Rise Like The Sun

CHAPTER FIVE

NICK

"I thought you were going to stop this habit of getting in trouble. Starting a fire – you're lucky you weren't expelled," she says, exasperated, when Nick finally gets in.

The lady who calls herself his mother is seated at the table, her trembling fingers clasped together, and she stares at him, looking distraught. She looks almost as though she actually cares. Something in his chest aches but Nick swallows thickly and shakes his head.

Thinking it's better if he just gives his explanation on things, Nick begins, his voice quiet, "I didn't –,"

"I called you," she says, her voice low.

Nick lets out a tired sigh. There is no point in giving his story, he knows. She already thinks he's an asshole – which he is, but still.

"I know," he says, but it's the wrong thing to say because it invites more conversation and all he wants is to sleep.

It's been a long day.

He'd forgotten how teachers could be such assholes. Ah, the gentle bliss of ignorance.

"Then why didn't you pick up?" she demands. "Why did I buy you the phone, if you're not going to use it?" When he doesn't answer, his mother says, her voice taut and stern, "Nicholas."

Nick looks at her.

He wonders if she's sick of him.

Instead, his mother just looks disappointed and lets out a tired sigh, identical to his own. She lifts herself from her seat. "You should sleep," she says. "I – I just wanted to make sure you got home alright."

He looks up at the clock and realises it's almost half past one. Guilt lurches his stomach and Nick parts his mouth to apologise, maybe, but his mother has already left the room. The butler is eyeing him with derision and Nick rolls his eyes at him.

He has no time for the butler's judgement.

"You should be respectful to your mother," he says, his voice low. "Do you know what she's done?"

"Yeah." Nick smiles cheerfully. "Abandoned me as soon as I was born."

*

MADISON

She's still furious with Elliot, so the next day, when her driver asks if they'll be picking up Mr Bradford before school starts, Madison says tautly, "No."

Lunchtime rolls around and it doesn't take long for the rest of their friends to realise that something is wrong but Audrey and Lula are wise enough not to probe Madison or Elliot. Maria glowers at the two of them but knows better than to put her thoughts on her tongue. They enter the school gardens just as they always do to eat their lunch, Madison's demeanour more frosty and cooler than usual, and she seats herself demurely against the gazebo that was crafted just for them, while the rest of them eat their lunches.

The others, including Elliot, fill the stiff air around them with nervous conversation but Madison only stews coolly, hungry despite herself.

Mother's dinner party had gone perfectly, to Mother's delight. There had been no commotion or distraction and whatever Becky had done, must have worked. Madison had been secretly hoping that her mother might comment on the lavish decorations and her hard work but she had not minded when Mother hadn't said anything, either. Mother was busy – so busy, that she had had to jet off to Toronto, for another meeting, before dawn had broken over. Before she could say goodbye to Madison.