'Last updated 13/4/2014'... Let's just put that to one side...
An Unwanted Comparison.
"Ah, I don't know, I don't know." Maddie fretted as they walked down the frozen street "I've never had to buy a present for a boyfriend before! Do I go for something useful? Something fun? Something... y'know... sexy?"
"Honey, you could give that boy shit on toast and he'd like it." Carlos assured her, holding his arm steady as the little lady clung to it "As long as it's from you, it's fine, so don't over think it."
"'As long as it's from you, meeh meeh meeh.'" Amelia sneered quietly behind them, stomping along unhappily.
"You've got presents for him before, right?"
"Well, yeah, but he wasn't my boyfriend then!" Maddie explained "I feel like this present is really important, you know? Like, it sets the tone for presents in the future? Does that make sense?"
Carlos laughed gently.
"If you say so."
"Meeh meeh meeh meeh."
"You okay, Amelia?" Maddie asked.
"Oh yes, I'm fine!" she answered, tone completely changing as she dashed forward a few steps to walk beside them "It's wicked cold! Like seriously!"
"It is." Maddie agreed.
"Absolutely." Carlos also agreed, ignoring the sneer Amelia gave him "I've never known cold like this before!"
"You're both babies." Maddie laughed "It's not that cold – you just wait until January!"
"So, Carlos, you going back to Cuba for Christmas?" Amelia asked, tone heavily implying that was something she'd very much like.
"That's not really possible." he replied coldly "What about you? Going back to hell- I mean... Texas?"
"Not a chance."
The two stopped glaring at each other when Maddie shivered violently, clutching Carlos' arm very tightly.
"Maddie?!"
"You okay, honey?!"
"Y-yeah." she stammered "I just caught the cold all of a sudden. Let's hurry up inside, shall we?"
"Right!" Amelia declared "I'll get the door! Outta the way, you losers!"
She ran off, clearing the path between them and the shopping centre doors very effectively. Carlos put a supportive arm around Maddies waist, half carrying her towards them.
"At least she's good for something." he grumbled.
"I do wish you two would get along better." she mentioned.
"Well, miracles happen at Christmas. Are you gonna be okay? There's a lot of people here."
"It's better to get it done early." Maddie insisted "It'll just get busier later. I'll be fine once we're inside."
"Well, if you say so..."
"Thanks again for coming with, though."
"It's alright – it's nice to hang out with girls every now and then. Keeps my manners up to scratch."
"Move it, you sniffling sack of germs!" Amelia yelled at some poor sod with a cold stood by the doors "You're infecting the air!"
"Of course, there's always exceptions."
"I'm sorry about this." Matthew said again, helping Marie-Elise set up the roll-away bed.
"I told you, already, it's okay: family can be unreasonable." she assured "I got the impression she didn't really want to come either."
"Yeah, she's pretty honest." he admitted "She's also pretty blunt..."
"Consider me warned. I'm sure she'll be on her best behaviour."
Along the hall, the front door quickly opened, and after the rapid stumbling of feet, slammed closed again.
"I'm home!" Maddie called.
"Alone?" Marie-Elise called back.
"The guys just dropped me off – they had places to be."
With the bed made, Matthew left the room to greet her. Fresh snow was slowly starting to melt on her hat and shoulders as she fumbled around trying to take off her shoes without venturing any further into the house.
"Did you get all your shopping done already?" Matthew asked when he saw all the bags perched on the side on the stairs "You're so efficient!"
"Just yours, mummy's and daddy's." Maddie admitted as she pulled off her coat.
"Oh, mine's in there? Which one? Can I see?"
"Noo!" Maddie squealed, grabbing the right bag and darting into the living room.
"Hey, get back here!" Matthew laughed, giving chase.
Neither noticed Marie-Elise watching them as they ran around the coffee table a few times, Matthew at a brisk walk.
"No no no, no peaking!" Maddie squealed "That's cheating! I worked hard to pick this!"
"So let me see, and I'll tell you if I like it!"
"No! You have to wait! Daddy, Matty's cheating!"
"I can see that." she laughed from the door, startling her daughter so much that she stopped in her tracks.
Matthew caught up to her, but instead of grabbing the bag, wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off her feet.
"Gotcha!" he cried "No getting away now!"
"Eek! Cheater, cheater!"
The front door slammed closed again, followed by the loud moan Alice usually let out when coming in for the night.
"Hello, dear." Marie-Elise greeted "The children are being adorable again. I hate it."
"Sourpuss." Alice greeted back.
"How was traffic?"
"About as bad as usual. Matthew, come greet your guest."
