Sweetest Confusion

Chapter Fourteen: Playing hookey

"Why would I need crutches?" 

"Well for one, your ankle is hurt." He looked down at my still swollen ankle. 

"I'll be fine by tomorrow." I rolled my eyes. 

"Well, I'm going to get going now. I gotta head home. There's a few things I need to do." 

"Okay. I'm surprised you even came today." 

"Me too." He muttered quietly. "Okay. See you later." 

Instead of heading back to sleep I decided to grab my laptop and watch some videos on Youtube. I don't know how much time had passed until my friends barrelled into my room.

"Hey there cripple. How's it hanging?" Taylor laughed, throwing me a bag of chips. 

"I'm fine. Really." I opened the bag and began stuffing myself with the salted chips. 

"You have got to be more careful when you got out Madstar. The ocean is dangerous." Ethan told me.

"I know. It's not like I died." 

"But you could have died." 

"Alright guys, give it a rest. I'm fine and I will be fine. Can we stop talking about it now?" I moaned. 

"Fine. What are we watching?" Taylor looked at the tv screen.

"I was kind of watching Night at the Museum but I sort of fell asleep in them."

"I'm surprised if you could stay awake watching them."

"The bits that I saw weren't that bad you know." I rolled my eyes. "Drew swore that this was the best trilogy to watch when you're sick because it's got and I quote 'the perfect combination of comedy and action'." I just laughed.

My two friends just looked at me incredulously.

"Drew? As in infamous Andrew Cooper?" Taylor looked at me with wide eyes. 

"Yeah what about him?" I shrugged.

"He's not someone you should be associating yourself with. He's not exactly hanging around the best of company." Ethan elaborated.

"How do you know that?" I scoffed.

"I've seen him talking to some shady characters after school." He replied.

"He's not that bad guys. He's actually kinda sweet." 

"Okay, what is happening? Two days ago you were hating the guy and now you like him?" Taylor said.

"First of all, it wasn't two days ago. Secondly, I don't like like him. He's an alright guy to hang out with once in a while." I said. 

"If you say so." Ethan shrugged.

"Forget about Drew, tell me about this hot new boy I heard you hooked up with at Ben's party," Taylor said eagerly.

"What hot guy?" Ethan chimed in.

"There was no hot guy," I scoffed.

"Don't lie to me, Maddison. I saw you in the room with him." 

"You saw us?" My eyes widened. 

"Of course I did. I just pretended I didn't. That's why I'm your best friend silly." She giggled.

"Right. Well, his name is Daniel. He was my first love and best friend back in Michigan. He's transferred here for senior year, which in my opinion is a little weird but whatever." 

"He's the new guy? I saw him around school today. He. Is. Hot." Taylor fanned herself.

"Yeah, he really is." I smiled.

"So what's the dealio between you two then?" Ethan asked, digging in my bag for some chips.

"He stayed over Friday night and then we hung out all of Saturday," I replied. "Oh and then he asked me to be his girlfriend." I shrugged as if it were no big deal.

"And you failed to mention this to your two best friends?" Taylor gasped, clutching her chest.

"The weekend sort of blew past, I was a little distracted. Plus I haven't spoken to him since yesterday afternoon." 

"He does know that you were hurt right?" Ethan frowned.

"Yeah, I texted him yesterday. He said he would come over soon. He had some errands to run or something." 

"He should have been here if he were your boyfriend." Ethan looked at me pointedly. 

"I guess so, but he's busy so it's fine. It's probably for the best. I mean come on Jake came home for God's sake." 

"As long as you're being careful Mads, we trust you 100%," Ethan said.

"This is why you're my best friends." 

Taylor's phone beeped with a text message.

"Jamie invited us for a bonfire tonight at the beach. You think you'll be down for that Maddie?" She asked.

"I'm so down. I need to get out of this house. I've been cooped up here for the last 2 days because I'm ready for some fresh air." I laughed. "Why is Jamie still here? Should he be heading back to college?" 

"He's going back on Wednesday. Something about the professor is sick for one of his classes so he's just going to bunk the rest." Taylor shrugged.

"Alright then! It's a party!" Ethan cheered.

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edit: 10/02/2020