The clock read '8:30' across the hall as Madeline waited beside the payphone. The ring emitted from the phone slightly startling her but she immediately answered, "Hello?"
"Hi," it was Todd.
She let out a sigh of relief, "Hi Todd. How has school today?"
On the other end of the line Todd raises his eyebrows, "What?" he asked.
Madeline stepped side to side nervously. "What do you mean 'what'? I'm just asking how school is..." she trailed off.
Todd spoke up, "Well when we call Madeline you just start to tell me about your day until you've finished and then you finally ask me about mine," he observed.
Madeline chewed on her lips, clearing knowing she was caught red-handed, "Nancy just wanted to know something..."
Another look of confusion struck across his face, "What?"
Madeline sighed, "Do you know someone named Knox Overstreet?"
"Uh... yeah. He's um - he's in a few of my classes and I was invited to a study group with him but I never went," Todd admitted, a bit embarrassed about his last comment, "Why does she wanna know?"
Madeline shrugged, "I don't know," she lied before quickly moving on, "So are you close with him?"
Todd sighed, "No, Madeline, I'm not. We're not friends," he lied as well.
Well, Todd wasn't quite sure. How exactly does one go out on a night with random strangers to read poetry in a cave? He wasn't sure if he could quite explain that he does know Knox Overstreet but he's never talked to him directly.
Madeline sighed, "I - I'm sorry, Todd. I'll drop it, but I was serious earlier. How was school actually?"
Recalling back to past week he chuckled to himself, "I think my roommate and I are okay..."
Madeline furrowed her eyebrows, "Were you not okay before?" she laughed, leaning down so her heavy arms could rest.
"No, no - I mean, we talk outside of the room," he laughed, "It's only been him though..."
Madeline smiled widely, "Todd! That's so good! Oh my gosh."
Todd nodded, "Yeah, yeah... Not like that but, I have this English teacher. Right? But, I don't think we're learning anything about English," he laughed, "I mean, we are, but not what they usually teach us. I mean the other day he made us all rip out pages of our books."
Madeline gasped, "You're lying!"
"I'm not!"
Madeline laughed, "And no one hit you for doing that?"
Todd shook his head, "No one," he answered, "I mean my Latin teacher walked in but he didn't do anything once he saw our teacher."
"So what have you been learning then?" Madeline asked.
As Todd was about to answer a faint voice voice shouted at him in the background, "Just give me a second!" Todd spoke upwards, his voice echoing through the hall before returning to Madeline, "Sorry, I have um, this thing tonight to do - for class."
"For class?" Madeline repeated.
Todd nodded, "I'll tell you later, but I have to go..."
"Todd, come on!" a male voice shouted in the background.
"Bye Madeline," Todd rushed.
"Oh, bye-" The line went flat, "Todd..."