"Oh!"
Matthew went to put Maddie down, but his guest was never the type to wait, appearing in the doorway before her feet it the ground. Natalya smiled when she saw the two of them, but Maddie went a little stiff in his arms.
"Well, aren't the two of you just adorable." she greeted "Little flossie Matthew and his first girlfriend."
"Hey, Natalya!" he greeted as he put Madeline down "Welcome! How was your flight?"
"Loud, crowded, full of screaming brats." she complained, brushing her silken hair away from her face "Still better than being at Katyusha's for Christmas. Take my bag to my room, will you?"
"Same as ever, I see." Matty laughed.
When Maddie didn't move out of the way to let him pass, Matthew looked down: the girl looked like a mouse that had been cornered by a snake, wide-eyed and fearful. He laid a hand on her stiff shoulder, making her jump.
"Hey, you okay?" he asked.
"Y-yes!" she answered "Fine... I just... I'm fine..."
Natalya laughed through her nose, bring attention back to her.
"Bags, Matthew." she reminded him "Madeline, why don't you show me where the computer is? I need to call the mother hen before she thinks I went to Tahiti instead."
When Matthew had said that a relative would be visiting, Madeline had honestly expected... well... she wasn't sure what she expected, but it certainly wasn't the person that turned up. Madeline was still insecure about her appearance, especially next to Amelia and her parents, and now Natalya... Natalya was gorgeous. She was as sophisticated as Alice, as sexy as Marie-Elise, as confident as Amelia, and she had a resting bitch face that chilled Maddie to her very core. How were she and Matthew related? They looked nothing alike. If Matthew was a golden retriever, Natalya was a jaguar.
She led Natalya to Matthew's room, turning on his laptop as Matty took her bags to the office/spare room. Natalaya watched her the whole time, like a hawk watching a shrew, only if it was more amused by it's tiny-legged frantic stumbling. Matthew joined them just as Natalya's call connected.
"Hi, Natalya!" greeted a plump woman on the other side of the screen with a little boy in her arms "Look, Vanya! It's aunty!"
"Hiiii." the little boy sung.
"Hello Vanya." Natalya replied somewhat stiffly "You've gotten bigger."
"I free now!" Vanya declared, holding up four fingers.
"My, that's sooo big."
The woman on the screen shot Natalya a dirty look at her utterly disinterested tone. The little boy, looking all around the screen, suddenly got excited, waving both hands quickly.
"Uncle Matty!" he cried, startling both women "Hiiiii!"
"Hiiiii~!" Matthew sung back, leaning over and waving back "How you doing, Vanya?"
"I got a fire truck!" He yelled "It's red! Nee-naw nee-naw!"
"That's great!" Matty laughed.
Perhaps tired of having her son yell in her ear, the woman put the boy on the ground, telling him to go play with his grandfather. Matthew leaned over to Maddie, pulling her into frame behind Natalya.
"That's Katyusha, Natalya's older sister." he explained "They're Ivan's sisters."
"Oh, your brother's fiancé?" Maddie remembered.
Oh, great – they weren't actually related. That didn't make her feel great.
"I'm glad you finally took my advice, Natalya." Katyusha said as she straightened out her clothes "Although I wish you were there for Christmas instead of the weekend."
"You say advice, I say relentless consistent nagging." the younger sister answered "And why do you assume I don't already have plans for Christmas?"
"Because you hate everyone." she said plainly.
"Yes that's true." Natalya replied without missing a beat.
Katyusha just gave her a withering look, turning to Matthew.
"Hello, Matthew dear." she said.
"Hello." he laughed.
"You know, I'm super jealous that you've been skyping with everyone but me." she scolded "I feel like you don't love my anymore."
"I'm sorry." Matty replied earnestly "But if we skype all the time, what will we talk about over tea when I come visit?"
"Yes, that's true. Oh my god, is that Maddie?!" she suddenly cried, making the girl jump.
"Y-yes..."
"Oh my god, you're adorable!"
"You sound surprised!" Matthew chuckled.
"She is ridiculously adorable." Natalya agreed, smiling at her out of the corner of her eye "Like a little doll. I want to braid her hair."
"She's taller than you, Natalya, be nice." her sister warmed.
"I am nice."
"Madeline, sweetie, it's so nice to finally put a face to the reputation." Katyusha went on "Matthew has told us so much about you! How are you getting along at uni?"
"Um, well, thank you." she replied uncertainly, a little put off that someone she had never spoken to before was so familiar with her "My course is very interesting."
"It's mathematics, right?" she knew "What do you plan to do once you graduate?"
