempting to hang up the phone. after the relatives, forty minutes conversation, george finally came back to the room where reece tried his best to 'act natural'. "who were you on the phone with?" reece asked as the boy sat in the black spin chair. george furrowed his brows in confusion, "a friend, why?" he asked. "do i know this friend?" reece asked sitting up right on the boys bed. "you tutor her so i'm pretty sure you know of her." george replied, growing irritated by the instigative friend. "how'd she even get your number? does she like you or something?" reece retorted, trying his best to act calm he laid his back against the cold white wall. "reece, she's a friend, she's nice to me. i just helped her with chemistry homework, that's all mate." george huffed, pushing the chair closer to the bed. "an awful 'friend' you got there." reece responded, rolling his eyes at the other boy. george didn't bother responding, afraid he might expose madeleine and his secret family relation. madeleine of course didn't mind being known as george's cousin, but it bugged george a huge big knowing that people would only attempt at a friendship with him to get closer to the buckinghams. before the first year of school, secondary he asked both elliot and madeleine to keep their relations a secret, for the sake of his sanity. madeleine sadly cooperated, it bringing a whole knew strain on their friendship. george promised the girl to always be around, not letting the situation be anymore than it has to be.

on the other hand it was not as if reece would be jealous of george's sudden friendship with madeleine. he was more so irritated with the fact that she never once tried making people know of her friendship with george. she was probably just using him as another piece of her machine to passing through high school without doing a single thing he thought. he didn't want to call his friend gullible, but the reason she called him was for homework, it was quite clear to reece that there was no substance in their 'friendship'.