*1.) Please comment on the ending authors note if you can! 2.) No Maddie's hair didn't change I just felt no other gifs matched this chapter better.*
Once again a thick silence found it's way into the room, Zach stood with a defeated look upon his face as he watched his sister's demeanor slowly chip away before his very eyes. "Zach, that's not funny." She says in a forced voice as she crosses her arms.
"You think I would joke about something like this?" Zach asks hurt as he throws out his hands. "You think I would joke about something like this when you write him a letter every day? When you have a stack of his post cards on your desk? When you have a box of everything that reminds you of mind hidden away in your closet? You think I would lie to you when I can hear you crying at night calling out to him?" Zach asks his voice raising in level as he forgets about the thin walls that separated them from May.
Maddie opens her mouth to say something before she pauses. "I- call out to him?" She asks in an almost broken voice. He sighs and nods. "Maddie's it's not that big of deal." Zach says and Maddie bursts. "You think him coming back after five months of being gone isn't a big deal?!" She screams, she doesn't shout, she screams. The scream had a bigger effect on herself and those around her. "I mean you calling out to him." Zach says in a sigh.
"Well I'm talking about him being here. How do you even know?" Maddie asks confused, now thinking it was a prank, a cruel, cruel prank. "I heard about it from Alex who heard from Jessica who heard from Clay." Maddie furrows her brows. Alex had known and hadn't told her? Jessica too?- That hurt a lot worse. "Why the hell would Clay know? Justin hated Clay." Maddie says poking holes in his story which he quickly patches up, but not the way she had hoped. "Maddie, Clay was the one that brought him back. I guess he's staying with him right now, until he gets better." Maddie lets her mouth drop for a second and it almost betrays her as it goes to let out a sob.
"He got him? He sneaked through my stuff when I gave him my notes?" Maddie asks though she knew nobody would answer she covers her mouth before racking her hand through her hair. "I'm taking my car and I'm going to Clay's. I don't know how long I'll be gone and I swear to God if you follow me I will beat your seven foot ass into the ground." Maddie threatens in a voice made into stone as she grabbed her keys and left. Zach knew she wasn't made at him and she wouldn't make due on her promise, he knew that because she loved him, and because she continued to make a joke about his height.
"Where's Maddie going?" May asks quietly as she leaves her room, though she had heard the whole thing. "Out, hey, why don't you and I finish the movie." May nodded and quickly ran and jumped onto his back letting him carry her to the couch so they could watch the movie Maddie and herself had already started.
Walking into his room with a clenched jaw Clay quickly shuts his door looking to Justin."When were you gonna tell me someone saw you?" He asks upset but Justin quickly answers his questions with a question. "When were you gonna tell me about Maddie?" He asks making Clay pause. "I talked to Tony. She doesn't want me here, does she?" He asks sniffling.
"It's complicated." Clay answers sitting down. "You lied to me."
"No, I- it's the truth. Maddie just, doesn't realize it yet." Clay says serious making Justin scoff. "She'll change her mind. You just have to get sober, and she'll see." With tears in his eyes Justin aggressively answers him. "Fuck that." He says while grabbing his bag and shoving on his shoes. "I'm wasting my time."
"She kept your postcard. All of them. That's how we found them. She kept it, Justin." He says making Justin stop and look up at him. "Why else would she keep that?" He asks and Justin breathes it, it was heartwarming, to know she at least cared enough to keep them, but honestly, he was pretty sure she would- he hoped at least.
"I really did-do love her." He says with so much defeat it makes Clay shiver. "So, stay." He says and Justin nods slipping off his shoes- he was going to get clean- for Maddie.
Gripping the steering wheel Maddie makes her way and parks close to Jensen's road, she knew how his parents used their whole driveway so she had to park down the street, honestly it was goof for this considering she needed to clear her head before getting there. It didn't take more than three minutes before Maddie placed her feet onto the welcome mat and nodded on the door. Laughing Clay's mother opened the door. "Sheri if you forgot something you could have just-" Seeing who it was she stops her sentence but it was enough to let Maddie know that that yet another one of her friends were keeping secrets from her.
"Sorry to stop by so late but Clay and I are supposed to study together for our test in bio. but with my nerves I really couldn't wait." She explains as the older woman lets her into the house. "It's alright, I just thought you guys had your test today?" She asks and Maddie nods. "Yes, but those of us who want or need bonus and take it again for more points." Maddie explains trying to help her lie and succeeds when she's allowed to go upstairs.
Quickly Maddie walks up the steps and knocks on Clay's door. "Clay? Clay, it's me Maddie. We really need to talk." Maddie says in a tone that she forced so she didn't sound intimidating. With a lot of whispering and ruckus Clay finally got the door opened enough to slip through and close it again. "Hey, Maddie, what's up?" Clay asks nervously and Maddie just crosses her arms.
"Oh, you know, nothing just wanted to come check up on my good buddy Clay." Maddie says her voice layered in sarcasm as she raised an eyebrow her, if facial expressions could kill. Clay Jensen would be 17 feet down.
