Madison screamed as she fell about three feet. Her arm stiffened and she looked up. She saw Odd holding her hand keeping her from dropping twenty feet. He pulled her up and she embraced him still crying a little. Odd helped her climb down the tree and by the time they were at the bottom, she had stopped crying. She was still really scared. Odd grabbed her backpack and gave it to Madison. She silently put it on. Madison looked at her watch.
"We have five minutes to get to class" she whispered.
"Race?" Odd asked.
"Sure, the last one wasn't fair, and thanks" They ran off to math class. They arrived breathless at the math room. Yumi, Alexis, and Aelita were already there. They sat down and the bell rang.
"Odd, answer the equation on the board" Mrs. Lemons commanded.
"Ugh, I don't know" He answered.
"Madison, would you like to help him?" Mrs. Lemons asked.
"Sure" Madison answered.
"You can come up here and solve it"
"Okay" She said while getting up. She answered the equation with great ease.
"Good job Miss. Gurgi" Mrs. Lemons said.
"Thanks" Madison sat back down. Odd's eyes were huge. She smiled.
"I never knew you were good at math"
"I'm supposed to be in ninth grade math but my parents wouldn't let me be in another advanced class because they wanted me to be in the same level as Alexis so I can help her"
"Will you help me with my math homework?"
"Sure, but what about Jeremie?"
"I can't understand a word he says" Odd said making Madison laugh.
"Odd, Madison, is there something you would like to share with the class?" Mrs. Lemons cut in.
"I never knew she was good at math!" Odd yelled.
"Why yes she is, her grades last year are way better than yours have been your whole life, Madison, maybe you should help him with his work, maybe Ulrich too, if you know him"
"Yes, I know him" Madison said shyly.
"Last year those two had the worst grades in the whole school. And last year you had the best grades in the state of Minnesota. And you were in a more advanced class, your grades were better than anyone's here, even better than Jeremie's. I think we have a star pupil!" Madison just looked down making her hair hide her entire face, She could feel the stares. The bell rang and she, Odd, Alexis, Yumi, and Aelita left.
"Madison, why didn't you tell us you were good at math?" Yumi asked.
"You never asked" Madison replied calmly.
"And of course she's shy, she doesn't want to be known as a freaky math girl" Alexis added trying to be mean.
Madison just looked down at her feet. Odd saw this and piped up. "Then how come you didn't tell us Alexis?"
"Because then you would want to be friends with her and not me"
"I knew it" Madison said lifting her head up crying. She ran off to who knows where.
When Odd went to English, Ulrich and Jeremie were already there. But no Madison. He was about to go look for her but then she walked in with her head hung low. She sat down at their table next to him.
"Madison, are you okay?" Odd asked her. She nodded and a tear fell hitting her notebook. Odd couldn't see her face because her hair was in the way. He imagined that she was depressed and miserable and her eyes were red and puffy from crying for the past ten minutes. He leaned over and gave her a side hug.
"I'll explain later" She whispered.
"Okay"
At the end of class, Odd walked with Madison to their next class.
"Where were you?" he asked her.
"I was talking to my mom" she answered.
"And"
"I have to move"
"What! You can't move! We need you! I need you!"
"I have no choice, they want Alexis to stay here but me to move" She started crying.
"Why do they want you to move?"
"So I can go to a gifted school and then I won't be considered a math freak"
"Where is this school?"
"Australia"
"Australia! You can't move to Australia!"
"But yet, I don't have a choice"
"When would you be leaving?"
"Tomorrow morning"
"No, you can't move!" He said hugging her. She just cried more.
"You really are a cry baby" Sam said as she walked by.
"Shut up Sam" Odd said sternly. Sam turned back around.
"What did you say Della Robia?"
"I told you to shut up, you have no clue what's going on"
"Oh, but yet, I do"
"Whatever" Odd said taking Madison's hand and started walking again.
"You know, you don't always have to stand up for me" Madison said quietly still crying a little bit.
"I know, but I want to" he said. She kissed his cheek.
"You're the best" she said. She kissed his cheek.
"You're the best" she said as they walked into History hand in hand. Aelita was already there so they started talking about XANA. Odd and Madison decided they would tell the others the bad news after classes. Class started and they got to work.
When class was over they went to science. Madison tried to forget about it but she couldn't. Neither could Odd. She was dazed. She couldn't pay attention in class. When lunch came around, neither Madison nor Odd were hungry. They went to her room and found Alexis looking in the mirror at herself. Odd sat down on Madison's bed. Madison started packing all of her sports equipment into a box.
"What are you doing?" Alexis asked.
"Packing" Madison answered.
"Why?"
"I'm moving"
"Where to? Odd's dorm?"
"No, Australia"
"Australia! I can't move to Australia! I have a boyfriend!"
"You're not moving, I am"
"Why aren't I moving?"
"I'm going to a gifted and talented school there"
"So, when are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow morning"
"Well, I hope you have fun in Australia"
"I don't even want to go!"
"Then why are you?"
"Mom and dad are making me, they think it's the best for me but little do they know that it's bad for the whole world"
"How can it be bad for the whole world?"
"XANA"
"Oh my gosh, I completely forgot about him. If I had thought about him I never would have told them that I thought that you should go to a gifted and talented school"
"You're the one that started this!"
"Umm…..maybe….."
"Alexis! You really do ruin my life!" She stood up and ran out of the room. Odd chased after her. Alexis stood up and went to the cafeteria.
Odd chased Madison to the park where she ran to the tree where she had almost fallen to her death. She sat at the base of the tree and held her knees close to her body. Odd found her and dropped down beside her. He kissed her lightly on the top of her forehead. She slowly looked at him. She wrapped her arms around him and cried on his shoulder.
"How did you know Alexis was trying to make herself look better?" Odd asked her. She sat up and took her backpack off and pulled out her notebook and handed it to Odd. He opened it up and read it. "When did you write this?"
"Write before I fell out of the tree this morning" she answered quietly.
"Madison! You're not stupid! You're the third smartest person I know after Jeremie and Aelita"
"I sure feel stupid"
"Madison!" he said. Her phone rang.
"It's my mom" Madison said looking at the caller ID.
"Tell her how you feel"
"Okay, Hello?"
"Hi honey, it's mom" her mom said.
"Hi mom"
"Are you okay? You sound as if you've been crying"
"I have been"
"Why"
"I don't want to move, I like it here, I have friends!"
"I'm sorry honey, we already have your plane ticket and it's all taken care of"
"But mom"
"You're already registered at that school and you're going" her mom said. Madison dropped her phone and ran away leaving her phone and backpack.
"Honey? Madison? Madison!" her mom yelled through the phone. Odd picked it up and placed it to his ear.
"I'll have her call you back" Odd said.
"Who are you?"
"My names Odd"
"Tell it to me anyway"
"My name is Odd Della Robia"
"Are you Alexis' boyfriend?"
"No, Madison's"
"Madison has a boyfriend!"
"Yeah, I wouldn't lie"
"Where'd Madison go?"
"She ran, and fast"
"I need to talk to her"
"I'll chase after her, again"
"How many times have you chased after her before?"
"Umm……four"
"Wow, she runs a lot"
"You're telling me"
"Where is she?"
"I don't know where she went, I'll have her call you back, class is about to start"
"Okay" she said and with that he pushed the end button.