"Justin, give it a break already. It has come and gone." Sawyer groaned as he pushed Ricky away and fixed his hair that had been growing out slightly.
Justin's eyes stayed on me as I quickly averted my eyes. I pressed my lips together and bit the inside of them.
"Dude, it obliviously wasn't a date. Otherwise, she would have taken me her most favorite man," Ricky spoke up, ruffling my hair, making it fall out of my braid as his deep laughter filled the air.
Sawyer and I looked at each other. He was still quiet. Our eyes met for a brief moment before he adverted quickly to his soda.
"I just needed a friend's support," I answered meekly.
"We are just messing with you," Ricky chuckled, yet I could feel Justin's stern eyes on me.
"I'm going to go get the mail…"
I quickly walked out of the kitchen, picking up my pace through the dining room. Swiftly, I put my shoes on and left—my hands deep in my sleeves and in the sweatshirt's front pouch. Walking down the driveway, I passed the mailbox as I kept going down the sidewalk. I should have grabbed my coat, and it felt like there was a rock in my stomach being in the room with those three. Not many of our neighbors were out. One of the dogs was in the backyard at the fence, yapping at me as I walked by. I was not too fond of its constant yipping, but I understood it as it was trapped outside and all it wanted to do was go inside.
I finally reached the end of our neighborhood with the big willow tree at the corner that I've always loved, but I turned in the opposite direction making a right on Nutswamp. The sky was magnificent, with the sun going down behind the trees and clouds. Yellows, reds, purples, and navy blue all bled into each other, stretching across the whole sky. I tried to ignore all the science that made that possible and took in the beauty behind it.
I reached the park as a chill went down my spine. Going for a walk seriously was dumb. It was so cold, I just wanted to clear my head, and all I accomplished was to send my body into shock with the cold. I just turned around and shuffled my way back, and my body tingled all over. Trembling, I just kept thinking how much I had to go to make it home. The air was seeping through my fabric of clothing. I was halfway when I heard car tires come to a screeching halt. I glanced over my shoulder to have my stomach drop; it was the Doctor. This conversation was not going to end well that I was out here without a coat. I stood still as his window rolled down.
"Madeline, get your butt in this car this instant!" the Doctor barked.
Looking both ways and I crossed the street to sit in the front seat. Dr. Vodola's car was quiet when I first got in. He doesn't listen to anything in the car. My heart raced as I could see the veins in his neck. I kept close to the car door as he started driving back down our street. I kept glancing in the corner of my eyes at him, not sure what to expect. I didn't bother speaking. We never talked, just leaving the awkward air ready for him to attack. He pulled into the driveway.
"Get in the house before I drag you in myself." He growled through gritted teeth.
Hastily I opened the door, and through the garage, I got back into the house. The boys were no longer in the kitchen, but I could hear them upstairs. I was still quivering from the frosty temperature outside. I could hear his footsteps not far from me. Nearly running, I rushed upstairs and into my room, closing the door behind me. My heart was speeding up, leaving me to wonder if he would come upstairs after me. I backed away from the door, feeling my chest falling and rising rapidly.
"Madeline," his voice echoed through the house.
I jumped into the closet and closed the door like a barrier between him and me. With each thud of his steps on the stairs, I couldn't tell the difference between them and my heartbeats. He usually didn't make a show in front of others; he probably didn't know that the guys were here, too angry to notice their cars.
"Damnit, girl, where the hell is your brain? You can't afford to get sick. Where was your coat? Forget that I ban you from being outside until it's warm!"
Not a single sound came from Sawyer's room.
"You can sure as hell can forget dinner!" the Doctor shouted, and I heard him walk away.
"Maddie…" a soft voice came from the other side; it might have been Ricky.
I ignored the voice and closed my eyes as I tightened my grip around my legs.
The sky had darkened, but I didn't bother to turn my lights on. Bringing the blankets closer to me, I closed my eyes, hoping the headache would go away. The chill from the windows hadn't dissipated. I just wanted to sleep. Dr. Vodola hadn't even called me for dinner, which was fine because I wasn't hungry. Looking at the clock, it was after eight. I bet most of my classmates weren't in bed at this hour during a break. My door slowly opened, and I turned to see Sawyer's shape.
"Hey, you weren't down for dinner, so I brought you up some."
"I'm not hungry."
Sawyer came in and closed the door behind him. He came over and sat next to me.
"Did you get my cold from the other day?"
