Neighbors

Doctor's Visit and Less Than Hopeful News

Alex woke up to the sound of the windows shaking from the summer thunderstorm. He stifled his wide sleepy yawn with one hand, the other still entangled with Madison's hand. He smiled down at the girl sleeping on his chest wondering to himself how he managed to sneak into her life. He lifted their tangled hands in the air, admiring how perfectly they fit together. He slightly angled their hands so that Madison's hand was facing him, he gently placed feather light kisses to each of her knuckles, his lips lingering on the top of her hand before placing it back on his chest.

"Thanks for slobbering all over my hand, 'Lex" Madison mumbled, her words further muffled by her face being pressed against Alex's neck.

"It means I like you, my dog taught me that trick" Alex stated in mock seriousness.

Madison lifted her head so that she was looking down at the chocolate eyed boy "did your dog happen to teach you to fetch breakfast, too" she played along though the rumble of her stomach gave away that she wouldn't have minded a food-fetching- boyfriend.

Alex's chest rumbled with laughter, his eyes squinting to small slits as his smile spread across his face. Madison smiled in return, the smile spreading contagiously; though she knew for certain that it was impossible to not smile or laugh along with Alex. If she had to list her favorite things about the boy his ability to make people happy with just a laugh or smile would definitely be in the top five favorite attributes, though she would be too embarrassed to admit that aloud, her cheeks felt hot just at the thought.

"I don't think your parents...or Nate, would take too kindly to finding out I stayed over" Alex twirled a strand of Madison's hair around his finger.

Madison sat up pulling the strand of hair free from Alex's grip and swung her legs over the edge of the bed with a shrug "it's cool, they aren't here. My dad is visiting his mom in Germany like he does every summer. Mom and Nate are visiting colleges, I finally convinced him staying 'round here for me is pointless, ya know?—"

Alex clambered off of the bed and kneeled down, placing his hands on Madison's clothed thighs "hey, it's not pointless. He wants as much time with you as he can possibly get, I admire that" Alex spoke in an honest whisper.

Madison averted her gaze to the corner of the room and shrugged again "I don't want to hold him back and he isn't going to get what he wants out of life if he just sits in this damn town waiting for me to die."

"Mads—"

"Can we just not talk about this, please?!" Madison cut Alex off from the speech she knew was bound to come. The whole "I don't like when you say that-you're very important-be positive" speech, she had heard it countless times and quite frankly it was beginning to get on her damned last nerve. Alex nodded his head in a silent defeat but still pulled her body forward so his arms were wrapped around her waist and his head was resting on her chest.

"What do you wanna do today?" Alex asked around a mouthful of lucky charms, the milk
dribbling down his chin.

Madison spread a thin layer of cream cheese on half of a bagel and poured a glass of water. She pulled her pill container from the kitchen drawer next to the refrigerator and took out the handful of pills that set in the "Friday labeled spot.

"I have an appointment, my results are supposed to be in today. So, you might want to hit up Jack or somebody else 'cause these things usually last all day" She said casually as if she had just told Alex that she was going to spend the day at the mall with friends and he would be shit out of luck.

Alex sat his spoon down into the soggy cereal and wiped his hand across his face. He watched Madison take each of the pills, drink half of her water and take a bite of her bagel before he finally spoke up.