Author's note: I just want to thank you guys for reading and I love love love your reviews! I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Notice Me
Chapter Four: What I Learned from Teen Dramas
Maddie wasn't quite sure how she missed it before.
After the revealing conversation at lunch with Mary Margaret practically cross-examining a very nervous Corrie, Maddie began noticing the two all around school—together. Corrie had exactly two faces—hyper or apprehensive. When with Wes Kingston, it was usually the later. Wes was a lot harder to read. He was always wearing a coy smile though it was evident he was hiding something behind that innocent expression. What he was hiding, now that was the mystery.
It'd be a lie to say she wasn't completely floored by the new discovery that her friend might be involved with the school heartthrob. Maddie had fun giggling with her friends and watching as Wes Kingston strutted across the cafeteria. Now that one of her best friends was a step away from being his girlfriend, the routine ogling would have to stop. It was startling to realize that she didn't want it to stop.
"Hey. You're Madeline Margaret Genevieve—"
His face twisted. "Wow your name's long."
"Yep, four first names too many. That's me," she sighed. "I usually just go by Maddie."
Wes smiled like he didn't already know that. He played dumb and Maddie didn't know any better. With the sweetest smile he could muster, Wes held out a transcript form from the front office. When he talked people listened and usually he walked away with what he wanted. It worked on the office assistant who didn't hesitate to sign his tutor request form.
He didn't need a tutor. Shockingly enough, Wes was a lot smarter than he led people to believe. He wasn't an Einstein like the boy her best friend was currently infatuated with but he knew enough to rank within the top fifteen of the senior class. It was easier, however, to let people assume what they did, that he was simply a pretty face and nothing more.
Maddie's large doe eyes were filled with skepticism as she looked from Wes to the paper and back. It was written proof that she was his tutor. She was confused to say the least. Sessions with Jenna Jenkins had been routine. How could they switch without even notifying Maddie?
"I'm sorry," Maddie mumbled but lacked the emotion behind her words. "There must be some mistake. What happened to Jenna?"
Wes blinked, just as confused as she was. "Who's Jenna?"
"The girl I've been tutoring for the past two and a half years," Maddie explained, looking around the library though the girl was out of sight. Her shoulders slumped and her bottom lip jutted outward. "We were just starting to make progress…"
"I'm sorry," he frowned sadly. Wes sat across from her at the library table with forearms resting against the surface, leaning closer towards her. The first few buttons of his baby blue dress shirt were undone, revealing the crucifix hanging from his neck. His sleeves were folded up to his elbows and his hair seemed extra messy today. Then there were those eyes of his, a deep, entrancing shade of green.
"Don't be," Maddie immediately responded with eyes focused on the table rather than his good looks. Wes was surprised by her resistance, unable to hide his amusement. She looked up suddenly and Wes averted his eyes in hopes to not be caught smirking.
"You know what?" she suddenly asked, faking enthusiasm. "I'm not ready to give up on Jenna just yet. I'm sorry but I'm sure I can find you another tutor."
Wes grew tense. It wasn't supposed to play out like this.
"Hate to burst your bubble, but I've already checked with the front office. There is no one else," he shot back so easily that he scared himself sometimes. Wes had obtained a list of all the available tutors and made sure they were busy, also the reason why he wouldn't be buying anything for the rest of the month. He inwardly groaned. Corrie's musical skills best not be rusty after the sacrifices he was willing to make for her.
"Plus," Wes scowled with eyes narrowed. "If there was someone else I'd totally be fine with another tutor, preferably someone hotter," he lied and did it damn well. There was bitterness behind his voice, punishing her for rejecting him.
"Well, excuse me," she huffed irritably. "I don't have to help you. You could fail for all I care."
Wes sighed with the corners of his lips turned down. He knew she was watching and he also knew she couldn't stay mad at him for long. Wes looked up ever so slightly, eyes probably shimmering. When Wes saw her face noticeably soften, he silently thanked his mother for forcing him into acting classes rather than the guitar lessons he had wanted as a kid.
