Madison was seated next to her friends on this fine Monday morning feeling fantastic. Actually that was a lie, Madison was indeed seated next to her friends, but it was a Monday so it sucked and it was a morning so that sucked even more.

Madison checked the time on her phone, 8:28am. She was dreading the bell ringing, but at the same time she also wanted it to hurry up and ring so she could get the day over and go home and nap.

Soon enough Madison was getting up, laughing with her friends as she walked off to class at 8:30. Madison parted ways with most of her friends worst of luck to walk into her maths class. She sat down her back against the wall and Ruby sitting down next to her. Madison looked towards the back of the class when she heard a large group of people laugh. Her eyes automatically landing on Daniel, and Madison was surprised to see he was already looking at her.

Madison narrowed her eyes at Daniel, but she wasn't sure why she did it, instinct maybe? In return Daniel just raised an eyebrow, but Madison's attention towards Daniel was taken away when she felt something small hit her in her shoulder.

She looked at Ruby and then down at the pen that landed on her lap, "yes Ruby?"

"You zoned out and weren't listening to me, so I needed to get your attention because I need to tell you something."

Madison picked up the pen gently chucking it back on Ruby's desk right next to her own. "Ok, well tell me." Although Madison's sentence was a bit abrupt she started to feel generally curious about what Ruby was about to say.

"So Saturday night, after the group chat died down, I was just scrolling through Facebook and guess who texted me." Ruby said happily.

As Madison listened to Ruby speak she reached down to her open bag and grabbed out her drink bottle, taking a sip before responding, "Who?"

Madison took another sip from her drink when Ruby replied with "Daniel," making Madison choke on her drink, not necessarily all because of what Ruby had said, but because she was just Madison.

"Wow that was unexpected." Madison says after a moment of regaining her breath.

"Tell me about it, it was exciting though, I mean he's cute, and he seems nice enough."

"Just be careful please Rubes, he does seem nice but it could be an act, he seems like a bit of a player."

Madison didn't know how to feel about the new news, she doesn't feel jealous, for that she would have to feel something towards him. Madison although did feel something, she wasn't sure what it was though, maybe it was betrayal because of what that days events had held of them together. Madison wasn't going to linger over it though because she knew what Daniel was like.

Ruby nodded her head now noticing that the teacher had arrived but it was a sub, meaning that because their normal teacher wasn't there, the class wouldn't do any work and probably end up either a loud mess of private conversations or playing a game like chances or some shit all together.

*****

They ended up playing chances and even though most of the class never did the dares that they were supposed to. Madison was dared to throw a chair out the window and scream that she hates school, but she couldn't, Ruby was also dared to kiss Daniel, by someone else in the class but Madison and Ruby weren't stupid, they knew Daniel had told him to. However it was all still entertaining.

The rest of the school day passed by quickly and soon enough Madison and her friends were seated in science, waiting for their slightly creepy teacher who always made sexual jokes at the most inappropriate times and wore his shorts too high and did creepy shit. Delilah once said that she thought he looked like Randall from Monsters Inc.

Usually Madison would be seated in the middle of Sophia and Ruby, but today Sophia had went home early due to not feeling well, so there was a spare seat next to Madison that she hoped nobody would fill.

The rest of the class filed in, rapidly filling up the seats. The back row of seats where probably about 90% of the boys in the class would sit. They boys sat down pulling chairs from other spaces in the classroom to add to the mob at the back.

The teacher started talking only grabbing half of the classes' attention, some noticing but not bothering to take their attention off of their phones. "Today you have got a test," the whole class groaned at this, "and the boys up the back you need to move, there is not room for 12 of you when there is only 6 seats."

Nobody moved until the teacher became more stern. Madison had placed her bag on the seat next to her, hoping it would send a message to say to anybody not to sit next to her. "Madison, please put your bag on the floor, this seat will probably be needed by one of the boys." Mr Quentin said, which resulted in Madison rolling her eyes, grudgingly complying anyway.

Within 3 seconds of Madison moving her bag the place had already been taken by a boy named Jack. When Jack pulled out the seat Madison was shocked to see out of the corner of her eye, someone else sliding into the seat before Jack even had a chance to sit down, bumping into Madison in the process.

Madison turned her head briefly to the side to see who had taken the spot, scowling when she saw it was Daniel. Madison quickly turned her head back to the front of the class, reaching down to her pocket and pulling out her headphones.

Madison's could hear there was a small argument next to her over the seat between Jack and Daniel, but it didn't last long and Jack soon moved to somewhere else. Soon the teacher had come around handing out a test paper to everyone and Madison just like everyone else in her class had quietened down and started trying to do the test. Madison was just aiming for a passing grade.