"I haven't really decided." she admitted.
"Well, there's plenty of time. In the meantime, are you going to be coming in the new year?"
"The new year?"
"Arthur and Ivan's wedding." Matthew clarified "It's on New Year's day."
"Oh, that sounds romantic." Maddie thought.
"Sounds like a pain in the ass for those of us who need to fly over the holidays." Natalya grumbled.
"That's only you and Matthew." Katyusha reminded her "They're not going to change their wedding plans just for you."
"My plane ticket is going to cost about the same as their wedding, but whatever."
"She's not always this harsh." Matthew said quietly to Madeline "She's just grumpy today because she hates travelling."
"Is that so?"
"So," Katyusha interrupted from the screen "Will you be coming, Maddie?"
"I'm not sure." she answered "It's a long way, and it is kinda expensive. I'll have to think about it."
"Well, don't think too long." she recommended "It's easy enough to find you a bed or rustle up another plate of food at the wedding, but the airlines wrack up the prices the closer it gets to the date."
"I'll think quickly." she promised.
Katyusha chatted to Natalya and Matthew for maybe an hour more. It was weird seeing how adult siblings interacted (both of her parents having been only children): the sisters didn't bicker quite as much as Amelia and Kevin did, but they weren't far off either, Natalya resisting Katyusha's matronly nagging like a teenager untangling herself from her mothers apron strings. The older sister wasn't as pretty as the younger, but she seemed less harsh, and she seemed to be noticeably more mature (mid-to-late thirties? Early forties?). Comparing the two, Maddie again got caught up on how pretty Natalya was.
Claiming she was tired, Maddie went to bed early. She felt stupid – she knew that there was nothing between Matthew and Natalya, but when a person that improbably beautiful walks into your life, you can't help but be jealous. She didn't particularly mind being called 'adorable', but it did make her feel somewhat... immature. Especially next to such refined looking women as Natalya and even her own parents...
Maddie sat in front of her dressing table, looking at herself in the mirror: she had put on a little weight, but was still quite thin. Her hair was a little longer, but it was still too short. If she put on make-up, would she look prettier? Without her glasses, would she look more mature? She tried straightening her hair, but it didn't suit her at all. She didn't used to worry about these things. Sure, she hated it when her hair was falling out and her skin was sallow and pale, but that was because of the chemo. She didn't feel the need to be pretty, to compare herself to other women. Why had that suddenly changed?
Feeling pathetic, she went to bed.
Natalya's visit was just a fly-by, mostly to appease the people at home who were worried about Matthew. After a day wandering around the town and treating Alice and Marie-Elise to an expensive lunch, Natalya decided that she wanted to go out for the evening, especially now that Matthew was old enough to legally drink.
"Maddie and I aren't really big drinkers." he warned her as she picked out a nice shirt for him to wear.
"It's not important that you drink." she assured "Just that you show willing. Madeline, did your friends reply yet?"
"Y-yes!" she confirmed, sat on the bed "Amelia and Kevin are definitely coming. Carlos says he's coming, but he wants to leave early because he has mass in the morning."
"As expected," Natalya sighed, holding up the chosen shirt "Red just looks good on you. Put this one on. Don't wear a tie."
"No ma'am."
"Go change."
"Yes ma'am."
Matthew left the room, shirt in hand. Maddie was immediately uncomfortable, getting up to leave (despite being in her own room), when Natalya fixed her with a steely gaze.
"Don't move." she ordered, picking up the styling tongs from the dressing table and brandishing them like a weapon "That horrid straight mess has been driving me nuts all day. I refuse to be seen in public with you like that."
"I'm sorry...?"
"Good." was her only reply, placing a vice grip on Maddie's shoulder "Sit still."
"Wow Maddie! You're so omega awesomely adorable today!" Amelia declared, grabbing her friends face to get a better look "I love your hair! What colour is that on your lips?! Is that your mothers dress?!"
"Thank you." Maddie said, feeling her cheeks grow hot "Natalya did it for me."
"Na-who-ha?"
Natalya cleared her throat, bringing Amelia's attention to her. The American visibly shuddered, and Maddie could imagine her having the same internal monologue that she herself had the day before.
"It's called 'Canada Red'." the older woman explained "I wasn't sure about it myself, but it looks good on Madeline, so I may as well let her keep it. It wouldn't look good on you – your skin is too tan." Natalya looked away, as if done with Amelia completely "Matthew, vodka tonic."
"Right. Anyone else having a drink?"
"I will." Kevin said, raising his hand.
