Rich Kids Don't Die | Featured

Chapter Seven

Walking to the bathroom, Maddie splashed her face with cold water, slipping into her bed clothes. Then, drew the blinds, shut the lights, and crawled under the duvets. The process of falling asleep was slow; she couldn't stop thinking about it all.

It was taking over, and by the time she felt even remotely sleepy was when the birds perched on the sill began to chirp. In what seemed to be the blink of an eye, the rosy sun had graced the universe with its presence, splashing oranges, pinks, and reds into the stretch of sky.

The blaring alarm of Maddie's phone rang, and with a groan she got up from her bed. Rub, rub, rub. But the dark circles remained, with her cracked lips and pale skin. The only thing in order was her hair, still relatively straight and silky soft.

She left it out, flinging the doors open to the closet. Her eyes scanned the perimeter before landing on a pink flowy skirt which stopped at her knees, and she chose a floral top and white sandals to match. Less glam than usual. It didn't bother her at all, surprisingly.

Grinning in the mirror (only because she looked fucking great, for a sleep deprived and driven insane teen) and rummaged in her drawers before clasping a pair of gleaming earrings in her hand. Once they were on, she lined her waterline with white eyeliner, a smile tugging at the end of her lips.

Maybe if she looked the part, she'd be alright. No wavering fear in the creases of her skin as Lucian walked by, no tears welling in her eyes. Beautiful, and deadly. Just like she'd always been.

Perhaps she could avoid too many stares, shrug off the impertinent remarks about what happened the other night, slipping past her friend's fingers to escape their confrontations.

She'd have to try.

A bell sounded at the door. Alex was here, leaning against the walls of the gate and peering up at her room, searching for any sign of a catastrophe. But Maddie was ready to go, and in a matter of moments was clambering into the car, after stuffing her backpack and computer in the trunk.

Alex glanced at her; she looked to be fine. Still, that didn't mean what had happened last night was okay. No texts, no calls.

He waited patiently for her to look up at him, before he said, "What happened?", and suddenly the sun's rays had burst into oblivion from her face, the light of her small smile gone and the dark creeping in.

A few words, and Maddie was back to her broken self.

Barely a broken breath caught in her throat, the words swimming up to her lips before evaporating into her mouth. With the tilt of her head she broke gravity in half, her long hair the only curtain between them. Blood rushed to her face.

"I'm sorry I didn't return your calls." she whispered.

A roar, anger, a flame. It clawed at Alex's ribs, but he didn't want to frighten her. He could imagine her flinching, his guilt threaded into his skin, tightening around his throat. Anger was the devil inside of him, the callous of his fist and the lion's roar from his screaming lungs.

But he was not like that anymore. I am not that boy anymore. No longer was he the raging, the violent, the vulgar. That was Lucian. Alex was not like Lucian anymore.

So he soothed his lungs with the balm of Maddie's and his mingling breaths, and nodded. No questions. It was best to leave it all as it was; Maddie wouldn't be willing to open up anyways.