Waiting

I sat at the table on a Thursday afternoon for dinner, keeping my gaze down on my plate so I wouldn't see Madisyn sitting across from me. Dad thinks that we were cool now ever since I took her to school a month ago. I didn't say anything hurtful while he was around just to keep up the façade. I was hoping that since she usually took my bullying in silence that she would eventually crack and go back to wherever it is that she came from. She had her own family for seventeen years and I still don't know why that she needed to come and take over my own.

“How was school today?” I swiftly looked to Madisyn to see what she would say. I glared, making her look away from me.

“It was okay. I got an A on my lit report.” Mom smiled at me, and dad praised me on my grades before turning to Maddie.

“We got to pick partners in art. Me and Andrew are making a portrait of each other.” Madisyn smiled weakly at dad.

“Oh that's wonderful!” Dad smiled at her before looking at mom, nodding his head to the living room.

“Madisyn, sweetheart,” mom wiped her mouth with a napkin before continuing. “why don't you draw us something to hang up in the living room? I've been meaning to fill up that empty space for a while now.”

My eyes widened. They don't even know if she could draw or not. What if she couldn't draw for shit and then she ruined our living room?

“Alright, if you really want me to.”

Dad patted her shoulder. “We do.”

After diner, I excused myself to my room and finished my homework. I frowned thinking back at dinner when she said that Andrew was her partner. After her first day, my friends befriended her with open arms and it took a while before I could hang out with them and her at the same time. I usually just ignored her existence when she ate with us or hung out with us before school started. The ride to school had gotten less awkward when she started bringing her iPod and ignored me. I was totally fine with that.

“Vicky!” I turned to the door and smiled, jumping from my seat and running into the arms of Uncle Jimmy. He was really the only one that called me Vicky, while everyone just stuck to Tori, or Victoria when I was in trouble. I haven't seen him since that day of the BBQ, he's been MIA for awhile. He does it a lot, but it's usually to write or just because he's Jimmy. I squealed when he twirled me around, before setting me back on the ground.

“I've missed you!” I hugged him again, squeezing tightly around his waist. “Where have you been?”

“Me and Leana took a vaca to Italy for a while.”

“Aw, I want to go there.” He smiled and held up his finger for me to wait a minute. He walked out of my room before coming back with something behind his back. I closed my eyes and held out my hands. He sat something cold in my hands and I opened my eyes to see a square box. I opened it and gasped at the expensive looking necklace. It was one of those best friend necklaces that has half of it missing so you could give it to someone else. I smiled, assuming that he had the other piece. He then handed me the other box. “This one is for Madisyn.”

I frowned, letting the smile drop from my face in seconds. “Why? Why don't you keep it?”

“Your dad said you two were getting along now, I figured you would want it. You know, for your sister.”

I mentally cringed. “Dad is so delusional, Madisyn and I do not get along.”

Jimmy shook his head disapprovingly at me and gave me a stern look, pointing to my door. “Now, go give Madisyn her new necklace.”

I stomped over to her room, not bothering to knock. I opened the room to see her with her earphones in, listening to her iPod. She didn't even noticed that I was in her room. Her sketch pad was in her lap, drawing whatever it was that she was drawing. I tossed the box over to her bed, startling her and making her mess up her picture. I smirked to myself, closing the door before she even got a chance to say anything.

I heard talking on the way back to my room, and figured Jimmy was downstairs with my parents. I walked in my room and changed into my pajamas and got ready for bed before going downstairs to see that I was right, Jimmy and my parents were in the living room talking over some beers.

“Hey dad, I'm ready for bed.” He nodded and stood up. He walked with me out of the room after I said my goodnights to everyone. I hugged and kissed Jimmy's cheek before moving over to my mom. She wished me a good night.

I got into bed and dad picked up his guitar from the corner of my room. He started strumming the notes to my lullaby before singing the words I knew by heart. Once the song was finished, I smiled and snuggled into my covers while he kissed my forehead and whispered goodnight. I watched confused as he walked out with guitar instead of putting it back on the stand. I bit my lip when I began hearing a song come from Madisyn's room. I huffed loudly, but was glad enough that he knew better then to play my song.

I woke up the next morning with a headache. I got ready for school sluggishly, dressing a bit down today. I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and grabbed my bag before heading downstairs. I wasn't in the mood for anything so, for Madisyn's sake I hoped she was already ready.

I ended up waiting on her for ten minutes and the drive to school was fulled with irritating music coming from the radio and Madisyn's annoying presents. I parked the car and got out, meeting Madisyn at the front of my car. I walked a little bit ahead of her to the group and sat down in the spot I usually sat in. I was quiet this morning, propping my head up in my hands until the bell rung. I got up to go to class but someone was stepping on my bag's strap so I couldn't pick it up. I turned around to see that it was Madisyn and my eyes narrowed. I pushed the books out of her hand, making her glare at me before moving to pick them up, and I grabbed my bag before walking away to class. Andrew caught up to me before ranting about how I was a total bitch this morning for no reason. I didn't care, and wasn't in the mood to be lectured by Andrew.

“Leave me alone, okay, Andrew?” I walked away from him and sighed. Today is not my day. By lunch, nothing was better and Madisyn was already sitting at the table with Amanda and Johnson. I walked up to them and noticed that they were ignoring me. I sat down and interrupted Madisyn, starting my own conversation.

“Uh, Tori,” Johnson stopped me and frowned. “Madisyn was talking to us first. Don't be rude,”

I looked at Madisyn and frowned. So what? These were my friends, not hers. I sat there through lunch, dumbfounded until the bell rung. Madisyn was getting up, and walked away with Andrew - who was late to lunch - since they had class together. I pushed past her, bumping into her with my shoulder before turning back and smiling as sweetly as I could.

“Watch where you're going sis,” It just so happens that some books fell from her hands again like they did this morning. I walked away, but not before seeing the glare that Andrew shot at me. I frowned, but quickly turned my back to them to get to class.

Madisyn was leaning against my car, much like she was everyday after school. I unlocked the doors and she got in before I did. I put the key in ignition and cranked it, backing out and heading home, feeling more like shit than I did this morning. I pulled into the driveway about ten minutes later and turned the car off.

Madisyn took out her earphones and turned towards me, with a glare on her face. “You wanted a war, now you're going to get one.” She got out of the car and walked inside, and I glared at her retreating head from the driver's seat.

Fine, bring it on.