Madison had been on the receiving end of some pretty harsh stares before, but this took the cake. “Um, is Avery here?” she asked tentatively, standing on the stoop of Avery’s house.

Avery’s father filled the doorway. A tall Asian man with slicked back hair, over grown eyebrows and eyes so dark they appeared black. He wore a long sleeved button down shirt that was tucked into the waist of his pressed khaki pants. The lines around his mouth deepened as he continued to stare at her. Many would crumble under his severe look, but Madison was made of sterner stuff.

“Avery Li? She’s expecting me,” Madison added. She attempted to smile but she feared it came out more of a grimace. “I’m Madison. Madison Chase. I go to high school with her.”

His eyebrows furrowed together, making them one continuous unibrow, before leaning back into the house and shouting, “Avery!”

“Coming!” a voice replied from inside.

The man continued to block the doorway, content to wait for his daughter to confirm her identity. Awkward silence descended over them and Madison bobbed her head as she studied the dark trim of the doorway. Her eyes followed it down to the ground and that’s when she noticed Mr. Li’s feet. Instead of shoes like she expected to see, the man wore blue fuzzy house slippers with silver flowers sewn onto it. Somehow seeing that made him less daunting. 

He stepped aside as Avery bounded down the steps and came into view. Her greeting seemed to satisfy him because he shuffled away and disappeared into the house.

“Your dad is very…”

“Stern?” Avery suggested, inviting her inside.

“I was going to say intimidating,” Madison replied, closing the door behind her. “He sure knows how to make an impact without saying a word.”

Avery let out a snort of amusement. “He has it down to an art form.”

“He should join the police force. That skill is practically a requirement there.” Madison noticed the neat row of shoes by the door. “Should I…?”

“If you don’t mind. We don’t wear outside shoes in the house.”

Madison slid off her sneakers; thankful she wore matching socks today. “Now that I’m here you have to tell me everything that happened Friday night starting from when Wyatt—”

Avery covered her mouth before she could say more. “Shhh,” she hissed, looking wildly around. “No mention of that until we’re safe inside my room. There are spies everywhere.” She didn’t let go until Madison nodded with understanding.   

“Spies?” Madison silently mouthed.

A green bouncy ball suddenly whizzed by. She whirled around and saw a little boy standing on the stair’s landing. A mischievous smile lit up his face as he was peeked through the metal bars. Judging by his chubby cheeks and the missing front tooth, Madison estimated he was around six years old.

“Throw another ball at my friend and I’ll tell Dad what really happened to his favorite recliner,” Avery threatened. His eyes grew wide and he scampered up the stairs. “Spies,” Avery confirmed with a nod to her little brother.

Madison followed Avery through the house to her room. It was modestly decorated, nothing too loud or flashy. A few pictures hung on the white walls along with a row of academic ribbons. The chest of drawers in the corner had nothing resting on top except a mirror. A yellow comforter decorated her bed giving it a much-needed pop of color. It was very... minimalistic.

“So spill all the juicy details,” she ordered once Avery shut the door. She was dying to know what happened.

Avery sagged against the door and let out a blissful sigh. “It was absolutely wonderful. He was furious at first. You should have seen him rant and rave about Zach Brewer and how he was not the right fit for me. I just stood there and let him rage. Finally he lost his steam and petered out.” Her eyes started to glaze over as she slid down the door and sat on the carpet. “We stood there for a long time. Neither saying a word, and then finally he let out this sound— this deep, impatient sound—and he was suddenly on top of me. Kissing me like he never wanted to stop.”

She sighed again and her head dropped back. It made a loud bang but she didn’t notice or even care. Too caught up in reliving the moment. Madison’s chest swelled with pride. She’d been apart of making that happen….and Zach, who she owed a huge ‘thank you’ too.

“I haven’t seen him since, but he called yesterday and we talked on the phone for hours,” Avery continued. “He wants to go to the movies tonight, just the two of us, but I don’t think I can convince my parents. They want me to stay home and study.”

“Hence why you told me to bring my backpack?”

Avery nodded. “They don’t let me do much unless it’s for school. My mom is more lenient, but my dad…” She shuddered. “The only reason I’m allowed to go to Homecoming each year is because I get good grades. Anything less than an A and I’m housebound.”

“It can’t all be that bad. I mean, you’re allowed to go to the mall and you were at Wyatt’s house that time,” she pointed out, trying to make Avery’s situation sound better.

She gave Madison a rueful smile. “I lie. They think I’m going to a study group.”