"No you won't." was Matthew's immediate reply "Carlos?"
"Just a coke."
"Cuba libre." Amelia added "But I want vodka instead of rum."
"So... you want a coke and vodka?" Natalya clarified, smirking a little "Did you want it diet too?"
Amelia just glared at her. Matthew went to get the drinks.
The group found themselves a booth to sit in, and immediately Natalya started attracting attention – partly because she was noticeably more mature than the students that inhabited the place, and partly because with those added years came glamour and style that stood out amongst the barely-out-of-puberty and haven't-washed-my-clothes-in-a-month attire of most of the others gathered there. When Matthew returned with a tray of drinks, they were sat in stony silence.
"Anyone want cheesy chips?" he suggested, not at all sure what had made everyone so tense.
"You don't need them." Natalya said to him certainly "Somehow you've managed to lose a little weight since leaving home, but the last thing you need is more carbohydrates clogging up your veins." she sighed "I really don't know why the men in our family gain weight so easily."
"What the fuck?!" Kevin screeched.
"So you're related." Carlos laughed knowingly as he took his drink from Matty "That explains it."
"That's no excuse to be so mean about his weight!" Kevin cried.
"I agree, there's nothing wrong with Matty's weight!" Amelia defended "He's like a big cuddle puppy."
"There's nothing mean about it." Natalya said plainly "Heart disease and weight-related health problems are the number one cause of death in men in the developed world. It's already been proven that the family has bad genes – you should see how big Alfred got since starting university."
Natalya held out her hands and puffed out her cheeks, demonstrating how big she thought he was.
"That's poor diet." she finished "It's taking him months to lose it."
"He didn't mention." Matthew told her, sitting next to Maddie and giving her her rose spritzer.
"Because he's embarrassed." she said "The boy has no self control, add to that that he's now living with Romano and doesn't have Arthur and Francis watching what he eats, well, it's no wonder he's ballooned."
Taking a sip of her vodka tonic, she turned to Maddie.
"You need to watch that." she warned her "My nieces and nephew are chubby too. You seem to have good genes, but you can't rely on that."
"Oh... okay..."
"C'mon now, they're just little kids!" Matty laughed "They'll grow out of it: it's puppy fat."
"A bad diet is all it takes to turn puppy fat into a real problem."
"So you guys are from a pretty big family?" Carlos asked.
"More like extended." Matthew admitted "I've got tons of brothers, then there's in-laws, cousins, neighbours, friends-of-the-family... it's a pretty small town."
"Sounds like home." Carlos thought "You should be careful, Maddie – people from big families tend to want lots of children."
"We haven't really discussed kids yet." she confessed "Not that I'm against it."
"Yeah, let us have our first anniversary first!" Matthew agreed "I don't think we should even think about having kids until after uni!"
"Right!" Maddie said.
"Matty, you never said you had 'tons of brothers'," Amelia pouted "I knew you had a twin – who I still haven't seen a picture of – why don't you set a lady up? I'd love to have a boyfriend like you!"
"Oh, I'm sorry." Matthew said, pulling out his wallet to show Amelia a picture of Alfred "This is him, with the short hair. As for the others – well, there's a big age gap between the rest of us."
"Francis is in his mid-thirties and has a child." Natalya explained "Arthur is hitting thirty now, but he's marrying my brother. Then there's Alfred. Those are the only brothers."
Her last sentence was so cold, it froze the air within a four foot radius. Maddie and Matty understood why, but the others were too scared to ask.
"Alfred's not as cute as you." Amelia sulked "Who's the skinny guy?"
"That's Romano."
"He looks uptight."
Matthew snorted, almost choking on his beer. Amelia grinned at making him laugh. Natalya said nothing as she sipped on her drink.
As the evening wore on, they did end up ordering some food. When Natalya ordered nothing but a salad, Maddie felt the pressure to order one too, instead of the burger that she really wanted. Matthew seemed to know, as he wordless gave her half of his, along with some of his chips. Being a girl could really be sucky sometimes, especially when it came to eating out. Even Amelia, who could pack away more burgers than all the boys combined, ended up sulking over a salad.
When Matthew and Carlos went to get the food and Kevin was in the bathroom, several boys came over to try their luck with Natalya. She rebuked them with expert coldness, dismissing one with nothing more than a raised eyebrow. One, identifying Maddie as the 'weakest' girl, tried hitting on her instead to get Natalyas attention, but by then Matthew was returning with the food, causing him to flee.
"Pathetic." was all Natalya had to say.
"Excuse me, Matty." Madeline said when they were all done eating "I need to use the bathroom."
