Rich Kids Don't Die | Featured

Chapter Fifteen

MADDIE FROZE, THEN TURNED AROUND painfully slowly, the dreadful crunching of shriveled leaves at her feet as she cursed her life for being so damn complicated. Her bottled breaths were still caught in her lungs. The apprehension (of attack) in the milky air was almost palpable.

Albeit, the sight that greeted her was something other girls would have died for. But Maddie had already died before, and she wasn't going to do it all over again for some pearly porcelain boy doll.

"Hello there, Madison," he said with a smile. Waves of his deep voice pooled about the perimeter, octaves lower than most people, with his words pouring out like honey. An aroma of vanilla was clinging onto his pale skin, which was hugged by a brown winter jacket and tight black jeans.

Maddie's own purple winter jacket was now pressed even tighter onto her skin - this rare specimen of boy was giving her goosebumps.

Sunlight streamed onto his pristine white, diamond hair, and towards his eyes. They were crystalline blue, like icy waters and shards of sparkling glass, ringed with liquid silver. His baby pink lips stretched into a small smirk as he watched the confusion settle onto Maddie's features.

"Asher." she deadpanned. Wisps of her breath floated about his features, and he swatted at the cloudy condensation in front of him with an amused chuckle.

He beamed down at her. "Asher Gray. A pleasure to formally meet you. Last time I saw you, you looked a little... distracted."

"Look, buddy, I know we're all supposed to be all friends for life, pun intended, and everything, but I'm not really interested right now."

"I'm not hitting on you, if that's what you're thinking." he let out abruptly. "Just thought I'd say sorry. I heard the news, and we are supposed to stick by each other as magicians."

Maddie wasn't sure how to respond. This was the first time a teenage boy hadn't openly flirted with her, aside from Alex. Wow.

He looked at her for a reaction, clearly unnerved. Maybe he shouldn't have brought it up, but Maddie was fine with it. Everyone else would, soon enough.

"Well... thanks," she muttered, shoving her hands in her jacket pockets. "I wasn't sure all of you would be welcoming. I know I'm not the ideal magician or anything."

"There is no ideal magician," Asher let out in exhale as he led them down the pathway through the twinkling forest with a relieved smile. "If you're a magician, you're special. Maybe there's something within you aside from what people think."

Suddenly he was looking at her with an almost angelic smirk, if that was even possible, alluding to the idea that he had her all figured out. That he was the key to unlocking her true self. As if, Maddie thought.

She turned to him with a sideways glance that glowed with amusement. "Please," she laughed. "I'm not Regina George. I'm not a sad person wearing the mask of a mad person. I'm not crazy; I'm just getting by in the world with my snark. Deal with it."

A flurry of leaves dropped from the rustling trees, dancing in the wind and landing on their shoulders as they passively brushed them away. "Love is red, but so is madness," he mocked. "Are you the madness, refusing to become the love?"

Maddie swatted at his shoulder in agitation. "I've just met you, and you're already irritating me, Mr-I-Know-Everything."

"Little do you know..." he sung with a broad grin.