“Eden, Maddie asked you a question.”
“That’s okay, Garrett. Why don’t we just go to Pentagon City? Would you like that, Eden?”
Eden just shrugged.
***
“So, I was thinking about what we can do for your birthday,” Maddie said while feeding me a french fry as we ate lunch. After twenty minutes of Eden rejecting our suggestions of where to eat, we ended up in the mall food court. Maddie thought a nice greasy hamburger sounded great since she hadn’t had one in almost a year.
“My birthday?” I said almost choking on the french fry. I was surprised she even knew my birthday was coming up let alone that she had planned something for it. It apparently shocked Eden as well since she looked up from her plate for the first time in ten minutes. Maddie and I decided to stop trying to appease her and to ignore her sulking. We were going to make the best of our time together.
“Yeah, your 17th birthday is like three weeks away. We have to start planning.”
“I already have his birthday planned. I don’t need your help,” Eden said viciously. Maddie’s smile faded. She picked up a french fry and carefully applied ketchup down the center of it. I thought it was adorable the way she had to put ketchup on each fry individually. I’d never seen anyone else do that.
“Eden, don’t be rude.” I said the words as politely as possible, but fury shot from my eyes. She knew I meant business. She huffed and stared off to the side. “Maybe this year we can include Maddie in our plans.”
“I don’t want to cause any problems, I mean, if you two already have something you do every year that’s fine. It’s just that my dad has this cabin at a ski resort in Pennsylvania and I thought since December ninth is on a Saturday that we could get some friends together and go up there for the weekend or something.”
“Skiing? Gary, don’t ski.” Eden crossed her arms and glared at Maddie.
Before I could verbally chastise Eden for the rudeness and incorrect grammar, Maddie said, “Well, maybe Gary wants to learn.” Apparently she was growing tired of Eden’s hostility.
“And maybe you just don’t know him like I do.” Eden stood up from the table and planted her fists in her sides. “You don’t know anything about him. You don’t know that he hates the smell of pickles or that his favorite movie is Little Man Tate. You don’t know that he refuses to cut his hair because his grandmother told him that’s what makes him strong. You don’t know that sometimes when he can’t sleep at night he does pushups until his arms burn.” Tears started flowing down Eden’s face. I reached out to embrace her but she swatted my arm away. Maddie just stared in shock as Eden’s hysterical tirade began drawing the attention of all the food court customers.
“Eden, I –” Maddie began.
“No, you listen. I’ve known him all my life. And I’ll be around long after you break his heart and toss him aside. He’s the only person in the world that loves me and you’re not taking him away from me.” Eden turned and ran into the bathroom.
I paused for a moment trying to comprehend what just happened. Then I looked at Maddie’s completely red face.
“Are you okay?” I asked as I stroked her back. She nodded yes then quickly shook her head no as she burst into tears.
“She hates me,” she said between sobs with her head buried in my chest.
“Please don’t cry, Maddie. She’s just a kid. She doesn’t know any better. She's normally not like this, I swear. Something’s wrong. Something’s really wrong.”
Chapter 15: A Wanting Heart
After such an emotionally draining afternoon, none of us wanted to ride a noisy train back home. Maddie called her driver and the three of us rode in complete silence to Corbin’s townhouse in Virginia.
Eden stared out the window with her fist under her chin studying the roadway as if she’d never seen I-95 before. Maddie sat on the other side of me staring up at the ceiling of the car. I reached out and tried to hold Maddie’s hand, but she slipped it away not wanting to upset Eden any further with overt signs of affection. I don’t think she realized how alienated she made me feel. My sister ignored me and now my girlfriend didn’t want me to touch her.
When we reached the house, Eden jumped out of the car and ran inside without saying a word. I sighed, turned to Maddie, and said, “I’m so sorry this didn’t turn out exactly as I’d hoped.”
“It’s okay,” Maddie said breezily. She tried to act as though the day hadn’t been equally stressful for all of us, but the remnants of tears betrayed that sentiment.
“No, it’s not. I’m going to talk to Eden and we’re going to make it up to you. Actually, I can start making it up to you tonight.” I smiled and reached out to caress her cheek, but she grabbed my hand, stiffened her neck and shook her head.
“Um, I’m kinda tired. I don’t think I’ll be able to hang out with you guys tonight. Um, I’ll see you in school tomorrow.” What was she talking about? What did she mean ‘you guys’? I was pretty sure the hot tub invitation was just for me. I stared at her in confusion. Her pleasant, vague expression didn’t change. In fact, she actually shook my hand as if we’d just met.
“Okay…I’ll see you in school I guess.” I paused momentarily and looked into her eyes for some sort of explanation for her strange behavior. When I saw none, I slid out of the car trying to preserve any remnants of dignity I had.
