"Will you chill Madison? You're making me nervous and it's my house" I was standing on a garbage can trying to force the window of my bathroom open from the outside.
"Whatever, Hurry up before someone sees us"
"You mean me, since I'm the one doing all the work"
If you're wondering why it sounds like we're breaking into my house, it's because we are. I forgot my keys this morning and no ones home yet. I've been trying to get this window open for the past 20 minutes and its just starting to budge.
"Got it, let's go" I reached out my hand for Madison to grab and when she did I pulled her into the window with me.
Finally were inside, and standing in my bathtub. Madison pushes back the glass door and we step out of the tub. I close the window behind me. Madison starts to leave the bathroom and stops when she realizes I'm following her.
"Uh, you coming?"
"No I've had to use the bathroom since we left Johnny Rockets, I'll meet you upstairs" I started doing my 'I have to pee' dance.
Madison rolled her eyes and laughed, she left closing the door behind her.
Since were alone now I guess I'll introduce myself. My names Carlin…Spencer Carlin. Ha I've always wanted to say that. And for the record, breaking into my house is not an everyday thing. Between my brothers and me I'm actually the more responsible one. Ok well Clay is but I'm way more responsible than Glen. What happen was, Madison rushed me out this morning to go mall hopping and I left my keys on my dresser. Yes I said mall hopping, it's like club hopping but with malls. Ok maybe that self explanatory, I don't know. The point is… Well I forgot what the point is.
"That jacket is hot Mads" I walked up to my room to see Madison already trying on a Jacket she brought while we were out today.
"I told you to get the brown one, you never listen Spencer" She was still modeling the jacket in front of my full-length mirror. I rummaged through some bags until I found the same jacket she was wearing, but in brown, I held it up so she could see.
"Oh shit, when did you get it?"
"While your lazy ass was in the massage chair I went back to Nordstrom and bought it"
"So you do listen to me" Madison took of the jacket and moved on to trying on shirts.
"Never, but the jacket was really nice" I put on the jacket and took a look in the mirror. It was brown leather and fit snugly on my body.
I spent all summer in the gym with Madison, toning my body. I even hired and fired a few personal trainers, eventually I found one that didn't try to push any wheat shots and herbal nonsense onto me. I was never fat, I just had a lot of baby weight. Not anymore though, now my stomach was flat, my thighs were tight and squats turned my flat ass into a bubble butt.
"Spencer you look great. You looked great before too but now the confidence is there." I must've gotten lost in my thoughts because Madison was already trying on shoes.
"Thanks Madison, I feel great. Thank you for doing this with me." Madison didn't say anything back she just smiled.
We tried on all the clothes we bought that day, swapped a few shirts because some looked better on her than me and vice versa. Who knew trying on clothes could be so tiring? I plopped back on my bed and Madison lied next to me.
"So this New Spencer is just an outside thing right?"
"It's an overall change Mads, things cant be the same anymore. I'll always be the same person but they way people see me and treat me has got to change."
"You know you don't have to prove shit to anyone Spencer, it's our last year who cares what people think"
"Says the head cheerleader" I laughed, Madison was a great friend so she tried her best to understand but I knew she never could. She didn't know what it felt like to be overlooked, thrown to the side, not good enough.
"I'm serious Spence"
"I know, I know. I did this for me Madison and I'm happy I did"
"Good because anyone would be lucky to have you just the way you are, new or old Spencer. Let's go get some snacks"
We practically raced to my kitchen. I pulled out some cheese and crackers while Madison got some BBQ chips and we set ourselves up in front of the TV.
"Bad Girls Club Re-Runs!" I shouted
"Fuck yes! What season?"
"Two. Now POP OFF!" Madison laughed at my imitation of Tanisha from the show.
We watched at least 4 episodes before taking pots and pans out of the cabinet and slamming them together shouting "I didn't get no sleep cause of y'all, y'all not going get no sleep cause of me!". If you've never seen that episode then you're probably lost right now, sorry but what rock have you been hiding under?
"What are you girls doing?" That's Paula
Madison and I looked at each other and broke out into laughter after we got ourselves together we thought it would be best if we skipped an explanation.
"Nothing mom, How was work?"
"It was fine, the garbage bin was on the other side of the house, did Glen do that?"
