INAUGURATE | Chandler Riggs [2]

twenty-three: crumble

madison tightened the gold hoop earrings in her ears and sighed, smoothing down the pale red fabric of her dress. she noticed that the necklace adorning her neck had been given to her by chandler and deciding against him getting the wrong idea, she quickly unclasped it with a groan and traded it out for one christian had kindly gifted her for her birthday.

feigning a smile in the mirror, madison stepped away from her vanity and slipped on a pair of shoes to match her dress. she grabbed her phone to check the time before slipping it in her wallet. deciding that she had enough time to sit down for a moment, she repositioned her blanket and unceremoniously fell onto her bed.

a million thoughts swirled through her head. the wind within let her worries catch flight on pale kites, untethered to reality. andrew peaked his head through the door and watched his daughter mess with the rings on her hand. he stepped inside her room a foot and made her aware of his presence.

"almost ready to go, darling?" andrew called out quietly and fixed the buttons on his sleeve.

it took a moment for his daughter to register his words before she looked up at him and answered, "uh, yeah, dad. i'll meet you in the car, okay?"

"okay," andrew responded, sadness traced into his tone due to his daughter's quiet nature lately, "get a playlist ready!" he called over his shoulder as he slipped down the stairs.

madison smiled softly to herself. her dad usually picked the music and though she did not completely dislike his taste, she knew that he always let her choose the songs when she was in need of cheering up. the gesture had already worked in lifting her spirits as she grabbed a cardigan and closed her door behind her softly with a more content sigh than before.

—

with five seconds of summer drifting between the waves of wind spilling in through the cracked windows, madison relaxed into her seat. letting her body find home in the leather, she glanced out the window as various aspects of the atlanta outskirt's scenery flash by. any attempt to regulate her breathing signified a failure as madison gripped onto the fabric of her dress tightly in her hands.

andrew kept his gaze on the road but patted his daughter's shoulder as he noticed the tension in the air. he had not been unaware of the lack of enthusiasm on his daughter's part for having dinner with the riggs. madison adored the family in every way and for this unusual behavior to appear, he was worried.

"what's up," andrew asked in a seemingly nonchalant tone, relaxing his grip on the steering wheel.

madison inwardly groaned, knowing that as soon as her father pinpointed an issue, she would not be in the clear until he received an answer. she loved her father for this quality, but it also complicated things at times. with her gaze continued to lock out the side window, madison attempted to conjure a suitable answer for andrew without giving everything away.