Her | Maddox x OC | HSMTMTS

Episode 1 - Part 2

"Hey, no. They're just not used to meeting new people. They're a pretty tight group and don't really take to outsiders too well. I mean, like, I'm not very close with them. But they'll warm up eventually." I was seriously trying to comfort her. I don't think there's anything I can't stand more than seeing Maddie upset. She didn't seem too convinced.

"Okay... But, like, I know I'm an 'acquired-'"

"You're not that. Literally everyone loves you. You were just around people with bad taste."

"So they'll like me?"

"Yeah, I'm sure they will." Maddie just nodded. I wrapped an arm around her as we neared the Barn.

"You write anything recently?" I nodded.

"Yeah, actually. You want to hear it?" Maddie nodded eagerly. I just smiled, sitting at the piano, and began to play.

***********

After a couple hours of trading back and forth on the piano and getting dinner, Maddie and I headed out to the amphitheater for the special guest announcement.

"Wait, okay. So do you know who the special guest is?" I asked Maddie. "Because EJ has refused to tell me."

"I... If I did know, I wouldn't be able to tell you," Maddox replied.

"So you know."

"I didn't say that."

"You implied it." Maddox shrugged. "At least, can you tell me if I will like it?"

She seemed to be thinking over her words, planning out what to say. "I think... the wildcats will like him a lot more than you will."

"Ah-ha! So it's a 'him!'" Maddie just groaned. "Are you singing the camp song again?"

She was about to reply when she was interrupted by my cousin asking, "Hey, Maddox. I mean, Gadget." Maddie gave the redhead a little wave. "Do you know where I can mail this?" Ashlyn asked, holding up an envelope.

"Oh, yeah. I'll take it," Maddox said, grabbing the envelope from Ashlyn's hand.

"Oooh! It's, like, a special sealed letter."

"We're going to the office later. That's... where they go," I cut in.

"Great. It says 'Do not bend,' by the way." Ashlyn said, almost glaring at Maddox.

"Don't worry. Your letter will be fine," I said shortly, glaring right back at her and only kind of over this conversation already. I felt Maddie squeeze my hand, and I squeezed hers back.

"Someone special?" she asked.

"Very," Ashlyn said. "We are deeply in love, and I will be writing to him every day."

Call me cynical, but there's no way she's going to write to him every day. I don't know my cousin super well, but what I do know is that the US Postal Service is not especially speedy. If she wrote to him every day, she'd probably only get replies once a week. And she'll get busy! She'll forget to write the guy!

Clearly Maddox had a similar train of thought because she said, "Yeah, okay," with a kind of I-know-something-you-don't smile on her face.

"Is that funny?" Ashlyn said, seeming offended. I stepped slightly ahead of Maddox so that I was ever so slightly between the two of them.

"Oh, no. It's just a camp thing," Maddie said. "You know, a lot of people come in saying that, and then by the end, life has other plans." Ashlyn frowned, scowling slightly.

"That's not me."

"Oh, I didn't say it was."

"Oh, I hear... Gina's calling me. I really... I have to go." With that, my cousin rushed off.