"You're right," he softly agreed. "You don't have to help me, but it kinda sucks, you know. It's senior year and my mom doesn't really like putting these up on the fridge." With embarrassment playing across his face, Wes pulled a paper from his backpack. Maddie winced, seeing the many red marks that bled into the paper. Their eyes met. "No. Forget it. I haven't used the 'F is for Fantastic' crap since second grade. Maybe she'll buy it."
Wes shrugged in a nonchalant manner and Maddie remembered it from the Morality class where he had confessed to everyone that he was a firm believer in waiting for marriage to have sex. He was acting as if this was no big thing when indeed it was. Maddie was struggling, trying to remain stern in her decision; however, she was starting to feel bad for the guy. Jenna needed help, sure, but Wes looked desperate for it.
Seeing the confliction on her face, Wes tried hard not to smirk, like a master at chess waiting for a novice opponent to make a move. The blonde never really stood a chance to begin with especially when Wes Kingston was across the table. He had her and he knew it. His mission was to break up Maddie and Trevor and with the way she was looking at him; he figured it was going to be easy. As long as he was doing this, he was going to have fun.
After a lack of communication, Wes slammed his test down against the table. It was enough to make Maddie jump and earned them an audience of surrounding students. He sloppily threw the strap of his backpack over his shoulder and walked out of the library with a puckered brow. Once safely down the hall, a smirk took its rightful place across his lips. He watched enough movies and television to know that he won this match.
…
"What do you know about Wes Kingston?"
Corrie nearly choked on her smoothie when she heard the words come from her friend's lips. Being in the mood to procrastinate, Corrie had left school early with Maddie and the two decided to do something fun before Maddie would have to work and Corrie would hang around the staff room, completing the homework she had put off until her shift started.
Now they were about a block away from the Tipton, at a cool smoothie shop neither had tried before. The place was crowded and loud so the two had decided to sit out in front of the shop, at a table with a great view of the city traffic. Nibbling slightly on her straw, Maddie's eyes were distant, her expression thoughtful. Corrie's eyes were gaping, completely dumfounded.
"Um," she mumbled while playing with the straw stuck in a pink concoction of fruits and yogurt. Corrie then shrugged her shoulders, seeing no reason to hold back. "He seems like a nice guy and he is, but…his methods, are a little…questionable."
"Yeah," Maddie murmured dumbly. "I got none of that, Core."
"He's kind of a jerk," Corrie laughed and this time Maddie nodded with understanding. "But he means well, he really does. His friends are like his family. Once you're good with Wes then he'll take care of you forever. Loyalty, that's it. He's loyal and sweet and when he wants something, he goes for it. He's real ambitious like that."
"And you're what he wants," Maddie added. Corrie gave her blonde friend a look with her eyebrows askew in horror. In turn the original candy counter girl raised both brows. "…Or not…"
"That's why I was so nervous yesterday when Mary Margaret was going on and on about how Wes was flirting with me," Corrie clarify, finally given a chance to explain herself. "She got it all wrong. I've known him all my life. Wes is practically my brother, my annoying, pain in the ass kind of brother. Just the thought of us dating is so…ew."
The blonde laughed before pressing her straw between her two glossy lips. It was a particularly chilly day and Maddie's golden locks were windswept. Corrie was certain that her staring was obvious but she didn't care. She knew Maddie well enough that she could easily see the thin blonde had something on her mind.
"Maddie, why do you ask?"
"It's nothing," she assured Corrie with a nervous little laugh. It really wasn't that reassuring at all. "It's just that he, um, stopped by the library this morning and apparently I'm his new tutor. I don't know. I kind of told him I couldn't help him and I…I feel sort of…bad."
Corrie's eyes widened, remembering an odd moment from yesterday.
"Why exactly does Westley Kingston want to borrow my One Tree Hill season one DVDs?"
"Media Studies," Wes coolly responded as he carried the box of DVDs under one arm and walked through her kitchen, gunning for the refrigerator. "All my sisters got is Disney crap. When I went up to New Haven last weekend I wanted to ask Wendy for her Sex and the City but my own sister doesn't trust me. You trust me, right, Core?"
All Corrie could do was shrug.
"Cool," Wes grinned. "I'm starving."
