madeline // a Taylor Swift adoption

25 // joe

"maddie! you're back!" yelled peyton after she saw me at my locker. "where were you?"
"just sick. all better now." i said.
after throwing up on saturday, it continued into sunday too, so taylor called me out of school yesterday.
not only did it get me out of school, it also got me out of eating for nearly three days.
"ah, okay! well, i have notes for you from math class that you can copy, we have a test today, but mrs. anderson probably won't make you take it since you weren't here when she told us about it." i nodded my head and shut my locker.
then, we made our way over to the staircase.
peyton continued to talk, and i tried my best to listen, but my leg that's been bothering me every once in a while now bothers me all the time, and stairs are the absolute worst.
"you okay?" peyton suddenly said, pulling me from my thoughts.
i was confused for a second, but then realized that i had stopped at the top of the steps, rubbing my shin bone.
"yeah, my leg has just been bothering me for weeks, stairs aren't fun."
peyton's eyes grew wide.
"what?" i said, suddenly getting a little concerned.
"you might have a stress fracture or something.. i mean, i'm not a doctor, but it sounds like you have one."
a stress fracture? what the heck is a stress fracture?
"you should probably talk to sarah about it if it's bothering you," she added.
"nope. absolutely not." i said back, and began walking again with peyton following. "states is close, and i plan on racing. plus taylors boyfriend will be at our meet this weekend. he's coming just to see me race, at least that's what taylor told me..."
peyton nodded her head understandingly.
"i get that. just be careful," she replied, and we both took our seats once the bell rang. "also, i didn't know she had a boyfriend!" she said, and i laughed in my chair.
"we'll discuss it later." i said.

-

"hey, buddy." said taylor as i opened up the car door after practice friday.
i threw my backpack in the backseat and then sat down in the passenger seat. i then shut my eyes and let out a huge breath.
i was exhausted.
my leg hurt. i could barely walk. it felt like it was gonna snap in half any minute during a race.
i was also hungry. getting up made me dizzy.
"what's wrong?" taylor said, and noticed that we were still in front of the school.
"oh, sorry. nothing," i said. "i'm hungry."
"girl, me too," taylor started as she put the car in drive. "we're picking up joe now, he'll probably be hungry if you wanna just go get dinner. or we can eat at home."
my eyes widened.
i forgot about joe coming today.
"but it's completely up to you." she then said.
i shrugged my shoulders. "whatever he wants to do."
taylor shook her head and laughed.
"you're such a horrible decision maker," she said and rolled her eyes.
"i know."
half an hour later, taylor and i we're sitting in the pickup lane waiting for joe.
"should i move to the back? he might want the front.." i asked, and taylor shook her head.
"you're okay, just sit there." she said.
i think she could tell i was a little nervous.
after a few more minutes, he came outside and out his things into the trunk.
then he opened up the backseat door.
"hey taylor!" he said, looking at her, then he looked at me. "you must be maddie, i've heard so much about you." he said, holding out his hand.
i slowly put my small hand out for him to shake, and he took it.
"so, miss maddie is hungry, and i am too. you hungry?" taylor asked joe, breaking the somewhat awkward silence in the car.
"starving." he said.
"i was thinking we could go out and get some pasta or something. i really want some ravioli." taylor said as we drove away from the airport, and i started to lowkey panic on the inside.
it's okay, you haven't eaten in a couple days, pasta won't kill you. i thought to myself. i'll just get a kids meal.
"maddie," taylor said, pulling me out of my thoughts.
"huh?" i said, looking up.
"i said, is that okay with you?"
i nodded my head.
"yeah."

-

after i got out of the shower, i could hear taylor and joe laughing downstairs in the kitchen, and i smiled to myself.
taylor is so happy with him.
he was really nice.
at dinner, we talked about running and if i wanted to run in college, and he even brought up basketball. he also brought up my friend, peyton, and asked what she was like.
i guess taylor really does talk about me, and he seemed genuinely interested in everything that i had to say. whenever the conversation would stop, he would bring something else up, trying to get to know me.
just like when i first met taylor.
after i was dressed, i slowly limped down the staircase, gritting my teeth.
my leg hurts, but taylor cannot know.
"hey mads!" taylor said when she saw me walk into the kitchen.
she was sitting next to joe at the breakfast bar, but she got up to give me a hug when i walked in.
"we're making cookies." she said, and then kissed the top of my head before letting me go.
"if you want, you can go sit on the couch, we're gonna watch a movie as soon as these are done." she said.
"okay," i said, starting to slowly walk away into the living room.
just then i heard joe whisper something to taylor.
"is she limping?" he asked quietly.
i could feel taylors eyes on me as i started to walk a bit faster towards the couch.
i then plopped onto it like nothing was wrong.
"i don't know." i heard her say back.
then the kitchen timer went off, and i let out a quiet sigh of relief.
after a few minutes, taylor and joe came over to the couch with milk and cookies for the three of us, taylor sat next to me, with joe on the other side.
"what do ya wanna watch?" she asked, turning towards me.
i shrugged.
i didn't really care, i know i'm just gonna fall asleep halfway through.
i'm tired and i have a race tomorrow.