the gift ⌯ am

rumors

|austin|

"Are you and Madison together?" I hear Alex whisper to me, making me raise an eyebrow. If we were he knows I'd be the first to tell him. I wouldn't keep a secret like that from Alex.

"No... Why?" I ask him, placing my fork down next to the gross mystery meat that did not even look slightly good.

"Someone told me that Madison kept blushing when someone asked her if you were dating, but Madison blushing sounds impossible," Alex says, shrugging his shoulders in a sluggish manner. He seems more interested in his food then this conversation now. I don't know what was wrong with him, so I just pat his back. He just goes back to eating as do I.

I eat around the meat, and my mind starts to wander to think about Madison. Ive been here for almost a month, and we've grown incredibly close. I feel honored to see this funny, smiley, and caring Madison. She isn't how she acts here at school.

I smile at the thought of her smile. The way her slightly plump lips curve into this soft smile and then into this huge one that shows her perfect white teeth. She has this beautiful smile that can leave you speechless for days. The fact I can make her smile by cracking the cheesiest joke makes me feel something. I just feel obliged to keep doing it.

When I see her figure walk into the cafeteria, my insides twist, my palms get sweaty, I have to shift in anxiety because I want her to be near me. I wanna know if this "rumor" is true. Does she really blush? I hope so.

She sees me, and sluggishly makes her way over, not even cracking the slightest smile. She actually looks exhausted and it makes me grow worried. She takes a seat at the table which isn't a first. She's been sitting with us a lot, and Zach and Robert would always flirt with her. Madison asked me about it one day, but I couldn't find myself to tell her about the bet. She can't know and she will never know. It's just some stupid manly thing.

"Hi," she speaks up from next to me. I glance over to her, seeing her eyes on her food. Her fork is immediately playing with the ugly meat, and she doesn't seem to want to eat it. I don't blame her either. It does look pretty gross.

"Madi, come to Austin's football game with us," Zach chimes up, and I look at him like 'seriously dude' but he just smirks. That's the first time Zach has called Madison Madi. I like Madison better. It is so beautiful, just like her.

I look over at Madison to find her smiling at me. That smile. "I didn't know you played football?" She asks, and I simply chuckle. I shrug back at her and say back,

"You never asked."

This causes Madison to roll her eyes at me, but some how she still manages to look beautiful. She's still smiling too. It makes me smile back at her because how could you not smile back at a beautiful girl like her? Her smile is sure contagious and she seems to always pull it out when I am around.

The bell rings, and I immediately get up. I help Madison up too, taking her hand in mine. She slides it in ever so softly, making me take notice to how soft they feel. They're so tiny in mine too. Madison is a small girl, but she still manages to look good. It confuses me how she always looks good actually. I'd never thought that about a girl.

Madison moves her hand from mine as quickly as it was in it. She even scurries off, not wishing me a goodbye. What was that about?

"How do you do it?" I hear Zach ask me all of the sudden, and I turn around to look at him. He crosses his arms at me, and I see a curious Robert next to him. It makes me raise an eyebrow at them because I have no idea what they are referring to.

"Do what?" I ask, picking up my backpack in the process. Zach stops me though, making me look at him in the eyes.

"Make her smile. How is it only you can do it? Austin... do you like her?" Zach asks, making me freeze. Did I like her? I never really have said that I do. I don't think I like her, but that could explain the way I act around her and get all clumsy. I act like a lost puppy without her next to my side. It seems like she's the ying to my yang. We just fit perfectly together.

Wow I sound cheesy.

I just shrug, throwing my backpack over my shoulder. I don't say anything else. I just make my way out, not looking back. I couldn't face my feelings because I'm scared.

If I like her then I get more attached. If I get more attached, I get more needy. If I get more needy, she'll get more annoyed. If she gets annoyed she'll leave.

And I don't want to make her leave.

☯

|madison| (please note her povs are very rare)

I watch as Austin dashes across the field with the ball, getting a touchdown. I had to let out a cheer for him. "Go Austin!" I shout, smiling when I spot him looking my way. He had scored the last touchdown of the game, which made us win. We were two points behind until the last second. Austin got us the game winning points.

"Wanna go see him?" I hear Alex say from next me. I have to look away from Austin who was starting to be attacked in a huge huddle with the rest of his team. When my gaze meets Alex, he smiles at me kindly. I smile back too because I feel pretty comfortable around Alex. Austin wouldn't be his best friend if he couldn't trust him. If Austin trusts him, then I do too. Austin is a smart kid with his friendships.

"He probably wants to be with his team," I voice, but Alex scoffs at my accusation. I raise an eyebrow back at Alex, who takes his hand in mine. He pulls me down to the field. Everyone is crowding the field and me being short it is impossible to find Austin.

It's so crowded I lose Alex in the process.

I start to walk out of the crowd, not liking crowds in general. I am quite claustrophobic so being in there wouldn't have been good. Honestly I didn't want to go home because I like it here better then home. My sister is sleeping over her friend's house so I didn't have to go home to find my mom drunk or not. I'm in too much of a good mood to ruin that now, but I had no where else to go.

"Madison!" I hear someone shout, making me swiftly turn my body to see Austin come running to me. His helmet is in his hand so I could his face a lot better. It has black war paint on it, and sweat. He is very sweaty, and his hair is a mess.

I don't know why but I want to kiss him. He looks so... Good.

I don't smile. I can't find myself too because of my thoughts. I never think this way about a boy and I am not going to start now. I can't let someone in. They all leave when times get tough or when I become some big pain in the ass.

"I have to go," I whisper, racing off to my car. When I glance back I see Austin, standing there dumbfounded by my actions. I just pushed him off. I couldn't have said a good game or something. I couldn't be a normal teenager for just a few more seconds.

This was me attending my first football game, and I loved it. I really did and it's all thanks to Austin. If he wasn't playing, then I wasn't coming which is a weird thought.

I only did half the stuff I did because Austin is around.

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