Chapter 7

On Wednesday, I manage to convince Maddox into another project session. We set a date: Thursday, his house, six o'clock. So when Thursday comes around, I make sure we're still going to work on the project at lunch. "Are we still on for today?" I ask him when it's just the two of us at the table. We walked down to lunch together; well, we had a twenty foot gap between us, but we arrived within the same thirty seconds.

"Why do you always ask? Obviously I didn't cancel, so yes, Olive, we're still on for today," he confirms with a roll of his eyes.

"Olivia," I correct him. "And I don't want to walk in on something that I don't want to see."

His eyebrows furrow as he looks at me. "Something you don't want to see?" he questions.

"Yeah, I mean, I don't know what you do in your free time," I shrug as I dip a fry into my ketchup.

"You're disgusting," he shakes his head.

"Well, you never know," I mutter with a weak shrug.

"What's disgusting?" Nicholas asks as he sits down.

"Her mind," Maddox retorts with a nod at me.

"I didn't peg you as a pervert," Nicholas says as he scrutinizes me.

"I'm not!" I respond defensively. "I just don't know what he does in his free time!"

"Why were you thinking about it?" Nicholas questions me and my eyes widen.

"I wasn't!" I blurt. My face begins to heat up as both boys look at me judgmentally.

"You weren't what?" Jackson asks as he drops down into a seat.

"She was thinking about what Maddox does in his free time, if you know what I mean," Nicholas wiggles his eyebrows.

"Who was thinking about what Maddox does in his free time?" Winona wonders as she and Cassidy place their trays on the table beside me.

"No one!" I snap. Everyone turns to look at me as I sit there, blushing and embarrassed. "No one was thinking about Maddox at all."

"That's quite rude," Jackson pipes as he shakes his head.

"He's rude!" I retort as I point at Maddox, who seems entertained at all the harassment I'm facing.

"Yeah, but he's Maddox. It's expected of him," Jackson shrugs with a slow shake of his head. "You're nice, or at least we thought you were. Now your true colors are showing, you pervert."

I groan aloud as everyone starts laughing. Remind me to never speak again.

+ + +

"Aunt Genevieve, can I go over Maddox's house today?" I ask my aunt when I come downstairs with my bag over my shoulder.

Her eyebrows shoot up on her face. "For what?" she asks in slight alarm.

"We have to work on a project for American Literature," I explain, not quite grasping the reasoning behind her surprise.

"And it requires you to go over his house? Why can't he come here? Are his parent's home?" she lets her questions fire.

"Yeah, I think his parents will be home," I lie. He makes it a point to invite me over when they're not home.

"You think?" my aunt asks.

"I don't like him, Aunt Gen," I respond when I finally catch on. "And he doesn't like me, trust me."

My aunt looks at me skeptically. "Okay, but I want you home by eight o'clock," she concludes.

I nod, knowing I'll be home before then. "Okay," I confirm.

I set out to Maddox's house at 5:40, seeing as there isn't any rain to stop me. I arrive a few minutes late but I figure it isn't a big deal. I knock on the door and wait. I hear footsteps running towards the door. "I'll get it Abel!" Maddox grunts.

"I got it, Maddie! Calm down!" Abel's strained voice responds.

I listen to the scuffling on the other side of the door and I hear a cry of pain along with a thud. Suddenly, Abel swings open the door and Maddox is on the ground, sitting down with his legs outstretched in front of him and his arms behind him, supporting his upper body. He's glaring daggers at his brother, who is wearing his usual grin. "Olivia! How good to see you!"

He catches me by surprise when he hugs me. I reciprocate the hug before turning to Maddox. "Sorry I'm late," I apologize as I enter the house.

"Whatever, just hurry up. I want to finish this project," Maddox retorts. Abel closes the door behind me and marches in after us.

"Why?" Abel questions as he drops onto the couch, turning on the television.

"I'm hanging out with Raven at eight thirty," Maddox replies, shooting his brother an annoyed look.

"On a school night?" Abel inquires in genuine concern.

"Obviously," Maddox retorts. "She doesn't have class on Fridays."

"But you do," Abel presses. Maddox just shrugs and Abel lets out a disappointed sigh. "I don't understand how you can get a college girl but I can't."