Madison had just finished the multiple choice part of her test. Now halfway through, she briefly looked up and around the class, looking beside her quick enough and seen Daniel duck his head back down.

She put her head back down and started to continue her answers on some bullshit about Dinosaurs and prehistoric shit that she would never use in her life. Madison felt a tap on her arm and slightly turned her head in the direction of Daniel who slipped a small piece of paper folded in half on her paper.

Madison raised an eyebrow questioningly, but Daniel just looked down at the paper and back to Madison's eyes, like he was trying to tell her to open it. She looked back at the paper hesitantly, and decided to open it, not like she had anything to lose.

Are you doing anything after school today?

Madison picked her pen back up and quickly wrote an answer underneath.

Maybe.

She slid the note back to Daniel and wrote an answer to the next question in her test.

Could you meet me at the park at 4.

Madison thought about her answer this time, if she was asked yesterday she would have said yes right away, but now she wasn't so sure. She couldn't use the excuse that she was meeting up with Madeline cause that was tomorrow.

No. 

Madison couldn't even be bothered to create an excuse. What was the point? Madison slid the note back to Daniel and out of the corner of her eye watched Daniel's reaction.

Daniel seemed shocked to have somebody say no to him, and he quickly scribbled back a reply and handed it back to her.

Oh come on, please. I wanna talk to you.

It sounded like he was begging now, but Madison didn't really want to go out today. As it was she had to walk to the primary school to pick up her brother and then walk home, because her mum who usually picks up Brodie had to work later today.

Madison wrote back her reply just as the teacher called out that they had 5 mins left fir the test and Madison needed all of that time to finish the test.

No. Now leave me alone so I can finish my test.

Madison handed him back the note and continued on her test, looking over to Ruby and she quickly noticed that Ruby was on her last question, so Madison hurriedly continued on hers.

Soon enough the teacher was coming around and getting the test papers and Madison was glad that she had finished her test, whether or not she got the answers were correct was another story.

Madison pulled her phone out of her back pocket and seen that they only had 3 minutes left in the period, so she put her stuff in her pencil case and put it away in her bag. When she looked back up a small note was sitting in the middle of her desk folded in half.

Ruby looked at it curiously and went to snatch it up, Madison tried her best to get it before Ruby did, but both their hands landed on it, Madison poked Ruby in the side and Ruby quickly let go.

"What is that?" Ruby asked curiously.

"Oh, it's just a reminder for things I need to get at the shops after I pick up Brodie." Madison replied slipping the note in her pocket. Although she wasn't looking at Daniel directly, and even though he was on his phone it was obvious that he was listening in on their conversation.

Ruby looked at her skeptically, "then why do you seem so protective over it?" she raised an eyebrow.

Madison shrugged, "instinct."

Thankfully the school bell rang, and everybody hurried towards the classroom door. The girls said goodbye as they left the door, all of them going in different directions. As Madison walked out the school gate she reached into her pocket to grab out her earphones, but instead her hands landed on a piece of paper, and quickly it came flooding back to her about science and the notes and how she hadn't read it yet. She pulled it out of her pocket and quickly skimmed her eyes over it

Well I'm going to be at the park at 4 for an hour, on case you change your mind.

Madison scrunched the note up in her hand and put it back into her pocket and put her headphones in heading towards the primary school. Hoping that she would arrive there before her brother got out, at 3:00pm.

"Madsi!" Brodie yelled running up to Madison's crouching figure and throwing his arms around her.

"Hey, Brodie, how was school?" Madison asked her little brother, standing up and ruffling his hair, just as one of his first grader friends came running over.

"Brodie, are you coming to the park?" His friend, whose name was unknown to Madison, asked.

Suddenly at this new question, realisation seemed to cross across his face, right before a look of hope came across his face. "Madsi, can we please go to the park today."

A look of worry immediately came across Madison's face for two reason. The first one being that she didn't want to go to the park, because of Daniel and she didn't want to him to think that she was going to do something just because he wanted her to. The second being that she didn't want to disappoint her brother. Madison was in a bit of a tough position.

Looking back down to her brother and pulling the strap of her schoolbag up further on her shoulder she couldn't help but cave into his wishes with the adorable look he was giving her, the look she always caved with. Who was she kidding, no matter what look he was giving her she could never say no to him.

"Ok, we can go, but we have to go home first so we you can get out of your school clothes and then we can also take shadow for a walk." Madison made an agreement with her brother, knowing that if either he or Madison got their school uniforms dirty their mum would shoot Madison. Madison was responsible for everything, according to her mum, whether it was her fault or not.

Brodie nodded his head frantically, quickly saying goodbye to his friends, telling them about the arrangement he just made with his sister. Before turning back around, grabbing Madison's hand and dragging her towards the school gate, eager to get home.

