Despite The Flaws

Chapter ONE- In Your Eyes

Maddow Lucille's face became solidly and pale. He stared straight ahead, blue eyes focused on him. He couldn't stop staring. Maddow bit his bottom lip hard, his best friend, Ava was afraid he'd draw blood.
"Madd, are you alright?"
Maddow's dug his fingernails into the back of his right arm. He grinned and slammed his locker shut and took his darting eyes off of him. Jaxon Johnson. The appealing and clever captain of the swim team. "I'm fine."

He glanced over Ava's shoulder, he was still there leaning against his locker. "Snap out of it. Back to reality, Madd," Ava spoked, giving all of Maddow's attention toward her. Her voice was loud and overbearing. "Go say hello."
He placed his face down, blue eyes beamed at durability and stain tiles, he would but had always been bashful to speak up -something that had swelled into his skin for a long time- and knowing himself, he would always be the Maddow Lucille who's afraid to speak up. "I can't. Too nervous and notoriously insecure that I would scare him away from bashfulness or make an imbecile out of myself."

"You don't scare them away," she tried to comfort him and smiled. "Don't ever think your actions scares people away. You didn't scare me away. Now you get over there and say hello or I will."

The bell for the next class of hell rang. Music to Maddow's ears. "I'll see you around later and I do scare people away," he said, raised his face to glare at his best friend. He replayed her words over and over again and settle down the narrow corridor hallway to Algebra II.

"Hey bro," Carter gave a subtle smile and waved his hand in motion. His blond ashy hair covered his nordic blue eyes.

Maddow couldn't bare to smile back and Carter took note of this. "What happened?" he asked, brushed his bangs out of his view. He was concerned and millions thoughts was passing through his mind.

"Being too damn nervous and the hot dreamy captain happened," he whispered, settling into his seat.
Carter rolled his eyes and deposited his hand on Maddow's back. "You finally got the kiss or glaring at him until he approaches you? No reason to be nervous, bud"

Maddow gulped down his laughter and grinned. "You understands me, better than anyone else. And glaring at him until he's approach me," he said, picked up his pencil and glare at the screen, answering the problems on the board and slid his loose paper towards Carter.

"This is why we are friends," Carter said and groaned under his breath. "Without you, I would be failing this class. Algebra is fraught."

"Did you do the assignment from last Thursday?" Maddow asked. His long-bony fingers clenched against his checkerboard backpack, inclined to hand the assignment towards Carter.

Carter nodded. "Surprise?" he asked, scribbling down the last answer and toss it aside.

"Are you coming over tonight?" Maddow asked, thumbing around with his fingers.

He needed him there.
-
Twelve Hours Ago
Maddow traveled into his mom's and dad's bedroom, he threw the garbage bag over his shoulder. His face showed it all; distress and weary.
On his father's bedside table, bottles of whiskey and tequila sat empty alongside his father's blacked out body. Maddow gripped the bottles and threw them in the bag. He sat at the edge of the bed and tried to keep it together.
Maddow's eyes wandered across to his mom's bedside table. A total opposite. Spotless. Her wedding ring sat there along with her detective badge.
After scouring the house, he flung himself across his unmade twin-size bed. His mind wouldn't wondering what would tomorrow bring.