If I had a drink, I'd definitely be choking on it right now. Raven's in college? Maddox is seeing a college girl? They continue their conversation while I sit there on the couch dying at the new revelation. I just assumed she went to a different school. I'll admit, she looks a bit older but I never even considered the fact that she's a college girl.

"Let's get started," Maddox insists, yanking me from my thoughts.

"Oh yeah," I nod as I grab my notebook from my bag.

Despite the fact that I'm contributing to the conversation and offering suggestions for the story, I'm in my own world. At 7:30, Maddox closes his folder and I do the same and shove it into my backpack. I throw my bag over my shoulder and stand up. "I'll type the book up, I guess," I conclude with a nod, grateful to have finished it. I feel like I can't trust him with the task so I may as well do it myself.

"Good," he nods sharply before walking towards the stairs. I see myself out of his house, hopping down the steps as I go. My thoughts swallow me up as I walk back to my house. I manage to arrive home at 8:05 and my aunt nods approvingly.

+ + +

"I'm so excited!" Cassidy exclaims the following day in Pre-Calculus. Winona is sitting back, eating a bag of Skittles.

"Why?" I engage her curiously.

"Maddox didn't tell you?" she replies. I shake my head and almost laugh at the idea of him telling me anything that isn't an insult. "I knew we shouldn't have trusted him!"

Winona shrugs. "We had to give him a chance to tell her," she attempts.

"Tell me what?" I ask, growing impatient and frustrated.

"We're all going to the carnival tomorrow night," she explains. I stare at her with furrowed brows. That's what she's so excited for?

"And?" I ask her curiously, wondering what else there is to it.

"And? The carnival is so much fun!" she squeals girlishly. I shrug, kind of agreeing but kind of not. Every time I've been to a carnival, it was to bring my brother around to the kid rides and then I'd go home. I've never actually been on a ride (other than the Tilt-A-Whirl), or a Ferris wheel for that matter. My older brother would bring me when I was younger but I was too scared to go on anything so that tradition ended after one year. "Are you going to come?"

I stare at her and shrug. I don't really have money. I mean, I have a few dollars but not enough to go joyriding at the carnival. None of the jobs I've applied to have reached back out to me so I'm just going to stay broke until they do. "I don't know. I'll have to ask my aunt," I mumble. Maybe I can ask my mom to send me money.

"Good, give me an answer by tomorrow! We're all carpooling," she grins at me. I nod and look at the floor. I hate not having money.

+ + +

After a long day at school, I go home to find my aunt sitting on the couch, talking on the phone. She has her work clothes on and I can tell that she'll be leaving soon. I might as well ask her now. I'll just wait until she gets off the phone. And to my luck, she does only seconds later. When she see's that I'm standing there, she smiles at me. "Do you need something, Liv?"

"Yeah, I got invited to go to the carnival tomorrow. Can I?" I ask her as I shift from one foot to another. It's weird having to ask permission to go places. Back home, I would just come and go at my own will. Then again, maybe that's why I'm here.

"Wow, for a girl struggling to make friends, you sure do have a lot of plans," she grins at me. I chuckle quietly and she nods up at me. "Yes, you may." I flash her a quick smile and turn towards the stairwell. "Do you have money for the carnival?" she asks once I'm halfway up the steps.

"Sort of," I mutter. "I was going to see if my mom could send me money."

"If you need money, you can just ask, Liv," she informs me as she waves me over once again. I slowly descend back down the steps.

I feel my face burn red in embarrassment. "I just don't like asking for money," I explain quietly. Especially after you've already taken me in, provided me with a home, and treated me like one of your own when my parents basically kicked me out.

My aunt reaches into her purse and hands me two twenties. "Now, that should be enough," she announces. I smile at her and thank her quietly. "I won't be home for dinner tonight so you girls will have to make something for yourselves."

She rises from the couch and heads to the front door, calling a greeting out to her daughter. I sigh and tuck the money into my pocket. I grab my phone and tell Cassidy that I'll be tagging along tomorrow.

+ + +

I wake up on Saturday and stare at the ceiling. I'm not supposed to be leaving until six tonight so the reason I woke up at eight is unknown. The sun shines brightly through my curtains and I turn on my side. I think my dad would be proud of me. I mean, I've been staying out of trouble. I haven't gone to any parties; well, I haven't purposely gone to any parties. I haven't done anything remotely bad.