Matthew moved to let her out. Looking around briefly as she walked, she saw lots of boys still had their eyes on Natalya. It made her feel bad again – she looked really good tonight, but other than Amelia, no-one had noticed. Even a cute girl may as well not exist is stood next to someone like Natalya.
As she came out of the bathroom stall, Maddie was startled to find Natalya stood there, leant against a sink with her arms crossed. There was no-one else in the bathroom, and there were plenty of free stalls, so it was obvious that she was waiting for her. Maddie got tense, feeling like a fight was about to start. Natalya cocked her head towards the next sink, suggesting Madeline was allowed to wash her hands first.
"Matthew thinks you seem upset." she started "Says you have been all day, but he's not sure what caused it."
"Oh..." Maddie replied as she finished washing her hands "He didn't say anything."
"Matthew is pretty good as men go, but he's still a man." Natalya explained "He's not sure what will upset you and what won't. I'm not a man, and I'm not as patient."
Without uncrossing her arms, Natalya finally turned to her.
"You okay, hon?"
Maddie's heart skipped a little. Natalya was so blunt, showing concern was a little off putting. Blunt people demanded blunt responses, but Maddie just wasn't built that way.
"I'm okay." she said "Just a little tired, I guess."
Natalya frowned at her. She finally uncrossed her arms, standing straight.
"You know, you always pull on your hair when you're lying." she said.
Sure enough, Maddie's hand was on her hair, pulling at one of the locks. She didn't even know she had a tell, so to have it seen through so easily... she put her hand down, fiddling with the ring on her other hand.
"I'm okay." she said again "I'm just being silly."
"If it bothers you enough to upset you, it's not silly." Natalya said sternly, reaching over and sweeping Maddie's hair behind her ear "What's wrong? Something I said?"
Maddie was honestly shocked for a moment – she didn't think Natalya cared if something she said upset people. Her feelings towards the older woman softened a little.
"I just... feel kinda self conscious." she confessed "You're so pretty and strong... like I said, I'm just being silly."
"I see." Natalya responded, taking back her hand "If memory serves, you're in remission from leukaemia, right?"
"That's right."
"How old were you when you were diagnosed?"
"I was twelve."
"Twelve." she repeated thoughtfully "I bet you didn't go to school much after."
"Daddy home schooled me, when I was well enough." Maddie confirmed.
"So you had a real problem to worry about during your teenage years, rather than pissing on about boys and make-up and what other girls think of you." Natalya thought "Now you're back in the world, you get to have all the mundane problems as everyone else, but you don't know how to deal with them. So let me tell you."
Natalya turned to the mirrors over the sinks, pulling a lipstick out of her purse.
"You're worried that you're still a skinny thing? Don't be: most girls your age look like you. You know all those tv shows and movies where the characters are in college? Those actresses are in their mid to late twenties. Don't compare yourself to them."
She paused to apply the colour.
"You don't think you're pretty? How do you define 'pretty'? Whose definition are you using?"
"I've always thought long hair was pretty." Maddie confessed.
"So grow yours out. Here's the trick, sweetie – beauty is 90% mental. Decide you're pretty and you are."
"I don't think it works that way..."
"Say's who?" Natalya challenged "The television, fashion magazines, the beauty industry, people whose livelihoods depend on you feeling bad about yourself? Stupid little boys who think compliments are precious jewels to be handed out by only them and get uncomfortable around confident women? I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of feeling bad about myself."
Maddie had never thought about it that way. Being self-conscious about her appearance felt like it was normal for girls, it never occurred to her that it was a conditioned response. Natalya finished applying her lipstick, putting it back in her bag and fiddling with her hair a little.
"As for your second point." she went on "Yes, I am strong, but so are you. Don't mistake gentility for weakness. That's the mistake men make."
"You really don't like men, do you?" Maddie chuckled uncomfortably.
"Not even a little." Natalya answered bluntly "I like two men – Ivan and Arthur. Other men I tolerate when I need to."
"You don't like Matthew?"
Natalya paused for a moment, thinking.
"I don't see him as a man." she said after a moment "More like... a little boy? A younger relative? I like him, but he's not a man in my eyes."
"What about your father? You sisters husband? Matthews other brothers?"
"Tolerate." she replied honestly.
Satisfied with her appearance, Natalya turned away from the mirror, back to Maddie.
"Being self-conscious is a feeling as legitimate as any other, so I won't tell you not to be." she finished "But if you choose to change, for the love of God, don't do it for anyone but yourself – not for society, and definitely not for a man."
