Haunted

Rootless Tree

"I don't have to, you already did," Eli snapped before he hung up. Maddox groaned and dropped his phone.

Not even a minute later there was a soft knock on his door. Maddox blinked back the angry tears that were starting.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Are you okay?" Kylie looked really worried as she peeked around his door.

"Just stupid," Maddox sighed. "I sent a few texts to the wrong person and it ruined my whole life."

"I do that all the time," Kylie smiled but she still looked nervous. "It's not really like a stupid thing, it's just like you weren't paying attention."

"Yeah, okay," Maddox really didn't want to talk to Kylie about it.

"Um, well, I'm going to go see Matt. Do you want a ride anywhere?" Kylie asked. "Or do you want me to bring you something?"

"No, I'm good," Maddox couldn't figure out why Kylie was being so nice to him. She normally just ignored him. His phone lit up with a new text from The Singer. "Wait, yeah, I guess I could use a ride," Maddox decided.

"Okay," Kylie smiled. "I'll be ready in like 10 minutes, okay?"

"Alright," Maddox agreed.

If he thought it was weird that Kylie was being so nice to him that night it got even weirder because she kept it up for almost two whole weeks. Every time Maddox was around she wanted to give him hugs and she was always offering to drive him places or make him food. It was nice, but Maddox couldn't just enjoy it because it was so weird of her that he kept waiting for her to ask him for some kind of favor.

One night Kylie and her boyfriend, Matt, were making dinner when Maddox walked into the kitchen. Kylie stopped what she was doing to hug Maddox. He rolled his eyes but hugged her back and went to pour himself some juice.

"Kylie, Aaron called. He wants you at a photoshoot tonight," Clara said as she and Justin came inside from the backyard. It seemed like all she did anymore was lay in the swimming pool. Maddox tried not to make a face at the way her towel could barely fit around her huge pregnant belly

Kylie fussed but ran to get ready and Maddox noticed that his parents exchanged looks. Neither one of them looked very happy.

"Matt, I need a favor," Justin spoke up. "I have to take her to this, but it's a lingerie shoot and I obviously can't sit there and watch. Can you come with us and make sure everything goes okay?" he asked. Maddox felt like he was going to throw up.

"I uh," Matt looked at Clara and then back at Justin. "I can't."

"You can't?" Justin demanded.

"I've, uh, never seen her naked before," Matt almost mumbled the words. Maddox went from feeling sick to wanting to laugh when he saw the look on Justin's face. He also wanted to laugh at Matt because he looked so scared, like Justin would actually hurt him or something.

"I'm not asking you to look at her," Justin snapped. "I'm asking you to sit there and make sure no one puts their filthy hands on her or asks her to do anything weird. I just want you to take care of her, protect her. Man up a little."

"Uh," Matt blinked. "It's just," he couldn't even finish a sentence. Maddox had to bite his tongue to make sure he didn't really start laughing.

"I'll do it," Clara stepped in. "I'll be fine if I can sit down the whole time," Clara insisted.

"Are you sure?" Justin asked. Clara nodded and went to get dressed.

"I'm gonna go," Matt said. Justin snorted and watched as Matt left.