"Oh, thanks, I guess. I'm good, and you?" He asks trying to remain calm as he repeats in his head that Maddie had no idea who was behind the door. "Good just hearing a lot of rum-" Maddie was about to change her tone and demand to be let in, but she didn't need to. "Clay, invite the poor girl in your room, she doesn't just need to stand in the hall." Mrs. Jensen says disapprovingly as she walks to the living room and Maddie nods her eyes looking to the door.
"Yeah, Clay, why don't you let me in?" She asks, Clay sunk back, leaning against the door. He always knew Maddie as a sweet girl- he had never seen or heard her like this.
"I think it's very safe to say you shouldn't walk through that door." He says but Maddie only leans in, very close to his face, and in that moment he honestly wished that Tony or Sherri was there with him. "Clay, if you don't open the fucking door I swear you will never regret anything more in your life."
Now knowing she knew and wasn't going to drop it he sighed and slowly opened the door and quickly ushered her in keeping eye contact as he shut the door and she turned her eyes on him the whole time, she hadn't even noticed the boy hardly out of her peripheral vision. "Where is he? I know for a fact that you fucking have him. And I will-" She was about to throw out another threat- something she hadn't done in a long time but had now done three times in one night, but Clay quickly seized her by her shoulders and turned her making her stop her words as her crystal eyes met his.
Maddie falters for a second and closes her eyes before opening them again wondering if this were just another cruel realistic dream. Silently Clay excuses himself to another part of his room and shut the door, wanting them to have privacy. Justin slowly stood up and took a step toward her but she moved back shaking her head as a tear dropped. "Not, again. Not, again." She whispers closing her eyes and pressing her hands into them making Justin furrow his brows in confused slowly making his way to the girl who just looked like a modeled angel rather than a simple girl. "What? What is it?" He asks his voice broken, he had missed her so much that even with her crying and backing away one conversation was enough for him.
"You're not real. You're not really here, you're still gone. This is a dream- you aren't back." She sobs pressing her hand into her mouth but Justin shakes his head and grabs her hand startling her into reality, she looks to the boy touching her hand and more tears fall from both pairs of eyes. "You have no right." She says, broken as she rips her hand and moves away from him.
"Five month-" He cuts her off. "I know but I thought that's what you-" "Five months!" She shouts her voice cracking, same as the wall she had been building. "Five months you've been gone, while you left me here. You left me here to be alone. You didn't even say good-bye." She cries and his face falls as he watches the scene in front of him. "Maddie I am so so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I thought this is what you said you wanted." Justin tries to help himself, help them, help her.
"How could you ever think I wanted you gone?" She asks. "And for five months." His eyes search hers for something-anything, and he found it. Behind all that hurt, that pain. Was the love and happiness, but he knew it would take a lot to bring that to the surface. "I didn't want to hurt you." He says and Maddie breathes in clenching her hands. "You're looking you look sick or I would punch you." Maddie says her anger, pain, and love confusing her as they circled and fought to talk, and fight, and kiss, and hug, and cry, and to blame the one person she thought she'd never see again.
They just stood there, silence capturing the both of them in an embrace as they wiped their eyes and just watched each other. It was Maddie who broke the silence first as she wrapped her arms around herself in her jean jacket. "Why'd you come back?" Justin looks up his eyes begging her, for anything, everything, and nothing all at once.
"Clay brought me back. He said you wanted me back and you needed my help. So I came." He says softly. Poof there goes another wall of hatred. "You came back for me?" She asks quietly looking up and nods, they didn't have to say anything. He'd always come back for her, she was just too headstrong to admit she needed him.
"Are you staying?" She asks and he looks up and nods. "I am." He says and Maddie nods as she looks down and a small, very small, smile comes to her lips.
Opening the door Clay looking to the girl in his room feeling bad for what he was about to say. "Hey, Mads. your mom just called, she wants you home. Plus my mom said it's getting late and you should be heading out." Maddie nods but looks to Justin in a panic but his eyes were already there. He knew her, just as well as herself, he knew she thought he'd be gone in the morning. That this would all just be a dream. He'd leave and she'd never see him again.
"I'll be here." he says with a reassuring nod and she stands up and nods to Clay. "Thank you." She whispers to Clay and he looks up to surprise, he had expected anything but that. She looked to Justin as she walked past him, her skin almost tingled just being near him. She wanted to hug him, kiss him, something. But instead she just walked out the door.
~~~Authors Note~~~
What you've all been waiting for!
Sorry if it's dumb I just didn't want to do the whole he walks into the school type thing plus I figure it's time to show the multiple sides to Maddie that we will be seeing?
It was so fun and different getting to write a chapter all on my ideas since I haven't been able to do that since the beginning of the first book! Do you guys want more like that?
!IMPORTANT PLEASE COMMENT I REALLY NEED YOUR HELP!
Okay, this is the same as the last few. I really need ideas for Maddie's day in court which will be within the next few chapters. Please comment some few you want asked! This way you guys can be part of the story and you can even get some questions answers that you want! They can range from things that were unanswered in the tape, to things from her past, to just things you guys want! Please and thank you!
!IMPORTANT PLEASE COMMENT I REALLY NEED YOUR HELP!
{5.9.20}