She laughed. "Honestly, Wes, when are you not?"
"Good point…"
It made perfect sense now. Wes Kingston was pulling a Nathan Scott. He was abusing the tutor center and selfishly occupying a study session some poor failing kid probably needed. He was going to use the alone time with Maddie to charm her, to fill her head with some nonsense and convince her that it all means something. Wes was probably the definition of manipulative.
"Earth to Corrie! Hey, is anyone in there?" Maddie asked while waving a hand in front of her friend's face. The Filipina blinked from her flashback and focused in on her concerned friend. "You okay? You spaced out for a little bit."
"Yeah, you know me. I do that…a lot," Corrie laughed at the truth to her statement, making Maddie smile back. Tapping her fingers anxiously against the table, Corrie paused before looking back at Maddie. "So…you were saying you're going to tutor Wes?"
"I had a free period so I went over his Lit test just to see how he could improve. Really, I don't exactly know how to tutor him," Maddie explained, trying to talk to Corrie without breaking the confidentiality rules of being a tutor. Then again, she wasn't tutoring Wes just yet. He simply left his test without saying anything.
Corrie titled her head with intrigue. "What do you mean?"
"Well, he really sucks at multiple choice and short response answers. It looks like he didn't read the material which really wouldn't surprise me," Maddie admitted, "but his essay is perfect. It's deep and analytical like he spent years perfecting a study of the relationship between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy."
"It doesn't make sense," the blonde continued with a huff of frustration. "How can he discuss 'the numerous stumbling blocks such as the tension caused by the lovers' own personal qualities' and not know Kitty and Lydia were Elizabeth's younger sisters?"
"That's Wes alright. He's got a great head on his shoulders but has trouble using it," Corrie summed up her best friend. "I mean, Wes has so much potential. If he put half as much effort into school instead of music then he'd be in AP for sure. Since we were kids, I could tell he had a future beyond music. Now the tricky part is getting him to see that. Good luck if you decide to tutor him, Mads. Lord knows I could never get through to him…"
Corrie felt a twinge of guilt deep in her chest as she tightly crossed both her legs and her arms. She deliberately planted the idea in Maddie's head and she could easily tell that the blonde was considering it. Corrie Santos wasn't Wes Kingston. She couldn't play people and take some strange trill from it. She couldn't hide behind a smirk.
Corrie feared for the worst and she was glad Maddie was too deep in thought to notice.
…
Trevor didn't know exactly when he'd become best friends with one Wes Kingston but the high school senior sure treated him like one. Being so much more advanced and mature than many of his peers, Trevor didn't make friends easy so it came as an extra surprise to him when he heard his name being called across the crowded shopping mall. With a pretzel in hand, Wes had suggested hanging out and Trevor could only nod.
"So dude, how long have you and Maddie been together?"
"Honestly, I don't even know if we are together," Trevor replied while flipping through a rack of CDs in the local mall's music shop. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Wes staring at him, mouth full of pretzel bites.
"How do you not know?" Wes chuckled. His brows furrowed when he noticed the lack of employees. If he wanted, he could have totally jumped over the counter and stuffed the contents of the cash register into his pockets. Leaning coolly against the counter, he impatiently drummed his fingers against the surface.
"I just don't," Trevor shrugged. "I mean she's a cool girl and I like spending time with her but I don't know if she's my girlfriend. We date and debate but it isn't anything serious."
"Sounds fun," Wes sarcastically mumbled, upset that the cashier refused to return. His eyes widened and a smile slithered across his face before he crossed the room and brought a cheaply made guitar into his arms. Wes looked like he was in heaven. "You know what this is, Keys?"
Trevor followed Wes, scratching the top of his head. "A guitar?"
"Wow, now I totally get why you're a merit scholar," Wes said mockingly with a gasp that had Trevor rolling his eyes. "This, my musically illiterate friend, is a Gallotone Champion Guitar, manufactured back in the '60s, steel string flat-top and guaranteed not to split. This was Lennon's first guitar. Man, what I'd give to spend five minutes with the guy."
"Lenin?" Trevor dumbly repeated. "You mean, Vladimir Lenin as in first head of the Union of Soviet Socialists Republics, the communist politician? He played guitar?"
