Weak, But Not Defeated

Maddie looked at the sea of people in front of her. Most she recognized from every show, but there was an overwhelming amount of new people. They were drenched in sweat on this sixty degree night in Arizona, with grins plastering their faces as they watched her best friends perform.

She smiled as they sung along to the songs she knew by heart, also. The songs that had started on napkins in the passenger seat of her car. The songs she listened to John and Jared fight over. The songs that told stories of their lives. The songs that made her heart melt were accompanied by the ones that tore her apart.

But now, none of that mattered. It wasn’t about Maddie or the fans; it was about The Maine.

After an hour long set the boys came off stage, energy pumping through their veins to compensate for the excruciating nerves in their stomachs. Maddie handed them towels as they thanked her and made their way to the man in a suit standing in the other corner of the side stage.

“What did you think, Brad?” John asked.

The man’s face stayed serious before he broke into a smile, “My secretary will draw up the papers in the morning. But consider The Maine officially apart of Fearless Records.”

John extended his hand and Brad shook it before he walked away. The boys waited until he was out of ear shot before they screamed like fourteen year old girls. Garrett ran to Maddie and engulfed her, picking her off of the ground and spinning her around.

“I’m so proud of you!” she said.

Garrett kissed her on the cheek as he set her down. She saw John walking towards her, a sloppy smile on his face that triggered the corners of her lips to pull upwards, “My turn?” he asked cautiously.

Maddie wrapped her arms around his torso and he held her tight. He mumbled against her hair, “We couldn’t have done this without you, baby.”

Maddie rolled her eyes, “Yes, you could have,” she said as she pulled away from John and looked at the five boys, “You guys are amazing.”

“Amazing enough for a party tonight?” Pat smiled.

“Everyone is coming to my house around 11:30 tonight,” Maddie told them.

The boys made their way off stage to meet their waiting fans. Maddie smiled as she followed them out to return to the merch booth Lacy was currently manning. They only walked for a few feet before Garrett turned around and pushed her back. She laughed as he picked her up and attached his lips to hers. No one was around them but Maddie pulled away.

Garrett pouted, “Can we just tell John to get this over with so I can kiss my girlfriend in public?”

Maddie smiled sweetly, “We will tell John after tonight. Let him party.”

Garrett wiggled his eyebrows, “But we can still party, too, right?”

Maddie laughed, “Shut up, Garrett.”

**

Maddie set on her couch as she surveyed the people in her living room. Most of them were drunk out of their minds, but this was a celebration so it was at least semi-warranted. Garrett was dancing like a fool in the middle of the room while everyone laughed. Normally, Maddie would have been annoyed that her boyfriend was completely drunk while she stayed sober, but he deserved this one night.

Before long, John sat next to Maddie on the couch, “Hey, baby,” he said.

Maddie peered over, the brim of John’s cup, seeing the same orange liquid that was in hers, “Hello, sober John. Not getting wasted tonight?”

John shook his head, “I want to remember this night.”

“That’s nice,” Maddie said, looking back to Garrett.

“Wow, he looks so ridiculous,” John laughed.

“Absolutely,” she said.

“Hey, Madds? Want to come outside with me?” John asked as he stood and outstretched his hand.

Maddie took one last look at Garrett and shrugged as she let John lead her outside. After she shut the door behind her she looked at John, “What’s up?” she asked.

John sat on the edge of the brick wall in her backyard that only stood about two feet tall. She followed his lead and sat next to him. He had his hands resting on either side of him and Maddie could tell he was nervous. “There’s something I’ve been thinking about.”

Maddie bit her bottom lip and stayed silent, the little voice in her head telling her to stop him from saying what she knew she didn’t want to hear.

“I think I’m going to break up with Courtney,” he said.

“Why?” Maddie asked, looking at the dirt beneath her feet.

“I feel like she’s taking me away from all you guys, I miss you,” he said coolly.

“Well, you do whatever you want to do, John,” Maddie said.

John sighed as he looked at her, “Then we can get closer.”

Maddie met his eyes, taking in a gulp of air, hoping she wouldn’t regret what she said next, “I’d like that, John.”

John smiled as he cautiously moved his hand and placed it on top of Maddie’s. She looked at their hands before she pulled away quickly and whispered, “Don’t do this, John.”

John looked at her, confused. Before he could say anything the back door opened and Garrett came spilling out. He walked towards them but John called to him, “Garrett, we’re kind of in the middle of something.”

Garrett rolled his eyes as he sat on the other side of Maddie, wrapping his arm around her, “I just want to come say hello to my girlfriend.”

“Garrett,” Maddie shrugged out from under Garrett’s arm, “Go inside,” she told him, worried he’d let their secret slip.

“But, babe,” Garrett said kissing her neck.

John reached across Maddie and pushed Garrett off of her, “Bro, stop.”

Garrett’s lips formed in a straight line and he looked at Maddie, suddenly appearing much more sober, “Please tell him.”

Maddie winced as John looked at her, “Tell me what?”

Maddie stared at him, not even being able to say the words. Garrett grunted after only a few seconds, “Maddie and I are dating.”

John let out a laugh as he stood up and walked a few feet away, admiring a wind chime in the garden, “Oh, yeah? Good one. I’m going inside,” John said as he walked away.

Maddie looked at Garrett, “This is going to be harder than we thought,” she said.

“There is another way to show him,” Garrett said cautiously.

“We’re not going to make out in front of him,” Maddie told him.

He hung his head, “Let’s try again tomorrow.”

“Sounds like a plan,” she smiled.

“So until then…?” Garrett smiled as he rested his forehead on hers.

Maddie laughed as she smelled the alcohol on his breath, “You’re drunk, boo.”

“I’m sober enough to know that I want to kiss you,” he said.

“I’ll kiss you if you promise to stay the night and not drive home.”

Garrett chuckled, “You make it hard to say no.”

“And, I need you to force me to tell John tomorrow.”

“I promise,” Garrett said, impatiently closing the gap between their lips.

Maddie and Garrett did not know it would be unnecessary to tell John tomorrow. They didn’t know John had been watching their exchange from the sliding glass door that led to the backyard. And they definitely did not recognize the calm before the storm; the eye of the tornado that was coming right for them was forming fast and strong, bringing along winds of guilt and deception, and the dirt those winds kicked up would get in everyone else’s eyes.