In Between

I Can't Believe You!

Tara- It's your great grandma.
Cash- What about her?
Tara- She passes away this morning around 10.
Cash- What?
Tara- I'm so sorry honey. I know how close you and Maverick were with her.
Cash- Yeah we used to talk to her all the time and we still saw her up until we left for the beach. We loved her.
Cash was beginning to cry a bit.
Tara- I know honey, but remember that she's in a better place now. She is completely fine.
Cash- I know. I'm just going to miss her.
Tara- We all will sweetheart. Now don't let this ruin your trip. Remember that she is not hurting or anything and have a good time while you're gone. Everything will be fine.
Cash- Okay mom. I love you.
Tara- I love you too baby. Bye.
Cash- Bye.
Cash hung up the phone and looked out across the yard to the beach. He couldn't believe his great grandma was gone. That's why Maverick was so upset. Cash heard someone open the back door, but didn't look behind him. The person sat next to him. He turned to see that it was Mackenzie.
Mack- Are you okay?
Cash shrugged.
Cash- I guess. I mean my great grandma passed away so that's not the most exciting news.
Mack- I know. Mav told us. I'm so sorry Cash. Mav told us you and him were so close to her.
Cash- We were. We always talked to her and visited her up until this trip. It's going to be weird not going to see her and talk to her.
Cash put his head down and covered his face with his hands. Mackenzie put her arm around his shoulders and laid her head on his shoulder.
Mack- I know you're going to miss her. It's hard to lose someone you love and were so close to. But you have to remember that she is in such a better place now. She isn't hurting or sick or sad. She's up there with the rest of your family that has passed and they are all waiting for you and your family to get there with them. It was her time Cash.
Cash uncovered his face and turned to Mackenzie.
Cash- I know. It's just hard.
Cash let some tears slip and Mackenzie gave him a hug. She rubbed his back while he cried. Addison was at the back door watching them. She was going to talk to Cash and comfort him, but it looked like Mackenzie beat her to it. Addison saw them hug and her heart dropped. "That's supposed to be me! Mack is stealing Cash from me! She knows I like him! I can't believe her!" Addison thought.
After a minute, Cash wiped his tears away and pulled away.
Cash- Thanks Mack. Sorry I broke down on you.
Mack- Don't be sorry. Sometimes crying is good for us and it is completely understandable to cry over something like this even if you are a guy.
Mackenzie nudged him causing both of them to laugh.
Cash- Yeah you're right. I'm gonna go talk to Maverick.
Cash stood up and helped Mackenzie stand up too. He gave her another hug before going into the house with Mackenzie behind him. Addison saw them coming so she ran and stood behind the counter in the kitchen like she hadn't seen anything. Cash and Mackenzie walked in and Cash waved at her.
Cash- Hey Addie!
Addie- Hi.
Mack- Hey!
Mackenzie went over to where Addison was and got a water bottle out of the fridge. Addison didn't say anything to Mackenzie. She left the room leaving Mackenzie confused. Mackenzie walked into the living room to see Addison and Carter watching TV. She sat down next to Addison and Addison got up. She walked to the stairs and went up to her room.
Carter turned to Mackenzie.
Carter- What's up with her?
Mack- I have no idea. I came back in from talking to Cash and she was in the kitchen. I tried talking to her like I normally do, but she won't say anything to me and every time I'm near her she leaves like now.
Carter- That's weird. She must be mad at you about something.
Mack- Yeah, but I don't know what. I don't think I've done anything.
Carter- I'd try and talk to her. Give her an hour or so to cool down then try and talk to her. Maybe it'll work things out.
Mack- I hope so. I hate seeing my best friend mad at me.
Cash and Maverick came back into the living room and Mackenzie hugged both of them. Addison had heard the boys go back into the room so she was going to go back down there and be with them. When she got to the stairs, she saw Mackenzie hugging Cash so she ran back to her room. She couldn't believe that her best friend was getting in the way of her and her crush. This was not fair to her.
Cash- Where's Addie?
Mack- She went up to her room I think.
Mav- Why?
Carter- We think  she's mad at Mack.
Cash- Why?
