- Chapter 10 -

As we took the elevator downstairs, we didn't talk to each other or even look at each other. I wouldn't say that it was an awkward moment so much as it was sad. She asked me to wait. Okay, I'll wait. I've waited a little less than five years; one more year isn't going to make a difference. I just wanted a chance. We went down, and we joked about Maddie's old jobs to pay her first year tuition fee for college. We talked about school and college. She asked me typical questions like "How are you doing in school?", "How are your grades?", "What college do you want to apply for?", and etc. The truth was that I wasn't doing so hot at school. My grades were killing for a curve. And college? Not something I'm striving about, apparently. My guidance counselor often repeated himself in advising me to change my ways now so I could get into college. I'm a senior now. I ditched class all the time, so what's the point of trying now? Maddie obviously didn't share my thoughts; she had opinions of her own as she voiced them out to me. You need to get your head back in focus, mister, she said. You need to start studying your butt off. I laughed at her "suggestions" and told her, It's too late for me. I've already screwed up. I accept it. I was headed down for a junior college and jail anyway.

She eyed me carefully. She asked me, "What are you going to do with your life?" I wanted to shrug. I wanted to act as though my dreams were insignificant. But I couldn't. Not to Maddie. Not to her. I said to her without even thinking anything over, "I wanted to be a freelancing writer." She nodded and said, "Hey, that's good: an honest day's job. Wait, what do you mean you wanted-?" Her eyes narrowed. I replied, "You know how it is when you dream up stuff. It was just a dream. It was just something I thought about to distract me from other stuff." Like you, I almost said. Cautiously, she approached the subject with a single question, "So, do you like English class then?" I shrugged. Whatever. It doesn't matter, does it? She was at a loss of words then. I read her face from the corner of my eye; I could see that she was racking her brain to find something to say. Or was I reading her wrong? Did she already know what to say? Was she just struggling to make a decision on how to word it correctly or to even say it at all?

But she didn't say a single word after that. London saw her and snatched her away. I stuffed my hands into my pockets. Somehow I just felt oddly cold when she wasn't here beside me. What I did that day was a blur; I could barely remember what I even ate for breakfast let alone lunch or dinner. All I could think about was her telling me that I could wait, that I actually had a chance with her for the first time in my life. Maybe, just maybe, things could be better. I could be better.

The next day, Maddie, London, Mary Margaret, and this strange girl named Corrie who had this obsessive fetish over London all dragged me to London's limo and forced me to go shopping with them. I didn't exactly hold the largest penny collection, but it seemed more fun than staying home. I tried to bring Cody along too, but he was nowhere in sight. I probably went into more lingerie shops than any guy I know. Damn, I had no idea that there were this many complications for girl's underwear. I have to say that I was embarrassed, but that feeling went away when all the girls held my arms. I must've looked like some kind of playboy. To be frank, the familiar feelings hit me so hard with a rush of nostalgia that I had to balance myself carefully to not fall. Corrie was all over London about everything. Like for example, if London wanted a red shirt, Corrie wanted a red shirt. If London wanted blue jeans, Corrie wanted blue jeans. With the exception of boys, I think Corrie would've gotten every single thing London got if she had London's money, which I assume she secretly desires.

I didn't get anyone anything. I don't have London's money. I don't even have a job, or I didn't. I never paid attention to any of that stuff. I guess I should've though because I saw a piece of jewelry that caught Maddie's eye: a pearl necklace. The price hurt a bit though, considering that it was $500, and I only had a dollar to my name, give or take some pocket lint. As I was staring at the necklace even when the girls had moved on, Maddie noticed me. She grinned and said, in almost a singsong voice, "All your hard-earned snow-shoveling money will finally be put to good use." I smirked. I reached into my pocket and said, "Oh, sure, let me dig out a couple dimes in my pocket right here." She laughed and asked me, "What happened to all your money? I know you had a secret stash. I used to baby-sit you, remember? Still underneath that teddy bear?" I grinned and said,"I didn't know you thought so much of me to look through my stuff." Maddie rolled her eyes and said, "Oh, please. You're not that hard to figure out, pal. You had like twenty bucks under there and a few odd loose change. Not exactly London's trust fund, if you ask me." I gave her one of my million dollar smiles and said, "Who's asking?"

