BOY KING (CFTM Prequel)

Chapter 64 (Part 2)

"I've seen some of your pictures. You're really talented, Maddie."

"Not as talented as you are at life and love and pretty much everything."

Maddie's voice comes out broken and hollow. Night and day different from the way I usually know it to be.

"What do you mean?"

The bus lurches to a stop and Coach Calloway shouts at us to get off the bus. I stay in my seat waiting on Maddie's words.

"Lacey, listen. This is probably gonna sound crazy, but you have something so many people want--and you got it without even trying. It's like the whole world's watching you and you don't even take advantage of the attention. You just--make everything you do seem effortless. And everyone at school should love you for it, but there are so many jealous stupid people out there and honestly, I was one of them. But I don't want to be anymore. I don't want to be like the people who--you know what? Sorry, I'm not making any sense. I don't even know why I started this conversation."

Maddie stands up out of her seat and frantically starts grabbing her camera gear off the floor. She's agitated and chaotic in a way that she's never been before so I reach out and stop her from leaving in that state before I can't.

"Maddie, hold on. Please. Finish what you were saying."

"But you won't understand."

"Understand what?"

A series of fresh tears skim down the sides of her cheeks but she's quick to wipe them away.

"Why I we stopped being friends. It was all on me Lacey."

"That whole situation--wasn't just your fault. You were right--about a lot of things --"

"No, I wasn't. I was jealous of you, Lacey--and it was so, so stupid. I ended things because I thought that if I had enough space from you that I'd stop wanting everything you had. But I didn't. Honestly, in a lot of ways I still do. But I don't want to be that way anymore and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Lacey. I guess that's what I came here to say. And maybe all of this coming way too late but I wanted you to hear it before the school year ends. I even switched places with another photographer so I could see you today and say this in person. I'm just really--"

I pull Maddie into the kind of hug that says I miss you and I love you and I forgive you all at once. It takes her a minute, but Maddie softens up like the teddy bear I know she is and cries into my jersey.

"You know you're still my favorite person, right?" I say.

Maddie snorts a little too loudly for her own good and nods.

"And you're like--my penultimate person. I'm so sorry for being a jerk. I'm sorry for starting off this conversation sounding like a jerk. It's just--I've been hanging out with people lately who are jerky and crazy and obsessive  and I'm so--over it. You don't even understand."

"I think I do. From what it sounds like, you missed me, huh?"

Maddie laughs through her tears.

"I did. Everyday. Listen, I know I screwed up this year by being jealous and lame and stupid, but can we start over maybe? Like if you're not too busy with Elias this summer, can we hang out again?"

I ease away from Maddie just enough to be able to ruffle her hair back into its old familiar mess.

"Absolutely. We're way overdue for another Lace-face and Mads adventure. We'll keep it, girls only!"

"Speaking of girls, you two better get off the bus before I bench the both of you for life!"

Coach Calloway pops his head into the aisle and threatens us the way he used to when Maddie was still on the team. It's alarming and endearing all at once.