So what do you wear on a real date? Wait, I'd been on a real date before, I have to have been. Me, Madison Evans had to have been on a real date before. Yes, with Lucas whatever his name was...but no, that was just making out in the back of his car. Right so I went on a date with Kyle Lewis...no, that was just necking behind the bleachers while coach went on a wild tangent about sit spins. I can't believe my first actual date is going to be with Dean Portman. Why did I say yes again, oh right because he had just kissed me, the best kiss I'd ever had I might add, and I was out of my mind! God, this is horrible, I have absolutely nothing to wear, this has never happened to me before, I always have a snappy comeback or a daring outfit to scare all the women still living in the 50's with their cover your ankles attitude. Oh, I really have nothing to wear, I turned around from my mental fight with myself to see to Tammy and Fulton seating together, I mean actually sitting together and having a civil conversation. Are my eyes deceiving me? No, and she's not snapping back like her usual self. I stepped closer to listen in.
"Look, I'm sorry. I know it was a cruel thing to do to make you do all that." He said. She didn't respond, just sat quietly and stared at the ice.
"I must seem like such an ass right now but I just came over to tell you that you and Madison are welcome here anytime. I acted like a jerk and I'm sorry." He said walking away quick before she could say anything. She stood quickly to follow him and I stepped out behind her,
"Guess what?" I asked, trying not to act excited but losing the battle as I bounced on the balls of my feet.
"What?" She asked still really distracted.
"I have a date next Friday with Dean!" Okay, so I was a little loud and then I did something so unimaginable, I grabbed her into a hug and squeezed really tight.
"Madison, you're going to choke me!" Tammy whispered, patting my back slightly.
"That's a good thing?" She joked when I let her go. Was is a good thing, I guess, it's what I wanted originally, another name to add to my list of men.
"Yes, it's a great thing and guess what?" I shouted again, not realizing how loud I was being.
"What? Don't you want to go?" she asked starting up the stairs.
"This means that we don't have to do this stuff anymore." I said racing her up the stairs. Her face was priceless just like I knew it would be, she had gotten attached again and I was taking away her reason to see him. I suddenly felt a little bad, she looked like she was going to cry but sucked it up and turned back towards the ice one last time. Was she saying goodbye?
"What do you mean I don't have to bring you here for practices?" She asked, a trembling in her voice. Was she thinking about Fulton again?
"Yeah, but you still owe me that shopping trip and I think we should go on Friday so I can find something to wear on this date!" Tammy sighed a little, leading me out of the arena.
It was a nice day, the following Friday, the sun shining as we drove around in Tammy's convertible. I leaned back in the seat and stared upwards, hoping for some sort of sign on how the night was to go but there was nothing up prefect, cloudless sky. Maybe is spoke for itself. Tammy looked deep in thought as we continued down the main road and to the edge of town in search of the small vintage shop I had located in the phone book.
"It has to be around here somewhere.." I mumbled out loud. searching the side streets for any sign of a clothing store that carried clothes I would actually wear. There was nothing out here but trees and road, I was beginning to think we should turn back when I noticed a sign coming up on the right side of the car.
"What's that?" I wondered out loud again, Tammy stopping at the sign. It was hanging outside an old gate. 'Timeless Beauty Crafts' was the sign name and Tammy seemed to want to stop and check it out so we pulled over and decided to walk in. There was a fair amount of cars in the driveway to a beautiful house. It was two stories high with two beautiful picture windows in the front and a wrap around porch leading to the lake out back. The porch was lined with chairs for sale, really beautiful. Tammy stopped fast halfway there and stood still, almost unable to move.
"This is my house." She said silently. What was she talking about, she didn't owe a house. Her and Scott hadn't even decided where they were going to live yet.
"Tammy? What's wrong?" I asked grabbing her arm with slight force to pull her forward, what was wrong with this girl, just when I was starting to like her.
"I need to get out of here." She said turning to run.
"Tammy?" I turned quickly, feeling like I was suddenly stuck in the middle of something much bigger than I anticipated. Fulton stood on the porch and watched as Tammy began to run for the car. What was going on? Before I could make sense of anything, Fulton pushed passed me and chased her, grabbing tightly unto her arm, turning her to him.
"Tammy?" He yelled again. I just stood there not sure what to do.
"What is this Fulton, a joke? Are you trying to make this into some kind of love story?" She was red in the face and ready to explode, I had never her seen her lose her cool the way she was now.
"What? No, I made you a promise and I fulfilled it!" He yelled back. "I could never move in, so I made it my store." The tears were coming down her face.
"Why? Why did you do this? You should have just let the past die!" Here we go again, they were getting into another fight. What was up with these two, couldn't they just ever get alone and admit they were still in love with each other. Wait, did I just admit that, that the woman that was supposed to marry my brother in less than a month was now in the arms of her ex-lover and I had no intention of breaking it up or telling anyone what i saw.
