m a d e l y n
"So, at the end, we get 1 as our answer. Any questions?"
I didn't even know what questions to ask. It was a good thing my brother understood Pre-Calculus because I'd be dead without him.
"Okay, if there aren't any questions, you may leave," Mr. Norton dismissed us, and I let out a sigh of relief, flipping my notebook shut.
"I'm so happy to have my seat at the table back," I beamed as Nate caught up to me and draped an arm over my shoulder.
"Sorry you had to move, Mimi," he frowned. "I didn't want you to, but I couldn't do much about it."
I waved it off. "Distance makes the heart grow fonder, right?"
He chuckled. "I don't think that's what they were talking about when they said that, but you're not wrong either."
"All I heard is that I'm not wrong," I shrugged.
"Of course you did," he shook his head, laughing as he rolling his eyes playfully.
We walked to the cafeteria and took our seats at the table after getting some food from the lunch lady. The hamburger was questionable-looking, but it was okay, I guess. Nate seemed to be into it.
"Maddie," a voice caught my attention as Archer and Nate spoke about something I zoned out on.
I looked around to see who was calling me until my eyes finally landed on Mark Whitlock. He was sitting across from me.
"Oh, hey," I greeted him. We didn't talk much, but I knew him because he was on the basketball team with my brother. "What's up?"
"I overheard you and Lila talking last week before one of our AP Chem classes, and you said you've never had peanut M&M's before? Did I hear that right?"
Well, yeah, because I'm insanely allergic to peanuts. "That is true, yes."
"Wow," his eyes grew wide before he slid a pack over to me. "Can't believe it. But here, they're my favorite. You should really try some."
I eyed the candy warily. "Oh, no thanks. I'm all good."
He shook his head. "No, I insist. Here."
Mark reached for the M&M's and ripped the pack open, pulling a red one out and putting it directly in front of my face.
"Red's my favorite color," Nate swooped in and snatched the M&M from Mark's fingers. "Thanks, bro."
There was a surprised look on Mark's face as he processed what just happened. "Uh, yeah, sure. Here, Maddie, take another one."
Nate swatted his hand away before it could get close to me. "Dude, are you trying to kill her or what?"
I put my hand on Nate's arm. "Relax, I'm fine."
"What do you mean?" Mark scrunched his eyebrows together. "Kill her?"
"She's allergic to peanuts, idiot," Nate broke the news.
"But you said you've always wanted to try it," he cocked his head to the side and stared at me in confusion.
I shrugged. "I have. Archer and Nathan like it a lot, and I've always wanted to know what it tastes like. I just can't."
"So stop trying to kill her, dude," Nate narrowed his eyes at Mark.
"Don't overreact, Nate," I warned him, making him grumble something and look away.
"Listen, I'm really sorry," Mark apologized. "I didn't know. I always thought you were allergic to shrimp, not peanuts."
Nate shook his head. "Wrong twin. That's Archer."
"What about me?" Archer slid into his seat. I didn't even realize he wasn't there during that conversation.
"You were gone this whole time?" I gawked at my brother.
He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I went to the bathroom."
"Well, to fill you in, Mark just found out that I'm allergic to peanuts and you're the one that can't eat shrimp," I recalled the conversation. "Oh, and I still have no idea what peanut M&M's taste like."
"Bro, I told you I was allergic to shrimp a bunch of times," Archer sent a disappointed look at Mark's way and plopped down on his seat. "Eh, whatever."
I rolled my eyes. "Sorry about these two, Mark. And don't worry about the candy, it's all good."
"Thanks, Maddie," he smiled at me before looking away.
He avoided any eye contact the whole rest of lunch.
Archer and Nate walked me to my next class and told me they'd be waiting for me after the last period somewhere in the school parking lot. The three of us were going to Nate's house for dinner to celebrate his mom's birthday.
Quinn Reed was one of my favorite people, and although others were a little intimidated by her at times, I always thought she was super sweet, and I always looked up to her. She was like a second mom to me.
Not that my mom wasn't great, of course.
As promised, they were there. I would've preferred to change into a better outfit, but both our families agreed that we went to enough fancy birthday dinners every year. That's why we all just have a nice, casual dinner every time there's a birthday, except for one random one every year where we go out for dinner.
My dad's birthday was always the best because it was in the summer, and we usually spent it with his friends and their families. The more the merrier, right?
