BalletGrl: I cannot believe you saw Hart there! It's like destiny!
MadFinn: I cannot believe you still have that username Aim! :)
Wetwinz: HAHA maddie
BalletGrl: What's wrong with my username? :(
MadFinn: LOL! Kidding!
BalletGrl: I can NOT believe Fiona and Egg are in college together! Are you two like living with each other now?
Wetwinz: OC not! My parents won't approve *blushes*
MadFinn: Come on Aim don't tease the lovebirds.
Wetwinz: It's almost time Maddie. Shouldn't you be getting ready for your date with Hart?
MadFinn: It's not a DATE! It's just two old friends hanging out okay?
BalletGrl: Yeah right Maddie! I'll just pretend I believe you. Don't forget to wear your moonstone earrings. I know you've had them since 7th grade but they've always looked great on you.
Wetwinz: And let your hair down. You look pretty that way.
MadFinn: Done. Done. Thanks for the support guys.
BalletGrl: I still can't believe all of us are here chatting despite our hectic schedules.
Wetwinz: Except Lindsay :(
MadFinn: I know. Her last email was like ages ago. She sounded really busy.
BalletGrl: That's my roommate calling me. She asked if we want to practice. I have to go guys!
Wetwinz: I gotta go too. Got soccer practice in 15 minutes.
MadFinn: Bye you guys! Missing you!
BalletGrl: Miss you more
Wetwinz: Miss you most LOL
MadFinn: *poof*
After turning off her laptop, Madison last checked her reflection on the mirror. She wished her new roommate, Jenna Miller who also happened to be a fashion expert was here to compliment her on her outfit.
Remembering her bumping with Hart, she couldn't help but cringe at how she looked at that time. Her hair was pulled up messily, she wasn't wearing any make up and her long white sweater and black pants were too plain and boring. Now, she's more ready and prepared. She had put on her orange tunic and her short white cotton skirt with a pair of brown flat knitted boots. Following her best friends suggestions, she had her long brown hair brushed and hanging loosely and she had worn her moonstone earrings. Light makeup completed her look.
Madison checked her phone again to reread the message Hart sent her, indicating where they will meet up. It was a place near her dormitory and she loved their pancakes there. With a last check on the mirror, she grabbed her purse and left.
The place was surprisingly packed with students for a Friday morning. Luckily, Madison easily spotted Hart seated by the window. She couldn't help notice how cute he looked as he frown in concentration while reading the menu.
"Hey," Madison greeted, clutching her purse with her two hands.
Hart suddenly looked up, surprised. His mouth formed into a smile when he saw her. "Hey Maddie," he greeted as he stood up.
Madison giggled nervously. "Just call me 'Finnster'," she joked that made both of them laugh.
Hart pulled the chair for Madison which made her almost swoon. She could not believe how he had grown as a man. Once they've finally settled down, he then offered her the other menu.
"How did you know about this place? This is like my favorite café here in the campus," she gushed while scanning the menu.
"Um, well…" he mumbled. Madison did not see him look up behind her.
"Hi!" someone chirped in.
As a reaction, Madison looked behind her and saw a slender, petite girl with blond hair giving them a bright smile. She could not help but admire how pretty she was even without makeup and with a simple attire of a plain black shirt and khaki shorts.
"Um, Maddie this is…" Hart was saying but it seemed like Madison's hearing senses dispersed.
She watched as the new arrival stood beside Hart who in response suddenly stood up. It was not hard to miss how he instantly placed his hand behind the ball of her back - a subtle way of showing that they were a couple.
Madison felt herself heat up. A blush was forming on her face and it was from embarrassment. Hart has a girlfriend? He asked her out to meet his girlfriend?
"Hi Maddie!" the blond girl grinned. "Remember me? Vicky?"
"Huh?" was all Madison could say. She's still recovering from the sudden blow of realizing that she and Hart were not reconnecting as boyfriend and girlfriend like the last time.
"Victoria? Bigwheels?" the other woman tried again, a frown now appearing on her flawless face.
Hearing the name mentioned snapped Madison back to reality. "Vicky? Bigwheels? From Washington D.C.?" she asked incredulously.
Vicky laughed and nodded. "How have you been MadFinn?"
Madison's embarrassment was turned into shock when she realized that she really was standing in front of her old keypal, Bigwheels. She still could not believe it. It was a dream coming true. She had always considered Vicky as one of her best friends even though they could only communicate online. But as time passed by, their emailing just slowly stopped and Madison could not remember how and why.
Unsure on what to do, Vicky opened her arms with a sheepish grin. Madison hugged her shyly. "I cannot believe that you're finally standing in front of me!" she said, beaming.
