You Are The Music In Me
Chapter 14 - Rain
A/N: See? I told you this would be up shortly :) Thoughts are in italics.
Disclaimer: I only own Cooper and Matt.
Chapter Summary: Who is Matt talking to? What is Zack overhearing?
!#$&()+
--FLASHBACK--
He leaned in a bit closer to catch more of what Matt was saying.
"I think I got it, but maybe we should go over it one more time," he told the unknown caller.
Zack continued to listening, as the conversation was just heating up.
--END FLASHBACK--
Zack couldn't believe what he was hearing, as he listened to Matt's cell phone coversation.
"Okay, so when Maddie gets here, I'll wait for her to get up and go to the bathroom and while she's gone, I'll slip it into her drink. When she comes back, she'll drink it and start letting loose a bit too much. Cooper will be taping the whole thing. Are you sure the camera is hooked up right to transmit everything to the gym? Okay, and everyone is there, right? Cool," He heard Matt say.
Zack fought the urge to beat him to a pulp. He couldn't believe Matt was setting Maddie up to embarass her! But why would he do it? Who was he talking to?!?
"She's gonna pay for stealing your role...love you too, Bri-bear," Matt concluded, before hanging up his phone.
Bri-bear?! He's talking to Brianna! This is all a scheme to ruin Maddie's play! Well, it won't happen. Not if I can help it!
Zack was tempted to beat him up, but realized he had to inform Maddie of Matt and Brianna's plan. He wondered how he would do that. She would never believe him. She'd just think he was trying to ruin her date out of jealousy.
But wait...
Zack glanced at his hands at his camera. It had been pointed at Matt the entire time, and it was recording! Zack snickered to himself for a moment. He was going to bring this plan to a screeching halt.
He completely forgot his original purpose for even coming to the restaurant, and took off down the street toward Maddie's house.
When she opened the door, she was surprised to see him. She was already dressed for the date, but he could tell she was still getting ready.
"Um...hey Zack, what are you doing here?" She asked with a light-hearted voice.
"I need to talk to you. It's important," he said gravely. It alarmed her a bit, but she let him inside.
"What's wrong?" She asked him, once they had reached the living room.
"It's about Matt," Zack informed her slowly. Maddie immediately rolled her eyes. She should've known.
"Zack, I know you might not like the fact that I'm going out with someone other than you, but--" she sighed, but was cut off.
"No, Maddie it's not like that! Matt is a jerk! He's planning something--" Zack tried to explain.
"Zack, I don't want to hear it! You just don't like the fact that I'm going on a date with him, so you try to make yourself feel better by telling lies about him," Maddie declared, annoyed that he would do this.
"I'm not lying! I heard him," Zack pleaded, desperately.
"Just stop, Zack. When are you going to see that I don't like you like that and never will?! I can't believe that you would sink this low! Just get over me, already! I don't love you," Maddie shouted, taking off for the stairs.
"Fine! If that's how you feel, then go on the date. What do I care?" Zack yelled back, knowing she could still hear him even though she was out of sight.
He sped out the door, not really knowing where he was going. He kept running for a few minutes, until he reached the park he'd played at since he was a kid.
He plopped down on a bench, his energy leaving him the minute he did.
"If she actually believes some guy she doesn't know over me, then she deserves to get hurt! I don't need to feel guilty about it. I didn't do anything wrong. It's not like I was lying to her..." Zack trailed off, realizing he was talking to himself.
"But why do I feel guilty? I expected her to react that way, so why did I get so mad? Maybe because deep down, I wasn't really doing it for her. I was doing it to win her over...not because I'd considered how hurt she would've been if it had happened. And now, because of my selfishness, she's going to be humiliated," Zack thought aloud again, shooting up from the bench.
Was he really going to let the girl he loved have her reputation ruined just because of his pride? He still had time to stop the event for the right reasons.
"I never showed her the tape! I can still save her!" He yelled, receiving an odd look from passersby.
He ignored his fatigue, and took off for the Chinese restaurant once more.
MEANWHILE
Maddie arrived at the restaurant at half past 7, to already see Matt sitting at their table. His face lit up when he saw her.
"You're here already?" Maddie asked him with a giggle.
"Just got here a minute ago," he lied. But she believed him, of course.
