7 Minutes ✔

18: Minute Seven

It had been months since the car accident. After Angeline passed, I pretended like everything was normal between me and Quinn just so I wouldn't have to lose someone else. Ashton broke up with me, and the whole school went from hating me to feeling bad for me because of what Angeline did... Well, it was me who did it. It was my lie that saved me from being the most hated girl in school since Lucas lied and said I slept with him.

Quinn, the girl that hated Angeline the most, pretended like she was the most touched by her death. It was so hard faking a smile when she would use Angeline as an excuse to get out of class. I hated it when people pretended as they knew her after she died when they didn't care about her when she was alive.

As I walked my tray over to the cafeteria table, I could hear the gossiping of girls who I didn't even know. They were still discussing how some little 'skank' like me could cheat on such a 'nice' guy like Ashton. They didn't even hesitate to wave at me as if I hadn't heard a word they said.

I sat my tray of food down on the table and took in the sight of high school all around me. I was captain of the cheer team, everyone knew my name, I was pretty, and I was rich, but I was so unhappy. None of the sacrifices I made to get to the top were worth it.

I was tired of high school. I was tired of this life. I was tired of pretending.

I have lived for seventeen years, but I was never alive for a single one of them. Every smile that taunted my lips was laced with a frown that begged to show instead. Every laugh that coaxed from my chest, was a sob hidden within the sound every soul loved to hear. I was present, but I was never there.

I could remember a time when I sat down in my classroom and listened to my English teacher explain that life is nothing but a series of choices. With each choice, it determines how long and how short each chapter will be.

My story ends today.

"Ew, stop frowning, Madison. You are gonna get wrinkles, and trust me, Greyson wouldn't want a girl like that," Quinn chuckled.

Cross your legs and sit pretty, Madison. Gain some weight but don't gain too much, Madison. Be smart but never too smart or you will never find a husband, Madison. Your laugh is ridiculous, settle for a smile, Madison. Do this, but never do too much of that, Madison.

I bit down my lip before turning away from her. My leg had been trembling underneath the cafeteria table, and I was glad no one noticed.

"Sorry. Just thinking," I muttered.

"What? Trouble in paradise between you and Ashton?" she asked with a raised brow. I could see the smirk tugging at the corner of her lip as she tried her best to hold it back.

She liked Ashton. I could tell from the moments jealousy radiated from her eyes every time he was around me. It was no secret what the two of them were doing behind my back. The worst part of it all was that she was supposed to be my friend and he was supposed to be my boyfriend.

"Why do you hate me so much?" I questioned as my eyes began to get glassy from the emotions ready to pour out of them. There was an unexplainable tightness that gripped my throat and made it hard to breathe. I knew I had to hurry up and get out of there before the waterworks came or else the whole school would have another topic to gossip about.

"What?" she laughed. "Are you okay? You have been acting so strange lately. Ash-"

"I don't care about Ashton!" I shouted, causing the chatter of my peers to quickly come to halt. My gaze darted around the now silent cafeteria as a tear fell from my eyes. Without another word to Quinn, I harshly wiped my tear from my cheek as I snatched my backpack from the ground's gravity.

As much as I wanted to look back at Quinn, I didn't. Quinn was probably wearing a smug look on her face that I just wouldn't be able to handle.

"Don't you all have something better to do?" Chase shouted at everyone. I could hear a few groans and grumbles but the chatter quickly dialed back up.

I glanced over at Chase, the weird kid that was always so kind to me no matter how rude I was to him.

Trying my best to hold back a sob, I threw my bag over my shoulders. He was walking toward me, but I didn't want to talk to him. I didn't want to talk to anyone. I was tired of talking. My mouth was sore and my thoughts were empty.

Hurriedly, I raced out of the cafeteria, allowing the heavy wood doors to harshly slam shut behind me. It wouldn't be the only thing I was leaving behind today. I planned to leave everything—including myself.

All that kept occupying my mind was the huge lake that waited patiently for me on the side of my house. When I was younger, I believed in fairy tales. I thought there would come a day where I saw myself running away into the sunset like a happily ever after. Now, the only way I could see myself being happy forever was when my soul was pictured leaving this imprisonment I was born into.

As I walked down the hallway in my cheerleading uniform, the guys all seemed to gawk at me like I was on display. They didn't see the mascara running down my cheeks or the way my hands were shaking and begging for someone to just grab them and tell me everything will be okay. No, they saw the short skirt and the way my cleavage slightly popped out, enabling their minds to imagine every way they wanted to have my body. I was nothing to them—not even human. I was a girl who could spread her legs and be deemed as nothing but easy.

"Hey, Mads! Wait up!" Chase called out from behind me. I turned to see his glasses that were crookedly perched on his nose and his eyes that dug so deep into my own that I was scared he could see beyond the mask I so easily wore. I quickly looked away.

"Why can't you just leave me alone, weirdo?" I seethed even though it was the last thing I wanted. Please don't leave me alone. I'm scared of what I might do if you go.

"All I've ever wanted was to be your friend. Ever since Angeline passed away, I noticed how different you've been. You two were best friends and I want to be there for you. Also, I was meaning to ask you something..." he drawled out. I watched him pull out the pink blanket that I had since I was a toddler. "I saw this blanket in my locker, and based on the vanilla perfume, I knew it was yours. Did you give this to me?"

I sighed. "Can we talk about this tomorrow?"

There would be no tomorrow. I only had today, and I couldn't stop the way my heart kicked and screamed for him to see me. It would make me feel alive if only he could see how much I was dying.

"Wait, Madison, I know this school sucks sometimes, but it's only high school. In ten years, you won't remember anything. You could be a damn supermodel if you wanted to be. You can have the man of your dreams and not some asshat like Greyson. Just don't let these people tell you that you are worthless because you aren't. I just want you to know that even though we aren't close, you can always call me to talk," Chase spoke before fishing something from his backpack. "Here. I wrote down my number for you. Call me, okay?"

He handed me a small piece of paper that looked like it had been ripped from a journal. I took it from his hand and stared down at it. Just as I was about to open my mouth to speak, Ashton threw his arm around Chase's shoulder.

As I looked at Ashton, I could feel my whole world crumbling. There was nothing more I wanted to say to him. I already got everything off my chest.

Letting out a deep breath, I turned around and prepared myself to walk away.

"Hey! Where ya' going?" Ashton taunted. I glanced over at him and pleaded with whoever would listen to not allow me to break down again. He wasn't worthy enough to see how much he affected me.

"Leave her alone," Chase demanded. As much as Chase wanted to be intimidating, all he managed to succeed at was making Ashton bark in laughter.

"How much are you going to charge him for a night, huh? Five dollars like you did for Lucas while we were together?" Ashton chuckled. I allowed a tear to roll down my face before sharply turning away and walking as fast as I could out of the place. It was suffocating me to be in there for so long. My lungs were gasping for air and crying at the toxicity that scratched and stabbed at them.

I could hear Chase running after me, so I hurriedly got into my car and drove off.