Confessions of a High School Supermodel

Chapter 3

3

Maddie stormed out of Forever 21 and briskly walked through the mall by herself.  She was in such a rage, she felt like she could strangle a tiger with her bare hands.   

What the hell is wrong with them?  Do they TRY to humiliate me or does it just happen naturally?  I have the most obnoxious, horrific family in the history of the entire universe!  You can’t take them out in public!  You can’t take them anywhere!

She paced all over the second floor of the mall, past Express, past Gap, past Zara.  She finally calmed down as she was taking the escalator downstairs.

  Right in front of Sundance and Livia and Amberly and all those girls!  They’re going to tell everybody! 

She passed by Starbucks, which reminded Maddie of how she had been completely and utterly mortified the last time she had visited the mall with her mom.   The last time Maddie had gone to Starbucks with her mom, it had been humiliation of the utmost proportions. 

Starbucks had been extremely crowded, with a massive line stretching out the door, and the people waiting for drinks taking up nearly every inch of room. 

Maddie had turned to go wait in line but her mom had grabbed her by the hand and marched to the front counter where the barista had been yelling out, “double soy latte with no cream!”  Her mom had elbowed her way to the front of the crowd, dragging Maddie behind. 

“Oh, that’s me!  Yes, that’s mine!” 

The barista had glanced at her in surprise.  “Uh… are you sure your name is Michael?” 

“Yes,” she shot back.  “Of course I’m Michael.”

“I’m so sorry about that ma’am.” 

Her mom’s way of paying for the drink had been by leaving a five-dollar bill in their tip jar.  As she left the store sipping her ill-gotten Starbucks, she muttered, “Rats, I should have asked for whipped cream.”

Maddie remembered looking at her mom sipping coffee from a cup labeled “Michael” and reasoned quite sensibly to herself, In case she ever commits a crime, I can use this as her insanity defense.

Maddie shouldn’t have been surprised.  Waiting in line was not her mom’s forte.  She was always finding some sneaky way to cut the line.  When they were at the bank, she’d pretend to have a panic attack.  At the local art museum, she’d shoot straight to the front of the line with, “I’m so sorry, our tour bus is leaving any minute.” 

Whenever they were at a public bathroom, she would use Cassidy as her go-to excuse. “Excuse me, my little one can’t hold it.  She’s about to make a mess on the floor.”  Cassidy had been potty trained for, oh, only about the last five years!  But she’d go along with it because it was just easier to do what her mom said. 

Remembering all those humiliating experiences with her mom made Maddie feel like crying, but she forced herself to take some deep breaths.  She walked over to the Teavana store and poured herself a sample of White Chai tea.  Drinking it made her feel calmer, more relaxed.  She poured herself a few more samples and decided she was going to emerge from the store separate from Lozerilla Maddie who had been humiliated minutes earlier.  She was going to be mature, sophisticated Maddie who wouldn’t get embarrassed by silly things like oversharing mothers and little sisters who watched too much reality TV.

Maddie was SO over this trip to the mall!  She would just use her coupon so they could leave already.   Maddie walked into Victoria’s Secret to use the coupon for free panties her mom had given her.  She wanted to just get home and forget this afternoon had ever happened.