“I’m starting to understand why you guys call FEC a study group.” All the pieces were clicking together letting her see the full scope of the club.

“That’s the initial excuse I told my parents when I went to hang out with them. When we formed FEC, the study group idea stuck and we used it as a cover ever since. Pretty brilliant considering no one would ever suspect a bunch of honor students.”

Madison murmured an unintelligible answer. She didn’t feel quite the same fervor as Avery regarding the topic. Then a thought occurred to her. “Avery, what did you do with the items you stole before FEC?”

She wrinkled her nose at the question. “Why do you want to know?”

“Just curious.” She wondered how long Avery had been stealing for. Was it a new occurrence? Or had she always been taking items here and there?

Then she noted Avery’s guarded expression.

“What did you do? You can tell me.” Avery winced and looked down at her finger, which was making shapes in the carpet. “It can’t be that bad,” Madison reasoned. “You threw them out? Buried them? Flushed them down the toilet?”

Avery’s whole face started to turn red—her neck, even her ears were flushed with color. “Um…well you see…” She shook her head and crawled toward her closet. “It’s better if I just to show you.”

Sliding the closet door open, Avery rummaged in the back and pulled out a wooden chest that looked like it was from the 1920s. She unlocked it and opened the chest up. Inside was a treasure trove of items—everything imaginable from stuffed animals to doorknobs to action figures.

“That answers that question,” Madison murmured under her breath. The chest had to be ten inches deep and it was filled. Clearly, Avery had been stealing for quite a long time.

Avery snapped the lid back on and quickly pushed it back into the dark corner of her closet. Then she grabbed the closet door and slammed it shut like she was trying to erase all proof of her problem. 

“Avery…” Madison started, compassion in her voice. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

She cut her off. “It’s okay. I know.” She wrapped her arms around her knees and dropped her head in shame. “I tried to throw them away, but I just couldn’t. And it’s not that I want to keep them. I don’t. They’re a constant reminder of what I did. But I can’t seem to…to…”

She was on the verge of crying and Madison felt helpless. The only thing she could do was to wrap an arm around her and offer comfort. Her room made sense now—the minimalistic approach.  She was overcompensating for her problem. Trying to make amends in her own way.

“I—I’m so s-sorry,” Avery stuttered through tears.

“It’s okay,” Madison soothed. “We all have problems, all have secrets.”

“Not like t-that,” she replied bitterly, motioning to her closet. “I’m a horrible person.”

“I’m not any better. I resent my mother. I hate her job.” Madison sighed and started playing the ends of her hair. A nervous habit she picked up from her mother. “I remember one particular instance. We were at a high school graduation party for her partner’s daughter. I was eleven at the time. It was during one of her days off so she insisted we go together as a family even though I didn’t know the girl.”

She paused, taking time to gather her thoughts. “When we arrived, Dan, that was her partner’s name, came up to us looking surprised. I remember him saying, ‘I didn’t think you’d come. I thought you’d spend time your family.’” She let out a cynical laugh. “Do you know what my mother’s response was?”

Avery shook her head, her tears starting to dry up.

“She said, and I quote, ‘Are you kidding? I wouldn’t miss this for the world.’ Do you know who missed my eleventh birthday party? My mother. She had to work.” Madison had to swallow back the acrid taste of resentment before it coated her mouth. “I was so angry that day, so mad at her for saying that. She might have meant it as a casual statement, but to me it was another reminder of where I stood in her life.”

That day was a turning point for Madison. Her demeanor shifted. She was no longer an optimist when it came to her mother. Instead, she started fights with her, using sarcasm as a tool to lash out. Over time, the anger she harbored turned into bitter blocks. She stacked them one by one creating a barrier between mother and daughter. She knew her mother felt it, hated it, but as much as Madison would like to tear it down, she couldn’t. It was the one thing protecting her heart.

Madison took a deep breath and continued. “I know my mother loves me. I know what she does is important. But everyday I wish she wasn’t a cop. And that makes me a selfish and horrible person.”

She reached over and patted Avery’s hand. “So you see? You’re not alone. We all have secrets. We all have demons we wrestle with. Maybe not hidden in the closet like yours…”

Avery let out a weak chuckle. The shame and embarrassment she felt starting to recede from her face. “What can I say? I’m a visual learner.” Her eyes turned solemn as she added, “And for the record, I don’t think you’re a horrible person.”

Madison bumped her shoulder. “You’re not either. We’re just…”

“Flawed?”

She laughed at the familiar term. “Yeah, I’m flawed."

“Welcome to the club.”

******