A/N: To clear up anything, Maddy was born in 1998. She is fourteen.
Maddy's POV:
"So, how'd it go?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "On a scale of 1-10, what would you rate it?"
"Based on what?" Tony asked.
I smirked. "Steaminess."
Ziva blushed. "We had a wonderful time, Maddy."
"You guys do any…" I paused "...fun things?"
Tony laughed.
"I c-can't do this!" Bailey wailed from one side of the bathroom stall. I knocked on it again.
"Come on, Bail, we're up in eight!" I sighed.
"No!"
"Aww, Bailey, please don't do this!" Jake called, leaning against the dirty white wall of the bathroom. The three guys in the bathroom with me were drawing stares from other ladies.
Suddenly, Cole stepped up.
"Let me." He said quietly. He stepped up to the gross, faded teal of the of the stall door.
"Bailey, please. Let me in." He asked quietly.
Silence. I sighed.
Then, the door opened the smallest crack. Then a little wider. Cole sidled in the door. He nodded to me.
Bailey's POV:
I sat there, sobbing, on the gross white toilet. All my life, I had been trained to shut up and take the pain. Or else.
Now, I finally got a chance to speak out.
But I was afraid.
Until I met Cole.
He knew. He knew what it was like to be imprisoned in your own head, trapped by your own nightmares.
He was among the only men I trusted.
"Bailey, I know you're afraid." He whispered. He wrapped his arms around me. "I know this is scary for you."
"I'm afraid I'll screw up again." I whispered, barely audible.
"Again?" He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "Listen, Bail: what your father did was unspeakable. But it was what he did; not you. You have no blame for what has and has not happened in your life. But, listen to me: this is your chance. To show that nothing he did can break you. That you're not afraid to show the world Bailey Stavi." He kissed me. It was the first time I had ever kissed. I didn't count the times my father had violated me. It was soft, gentle. His tongue caressed my lips, showing me kindness. And, for once in my life, I was kissing back. I wasn't afraid of it; I wanted it.
"Come on, we're up in five." I opened the door, and smiled at Maddy.
Maddy's POV;
We stepped up onto the stage. The bright, white light shone down on us, making us sweat. We waited in out positions for the song to start.
The opening electric guitar strums told us it was time. The stage darkened, and I felt a bead of sweat travel down my forehead and drip onto my cheek.
We moved in time with the drumbeats, spreading out, taking our places.
Take a breath, take it deep
Calm yourself, he says to me
I felt my body convulse with every beat. The rhythm had become a part of me, guiding me along.
If you play, you play for keeps
Take the gun, and count to three
Bailey's cheeks glistened with still-wet tears and sweat. But her expression was that of determination. She was determined to prove that she wasn't broken.
Sweating now, moving slow
No time to think, my turn to go….
The team flawlessly assembled in a line.
And you can see my heart beating
You can see it through my chest
I took Jake's hand, and we began somewhat of a fast waltz, with me ending up leaning against his front.
That I'm terrified, but I'm not leaving
I know that I must pass this test
So just pull the trigger…
We chose this song because we understood what she was talking about. She was talking about ending an abusive relationship.
Say a prayer to yourself
He says close your eyes, sometimes it helps
Bailey twisted in Cole's arms, sweat dripping down her forehead. She held the same determined look.
Then I get a scary thought
That he's here means he's never lost…
Jake dipped me, leaning back. I trusted that he wouldn't drop me.
He would never drop me.
And you can see my heart beating
You can see it through my chest
I wondered if he could. My heart was pounding so hard I was surprised it hadn't burst out of my ribcage.
That I'm terrified, but I'm not leaving
I know that I must pass this test
So just pull the trigger
As my life flashes before my eyes
My life suddenly flashed before me.
I saw me and my father, running along the length of the beach, him scooping me up to give his baby girl a kiss. My mom smiled, and reached in to tickle me.
Then, it flashed again. A group of men stood, holding a coffin draped with a flag. They marched in sync.
I looked to my father, who had tears streaming down his face and onto the collar of his blue uniform. I clutched him as the guns went off, and he clutched me.
"I want mommy back." I whispered.
"Me too." He whispered back, his voice trembling.
I'm wondering will I
And, suddenly, I was back in my old kitchen. Trevor was hovering over me. He pulled up his pants, and evil smile on his face. I was sobbing, curled up in a corner. Suddenly, the door was flung open. Trevor whipped around.
"MADDY!" My father screamed. He pulled out a gun.
