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Madison had been quiet most of the day. Although, that wasn't that shocking. A few days had passed since she had been utterly crushed at Eric's house, and she had to say, she was handling it quite well. She had specifically instructed her friends not to talk about it anymore as she had been upset for long enough. This was just something she was going to have to get over. Eventually.
The main focus on her mind at this particular moment was getting to English class, which was always her escape. Mr. Turner was the only thing keeping her sane at this point, his many essays and assigned readings keeping her busy. As she rounded the corner, she found an obstruction in her path. Eric Matthews and Christi Whatever-Her-Last-Name-Was, standing with Shawn and Cory. Eric's hand was currently attached to the back of Cory's neck in what seemed like a death grip.
"Christi, I'll catch up with you, okay?" Madison heard Eric dismiss as she got closer.
She was hoping to slide by them unnoticed, but that was not the case.
"What could you possibly be thinking? Christi's going to expect me to tell her I love her!" Eric whined, before locking his eyes on Madison, "Whirley, you gotta help me out here. I gotta... practice or something."
"What could I possibly do to help you?" Madison snapped, it coming out way harsher than she meant it to.
Somehow she had gotten pulled into this ridiculous conversation about when to say 'I love you'.
"Oh man, I gotta do something now. You gotta think, you gotta think Eric," Eric spoke to himself, before grabbing his head in agony.
"Thinking cramp?" Shawn inquired, prompting Eric to nod, "I get those too."
"You guys are idiots," Madison dismissed, "An 'I love you' really means nothing at this point in our lives, and in your relationship Eric. You've been dating four days."
As she went to storm past them, Eric grabbed her by the arm.
"Whirley, you can't tell me you don't feel anything when I say this," Eric countered, "I love you."
She swore she could've passed out at that very second. But it wasn't for her, it was to prove a point, and to "practice". Madison tried to ignore how good those words sounded coming out of his mouth, and instead shrugged his hand off of her arm.
"Nothing," she choked out, "I feel nothing."
And with that she ran off, willing herself to keep her mind focused.
"Mom! I'm home!" she shouted, less enthusiastic than most days.
She barely had time to throw down her bag and kick off her shoes before a familiar face rounded the corner.
"Anna!" Madison shrieked, launching into her older sister's arms.
Anna and Madison were so similar it was sometimes shocking. They both had long, wavy brown hair, warm brown eyes, and were almost the same height. Anna was arguably the smarter sister, and was pursuing a Bachelor in Science at the nearby Pennbrook University. That's where they differed, as Madison was hoping to pursue a degree in English and Literature. It was good to have some differences with her sister, as they had competed very aggressively throughout high school.
"I'm here too," Andrew, Anna's boyfriend, greeted as well.
That's another way they differed, Anna had had boyfriends for as long as Madison could remember. Anna pulled away and gave her a smile, but that quickly faded once she saw her sister's face.
"What's wrong?" Anna whispered.
"Nothing, it's fine," Madison lied, "I'm so happy you're visiting!"
Anna and her boyfriend were currently renting an apartment together, something her parents weren't too happy about. They wanted her to stay in the dorms, but that just wasn't in Anna's plan anymore.
"Come on, let's go talk," Anna ordered, turning to face Andrew, "It's girl talk time."
Madison sent Andrew a sympathetic smile as they quickly raced up the stairs. Madison loved this house, however well-worn and old it was. The layout was very conducive to her introverted nature. The stairs to the upper-level were right in front of the front door, allowing her to sneak up as soon as she got home. Her parents' and Anna's bedrooms were on the upper level but pushed to the back of the house. Madison's bedroom was at the very front, with a window that overlooked the outdoor patio. It was good for when strangers knocked and she could identify them by merely looking out of her window. The downstairs area was similar to the Matthews', with a separate room for the living room and two door-like openings leading into the kitchen area. They also had a side door, which was rarely used, that lead out into their relatively small backyard. They didn't have two staircases going upstairs though.
Madison sighed in exhaustion as she plopped down on her bed, Anna mirroring her action. Her room was a little messier than usual, which was a telltale sign of her distractedness.
"Who's the boy?"
"What?" Madison immediately defended, "There's no boy."
"I know there's a boy," Anna chuckled.
"Fine," Madison caved, looking down at her hands, "Do you remember Eric Matthews?"
"Shut up! That guy you hated?" Anna almost shrieked.
"Shh!" Madison shushed, smiling slightly, "That would be him."
Madison launched into a more in-depth explanation of how they had come to be sort of friends, leaving out details her sister already knew from various phone calls and visits. Most of the events leading up to this year had been expressed on their trip to England, so there really wasn't much to cover. Her new feelings and his new relationship were the main topic of conversation.
"Well it's good then, he gets a new girlfriend every week anyways," Anna argued, "You could be the next one."
"That's the point Anna, I don't just want to be 'the next one'," Madison expressed, "I want to have something that's real with him. But all he'll ever be is this unattainable player."
There was a moment of silence, just long enough for tears to prick at her eyes.
"I know it might seem like he'll never change... but maybe he will. You're an amazing girl Maddy, and he'd be an idiot not to see that," Anna said quietly, filled with love, "And I know it's scary to shift from friends to more but it could be the best thing you've ever done. Let him play around with these girls, keep your distance but make it known that you're here to stay. But... I think right now you deserve a good cry with your sister. Then we'll go get ice cream."
Madison couldn't help but laugh through her fresh tears. Anna was right.