Natalya flexed her shoulders as if tense. Maddie felt a lot better, somehow, both about herself and about Natalya. She wanted to thank her, but it made her feel self-conscious – she smiled when she realised that that was okay.
"Thank you, Natalya."
"You're welcome. Now get out, I need to urinate."
"Yes, ma'am."
Natalya was glad that she decided to visit. She wasn't exactly worried about Matthew – he was a big boy, afterall – but it was still nice to know that he was doing okay. She very much liked Madeline: she had always been protective of gentle souls, and those two suited each other very well. There was one thing, however, that she couldn't ignore. As she was washing her hands, that particular thing walked through the bathroom door.
"Hey, I wanna talk to you!" Amelia demanded.
"I'm sure you do." Natalya replied.
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
"Girls like you always want to talk to somebody about something." she said as she dried her hands "Usually something to do with you. Am I wrong?"
"No!" Amelia insisted, storming forward and slamming her hand down on the sink Natalya had used, blocking the path between her and the door "I want to talk to you about Maddie!"
Natalya just smiled at her.
"You're jealous." she knew "You've made up some story in your own mind about me upsetting her, or that I might upset her, or some other perceived slight, but at the end of the day it all boils down to you being jealous."
"Jealous of what?" Amelia huffed uncomfortably, trying to maintain the power she thought she had in the conversation "Your superior attitude? The fact that you're an ice-cold bitch? Trust me, I have nothing to be jealous of!"
"You dislike me for the same reason you dislike Carlos." Natalya said simply "You don't like to share. Madeline is your friend, so she can't be anyone else's."
"That is not true!" Amelia insisted "And besides that, Carlos is Matthew's friend, not Maddie's!"
Natalya laughed through her nose, clearly pissing Amelia off even more.
"I don't know what's worse." she said "Your obliviousness to your own nature, or your obvious feelings for Matthew."
Amelia went bright red, finally backing off a step.
"That is not true!" she said again "Matthew is Maddie's boyfriend! That's a no-go area! Best friends know that."
"'Oh Matthew, I'd love to have a boyfriend like you!'" Natalya quoted, mocking her "'Oh Matthew, Alfred's not nearly as cute as you are!' 'Oh Matthew, I just love the way you smile!'"
"Shut up! I never said that!"
"Not out loud, but it was written all over your face. Madeline didn't go to high school, so she didn't have to deal with girls like you. She's too innocent to see you sharpening the knife right behind her back."
"That is not true! I love Maddie just as much as I love Mattie!"
Amelia stopped, going even redder when she realised what she said. Natalya just smiled, feeling the poison in her tongue prickle with anticipation.
"I'm going to go out on a limb and say you've never had any female friends before." she said "You were always 'one of the boys', and that made other girls uncomfortable. All those short skirts and crop tops and high heels never did a thing to convince your crush that you were actually a girl, did they?"
Amelia grimaced. Natalya had hit the nail on the head, the way she always did. No-one could hide anything from her.
"Now you've got a female friend, finally. I don't doubt she's important to you. But you see how Matthew treats her – so gentle and precious, like she's the most important thing in the world. He treats you gently as well, unlike your brothers and all your high school buddies, and it bothers you that you're not the most important thing to him the way that she is."
"You don't know what you're talking about." Amelia growled through gritted teeth.
"Yes I do." she answered "I've always been an absurdly good judge of character. You care about Madeline, but you want Matthew, and you're too emotionally immature to know how to deal with that, so you lash out at people who get close to them, like Carlos and me."
Natalya pulled her perfume out of her bag, spritzed herself a little and put it back before heading the door, ignoring Amelia's stunted attempt to block her.
"You're not on my level, little girl." she warned "And you never will be."
Feeling more confident after her little chat with Natalya, Maddie decided to do something she had never done before: she was going to go to the bar and order a drink. She'd even order a beer for Matthew – that would surprise him! The bartender, who was neck deep in mixers, apologised for the wait, promising to take her order as soon as he was done with the million cocktails the group of girls in the corner has ordered. Maddie wasn't unreasonable, so hoisted herself up onto one of the high bar stools to wait. To her annoyance, a boy jumped in front of her, leaning over the bar.
"Hey!" he called impatiently "Can I get a beer here?"
"You think I'm stupid?" the bartender barked back "You weren't old enough the first time I I.D'd you, you ain't old enough now! You want another coke, get it from the machine like everyone else."
Maddie laughed. The boy spun around like she had shocked him with a taser, but seeing who it was, he softened.
"Oh, Hey Maddie." Kevin greeted "We were wondering where you had gotten to. This guy giving you grief as well?"
