"Swimming?" said Matt.

"Yeah, at the swimming hole. Maddie's with them I saw her pass first!" Asher said to the other guys, who looked up fast enough to catch a quick glimpse of Stella and Julia slipping out of sight through the trees in their swim attire.

Asher headed to the door behind Matt, Wes, and Pete. Nathan followed after Asher but in a half-hearted kind of way. He brought his bag of chips with him.

It was a few moments later when Wes, Matt, and Pete had disappeared into the tree line that Maddie arrived outside, behind Asher and Nathan.

"Ok, it's ok," she said to herself. "It's ok. I can do this. It's just a peck on the cheek."

"Hi Maddie!" said Asher in a would-be nonchalant way. "I thought you went swimming with the other girls!" Nathan turned to look also. Something was feeling weird to him, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"I might later," said Maddie, approaching Asher. "But I wanted to thank you first."

"Tha- Thank me?" said Asher, who, despite knowing it was all a planned ploy, couldn't help to feel gleeful about her words and attention.

"For the dates," said Maddie. "I enjoyed them. and ... well... " Maddie paused working up her nerve. 'For the diary. For the diary' she thought in her head.

"And, I didn't kiss you then. Because.. because..." said Maddie.

"Because?" said Asher, who was positively giddy at this point, even if it was a staged affair.

"Because I was nervous," said Maddie, stepping closer to Asher.

Nathan looked confused, and not entirely sure if he wanted to be there just then. His chips were forgotten by his side in his clutched hand.

'This is it...' Maddie thought silently. 

Several things happened in very quick succession then. Maddie leaned in to kiss Asher, but there was a sound from the closest tree as Wes ran through it. Startled by the noise, Ash turned his head to see what the source was, which resulted in Maddie's kiss, which was aimed for his cheek to land very squarely on his lips and, unfortunately, in full view of Wes. 

Julie ran out of the trees shortly after. No doubt in an effort to stop Wes from coming back early... But it seems the damage was already done.

Wes squared his shoulders before walking past them towards the house. The shock and hurt was clear on his face. 

"No!" said Maddie, running after him. "No! It's not what it looks like Wes!"

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