"Because I love you!" He yelled grabbing her face. "I love you, Tammy." He whispered again. Okay, so I realized in that second that no matter how much I didn't want to admit it, I did indeed have a heart and it was breaking for these two in front of me. Why couldn't they just admit what they wanted, it would be so much easier. I felt a ping of jealously for what they have hit me and before i could address it, Tammy was pushing Fulton away and running for the car.
"I have to go." She yelled walking quickly to the car. I ran after her, passing the heart broken Fulton,
"I'm so sorry, Fulton.." I said just loud enough for him to hear. He nodded appreciatively in passing and I ran to catch up to Tammy.
"Tammy! Open the door!" I shouted at the top of my lungs banging on her shut bedroom door. I could hear sniffling and whimpering but nothing else coming from the room. Come on, would she just open the door and talk to me, I really didn't care whether she was in love with Fulton and not my Brother at this point, I just wanted to know what was going on. She hadn't said a word the entire ride back to her house
"Tammy! I swear I'll tell Scott everything I know if you don't open this door!" I yelled pounding once again against the hard oak frame. The door swung open and she appeared, looking tired and her eyes red, I almost felt sorry for her. She backed away to let me in and I moved into her room. It was dimly lit with the setting sun, she hadn't bothered to turn on a light and the room was a mess as if she had been digging in the drawers of the dresser looking for something. The sound of the door shutting turned my attention back to her as she made her way back to the bed to curl up into a ball.
"Tammy, I know we're not friends. Hell, I know you hate me and you have every reason to. I've tried every excuse in the book to get you to not marry my Brother but that was before I came here. Before I saw all this." I said motioning to the room with my hands. "Tammy, everyone here loves you, You have a past here, and I think maybe your future is here too." She didn't turn to look at me but the cry had stopped.
"I don't know what happened between you and Fulton and I don't expect you to tell me but I know if I guy loved me that much I wouldn't care who stood in the way of us being together." I finished my sentence and turned to leave, it was obvious she didn't care what I thought. Why would she, I'm just Madison Evans. I reached the door and extended my arm to grip the knob when her voice cracked,
"I didn't mean for this to happen...You have to believe that I love Scott, I would never hurt him."
"That's you problem, Tammy. You care about everyone but yourself and you hurt the people closest to you when you do that!" I said spinning around to face her.
"I know, I just don't know what to feel. I love him but I can't. It's been 7 years, I've made so many promises to so many people, I told him to go on! I didn't want him to do this!" She started to scream and cry at the same time, I had never seen her this way before. Before I could duck she had flung a picture at the wall next to me and it smashed into a million pieces, collecting at the base of the wall. And I thought I had anger problems. She collapsed at the end of the bed in a pile and started to cry hysterically into her sweatshirt. I was unsure of what to do, was I supposed to act like the supportive sister, was I supposed to turn and walk out, leaving her to her own thoughts. This is when I truly felt like my life had changed. The old Madison would have turned and walked out on this girl who felt like everyone in the world was against her but when I looked down at her, I saw myself, I saw someone who needed a friend. So without thinking I placed the bag I had collected from our shopping trip down on the chair next to the door and knelt down next to her, placing a comforting hand on her back. Her tear stained eyes looked up at me and without saying a word we had an understanding.
"I miss him so much, Madison!" She cried as I let her have my shoulder. The picture that collected at the bottom of the wall was that of a group of teenage kids in green and yellow hockey gear.
The night air hit my bare legs as I exited the Duncan house at a quarter after 7 that night. Whoever said that dressing up for a girl was wearing a dress was seriously mistaken, I mean, my butt is freezing and where is he? He said 7, he's already late and on top of that, did I mention I'm freezing? Just as I was about to rush back into the warmth of the house an old beat up Chevy Impala turned the corning playing some hard rock music I didn't recognize. It stopped right in front of me and the drive leaned over the passenger's seat to smile his goofy grin at me.
"Move over, Romeo." I snipped opening the door for myself as he didn't seem to be getting out to help me in.
"You look nice tonight." He mentioned casually, pulling away from the curb. Was that supposed to be a compliment? I shrugged at him,
"Thanks. Look we need to talk..." I turned slightly in my seat to face him as he drove. "It seems we have something in common.." I started as a smiled played on his lips.
"Oh, Yeah and what would that be?" I rolled my eyes a little, how did anyone have a conversation this guy.
"Look, your friend is in love with my friend and they need to just admit it so everyone else can get on with their lives." He smiled a little bit more,
"So you really like me?" He smiled away as I rolled my eyes again, leaning back in the seat.
"If I was going to talk in metaphors I'd let you know." I mumbled, covering my eyes. God, he was so thick! Maybe I'll just save this conversation for later.