No One Knows You Like I Do

Everything was not fine. Everything was far from fine. Mackenzie still wasn’t talking to Madison and it has been weeks. WEEKS. Madison knew she’d be mad for a few days, a week at most, but the fact that it had been weeks was killing Madison. She could barely eat, she wasn’t getting much sleep, she had a headache all the time, and her grades were beginning to slip. The end of their friendship was taking a hard emotional and physical toll on Madison. She didn’t know what to do anymore.
It was Monday, once again, and Madison was forced to drag herself out of bed and go to school. It was getting harder everyday. And it didn’t help that she had been feeling extra sick the past couple of days. She forced herself into the shower and so on to get ready. She made her way down to the kitchen and was going to grab herself some breakfast, when a smell hit her that forced her back up the stairs to her bathroom to empty what little contents remained in her stomach. She didn’t know how she had anything else to throw up. She had thrown up all weekend and barely ate anything. She cleaned herself up and went straight down the stairs and out the door to her car.
The only way Madison made her way through her classes was by sleeping through them. Mackenzie obviously didn’t notice, or didn’t care, that there was clearly something wrong with Madison. The person that did notice and did care the most hadn’t even seen or talked to her all weekend. Madison had mostly slept or spent her time getting sick in the bathroom. She ignored all of Nick’s calls and texts. She was lucky he didn’t go over to her house, otherwise she would have had to talk to him. He was watching her slowly fall apart and there was nothing he could do about it. He tried contacting Mackenzie, to try and get things fixed, but that was near impossible. He didn’t have her number or her address and when he tried to get her attention at school, she just ignored him and kept walking. He was trying his hardest, but Madison was lost without Mackenzie.

Madison walked into her fourth period and slumped into her seat without even looking in Nick’s direction. He watched her and knew she was getting worse. He wanted to go over and hug her right then, but he knew he couldn’t. He had to at least wait until the end of the class period, which seemed to drag on and on. When the bell finally rang, he watched as everyone exited the room except for Madison, who was clearly asleep on her desk. Nick went over and knelt beside her. He nudged her gently.
“Madison, wake up.” She opened her bloodshot eyes slowly. “Are you okay?” Nick’s expression grew worried.
“I’m fine, Nick. Of course, I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not. You’re anything but. You need to go home and rest, actually rest.”
“I can’t actually rest. My thoughts keep me awake. The only time I can really sleep is at school, which I know is terrible, but my body is so tired.”
“I’m taking you home. Come on.” He helped her up. She stood and picked up her purse.
“Aren’t you going to get into trouble?”
“This is my free period.”
“I mean, if you’re seen with me.”
“I don’t care at this point. You’re not well and you need me. You’re more important to me than this job.”
“Really?” A small smile formed on her lips as they continued down the hall.
“Yes. Haven’t you figured that out by now?”
“I…I don’t know.”
“Geeze, Madison, you’re so focused on losing Mackenzie that you don’t even notice the people right in front of you.” They walked in silence the rest of the way to Nick’s car. He unlocked the doors and got into the driver’s seat as Madison climbed into the passenger’s seat. They drove in silence to Madison’s house. Once they pulled up, Madison got out and went straight for the door without looking at Nick. He sighed to himself, knowing he had upset her, and followed her up the steps.
Madison threw her purse on the floor of her room and went to her bed, laying down face first. Nick followed and sat down next to her.
“I’m sorry if I made you mad.” He placed a hand on her back. Madison rolled over to face him.
“You didn’t. I mean…” She sighed. “You did, but I need to stop being so sensitive. I’ve just been feeling so worn down and I was sick all weekend, this morning, too.”
“Is that why you ignored my calls?”
“Kind of. I just….I just didn’t want you to have to deal with me while I’m sick.”
“That’s what I’m here for! I want to take care of you.” He chuckled.
“Next time I’ll be sure to answer, mid-puke then.” She sighed again, as she turned herself so she was on her pillow and facing the wall. Nick lay down beside her and started rubbing her head gently. He knew it helped her fall asleep and that’s what she needed to do at that moment.

After maybe an hour or so of slumber, Madison found herself stumbling over Nick to get to the bathroom. And as she was leaning over the toilet bowl, she found herself thinking about Nick. Not Nick per say, but what her and Nick have done. She washed her mouth out and returned to Nick in her room. He looked up at her, her eyes seemed to be filled with worry.
“Is everything okay?” Nick asked as he stood up.
“What if….what if I was pregnant?” Nick froze for a moment, then started laughing.
“You got me.”
“Nick, I’m….I’m not kidding. We weren’t exactly safe any time…..”
“I know, but I just figured….oh god. Are you serious?” His expression grew serious.
“I don’t know. I just thought about it right now. I was sick all weekend. I skipped my period…what else could it be?”
“Shit. Shit. Shit.” Nick started pacing the room. “How could this happen? How could we let this happen?”
“Nick, calm down.” She went up to him and stopped him from pacing. “We don’t even know anything, yet.”
“How can you tell me to calm down? I might be a father.”
“Yeah, and I might be a mother. Don’t act like you’re the only one who might have a problem.”
“How is this going to work? I mean, people are gonna find out, I’m gonna be fired, worse than that I’ll go to jail. You’re not eighteen until February. And you’re my student. What about the band? Oh my god.”
“Nick, stop it. We can get through this.”
“Get through this? That’s easy for you to say. You won’t be the one in jail.”
“No, I’ll be the one who’s kicked out of my high school before I graduate to mother a child by myself, while its father is in jail. You aren’t the only one going through this, Nick.”
“I have to go. I can’t deal with this right now. I already ditched my last class of the day, no doubt I’ll be up shit creek for that, and now this.” He slipped on his shoes and picked up his keys.
“You’re just gonna leave? Like that? Walk away from your problems, because you’re too much of a chicken to face them?”
“Don’t even talk to me about facing your problems, Madison. You’ve been crying yourself sick in this room for weeks because you can’t face yours.” He stormed down the stairs. He was at the front door and Madison had made it to the middle of the stairs.
“Fuck you, Nick. God, what did I ever see in you? I should have listened to Mackenzie when I had the chance. You are an asshole.”
“No, I’m not. You made me like this.”
“I hate you.” She seethed and stormed back up the stairs.
“Back at ya!” He slammed the front door behind him. He made his way across the grass and to his car.