Madyson walks up the few steps to Shayla's house around seven hoping to make things right. She rings the doorbell and stands there, anxiously waiting for what was to come.
Shayla slowly swings open the front door wearing sweats with her hair in a pony tail and eyes reddened from crying. Madyson's expression turns to shock and panic when she sees Shayla's distraught presence. "What happened? Did you find Dena?"
She shakes her head and looks down at the ground speaking in a monotone voice. "No. I didn't have to, she was here when I got home."
"That's good." She forces a small smile of hope before asking a question she was sure she already knew the answer to. "Why are you upset?"
Shayla looks up at her with a tired expression. She was tired with people keeping secrets and lying to her face. "Did you know? Is that why Dena disappeared yesterday, because you confronted her about it?"
Madyson decides to play dumb in case the something she knew wasn't the same something Shayla knew. "What?"
"About Dena and...Lucas?"
Madyson swallows the knot in her throat and glances down at the ground. "Yeah...I knew."
Shayla crosses her arms and looks down at the ground as more tears fill her eyes.
Madyson feels compassion for her and takes a step forward before speaking with sympathy. "I am so sorry, Shay. I would've told you, I just honestly...if it was me...I wouldn't of wanted to know." It was the truth. She had put herself in Selena's shoes a dozen times and each time she found herself better off not knowing the truth.
Shayla nods and wipes away her tears before looking up and smiling at her. "Yeah, I wish I didn't know but I guess the guilt was too much for her to handle."
"You can't hold this against Dena forever, Shay. I know it hurts now but Lucas wouldn't of wanted you to be mad at your best friend." Madyson knew once the words left her mouth that they could be applied to her as well but she hoped Shayla understood that she wasn't trying to use the situation to plea forgiveness for her actions. She knew what she did Shayla may never be able to forgive. How could she ever forgive the person responsible for taking away the love of her life?
Shayla nods and speaks softly. "I know, but for now I can't help but feel angry at her."
"I understand." Madyson smiles in understanding before motioning back with her thumb. "I should probably get going."
She nod and smiles at Madyson, watching as she turns to walk away. She stares after her a moment before calling after her. "Mads?"
She turns around. "Yeah?"
"Thanks for not telling me."
Madyson smiles once more at her before giving a soft nod and turning to walk home.
~~~
"Noah, I have no clue. I don't know why you ask me about physics homework. You know I suck at physics." Jeremy's pacing around his bedroom while talking to Noah on the phone.
"-and every other subject." Noah laughs softly and tosses some Skittles into his mouth while lounging back on his couch watching late night tv shows.
Jeremy rolls his eyes and spouts back a retort to his put down. "Yeah, well at least I don't just suck in general."
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."
Jeremy stays silent on the other line for a moment before asking something he's been dying to know since earlier that day. "Hey, uh, what was that about today in the hall? With Mady and Shayla?"
YOU ARE READING
Trying to Fix You
Teen FictionA tragic story about a girl trying desperately to move past the death of her brother but letting go can be difficult, especially when everyone in her home town blames her for his death. With the added drama of a past love and lingering looks from so...
