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Madison winced as her car slid a couple inches, the ice and her tires proving to be a terrible duo. The winter storm raged outside, slamming the sides of her car with pounds of snow. She tried to see if Eric's car was still parked in the driveway but could barely see through the thick white of the storm. She decided to venture out into the cold herself.
She had been calling him repeatedly since last night, as he hadn't spoken to her much since he got his internship. Sure she understood he was busy, but too busy to hang out once on the weekend? Doubtful. Now it was time to confront him, in person.
Her boots also proved unhelpful in her mad dash to the side door. The winter coat she had neglected to zip up slapped harshly against her thighs, even more than the snow. She kept her eyes almost tightly shut, using her muscle memory to guide her.
"Madison!" Amy's voice welcomed as she quickly entered the house, "What are you doing here?"
"Hi, I was looking for-" she started, before realizing the man she was looking for was standing in front of her, "Hi."
His hair was short again. It probably had something to do with the image of the station, but she liked it. It was cute.
"Hey babe," Eric greeted, giving her a kiss on the cheek, "God you're freezing."
"Thanks," Madison snickered, rolling her eyes, "I was looking for you actually. You haven't returned my phone calls."
"Right, sorry about that. I'm swamped at work," Eric responded, "Speaking of which, I've gotta go. Bye everyone!"
Before Madison could utter a grievance about his exit, he disappeared into the white abyss. She bit her lip, hard, and turned back to the Matthews. They all shared the same look of pity.
"Cor, if you wait I'll give you a ride to school," Amy cut through the silence, gathering the dishes at the table.
"I can drive you, right now," Madison offered.
"That would be perfect, thank you Madison," Amy sighed.
Madison tried not to laugh at Cory's bright red coat, he wouldn't be getting lost anytime soon in this blizzard. Cory followed after her as the pair exited the house, braving the winter cold. If she wasn't so freezing, she would've cackled at the two of them trudging through the snow to her car. Madison moved quickly, unlocking both doors and starting it - even those few moments sent her car into freezing temperatures. Once Cory was settled, Madison hit the gas - starting them off to school.
The silence that passed between the two of them was awkward, and Madison realized she had never been with just Cory. Topanga, Eric, or Amy was always there. This was new.
"So," Cory said, drawing out the word, "How are you and Eric?"
Madison pursed her lips.
"We're okay," Madison sighed, "I'd like a call back every once in a while."
She tried to keep her comment lighthearted, but it mostly came out sour.
"I don't know what's up with him," Cory admitted, "He's more distracted than usual, and he's rarely ever home. Or at school. He's always at the station."
"Feeny's not going to like that," Madison murmured.
"I don't think anyone does," Cory snorted.
She glanced over at him and smiled. It was nice to talk to someone who knew Eric as well as she did, or arguably better than her. And Cory was right - no one liked this new Eric.
--
"So Lincoln freed the slaves for political, as well as moral reasons," Mr. Feeny taught, writing on the chalkboard, "Demonstrating again that this war was far less civil than its name implies."
The bell rang, cueing the classroom full of students to exit it quickly. Madison always stayed behind for a moment, just in case she had any questions, or if she had to wait for Eric to finish talking to Feeny. Neither was the case, as Eric wasn't even there. Her blood boiled at this thought.
"But far more civil than I will be if I don't see your papers on my desk by tomorrow," Feeny announced.
As Madison made to leave, she felt a presence behind her grab the strap of her book bag. If eyes could get stuck in her head she was sure they'd be there as she glanced back. A smug Eric Matthews was sneaking in to the class.
"Great class huh," Eric joked.
Madison didn't laugh. Before she could get a chance to speak her mind, Feeny's voice cut through.
"Mr. Matthews, thanks for dropping by," he snarked.
She continued down the row of desks, allowing for Eric to stop at Feeny's desk. In usual fashion, Madison passed through the door and leaned up against the outside wall - waiting for Eric. She tried to keep her focus elsewhere as Feeny and Eric had a very serious conversation in the threshold.
"Mr. Matthews!" Feeny said strongly.
Madison almost winced, he never talked to Eric like that.
"Yeah?" Eric answered, almost bored.
"Do your paper, or don't graduate," Feeny snapped.
Her heart dropped into her stomach. She knew that he hadn't even looked at that assignment.
As Eric dejectedly left the classroom, she expected him to at least acknowledge her presence in her usual spot. But he didn't. He just looked down at his pager and walked down the hallway.
