Don't Stop | Michael Clifford

Chapter 20

"Calm down Eleanor, calm down," I say to myself, my leg bouncing up and down. Michael had left just a few minutes ago, and Maddie was on her way here. I was going to tell her today about Jack. I wanted Michael to be here, but he had some things to deal with himself and he thought it would be best if I was alone with Maddie when I told her.

I stand up, I don't know how long it would be before Maddie came here, she arrived home late last night, and I texted her a bit at that time. She promised she would come over sometime through the day, probably between 1 and 3. It was ten past two right now, so it wasn't like I knew if she was coming. I sigh, leaning back against the wall as I look at my phone. I wanted to text Michael, yet I didn't. What I wanted to do really, was to call Maddie to tell her to get her ass over here. But I didn't want to rush her being hurt.

The sound of something on the door then makes me jump up. I had apparently let my back slide down the wall and was now sitting on the floor. I take a deep breath before making my way over, opening the door. Maddie was standing outside, shining from happiness, which just made me feel even worse. I put on a fake smile, pulling her in to me for a greeting before she could see through the smile. "Hey," I say, as I pull away. "How was Boston?"

"It was amazing," she tells me as she walks pass me. Although it was hot outside, she was still wearing a hoodie, she had this weird obsession with them. I got happy to see that it wasn't an oversized guy's shirt, but one she got from a field trip with her old class when she was about 15. She still loved that one. "I had so much fun, went to beach, shopping, all kinds of stuff." She smiles as she sits down on my couch, crossing her legs. "So how was Luke's birthday party? I will have to call him so I can celebrate with him soon."

"It was really good, I kicked ass at beer pong," I tell her as I sit beside her. I figured we could talk a bit about what we had been up to these last few weeks before I told her the news.

"You're welcome," she laughs as she slightly bites her lip.

"Yeah, and they made this little game where he had to go through like 21 games and if he lost he had to drink a shot."

"Oh, that is genius!" she laughs as she leans back. "Well, whatever. You said you were going to tell me something when I got home and... here I am. It sounded pretty serious." I nod, sighing, here we go.

"It kind of is..." I say, letting out a sigh. "So, erhmm," I try, before letting out a groan. Why was this so hard?

Oh yeah, because I'm about to break my best friend's heart. "So, Maddie... Jack's cheating on you." She lets out a gasp as she looks at me. "Michael and I saw-"

"Jack's cheating." She spoke, not in disbelieve or hurt, but more like a voice that said she didn't believe it, like I was pulling a prank on her.

"Yeah he is." She just shakes her head, letting out a laugh.

"Jack's not cheating on me, El," she tells me, making me furrow my eyebrows. Why doesn't she believe me?

"Yes, he is. I saw him sucking on some blonde bimbo's face several times while you were in Boston." Maddie shakes her head as she stands up, crossing her arms over her chest.

"He's not cheating, Eleanor. I know he's not. He's my boyfriend."

"That's what cheating is, when you cheat on someone you're in a relationship with," I say as I stand up as I look at her.

"Eleanor, he is not cheating on me. I spend all night with him yesterday. He told me he loves me, he is not cheating, I know he's not."

"Why would I tell you this if he wasn't cheating!?" I say, slightly shouting.

"I don't know, because you can't handle it!?" she screams back. "I think you can't handle that I'm finally in a strong relationship!"

"WHAT!? What does that has to do with anything?"

"You can't handle that I'm happy! You always want to be the one with a boy, you can't handle me having one as well! Especially with you being so fucking scared of anything relationship related!" I froze, my jaw hanging down. That's what she thinks of me? I was fucking trying to help her, to tell her that her boyfriend is fucking cheating on her, and this is the responds I get? She thinks that I'm doing this so I can be the only one with a boyfriend? I want her to be fucking happy, but not with someone who cheats. "Jack told me he loved me like he hasn't loved anyone before yesterday," she growled as she steps closer, and I know she hates that I'm taller than her. But that doesn't change the fact that she can be really scary at times. "And he told me that you would do something like this, because you were jealous of me. I said you wouldn't, because you were my best friend. But I guess I was wrong." She shoves pass me, running out the apartment, leaving the door open.

I stand there for what feels like a few minutes. "WHAT!?!?" I scream, taking my hands up in my hair. What just happened? I then feel my eyes water as I let myself fall to the floor. "Maddie you idiot," I cry, pulling my legs to my body as I bury my face in my knees. I was trying to protect her. I did the right thing, but her being Maddie, was too stubborn and under Jack's spell to believe me.

I lay down on my back, sobs constantly escaping my lips, as I hold my arm over my eyes. Did I just lose my best friend? Another sob leaves my lips before I let myself sit up, the sides of my head drained with tears, them now making their way down my cheeks instead. I just lost her, she hates me. I tried to protect her from finding out herself after she fell under his spell even more, but it's too late now. I just lost her. I bury my face in my hands, letting out a sigh as I tried not to cry even more. Maddie's so stubborn and proud that even if she found out that I was right, who says she'll come back to talk to me and apologize? She hates being wrong like this, she could for all I know ignore me until we met up on the street a few months after where she'll tell how they broke up and how I was right. Even then, I'm not even sure she'll apologize.