Chemistry of a Car Crash

“More food!” Maddie said happily as Rian entered the room. He dropped the bags on her bed and she crawled over to search through them. She grabbed a spoon and the carton of Oreo ice cream.

“You know you have to face him at some point,” Rian said as she shoved a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth.

“I’m not going back to him Ri.”
“Maddie,” He sighed.
“No,” She said seriously, “This happened before and I’m not putting myself through it again.”

Rian opened the package of resse’s and put one in his mouth. Maddie shoved another spoonful on ice cream down her throat.

“I should’ve known from the day I saw him with that girl.”
“Who?”
“When you guys invited me out to the show and I had a breakdown in the dressing room.”

The door flung open once more and there stood Alexander William Gaskarth and some trashy little blonde skank, draped over his arm like she were a towel. And a wet towel at that.

Maddie’s heart shattered into a million pieces. She felt like there was no air to breathe, but some how she managed to keep a smile on her face and just brush it off. I mean, it was only two years ago.

“Guys this is Kelsey,” Alex introduced. Everyone just looked at him with a look of anger. He just shook his head and walked back out the door with this ‘Kelsey’ girl.

As soon as the door latched shut, Maddie’s face with drenched in her own tears. Jack picked her up from where she was standing and put her on the couch between him and Zack. Maddie began gasping for a breath, the beating in her chest was becoming so quick, she thought she was going to die.

“Maddie,” She heard Jack say worriedly, “MADDIE!”

She tried to regain her focus and looked at Jack then at Zack and now at Rian, who had stood in front of her. Her eyes screamed all the words that needed to be said.

“Maddie,” Rian cooed, “Listen to me.”

Her breath started to slow down, along with her heart beat.

“Maddie,” He said sternly, holding her shoulders against the couch, “Breathe.”
“Her.. He.. I..” She muttered.
“Make a sentence Maddie,” Rian directed, although her already knew. Zack and Jack just exchanged completely confused faces and went back to trying to calm Maddie down.

She stop breathing heavily and the boys loosened their grip on her. She sat up and leaned over, putting her head in her hands. She looked up a few minutes later, her eyes all red.

She looked directly at Rian and spoke so clearly, “I can’t do this.”

“I don’t blame you,” Rian said and looked down at the bed sheets.
“I just wish sometimes that him and I were never friends,” She said and looked down at the ice cream in her lap, “And Then I wouldn’t be in this mess.”

Taylor sat down on the middle of her bed, but as soon as she did so, her phone began ringing.

“Taylor!” Jack shouted desperately.
“What’s wrong?” Taylor asked as her muscles tensed.
“Alex is making the worst mistake of his life!” Jack frantically shouted.
“What?”
“Just get down here!”
“Where are you?”
“My house.”
“I’m on my way,” Taylor said and hit end. She jumped up off the bed and grabbed her car keys from her dresser, making a mad dash for the door and heading to Jack’s.