"Just you, Mr. Underage." she assured "You should really stop trying to get them to serve you – they won't do it."
"I don't see any reason why they shouldn't." he disagreed.
"The law." she reminded him.
"No-body cares about that." Kevin thought, sitting at the stool beside hers "I don't see why it's so important to them, they're just being bastards."
"They'll lose their license if they get found serving under age people." Maddie pointed out "Since it's a bar, without a license they'll have to shut down. They'll face several grand in fines and maybe even some prison time."
"Yeah, but none of that is my problem." he finished "They should just focus on SERVING THEIR CUSTOMERS who want to SPEND MONEY in their establishment."
Kevin turned around to aim his yelled words at the bartender, who ignored him completely.
"Kevin, don't be a dick." Maddie scolded.
He looked back at her like she had grown a second head. Behind him, the bartender, still mixing drinks, smirked.
"That's a little harsh, Maddie." Kevin thought.
"There's nothing harsh about it." she said "You're being a dick, and if you keep it up, we won't invite you out again."
"Oh... I'm sorry." he said, backing down "I didn't mean to be a dick. I guess I'm just in a bad mood: the girls in here won't even give me the time of day."
"Oh, sweetie." she sympathised "Whys that?"
"Who knows?" he scoffed "Maybe because I'm not some meat-head jock with arms like pythons and Daddy's credit card. Maybe because I actually have a personality and will talk to them about intelligent things." he sighed theatrically "Girls just don't like nice guys. Maybe if I was an asshole, they'd be nicer to me."
Maddie realised that this was her first time alone with Kevin. She was going to do her best to make it the last. With a tired sigh, the bartender came over, wiping his hands on his apron.
"Sorry about the wait." he said "What can I get for you?"
"Do you do vegan beer?" Kevin asked immediately.
"NO." he said sternly before turning back to Maddie "Miss?"
"I'll have one glass of rose and one beer, please."
"The beer's not for hi, is it?" the bartender clarified, pointing at Kevin.
"No, it's for my boyfriend." Maddie assured, pointing to the booth where Matthew and Carlos were playing football with a scrunched up paper napkin, using salt and pepper shakers for goalposts.
"Okay, coming right up."
As the bartender walked off to sort out the wine, Kevin pulled a face at his back.
"Asshole." he muttered "Bet he'd serve me if I was a girl."
"Kevin sweetie, just think about it this way." Maddie suggested "Those girls just weren't right for you. Instead of trying to get in with any girl, you should try focusing on what you really want out of a girlfriend. Maybe get to know them first, instead of leading with the horny teenager thing."
"Ah, I dunno." Kevin admitted, putting one arm up on the bar "I don't wanna put all that effort in just to get friend-zoned."
Maddie screamed internally. Luckily, the bartender turned up with her drinks.
"Here you go." he said "Anything else for you?"
"Could I also get some shots?" she asked "Just five. And a coke."
"Sure." the bartender laughed "What kind of shots?"
"What kind?" Maddie flustered "I've never done shots before, so I'm not sure...Maybe we shouldn't..."
"How about some lemon drops?" he suggested "Vodka, lemon juice and sugar. Simple, sweet and sour. If you don't like it, I'll make you something else next time."
"Sure!" Maddie agreed "That sounds great!"
"You go sit down." he suggested "I'll bring them over in about ten minutes."
Maddie did enjoy the lemon drops, but was keen to try other things as well, throwing back a jolly rancher, a kamikaze and a purple hooter. This was the latest she had ever stayed out, and the most she had ever drunk. Amelia was in a strange mood, but everyone else seemed to be enjoying themselves. As promised, Carlos went home first.
"Okay, one more!" Matthew enthused, holding up the menu the bartender had given them "How about this one."
"No, I really don't like Baileys." Maddie insisted "How about this one?"
"Nah, that's got red bull in, we'll be up all night. How about the Alabama slammer?"
"Sounds good!" Maddie agreed, leaning on Matty as her head swam a bit with the amount she had drunk.
"None for me." Natalya said, fingering the empty glasses on the table "I've reached my limit."
The moment Maddie knocked back the last shot, the fun came to an end: she was overwhelmed by the urge to throw up, literally climbing over Matthew and running to the bathroom. He followed her, but was blocked when he got to the ladies room door. Amelia followed her in, rubbing her back sympathetically as she emptied the contents of her stomach all over the porcelain throne.
"We'll get you a coke, you'll feel better." she assured gently "A burger and fries and you'll be right as rain for more shots."
