When In Doubt - Freshman Year

Chapter 24

Madison

"Yo, Madison, you good?"

She'd struggled to open her eyes, and her body had felt like it was weighed down by bricks. Lying down on a blanket near the track teams camp set up in a large indoor gymnasium, Madison groaned, and slowly looked up at Jared, who'd stared down at her expectantly. She could only manage to throw him a lazy thumbs up gesture.

Her body ran on a near empty tank since the night before. She'd decided to stick it out and had gotten her project done with plenty of time to spare, thanks to the little help she'd still had stuffed in her purse, but she'd forgotten about the aftereffects, especially the insomnia that'd kept her up. Her mind never slowed down enough for her to relax enough to fall asleep, so she'd pulled an all-nighter either way. She couldn't help but laugh humorlessly at the irony.

She still couldn't believe that she'd caved in, that she'd stolen some pills, and actually used again. What would she have done if she'd overdosed again? What would her mother think if she'd gotten another phone call from a hospital? Sure, she'd gotten her project done, but the guilt still ate away, and perhaps that was what'd kept her tossing and turning all night.

Madison started to drift off again, but Jared had started tapping her leg with his shoe, like a little kid poking the glass exhibit at the zoo. Madison looked up at him, and he'd kept doing it for another few seconds, even though he'd known she was awake.

She'd glared up at his annoying smirk. "Don't make me come up there, boy." Her only warning.

Jared chuckled, but stopped. "Girl, don't be like that, let's be chill. I was just coming over to check on you before my event," his eyes carelessly wandered up and down her figure. "You look a little worse for wear, to be honest."

"You wanna try and run that by me again?" Madison's eyes flashed, wide awake. He was really pushing it today of all days. If she hadn't felt like death, she'd have smack that arrogant smile right off his face.

He'd raised his hands. "My bad. You know I'm just messing with you." He'd squated down and rested his arms on his knees. "Were you up all night with that project?"

"No, I finished, but I still couldn't sleep afterwards."

"Why's that?"

"I guess I was nervous or something."

He frowned. "You never get nervous. You've got more swag than half the team combined."

"Well, maybe it was the fact that the same teacher assigned another project yesterday at the end of class?"

For her next project in her 3D-Design course, Madison had to create a life-like replica of an animal and construct in entirely out of cardboard: the skeleton, and outer layer of skin that had to match the texture of whatever animal she'd choose. It would be due the Monday they'd return back from Spring Break.

Madison told Jared as much, and he'd winced. "That's rough, your teacher sounds like a fucking douche."

"I want to do illegal things to him with my X-ACTO knife," Madison grumbled. Just thinking about that next project had made her even more exhausted.

"Well, I know you'll kick ass," Jared reached out, and Madison took both his hands as he'd helped her up. "All your stuff looks amazing."

Madison's chest fluttered at the compliment. She'd remembered giving him a mini private showing of her work, and then how she'd given him a private viewing of herself after, much to her pleasure.

That had been an especially fun night...

She'd noticed how she'd still kept her hands in his.