Maddie sighed as she sat up on her bed rubbing her eyes, she hadn't slept much, and she was sure people would be able to tell. She cried a lot last night, not because she was sad, more so because she was confused. Of course she was glad Justin was back, honestly it was the best news she'd heard in awhile but she was hurt that so many people knew and kept it from her, but she was also upset with herself for letting him being here change her back into her old self that she worked to cage away.
But Maddie didn't have much time to dwell on it once morning hit, instead she spent a lot of time in the bathroom washing her face and doing her hair trying to bring the attention away from her eyes that were darker than normal and the redness under them from her tears. Once she was content with the way she looked she walked to Zach's room where the door was already open. She leaned against the door frame watching the brother she oh so admired and looked up to, he was reading Hannah's letter, probably not for the first time this morning. "Zach." Karen said smiling as she turned into the room bringing her teenage daughter into the room as well. Quickly he hid the paper and turned. Mrs. Dempsey smiled at her son, she was immensely proud of him. "You look good." She says nodding looking his suit over. "Very sharp." Maddie compliments with a smile, she knew he was nervous.
"You ready for this?" Karen asks, she wanted this over more than most but she wanted to make sure her children were prepared as well. "Yeah, I'm all ready. Yeah." Zach says nodding his head letting a piece of hair drop into his eyes. Karen smiles at her son, she knew he was nervous just as well as Maddie but if she pushed she was afraid of what he'd say. "You'll do great." She says with a smile. "You're a good boy. The best son a mother could have." Zach looked away slightly and both woman in the room could see his eyes becoming glossy though he tried to act like it wasn't happening. "Don't worry, either of you. It'll be fine." He says with his classic smile as he tries to make both his mom and sister proud and calm. Karen smiles and leaves the room giving her two eldest children some time together since they probably wouldn't see each other most of the day.
"You know, it's okay to be nervous. But just be honest and you'll be fine." Maddie says with a nod and Zach nods before looking at her. "Be honest? About everything?" He asks and Maddie nods to him. "Zach, you have to, about everything. That's the only way we can keep not only ourselves clean but help Hannah, I mean sure everything can be taken both ways but honesty is best, plus you'll be under oath." Maddie reminds him.
Sighing Zach changes the subject to his sister. "Did you see Justin last night?" With a small nod is how she answers her brother's question and he sighs. "Don't be too hard on him, he left because he thought that was best, but you still have a right to be mad." Maddie nods and then quickly hugs her brother making him chuckle and hug her back. "Good luck, do what's best." She says and he nods before they both walk out.
"Don't worry about it. Okay? He'll be back." Sherri says leaning in her chair at Monets across from Clay's. "He's sick as hell. He can't go to the city. He's got no money, no car. Clay I'm on your side, okay?" She asks looking at him as he sighs. "You don't get it." He says leaning forward. "Maddie seen him, she knows, she talked to him. If he doesn't come back she'll hate me and we'll never get the truth out."
Sitting quietly Maddie and Sherri copy down notes as they listen to Ryan talk about his visit with Mrs. Baker. Sighing Ryan asks the question that he had been waiting to ask. "So, do either of you two know about a place called the Clubhouse." The both of them falter for a second and look to each other. Yes. "No." They say together and he sighs. "Are you sure? It's a place were jocks hung out, apparently Hannah went there with an athlete, possibly with.." He trails looking down regretting bringing it up before he continues. "With Justin, long after they broke up."
"Are you serious, Ryan? You're really trying to dig up dirt on Hannah?" Sherri asks crossing her arms.
"No, I wasn't. I'm interested."
"Yeah, well, your interest tends to end in your zine."
"I would never. I..I was just.." Sighing Ryan stands up. "You're right." He says circling to sit in his chair. "I'll drop it." He says and the three of them look to the chalkboard but Maddie quickly turns again. "How-how long after?" Maddie asks looking to Ryan and he shakes his head looking at Maddie. "You guys weren't together. Justin wouldn't cheat on you." He says serious and Maddie slowly nods looking to the front of the room again.