Mack- No clue. She won't talk to me and when I come near her, she leaves.
Carter- Yeah Addie walked in here a few minutes ago and sat down then when Mack came in and sat next to her she got up and went upstairs.
Mav- Weird. What did you do to her?
Mack- I don't know. I can't think of anything.
Cash- Y'all were fine when playing Just Dance. It had to be something after that.
Mack- Yeah and all I did was talk to you and Mav about your great grandma.
Maverick had the thought that maybe Addison was jealous of Mackenzie talking to Cash, but he didn't want to say anything.
Cash- Just talk to her after a while. You'll figure it out.'
Mack- I hope so.
After a while, Mackenzie went upstairs to talk to Addison. She knocked on her door and Addison opened it.
Mack- Can we talk?
Addison didn't say anything. She just moved so Mackenzie could go into her room.
Mack- Look Addie, I don't know what I did. That's why I'm here. To talk to you and find out what I did to make you mad.
Addison still didn't say anything.
Mack- Please talk to me.
Addie- Wouldn't you rather talk to Cash?
Mack- Huh?
Addie- I mean you and Cash seem to have some connection so why don't you talk to him about your problems?
Mack- First of all, Cash is just as clueless as I am about this and second, what does Cash have to do with this?
Addie- Because you're trying to steal him from me.
Mack- What? Where did you get that idea?
Addie- I saw you two out on the deck. Y'all were talking and hugging and being all lovey.
Mack- Wait, you mean earlier? I was talking to him because he was sad.
Addie- Well it didn't look like it.
Mack- Well I'm telling you that's what it was.
Addie- You know I like him and I can't believe you were trying to take him from me!
Mack- I wasn't trying to take him from you! I was just being a friend to him because he is hurting!
Addie- Yeah and that's what I was going to do, but you were already there!
Mack- Well I'm sorry that I was trying to be nice!
Addie- Nice? You don't have the right to be all buddy buddy with MY crush!
Mack- I do have the right to be buddy buddy if he's my friend!
Addie- Y'all looked like you were more than friends to me!
Mack- Well we're not because I would never do that to you. You know, I didn't come on this trip to be criticized by you because of something you think you saw.
Addie- Well I didn't come on this trip to see you try and steal my crush!
Mack- Well I didn't come on this trip to get yelled at for something I didn't do!
Addie- Well I didn't come here to hang out with someone who would do something like this to their best friend!
Mack- Then why am I here?
Addie- I don't know. But it's not to hang out with me.
Mackenzie left Addison's room and went to her own room.
Mack- If I'm not wanted here then I'll go home. I'm not going to be somewhere I'm not wanted.
Mackenzie grabbed her suitcases and packed all of her stuff up. She put them by the door and went back to the dresser with a pen and paper. She wrote the others a note saying she went home and not to worry about her when they found this. She laid the note on her bed and grabbed her suitcases before quietly walking down the stairs. She didn't want the others to hear her. She saw the boys playing video games in the living room. She was able to sneak by them and go out the back door without them noticing. She walked a few blocks to a store where she called a cab because she didn't want anyone to notice the cab pull up in front of the beach house. She gave the driver her address and he drove her all the way back to her house.
Meanwhile, the guys played video games for a few hours and then got hungry.
Mav- Y'all want me to cook some burgers?
Carter- Thats fine with me.
Cash- Yeah. Let's ask the girls if that's cool with them.
Mav- You think they're okay? We haven't seen either one of them for a few hours.
Carter- Maybe they talked things out and are hanging out together up there.
Cash- Maybe. Let's go see.
The guys ran upstairs and saw both of the girls' rooms were closed. They decided to check Mackenzie's first since it was the closest. They opened the door to find it empty and it looked like no one was staying there.
Carter- They aren't in here.
Mav- Maybe they're in Addie's room?
Cash- It looks a little too empty in here though.
The guys walked into the room and noticed that all of Mackenzie's stuff was gone.
Mav- Her stuff is gone.
Carter- Did she leave?
Cash- The car is still here.
Mav- Where could she be?
Carter found the note on Mackenzie's bed and read it before getting the guys' attention.
Carter- Umm guys, you might wanna read this.