That’s what re-dos were for.
“What’s up?” her voice sounded politely stiff even in her own ears. Good.
“Um...” they both looked at each other, clearly not knowing what to make of the situation.
Alexis was the one who decided to step forward. She had always been a sort of ringleader. Everyone else, including Grace, usually followed her lead.
“Well, we haven’t heard from you in a while. We just assumed you would be cooped up with your cute, little hobbies.” Her eyes raked over Nate on Maddy’s right, still holding her hand, squeezing it subtly in support. Nate hadn’t said a word yet but he wasn’t stupid. He could easily see the tension in her body. Body language didn’t lie. She was immensely grateful that he was standing there, next to her, in silent camaraderie.
Alexis’s eyes hadn’t moved of course from Nate’s form. He was probably the reason they had even approached her in the first place. Maybe they thought he made Maddy somewhat interesting enough for them.
“But I see now that maybe something else is taking up your time now,” Alexis continued undeterred. “Aren’t you going to introduce us?”
Not on your fucking life, Maddy wanted to say.
She didn’t though. Because she really was the bigger person.
“This is Nate,” she said, not offering any other sort of clarifying information.
Alexis, who really couldn’t take a hint, couldn’t hide her interest.
“Oh, it’s nice to meet you, Nate! I’m Alexis,” she said brightly, tossing her hair over her shoulder in a way that Alexis knew made people notice.
Maddy threw a quick glance at Nate who appeared so bored and disinterested that it looked as if he had just been asked to fold laundry for all eternity. He barely managed an up-nod and Maddy repressed the sudden need to chuckle.
Alexis seemed at a loss for words before she pulled herself together, pasting a smile on her face that was supposed to be kind and friendly but usually came off as condescending.
“Well, anyway! We’d been meaning to call you to get together and catch up. We didn’t think this would be your scene since you’re always trapped at home with parents and everything, otherwise we would have told you to come along.”
Oh wow, Maddy thought. Everything that came out of this girl’s mouth could be fodder for at least three full therapy sessions.
It had already been a month since she and Nate had been catapulted into this timeline, and she hadn’t heard a peep from either of them. She used to be so blind back then—always forgiving behavior that made her sad and disappointed. Always the one to reach out. Always hoping to be included, to be considered, to be accepted for who she was.
A little nerdy. A little weird. A little sarcastic. But always kind. Always present. Always there.
So much effort—for what?
Maddy shook her head.
Grace, of course, hadn’t uttered a single word during this whole farce. She stood there, unsure, fidgeting, cowering behind Alexis.
What a pity. If only she had the balls to speak her own mind.
Suddenly, Maddy had reached the end of her patience and her willingness to spend even one more second in the company of people that had never really wanted her or even appreciated her, when she could be spending her time doing something fun with someone who never made her feel less than what she was.
Maddy tightened her grip on Nate’s fingers which seemed to mobilize him into taking action.
“Well, this was nice and all, but we really have things to do so we’ll be going now,” Nate said gravelly, his voice completely devoid of the emotion and amusement it usually had when he talked to her.
Maddy spared one last look at the girls, and with one last “see ya” turned her back on them and resumed her leisurely walk alongside Nate.
They stopped close to a cusp of trees, where Nate pulled her onto his chest, hugging her gently but steadily. Maddy felt the tension draining slowly but surely from her body, finally relaxing against him. Nate’s hand rubbed circles on her back while his mouth pressed a soft kiss on her forehead.
“I sure know how to pick them, huh?” she tried to joke but it came out weak, her voice a bit choked and tinged with sadness.
Nate was silent for a few seconds before he tilted her chin to peer into her eyes.
“Their fucking loss, Mads.”
