Saving Madison

Chapter Twenty-Two

Tyler's p.o.v »»

I woke up with a face full of red hair, the alarm clock on my phone ringing loudly throughout the room. I groaned, reaching over to quickly shut it off. I hear Madison clear her throat with her eyes closed, as she slowly rolls off of me. I remove the arm that had fallen over her, going to stand up, stretching and yawning as I did so.

"Twenty more minutes." Madison whispers, snuggling into the pillow. I laughed lightly, taking my phone from the charger and looking at the time.

"We'll be late for school if you try to sleep twenty more minutes." I told her, looking around the room for a t-shirt. It seems at the sound of that, Madison woke up because she instantly jolted up from the bed. "I don't have clothes to wear!" she screeched, glancing at her watch.

"Good thing you live right across the street," I said, going to my closet and taking out a pair of jeans and my old baseball shirt. "Are you taking your minivan to school since I can't drive?" I asked, tossing the clothes on my bed and walking into the adjoining bathroom to brush my teeth. I heard Madison's fast footsteps follow behind mine, "I don't want to go home, I'm scared! If you let me stay another night, I'll drive you anywhere you want until Monday." She bargained desperately.

"Maddie," I turned around, looking down at her seriously. "You have to go home at some point, and I don't know how your parents would feel about you hiding out with me."

"No," Madison pouts, "They're both crazy, let me live here! I'll sleep in the basement."

"You can't live here, and you can't sleep in the basement. It's dusty, has a bunch of boxes and old stuff, and is freezing cold. You have to face the music."

Madison shakes her head, "If you won't help me, I know
exactly who will." she says, narrowing her eyes at me. I raise an eyebrow, folding my arms.

"Who will? Please do inform me." I say challengingly.

"I think you have a pretty good idea on who would." Madison responds angrily.

"Fine, go there. And guess what? You're going to get told the same thing, because it's a rational thing to say. Your parents probably have an Amber Alert out for you by now, and no matter where you go, I'll tell them where you are."

She scoffs looking up at my towering figure, "I think you're forgetting I was dead once, and I have no problem with staying that way again."

"Stop pulling the dead card on me. I'm doing what's best for you. Look at it from my perspective." I instructed, starting to brush my teeth while she stood beside me, staring at me in the mirror.

"I don't want to hear it." she quickly interjects, walking out of the bathroom. I sighed heavily, taking an extra minute to brush my teeth before going back out to her.

"You want to stay here? Of all places?" I questioned, putting on my shirt and changing from my shorts to my pants. "We had a pretty big fight and you basically told me to fuck off."

"Fine, I'll leave." Madison says, stomping down the staircase, "I need you and you're not here for me!" she screams, slamming the front door. I open it just as quickly, not having to walk as quickly to catch up to her.

"You keep telling me how much I need to mind my  business and not get involved in your life, but now you suddenly want me to keep you from your house? Damn, Maddie, that's pretty confusing."

She turns around quickly to face me again, "Stop yelling at me! I left, so now I'm not your problem." she yells back, "Go back inside." Madison orders, turning away from me again.