Running through the halls was a laughing Maddie, Rocky, Autumn, and Maddison. "Guys this is like the third time, we have to stop doing this." Maddie says laughing when they finally reach the bathroom and quickly shut the door and lock it before they begin to change. "This time it's not our fault. Coach wants us to start a chant in the lunch room to bring up the spirits in the school." Autumn says as they slip into their blue and white uniforms. They were fully body majorette uniforms with a few holes, one in the stomach, one in the back, and a few in their legs, they also had sequences, tassels, and such attached. Normally these outfits weren't what they'd wear for competitions since they weren't a majorette team, but the school agreed to only allow them to continue if during school games and such they did majorette style dancing so that they worked with the cheer-leading team rather than clashing against them, which honestly made a lot of sense.
Quickly running out the captain and co-captains made their way to the rest of the team who had on their uniforms as well. "Okay girls, what chant do you guys want to do? Remember we go out after the cheer team." Maddie explains when the girls look in to see the cheer team leading the school in their spirit song and cheer. "I think we should do the 'a tiger is' chant." Makayla, a first year freshman, says speaking up making Maddie smile and nod her head. "That's a good one, we could do that and one trick, does anyone have an ideas?" She asks looking around and this time a senior speaks. "Yeah, we could do the tick tick boom stand trick." Maddie nods as she looks in to see the cheerleaders doing a pyramid. "Okay, sounds good to me. Everyone stretched?" She asks and everyone responds with a yes.
The cheerleaders run off to their seats saying another team was coming out and quickly the dance team run out laughing and smiling bringing everyone to their feet. Maddie quickly runs past Monty's table banging on it telling everyone to get up and she does the same to others. "Come on everyone! Up, up, on your feet!" She says jumping around the tassels on her legs moving around as her hair swings, the freshman watched as she commanded the room so well- this was why she was the captain.
Everyone piled into the middle of the floor, excluding some people who just wanted to eat, and in front was Monty, Scott, Bryce, Chloe and some others who cheered them on. "Come on everyone! You know this chant you and you love it!" Maddie says moving back into her spot, her body going between Rocky and Autumn as they lead the chant while stomping their feet. "A tiger is was a diva ain't, what explosive wanna be and what a doll can't!" Maddie shouts stomping and clapping as the whole room follows her, quickly all the girls go out of formation and stand stomping and cheering with their friends, this lasted for about three minutes, their trick took another five, and then everyone was in good spirits as they sat down to eat. (I will have a picture of the uniform at the end if you care also the chant is 100% inspired by and taken from The Dancing Dolls on the show Bring it! though I did change it to fit this specific story.)
Laughing Maddie sits down at the table next to Monty with a smile. "Maddie, you owned the room, you have to teach me how to do that." Chloe commends her and Maddie shakes her head with a smile as she takes a drink of water and moves parts of her uniform since she decided not to change yet. "Chloe, you do it too and you know it." Maddie smiles and she holds her fist out and they fist bump. "You know, you looked great." Monty compliments her as he grabs her sides tickling her. "Stop!" She shouts laughing her body twisting away from him until he stops and the room goes silent making Maddie look up confused, but quickly she understood. "What the fuck?" Maddie whispers under her breath as she stumbles with her footing to get up.
Across the room Clay jumped up whispering to Tony. "Justin. Justin!" He whisper shouts as Tony follows him to the edge of the table. Maddie stands close to where Monty was sitting, though she stands to meet him. "Hey Maddie." He says his voice small and Maddie looks all around the room. Everyone was staring and a few people were standing, Jessica, Clay, Justin, Rocky, and Autumn. "You can't be here right now." Maddie whispers to him, her eyes soft. She could see it all over him, he was sick. Bryce stands up crossing his arms looking at the scene in front of him. "I-just, I thought we'd be normal if I came back to school. Maybe-Maybe Jess can forgive me." He says and Maddie looks at him, she was hurt, but she knew he meant well. "Justin, you being here is not gonna make us normal. You need to get better first." She says looking at him with pleading eyes to go back to Clay's house, so he turns but his eye's meet Bryce's.
