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19
Maddox
Nervously, I pick at my thumbnail. Glancing up at the doorway for the studio, I think I should eat some of the French fries I ordered and had delivered for lunch. It might help calm my stomach. However, I don’t. I’m not hungry, but that doesn’t stop me from chewing on my thumbnail.
“This is …” EJ starts but doesn’t finish. Instead, he stares at me, shaking his head.
“Crazy?” Derrik offers.
“Hilarious?” Jade adds.
“No,” EJ answers, quirking an eyebrow. “Weird. This is weird.”
“I hate you all, I hope you know,” I tell them, and Derrik laughs. Actually, I don’t know that he’s stopped laughing ever since last night.
“How is this even happening?” EJ continues. “We’re waiting for a girl Maddox is dating? Like, dating dating? Did we suddenly slip into bizarro world, and the King of Bad isn’t the ultimate bad boy but a nervous little puppy waiting for a girl to show up? Am I dreaming?”
“Shut up,” I hiss at him. “I can’t believe you guys.”
“Look at him,” Jade shouts, starting to laugh herself. “I’ve never seen him like this. Whatever she’s done, I need to figure out the secret. Maybe we can bottle it and save it the next time Maddox gets out of control.”
“If there is a next time,” Derrik counters. “Maybe he’s already whipped.”
“I’m not whipped!”
“He’ll never be the same again,” Jade continues. “Oh, we might have to change his name from King of Bad to King of Whipped.”
They all burst into laughter as I seethe in my seat. Our studio is usually a fun place, even with arguing over our music placements and lyrics. Today it’s become a warehouse of anxiety. I can’t believe I agreed to this. If you can call it agreeing. As much as I hate to admit it, I kind of am whipped. And with that thought, I just shuddered.
When they brought up the lunch meetup today, Derrik had the bright idea to meet at Juxtapose Studio. It makes sense. If all four of us showed up somewhere, it could have the very real possibility of turning into a madhouse. So, lunch at the studio is fine, and we do it all of the time. But now we’re adding Cece to the mix, and I have no idea what to expect.
What none of them know is that I’m not nervous about having Cece over. I’m worried about what they’re going to say and topics they’ll cover. It’s been eating at me since last night. Cece might have an idea of who I am, or at least was, but I know who I’ve been. The parties, the girls, all of the mischief I’ve gotten into. I never thought twice about being who I was because I loved every second of it. But I’m freaking out now because that’s not what I want to focus on now, nor is it what I want Cece thinking of me.
The door opens, and I instantly jump to my feet before I even know it’s Cece. It is, which only adds to the barrel of laughter echoing in the room. She smiles, then glances around the room, unsure what’s happening.
“Just ignore them,” I tell her, motioning to a seat next to me.
“What, no introductions?” Jade asks through giggling.
I roll my eyes at her. “Come on, Jade. You all know her.”
“Yeah, but we’ve never been officially introduced as a group.”
An annoyed grunt escapes me, and I shake my head. “Fine. Cece, that’s my annoying sister, Jade. EJ is the guy we all make fun of, and Derrik is our lead singer whose ego gets so big that he can’t make it through the door sometimes. There, you guys happy?”
Cece starts laughing, and my insults do nothing to dissuade the humor from everyone else. Handing out the tacos and fries we’ve ordered, their dumb comments subside while we start eating. Jade asks some questions, like what she does for Luxe, what it’s like growing up as a socialite, and even what she wants as the future for Luxe. None of it is inappropriate, and I’m thankful for that.
My nerves die down as the conversation shifts to music, movies, and all of the usual talk that happens between people. For a moment, I think all of the teasing they were doing before she showed up is over. That they really are going to be completely normal, we’ll end the lunch, and our regular schedule will resume. As the lunch is dying down, and the pile of French fries dwindles, those hopes are dashed.
“So, Cece,” Derrik starts up. “It’s been awesome getting to know you. And thanks for all the hospitality at Luxe.”
“Oh, no problem. You guys are welcome any time.”
“I still can’t believe you’ve been the lion tamer for this guy,” he chuckles.
“Seriously?” I scowl at him.
“We love you, Maddox, but you know it’s true,” Jade adds. “I’m glad someone was able to put you in your place.”