Ever see another sunrise
Trevor ran at him, knocking him to the ground. While the two scuffled, I dialed a number I'd never thought I'd dial. Or I hoped.
"911, what's your emergency?"
I was about to answer her when, suddenly, I heard a gunshot. I turned around, dropping the phone.
Trevor pointed the gun at my father, who's before blue suit was now a dark red. He choked and sputtered, blood foaming at the edges of his mouth.
So many won't get the chance to say goodbye
"DADDY!" I cried, running to his side. Trevor pointed the gun at me, but the sound of sirens made him drop it, running out.
I knelt by my father, crying, holding his bloody hand.
"I….love….you." He choked out, the blood dripping out of the corner of his mouth. Tears fell onto my bare shoulders.
But it's too late to think of the value of my life….
Suddenly, I began dancing, harder, faster. Something drove me to perform better, with a sort of vengeance.
And you can see my heart beating
My heart beat faster. The memories had brought back not anger, but determination. I wanted, like Bailey, to show he couldn't break me.
You can see it through my chest
I wouldn't let him.
That I'm terrified
But I'm not leaving
I wasn't gonna leave tonight as Maddy the Rape Victim.
I know that I must pass this test….
I would leave Maddy the Champion.
So just pull the trigger….
As the gunshot signaled the end of our song, I heard only silence. My heart about stopped.
Then, tumultuous applause.
I grinned to the crowd and waved as we were ushered backstage.
Ziva's POV:
I crossed my fingers as the MC came back out.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we had the best that D.C has to offer out here tonight. But only one can leave to compete in nationals."
I sat up straighter.
"We had a very close tie, people. But, ultimately, we managed to choose a winner." The MC opened the envelope in his hand.
"Ladies and gentlemen, congratulations to central D.C's Stereo Soldiers."
The auditorium erupted in applause, along with some whoops and cheers from Tony. Maddy, followed by the rest of the group, walked out onto the stage, waving as they were congratulated and wished us good luck at nationals.
Maddy's POV:
"Oh my god, Jake! We're going, we're going!" I cried. Jake smiled.
"I know, Maddy, I was there."
"Hey, great job." A dark-skinned boy dressed in black approached me. I let go of Jake. He didn't seem to be fazed. "I'm Darren. We were tied with you." He gestured to the boys behind him, all dressed the same.
I suddenly felt a little guilty. "Yeah. Umm-"
Sensing my discomfort, he quickly shook his head. "No! We just came to say congrats. Time for a new winner to step up." He stuck out his hand. I took it.
"Good luck at nationals. And good luck with beating the Demons."
I felt confused. "What?"
But the boy had left, along with his group, leaving me standing with Jake.
I turned back to Jake, a grin across my face. "Come on, let's get going."
We started to walk out when we saw the curtains shift by the edge of the stage. Tiptoeing, I walked over to it.
I peeked inside to find Bailey and Cole locked in a deep kiss.
I grinned and pointed. Jake grinned.
"Great job, kiddo!" Tony whooped in the car ride home.
"I'm so proud of you, tateleh." Ziva said, smiling from the front seat.
We pulled into the driveway of our house. I got out of the backseat, Jake closely following.
"I'll walk from here, to my house." Jake said, smiling. My eyes met his.
Suddenly, I threw my arms around him. My lips met his, shaping around in circles while his did the same. I shut my eyes, trying to enjoy my first kiss. A kind of fire controlled me. His hands, wrapped around my waist, held me to him. The fire spread from my heart to my toes and fingers, heating me in the crisp air. I ran my fingers through his dark-brown hair, and, he in return, ran his hands through my golden-brown locks. I broke the kiss, staring into his eyes.
"I wish I didn't have to go." I whispered.
"Me neither." He whispered back.
I turned away, and then got into a giggling fit.
"What?" Jake asked.
"And I say I gotta go." I said, pointing at Tony and Ziva, who were also engaged in a makeout session. Ziva, however, was more aggressive than me. She had him shoved up against the car. Me and Jake laughed.
"Well, I'm almost sure I'll have to deal with headboard banging tonight." I sighed. Jake laughed, then kissed me again. "Bye."
"Bye." I waved goodbye.
Kind of a crappy chapter, I know.
But, still, please, REVIEW!
MLA Citation:
Harmony, Chuck, Ne-Yo. Lyrics. "Russian Roulette." Rated R. MP3. Def Jam Records. 2009. April 11. 2012
-Vi