"Denied." Natalya said as she entered the bathroom, hanging up her phone "I've called your parents, they're coming to get us. You've got ten minutes to stop throwing up and get some water in you before we leave."
Amelia was pissed. Who the fuck did that Natalya bitch think she was? She was like thirty, why was she hanging out with them? She wasn't even related to Matty, not properly, so she had no right to say that she was. First that Cuban bastard, now her... she wasn't jealous! She wasn't! Natalya wasn't right, she was just a bitch who liked to shitstir.
When Amelia bought Maddie a coke after she had been sick, that bitch actually poured it down the sink, ordering Matty to get her water instead, like water was going to make her feel better! Maddie would have been just fine after getting some food in her belly, but no, that bitch had to go and ruin their night by calling her parents. Amelia fumed about it all as she sat on the bus on her way back to the dorms, Kevin fiddling with his phone beside her.
"What's with all the groaning, sis?" he asked "You're not gonna be sick too, are you?"
"I will if I have to look at that woman's face again." she spat.
"Yeah, I got that vibe between you and the older lady." Kevin admitted "She do something to piss you off?"
"She existed."
"Fair enough."
"Bitch called me 'emotionally immature', whatever that means!" she went on "Said I was jealous, like some cheap skank ho! Bitch please, I ain't jealous of shit."
"You? Never."
"She went and made fun of me for liking Matthew. Just because she's a heartless bitch, doesn't mean she can make fun of people who actually do have feelings!"
"Wait," Kevin said, finally looking away from his phone "You have feelings for Matthew?"
Amelia felt her cheeks go hot again. So that bitch had been right about one thing. Lucky guess. Yeah, she had feelings for Matthew: he was the only boy that ever treated her like a girl. So yeah, that bitch was right, Amelia had always been 'one of the boys', and it really stuck her how gently Matty treated her. She also saw the difference between how he was with Maddie and how he was with her: he was gentle with her, but he adored Maddie. He gave her his jacket, he held her bags, took her hands when they walked together, and those gentle kisses that they shared... Amelia wanted to be adored like that. Was that so wrong?
"Maddie's my best friend." she said "I don't want to hurt her. But I like Matthew, and I want him for myself."
"Sounds complicated." Kevin mentioned "But I understand how you feel. Maddie's really cute, but she's got this sassy side to her too. If she was single, I would definitely pick her up."
"As if you could." Amelia scoffed.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Maddie's way out of your league." she elaborated "If you and her were the last two people on earth, you'd still die a virgin."
Kevin put his phone down, glaring at her. Amelia met his gaze, daring him further. Instead of snapping, however, he smiled.
"Alright." he said "So let's do it."
"'Do it'? Do what?"
"Neither of us will get what we want while those two are together, but we can't be seen to be interfering, or they'll turn against us."
"You think we should break them up." Amelia summarised "Without letting them know we're doing it."
"And then take the pieces for ourselves." he finished.
"How would we even do that?" she asked.
"Well, I have an idea..."
Maddie was still sick the next day, so stayed at home while Matthew accompanied Natalya back to the airport. They were both surprised that her parents weren't mad when she returned home in such a state, saying it was a natural part of the university experience, but she had definitely resolved not to drink so much ever again.
"No, you did your duty as a boyfriend." Natalya assured as they said goodbye "She got home unmolested and in one piece – that's all parents want when their daughters go out for the night."
"If you say so." Matty said "It was still surprising."
They paused as Natalya's flight was called.
"Okay, I'm off." she announced "It was good seeing you, Matthew."
"You too. I'll see you in the new year?"
"Of course. Try to convince Madeline to come, I know the family would like to meet her."
Natalya went to turn away and head into the gate, but something stopped her. She turned around thoughtfully.
"Before I go," she said "Those friends of yours, the Americans... be careful around them. I get bad vibes off them."
"C'mon, they're not bad people." Matthew defended.
"You're not a good judge of character." she criticised "Best case scenario, I'm wrong, and you've lost nothing. I just... I don't want any more of that drama we had before. I've had more than enough for one lifetime. Just be careful."
"I will." he promised, although he still wasn't sure what to be careful of.
With that, Natalya left. Matthew knew she was very perceptive, but he honestly didn't think Amelia and Kevin were bad people. That being said, he had been wrong before... head abuzz, he went back to the car.
This is legitimately the longest chapter I've ever written for a fanfiction - it's twelve pages! There was no good place to split it up, and considering the amount of time it took me to update this... ANYWAY I'm aiming to get this one finished now! If I start anything new before finishing the ones I already have started, please feel free to reach through the screen and slap me. More coming soon! I promise!