POV: Maddison

“You seem to be in a better mood, any reason why?” Layla asks.

I stare down at my homework.

“I saw Scarlet, she was in charge of detention today.”

“I’m guessing things went well?”

“Hardly, she walked out on me, again.”

“So then why are you happy?” Layla eyes me.

“Because I am getting somewhere. Slowly, but surely. Also, I think I have made peace with myself.”

Layla sets her pencil down and turns her full body towards me. I watch her tuck a strand of her blond hair behind her ear and lean back on her hands.

“How so?” she asks.

“I get that Scarlet isn’t ready to get back together yet, she has to come to terms with what happened. That doesn’t mean we will never get back together, it just means I will have to wait until she can forgive me. Once all the smoke has cleared, I’ll still be right here waiting for her. She’ll see that I never gave up, she’ll realize that we belong together. I just have to be patient.”

“Okay, you need to lay off the morning talk shows. They are rotting your brain. I am pretty sure that’s not how real life works.” Layla frowns at me.

“Shut up, let me be at peace. It’s better than depression.”

“Holy fuck.” Layla’s eyes go wide.

“What?” I sit up.

“You went through the stages of grief.”

“What? No I didn’t.”

“Yeah, you did. First denial, at the dance. Then anger when you went to her house before she went out of town. Then bargaining with yourself on how you would get her back. Depression, and now acceptance.”

“Holy fuck… you’re right.” wow, go figure.

“Damn, we didn’t even realize until the final stage. Wow if I would have realized sooner I could have helped you along the path faster.”

“Shut up,” I playfully nudge her.

She giggles.

“Well, at least you aren’t all emo anymore. That was getting a little too dark for me.”

“I learned it from you.” I rolled my eyes.

“Guess so, hey what did you get for number 12?”

“I’m still on number 5.” I frown down at my homework.

“Ugh! Maddy.” She complains.

“Sorry, I was distracted, let me copy.” I snag her homework.

A light knock at the door draws our attention.

“Hey just checking and making sure you two aren’t choking each other out,” Mom says.

“Not yet, give it five more minutes,” I say as I copy.

“Hey!” Layla nudges me and causes me to draw a line on my paper.

“Hey!” I nudge her back.

We both laugh.

“Well, I’m glad things are starting to get back to normal around here. Just holler if you two need anything.” She smiles at me before walking off.

“So…” Layla drags the word out.

“So,” I say not looking up from my work.

“So what’s cooking good looking.”

“Oh my god, you did not just use that pickup line.” I laugh.

“So what if I did.” she laughs.

I turn to her and shake my head.

“I just wanted to get you to laugh. I love your laugh.” She smiles at me.

“Layla.” I frown.

“What? Is it a crime to be in love with you?”

“Yes, it should be. No flirting, come on. Don’t make this weird.”

“You look cute when you pout.” She pokes my cheek.

“Stop it, I mean it.” I give her a stern look.

She just smiles at me.

Sigh.

I wonder if she will ever get over me.

“Let’s just finish our homework.” I go back to work.

“Can I ask you something?”

“What?”

“How come you still haven’t opened any of your Christmas presents?”

“Well, I was depressed. Not really in the mood for celebrating. I mean I guess I could open them now.”

“Let’s do it.”

“Yeah?” I turn to her.

“Yeah.”

“Okay.” I shrug.

I go downstairs where my dad is sitting on the couch watching sports tv. Mom is in the kitchen making something to eat.

“Hey,” I say.

“Hmm…” Dad doesn’t even look at me.

“I said hey!”

He sighs and turns to me, “Yes Maddy?”

“I’m opening my presents.” I declare.

“Yes! Finally!” I hear mom call from the kitchen.

Layla giggles.

Dad turns the tv off.

“Honey get the camera ready.” He calls.

“On it!” she calls back.

Mom comes in with the camera and I move all my presents to the center of the living room. Soon enough I am ripping into the paper. I got a bunch of clothes and makeup, a new laptop. Kace got me some bath sets. Layla got me a charm bracelet.

“Okay, I think that’s all,” I say.

“Well, there is one more,” Dad says.

“There is?” I eye him.

Mom squeals in excitement.

“What? Where?” I push.

Dad stands up and digs around in his pocket until he produces a key. He dangles it in front of me.

“No way,” Layla says in awe.