"I know," Vicky chuckled.
The three finally sat down just as the waiter approached them. They all ordered pancakes and chocolate milkshakes. When their server finally left, Madison looked at the two people whom she used to be so close to.
"So you two know each other?" she asked.
Hart and Vicky exchanged knowing looks. It was Hart who first spoke up.
"Well, my parents decided to move to Washington D.C. when I turned 15," Hart started to explain. "And incidentally, we moved into Vicky's neighborhood."
"My mom convinced me to bring them a pie or something as a welcome to the new neighbors," Vicky continued. "They also told me about Hart that he's same age as me and I should befriend him."
"And then we started talking about where I came from," he added. "And when I mentioned Far Hills, she told me about her keypal which was you Maddie."
Vicky giggled, tossing her long hair. "I remember you talking about a guy you liked in your emails," she told Madison. "And imagine to my surprise that they suddenly moved in to that house beside ours."
Madison laughed along with them. "That's a really great story!" she exclaimed while shaking her head. "Why didn't you two ever tell me about it? You could have emailed me. This is really cool!"
Madison noticed the two looking at each other again. The guilt in their eyes was not hard to miss. She tried to rummage her memory how her communications with Hart and Vicky ended. If she could vaguely remember, the time she and Hart stopped emailing was almost the same time as she and Vicky did. It was like, they just slowly disappeared.
As much as Madison could remember, they were the ones who discontinued on emailing, not her. A sudden feeling of dread overwhelmed her, remembering Hart's gesture earlier of placing his hand behind Vicky's back. Did they stop getting in touch with her because they decided to become together? Did they not want to tell her anything, thinking that they might not even see her again? Were they even laughing at her behind her back that they both deserted her and then gained each other?
"Maddie? Are you okay? You look pale," Vicky said with concern.
Trying to get her attention, Vicky waved her hand in front of Madison's face.
"Maybe I should get her a glass water," Hart mumbled.
Madison could only partially hear Hart and Vicky's conversation. She could feel her whole blood draining from her face and then her whole body. It was just too much to take. The embarrassment she felt was coming back and it was only getting worse.
A phone suddenly rang that made Madison jump out and brought her back to reality. She looked up and her eyes landed on Vicky's worried ones and then on Hart's. All she wanted to do right now was to run away.
"Was that your phone?" Hart asked.
Madison instantly pulled her phone from her purse. The name of her roommate, Jenna Stuart was flashing on the screen. "Um, excuse me," she choked and stood up.
Madison barely saw Hart and Vicky exchange a worried glance as she walked out of the café to speak to the caller.
"Jenna?" she answered.
"Maddie! Were you doing something? Did I disturb you?" Jenna exclaimed on other line.
"N-no," Madison stuttered. "What's up?"
"Oh yeah, so some of my friends are gonna go see a movie in an hour. I think I remember you saying you're meeting someone for breakfast but I was spacing out that time so I thought of asking. Would you like to come?"
Madison breathed a sigh of a relief. Jenna was a lifesaver! She could not think of any other way to escape from seeing her best keypal and her old boyfriend fall in love in front of her face. "I'm so there," she replied.
"Are you okay? You sound weird," her roommate asked.
"I'll tell you later," Madison brushed away. "Where should I meet you?"
"In the dorm."
"See you later then."
"Byeeeeee!"
Placing back her phone to her purse, she sighed again, preparing herself to face the two people she seemed to not want to see ever again.
"Here goes nothing," she mumbled to herself, going back to the restaurant.
Though Madison already sensed the real deal between the two, she was not prepared to see them hold hands and gaze at each other lovingly. Vicky was the first to see her arrive and instantly pulled away from Hart.
"Maddie!" the petite girl cried, standing up with Hart following.
"Hey guys," Madison greeted awkwardly. "Listen, I'm sorry to ruin this reunion but I forgot that I had to go meet up my roommate."
"How about your breakfast?" Hart asked.
Madison felt a little angry when she heard that. Does he actually think she still has the appetite to eat most especially with them after everything that had happened? Hastily, she pulled some bills from her purse. "Here, I don't feel like eating anymore."
She was almost at the door when she heard her name called. As she stopped and looked back, Vicky was already walking towards her.
"Madison, I know you're angry at us," Vicky said. "We did not mean to hurt you. We're really so-"
"Please don't apologize," Madison interrupted. She laughed bitterly and shook her head. "I feel like an idiot."
Vicky sighed and looked at the other girl pleadingly.
It was too much for Madison. She then gave a last nod and walked away with her head held up high. Making sure that she's finally far enough from them to not be seen, the tears she'd been holding up finally burst out.