I filled in my mother in on how we had to break into the house earlier because I left my keys home.
"I'll go out and move the bin back tonight"
"It's fine, but Madison why didn't you use your keys? I gave you a set months ago"
I shot Madison a look, she did NOT have me break into my house knowing damn well she had keys the whole time. Of course she did, because it's Madison.
"Are you fucking kidding me? I did all of that for no reason"
Paula and My mother got a kick out of that, a real riot. I didn't find it funny at all.
"Madison I had already planned to go to your house later to talk to your mom about some stuff, I can drop you home when you're ready"
"Its cool, I planned on staying here this way I can drive Spencer to school tomorrow since its our first day back"
"Fine by me, you girls have fun. I'm going to start dinner"
Madison and I cleaned up our mess in the living room and went back up to my bedroom. I put my iPod on its dock and pressed shuffle.
It all comes down to this
I miss your morning kiss
I won't lie, I'm feeling it
You don't know, I'm missing it
I'm so gone I'm must admit
It's too much to hold it in
"I love this song!"
"Who is it?"
"Nicki Minaj and Chris Brown" I answered
"You know there's one thing I still haven't tried this summer" I told Madison, pulling her off my bed and onto her feet.
"What's that?"
"Dancing"
"You hate Dancing"
"Exactly why I need to learn" We both laughed and Madison went over to the iPod, she shuffled through some songs before landing on one.
"Hey!" I protested. That Chris and Nicki song is really my jam.
Yellow diamonds in the light
And we're standing side by side
As your shadow crosses mine...
We found love in a hopeless place
We found love in a hopeless place
"Sorry but this is a good dancing song" Madison started moving to the music and I tried to mimic her moves.
"Relax, just feel the music"
"I'm relaxed"
"You can't think and dance at the same time. Once you stop thinking you'll get it"
We danced around my room for at least a half an hour, eventually I stopped thinking and just let go. My eyes were closed, my hands were tangled in my hair, I was feeling it.
Got so many shades, they thought I had a lazy eye.
Shorty rode me smooth as my mercedes ride.
No love, cry when only babies die.
What the fuck? Rick Ross? I opened my eyes to see that Glen had changed the song. He was standing there with his phone up, probably video taping me and Madison's dancing. I wanted to be mad at him but he had caught us good.
"Bitch, I'm a BOSS!" Madison screamed with the music, obviously still in her zone. She spun around and when her eyes landed on Glen we all let out a laugh.
I play the shots
I call the cost
We in the bitch',
It's goin' downnnnnn.
Yeaa I'm the king,
Now where my mu'fuckin' crown?
Now were all rapping Meek Mill and laughing. Finally the song ended and we sat on my floor.
"I didn't know you were a rap fan Spence" Glen said
"You don't have to know everything about me" I grabbed a pillow off my bed and threw it at him.
It was 12:30 at night and none of us had even eaten dinner yet. We went downstairs and found the plates my mom left us. She's so sweet. I heated them up and we all ate together.
"So Spence, you think you going to sign up for anything this year?"
"Yeah I was thinking cheerleading" I hadn't told Madison I was thinking about trying out for the cheer team, I didn't want her to pick me just because I'm her best friend.
"Finally someone I actually like on the squad that would be a nice change" Madison said jokingly.
"Spence you should show some of your writing to the poetry club or maybe even the music club, you're really good"
"Thanks, maybe I will"
I got up and walked over to the bar in the living room, yes there is a bar in my living room. Paula likes to throw parties on occasion. I picked up a bottle of Malibu and brought it back to the kitchen, next I went to the fridge and found the orange juice.
"I'm sure mom won't miss this" I opened up the bottle.
One thing led to another and we found ourselves playing drinking games and drank our way through the whole bottle. Glen brought out the board games and we played Sorry. Have you ever played Sorry while your drunk? Funny as hell. After a few games of Sorry we called It a night.
Madison slept in my room. I would say we were asleep by 3am, but I really have no idea.
I woke up with a nagging headache, it was early so I figured I would take a shower and get dressed before waking up Madison. She was always so damn cranky in the morning. Well she was cranky all day long but more so in the morning.
