We'll Always be Together

It was now Maddie's freshman year at scool. Her friends, Lauren and Damika, a new girl at school, helped set up for the upcomming dance the ninth grade class was hosting. Since Lauren was president and Maddison held the vice president position, they were obligated to be the ones to set up for the dance, along with a few helpers.
Maddison held a worried look on her face as she put the decorations on the tables. She and Erik have been a "thing" for a year now and their relationship started out great until a rumor went around the school a couple months ago. Supposively Erik was hanging out with this other girl, Clarrisse, who has a reputation of being a 'skank', as they would call it. Erik told Maddie that he would never do that to her but she still couldn't help but wonder about the fact that everyone keeps telling her it's true. Since Erik is her boyfriend, Maddie thinks she must believe them and that everybody deserves a second chance anyways. But that was all beside the matter. Maddison arrived at the school at eleven this afternoon with Erik and hasn't seen him since then, his excuse was he had to go to the bathroom and then run some errands around the school. Her worries got the best of her when he wouldn't answer any of her calls or texts.
Maddison placed the last vase on the table when arms wrapped around her waist. She automatically smiled and turned around to be held in her boyfriend's embrace. Even though she was some what mad at him, he made her happy.
She took in his scent and smiled up at his big brown eyes, "Where've you been? I've been looking for you."
"I know, I got your texts but I was really busy", He answered serenly and tried to give her a kiss which she rejected.
"Busy? You were so busy that you couldn't have answered your phone? I tried calling you a thousand times", Maddie didn't know where to start let alone say to him. She hated comfrontation.
He was silent for a few more seconds, "Babe, I had to finish my English project before tomorrow or I would have failed the semester." He took her hair out of her face by sweeping his hand over her forhead.
"Erik, you're an A student. How could you be possibly failing English?" Maddie stated loudly. Erik loosened his grip around her and she took advantage by pulling away.
Erik could see this wasn't going good for him and tried to explain, "Maddison", he sighed,"This project is worth sixty percent of my grade, and have you remember AP English is harder than ninth grade English."
"What are you saying, Erik? That I'm stupid?" Maddie was furious at her boyfriend. How could he point the subject out like that?
"No", he rushed, "Maddison, just listen I-I I'm just trying to explain myself, that's all."
"Can you explain to me then why you would procastinate so long if this project was going to take you from eleven in the morning until four at night? I almost had to call my parents to pick me up so I could get ready for the dance I thought you were comming to", she pointed out to him.
Erik put his hands in the air as if surrendering, "I don't want to fight with you, Maddie. If your going to throw punches like this at me then I'll just go home and meet you later at the dance."
"Yes, Erik", Maddie's face was getting red which happens when she's about to cry, "go and crawl in your little safety corner because you don't want to tell me the truth. You can't run away for ever, Erik because eventually you'll have no one to run away from."
It was completely silent in the gymnasium, where the dance was going to be held, for a couple seconds, until Maddie spoke up again through her tears.
"I have to go and think for a while", she told him as she pushed by, only to run into someone else...

Jon watched at a distant while Maddie pointed a finger at Erik and Erik emidiately put his hands up to surrender. He noticed Maddie's face turn red and forshadowed the tears that were streaming across her face. He was ready to go over there and pounce on him, but then quickly remembered what Maddie told him before when he did that about the Clarrisse and Erik rumor-"I can fight my own battles Jon. I don't want you getting hurt for me." Even though he insisted he would do anything for her, she still denied it.
He watched as she fumbled across the gym and right into him. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her through the hallway and outside to his car.
Maddie sat in the passanger seat and put her head on her knees, sobbing some last tears that would stain her angelic face. It hurt Jon, pained him, to see her like this. He would carve his heart out for her but she doesn't even know. Jon choked back some tears himself and rubbed her back soothingly.
When she was done she simply stated, "Can you bring me home?"
Jon nodded his head, "Of course."
She looked down at her white knuckles from her clenched fists, "Why me?"
"Maddison, you control whose in your life, no one else", Jon informed.
"It's not as easy as that, Jon. Look at Mellissa for example", she said, even though she regretted it later.
Jon sighed, "Your fighting with me when I'm trying to help, Maddie. Your picking the right fight but wrong battle."
Maddison looked out the window, "I'm sorry", she cried.
"Don't be sorry", Jon took her hand and held it in his larger one, "I'll always love you no matter what."
Maddison couldn't help but smile up at Jon and squeese his hand, "I love you...always."

