Chapter 5!
Apple swiped the lip gloss once more over her perfectly red lips.
"Perfect!" She was wearing a gold and white top and white cargo shorts and white and gold combat boots. She was ready! She took her backpack and her group list and prepared to head to a clearing outside of Book End.
It was Wednesday afternoon, and classes had let out early for the Gnome Community Building Project. Apple and Maddie had been too busy to make groups, so she asked Blondie to do it for her. Blondie has put her in a group with Blondie herself, Daring, Briar, and Hopper.
Raven told Apple she was in a group with Kitty, Sparrow, Cerise and Cedar. She seemed noticeably sad when she ended up in a different group than Dexter. Apple grilled her about it later when Raven revealed they were dating! Aww...how unusually cute!
She took her backpack and headed out, ready to face the day.
—
Maddie sighed and pulled the rest of her hair into a messy bun. Her hair was absolutely crazy sometimes, which she loved, but didn't love too much right now. Maddie wore a turquoise polo shirt with purple and white cargo pants and similar boots. The day was going to be exhausting, she already knew.
Her group roster consisted of Tucker, Gus Crumb, Rosabella, and Ginger. She didn't mind anyone at school really, but none of her close friends were there, besides Ginger.
She took her backpack and placed Earl Grey inside one of the side pockets. Taking her roster, she headed outside to where a grand carriage would take students to the meadow.
—
Bunny was ecstatic when she reached the meadow. Alistair, Faybelle, Lizzie and Hunter Huntsman was in her group! Everything seemed to be going A-OK!
She looked around at the gnomes, who crowded around the fairyteens when they arrived. A little one, named Cheemo, liked to follow Bunny around.
"They're so cute!" she exclaimed to Alistair. He beamed and picked Cheemo up. "Hey there, fella, we're going to build you a beautiful garden."
Cheemo thanked Alistair and Bunny and they set him down.
The garden project had branched out to be more than creating a garden. More people wanted to chip in then the student council thought, so they decided they would also do home renovation. Bunny and Alistair were in a gardening team.
More students arrived, and soon Apple and Maddie came to the clearing with a megaphone, ready to announce the day's activities.
"Hello, and welcome, everyone!" Apple exclaimed. People began to cheer. "We are here to help the gnomes make a garden and build a home! It's going to be fantastic, am I right?" The crowd roared louder. Apple smiled sweetly and passed the megaphone to Maddie.
"Hi, everyone, and thank you for coming to this event," Maddie said. She sounded a bit lively… but not Maddie-level lively. "Remember that everyone is divided into groups of 5 people or more and will focus on an aspect of the project. We will work together until 8 pm, when dinner will be served to the gnomes and those who donated for supplies. Thank you." Maddie handed the megaphone to Apple and tried to get back to her group.
"Maddie are you okay?" someone asked her when she was passing by. Maddie didn't pay any attention and went back to her group, who was at the back.
Maddie reached her group when she saw someone she wasn't expecting to be there. Alistair was standing with a half smile on his face.
"Hey, Maddie," he said. Maddie sighed. "What's going on?"
Ginger piped up. "Gus didn't want to be in the same group as me, so he asked Headmaster Grimm if he could switch groups, and he switched Gus with Alistair."
Maddie shook her head. "Great, just great."
Alistair looked at Maddie hopefully. "We're going to have fun today, Maddie."
Maddie couldn't stay mad at him. She really had no reason to be mad at him. "I'm sure we will."
—
Bunny looked away from her group to Maddie's. Why was Alistair in a new group! And Maddie's too! Maddie would probably be angry at Alistair and ruin his entire experience! The more Bunny thought about it, the angrier she got.
"Bunny, focus! Apple said we can start planting the flowers—over there," Faybelle announced, yanking Bunny's arm. Bunny had no choice but to forget Alistair and Maddie and follow her group.
—-
"Could you pass me a hammer?" Ginger asked Maddie. She nodded and handed her friend a hammer. Ginger was good at building houses, even ones that weren't made out of candy.
The small houses they were building would replace the old mushrooms that some of the gnomes lived in. The houses were shaped liked the mushrooms the gnomes lived in, so it would be the same. Ginger and Rosabella carefully put the houses together, while Tucker moved in the tiny furniture with the help of the gnomes. Alistair and Maddie finished by painting the houses. It was a quick process really, when other groups were helping out too.
Maddie felt her mood lighten up. She liked to help people, it was fun. Her sudden anger at Alistair seemed to fade momentarily.
"Hey Alistair, do you think Cheemo prefers a blue mushroom, or a polka dotted mushroom?" Maddie asked.
Alistair smiled; at least Maddie was getting a bit better.
"Um, I think Cheemo would want a regular colored mushroom? Red top, white bottom?" Alistair laughed.