To be honest, her mind was pretty full then. She barely heard a word Matt said to her. She couldn't help but feel remorse for her harsh words to Zack. Why had she been so defensive? She wasn't hiding something...was she? She groaned at the fact that her own mind was playing games with her.
She took a sip of her water and made an excuse to go to the ladies' room. She didn't really have to go, she just needed a minute alone.
She took a few breaths, and tried to calm down, but guilt was overtaking her.
"How could I have said such horrible things to him?" Maddie questioned herself, staring at her reflection in the mirror.
She decided that, after the date, she would go apologize and have a heart-to-heart with Zack. They needed to understand each other, even if Maddie couldn't understand her own feelings.
She nodded to herself, with a sigh and headed back out to the table. She could've swore that she saw Matt slam her drink down in an anxious rush, but she assumed it was a trick of the dim restaurant light.
"You okay?" He asked her, to which she responded with a nod.
"Yeah, it's just--" she tried to explain...but:
"MADDIE!" She heard a voice yell from the door. She looked up hurriedly, to see Zack entering the restaurant.
"Zack? What are you doing here?" Maddie inquired, more surprised than angry.
"Look, I know you're mad at me...but I couldn't let this happen. I know you don't believe me about you-know-who...but I have proof!" Zack explained to her, out of breath.
"Oh...you do, do you?" Maddie asked sarcastically, picking up her drink, preparing to take a sip. Zack pulled it away from her.
"Don't drink that!" Zack exclaimed.
"What is your problem?!" Maddie asked him, perplexed.
"Just...watch this," he said, handing her his video camera. She glanced up at him, confused.
"This is your mom on here," she chuckled, so he snatched it back and hit fast forward, trying to make it go as fast as possible.
"Here," he replied, handing it to her.
"What is going on? What is he trying to convince you of, exactly?" Matt asked, almost in an alarmed voice.
"Oh, just that you're planning some big scheme to embarrass me..." Maddie said, laughing, but then trailed off as she watched the footage.
She glanced up at her date with a gasp and wide eyes. Matt snatched the camera from her.
"Maddie, it's not real. He doctored it somehow!" Matt lied, trying to convince her, but Maddie wouldn't have it.
"Even after the horrible things I said...he still came back," Maddie whispered to herself, feeling her breath catch in her throat, and her eyes well up.
As shocking as the truth of Matt was, Maddie's eyes were fixed on Zack. He looked hurt at the pained look on her face, but he didn't really know what it was about. He thought she was simply broken up about Matt, but that was the farthest thing from the truth.
"Zack...I," Maddie stammered. Zack waited intently for her to say something. He could tell she was struggling...but nothing ever came out.
She simply got up from the table quickly, sobbing, before running out of the restaurant, lost in her own thoughts. Zack stared after her.
"You little twirp! You ruined everything!" Matt shouted, grabbing Zack's arm. Zack swung around swiftly, his fist connecting with Matt's jaw, producing a cracking sound. The action sent Matt flying backwards into his chair, causing it to flip over.
"Whoever 'Cooper' is...I'd suggest you stay well-hidden!" Zack called out, through the restaurant.
MEANWHILE
Maddie simply circled the streets of Boston, ignoring the direction in which she was going, as well as everything physical.
Her crying blurred her vision, which was soon worsened by the sudden falling of rain. Maddie ignored that too, collapsing on a bench near the park. Unbeknownst to her, it was the same one Zack had fallen on earlier. Ironic in a way, as he was the reason she was so out of sorts. Think it sounds confusing? Well it was, especially to Maddie.
She was dead-set against falling for Zack. That was the bottom line of all her actions over those last few weeks. But it all started to crumble when they had first sang together on that stage. All of her walls fell as soon as he'd handed her that video camera, and saved her from ultimate humiliation.
Now, she had nothing to save her...from him. Maddie was confused, because she didn't want to have feelings for Zack. But all the arrows were pointing to him...
Maddie sighed, and smiled slightly, despite her confusion. There was something so romantic about rain.
A/N: As Lilly would say: EEP! Well...Maddie's finally discovering that no female on earth can resist Zack. xD Hope you enoyed that long(ish) chapter, and don't fret, because we're not done yet! There's still lots to do! ILY guyz!
xoxo Trish