Sunsets to Sunrises

In All This Chaos We Found Safety

[Kennedy’s POV]
{The Next Week}
All week I had been trying to prepare myself for tour. This time it was going to be different - not just the five guys and two merch girls hanging out. I was going to be with Maddie this time. By saying preparing myself, I mean mentally preparing myself.

“Hey, Maddie,” I said into my mirror, feeling foolish yet knowing it was necessary.

“Hi!” I tried again. I shook my head, knowing that I would never make the awkward way I acted around Maddie become any less.

“You ready to go?” Jared asked as he appeared at the door.

“Um,” I sighed, “as ready as I’ll ever be, I supposed.” Closing my door behind me, Jared and I walked out of my room and out to my van; my parent’s to be specific actually.
“I can’t believe we actually have to spent the summer riding around in your parents’ fucking Suburban, Kennedy.” John leaned against it, Daisy clinging to his side.

Garrett sat on the hood of the white van with Pat beside him, fiddling with his phone. The only person missing was Maddie.

“Where is Maddie?” I asked, still looking around. Several of the guys rolled their eyes at my comment, assuming that I was always thinking about her. Which, I guess, I was.

“Did someone say my name?” Maddie asked, brightly, walking out from behind the van.

“Er, yea,” I said a little embarrassed.

“Oh,” was Maddie’s response, her face making an agitated expression. “So, are we ready to go yet?”

Soon we were all piled into the van, driving down the highway. John drove with Daisy in the passenger seat. Pat was behind Daisy, playing with her hair. Beside him was Maddie and then Garrett. I sat behind Garrett with Max beside me and Jared beside him. Everyone was chatting, laughing, or yelling at Pat to ‘get that damn Buzznet phone outta’ my face!’

I started to fiddle with my fingers a little before pulling out my iPod in attempts to lessen my awkward feeling. I clicked on Corner Phone by Land of Talk, my latest love, and turned down the volume so it peacefully played in the background of my thoughts.

“Maddie?” I heard Jared say, my attention immediately reverting to the people around me.

“Yes?” she replied, her cute voice almost twinkling.

“Are you going to be like this to Kennedy the entire tour?”

“Jared!” Maddie talk-whispered, “are you blind? Kennedy is right beside you.” When she said this I, as casually as I could, turned my head to look out the window and tapped my foot on the ground to the music I wasn’t really listening to.

Jared waved his hand at Maddie’s remark. “He’s probably listening to Bring Me The Horizon; he can’t hear us.”

“Well.” Maddie, from the corner of my eye, looked distraught and at a loss for words. “I don’t want to. But I’m so mean to him all the time, I don’t know how to be nice to him anymore!”

“I don’t get it.” Pat stated, pulling his hands away from Daisy’s hair.

“I mean, it’s become a habit. Kennedy says hi and I grimace at him. I don’t mean to! Now that Jakey is gone I feel sort of different towards Kennedy. Jake used to always say that he could protect me from Kennedy, that he wouldn’t ever let Kennedy near me. And I was always thankful for that because, frankly, I didn’t think I wanted Kennedy around either. But I’ve had a little time to think about it. And I think that I maybe to want Kennedy around.”

[MADDIE’S POV]

Everyone in the van silenced and turned to look at me with aghast faces.

“What?” I furrowed my eyebrows together in annoying before pulling out my book, Marcelo in the Real World, and tried to ignore everyone’s stares. Eventually ignorance was no use. “Ok! I admit it! I want to be friend with Kennedy! But don’t say anything - this is my thing.”

“Sure, sure,” some of the guys mumbled.

“Whatever you need.” Daisy smiled at me and patted my knee. “I’m always here for you.”

“I know. Thanks.” I meekly smiled at her before returning to my book.

“Dinner stop!” John announced hours later. I looked up to see everyone piling out of the van and running to the Panera Bread in front of us. I closed my book slowly and tucked my messy hair behind my ears before looking up to get out of the van. By that time everyone was in the restaurant; everyone except Kennedy. There he stood, waiting for me to get out and join everyone.

I gave him no attention, but walked right passed him into the restaurant with everyone else.

“Whatcha’ getting?” Kennedy asked me, obviously trying to ignore my rudeness to him.

I took in a big breath; Come on, Maddie, be nice. I told myself.
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