2.3

Madison Clements

"Come in then."

Madison froze, her eyes going wide. She had half expected Taylor to tell her to fuck off the moment she'd handed her the flute and she knew she would have deserved it too.

"Really?" She couldn't help but ask, staring back at the taller girl uncomprehendingly for a moment.

"Get in before I shut the door in your face like I want to" Taylor huffed, already turning away and Madison jumped to follow before Taylor actually made good on her threat.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" She squeaked as she quickly stepped into the house behind Taylor, rubbing her numb hands together as Taylor shut the door behind her and slid back the latch.

"Shoes off, coat rack's there" Taylor threw at her with an accompanying gesture and the tone of voice of someone who was still questioning how their life had come to this but was trying to act normal and see if it stuck.

Madison couldn't really blame her, she had felt like that since her power had appeared.

"Drink?" Taylor asked after Madison had extricated herself from her shoes and coat respectively, padding along behind Taylor and unable to resist a curious glance around the living room as she followed Taylor through to the small kitchen behind.

"Um."

Taylor gave her a flat look. "I'm making myself some tea, I'm not going to be going out of my way to have enough for you to have some too."

"Thank you..." She cautiously returned, feeling somehow even more chastised than when Taylor had been shouting at her a few minutes previous and awkwardly took a seat at the table as Taylor busied herself opening shelves and drawers for what she needed.

"Thank you" she tried again, not really sure how to explain as Taylor threw her a look over her shoulder.

"For inviting me in I mean, I didn't expect-"

"Nor did I" Taylor interrupted without preamble, "I was planning to sulk all morning and you've kind of ruined that."

"Sorry?" She tried, not quite sure if Taylor was being serious but knowing she was on ice so thin she might as well have been swimming.

Taylor just shook her head and Madison was left to awkwardly stew as Taylor busied herself with preparing the drinks. She found herself looking around the small kitchen that seemed to continue what she'd seen of the rest of the house, a place that might have been a home at one point, but currently seemed as neglected on the inside as it was on the outside. The small somewhat cramped kitchen was obviously well used and clearly in need of a few repairs and refurbishments that probably wouldn't come.

Taylor hadn't really spoken about her dad much, but Madison wasn't sure what to think of him when Taylor could obviously skive off school so easily and the house as a whole was in the state it was.

"Thanks" she murmured quietly in the stillness of the room as Taylor brought their drinks over a few moments later, cupping the small mug in both hands and luxuriating in the warmth between her fingers as the steam wafted slowly towards the ceiling.

Taylor took her seat opposite, the flute placed carefully on the table in front of her and Madison could see how Taylor's eyes lingered on it before drifting to her own drink as she took a tentative sip.

She had no idea what to say.

She'd basically said all of the words when she'd tried to get everything out in front of Taylor's door. She hadn't been sure if Taylor would even hear her out and she'd needed Taylor to hear her apology as much for hers as Taylor's sake.

That Taylor had let her had been a relief and whilst she'd expected Taylor to be rightfully pissed at her, apocalyptically furious Taylor was definitely not something she'd been expecting for how meek the taller girl tended to act in Winslow. She wasn't going to forget that diatribe anytime soon.

"You really broke into Emma's locker for this?" Taylor asked, breaking Madison out of her thoughts as she looked up to find Taylor giving her a look she couldn't immediately decipher.

Madison nodded before she found the words to reply. "Emma and Sophia, I'm well, I'm in a few group chats and they were talking about what they were going to do with it and I wanted to get it back before anything happened to it so-" She cut herself off before she risked annoying Taylor any further.

"I thought Sophia had taken it home."

Oh. No wonder Taylor had been so surprised to see it, even outside of it being her to be the one to give it to her. "I think they planned to," she replied, "but since you left right after Emma probably just thought she could leave it in her locker and then take it back with her when she went home for the weekend."

Taylor laughed, but it wasn't a happy thing as her gaze slipped somewhere else. "Yeah, I guess so" she remarked plainly after a moment, before she looked back to her, gaze sharpening slightly. "Do you know how they got it in the first place?"

Madison shook her head, probably a little more vehemently than she needed to. "Nope, I just got a text from them telling me to come to your locker after class, that was the first time I saw it" she admitted. Her expression curling into distaste at the memory and mirroring Taylor's own grimace at her answer.

