Maddie Dempsey and Justin Foley were what people thought were the cliche highschool romance, and maybe at first glance they were, but when you look deeper into the story, the way Hannah Baker did, you'll see so much more.
{From: 5.18.18 Until: 6.30...
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~~~Small time jump to Maddie's tape as requested~~~
"So what's up with Clay Jensen?" Bryce asked looking towards the silent boy and then back to his friends. "Same thing that's always up with him." Zach said with a shrug. "Nah. He bumped into me today and then got an attitude. I let it slide but if it happens again we're gonna have some problems." Bryce said letting his eyes meet everyone's at the table.
"Bryce leave the poor guy alone. He was in love with a dead girl." Maddie said with a sigh and she gets up with Justin when the bell rings. "You're sitting beside me today right? It's makeup day and I need my science packet done right this time." Justin says with a chuckle as he places his arm on her shoulder. "Yeah sure. You can just copy I have stuff to listen too." Maddie said and Justin nods as they sit in their seats closer to the back rather than the front.
"Have you ever had a loneliness in your life take over so much that you want to do anything to get rid of it? I did. I had a loneliness so large that I tried to befriend the one person I hated most in this school. The most beautiful, talented, smart, and kind girl. Or at least that's what you all think, hopefully you'll see she's not as kind as she's made out too be." Maddie furrowed her eyebrows as she fiddled with the one earbud that stayed out of her ear, who could be on the tape? This was now her method she tried to guess because she said their name, it kept her mind off the fact that it could be her tape soon.
"I'll admit I envied you. You had it all. A kind brother, a sweet sister, a family who stuck together, who wanted you. Friends who chose you because you could make them laugh and because you were beautiful. Good grades, you belonged to a team, the list just keeps going. But one thing I didn't think about was how sad you actually are." Maddie's breath caught in her throat and her fingers stopped messing with the earbud and her eyes stayed on one spot on the wall while Justin kept his eyes on her. This couldn't be my tape right?
"I never thought I could be jealous of and pity someone at the same time, but it happened. And even now as I think back to everything that you did with and without realizing, I notice how I'm not the only one."
"Madison Dempsey. Welcome to your tape." Maddie coughed as if choking on water, glad she caught close to no attention as she ripped the ear bud out of her ear and hit the pause button on the Walkman that was placed in her pocket.
"H-hey are you good?" Justin asked as he leaned to the side to grab her shoulder but she shook him off and shook her head. "I'm..uhm.." she trailed off and Justin continued to stare at her confused. "I'm at my tape." Maddie said in a voice full of some many emotions he wasn't sure which one he could hear more. "Maddie-"
"Look. Justin I- I just wanna go home, okay?" Maddie asked her voice cracking as she looked looked away with tears in her eyes and then back to Justin and as soon as he seen the tears he nodded. "It's last block, you're counted in, let's just go. You're mom at work and won't be home till late right?" Justin asked looking at her as she threw her books into a bag and she nodded.
"You're okay right? Like I can leave you alone?" Justin didn't know how to ask his questions but Maddie still answered. She looked over to him and nodded then looked down to her feet while she spoke. "Yes I'm sure. I just wanted to be home, alright?"
"So, call or text me if you need me, and don't do anything you'll regret." Justin said and Maddie nodded listening, Justin slowly walked out of the house grabbing his phone to text Zach letting him know that Maddie was too her tape and should be left alone as they had no idea of how she may take what was recorded onto the tapes.
Maddie felt as if she couldn't breathe while she looked at her door. She wanted Justin to come back but she knew he wouldn't, because she asked him not too, she took a breath and slowly pressed play on the tape that was already having a large effect on her.
"Our feud started before you even knew, before I even knew your middle name, before I realized we were in love with the same boy. Maddie, when I first met you it was at Kats party. You had showed up with Zach and Justin and I couldn't help but instantly be in envy of your beauty, and that's where it all starts.
You can't be friends with someone who you are in envy of. Or maybe you can. But not when you envy someone so much that it makes you hate yourself. But we're starting to get off track now. Let's start with the first reason you are on this tape." Maddie was basically freaking out, though silently. She had more than one reason? She wanted to throw the tapes away and act as if nothing had ever happened but it was too late and she knew that.
"You were Justin's best friend, before you were his girlfriend, and I think you just wanted to protect him..but from what? I'm not sure. After mine and Justin's date, and the day after the picture of me went around you had stopped me in the bathroom while I was washing my hands. You had told me that it was best if I stayed away from Justin. Now maybe that could be for my own safety. But there was something in your tone that definitely was more of a warning than a suggestion." Maddie rolled her eyes. Really? I'm on here because you misinterpret every single little thing I do?
"I had mentioned before that we had met at Monets. That's where this happened. I had agreed to meet me and talk to me, and this was during our friendship, I had ranted to you about all sorts of things. Most of them being about your brother, and maybe I shouldn't of gone to you, maybe I put you in a awkward position, but your words will never be forgiven. You had called me a slut. You had said that I had taken a part of Zach that I could never give back, and then I was trying to get pity for it. Maddie, I can take a lot of things, but I can't listen to someone saying that I ask for pity. Especially you of all people." Maddie's eyebrows furrowed hearing how her tone changed and she paused the tape, and looked up meeting Zach's eyes.
~~~Authors Note~~~ Hey! So I skipped to Maddie's tape because I got a lot of requests to speed up and someone had left this as a way to do it. Also sorry if the tape seems a little off or if something doesn't make sense, of that's the case please let me know and I'll fix it. Also if any of you have a request for someone that I could add in as part of the tape please let me know. I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