I pulled myself together and started my shower, washing, scrubbing, washing and scrubbing. When I stepped out I wrapped my towel around me and started my facial routine. Besides the gym this summer I also went to a dermatologist, after a few weeks I had no more breakouts, and now my skin was clear, no blemishes, no red spots, nothing. My acne prone skin was gone. Wow I sound like a proactive commercial, ok moving on. I went back out to my room and started to pick out an outfit, the plan was to pick it out last night to save time but that didn't happen. Chiffon green crop top, dark wash skinny jeans, and black wedges. I finished off the outfit with gold jewelry, bangles, a necklace and a pair of dangle earrings was enough. I curled my hair and let it drop, so it had a nice beach wavy look to it. Big thank you to my new hair dresser, my hair looked great and it was healthy too. I put on light make up, and that was it for me. I walked over to my bed to wake Madison.
"Sunglasses and Advil, Last night was mad real" I rapped to her.
"To early Spencer" She laughed a little.
I told her everything she needed was in the bathroom and I'd be downstairs in the kitchen when she was done. I grabbed a black hobo handbag, dumped all my stuff into it, and took off for the steps. I made myself some cereal and a fruit salad, turned on the news and watched while I ate my breakfast. After I ate I took two aleeve's and left the bottle out for Glen and Madison.
"So are you nervous about seeing her today?" Madison said grabbing the aleeve off the counter. She downed two of them, no water needed, like a pro.
"Who?"
"Ashley"
"Nothing to be nervous about, she made It clear she didn't see me as anything more than a friend" I put my bowl and cup in the sink and washed it out.
"Spencer, she was confused, I'm sure if you would've given her time to process it all" I cut her off before she could finish.
"No Madison, I know she's a friend or whatever but don't defend her, at least not to me, I don't care anymore"
"I haven't mentioned her at all this summer Spencer but you expect me to believe that all of this wasn't because of her in some way" she motioned to me when she said 'all of this'. She has to be kidding me, why does she want to have this conversation right now?
"Maybe in the beginning, but she doesn't deserve me. I know that now"
I haven't heard from Ashley since the last day of our junior year. I spent all of last year slowly but surely crushing on Ashley Davies, and when I finally worked up the courage to tell her how I felt she shut me down. I spent all summer recovering, turning myself into someone Ashley would take a second look at, and I succeeded. Not to toot my own horn but I was turning heads everywhere Madison and I went. Toot toot. But it wasn't about Ashley anymore, I made a promise to myself that I would never put myself out there to be rejected again.
Madison flipped the channel to MTV music countdown, and we chatted a bit while she ate and we waited on Glen.
"Ok you two ready to go? School starts at 8:50 its 8:30 now" Glen grabbed a piece of bread and popped it in the toaster, it toasted quickly and he spread some nutella on it.
"Ok lets go, I can eat this in the car"
"Not in my fucking car" Madison said opening the front door
"I won't make a mess I promise" Glen said in his best child voice
"Whatever"
We all got into Madison's car and I turned on the radio. The ride to school was quiet. Once we got inside there were a lot of people hanging around talking, probably reminiscing on their summers. I went straight to the computer lab, found my name and printed a copy of my schedule. Oh YEAH! This semester would be a breeze. Two free periods, I didn't even have to stay the whole day.
Spencer Carlin: 12th
Statistics – (305)
Russian literature – (212)
Art – (220)
Free Period
Weight Training – (309)
Lunch
Photography – (210)
Free Period
I had my first period class with Madison, Russian literature. She went straight to class and I drifted toward the vending machines. I put my money into the machine and just when my water bottle was about to fall It got stuck. I kicked the machine but that didn't help any.
"Need some help?"
"Yeah, you mind?"
"No problem, watch out" This girl was shorter than me and probably weighed less, but she kicked the machine with full force and the water bottle dropped. She grabbed it.
"Where did you learn to kick like that?" I was kind of amazed
"I took karate as a kid"
"You have to teach me how to do that! You know in case the machine ever gets stuck again"
"I don't think karate is taught to substitute repairing broken vending machines" we both laughed and she handed me my water bottle.
"I should probably get to class, I'm late"
"Yeah me too, see you around"
I was walking to my Russian Literature class when my phone started to buzz. It was a text from a number I didn't have saved.
Can we talk?