Rise Like The Sun

CHAPTER FOUR

MADISON

"No, don't let him go, bitch," Lula snaps at the telenovela.

Beside them, Maria huffs and rolls her eyes as she lifts her long, tanned legs up to rest them languidly on the table. "I never should have let watch her those," she says but there is a fond look flickering in her eyes, as there always is when any of their group speak of Lula.

There is always something so soft and comforting about Lula. She is so innocent and cheerful, that it's difficult to imagine her in any distress. Madison relaxes minutely against her own seat, very briefly before she catches herself and straightens her shoulders up once again.

She'll never admit it but she's rather interested in the telenovelas, too. Madison watches the beautiful girl on the screen slap the boy, whose face twists in shock. Her lips curls with some satisfaction and she wants to laugh.

Serves him right, she thinks, for cheating.

Lula is crowing, too. "Suck on that, asshat!"

They are seated in one of their favourite restaurants, Opulence, in a room of their own. Her friends lie, sprawled out lazily across the seats but Madison sits as rigid as ever, only breaking her stance to reach for the canapes. Elliot takes up two seats of his own, due to his large form, speaking on his phone to the latest girl of the week, as he reaches for food and drinks, and Lula throws her legs over his lap lazily, spitting insults at the dramatic telenovela before her, sipping at her cocktail.

"You should try some of this," Audrey is saying to Madison, offering a plate of cakes to Madison, her fingers wrapped around the stem of a wineglass.

Madison shakes her head and presses her fingers fleetingly to her stomach, willing it not to grumble traitorously. "Dieting," she says, by way of explanation, but she's starving.

"Madison, you're perfect –," Audrey begins but her voice breaks suddenly as the door opens.

She turns her head sharply when a small cough takes up their attention. Beside them, Maria stiffens automatically and Madison sees her clench her fingers into tight fists, her jaw set. As Lula's cries fade, Elliot's gaze flickers warningly over Madison, who finally turns her head.

"This is a private room," Madison says to the boy, her voice taut and thrumming with the whispers of a threat. She makes no attempt to sugar coat her words when she continues, "And you're not wanted here. Leave."

Ash Kingsley stands before them, towering over them, his bright blue eyes wide. He is one of the most raucous people in their year, and there is nobody in the entire school that cannot hear him coming, with his large, booming voice echoing around the hallways. He's flanked by his friends, most of whom have fallen silent with awe as they rake their greedy eyes around the private room and against Maria's legs.

Her perfect lips twisting into a vicious snarl, Maria bites out a hiss. "I should –,"

"We don't want any trouble," Ash says quickly, raising up his hands in surrender. "Just came – came to offer you an invite. There's a house party at mine. Wouldn't mind if you guys came along. Just – for a bit."

His eyes are lit with hope as they focus on Madison and the air around them thickens with incredulity. Elliot lets out a surprised hiss between his teeth, even Lula's eyes widen, and Maria looks like she might bark her laughter into their hopeful faces. Beside her, Audrey's eyes are lowered and Lula reaches for her trembling fingers, with a determined set to her jaw. For her part, Madison looks at him derisively and wonders at his absolute delusion, at his audacity.