"You're killing me, Keys," Wes scowled with his bare fingertips lightly caressing the steel strings of the guitar. "John Lennon, English musician, the Beatles — I want to hold your hand — Imagine — the reason I rock this 1964 bowl-cut!"
Trevor remained silent.
"Wow, I've got my work cut out for me," Wes sighed dramatically. "You're lucky you're pretty, pretty boy." Wes then joined Trevor at the CD rack and his fingertips danced across the titles. He pulled out one CD and tossed it into the air, expecting Trevor to catch it and he did. "That's Yes. The keyboard solo on 'Roundabout' kicks ass. Study up."
Trevor evaluated the cover art before smiling. "Thanks, Wes."
"No problem, dude," Wes instantly replied. "CDs are as cheap as chewing gum these days."
Giggling came from the far corner of the nearly empty shop and two beautiful girls immerged from the backroom. Wes smirked when seeing the girls and walked over to the cashier's counter. The boy with dirty blonde tresses easily hoisted himself up to sit on the counter, still cradling the Gallotone Champion in his arms.
"Wes Kingston," groaned the first girl whose hair was shiny and black with red streaks through it. She was as pale as a ghost, contrasting well with the crimson that colored her thin lips. "You know, usually we don't allow the customers to touch any of the merchandise."
"Especially deadbeat losers who we know aren't ever going to buy anything," the second girl added with a playful wink. While the first girl was long and lanky, the second had a curvaceous body and bright auburn hair. "Hey Wuss, how's Corrie?"
"She's good though she sold her soul to the devil in exchange for minimum wage," Wes groaned at the very thought of getting a job. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out one of his crumpled fliers. "Can you tape this up somewhere?"
The first girl chuckled. "You're starting another band?"
"Yes and it isn't fucking around in my garage anymore. This is serious," Wes explained though the girls could only stand back and snicker. Wes looked over to Trevor who was still searching the racks of CDs and smirked. "Girls this is my new keyboardist. Keys, meet your future groupies."
"What's with the shirt?" the dark haired girl snorted. Self-conscious, Trevor looked down at his outfit consisting of a royal blue flannel shirt with lighter blue stripes and his faded, fitted blue jeans. Sarcastically, the girl continued, "Yes, your mommy still dressing you is very punk rock."
"I think it's cute," the second girl piped in with a enticing wink. Trevor gulped and looked away, partly embarrassed by the first girl's commentary on his outfit and intimidated by the way the second girl was practically devouring him with her intrusive hazel eyes.
Trevor grinned bashfully. "Thanks."
"Come here, Keys," the second girl cooed alluringly. "I wanna show you something."
"Anything for a pretty lady," Trevor agreed, unable to control his flirty personality. He began to follow the girl towards the back but froze for a second and threw Wes a hesitant look.
"Dude, you aren't married," Wes reminded him with a small smile. "Live it up, Trev."
Trevor nodded before meeting the music shop employee in the back of the room where an array of pianos and keyboards were set up. The auburn haired girl giggled giddily and pleaded for Trevor to play a song. He couldn't resist himself, sat down beside her on a wooden bench and pressed his fingers to the off-white keys.
"What's with the keyboardist?" the first girl questioned Wes. "The Beatles had no need for an electronic pianist. Now a Ringo Starr they needed. The Beatles wouldn't be the Beatles without Ringo."
"I'll find a drummer," Wes assured her. He flashed the girl a cheeky smile before pulling a sleek, digital camera from his pocket. As discreetly as possible, he focused the camera on the girl who was all over Trevor. "And besides being my new BFF—" he snickered to himself and snapped a photo, "—he's also the object of my other BFF's affection."
"Hmm, I can see Corrie going for a guy like him," the girl agreed. She turned to Wes with curiosity in her eyes that were as dark as the strands that fell to her shoulders. "So tell me, Wuss, when this new BFF of yours and the other BFF become a twosome instead of a threesome where does that leave you?"
"Don't worry about me. I've already found a new toy to play with," he answered with light laughter, thinking of a certain golden-haired tutor girl with four first names too many.
