Code Name: RUSH (COMPLETE)

3. Madix

Momma had always told me to be a nice person. But she had also never met Denise Annabelle Freemont, also knowns as the Devil's incarnate. I crossed my arms over my chest tightly and glowered back at her from across the room. Evan seemed to think our mutual animosity came from her sexism, and I would let him think that for an eternity before I told him the truth; she hated him more than she hated the rest of his family.

Denise may act sweet anytime she spoke to Evan, but I heard the way she talked about him when he wasn't in the room. It was better for everyone if I stayed away from her and her a-hole of a fiancé. She met my eyes for the third time in the last minute and I gave her a little three finger wave that I knew she hated.

Evan was across the room, playing host to his grandparents. I could hear them complaining from my place on the couch about how he still hadn't applied to any colleges or summer programs, even though we were only half way through our junior year. Evan's smile was thin and his dad, David, didn't jump in to defend him.

Not that either of us seemed to expected it. I was surprised that David hadn't thrown Evan under that bus in the first place. The only real time he seemed to pay Evan any attention was when he was doing well, or not so well, in school. I washed the thought down will a gulp of soda.

Evan snuck away from the conversation of Ivy League schools and sat down beside me. He took the can from my hand and downed the whole thing like he would prefer it was alcohol. "Rough morning?"

"It's going to be a rough week. Dad wants to drive to Ohio State this weekend to tour the campus. Nana and Pop want him to take me to Columbia." He handed the drink back.

"And where do you want to go?"

"Back to bed so I won't have to think about college. But they don't want that answer."

I hummed as I took another sip. "We could always run away to Mexico."

"You don't even speak Spanish."

"That's true, but it would get us away from Denise."

Evan snorted loudly. Said aunt shot him a look of distaste and set her drink down. She turned to face us.

"Oh God, she's spotted us. Is it too late to run?" I muttered under my breath. Evan elbowed me as his aunt sat down on his left.

"So, sweetheart, have you thought about where you'll be going when you finish school? It's getting closer." She asked sweetly.

"Uh, dad wants me to go somewhere nice like Ohio State or Yale," Evan smoothed out the imaginary creases in his jeans.

"It would be a shame for you to get separated after graduation," Denise stilled his hand on his knee. "You've been friends for so long."

Her tone said that it would be anything but tragic. Evan pulled his hand away and I swallowed down the sour taste in my mouth. "And what do you mean by that?"

"Well, I wasn't sure what Madeline's plans were after she finishes school here. Ivy League is a hard feat to achieve with, well, her financial track record."

"The name is Madix, and if you can't get that right then you don't need to be talking to him," Evan replied shortly.

Denise leaned back and brought her hand to her chest like she was shocked at the correction. "My bad, darling, I forgot,"

"Just like you forgot that my GPA is higher than your IQ, apparently," I shot back. "And just in case you also forgot, I'm not poor enough to not be able to afford college. I have a list of scholarships that are longer than your list of ex-boyfriends."