I'm Okay ➵ madison ziegler

Chapter 1

"Maddie! Kenzie's going to be late for her photoshoot!" my mom called.

"I'll be right down!" I answered.

I quickly finished sending a text to Chloe.

"Maddie!"

I rushed downstairs, where I found my mom waiting for me. "Kenzie's going to be late, just because you took too long," she told me.

Yep, it's always my fault.

We walked to the car, and Kenzie was typing something on her phone.

"Took you long enough," she said. "What were you doing?"

"None of your business," I told her.

"Maddie!" my mom snapped. "There's no need to be rude to your sister."

"Yeah," Kenzie sassed.

"Whatever," I muttered.

My mom and Kenzie were both strangely quiet the rest of the car ride, considering that Kenzie had another photoshoot. Normally, they both would be chatting away, excited about the photoshoot. Today must be different than usual.

Once we made it there, my mom explained to Mackenzie, "I'm going to drop you off right here, Kenzie. Maddie and I will be inside soon."

"Okay!" Kenzie exclaimed as she got out of the car and skipped into the doors.

My mom parked the car and we hopped out. We walked through the doors of the building and I sat down in a chair while my mom helped check in Mackenzie.

"You're Mackenzie Zeigler, right?" the man behind the desk asked.

"Yep!" Mackenzie answered.

"Okay. I'll have you and your guardian follow me back here then."

"Okay," my mom and Kenzie replied in unison.

After they walked away, I grabbed my phone out of my pocket and started texting Chloe.

Maddie: Hey.

Chloe: Hey! What's up?

Maddie: Sitting at Kenzie's photoshoot.

Chloe: Another one?!

Maddie: Yep.

Chloe: Why don't you ever get one?

Maddie: Because she's the 'favorite' and I'm not important.

Chloe: That's not fair.

Maddie: Tell me about it.

Chloe: Are you going to be at dance tonight?

Maddie: Yeah but we're going to be late because of the photoshoot.

Chloe: We could pick you up from her shoot so at least you could be at dance on time.

Maddie: Okay! I'll ask my mom.

Chloe: Okay.

I quickly typed a text to my mom:

Can Chloe pick me up early for dance?

I waited a few minutes and finally got a response:

No, that's not fair to your sister.

What?! But everything has to be fair for her.

Maddie: Please?

Mom: No.

Maddie: Fine.

Why does she have to be so stubborn?

Chloe: Can you come?

Maddie: No.

Chloe: Okay. See you at dance then.

Maddie: Yep.

Ugh, everything has to be fair for Kenzie, and everything is my fault. Why doesn't my mom see that?

The same for Abby; Kenzie always gets the special things, always in front, and nothing is her fault because she's the favorite.

I leaned back in my chair, and thought about how much I hate my life. Except for Chloe, but I'm starting to think that she doesn't want to be my friend anymore because she's been acting strange around me lately.

∞

A few hours later, my mom and Mackenzie walked into the lobby.

"We should come to this place again sometime!" Mackenzie remarked.

"Definitely," my mom answered. "I think they did a great job capturing your talent." When Mom spotted me, her face contorted into a stern look. "Maddie, we're leaving for dance now."

I leaped out of my seat and trailed behind Mackenzie and my mom to the car. As I hopped into my seat in the back, with Mackzenzie in the front, I asked, " Mom? Can I please have a photoshoot sometime?"

Mom whipped her head around and glared at me. "Why do you want one?" she asked in a snotty voice. "You don't even need one."

I sank lower in my seat, wishing for something better.