“Okay, bye.” Maddie gave a quick wave then closed the door.
As the car drove away, she didn’t even look back. I couldn’t breathe. It was about 20 degrees outside, but a stifling heat engulfed me. Not the familiar heat from anger. I think it was…fear. Fear that I’d lost her or that she didn’t love me.
When I finally entered the house, Holly and Corbin were in the kitchen feeding each other orange slices. They both giggled as some of the juices slid down Corbin’s cheek onto his bare chest. A queasy feeling washed over me as my mother leaned forward and licked it off. Suddenly, I felt empathy for Eden. Is this what Maddie and I looked like? Disgusting. No wonder she was so upset. All morning Maddie and I kissed and embraced every chance we got. Maddie feeding me french fries and planning my birthday had merely pushed her over the edge. How insensitive of me.
Corbin lifted my mother onto the counter top and started to untie her bathrobe. I covered my eyes and said, “Whoa, hey, I’m standing right here!”
“Oh, sorry, Garrett baby. We didn’t see you.” My mother hopped off the counter and tightened her bathrobe.
“You two are back early. What happened?” Corbin asked as he wet a towel and wiped his chest.
“Don’t ask. I don’t think Eden likes Maddie very much.”
“Eden likes everybody,” my mother said. I thought I noticed a tinge of worry in her tone.
“You mean you took Maddie on what was supposed to be your special day with Eden?” Corbin chuckled a little as he slipped on a T-shirt. “That was dumb.”
“Yeah, I realize now that it wasn’t the wisest decision, but I really didn’t expect such a meltdown from Eden. I mean she really got hysterical and caused a scene at lunch. Is that normal?”
“Welcome to the land of teenage girls,” Corbin said as he took out two bottles of water from the fridge and tossed me one. “Trust me. I deal with temperamental young models all the time.”
“I have to agree with Corbin,” my mother said. “Eden is growing up and going through changes. Being a teenage girl is tough.”
“But she’s only 11.”
“She’ll be 12 in two months. Close enough,” Corbin said. “I suggest you ignore her tantrums. She’ll get over it. I bet she apologizes to you by the end of the day.”
Maybe they were right. I guess I just really didn’t understand girls. I certainly didn’t understand why Maddie acted the way she did a few moments ago. Since I was having such a nice open dialogue with my mother and Corbin, I decided to see what they thought about the situation.
“She did what?” my mother asked after I explained Maddie’s behavior in the car
. She placed her hands on her hips in a defensive posture reminding me so much of Eden. They looked a lot alike, except Eden’s hair was a few shades darker and our mother was a couple of inches shorter. They both had a delicate angelic quality that commanded the attention of everyone in the room.
“Maybe she doesn’t like public displays of affection.” Corbin volunteered.
“She didn’t seem to have a problem with it this morning at the mall.”
“Well, she sounds like a rich stuck-up snob to me. Maybe you shouldn’t see her anymore.” My mother stroked my hair as an attempt to soften the harsh sentiment of her words, but she couldn’t hide her immediate dislike of Maddie.
“She is rich, but she’s not stuck-up,” I said pulling my mother’s hand away from my hair. “She already planned a birthday weekend for me at a ski resort. Would she do that if she didn’t really care about me?”
“What about her parents? Have you met her father?” my mother asked seriously as she crossed her arms.
“Her mother is dead and her father is out of town.”
“Have you met any of her friends?”
I thought for a second. I wasn’t even sure if Maddie had any friends. But I didn’t see what that had to do with anything. What did it matter if I knew her friends or not? I’m sure I’d get to know them soon. If not, I didn’t really care. All I needed was her.
“Don’t scare him, Holly. I’m sure Eden’s temper tantrum just threw her for a loop. Give her a call and talk to her,” Corbin advised before leading my mother off to their bedroom.
A star without light
My soul starved of affection
A glimmer gone
A life without direction
So much to give
With no one to take
A weakened heart
Frail to the point of break
I sat in my room writing poetry waiting for Corbin’s advice to take effect. Any second I expected Eden to knock on my door and apologize, but she didn’t. I thought about making the first move, but then I thought she might need more time with her emotions.
My pride wouldn’t let me call Maddie. She knew how I felt. She knew I loved her. Even though I wanted to call her and ask her if I did anything wrong, ask her how I could fix things between us, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I’d rather be alone for the rest of my life than succumb to such a pathetic display of weakness. I still couldn’t believe I’d actually cried in front of her.
After hours of sitting, waiting, ruminating and writing, the phone finally rang.
“I’m so sorry Garrett. You gotta let me explain.” Maddie said. I didn’t respond. “I couldn’t let Leonard know about us.”
“Leonard? Who’s Leonard?”
“My driver. He would’ve told my dad.”