"So much for that," Taylor muttered.

"They didn't steal your key?" That's what she'd assumed, it didn't take a genius to realise Taylor had started storing her stuff in the safety of her locker after things from her bag had started to go missing, something Madison was infinitely glad she'd never been part of.

"No" Taylor growled, looking elsewhere as her hands visibly tightened around her cup. "I don't know how that bitch got in or if she got one of the staff to help her."

"Would they really-" She cut herself off again as she remembered everything her quest item had shown her. Even if it hadn't happened and wouldn't happen now... It didn't exactly paint the best picture. "Nevermind" she finished lamely, looking back to Taylor to see the other girl giving her an odd look.

"You believe me?"

"Well yeah?"

Taylor paused before shaking her head in apparent bemusement. "Nothing" Taylor muttered, hiding whatever else she might have said as she brought her mug to her lips.

Madison wasn't sure if the next few minutes of silence would have been considered awkward or not, but Taylor hadn't thrown her out or started shouting at her again so she was counting it as a win. The fact her power hadn't chimed in also made her hopeful that she wasn't screwing things up too badly and if nothing else she was happy to see that almost going to jail was worth it for the way Taylor's hand had seemingly found the flute again without any conscious thought, her thumb tracing over the grooves in the metal as her mind was clearly elsewhere.

Madison's phone buzzed in her pocket and she cursed internally as Taylor's gaze snapped to her, the other girl looking as though she'd forgotten Madison was present and whatever quietude had settled was broken over one knee.

"Sorry" she mumbled, pulling out her phone and determining to put it on silent assuming Taylor didn't throw her out right then.

Taylor just gave her a brief nod, seeming to become aware of what her hand was doing with the flute as she stopped and frowned down at herself.

Unlocking her phone Madison quickly swiped the settings bar down, intent on putting it on silent and then shoving it back into her pocket permanently, but paused as she saw what the notification had been for.

Emma: They said I have to replace it myself, can you believe it?!

She couldn't help but break into a grin as it clicked just what Emma had to be referring to.

"What?" Taylor asked warily, breaking her out of the thought. Taylor's cautious, suspicious tone confusing her for a moment until she realised Taylor had probably become accustomed to seeing her peers smiling in a very different light.

"Um right, you know how I sort of broke into Emma's locker?"

"I do remember that part yes" Taylor replied with a such flat deadpan Madison squirmed in embarrassment.

"Well I may have accidentally stolen Emma's gym bag too. And now she's really mad that the school are making her pay for a new one..."

Taylor's flat look managed to morph into a curious sort of disbelief. "...How do you accidentally steal someone else's gym bag?"

Madison felt her cheeks heating up, "I was in a rush! Do you have any idea how terrifying it is to steal things?!"

A small part of her that wasn't insanely embarrassed was pleased when Taylor cracked a small tentative smile of her own.

"Do you want it?" She asked before her brain could catch up with her mouth.

'Why did I say that.'

"Why did I say that" she muttered, mortified. Hiding her face behind her mug as Taylor let out a choked laugh.

"Seriously?"

"Okay I don't know why I said that, but well I do sort of have it and..." She peeked around her mug to see Taylor's expression fade into a frown as she gave her an odd look.

"Why?" She asked simply, though the question felt anything but.

"Well she stole something of yours so I wasn't sure if, I don't know you were shouting a lot earlier so...yeah" She trailed off lamely, knowing she hadn't gotten her thoughts across half as well as they'd sounded in her head.

Taylor just stared at her for a moment before shaking her head with an obvious finality and a tone to match when she spoke up again a moment later. "No, I don't care that you have it, but I'm not going to sink to their level of stealing other people's things."

"Ouch."

"Not what I meant." Taylor threw back with a roll of her eyes before her look became contemplative as her gaze turned back to her again. "I'm not going to apologise for before."

It was obviously meant as a challenge but Madison could only shrug as she returned a weak smile. "I don't think I want you to really. I did deserve all of it."

Taylor didn't respond and Madison didn't expect her to, but she felt compelled to break the small silence that followed regardless. "If you don't want me to talk to you anymore I won't" she offered and she knew she'd do it willingly. As such as she wanted to make it up to Taylor, maybe even be the friend she so obviously needed and deserved - If all Taylor wanted was for Madison to just disappear from her life enough that she basically didn't exist then she'd do it in a heartbeat, it was the least she could do at the end of the day for everything she'd already done.

