Earlier that day
I was never one to take no for an answer. After all I always got my way. Sure it would take persuasion and promises, but at the end of the day it was my way. So you could completely understand when I tell you I don't do anything unless I want to.
"Come on Lane. It'll be fun" my best friend whined.
She rarely ever whines and when she does she really wants something. Normally when she acts like this she wants something outrageous. But of course she will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Kind of like me. But then again we are so different people wonder why we are even friends.
First off, she is so sweet and nice while I'm more spiteful and easily irritated. Im never irritated with her though even though sometimes when I tell her something that is not complicated to anyone else but it is to her and i have to explain it several times slowly before she grasps what I'm saying. I only have patience with her. With anyone else if they don't understand what I'm saying then I snap at them telling them how much of an idiot they are.
With Maddy its so different.
" Maddy I dont sing so my answer is heck no." I said as I grab a chicken salad and a plum from the lunch line. We start to shift down the line towards the cash register.
" Come on! Please! It'll be fun. And guess what." She nudged my side with her elbow.
I rolled my eyes. " What, Maddy?"
" Ryder is gonna be there too." She smiled slyly at me and wiggles her eyebrows in that suggestive way.
Ryder is by far the most cutest guy at our school. He's the captain of the soccer team and has a dazzling smile. He practically has all the girls of Eastwood High at his feet. Well, expect for me and Mads. We've known each other since we were kids. We aren't best friends like me and Maddy are but we are pretty close. Maybe that's another reason why almost every girl here hates me. I don't mind. I like that way especially with a little fear.
"Ryder and I are just friends." I sighed. She just can't - no- won't get it out of her head that me and Ryder will never get together. I mean we have gotten together one or twice but that was strictly business. He hadn't gotten his first kiss yet and he wanted to know what it felt like. After that we made out a few more times but quickly ended before it got too weird.
" You two are too cute together. " Maddy commented
I shrug off her comment. We reach the cashier and I pay for my lunch and hers.
" Lane, I could have-" she started
"No you couldn't have. You left your wallet at my house remember?" I said nonchalant.
She looks at me obviously confused, then she realizes she did in fact leave her wallet at my house. She nods understanding then walks to are normal spot in the lunch room aka dining hall. Preppy school.
"Hey hey, my peps!" Maddy exclaimed as we reach the table.
Sitting at the table was Ryder, Kiki, Blaze, Hayden, and Ryan. Kiki and Blaze are twins. They had dark brown hair, big green eyes , and mocha brown skin. They wore the normal school uniform plaid blue skirt, white button up blouse, and black blazer with plaid blue trimming. They both had a bow tie around their neck instead of the tie. The only difference about them was their hair style. Blaze had red dipped dyed hair and it was up in a pony tail and Kiki had her hair down and curly.
Hayden sat between the two. He had ear length hair that was black. He was the muscles of the group but was also a total softy. He wore the men version of the uniform. Black trousers, white button up, tie and blazer. Ryan sat in front of Kiki. He had sandy blonde hair that was styled with gel so his hair wasn't in his face. Ryder sat beside Blaze looking all smug and all. He had definitely done something between third and fourth period.
"What'd ya do? Get lucky?" I say to Ryder. I place my tray on the table and sat beside Ryan. Maddy sat to my right. She started eating she sat down.
I- on the other hand- sat back with my arms folded, challenging Ryder. He smirks.
"Maybe." was all he said. I knew he wasn't gonna tell me right now because we were in the dining hall and many annoying pest could hear. I was gonna ask him tonight at the get together at his place.
I gave him a knowing smile before eating.
The gang talked and ate. Maddy and I mostly pinched each other under the table until the other laughed. They payed no mind to us.
" So theres a game today or something?" Ryder gestured to me and Mads outfits.
It was our winter cheer uniform. We worn black skirts with blue lining( kind of like the skirts from that one show Glee)m, a fitting top with the school name in white and a long sleeve spandex top that was underneath the one with Eastwood on it.
" Or something." I responded.
"Coach Bailey wants everyone to know who the cheerleaders are. So its just for show." Maddy answered in her mellow voice.
I nodded before getting up. I was done with my food that I barely touched and by the looks of it so was Maddy.
"Come on, Mad. Walk me to my locker." It wasn't a question. More of a statement. To anyone outside our little group it sounded demanding but with Maddy she wasn't gonna say no so there was no point in asking the question. Especially if the question came from me. She nodded and gave the gang a smile. She got up with her tray and waved good bye.
After dropping out trays off, we headed for my locker. I turned the lock a few times before popping the lock open. Inside was my many textbooks and notebooks. On the door was pictures of my friends, many of me and Maddy though. I grab my backpack and place a notebook in it.
"I like that picture." Maddy says pointing to the one on the way top. We look so happy."
I look at the picture closely. Maddy sat on my lap and had her arms around my neck. She was kissing my cheek. I had a huge smile on my face and even though Maddy lips were mashed to my cheek you could tell she was happy just by her bright blue eyes.
"Halloween." I say.
Maddy nods. "Uhhuh, I dressed up as a tiger and you were a bumble bee."
I smile at the memory. We were at my house with my moms, Maureen and Joanne. We had just come home from a Halloween party. By "we" I mean me, Maddy, Ryder, Blaze, Kiki, Ryan and Hayden. We were all squished into my living room alone with their parents also my moms very best friends. Maddy had gotten up to pee and when she came back my little sisters Tracie and Rosie had taken her spot. So instead of telling them to move she sat on my momma Joanne decided it was a good idea to take a picture.
