Rise Like The Sun

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

MADISON

The teachers are droning on, their voices monotone. "Exams are coming up... no talking in the back please!"

"God, what is she wearing?" Madison says, in a disparaging, horrified hiss. Her gaze narrows onto Diana. "What kind of hipster Hell threw that up?"

"It's a school uniform," Elliot says in agreement, as Maria eyes the girl, apparently too horrified to speak. "How stupid do you have to be to mess that up?"

But scholarship girl's somehow made it, with her high tops and her sparkly socks that have clearly come out of the one charity shop in Redwood. Madison only knows it exists because Audrey once wandered into without thinking and came out, screaming.

"Oh my God!" Lula is exclaiming loudly, her eyes wide as she looks up from texting. Her voice is so loud that she catches the attention of the teacher, who narrows her eyes at them and presses a finger to her mouth in the universal gesture of shut up. Lula shoots her a dirty look and continues, her voice quieter, "You know Will Carroway?"

They all promptly shake their heads.

"His parents are getting divorced!"

Madison stills, but Elliot lifts his head to say, "Oh, yeah. Will Carroway."

She is not listening, her mind a hazy blur of thoughts. Madison remembers Nick telling her about Will Carroway's parents, on that night on the rooftop. Her heart stutters a little, despite herself, and she can feel her cheeks growing warm, as she remembers. She'd woken up on the rooftop, the soft morning rays of light breaking out across her, Nick's suit jacket laid out across her bare arms and the owner of said jacket nowhere to be seen.

Flushing with embarrassment, Madison had sent the jacket back to him as soon as she could and now, the two move through school hallways, awkwardness lingering over them as they ignore each other as best as they can. Madison doesn't like to think of the night on the rooftop because she knows she spilled too many truths, in her stupid drunk state. Plus, for some strange reason, her heart beats a little faster every time she thinks of Nick and she doesn't like it.

The only comfort that she can get out of that night is that Nick was just as drunk and uninhibited as her.

Madison narrows her gaze towards Lula. "How did you know?"

A slight blush appears on Lula's cheeks as the girl ducks her head briefly. "Theo told me," she says, and Madison eyes the way Lula dimples.

"Who's Theo?" Maria is asking, but Madison thinks she knows.

Lula is lifting her head slightly, already looking defensive. She answers Maria's question but her gaze continues to go back to Madison nervously. "He was at the party."

"The Alcott boy," Elliot says, realisation finally dawning. "He's got a net worth of a few million, I think."

A few million? It doesn't even capture a quarter of the price of Lula's favourite Swarovski diamond set. Madison's lips turn down disapprovingly. 

"Lula."

But Lula is looking defensive, her brows furrowing together in annoyance, as she lifts her head steadily to meet Madison's judgemental gaze as best as she can. "I know what you're all going to say," she says, and though her words address them all, her gaze is on Madison. "But he makes me laugh. And I like who I am, when I'm with him."

There is a resounding silence within their group as everyone digests this new piece of information. Madison is eyeing Lula carefully, unwilling to let her worry for her friend show. She doesn't know much about the Alcott boy but one glance to Elliot shows her that Elliot is searching for everything he can. Maria and Audrey are both looking at her and Madison realises faintly, it is not Theo they have a problem with.