Madison fiddled with the lock of the door, before pushing it open. Brodie quickly scurried past her and up the stairs, dropping his bag by the bottom of the stairs.

Madison walked in also picking up her brother's school bag with a sigh, walking into the kitchen, putting his schoolbag on the table, taking out his lunchbox and putting it on the kitchen bench. Madison looked into the cupboard grabbing out a granola bar, before heading up to her own bedroom.

Taking off her shirt and throwing in the direction of her dirty clothes basket before grabbed out a shirt with some type of dream catcher design on it. She slipped it on and headed back downstairs and into the laundry, grabbing her dogs lead.

She walked to the back door to see her dog, already sitting there, tongue out, looking happy. 

Shadow, her golden retriever, came in and jumped up, putting her front paws on Madison hip, requesting a pat, which Madison gladly gave. Shadow was a weird name to give a golden retriever most people would say is an odd name. Two years ago when Madison got the dog for her birthday – mainly her dads doing- she decided to ask Brodie who at the time was 4 what he thought would be a good name.

As he had been watching some T.V show one of his favourite characters, was named Shadow, and then he gave her that look that Madison couldn't resist and Madison caved.

She put on Shadow's lead just as Brodie came bounding down the stairs, "Can we go now? Please."

"Yes, ok. Go put your shoes on." Madison said as she too, started to walk towards the door, Shadow scurrying ahead as far as the lead would let her. 

Madison put her key in her pocket along with her phone and they walked off towards the park.

Madison had a plan. She would go to the park, stay for about 20 minutes, enough to make her brother happy, before going again and that should give plenty of time for her to leave before Daniel should get there, also making Madison happy.

They arrived at the park in just over 5 minutes and Brodie immediately ran over to the play equipment where the kid from school was already there playing. What Madison assumed was the kid's mother was sitting at one of the picnic tables so Madison went on sat on the ground under the shade of some trees.

She let Shadow off her lead, picking up a stick and throwing it a few times, before Shadow got tired and lied down a few feet away from Madison. She gave her a quick pat. Madison pushed her sunglasses up a bit before lying down herself and closing her eyes.

Madison had been lying down for a few minutes and heard footsteps assuming it was Brodie, she didn't bother to move. "Fancy seeing you here."

Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. Madison recognised that voice almost immediately.

Madison didn't move hoping that maybe- just maybe- he would think that she was sleeping, or just get the hint to leave her alone. But to no avail, and Madison sighed quietly when he sat down beside her.

"You know, I actually had my doubts about you coming today." Right after Daniel had said this, Shadow must have finally noticed and slightly growled. At this Madison sat up reattached Shadow's lead and gave her a pat.

"You weren't supposed to be here until 4." Madison said with a grumble, running her fingers through her brown wavy hair, trying to tame it.

"Aww, don't you want to see me princess?" Daniel put his hand to his heart, faking hurt with a pout.

Madison rolled her eyes, behind her sunglasses. "No I don't. Now leave me alone."

"Well, you see if you didn't want to see me, then why are you here?"

"Well this may be news to you Daniel, but some people do have a life. Not everything revolves around you." Madison had only just realised that either her or Daniel had at some point moved closer to each other, their legs centimetres from touching. It made Madison even more anxious then she already was. 

"Never knew you would be the type to have a life," Madison's mouth hung open at his rudeness even if it did have some truth to it. "Anyways cute dog, what's his name."

"It's a her for your information." Madison corrected and lightly scrunched her nose up in annoyance, eager for time to pass quicker so she could go home.

"I bet it has some type of cheesy name like sunshine or Daisy or something." Daniel said with somewhat type of a smirk on his face. He was purposely trying to annoy her, and it was working, no matter how much Madison tried to not be affected by it.

Turning her head towards him, she shot him a glare from behind her sunglasses. "Her name is Shadow, now leave me alone." Madison said the irritation very clear in her voice.

"Aren't you just a little curious as to why I wanted you to come down here today princess?"

Madison thought about this and looked over towards her brother who was having fun on the playground still and Madison didn't want to ruin his fun just yet and she was indeed curious as to why he wanted her here.

"Ok, I'll bite. Why did you want me here?" Madison spoke slowly, turning her head towards Daniel.

"Well I just wanted to talk." Daniel said simply. Madison looked at him oddly, slightly stunned that his answer was so disappointing.

"Wow, wasn't that disappointing." Sarcasm was laced into her voice whether on purpose or not.

"No, seriously, I wanted to talk to you after what happened on Saturday." Daniel said to Madison looking into her eyes the best he could while she still had her sunglasses on.