I smile. "Come on. Lets go." I grab her wrist and start walking after i shut the locker door.
" We still have forty-five minutes left of school." She points out.
I shrug. " My parents wont care. Its just lunch." We go out the main doors and to my car, a blue pick up truck. I open the passenger door for her then shut it when she gets in. I hop into the drivers and start up the engine.
" Where are we going?" Maddy asks, excitedly from her seat. I back out of the parking spot and start driving to a all too familiar destination.
" Guess." I say,smug.
She sighed and leaned back in her seat. She hated the guessing game. She was gonna wait till she recognized a place. It took us twenty minutes to get there but we got there.
" Seriously? The city?!" She exclaims. I take a chance and look at her. She was bouncing up and down in her seat and she had a smile from ear to ear.
" I thought you would like some real food. I saw that you didn't eat much at lunch and neither did I." I pull up to a very familiar restaurant and put the car in park.
"The Life Cafe." Maddy sighed in content from my side. I grinned.
" Come on, Mads." I open my door and wait for her to get out. Once she rounds the car and loops her arm with mine. We go into the restaurant and immediately hit with commotion. There was lively laughing and talking. People were even singing with a local band that was playing. We headed straight for the bar and waved over our favorite bartender.
He came up to us with a smile. "Shouldn't you two be in school" he asked while wiping down the bar a little. His voice was stern, but his eyes were amused.
" We couldn't stay away from you too long, Leo." I says before leaning over the bar and kissing him on the cheek. He blushed slightly.
Maddy smiles at him and kisses him on the cheek too. " We missed our fashionista gay man." She says cheerfully.
He rolls his eyes playfully. " Uh huh and I'm sure it has nothing to do with just killing time." He smirks at us knowingly.
Maddy and I shrug at the same time. "Maybe." I answer.
He laughs at us. " I miss you two and your spontaneous ways."
" You'd better. We drove twenty minutes to get here." I shove his shoulder lightly.
He laughs. " So two green teas and a chocolate stampede?" He asks.
We nod and then he goes off to get our orders. We've known Leo for awhile now. He and Maddy were in the same dance class for three years. I just met him two years ago. It is true that he is gay. Very. Me and Maddy were his main supporters in high school when he was going through the stage of coming out. Sure, i teased him the whole time but that eased the tension for him because he knew I was just playing. Leo was a very handsome man. Short blond hair, blue eyes, lean and had a personality that shined the room. No he was not a cross dresser but he did put a dress on for one of my birthdays.
Once our food was served to us we dug in and occasionally talked. The cake had seven different chocolates on it. Maddy was determined to know all seven types of chocolate. She only knew four so far.
She hummed as she took another bite. " dark chocolate."
Leo nods." Yup. Two more to go."
I glance at my watch and it was well past the time to go home. " well we gotta go, Leo." I said getting down from the stool and straightening out my skirt and top.
" Okay girls. Don't forget about the get-together with the gang on friday." He reminds me.
Up until then I did forget.
" okay." I say before blowing him a kiss and taking Maddy's hand.
The drive home wasn't quiet. Maddy decided to blast the music and sing along. She was actually really good.
" You are really good." I tell her.
She smiles over at me. " Thanks. I could give you lessons." She smirked.
" No. I don't wanna audition for the play." I said sternly.
She groaned. " But i don't want to do this without you. I don't want to miss this chapter of put lives." She exclaimed in the total drama queen way.
I scoff. "You mean making a fool of ourselves?" I say as I park behind my moms minivan. " We've done that before remember? The whole go to school with a hang over and drink Blazes' magic juice with Gods knows what in it and then throwing up in class. Not to mention it was safe drinking awareness week."
Every time I think about it I feel the vomit coming back up.
Maddy shrugs. We get out and go to the front door.
" First off, that is a complete different chapter. And second, this chapter is about us being the stars on stage. We are already stars off stage." She bumps my shoulder giddily. I sighed. I knew I was gonna give in sooner or later. I'd rather it be later.
I open the already unlocked door and walk in.
" Mothers! I'm home!" I yell into the house.
" And me too!" Maddy chimes.
My family sat in the living room off to the left. Joanne was actually in the kitchen with Rosie who blushing for some strange reason. Maureen and Tracie were in the living room playing a video game.
They all mumbled their hey's
" Where were you?" Momma asked.
" We went to the Life Cafe for lunch. I didn't know it was this late. We lost track of time." I say before going into the kitchen and kissing her on the cheek. Hopefully that softened her up a bit.
" Next time call." She says curtly in that motherly voice.
" Yes, ma'am." I answered.
Maddy had settled in the living room watching Tracie and Mommy play a game. It was actually pretty funny. When a gunfire when off Maddy would jump slightly and she would grip the couch, digging her fingers into the plush couch. I start to really look at her, starting at her white tennis shoes covered feet. Her ankles had many bracelets on it. Mostly yarn ones but there was a silver one that i brought her a while ago. Her legs were crossed and made the skirts pieces fall and expose her spankies. All of a sudden I began to get really hot. I bit my lip. What the heck?
I was broken out of my trance when Momma nudged me and asked me to cut up some potatoes. I obeyed, but I kept wondering. Did I just get turned on by Maddy's legs? I shook my head. That can't be possible. Right? She was my best friend.