Maddie pouted. "Alistair, you're so boring sometimes." She laughed and dipped her paintbrush in the white paint bucket, painting the base of the house white.
"Hey Maddie," Alistair murmured. Maddie looked up before Alistair flicked paint on her with his paintbrush. Maddie gasped. "Silly Alistair, that must have been a mistake!" In return, she put a red streak on Alistair's face, and he gasped.
"Now we're even."
—
Kitty was getting bored of helping the gnomes. It was fun and all, but gardening wasn't really her thing. She threw her spade on the dirt and poofed, reappearing on a tree nearby.
Raven noticed and placed her hands on her hips. "Kitty, you have to help!" she shouted.
"Hmm… later," she purred. She closed her eyes and stretched out on the branch. Exasperated, Raven gave up and returned to her duty.
Kitty opened one eye lazily and looked at the festivity below her. Everyone seemed to be actively participating. How noble of them all.
She watched the crowd, until her eye landed on Maddie. She hadn't really talked to the girl in a while, even though they shared a room. She was with Alistair… and she was laughing? Kitty watched as Alistair flicked paint at Maddie before she painted his face. Maddie erupted into giggles.
"Huh," Kitty said to herself. "Maddie's angry at him one second, and laughing with him the next! It's like she can't control her emotions around him."
Suddenly, a strange thought came into Kitty's mind. It was a thought that could be true. It could also be false. But if it was true, Kitty understood everything that had led up to this.
"Does my dear friend Madeline like Alistair? Oh my, this is a series of unexpected events!" She smirked to herself… then went back to sleep.
—-
Maddie scrubbed her face with a tiny cloth Cheemo gave her. Really, it was his blanket. Maddie and Alistair had been scolded severely by the headmaster after their mini paint war. Nonetheless, within a few hours, the gnome's neighborhood was complete!
It was time for the dinner, and everyone had assigned seats. Maddie didn't get to sit next to Alistair, but sat at a table with Raven.
"Raven!"
"Maddie!"
The two girls embraced and sat down.
"How was your group?" Maddie asked. Raven shrugged. "Okay! Kitty barely worked though, no surprise there. What about you?"
Maddie shrugged. "It was okay. Alistair got switched into my group."
Raven laughed. "Ginger told me what happened. Have you forgiven him… for whatever he did?"
Maddie got quiet. "I dunno. I was never mad at him… I just chose to express my anger at him. I'm not mad at him."
Raven nodded. She didn't want to press her friend if she was feeling comfortable. The chefs prepared heaps of spaghetti and meatballs for the gnomes and students, with a side of a garlic bread. Raven watched Maddie spoon into her meal happily. She even conversed with the other people at her table!
She was upset, and took her anger out at Alistair. She then became happier after spending some time with him. What did this all mean?
Wait….
Did Maddie have a crush on Alistair?
Raven gasped quietly and sneaked glances at Maddie every now and then. Maddie would often glance back at the table where Alistair sat. He once met her eyes and smiled, and Maddie grinned back.
Maddie liked Alistair.
So what was the problem? Why couldn't her friend tell him?
Raven glanced back at Alistair's table and saw Duchess, Darling, Hunter, Ashlynn and…Bunny. Suddenly she remembered.
"Guys is it obvious that I'm crushing on Bunny?" Alistair had asked.
Oh. Alistair and Bunny were madly in love with each other, but thought the other one wasn't interested. Raven sighed.
So that's why Maddie wouldn't tell her friend how she really felt. Raven had questions.
When did Maddie start to like Alistair?
When did Bunny start to like Alistair? When did he start to like her?
Has she ever liked anyone else?
Was she really okay?
Raven felt that Maddie had mastered the art of concealing her true feelings until now. She was always so happy-go-lucky, cause that was her destiny. To be mad. And everyone relied on her and liked her. She was friendly, she was the ultimate sidekick, the person you could always count on.
Maybe that was the problem. Maddie wasn't all those things that everyone wanted her to be. And her crush on Alistair was affecting that. Her mood was turning sour and everyone noticed she wasn't as sweet and fun as she used to be.
"Raven?" a voice broke her out of her thoughts.
"Yes Maddie?"
"Are you going to eat your spaghetti? It's going to get cold."
Raven smiled and picked up her fork. "Thanks Maddie."
"A true friend never lets their friend's spaghetti go cold."
Raven laughed, and lit up a little when Maddie joined in too.
Sorry if this chapter sucked epically, too. The reason why Maddie doesn't know that Raven knows about her crush is cause Maddie was too busy staring at Alistair to listen to the Narrator (Brooke) narrate Raven's thoughts. Sorry if this seems unclear. Review and send me any questions! Until next time!
Infinity