I talked to my dad about a week ago, but it was a pretty plain phone call. I called him the night before in hopes that he'd answer but he didn't get back to me until the following morning. When I saw it was him, I answered immediately and told him how I was and how I was staying out of trouble. He talked to me about Charlie and told me how the rest of the family is doing. The phone call ended only moments after it began and I couldn't help but feel like he was still mad at me. I shrug and shake my head. Whatever, I don't care.

After showering and dressing, I go downstairs to the kitchen to make myself some breakfast. Vivica is sitting there in her cheer-leading outfit eating a bowl of cereal. I guess she has another Saturday practice. In an attempt to be civil, I nod at her. "Good morning," I greet quietly.

"Morning," she mutters, which surprises me. I walk towards the fridge and seize the milk before grabbing the cereal that's on the table. I pour myself a bowl and begin eating, ready to start my day.

When six o'clock finally comes around, I'm sitting on the porch with my phone in my hands, patiently anticipating the arrival of a car. During my time waiting until an appropriate time to start getting ready, I did the dishes and washed the counters. I swept and mopped the kitchen floor, as well as wiped down the table. My aunt said something about having to clean it today so I figured I might as well do something around the house to lighten her load.

A familiar car pulls up to my house and I stand up and pocket my cell phone. I approach the car and get into the backseat when I see that the passenger's is taken. I want to cringe when I see that it's Raven sitting there beside Maddox. I'm going to be a third wheel.

"Now we just have to pick up Winona and we're good," Maddox announces and I want to cheer in relief when he says those words.

The ride to Winona's house takes twenty minutes, but it was definitely worth it. I try my best to tune out their conversation and focus my attention on the greenery outside of the car. It's hard to do though when Raven keeps laughing at something funny that Maddox says. And I doubt anything Maddox says is that funny.

Winona cheers when she gets into the car and I have to admit that it's the most beautiful sound I've ever heard. The tense aura is immediately split in half and dissolved as Winona begins talking excitedly to all of us.

+ + +

We arrived at the carnival and I notice Parker getting out of a large truck. Out of the back doors comes Nicholas, Jackson, and Cassidy. They really couldn't have picked me and Winona up? I sigh and follow them to the entrance, where I pay the entrance fee. I tuck ten dollars away for food and used the rest to buy tickets. I almost shed a tear as the entire forty dollars is flushed down the toilet that is the carnival.

"Let's go!" Cassidy squeals and runs in the direction of the rides. I follow nervously, biting my lip as I look at the rickety rides. I've never been on any of these and many of them rise higher in the air than I'm comfortable with for a traveling band of machines. And last time I was up that high, I vomited.

"Which one?" she gives me the option to pick. One of them spins very fast and I can imagine myself puking and the other one is a bunch of swings that rise higher and higher as the ride goes on.

Everyone begins choosing. Parker says he's going to sit these ride out because he just ate tacos and shouldn't be swinging or spinning. His absence makes a tie. Three people want to go on the puke ride and the other three want to go on the crazy swings. Everyone turns to me, waiting for me to decide which ride we'll go on first. I begin stuttering. Maddox, with a ticked off look on his face, begins snapping at me to decide. Because he wants to go on the spinning ride, I glare at him and tilt my head to the side.

"The swings," I conclude. I fall back in the group with Parker when I realized that I'd just chosen the wrong ride.

"You okay?" he asks as he assesses my face. "You look a little pale."

I shrugged. "Oh yeah, I'm just excited."

Parker shakes his head with a smirk on his lips. "I remember one time a girl's swing buckle came undone and she fell from fifty feet up. Good times."

I stare at him before swallowing the lump in my throat. Before I can back out, Cassidy shoves me forward in the line so I'm basically pressed against the fence keeping us from entering. They accept my ticket as I get on the ride and sit in one of the many seats. I buckle myself in and wait for them to come and make sure the belt is done correctly. Cassidy waves at me from the other side of the ride and I wave back with a slightly panicked look on my face. They raise the ride upwards and I feel my stomach drop as they began swinging us. It starts off slow but the speed soon increases  and before I know it, we're doing laps around the ride and my stomach feels like it's dropped to my feet, which are swinging as we move.

