𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬

29

Maddie woke up earlier than normal to take Zachs car to leave with Jessica. Maddie was nervous about being with Jessica alone right now but they needed to find Justin. "Jess, I think it might be better if I stay back." Maddie said knowing that Justins mother knew Maddie. "Mads if you don't come with me then Justin won't talk to me. And like I told you this is important." Maddie nodded and took a breath before walking up the steps of the closely spaced apartment building. "What's with you lately Maddie? You've never been scared of anything and all of a sudden you're scared when someone yells near you?" Maddie sighed and shook her head as she continued to climb the stairs. "I don't know Jess, it's just everything with the tapes and now that Clay has them I thought that it'd be easier but it's not. That's all." Maddie and Jess alike knew she was lying, well yeah sure this was part of it but there was something else. "This is it." Maddie said before knocking on the door to Justin's apartment. "Yeah?" Justin's mom asks annoyed with a cigarette in her fingers as she looks at the two girls. "Is Justin here?" Jessica asked and she shook her head. "No, hasn't been here all week, I thought he was with her." She says pointing to Maddie, Jessica looks at Maddie confused and Maddie shakes her head. "No, no he told me he was coming home last night." Maddie said and Jessica shook her head while walking down the steps. "Who is it?" Asked a male voice from inside. "Justin's girlfriend and some other chick." When Maddie went down the steps she was stopped by a hand on her arm pulling her back tightly making her breath catch. "Mad-" Jessica got cut off from her call out when the man, Justin's mother's boyfriend started talking. "Girlfriend? Or her?" He asks keeping his tight grip. "I'm the girlfriend and I'd appreciate you keeping your hands off me." Her warning didn't work because his hands didn't leave and his eyes didn't leave her body as he looked her up and down. "You tell him that he needs to get home now. His moms worried sick." He says and Jessica speaks for Maddie. "Oh yeah sure looks like it." Jessica said her words dripping in sarcasm since his mother didn't seem to care. "You tell him he calls her tonight or he doesn't bother coming home." He says through gritted teeth as he presses into Maddie's arm. Maddie didn't say anything but struggled to get out of his grip, she made it out but almost fell down the stairs as a result. "And I mean it!" He screamed down after the girls and they went out to the car. "Where is he?" Jessica asks upset and Maddie sighs.
"Look I have no clue but it's almost time for my brother to leave so we need to go get him, you can ride in with us, okay?" When Jessica nodded Maddie smiled, even if they were now at each others throats they really were the only two girls in their group, they at least needed to have each other to fall back on.

"Okay, I'm going to go get Zach, do you want anything for breakfast? An apple, coffee?" Maddie asks quickly and Jessica nods to both. "Zach, sorry, took longer than we thought." She whispered to her brother as she grabbed an apple and made a glass of coffee for Jessica. "It's okay, let's just get going." Zach said as the siblings ran out and Maddie gave Jessica the small fast breakfast and went into the backseat so Jessica wouldn't have to move. "Did you guys get to talk to him?" Zach asked as Maddie shoved the pill bottle into her pants without them looking back at her. "No, he wasn't there at all." Jessica responded not adding in the part about the guy they had encoutered. "Did you ever find him though? Like is he still at Bryces?" Zach asks as they get out of the car to go in and Sherri runs up to Jessica. "Did you find him?" Sherri asks copying Zachs question and Maddie went to answer but Jessica cut him off with an answer she didn't expect. "Yep he's right here." She said showing a picture of him at the pool. Maddie sighed beside Zach and shook her head. "Maybe you guys should go." Sherri said. "We shouldn't have to go he should be here." Maddie being the girl she is spoke out against the both of them. "None of us have a claim on him, not even me and he doesn't have to be where he doesn't want to be. Maybe he would be here if everyone around him wasn't crazy." Maddie din't mean for the comment to come out harsh but it did and got a rude comment back from Sherri and Jess. "Zach I'll see ya around." Zach didn't have time to follow up because she was quick to grab his car keys and leave.