So here's what was left from the last chapter. Things are starting to build. :)
Madge peeked out from behind Gale, getting a close up of the bulging veins he had barely finished criticizing. She'd barely seen them herself, but they seemed to always be on display when Gale was nearby.
"Hey, Gale was just here dropping off some food from Haymitch. He wasn't here to see me or anything." The sentence was jumbled and barely intelligible, but by the look on Beau's face an explanation for Gale's presence was required.
"Yeah, I was just here because of my uncle," Gale added, his voice nonchalant and uncaring. "I was going to drop the box off on the porch, but I didn't want Haymitch to bitch at me. Personally, I could care less if she eats."
"Yeah, he could care less about me." The more Madge spoke the worse she felt the situation was getting. It would probably be better if she waited to speak after Gale left.
The blonde cringed when Gale started chuckling. "Now isn't that just downright adorable? You brought ice cream just big enough for the two of you to share. You going to share the same spoon too? Well, that's just too gosh darn cute." Beau marched up the stairs until he was standing chest to chest with Gale. She wished he would stop laughing. "Oh there's that bulging vein!" He slid away from Beau, his hands held in the air. "I should go before this turns into West Side Story. It's a shame I didn't bring my dancing shoes or I'd be more than willing to partake."
He waved his hand in the air as he departed, but Madge barely noticed as Beau was already marching through the front door, passed the living room and into her kitchen.
"I know you're a marathon eater," Beau started, looking down at the leftover food, "But even you couldn't eat this fast. Now I'm a little confused. Outside you said he just dropped the food off, but that's not what it looks like to me, Madge!"
"This looks bad, I know that."
"It looks a little worse than just 'bad!' What is going on? What am I looking at?"
"Will you stop yelling? I'm trying to explain, but you're not letting me get a single word in."
"What was he doing here, Madge? I just don't get it! You said you wanted to be alone!"
"I did!"
"And yet here you are, not alone. What do you think that says to me?"
"It says your girlfriend intended to spend the night alone, but¾"
"It's my fault!" Delly interrupted.
Beau looked shaken by Delly's sudden outburst. Madge was positive he didn't even notice she was in the room.
"I saw Gale the last time I visited Madge and I thought he was really cute. I'm not really good at the whole 'Hey good lookin,' isn't this the right shade of lip gloss?' So when he came over to deliver the food for Madge, I made her invite him to stay. It's not Madge's fault," Delly added in a much lower voice, "So you can stop yelling at her."
Beau looked uncomfortable and as if he couldn't fathom an appropriate response.
Delly stood up, "I think I'm going to go now."
Madge nodded, watching as she moved into the living room to grab her things.
Beau sighed, "So Delly likes Gale?"
"Yeah."
"Alright, I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
"Okay." Madge blinked at her boyfriend. "Bye, I'm sorry about all of this."
Beau nodded, glancing back at her before leaving out the back door, the ice cream he had brought over left forgotten on the counter.
Delly came back into the kitchen, coat and bags in hand. "So I think I'm going to actually leave this time."
"Why did you do that?" Madge asked.
"I don't know. It just seemed like the right thing to do."
"You should stay."
"I think I've stayed long enough. You don't have to feel bad for me because my parents are gone."
Madge shook her head. "No, c'mon, stay over. I mean it."
"Like a sleepover? Braiding hair and pillow fights?"
"More like movie marathons and probably more food."
Delly placed her hand on her stomach. "I don't think I can handle any more food."
"C'mon, don't wimp out on me. I'll start training you to eat like a Donner."
Delly laughed, dropping her bags on the floor. "If I'm going to stay, I'm going to need to borrow pajamas."
"Then it's a good thing that I've been doing laundry all day."
xx
They were halfway through the second season of Portlandia (a show Delly had never heard of, much less watched).
"He likes you, you know," Delly said, she reached over into the bowl of popcorn on Madge's lap.
"I sure hope so, I've been dating him for long enough," Madge chuckled.
"I wasn't talking about Beau."
Madge furrowed her eyebrows. "Then I don't know who you're talking about."
The blonde beside her brought her feet up, tucking them underneath her. "I'm talking about Gale. He likes you."
Madge choked on a piece of popcorn. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Gale," Delly paused, "the cute tall surly guy who knows an astonishing amount of information about literature and delivered an insane amount of food to your door, that guy, he likes you."
"We're just friends."
"Yeah, I know that. I'm just saying. You know, I've always wondered what it was like to have two guys fighting for my affection."
"I don't," Madge murmured, suddenly uncomfortable with the conversation.
"You do. It's nothing to be ashamed of. I know people think you're innocent, but you obviously know how to work your feminine wiles."
"What feminine wiles? What are you even talking about?"
"Nothing," Delly took another handful of popcorn. "I'm just saying good work, Donner."
Madge shook her head. "Just shut up and watch the show. You're missing the Women and Women First bookstore."
xx
"And I think Beau's still mad, but I'm going to spend the entire day with him smoothing it over," Madge explained to her mother, who had returned early from her spa weekend trip. She took another drink from her cup of coffee. It was a blessing that Gale was working up toward the counter. She'd been dying to tell her mother about the incident since it happened.
"I hope that goes over well, babe. I know how sensitive Beau can be about you-know-who," her mother added, her voice descending into a whisper.
"This is so frustrating. He knows I love him."
"I know, babe. It'll blow over soon. He'll get over it. It wasn't your fault."
Madge stood, grabbing her jacket. "I'll get the check." She sauntered over to the counter, "I just want to thank you for sending the care package over, Haymitch. That was really nice of you."
His dark eyebrows rose and furrowed in confusion. "I'll take the thanks, but I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Gale said¾," she started before shaking her head. "Never mind."
She handed cash to Gale along with the bill. "Haymitch doesn't know about any care packages in my name."
"Yeah, well he's getting up there in years." Gale cringed, fumbling to break a new roll of quarters.
"You're squirming!"
He glanced back at her, "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"I've never seen you squirm. I didn't know it was possible, but here I am."
"Yes, here you are."
"I guess my thanks should be directed toward you."
"In thanks you should answer my question from last night," he leaned onto the counter, his signature smirk lifting the edge of his mouth.
"What question?"
"Team Jacob or Team Edward?"
Madge glared. "Can I have my change?"
Gale chuckled, a smile lighting up his features. "Here, a guy has to ask."
"I didn't even finish the series."
His eyes widened. "You actually finished more than one book? How many, Madge? New Moon? Breaking Dawn? Please don't say Breaking Dawn."
"I'm not going to talk to you. You're just going to hold it over my head."
He shrugged. "I'm just going to assume it's Breaking Dawn since you didn't say otherwise."
"I don't like you very much, Gale."
He brought his hand to his heart. "You're breaking my heart, Donner." He placed her change into her open palm, his fingers sliding over her wrist. "Have a great day! And make sure to come again!"
She rolled her eyes. "I know you have embarrassing secrets, Hawthorne."
"Wrong. I'm as cool as they come."
Madge narrowed her eyes at him, before turning to leave. Everyone had guilty pleasures, even someone like Gale Hawthorne.
Thanks for reading!