Rise Like The Sun

CHAPTER TWENTY

MADISON

Madison takes one look at the house party, feels genuinely sick to her stomach, and turns back to her driver. "Louie," she says, wrinkling her nose in distaste. "Keep the car running."

Adjusting her dress and fixing her hair, Audrey only lets out a laugh as she gets out of the car. "Come on, Madison. This is your first house party," she tells them. "Where's your sense of fun?"

"I have a sense of fun. It's called watching Ryan Gosling instead of..." Madison waves dismissively towards a couple, who are making out vigorously on the lawn. "That."

Maria is already tipsy, as she leans heavily against Elliot, who is casting an unimpressed look over the party. "Get a room," she tells the couple, rolling her eyes towards them, as Lula clutches the edges of Elliot's sleeve tightly, looking so horrified at the scene before her that Madison might just laugh.

The place is thriving with crowds of teenagers, most of whom are pouring around the house and dancing happily to the music, tipping their heads back to laugh drunkenly. They're everywhere, making out and dancing and singing drunkenly. Madison holds herself back from pulling another face. It's an utter shambles and when Kyle comes out to greet them, his smile is so wide Madison wants to reach out and rip it off.

"Hey, you made it!" he says happily as he pulls at Audrey.

Madison sees the faintest flicker of something cross Audrey's face before Kyle leans in and proceeds to suck the living daylights out of Audrey. Lula pulls a disgusted face, her eyes lit with horror, and Maria proceeds to pretend to retch behind them. Elliot looks faintly disgusted.

"God, they sound disgusting," he comments lazily towards Madison, who chuckles lowly. "When do you think they'll come up for air?"

"Five minutes," Maria says, disgruntled.

"I'll take that bet."

But Kyle and Audrey break away, Kyle's arm wrapped firmly around Audrey's waist, as he leads them in, through the doors. Madison clutches her purse tightly to her body, wrinkling her nose at the host of drunken teenager boys, who shout out lewd things. Lula holds her arm tightly but Maria screws up her nose and proceeds to shout a string of curses towards them, half in English and half in Spanish, mostly sounding impressive. Elliot has to disentangle her away as they continue to follow Kyle.

"That's the living room – oh, and this is the baseball bat that my Dad got from his Dad, years ago. He got it signed by Babe Ruth. It's practically an heirloom," Kyle is saying proudly, as he points towards the baseball bat.

But Madison is not interested in a baseball bat, her attention caught elsewhere within the party. She sees Nick's large figure, recognising him instantly, and she feels flushed, her cheeks warming, as they make eye contact. Something silent and crackling passes between them and they nod together, already mutually assenting to keep their dancing lessons a well-guarded secret. Beside him, Diana is attempting to engage him in conversation and though Nick looks quite drunk, laughing with the Alcott boy beside him, the sight makes Madison's jaw tauten.

"And this is the kitchen," Kyle tells them. "Let me get you a couple of drinks and then you can go dance with everyone."

Madison turns her head to exchange disbelieving looks with Elliot, who is looking amused, his eyes bright as his lips twitch. But Lula is leaning forwards, her eyes bright. "Is Theo here?"

Her question goes unanswered when Maria brings out the bottle of alcohol to stop Kyle offering them their cups. Madison had advised they bring their own bottles because none of them were going to get through this night sober and she didn't trust a single thing in Kyle's house. "No thanks," Maria says. "We brought out own."