"How much are you two willing to bet that they're gonna ask us about college tonight?" Archer spoke from Nate's bed. He was playing with one of the basketballs lying around.
"Am I betting on them asking or betting on them not talking about it at all?" Nate asked, looking up from one of my rings he was playing with.
"He thinks they're gonna ask, so you're the opposite," I noted. "What, you up for it?"
Nate shrugged. "Twenty bucks?"
"Just twenty? Come on, fifty, bro," Archer bargained.
I rolled my eyes. "That's not gonna happen, Arch. Nate might be dumb enough to bet twenty, but he's not dumb enough to bet fifty."
"She's right," Nate nodded. "Twenty bucks."
"Fine," my brother agreed. "Easiest twenty bucks I'll ever make."
That wasn't true. There was that one time with my dad...
"Nah, the easiest twenty you made was when your dad told you he'd pay you to write his name on your forehead and keep it there for a day," Nate corrected him.
Hey, we thought of the same thing.
"Oh yeah," Archer chuckled. "I should've asked him for more."
"That's what I told you to do, but I guess we don't trust the businessman," Nate threw his hands up in exasperation.
"Hey, I'm pretty business-y," I argued. "I'm not my father's daughter for nothing."
My dad's the President of an investment firm. He climbed up the corporate ladder before inheriting the business from my grandfather when he retired. My aunt, Brianne Nixon, was supposed to take it, but she always liked music more than all the math, so she chose to head Nixon Records instead.
"Okay, I get it. You two are gonna rule the world someday with all those businesses," Archer sassed. "I would tell you not to forget me when you're rich and famous, but I'll be right there with you, so there's no need to worry."
The three of us laughed at my brother's words. Moments like that were the reason I loved hanging out with Archer and Nate. They were so mundane and stupid, but I loved every last second.
"So how much are you two willing to bet against me that they're gonna ask about our love lives tonight?" I looked at my brother and my boyfriend, wiggling my eyebrows.
"You trying to get me broke in one night?" Nate complained.
"That's why I asked how much you're willing to bet," I countered.
He shook his head. "I'm not betting on this one. What about you, Arch?"
"Twenty," he replied firmly.
"Now that," I pointed at my brother. "Is the easiest twenty I will ever make."
~~~
We were having risotto for dinner, as per Quinn's request.
"So, you kids are really growing up, huh?" my mom initiated the conversation. My dad and Mr. G were too busy talking about marshmallows and Gordon Ramsay to be involved. Never figured out how the two were completely connected, but I never know with them. They always just said it was an inside joke.
"Us growing up? Please, Jake's growing up," Nate tried to divert my mom's attention. He knew college was going to be the next topic if the conversation continued the way it was going. "Last week, he told me one of his classmates had a crush on him."
Beautiful segue to the relationship topic. I'd be happy if it weren't for the fact that I knew I had to lie to the people I trusted the most once they asked me about my love life.
"Is this still Sabrina?" Quinn asked Jake, to which he nodded.
"Sorry, Sabrina?" my dad swooped into the conversation.
Mr. G chimed in. "Not Sabrina Choi, right?"
My mom rolled her eyes at the name. "Grant."
"Oh, sorry," Mr. G smiled sheepishly.
"No, Dad, it's Sabrina Porter," Jake corrected his father.
My dad let out a sigh of relief. "Good, because Poppy hates Sabrina Choi."
"Blake, we don't talk about her, remember?" my mom reminded him.
I heard a little giggle from Mr. G, "Yeah, Blake. We don't talk about her."
"Shut up, Grant," my dad laughed and punched his friend's arm lightly. "So, Jake, tell us about this girl."
Jake proceeded to tell us all about Sabrina, how she would tell him that she loved him and that they should get married by the tree in the playground.
He was in the middle of his story about a love letter she gave him when my phone lit up on my lap, and I glanced at it quickly, seeing that I got a text from Nate.
dyl pickle <3: wanna get married by the tree at the playground?
I looked up from my phone and stared at the boy sitting right in front of me as he grinned widely and wiggled his eyebrows.
me: nah
I watched his expression change to a disappointed one as he read the short text I sent.
dyl pickle <3: why not :(
me: get me a ring first then we'll talk ;)
me: jk i don't wanna get married at some random ass tree
"Mimi," he called me in a hushed tone.
