"Like how a single word can make a heart open, I might only have one match but I can make an explosion..."
☆ Rachel Platten, Fight Song
"Hello." I say attempting to sound courageous.
"Madison is this really you?" A strange male voice asks.
"Speaking." I reply curtly, confused out of my mind.
"My one and only child. I think it's time we finally meet."
The air is knocked out of me. Could this really be my father? I don't believe it. Why now? After all these years of trying to find him when I did he rejected me. What could he possibly want now?
"Madison, are you still there?" He interrupts my tornado mind spinning out of control.
"Where did you get my number from?" I snap.
He doesn't answer my question. "I want to meet you Madison."
I cut the call before Adam asks, "What the hell was that about?"
"My father. Or so he says. How dare he, Adam? How dare he contact me after all these years and disrupt my life like this?"
Adam is quiet for a while as he sits down next to me and holds me still. "He tried to contact you when you were in the clinic. I told you the day he did. I don't think you remember."
My mind is a mess right now. I can't concentrate on anything with Adam's confession and my "so-called" father.
"What should I do?"
"Meet him."
"Ok. But first we need to talk about us. About what you just told me."
We stay seated on the floor for the next hour while the machine works. Adam tells me everything about his virginity. He never really wanted to have sex with any of his previous girlfriends. He pretended with his friends that he enjoyed sex like they did but he was lying the whole time. Finally when he met me he had this deep desire in him and he knew only I could fulfill it. He pestered me and wouldn't let me go because all along he knew I was the girl he would finally give his virginity to. He had hope that I would eventually give in to sleeping with him but he didn't tell me he was a virgin when he first met. Ofcourse he knew I would never sleep with him if he did.
"I feel awful for being so blunt and mean to you after our first time. Your first time. If only I knew..."
"You wouldn't have slept with me if you did." He gives me a small smile.
"True." I retort giving him a firm but playful shove.
But that explained everything for me. Why he fell in love with me so quickly. Why he left Tia for me. Why he stayed with me through my darkest days. Why he was always loyal and supportive to me. It all finally made sense. I could finally convince my heart to love him and be with him whole-heartedly. This confession made me fall in love with him even more.
"I love you more and more every day. If it's even possible to love someone that much." I conclude with finality. "Don't ever let me go. I want us to be happy again. Just you and I."
"I want that too. Madison de Beer I love you."
"It's Madison de BEERS!" I taunt, and give him another playful shove before pulling him back to me. I kiss him passionately. One problem down, two to go...
I decided to kill two birds, both my problems, with one stone so I sent my father a message to meet me at my mother's masquerade ball this Saturday evening. The week flew by quickly and before I realised it, it was already Friday. I still didn't have a dress to wear. I needed an inter-friend-tion so I called Ari.
I was so excited to see her because I was my normal self again and I just wanted to spend some girl-time with her. Everyone has been so focused on me and my mental state I had no idea what was going on with the rest of the world.
We met up for a late lunch and headed out to the mall together. I know that my mother invited to the ball Ari because every year after my persistence a royally attractive invitation card would be sent to Ari's mailing address atleast three weeks in advance.
It was so magical being with my best friend again. It felt like old times: two wild and confused teenagers trying to find themselves, and having a blast getting there. I filled her in on my daddy drama and she encouraged my decision to meet him at the ball. "That's a fantastic idea. It would be very public and very easy for you to evade him if needed."
We got to Fantasia Boutique and tried on several dresses before we finally selected the right ones. Ari thanked me for her birthday surprise by buying my dress. It was an extravagant splash on her part but I didn't resist what with my dwindling savings and no form of income yet I needed to save every penny possible.
My dress was long silver and cream, sequined from the shoulder to the waist with silver while Ari chose a short, strapless dress decorated silver, a lighter shade than mine. The dresses complimented our individual personalities so well and matched together perfectly. We walked out of the Fantasia Boutique with bright smiles and sparkles in our eyes.
On the way home Ari told me about her blooming romance with Chris and I insisted she bring him along tomorrow night as well. She was a little nervous but I made her call him infront of me and settle it.
"See you tomorrow, beautiful. It starts at 9 pm so do not be late!" I warned as I got out the car later.
She pecked my cheek and drove off laughing. "I'll try!"
I spent all of Saturday morning cleaning out my apartment and getting Adam's tuxedo to the laundromat. Then I remembered that we didn't get any masks. What's a masquerade ball without some cover? I made a quick detour to the mall and quickly settled for a black mask for Adam and a silver hand-held one with black and white feathers for me.
At home that night Adam and I got dressed together and took a bunch of selfies because he was speechless at how beautiful I looked. He clearly had no idea how much I enjoyed a night out.
The ball was held at the country club, an hours drive out of town. We arrived promptly at 9pm. A small orchestra was set up to the left of the entrance. Fire jugglers danced around blowing fire from their mouths. Along the long red carpet waitresses lined up holding out trays of champagne-filled glasses. I politely averted all this.
Adam held out his arm and I linked mine through his firmly for support. I lifted my mask up to my face as he pulled his on.
Let the games begin...