Taylor only scowled at her. "Just do what you said you'd do," she snapped, bitterness leaking into her tone. "Pretending I don't exist is what most people do already if they aren't joining in, or was all that for show?"

"No!" She yelped, "I meant it, I really did! I just wasn't sure you'd want me speaking to you after everything that's all."

Taylor huffed, tapping the rim of her mug with her thumb. "I still don't like you and you haven't proved anything really, but fuck if I didn't offer Emma how many chances?" She scoffed, looking elsewhere briefly before her gaze snapped back to Madison. "And then you go ahead and do something like this out of the blue?" She gestured, holding up the flute in one hand. "I'd be an even bigger hypocrite than her wouldn't I? If I never gave you a chance to actually prove it."

"Thank you Taylor" she smiled softly, finally taking a sip of her tea and blanching at the horrible taste as Taylor looked on in briefly undisguised amusement.

.

.

She didn't linger long at Taylor's after she'd suffered through finishing her tea, it didn't matter how many sweeteners Taylor had, black tea was not a drink for civilised people! But considering Madison felt like she'd been outstaying her welcome the moment she'd walked through the front door she wasn't about to complain either and reluctantly gulped down the lot before making her excuses to leave.

Whilst Taylor hadn't actually kicked her out in the end, she didn't blame the other girl for not being sorry to see her go. Though the fact their parting was downright amicable compared to when Taylor had first opened the door had easily made the whole thing worth it.

She hadn't asked Taylor if she'd be at school the next day and wasn't sure if Taylor even knew herself. She had rather belatedly realised on the bus afterwards that she'd completely forgotten to tell Taylor her worries that the duo and probably everyone else they'd told would blame Taylor for the theft though, which had left her in a bit of a bind as she mulled over her nonexistent options.

Taylor wasn't an idiot and would probably put two and two together without her having to state the obvious again. That's what she was telling herself at least and it wasn't like she'd ever seen Taylor with mobile phone and it definitely wasn't like she was in any position to get her number otherwise. So she was basically screwed unless she could somehow intercept Taylor before she got to Winslow, assuming she even went in at all.

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[Quest: The Power of Communication]

After a heartfelt apology and presenting her token of genuine contrition, Madison Clements must now inform her nominal ally of the potential threats that approach.

[Objective: Use the phone number acquired from the library to contact Taylor Hebert]
Rewards: None

[OK]

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Oh right, she had that too didn't she! "Thanks p-" She cut herself off, saying 'power' seemed like a really bad idea even if there were only like five people on the bus with her. "Thanks Quest" she whispered instead, slipping out her phone and suffering through the awkward clumsiness of switching back and forth between her gallery and her contacts page until she was sure she'd typed in the whole phone number correctly.

She paused before hitting dial, wondering if she was doing the right thing and hoping Taylor wouldn't react the same way as when she'd first seen her outside her house...

With far more trepidation than she'd felt using a phone before she tapped the dial button, holding the phone up to her ear and waiting for it to connect.

"Hello?"

"Hi Taylor, it's Madison" She chirped with a quiet nervousness she didn't even try to hide.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, sorry it's just I remembered that I forgot to mention something whilst I was there earlier."

"Okay?"

"Well" she paused, not quite sure how to phrase things, especially in public like she was. "After I got back that thing for you, I realised that everyone is probably just going to assume you did it, so I just wanted to warn you if you are going back tomorrow."

There was a noticeable pause and Madison chewed her bottom lip nervously as she waited for Taylor to say something.

"Figures," came the tired response after a moment longer. "They've probably searched my locker if they managed to convince one of the teachers, hopefully my stuff is still there and isn't ruined again."

Madison winced at the blunt delivery, knowing how likely that could be depending on how things had played out. "You can share mine if you want?" She offered in the spur of the moment, quickly committing to the idea after thinking it through in the pause before Taylor's subsequent reply.

If they did break into her locker too, especially using the same method they had for Taylor's then they'd have a pretty good case to go to the administration with something they shouldn't be able to ignore. Especially if it was her and Taylor instead of just Taylor as much as Madison hated to admit it.