I directed my attention towards him. "Yeah?"
He pulled a ring out from his pocket and held it out towards me. "Your ring."
I was genuinely stunned for a little bit before I realized what he was talking about. He was returning the ring he was playing with earlier.
"Right," I nodded, taking the ring from him and slipping it back on my finger.
"So, what about you three?" Mr. G directed his attention towards Nate, Archer and I. "Got anything interesting going on?"
"A guy tried to kill Mimi today at lunch," Nate offered.
Archer nodded. "Oh, yeah."
My dad's eyes widened, and his eyebrows rose up. "What?"
"They're exaggerating. Mark Whitlock offered me some peanut M&Ms earlier not knowing I was allergic," I cleared out. "He wasn't trying to kill me."
"Aw," Quinn cooed. "I remember when Grant first tried to talk to me. All he had was a tiny pack of M&Ms, like those Halloween ones, and that's all it took."
"You don't think he likes you, do you?" Mom leaned forward a little. "Oh wait, do you like him?"
I almost spat my water out at what she said. Since when was my mom such a gossip? "Sorry, what?"
Nate stared at me from across the table and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, what's your answer?"
I was just happy I was getting twenty bucks for my suffering.
"Please, he's just being nice," I waved it off. "Besides, I barely know the guy."
"But she already likes him more than this guy," Archer laughed, pointing at Nate. "Can you imagine these two ever dating?"
Everyone in the table laughed with him, Nate and I forcing it as much as we could while giving each other knowing looks. Clearly, my brother still hadn't changed his mind about Nate and I dating.
"So what about you, Nathan? I heard you're newly single," my mom steered the conversation. "Got a new special someone?"
Nate glanced at Archer before smiling at my mom. "Well, uh, yeah, there's this one girl, but I don't know if she likes me back, so I'm not doing anything much."
I hid a smirk. What a liar.
"Why haven't you told me anything?" Archer furrowed his eyebrows. "Do you know anything about this, Mads?"
I shrugged, playing it off. "No idea."
Damn, I was doing a lot of lying to my brother.
"I'll let you guys know when the time's right," Nate decided. "Actually, it's Arch you should be talking about. He just asked a girl out earlier."
As they talked to my brother about Kim Wheeler, I finished up with dinner and listened in. He didn't like to tell me much about the girls he was into.
"Speaking of, have you three thought about college?"
I knew it was gonna come up sooner or later.
"These two wanna stay in California," Archer replied. "But I'm really thinking of going out of state. Not completely set yet, but that's the plan."
"That's awesome," Mr. G grinned. "You know, that was my plan too. Book it out of state so I could be away from my parents for a bit. That's what Blake and Poppy did too."
"I just like it here," I smiled. "Don't think I can stay sane being away like that."
Quinn agreed. "It was the same with me."
"So Nate's not leaving?" Jake asked, a huge smile on his face.
Nate shrugged. "Probably not. I like the schools here."
"Awesome!" Jake cheered, making us all laugh.
"Speaking of awesome, let me get that cake from the fridge," Mr. G got up from his seat and walked off to the kitchen, bringing back a beautiful chocolate cake.
Now, I could lie and say I took one bite of the cake and handed it off to my dad to finish, but honestly, that cake was so good, I asked for some to take home. Archer did the same thing.
"See you guys on my birthday, okay?" my mom bid everyone goodbye as we walked out of the Reed family's home.
"Good night," Quinn waved.
"Hold up," Archer made his way over to Nate, reaching his hand out. "I believe you owe me something?"
Nate rolled his eyes, handing over a twenty, which I swiftly took before it even touched my brother's fingertips.
"And, you owe me something, so I'll be taking this. Like I said, the easiest twenty I'll ever make," I smirked.
Archer grimaced while my boyfriend laughed at the face he was making.
"Not even gonna ask," my dad waved it off. "Come on, kids. We're going home, and I'm having a conversation with you about handling money."
Not that I needed it. I just got a twenty for doing nothing.
♢♢♢
Author's Note
sorry for the one day delay, but here it is! i'm on break for a bit from school, so i have some time to write. we'll see how much i can do while i'm not busy.
i'll see you guys next week!
♡,
dani :p
Nobody has ever bet enough on a winning horse. — Proverb
and speaking of bets, what's the biggest bet you've made and did you win?