“Dad?” my eyes go wide.

He tosses me the key.

“Check the garage.” He smiles.

“No way!” I get up and run to the garage.

Sure enough, a new car with a bow waits for me.

“Oh my god!” I squeal in excitement.

“Maddy! You got a new car!” Layla says equally as excited.

Mom giggles at us and takes pictures of me.

Dad opens the garage up.

“Take her for a spin, just don’t get pulled over.” He rubs the back of his neck.

“Dad come on, you know Kace taught me how to drive when I was twelve.” I open the car.

“I know, trust me, it still haunts my nightmares.” He shudders.

I laugh and start the car, Layla hops into the passenger seat. We pull out and take the car for a spin.

“Oh my god, we are going to be riding to school in style. No more running after the bus.” Layla says.

“Who says you could come along?” I tease.

“Shut up.” She playfully nudges me.

Afterward, I go back home and ditch the homework to set up my new laptop. Then I fall asleep. My alarm wakes me up in the morning. As usual, I ignore it until mom makes me get up. Then I get dressed and head to school on the bus. Dad says I can’t drive the car around until I get my license which shouldn’t be hard.

“What’s that?” Jessica asks me.

I stare at the small box in my hand.

“It was supposed to be my Christmas present to Scarlet, but I never got to give it to her.”

“Why do you have it now?” Tim asks.

“Because I think I’m ready now. I’m going to give it to her.”

“What is it?” Randy asks.

“Nothing, it’s something only she would understand.”

“Oh.”

“Go give it to her.” Layla urges.

I nod and get up.

I walk to her classroom. I peek in and see Reyna in there with her. They are laughing at some inside joke. Scarlet shakes her head.

“You’re bad.” She says.

“The worst,” Reyna smirks.

I clutch my present close to my chest. Instantly my happy high is gone.

“So my uncle said we could use his practice track this weekend. What do you say? want to go racing with me?”

“You know it stingray.” Scarlet wiggles her eyebrows.

“no, still not feeling it.” Reyna shakes her head.

“Oh come on, you’ll warm up to it, besides I’m all out of ideas. Unless lil ray sounds better?”

“Oh god no.” she makes a face.

Scarlet laughs.

“Keep working on it, my bandit. Keep working on it.” Reyna pats her shoulder.

Scarlet pouts.

“Do you need something?” a voice behind me makes me jump and drop the box. The contents inside rattle around.

“Oh uh, nope.” I quickly grab the box.

Dinah, aka Ms. Berger, frowns at me.

Shit, she probably blew my cover. Scarlet definitely knows I was spying now.

“Are you sure?” she pushes.

“em hm, yeah sorry. I uh, I wanted to ask Ms. A something but she seems busy, I’ll come back later.” I step around her.

“I’m sure it will be okay.” Dinah pushes.

“Nope, it’s fine. I uh, I actually don’t need her help anymore.” I quickly walk off just as Scarlet comes to see what the commotion was.

As soon as I turn the corner I lean against the wall and shut my eyes tight. Patient, I have to be patient. No matter how painful it is. I squeeze the box tightly to my chest. Not yet, it’s not time yet. I just have to wait.

Someone clearing their throat makes my eyes shoot open. Scarlet is eyeing me with her arms crossed.

Oh god, why am I nervous all of a sudden? It’s just Scarlet. Fuck she looks so hot today. She always looks good in black. Her eyes scan over me once before landing on the box clutched to my chest, wrapped in red paper.

“I uh, I’m sorry. I didn’t want to intrude. I get that you don’t want to be around me right now. I just…” I look down at the box in my hands. “It’s nothing. Um, I’ll see you in class.” I move to leave.

“What’s in it?” she asks.

What does it matter now? You’re with her now. Not me. it is probably meaningless to you now. You probably won’t even get it. I stare down at the box, I can feel tears coming on.

“It’s nothing, it just stupid. Forget it.”

The bell rings causing me to flinch.

I look into her eyes and I can see the conflict. I can see her struggling with what to say. She’s so cute like that. I force a sad smile and walk around her. There is no point in giving it to her now. I look at the box one last time before setting it in the trash. Then I wipe my tears and quickly walk off.

Well looks like I’m back to depression.