"Thanks but I'll manage" came the terse reply and Madison couldn't help but wince sympathetically again, yeah in hindsight it was probably a bit much to use your high school bully's locker she thought to herself.

"Okay, let me know if you need to borrow anything?" She threw out cautiously instead, knowing Taylor would probably never take her up on the offer but feeling the need to put it out there anyway.

"Thanks Madison, anything else?"

Madison wracked her brain for a moment, knowing there was probably something, though didn't want to waste even more of Taylor's time, the latter of the two quickly winning out when she drew an immediate blank.

"Nope, sorry for interrupting your afternoon and well, everything." She added awkwardly, dying a little inside for how bad it sounded to her own ears.

"See you tomorrow Madison."

The phone clicked and Madison stared at the end call screen in surprise, wondering if Taylor had meant to say that.

.

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It didn't take her too long to get home in the end, munching on the store bought sandwich between buses and eventually getting back by mid-afternoon.

She was usually home before her parents anyway, so she wasn't surprised, even if she was entirely relieved to see neither of her parent's cars in the drive when she arrived at the house. Quickly letting herself in and fixing a snack to carry back up to her room she threw her coat on the bed as she entered. Turning on her PC was next on her list and as it booted up she raided her closet for her usual hoodie to lounge about in before belatedly remembering it was in the wash. With a shrug Madison opened her Inventory and retrieved the one she'd worn that morning, feeling oddly thrilled to be wearing something she'd committed crimes in earlier that day, even though it wasn't like the rest of her outfit had really changed at any point.

The odd sensation didn't help her growing feelings of restlessness despite how early her day had started. And even PHO couldn't keep her attention when she sat down at her PC and started browsing through the local boards whilst munching on the plate of cookies she'd secured.

She'd tried playing a few web browser games, reading and just general browsing, but even as exhaustion was slowly starting to settle in after she'd finally stopped, she still felt too wired to actually relax properly. She'd even almost started on her outstanding homework and so when she'd heard her mom's car pulling into the driveway she'd quickly stuffed it back in her desk drawer and wandered downstairs to say hello.

"Hi mom," she smiled as she came down the stairs, her mom still manoeuvring her work bag and several grocery bags in both hands through the doorway. Somehow she seemed to manage it and shut the door behind her before Madison could think to offer a hand, turning to her with a smile and greeting of her own.

"Hi sweetie, help me with my bags?"

"Sure" she nodded, skipping the last couple of steps on the staircase and quickly untangling the taunt straps from her mom's fingers before leading them both through to the kitchen. She was curious, but not quite curious enough to go rooting through the bags to see what her mom had picked up, dumping the bags unceremoniously on the floor in front of the counter after a brief moment of indecision as to where she was actually supposed to put them.

"Thanks Maddie," her mom offered as she moved past her and shrugged off her work bag, leaving it on the counter as she went to flick on the kettle. "Have a good day?"

Madison found herself pausing at the question where normally she'd have a quick truth or lie to throw back, usually saying 'fine' or 'good' whether it was or not. Had her day been good?

Even as she briefly remembered the sheer panic she'd had at running away from whoever had been chasing her in Winslow, every moment she'd felt like she didn't know what she was doing or bitten off more than she could chew... Well she remembered finding the flute, Taylor's expression when she'd pulled it out and how Taylor had all but snatched it out of her hands following, barely able to leave it alone at any point in their encounter afterwards.

She remembered the sheer satisfaction of finally accomplishing something she could be proud of and hell, that was probably the first genuine conversation she'd had in the better part of a year, even if half of it had been her being shouted at.

"Yeah," she replied after a moment as her drifting gaze returned to her mom and she quirked her head curiously as she noticed her mom was preparing two cups for some reason, was she expecting a friend from work again?

"I'm glad to hear it," her mom replied as she came over with both cups in hand, gesturing at her to sit. Madison found herself doing so automatically, her obvious look of puzzlement going completely ignored as her mother simply handed her one of the steaming cups before taking a seat opposite.

Neither said anything for a moment, her mom seemingly savouring the chance to sit down after getting in and cupping the small beverage in both hands, whilst Madison herself was too off balance to do anything more than sit in her slowly simmering confusion.

"So Madison," her mom said as she looked over the table to her, taking a small sip of her tea, a polite enquiring smile adorning her face. "Would you like to tell me why you weren't at school today?"

"Um" she replied intelligently.