“So, you don’t want your father to know about me?” This explanation wasn’t making me feel any better. “Are you ashamed of me?”
“No. God no, Garrett. My father is just…he’s really over-protective I guess is the word. Especially when it comes to me. I want to tell him about you before…before he meets you or…hears about you. Can’t you understand that?”
Wanting hearts believe all
In search of an innermost desire
Ignoring reason exploring possibility
In search of what they most require
I said I believed her although her words created a small fissure of doubt in my mind with regard to her true feelings.
That night, I ended up back in her bed. For a while, I forgot the day. I forgot Eden. I forget Maddie’s reluctance to fully integrate me into her life. All I thought about was the intoxicating feeling of her body against mine. What happened the next morning, however, made a fissure of doubt evolve into an impassable chasm.
Chapter 16: Morning Betrayal
“Oh, my God!” Maddie said bolting upright in bed.
“What is it? Are you okay?” I sat up and tried to stroke her back, but she hopped out of bed and frantically threw on her nightgown. “What time is it? Are we late for school?”
“Shh! My dad’s home. You gotta hide,” she whispered.
“What? Why?” I stood up and stretched not quite understanding why she was so upset.
“What do you mean ‘why’? He can’t meet you for the first time naked in my bed in the middle of the night!” Maddie ran around her room picking up my clothes then shoved them into my arms.
I looked at the clock. It wasn’t exactly the middle of the night. I thought Maddie might be overreacting a bit. I wondered if Holly would care if I had a girl in my bed at six o’clock in the morning. Probably not. She definitely had done the same thing on several occasions. And she didn’t mind me spending the night with Maddie as long as I told her beforehand. But then again, Holly wasn’t what you would call a normal parent. I didn’t know how “normal” families worked, but I guess I could understand how a father would be upset over a boy in his teenage daughter’s room.
“Bathroom, no closet, no bed. Get under the bed,” she said spinning around and pushing me.
I slid under the bed, with my clothes in hand just as I heard a soft tapping on the door.
“Are you awake, Madison?” Senator McPhee called through the door.
Maddie jumped into bed, pulled the covers up and said, “Yes, Daddy.”
“Good, I have exciting news to tell you,” he said as he entered. “Are you feeling all right, sweetheart? You look flustered.” The bed creaked and lowered nearly squishing me as he sat down on it. He must have been a large man. “Your pulse is racing. Have you been taking your meds?”
“Yes daddy.”
“I knew I should have hired a nurse for you for the weekend. I can’t believe I let you talk me into letting you stay here alone.” Senator McPhee stood and walked to the bathroom. Good thing I didn’t hide there.
“I’m fine, daddy.”
“Here, drink this,” he said, returning from the bathroom probably with a glass of water.
“Really, I’m fine…I just had a bad dream.” She paused while she gulped down the water. “Why are you back so early? I wasn’t expecting you until this afternoon.”
“Like I said, I have exciting news to tell you. I couldn’t wait.”
“Okay, shoot.” Maddie set her glass down on the night stand and adjusted herself in bed.
“After much consideration, I’ve decided to run for President.”
“President? Of what?” she said after a pause.
“Of the country.”
“This one?”
“Of course this one.”
“Oh, okay,” Maddie said.
“That’s it? That’s the only reaction I get out of you? This is big news!” The senator chuckled. “Well, maybe 16-year-olds have more important things going on in their lives. So, what have you been up to this weekend?”
I thought this would be the perfect time for her to broach the subject of a boyfriend. Or, at least to mention that she’d met someone special, but she didn’t. Instead she said, “Nothing. Um, I straightened my hair.”
“I noticed. It looks great. Any particular reason? You only do that for special occasions. Are you trying to impress someone?”
“No, I just wanted something different.” Why did she lie? She just told me she wanted to tell her father about me before he met me and now that she had the perfect opportunity, she chose to lie instead.
“Leonard says you went to the mall yesterday.” The senator paused waiting for further explanation from his daughter.
“Uh-huh. I went to the mall with some…friends…from school.”
“Well, that’s great, sweetheart. It’s good to see you finally making friends. But next time, you need to let me know who they are beforehand. From this point on, I need to run a background check on everyone you spend time with. I’m a presidential candidate now.”
“The election is like two years away. You haven’t even gotten the party nomination yet.” Maddie whined.
“It doesn�
�t matter. We are constantly going to be in the news. In fact, I have a press conference tomorrow and I want you to be there with me.”
“Why should I be there? You’re running for President not me.” I could virtually see Maddie’s big blue eyes sadden.
“You’re my daughter and I would like to have your support. Plus, the press is going to be just as interested in my beautiful teenage daughter as they will be in me. My PR coordinator actually wants you to do some interviews soon. He may be able to get you on MTV or something. Would you like that?”
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