I know I should be patient, that I should just let her work herself out. But watching her with Reyna breaks my heart a little bit more every day. Especially because she seems happy with her. They laugh, they joke around, they are so carefree around each other. She can’t even look at me without thinking about what I did. How can I ever compete with that?

I’m so stupid.

“Hey, how did things go?” Layla catches up to me.

“They didn’t. Reyna was with her so I just threw it away.”

“Maddy.” She frowns.

“It was dumb anyways.” I shrug.

“Are you sure?”

“No.” my voice shakes.

“Come here.” She sighs and pulls me into her arms.

God, I hate Layla. I know she is only being nice to me so that I will date her. I know she is secretly enjoying and taking advantage of this shit show. Right? Because no way she is an actual good human being… right?

I bury my head deeper into her chest. She’s so warm.

“I got you. I’m right here.” She rubs my back.

I hold her tighter.

I wish she would just go back to hating me. It would be easier to keep denying her then, but when she acts like this… sometimes I struggle to remember why it is I am not dating her. Why I keep pushing her away when she is so good to me. Why I don’t just let her love me like she wants to.

I pull back with a shaky breath and wipe my tears. She moves my hand and wipes them for me, giving me a sad smile. As if she could sense how vulnerable I am right now, she leans in to kiss me. I let our lips touch just for a second before I pull away.

“Sorry.” She says.

I know she’s not sorry.

I just wrap my arms around myself and walk away. I don’t want to be around her when I am like this. Because I know I might do something stupid. I just have to be patient. Scarlet will come around… right?

What if she never comes around?

What if she falls in love with Reyna?

What if she hates me forever?

God this aching pain in me. It hurts so bad. I wonder if Scarlet feels it too, or if it’s just me who feels this. I feel like I have been hallowed out and have become nothing but an empty shell.

I walk into class and lay my head down.

The day drags on again by lunch I just want to go home.

“Come on Maddy, cheer up. You were in such a good mood earlier.” Jessica sighs.

I don’t look at her I just rest my head on the table.

Layla rubs my back.

Someone abruptly sitting at the table forces me to look up. I meet Reyna’s eyes. I groan and lay my head back down.

“Stop spying on us.” She says.

“Leave me alone,” I say into my arms.

“You leave me alone, and I’ll leave you alone.” She huffs.

I force my head up and look at her.

“You won okay, she likes you now. Please, just leave me alone. You don’t even know how bad it hurts me to see you two together. Please, I’m at my limit. I just want this pain to stop.” I whimper.

She frowns at me, her face softening.

“Just go away. I’ll leave you alone okay. I won’t spy anymore. You win. I give up.”

“Just like that?” she eyes me.

“What else do you want from me?” I snap at her.

“I don’t know, I guess I thought you would put up more of a fight. At least that’s how Scarlet made it sound. Guess she was wrong about you.” Reyna shrugged before getting up and walking away.

Does Scarlet think I’ll never stop? That I wouldn’t go down that easy? It’s not like I want to give up, it’s just so painful. So fucking painful. But if I give up now will Scarlet be disappointed in me? Damn it, I can’t take the chance. I have to keep fighting. I have to be patient. Whatever it takes.

I will always be right here, I’ll wait for her.

“Whoa, what just happened? You went from sad to mad in like zero seconds.” Jessica says.

“I’m not mad, I’m fired up. I can’t give up yet. I have to keep fighting.” I sit up.

“Okay, what just happened?” Tim says.

“Scarlet said that I wouldn’t go down so easy, and she’s right! I’m not going to stop. I’ll never give up.”

Layla sighs.

When I finally walk into my last class all the fire has once again died away. I drag my feet on the carpet and sit at my desk. Scarlet hands out the books. That’s when I see it. Sitting on her desk, my present. My heart stops. The box has been opened. She’s looked inside.

I look over to Scarlet as she passes out the books, our eyes meet. I can’t read her face. Did she like it? Did she think it was stupid? God, I’m such an idiot, why did I make her something so lame? She already thinks I’m just some kid. Fuck.

I slam my head back down on my desk.

I hear her snicker.

My head shoots up again and I look to her. She is smiling at me, she shakes her head and looks away.

She laughed…

She liked it!

Right?

She smiled, at me!

There is hope yet. I just have to be patient. I can wait a little longer. We will be together again; I just know it.

Operation Badass bitch gets her girlfriend back is in play.