Madison nervously pulled at the hem of her shirt while she stood on the Gaskarth’s front porch waiting for Alex to answer the door. She had been standing there for at least ten minutes and was beginning to think that him inviting her to hangout was all just a big joke; not that it really surprised her, after all itwouldn’t had been the first time something like that had happened to her. She let out a breath of air in a resounding sigh, admittedly more upset than she thought possible by the idea of Alex pretending to care. Her hands clenched into small fists as she began to walk back down the steps and across the yard to her own house.

“I shoulda known better” she mumbled to herself before letting out a humorless laugh. She was caught off guard when her body was suddenly knocked to the ground.

“Mpfh” she groaned, trying to stabilize her breathing as the breath had been knocked out of her body from the hard blow. She got onto her hands and knees when she began wheezing as a coughing fit took over her body.

“Hey, you okay?” She lifted her head, still coughing, to see Alex staring at her with a worried expression etched onto his face. Madison glared at him but her expression instantly turned to one of bewilderment when Alex brushed his hand across her bottom lip and chin. “You’re bleeding” he explained and Madison felt her world begin to cave in. She blinked rapidly in an attempt to reign the tears back in as they threatened to fall from her eyes. Alex once again reached out to her though this time in concern, he placed his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his embrace.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you” Alex quietly apologized

“I um…I bit my lip is all” Madison lied, not knowing how to explain to her new friend that the blood had been coughed up.

“What the hell possessed you to tackle me in the first place, Gaskarth?” She raised an eyebrow in question and pulled herself out of his arms.

Alex nervously scratched the back of his neck “I-uh, you were leaving?” he unsurely answered, growing more nervous under Madison’s intimidating stare.

Madison shook her head and laughed, easing the tension that had previously settled in. “You could have just called my name, you dork” she jokingly pushed his shoulder.

Madison was surprised how easy it was to be around Alex as they walked towards Rian’s house they took the opportunity to learn more about each other, though Madison consciously avoided the questions that dealt with her adoption and her past. If there was anything she hated more than the damn cancer that ate away at her it was the pity and sorrow that overtook people’s eyes when they found out; Madison never wanted Alex to look at her that way. She just wanted to pretend to be normal for as long as she could, even if that meant keeping the biggest part of her life a secret. Before she knew it they had arrived at a house down the street that was fairly similar to hers and Alex’s and Alex was pulling her into the strange house and down the stairs where three boys sat on an old sofa. Instruments were set up opposite of the couch which she now assumed was the “viewing area.” She turned back to the three boys that were staring intently at her, silently judging her. She self-consciously wrapped her arms around her frail frame and tried to smile at them but it came out as a grimace. Two of the boys she vaguely recognized from school but the other one she had never seen before. She tentatively approached them and held her hand out.

“Hi, I’m Madison” she introduced herself, her hand still stretched out in front of her but it slowly fell to hang limply by her side when none of the boys reciprocated her handshake. She pulled her bottom lip into her mouth, nervously biting it as she looked back at Alex helplessly. Normally she would have acknowledged that she wasn’t wanted and would have left, or she would have called them out for being douchebags but for some reason she wanted them to like her. She was afraid that if his friends didn’t accept her than Alex would throw her away like she was yesterday’s news, and deep down she craved the attention he had been giving her. She craved to have someone want to be her friend, a normal friend, not the kind of friend that she sees because she’s at the hospital having blood drawn. Not the kind of friend that sits on a paper covered bed across from her as they make bets to see who will be the first to vomit. She wanted a normal friend that she could do normal things with; more than anything she wanted to be normal. So instead of letting her defensive side take over she let out a shaky breath and made it her mission to win them over.

“So, you were serious about being in a band then?” She asked looking up at Alex.

“Why would I lie about that?” Alex laughed.

Madison shrugged “to get laid” she said as if it were the most obvious reason.

“I’m glad you think so highly of me” Alex held his hand over his heart in mock hurt.

“Besides, with a face like mine I wouldn’t even need to mention being in a band to get laid” Alex cockily retorted with a wink.

“You mean a face that only a mother could love? I’m pretty sure your left hand doesn’t count as a good lay” Madison quickly shot back, wiping the cocky smirk from Alex’s face.The three boys on the couch erupted in laughter at seeing their band mate get knocked down a level. The tall lanky boy bounced across the room and wrapped his arm around Madison’s shoulder.

“I think we’re going to be good friends, I’m Jack” he introduced himself and the pointed to the other two boys of the couch whose respective names she learned were Rian and Zack.

“Ok guys stop stealing my friend and get your asses set up for practice” Alex demanded as he stood behind a microphone with a guitar already hanging from his shoulders. Jack, Rian, and Zack followed his lead and got set up while Madison watched on from her spot on the couch. Before long they were playing through a set list of original songs and Madison couldn’t help but bob her head along to the beat, they were much better than she imagined they would be. Sure, they could use a little bit of guidance and detailing but she instantly knew that what they had was special, those four boys would go far and she hoped she would still be there to see it happen.

Notes

I had a lot written for this so sorry it ends weird but I decided to split this chapter into two chapters, I will post the second part later in the week though!
As always, thanks for reading and leaving comments.
<3
Katy