Once the ride ends, I'm the first one off of it. I quickly run out of the ride's gate and stand near Parker, who rubs my back as I try to regulate my breathing. My heart is hammering in my chest as I stare at the swings, which are slowly emptying as people hop off of them. "Are you okay?" Cassidy asks me.

I nod my head hastily. "Yeah, I just thought I was going to puke. I shouldn't have had that sandwich before I came," I mumble quietly.

Maddox sends me a suspicious look as I stand there, letting out shaky breaths. He continues to stare at me and I start to grow nervous. What if he knows about my fear of heights? I stick my tongue out at him before catching up to Cassidy and Winona, who are busy talking excitedly about the next ride we're going to board.

The outcome of that ride is very similar to the last except I actually felt as if I was going to vomit. Every time a ride involving heights ends, I would rush out of the gates and stand outside, dizzy and lightheaded. I'd hide my shaking hands by shoving them in my hoodie after wiping my damp eyes. My stomach would slowly unclench and I'd appreciate the fact that my feet are on the ground. It'd only last a few moments though because Winona would drag us to a ride where our feet were as far off the ground as possible. We'd usually flip upside down a few times, too.

At eight o'clock, we stop to eat. I'm grateful because I need a break from all the rides and heights. My heart barely stopped hammering in my chest. After I order my fried dough, I return to to the picnic table where everyone is seated. I finish my food before everyone else and slowly sip my drink. They're all taking their time, talking excitedly about what rides they want to go on next. I'm left staring at the table, praying for this day to come to an end. I really shouldn't be torturing myself but my money is already spent and I read the 'no returns' sign quite clear upon entering. I'm left to either waste my tickets and look like a punk or get on the rides and fit in.

Four considerably fun rides later, we're standing in line for the Ferris wheel. I hadn't realized how tall it is until I'm standing directly in front of it, staring it in the face. My nerves are in knots as I stare up at the ginormous wheel while it moves excruciatingly slow. It's lit up with several lights, most of which are blinking bright hues. The array of colors is probably the most exciting thing about the ride, because sitting in a cart as it goes higher and higher for five entire minutes doesn't seem fun at all.

I slowly make my way to the back of the line, intending on skipping out on this ride once everyone is seated. I'd blame it on the food in my stomach, which has been making a home in the acid for thirty minutes. I stand behind Raven and Maddox, who are having a conversation. I look at Nicholas who easily backed out. He said he's scared of this ride and wouldn't get on it, telling the story of how he got stuck on one as a kid and was trapped for two hours. He's watching our stuff back at the picnic table. I sigh as I stare at the table longingly. I'd willingly switch places with him.

The people who were just on the ride begin filing off and everyone else starts getting on. They're putting two people in each booth. I look ahead to see who'll be getting paired up.

Winona and Cassidy.

Parker and Jackson.

Raven and Maddox.

I looked behind me and find no one there. I sigh yet again. I'd be on the contraption alone. I stare at the ground and walk forward every few steps before the man tells me to get into a cart. I notice Raven striding away from the ride and I stare at her for a few seconds before I follow the guide's instructions. I slowly and cautiously step into the half capsule, biting back a snivel when the booth quietly groans beneath me. I immediately want to get out once I notice Maddox sitting on the other side of the compartment. He's resting back with his arms outstretched on either side of him. He has a blank look on his face as he watches me.

As the guy started up the ride, I tighten my grip on the bar holding me down. My fingers are digging into the metal and I feel my nails bending but I don't care. The knot in my stomach only tightens as we rise higher and higher, causing my heart to pound in my chest like a drum. The ride seems to get slower and slower the closer we get to the top. I exhale slowly, listening to my my breath shake as I stare at the floor of the compartment, cringing whenever the wheel makes an odd noise.

"You're scared of heights," Maddox notes once we're halfway to the top. I swallow the lump in my throat and nod. There's no hiding it now.

"Yeah," I admit. It's all I can say. Slowly, the small booth begins rocking and I let out a whimper as my fingers tighten around the bar. It continues to shake and I look up at Maddox. He has a grin on his lips as he slowly sways back and forth, causing our small compartment to shake. "Stop," I hiss as loud as I can.

"Why should I?" he wonders as he continues to move back and forth.

