Candid

Chapter 35

Quick question: Do you still want me to reply to your comments? I've noticed that there haven't been a lot of comments in recent chapters so if you're over it I can totally understand that!!

Enjoy!

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I paced up and down the sidewalk in front of the mall. My breathing was starting to accelerate and I wasn't entirely sure if it was from the pacing or the external freak out I was going through.

Dana sat on a bench and patiently watched me panic. "Maddie, I think you're making this a bigger deal than it has to be."

I laughed humorlessly. "You say that but then why have I heard nothing about his parents? My mom invited his parents to our Christmas party over a week ago and this morning he told me that they couldn't make it but he and Rosie were still coming."

Hands grabbed my shoulders and I looked down and saw Dana's face. "Breathe!" My expression dropped and I stared at her, unimpressed. She shook my shoulders lightly. "I haven't seen you this worked up since you got that B in gym class last year."

The reminder from the worst day of my school life worsened my mood. "Coach Miller is a sexist asshole, I beat all the guys at that obstacle course but he refused to give any female a higher grade than a B so I'm not all that sorry that he got fired for pulling shit like that for years-"

"Maddie!" Dana tapped the side of my cheek, snapping me out of it. "What if his parents are like Natasha's? Then it wouldn't be all that surprising he doesn't want you to meet them."

"That's exactly why he should introduce me to them!" I pulled my arms out of her grip and sat down on the bench, making sure to sit as far forward as I could because of the possible diseases lurking under the paint. "I've dealt with parents like Natasha's for my entire life because of who my parents are, I can handle anything."

Dana stood in front of me and held out a hand. I stared at it before flicking my eyes up to meet hers. "You need a milkshake."

I scrunched my nose. "I don't drink milkshakes." Except with Grayson that one time.

She grabbed my hand and pulled me up, linking our arms together and leading us into the packed mall. "Well you need a pick me up and there is no way in hell I'm giving you caffeine right now."

Winter Break had officially started not thirty minutes ago and tomorrow was our Annual Hayes Christmas Party. Dana and I were supposed to be looking for outfits to wear and any last-minute Christmas shopping we needed to do but my whole mood shifted after Grayson's announcement this morning.

"Don't bite my head off but what if, hear me out, what if his parents don't like you?" She asked slowly, cringing with a smile that looked more like a grimace as she waited for me to process her words.

My brain shut down. No thoughts came in and nothing was happening up there as her words clanked through my body. I was still walking, I knew that much because a restaurant was coming closer. Never in my life had I heard such a sentence. I could give zero fucks if people didn't like me but their parents always loved me. That wasn't a question up for debate, it was a fact. I was a fucking delight to parents.

"Why wouldn't they like me?" I asked in a neutral tone, my gaze settling on her face as we sat down in a booth.

She stared at me with wide eyes, the intimidation clear on her face. She chose her next words carefully. "Um, well maybe, it could be because you two caused each other immense pain and property damage when in the same breathing space for the last twelve years, just a thought."

I scoffed with a sarcastic laugh. "Everyone knows that that was just us flirting, it was obvious." I took out my hand sanitizer and plopped a little bit on my hands, offering some to Dana and rubbing my hands together before picking up the menus.