She opens the passenger side door and throws her backpack onto the floorboard. I watch as she hoists herself up into my jacked-up pickup.
“Hey, Short Stack. What’s going on?” I smile at her, but her head is down. What the fuck?
“Nothing.”
When Maddie is with me, she is vibrant and carefree. Who the hell is this girl in my truck right now? Goddamn I can feel the chill from her. She’s never been dismissive of anything. I refuse to move the truck until she’s in and the seatbelt clicks.
“Have a hard time waking up?”
“Drew, just drive.” Maddie changes my radio station to 96.1. She’s the only girl I know that loves old rock. I turn the truck around and we drive, listening to Metallica. It bothers me that she's not talking. She’s always so animated with me. I chalk it up to her having a shitty morning.
Stopping in the Whataburger drive-through, I order us two breakfast sandwiches and orange juice. The line is long, but it’s the perfect opportunity to talk to her. Maddie’s ebony, wavy hair is down today. She turns to me, and I look into those brilliant hazel eyes. There’s a sadness there that I don’t understand.
“Maddie, I know something is wrong. Talk to me.”Why won’t she open up to me? Is she worried I’ll tell her father?I’ve never begged anyone to talk to me, but for this girl, I’m willing to do so. There’s something happening that I’m unaware of; I feel it deep in my bones.
The truck in front of us pulls away from the window, and I drive forward. I pay for the food and drinks and hand Maddie the sack and her orange juice.
“Thank you, Drew.” Her smile doesn’t reach her eyes. But I say nothing, waiting for her to tell me what’s going on. “I’m alright, Drew. It’s just been a morning.”
I nod and drive her to school. She’s a senior this year, and I think about our age difference. At eleven years older than her, I shouldn’t be turned on when I see her, but hell, I’m a guy and she’s got the prettiest ass I’ve ever seen. I park and let her finish her sandwich.
Putting her trash in the bag, she moves to get out of the truck. I get out and help her down. It’s a nice thing to do, after all.
Her smile reaches her eyes this time. “Thank you, Drew.”
“You’re welcome, Short Stack.” I pull her into a hug. If there’s one thing in this world I love, it’s Maddie’s hugs. She doesn't know how much I love them. I hear her whimper, and as I pull back to see if she is alright, the right side of her mouth is drawn into a wince. Her eyes are closed and she’s slightly hunching.
“What the fuck?”
She’s quick to straighten herself. “It’s nothing. I fell down the stairs. I was running for the phone, and you know me, clumsy as can be.” That doesn’t sound like the truth, but what am I going to do? Demand to see her back? No. I’ll have to ask Donnie about it later.
“Maddie, you know I’m here for you. You're special to me.”
She blinks her charcoal lined eyes at me and smiles. Damn, it’s good to see her happy. My world warms with what feels like an angel’s ray of sunshine shining down on me. She hugs me and walks away.
Getting back into the truck, I watch her walking. She’s limping and she winced when I hugged her. Yeah, something’s up. I know she doesn’t have a boyfriend, so I don’t have to worry about her being abused. Shit, maybe she really did fall down the stairs. I shrug and start the truck.
Before I turn out of the parking lot, I shoot her a quick text.
Me:What do you want for your birthday?
Maddie:A movie night with you, popcorn, and no drama?
Me:I can make it happen, Short Stack. Have a good day at school.
She doesn’t text back after that, and I drive off. While I’m thinking about it, I call Donnie to see what’s going on with Maddie.
“Hey man, I heard about us working together,” Donnie answers the phone with a chuckle.
“Yeah, it’s going to be good working with you,” I tell him, wondering whether that’s true or not. Donnie can be a bit of an egomaniac.
“So, what’s up? You going home now that my stupid sister is at school?”
Why do they insist on belittling her? I’ve noticed it in the past, but Maddie gives as good as she gets so I don’t ask him.
“Yeah man, I am. Listen, Maddie was limping today. Did she fall down the stairs?”
Donnie hesitates and chuckles a little too long for my liking. He's nervous.Why?“Yup, she’s a clumsy person. You know how she doesn’t watch what she’s doing.”