Madison was getting very confused at his sudden changes. Being neutral, to being rude, to being kind. Couldn't he just make his mind up? "Why do you care?" She asked deciding to speak her thoughts

"Am I not allowed to care?" Daniel asks tilting his head to the side looking back to Madison.

Madison pushed her sunglasses up onto the top of head and pulled her hair around to one side. "People like you don't care about people like me."

"I've never been one to care, or fall into stereotypes." As Daniel said this his had reached out to tuck some of Madison's hair behind her ear but she flinched away, out of his reach.

Daniel awkwardly dropped his hand back to his side, as Madison did what Daniel had planned to do and pushed her hair behind her ear. "Look, Daniel. I'm fine ok, whatever happened on Saturday forget about it. It was a onetime occurrence. Forget about it and move on with your life."

"Look why is it so hard for you to believe that somebody can care, I care ok. Plus if you don't want to talk about that we don't have to, your my friend so-"

Madison cut Daniel off, "we aren't friends. Just because I was upset and you were the one there doesn't mean we are friends ok."

"See you did it again, pushed me away." Daniel said using his hands to indicate what he was talking about.

Madison shrugged, "I'm sorry, ok? I can't help it. It's just something I do subconsciously.

"Can't we be friends though? I promise I'm not that much of an annoying ass once you get to know me." Daniel gave her what she thought looked like a genuine smile.

"Does that mean I just get used to it?" Madison gave him back a genuine smile of her own she quickly glanced over to her brother to make sure he was ok and he was so she focused her eyes back on Daniel, only to finally notice how  attractive he looked today.

"I'll guess you'll have to be my friend to figure that out." Daniel said a smile still placed on those perfect, pink, thin lips.

How did the conversation get here? Madison thought briefly, first she wanted him to go away, then he practically insulted to her and now they were talking about becoming friends. Pulling her out of her thoughts was Shadow getting up to move somewhere else so she quickly turned her attention back to Daniel.

When her eyes landed back on Daniel's his weren't looking back into Madison's. Daniel was eyeing Madison up and down and they lingered on her lips for a second too long. Madison coughed to get Daniel's attention back, feeling uncomfortable under his harsh stare.

They were doing that thing again having a conversation through their eyes and facial expressions. Madison wasn't used to doing this so there was no way that she would be able to describe what Daniel was trying to say but she knew. She knew even if she couldn't put it into words.

Suddenly Madison and Daniel were closer than they had been before and Madison wasn't sure if she liked this or not. It was now Madison's turn to flicker her eyes down to Daniel's lips, just as his tongue came out to lick his lips. Her eyes shot back up to his own and he started leaning in slowly. Madison was startled to find herself doing the same thing and soon enough her eyes had closed.

"Madison?" She was barely aware of this voice as she continued to lean in, everything felt like it was in slow motion.

"Madsi?" It was only at this familiar voice that Madison's reopened her eyes and looked away from Daniel, to see her brother coming towards her with teary eyes and pant leg rolled up.

Daniel had now opened his eyes and Madison quickly stood up and rushed over to her baby brother to assess the situation. As she neared him she noticed his knee bloody and scraped. "Brods, what's wrong?" Concern was laced into her voice as she crouched down in front of him.

"I-I fell over on the playground and hurt my knee." He said with a hiccup. His knee didn't look too bad but a lot of little kids will cry at the smallest of injuries. Madison just needed to get him home, clean him up, put a Band-Aid on it, 'kiss it better' and he'll be fine.

She looked back towards Daniel to see him looking back at her, still sitting on the ground in the same spot. Shadow was also now at her side, still looking happy.

"It'll be ok, you want to go home now?" Brodie nodded in response, "ok stay here, I'm just going to grab my sunnies then we can go ok." Brodie once again nodded and Madison gave him Shadows lead to hold onto and wiped his tears before turning around and walking back to Daniel.

"Look, I'm sorry, I've got to go." Madison said with an apologetic smile, while reaching down picking up her sunglasses that had fallen off at some point in time.

"It's ok, I get it." Daniel replied with a shrug standing up and brushing off his pants.

Madison gave a small smile and turned around to walk away, but turned back when a thought that she thought she should say crossed her mind.

"Look, thanks for the offer and all but I think it's best if we don't become friends. You stick to your life and your group of friends and I'll stick with mine. It'll be better also help preventing certain things from almost happening again." With that said she pressed her lips into a thin line, took one look at Daniel's shocked face and walked away.

******

Guess who takes over a month to write a chapter and update. Also you would think that school holidays would give me time to write but no, it just adds hundreds of things to my list of things to procrastinate with. But here is the chapter that took me over a month to complete because I'm to lazy to complete it all at once.

Vote and Comment please lovelies.

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