Later that night Lauren called Maddie. The plan was that Maddie and Damika went over to Lauren's an hour before the dance to do eachothers hair and nails, but so far Maddie wasn't going anywhere.
All cuddled up on her bed in Jon's old sweats and her Rock'n'Roll Harcore tee sat Maddie with pillows all around her and a box of Kleenex by her side as she watched re-runs of America's Next Top Model. She got her Droid from her night stand and checked the name, Lauren.
Before answering she wiped her nose, "Hello?" She asked grogily.
"Maddie? You almost here? We're gonna be late if you don't hurry", Lauren panicked on the other line. Lauren was overly excited about the dance. Zack, Lauren's boyfriend, was picking them all up in a limo his mother rented for the occasion.
"I'm not going", Maddison sniffled and felt the tears comming back by just thinking about the situation.
Lauren had a heavy sigh, "It's about what happened earlier isn't it?" Her voice wasn't as apoligetic as Maddie thought it'd be, "With Erik?"
"I don't want to talk about it", She told her and let out a little whimper. Maddie had feelings for Erik, everyone could tell. And honestly, it was completely obvious that Erik didn't feel that in depth with her.
"Maddison, just forget about him. He's not worth your troubles anyways. Just come with us, you don't want to miss out on all the fun", Lauren tried to pursuade Maddie but it didn't work like she hoped.
"Fun?", Maddie snorted, "how am i going to have fun while I see Erik fooling around with Clarrisse?" Maddie was about to blow up in tears when she heard her door open and Jon walk in.
He was wearing a blue dress shirt and tie with black dress pants and shoes. He held yellow daiseys in his hand, Maddie's all time favorite flower. He slowly and quietly closed the door and waited patiently until Maddie got off the phone.
"Lauren I have to go", Maddie rushed and then hung up.
She put the Kleenex box behind her and got off the bed, making her way over to Jon, "What are you doing here? The dance starts in ten mintues, you should be on your way."
Jon carefully took Maddie's hair tie out of her hair and let her loose curls gracefully fall on her shoulders. He didn't like seeing her like this, all teary eyed and crying on her bed when there was a dance she should be going to.
"What are you doing?" Maddie asked him curiously. She didn't understand why he would be doing this when he could be going to the dance. There were tons of girls that would be waiting for him.
"Take these", he stated and handed her the yellow daiseys. She took them hesitantly and watched as he made his way over to her closet.
She knew what he was doing and immediatly told him, "Jon, I'm not going to the dance."
He turned around and looked at her, thinking about how beautiful she really was, "We don't have to go anywhere. We'll stay right here."
Maddison smiled and walked over to him at her closet, "You don't have to do this, Jon", she told him and rested her hand on his arm.
"But I want to", he insited. He pulled out a dress he liked, it was a red halter dress he saw her wear to the Fall Formal, "Put this on for me", he asked softly.
She took the dress in her hands and debated in her mind, he did this for me so I should do this for him. She nodded and made her way to her bathroom. After slipping the dress on she looked in the mirror. Her face was drained and her hair was snarly. Her eyes showed sadness and she looked frail and weak. She noticed how the dress was a little snug where her boobs were, noting that she was growing that quickly since that fall.
She heard some knocks on the door and opened it. Jon stood there with a smile on his face and held out his hand.
There was music playing in her room so she smiled, "Seriously?" She asked him, now catching on, "you want me to do dance...in my room?" Maddie found this funny but romantic at the same time.
Jon nodded and laughed aswell, "So, it's working right? Your smiling", he noted.
She took his hand and he led her to the center of her bedroom. They danced to different songs, mostly goofing off until it was getting late and Maddie protested that she was getting tired.
Maddie changed back into her pajamas and Jon took off his tie and unbuttoned the top of his dress shirt. She insisted he stayed a little longer so they ended up laying on their stomachs and finishing the America's Next Top Model re-runs.
"Thankyou", Maddie told Jon, "you made me feel like a lot better", she admitted.
"You don't have to thank me, Maddie. You know I'd do anything for you, I love you", Jon admitted.
"I love you too, Jon", she said back to him.
Not really sure that she understood what he met he explained further, "Can I tell you something? That's been eating away at me for a while?"
"Yeah", Maddie said and sat up, ready to hear what her best friend had to tell her.
"I feel like I'm, like", he was trying to put it into words, but couldn't find the right ones. He sighed and paused for a moment.
"Jon, are you okay?" Maddie asked. He closed his eyes shut. There was something else he had to tell her too, but just couldn't. He didn't like hurting her and that's what he was doing. He decided not to tell her he loved her in other ways because what he was going to say next would hurt her enough.
"I got accepted to Shattuck", he admitted and pretended to play with his sleeve so he didn't have to look her in the eyes.
"Oh my gosh, Jon", Maddie said happily and grabbed his face in her hands so he would have to look at her, "no way."
Jon smiled. He was surprised that Maddie was as happy as he was, or even happier, "Yeah, way", he smiled wide.
Maddisons smiled got even bigger then quickly faded, "When are you leaving?"
Jon immediatly stopped smiling and looked back down, "They want me by March."
"But that's just next month", Maddie said with raised eyebrows, "How long did you know?"
"I found out last week", he admitted and took her hands in his.
"Well, I'm going with you", Maddie said matter of factly.
"Maddie." He stated.
"Well, Jon", she said and felt the tears rise again, "I don't you to forget me."
"How could I ever forget you Maddie? You're the most beautiful girl I know. If anything I should worry that you'd forget about me." Jon was sick of seeing Maddie so pained.
"Once you meet all those other blonde and beautiful girls you'll get so caught up that you won't even reme-"
Jon didn't let Maddie finish. Instead he leaned over and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. Maddie noted how soft his lips actually were and how she wanted more of them. He pulled away slowly and cautiously looked her in the eyes.
"Jon", Maddie whispered and touched her lips, still feeling the tingles he left there.
"I'm sorry", Jon said quickly and got up, not sure how she felt about the situation. He knew he shouldn't have, he was leaving her. But something told him to anyways.
"Don't go", Maddie pleaded and bounced off the bed to grab his arm. She could feel tears of hurt rising. 'How could he kiss me then leave?' She asked herself.
"Maddison", Jon closed his eyes and continued, "I love you, as more than friends. And I don't want to hurt you by leaving to Shattuck."
"Jon, just stay here for a while", Maddison begged and pulled him back to her bed, "Please."
She sat down on the edge of the bed and he knelt on the floor in front of her. She tangled her fingers in his hair and kissed his forhead, "I love you too, Jon. I've been telling you everyday."