Before she could respond to my very quick wit, if I do say so myself, we were interrupted by the gang of girls returning with arms full of designer clothes. They dumped it all over me and Maddie, which totally knocked me off my balance. I pretty much landed on my face, but a pair of designer jeans broke my fall. Fortunately for me, due to the large amount of apparel all over me, nobody even noticed I had fallen. The girls were gabbing away about some cute Italian waiter they had spotted at the French café. Okay, I'm thinking to myself. What would an Italian waiter be doing at a French café? Apparently, Maddie shared the same thoughts because she blurted out, "Italian waiter at a French café? London, are you sure you just read him wrong?" London tossed a sparkly purse aside as she called out, "Who's got the time? I was dying for a baguette anyway. It only cost two dollars since that Italian hottie thought I was the hottie." Maddie grinned. I knew that grin. It was that grin that came before a sarcastic remark. She remarked casually, "Two dollars, huh? That's probably how much your brain's worth anyway." London narrowed her eyes at Maddie and said, "Well, fine then! I can see someone isn't getting a present from a gorgeous, rich girl this Christmas!" Maddie threw it right back at her, "Nice try, London, but this particular someone has money this year!" She pulled out wads of twenties and presented it in front of London's face.

"How'd you get that kind of dough?" I exclaimed, completely bewildered. Clearly, by the look on the other girls' shocked faces, I wasn't alone in my question. Maddie grinned and explained, "I'm about to become a brain neurosurgeon, if you hadn't noticed." Mary jumped up and down and cried out, "You got in the internship?" Maddie posed for the girls and announced with a very confident grin on her face, "Internship? Girl, you're looking at the youngest rookie ever to place assistant for Dr. Richard Rocheski!" Mary almost screamed right there and then. As for me and the remaining girls, we were still left slightly confused. I scrunched up my face and said, "And that would be a good thing, right?" London held a hand in the air as if she was trying to figure out a mathematical equation in her head. Yeah right. London? Math? No. She said, confused, "Is that some kind of doctor? 'Cause I don't understand a word you said." Maddie rolled her eyes and muttered, "So what else is new?" Before London could protest her ignorance of the whole subject, Maddie answered London's question, "Dr. Rocheski is a brain neurosurgeon. That's what I'm going to be in just a few more years." London grinned and said, "You're getting pretty smartical all of a sudden, now aren't you?" Maddie replied, "Well, you know what they say- wait. Did you just say smartical?" London nodded her head with her big, innocence, puppy-dog eyes.

"Same old London," I said to myself with a small laugh. It was true nonetheless. London's lack of common sense was always amusing. I don't really blame her though for her grade school vocabulary and underdeveloped mind. The poor girl's been through enough to suffer from worse. Her mother and father divorced when she was pretty young, and her father, the owner of all the Tipton Suites, had too many wives. Each marriage always ended up in a nasty divorce and tons of court settlement, but since London's father has so much fame and prestige, he always gets his way. London never talks about that though. So since she never had a permanent guardian in her life, she never had any restrictions on what she can do. Like school, for instance. She practically never went, and the way she got into Harvard with daddy's billion-dollar briefcase doesn't amaze me. She is who she is, after all.

After shopping where I didn't get anything, all of us, excluding London, were carrying nine bags of gifts each. When we all arrived at Tipton, there were no bellhops to help us out with the misfortune of having a very wealthy spender as a friend. After we carried all the gifts to London's insanely expensive and roomy suite, Corrie and Mary left. It was getting pretty dark. Corrie wanted London to join them back at the dorm, but it looks to me that London had her own plans. I can't say that Corrie was too pleased to hear that.

The snow fell, and I could hear bells from a distance.