“What did you do?”
She gave a short bark of laughter. “I freaked out. Began keeping track of all the times I took. It was little items too, nothing flashy or ridiculously expensive. Then I saw a pattern emerge. I would usually steal when I was stressed. Right before a big test, or when report cards were being sent out.”
Her eyes started to fill with shame and she dropped them to the ground. “I try to stop—I really do. But nothing seems to work. That’s why I thought it was a Godsend when Kelly stole from her stepmother.”
“It gave you an excuse.”
“I didn’t have to feel so….so....ashamed. I could stop hiding it under my bed.”
“Figuratively and literally,” she murmured.
Avery looked up in surprise and Madison shot her a rueful smile. The action coupled with the teasing seemed to deflate Avery’s anxiety. Her shoulder’s sagged with relief as her hands started to unclench. However, her expression was still tentative at best.
“Look, I’m not going to stand here and judge you. I have no idea what it feels like or what kind of pressure you’re under. The only question I have is have you talked to your parents about this? Maybe they can help you.”
Panic gripped Avery by the throat. “My parents can never know.”
“I know they’re strict, but don’t you think they would understand or at least try and help you?” Madison imagined her mother would scream and yell at first, but ultimately she would calm down and try to understand the situation.
Avery twisted her hands together till they were knot of fingers. “You don’t understand. My parents aren’t just strict—their super strict. If they found out, I wouldn’t be allowed to leave the house except for school and church.”
Madison noticed Avery’s hands twisting some more. “Do you do that when you’re stressed?” she asked, remembering how Avery did the same thing in the meeting earlier.
“It helps me to relax and keeps my hands occupied.”
“Maybe we should get you a bunch of stress balls. Might come in handy,” she joked, but her mind was already wondering where she could buy them.
Avery’s lips twitched. “Or one of those Chinese finger traps. Wyatt gave me one as a gag gift last year.”
“Speaking of Wyatt…” Madison drawled, a questioning look in her eyes. “What was that about earlier? Do the two of you have something going on?”
“I wish! The boy is frustrating beyond belief.”
“I could have told you that,” Madison muttered under her breath. Then she said loudly, “How long have you liked him?”
“Since the first day I saw him. I use to be wildly jealous of Kelly because she got to hang out with him all the time. The day they asked me to sit with them at lunch was the happiest day of middle school. I couldn’t believe my luck except years went by and nothing happened.” Her face screwed up in annoyance. “He treated me like a younger sister who needed protecting.”
“What changed?”
“In all honesty, I’m not sure. This summer, I started to notice a change in the way he acted around me. He would give me covert stares and look away if I stared back. He also started to open doors for me, which he’d never done before. I thought ‘Finally! He’s going to make a move on me,’ but he never did.”
Avery shook her head in frustration. “Then last week, he asked me to help him find a birthday present for his mom—just the two of us. We spent the whole day together.” A feminine smile graced her lips. “It was wonderful. We shopped, had lunch, and walked along the pier. We were sitting on a bench, watching the waves, when we almost kissed.” She grabbed Madison’s arm and tugged. “It was so close, Madison. I could feel his breath on me! Then he suddenly pulled away and said it was a mistake—we were a mistake.”
Madison winced. Partly at Wyatt’s words and partly at the pain in Avery’s voice. “No girl wants to hear that.” It was the ultimate insult.
“Exactly! And when I approached him about it, he told me he was right to stop before it went any further and that we should remain friends. Nothing more. Nothing less.” Avery picked up a rock from the ground and threw it across the parking lot. “At least you’re coming to Homecoming with us next week. I hated being Garrett’s date while Kelly got to be Wyatt’s.”
Impulse made her say, “Let’s get ready for the dance at my house. We’ll make you look so beautiful Wyatt won’t know what hit him.”
“Yeah?” A hopefully look shined in her almond-shaped eyes.
“Definitely. We’ll be each other dates. He’ll regret telling you no by the end of the night.”
They walked across the parking lot to their cars. Before getting in, Avery stopped Madison with a touch of the hand. “Thanks for not judging me. A lot of people aren’t so accepting of my….” she sucked in a breath and then whispered on the exhale, “…flaw.”
“Hey, that’s what friends are for right? Stick through the thick and thin.”
“Not all have the same philosophy. I’ve had a few bail when the times got tough.”
“I hate those type of people. Their idea of friendship is shallow. They offer the word with no real substance behind it. I only say it when I truly mean it.”
“I noticed. You didn’t call Kelly your friend, nor Wyatt or Garrett.”
Madison shrugged. It was true. She didn’t consider any of them real friends. “I believe in calling a spade a spade. Why circumvent the truth when it would only cause problems?”
Avery looked amused by her confession. “You’re a real sharpshooter, Madison Chase. That’s why I like you.”
They waved goodbye and Madison headed home. When she saw her mother’s car in the driveway, she almost turned back around. She knew whatever awaited her in the house, wouldn’t be pleasant. Bracing herself, she stepped through the threshold.
“How much trouble am I in?” she asked when she saw her father standing in the front hallway. His face wasn’t accompanied with his usual cheery smile. She looked around for her mother but didn’t catch a glimpse.
“Where have you been? We got a call from school. We know you weren’t there.”
“I know you’re mad, but—”
“Mad? I’m beyond mad,” he said, his flat voice belying his fury. “I asked you a question and I expect an answer.”
“I was at the beach for a while,” she saw her dad’s nostrils flare and she hurried on, “but then I went to school for the last two periods, and then I was at the library for a study group.”
“And in all that time, you didn’t call us to let us know you were alright?”
“I didn’t think you would be worried.” The instant the words left her lips, she wished she could have taken them back. It was the absolute wrong thing to say.
His anger breached the icy walls of his control and he exploded. “Of course we were worried! We had no idea where you were, or if you were okay! You could have been lying in a hospital and we wouldn’t have known!”
“I-I’m sorry,” she stuttered. Rarely did her father ever get angry, but when he did—watch out. It was like watching a volcano erupt.
He continued to shout. Every word pounded into her, driving the stake of guilt further and further down. When he finally stopped, Madison felt lower than dirt. He banished her to her room and as she slowly trudged through the house, she caught a peek of her mom.
She was sitting on the edge of the couch, staring at the TV. It would have seemed normal if the TV had been on, but it wasn’t. Madison hovered by the entrance, uncomfortable by her mother’s blank stare.
“Mom?” she asked, holding to the edge of wall.
Silence enveloped them as her mother slowly turned her head. The tip of her nose was bright red and her eyes were puffy like she’d been crying. Madison waited for her to say something—to berate, to yell, to disapprove but she remained silent.
“Madison!” her father’s voice drifted from the front of the house. “Get to your room! Now!”
As she scampered away, Madison realized how badly she messed up. Today could quite possibly be the worst day she’d experienced in a long, long time.