"Maddox, stop," I plead through gritted teeth. I close my eyes as I grip the bar. It only makes things worse, creating the sensation that I'm falling. I immediately open them and look around, making sure to keep my eyes off of the ground below us.

"Why should I?" he repeats.

"Please, Maddox," I grunt.

"Look over the edge," he  insists. When he sees that I'm motionless, he begins to rock the compartment even more. "Look over the edge."

"Okay, stop!" I respond. I slowly raise my eyes and look over the edge of the Ferris wheel. My eyes widen and my throat feels as if it's closing. I immediately looked back at my feet. "You're such a jerk. I hate you."

"Good," he concurs. Slowly, the booth stops shaking and we begin descending from the top. Once we reach the bottom and the man opens the door to our cart, I immediately released the bar and hop out. Maddox, however, takes his time getting out, making sure he had everything in his pockets and even bothered to fix his jacket. Everyone's waiting for us and I approach them with my hands shoved in my pockets to hide the shaking. Maddox follows behind me with a stupid smirk on his lips.

I really hate him.

+ + +

We're walking around in a group towards the booths where you win prizes for playing games and I can't be more relieved. Nicholas is on his phone, texting away rapidly. "All you've been doing tonight is texting," Maddox snaps as he yanks the phone from Nicholas.

Nicholas, who looks annoyed, glares at Maddox and reaches for the phone. Maddox locks it and waves it around. "Who are you even texting?" he wonders.

Maddox, who doesn't know about Nick's lock screen, I'm guessing, presses the home button when he sees that Nicholas has received a text. The picture of us kissing flashes across the screen and Raven's eyes widen when she notices. Her gaze turns to Maddox and I immediately look away, knowing I'm not the one that needs to be explaining. I'm not in a relationship with her. But then again, Maddox apparently isn't either.

"Dude, change your lock screen," Maddox snaps as he tosses the phone back at Nicholas, who catches it. "That's weird."

Raven, who stomped away from Maddox only seconds before he spoke, seems to be going in the direction of the parking lot. We have to cut our time short as we follow her towards the cars.

While we're preparing to leave, I'm informed of the changes to the carpool. Because Winona would be spending the night at Cassidy's house, she's no longer going to be in the car with me, Raven, and Maddox. I send her a pleading look and she simply smiles at me, telling me that at least they won't be flirting. She assures me that Raven won't say anything and I grunt before getting into Maddox's car. I crawl into the backseat like a child.

Because Raven lives closer, we'll be dropping her off first. I have the idea in my head that she was at Maddox's house long before six o'clock. Or maybe he was at her house. Cringing at the thought, I pull my hood over my head and draw the strings, only leaving enough room for my eyes and my nose. Fifteen minutes later, we're dropping Raven off at an apartment complex. My eyes widen when I'm hit with the realization that she probably lives on her own or with a roommate. I doubt she lives with her parents.

She gets out of the car with a sour look on her face and she doesn't bother to say goodbye to either of us. Maddox mumbles  something under his breath with a scowl on his face. I repress the urge to sigh in relief. How tense. I get out of the car and move into the passenger's seat, slamming the door as I do. He flinches at the sound of his precious door crashing shut. "Don't slam the doors."

I simply ignore him and look out the window, still mad at the stunt he pulled on the Ferris wheel. We drive back to our familiar neighborhood and he pulls to a stop in front of my house. It takes me a minute to get my seatbelt undone and I have to untie the drawstrings of my hoodie in order to see. "What? Are you waiting for me to kiss you?" he asks impatiently.

"You're going to take my second kiss, too?" I retort angrily as I manage to fix the strings of my hoodie.

"That was your first kiss?" he gasps, seemingly shocked. I scowl at him, providing him with a silent answer. He shrugs and glaces at the steering wheel. "At least it was with someone hot."

"Get away from me, Maddox," I snap.

"Get out of the car and you'll be away from me," he responds blankly.

I groan and glare at him. "I hate you."

"For now, you do," he replies with a sigh.

"No, I'll hate you forever," I bite as I get out of his car.

"Forever and always, Olive?" he asks as if making a promise with me.

"Shut up," I snap as I purposefully slam his car door.

"I like you more when you're mad!" he calls back as I walk up to the house. I yell back some impolite words before entering the house and locking the door behind me.