"You." Is all he can manage before falling to the floor. "Justin!" Maddie cries out going to help him but quickly Monty grabs her and holds her back. "What are you doing? Let me go." She struggles but it doesn't work, luckily though it only took a few seconds for Tony to get to Justin. "Justin?" Clay shakes his shoulders. "Justin. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up." Tony repeats flipping him over as Maddie watches the scene. "Fuck." Tony curses and Clay asks him to get him back to his house. "No, I can't do this anymore. I'm out."
"What do you mean you're out?"
"I'm out."
"What the fuck is up with you?" Clay asks but Tony only looks up to see Bryce glaring down at the fragile broken boy on the ground. "We gotta get him out of her." He says and Clay nods helping Justin up and thy start to walk out. "Let go of me!" Maddie shouts and finally leans all the way back against Monty before launching herself against his arms, luckily she got out, unluckily she landed hard on the floor. But she didn't let the pain of the tile stop her, she quickly got up and ran to the three boys with tears in her eyes.
Walking out of the school Maddie meets Zach at their cars that were parked beside each other. "Hey, I heard Justin showed up today. Sorry I wasn't here for you." Zach says looking at his sister as he undoes his tie. "I heard about what happened in the locker room. Sorry I wasn't there for you." Maddie says looking at her brother referring to the boys putting bloody underwear in it to make fun of him for sleeping with Hannah. "You couldn't have-" He was cut off by Clay walking forward, Maddie wasn't even sure he had came back after he took Justin to his house. "What the fuck did you do?!" He shouts.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." Zach says his voice strained, he felt bad enough without Clay coming at him, he knew how he felt about her.
"You just made everything worse for her!" He says looking between the siblings. "Clay, I swear to God, it's not a lie." Zach says looking at the shorter boy.
"So how come no one knew about it?" Clay asks and Zach defends himself. "You were gone last summer." He says and Maddie speaks up. "I knew, Clay." Clay looks at her, hurt. "That's why we had our fight, that's why I called her a slut." Maddie whispers and Clay turns around still in disbelief.
"It wasn't on your tape!"
"Did she put everything on your tape?"
Clay scrunches up his face staring at him in silence. "You didn't deserve her." He says and Zach looks down, breaking. Slowly breaking.
"I know. I'm sorry."
"Fuck you. You just-just go to hell!"
"Clay, come on, man." His voice was cracking as tears came to his eyes. "Get the fuck out of here!" Zach slowly gets into his car and drives away, sighing Maddie does the same. Even after what just happened with Clay and Zach Maddie still went to Clay's house, for Justin. She knew Clay wouldn't be there and maybe she could talk to Justin but as she walked through the door she immediately knew that's not what would be happening.
"You too?" Lainie asks making Maddie look over like a deer caught in headlights when she seen Matt, Lainie, and Justin all sitting in the living room. "Uhm, no?" Maddie says her lie like a question making both Justin and Matt turn their heads to contain their laughter. "Maddie, I'm disappointed in you." Lainie says honestly and Maddie walks forward sitting on the couch beside Justin. "I'm sorry, but I didn't know he was here until last night." She says honestly and Lainie shakes her head.
"Honey, I understand but you should have told me. They could easily turn this into a crime and with everything with your mother that's no good for you." Maddie pauses and looks up. "What do you mean everything with my mother?" She asks and Lainie sighs.
"Sweetie, she's trying to get a case brought against Karen to see her unfit to take care of you."
~~~Authors Note~~~
Okay honestly that last part was so unplaned but I think it's a good way to bring them in? I don't know I just like the plan of them bringing in drama because that's how that side of the family was/is for Maddie.
Also here's what the uniform is only it's blue:
Maddie's court day may be in the next chapter, but maybe not depending on how I pull this next part off. But it's likely it will be and I am writing right now on it so if you could comment some questions that'd be great!
Hope you enjoyed!
{5.10.20}