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I open the door. Maddie’s lying on her bed on her stomach, her head hanging over the edge of the bed, a book on the floor before her. Her bed is adorned with pillows and a cozy leopard-print duvet. Her bedside table holds a stack of well-loved books, a reading lamp, and a small potted plant. It’s some kind of cactus. Her walls are oddly bare except for a corkboard where she’s pinned what appear to be inspirational quotes.
“I am an outsider looking in, absolutely.”— David Bowie
“Why fit in when you were born to stand out?”— Dr. Seuss
“The worst part about feeling like you don’t belong is trying to find a place to belong.”— Trent Shelton
Interesting. My parents are big David Bowie fans, and of course I know Dr. Seuss, but I’ve never heard of Trent Shelton.
“Hey, Mads.”
She cocks her head toward my voice. “Brianna? What are you doing here?”
“Who’s Trent Shelton?”
“What?”
“The quote on your board.”
“Oh.” Her cheeks redden. “He’s a former NFL player. He’s… He’s a big name in motivation and personal development. That kind of stuff. What’s up?”
“I was talking to Rory and Brock, and we had this fabulous idea. I want to run it by you.”
“Yeah, okay. What?”
“How would you like to take next semester off?”
She moves into a sitting position on her bed. “Why would I do that? It’s my senior year. I know you don’t mind missing all the parties and fun, but I don’t want to.”
I walk toward Maddie and sit on the bed next to her. “Wouldn’t it be more fun to go to Europe? With the band?”
She stares at me intently. “Why would I want to do that?”
“You’re already going for a few weeks, to the UK with Donny and Callie.”
“Yeah.” She breathes in. “I am looking forward to that. But I’ll be back in time to start second semester.”
“Mads, think of it. Sure, you’ll miss all the parties, but I’m missing them too.”
“That was your choice, Bree.”
“I know. But if we go on tour with the band, you’ll be with me.”
“The band is my brother. And sister. And cousin.”
“But three members of Emerald Phoenix aren’t spoken for. And we’ll be in Europe, meeting European men.”
That gets her attention. “All right. Keep talking.”
“I’d really like to go, but Brock and Rory think they’ll be able to sell it to the guys better if you come along. The two of us could room together.”
“I’m not a groupie, Bree.”
“Neither am I.”
She laughs then. A scoffing laugh. “Are you kidding me? I’ve seen how you hang around my brother and the guys over at Murphy’s. You, Gina, and Sage are total groupies.”
I’m not sure how I can retaliate on that one. She’s completely right.
