Madison could feel the water lapping against her bare waist. Her wet hair kept dripping, sending shivers down her spine. She took a deep breath before holding it and submerged under the surface. Shutting her eyes before she was completely under, she slowly opened them to feel the familiar light sting of the pool water against her pupils. There were other bodies around her, at a respectable distance, in the center of the pool. People that she avoided as she began to swim underwater, still holding her breath. Madison was curious, she wanted to see how far she could push her lungs before her body would begin protesting against her will. Forcing her to break the surface of the water and face the fresh air.
As she moved in the direction of the opposite end of the pool, her gaze kept going to the waterproof watch on her wrist. Three seconds, she pushed father with her legs. Some other person dived from the headboard into the pool sending a wave in her direction. Her gait didn't falter, her dark eyes fixed on her destination. Five seconds, her lungs had begun their angry yells from inside her chest. Madison didn't stop, her legs didn't stop. She was only a few feet away from the edge of the pool. Eight seconds, she began to feel her muscles taunt her determination. Madison didn't let them win. Nine seconds, she broke the surface of the weather, quickly gulping down the oxygen that went down her open mouth and nose. A loose grin formed on her face as Heidi cheered from where she sat on the recliner with Aunt Kate, both of them applauding at the feat. Her expression didn't drop as she began to climb over to them, the water dripping off her frame. She was still breathing hard as she wrung her dark hair of the excess moisture, creating a puddle.
"See," Heidi turned to Kate with a smirk, "I told you she could do it."
"You didn't believe in me?" Madison feigned a betrayed expression. Grabbing a towel, she started to dry her hair and body. Kate looked at her apologetically.
"Sorry, lovebug. You don't seem like the daring type."
"I'm going to ignore that idiotic assumption" She looked at her aunt pointedly, "I expected better from you Kate."
Heidi piped up, showing her phone screen, "You made it under ten seconds this time, by the way."
"A new record for the champion swimmer of Parlis Bay," Madison took a bow, saying dramatically, as Heidi joined in.
"All hail."
"If you love it so much, why'd you give it up?" Kate mused.
"I swam right now," Madison pointed to the pool, her brow furrowed.
Kate rolled her eyes, "I meant professionally. You won so many competitions in high school."
Madison shrugged, "I just never saw it for me, in the future."
"Right, the life plan," Heidi said mockingly, before adding with a chuckle, "You're so predictable."
"I like playing it safe. I know exactly what my life is gonna be like in ten years and I like that feeling of knowing."
"And what if something happens to your amazing plan?" Kate smirked, her eyes challenging, "Something you didn't see coming."
"Impossible. I've been too careful about that," Madison's voice was determined, "And on the off chance, something does happen, I'm sure I'll have a backup plan for that too. Nothing sways me, Kate."
"Something did, on the weekend," Kate said, making Madison's shoulders go rigid. Her aunt grinned, knowing she struck a nerve, "Or maybe someone. What was that bar called? The Reef?"
Madison gulped as she laid on the recliner, avoiding eye contact with either of them. Her interaction with Nick had been the last thing on her mind. But she knew that it was only a matter of time before Kate brought it up. She didn't like her sister but just like her Cheryl, she fed off the drama. Madison, on the other hand, had just wanted to have a nice time in the country club pool. In between, working for Michael, working for her dad, and trying to work out Heidi's new problem, she barely got any time for herself. She wanted peace, fate had other plans.
"You went to a bar?" Heidi questioned.
"I took her," Kate answered her, "She's 18 and has never even seen the inside of a bar, it was sad."
"It was silly," Madison retorted before adding, "And nothing happened. We just ran into some guys from high school." She had said it in a nonchalant tone, hoping that they would drop the subject. Even Heidi was unaware of the new conflict that she had begun with the eldest Walter and she wanted to keep it that way. Nick was just a nuisance; she couldn't let him affect her in such a way.
"I left you with them for ten minutes and you ran out, saying some bullshit about feeling tired."
Madison defended herself to Kate, "I was!"
"Was one of them your ex or something?" Kate was undeterred, desperate to get her hands on some juicy detail, "I noticed one of them acting weird, he wouldn't even look at you."
Her last sentence made Madison go completely still, she gulped from her bottle of water to stay calm and not let any emotion slip from her schooled expression.
"Maddie didn't date in high school," Heidi said with an eye-roll, "She thinks she's above us."
"I didn't date anyone because I didn't have any time. I had better things to do," Madison said, making a show of rising from the chair and stretching her arms, "Just like right now."
"Walk away, coward," Kate's voice called after her as she left them.
It wasn't that Madison was ashamed of her conversation, or conversations, with Nick. She just wasn't ready to explain something that she herself didn't completely understand either. She had known him and his family for a long time due to their relationship with her own family. She had seen and heard the way Michael treated his son, very much different than his other children. Madison was an empathetic person; she couldn't help but see herself whenever she saw Nick getting a taunting remark from his father. She couldn't help but feel sorry for him. When she saw a problem, she tried to help but that wasn't why she had started this mess in the first place.
Madison was lonely, she was tired of feeling lonely. She wanted someone to understand her problems, someone who knew what it felt like to be placed on a pedestal of unrealistic standards. She thought she had found that in Nick, but clearly, he wasn't ready for someone showing care for him. And she knew that she deserved better than the disrespect he showed her. Especially after what she suspected of him; his involvement with her sister going down a dangerous path, she had lost that sympathy for him. Nick wasn't like her, not if he let go of his ego and selfish desires and looked past his expensive sunglasses to what really mattered.
Madison was so invested in her thoughts that she forgot to pay attention to her surroundings and was shocked to see her friend from high school in the hallway of the country club leading to the showers, where Madison was going.
"Amy, hi," She stopped near the girl, making her stop to acknowledge her.
"Oh, Madison," She furrowed her brow before flashing a tight-lipped smile, "Hi. What are you doing here?"
"I came with my aunt and sister," She gestured to the pool doors, "I thought you went to Australia for the summer?"
Amy shrugged, "Plan changed."
"How are you?" Madison ignored the short reply, "I haven't seen you since graduation."
Amy nodded before saying, "I heard you were taking a gap year."
A guilty chuckle escaped Madison's lips, "Of course you did."
"Well," Amy shrugged, her tone unfriendly, "News travels fast when it's about the golden girl."
"I don't like that name," Her smile dropped.
"Oh, come on, Madison. Own it. Everything you do is for that name," Amy said in a bitter tone leaving Madison speechless.
But Amy wasn't done as she kept speaking, her voice mocking, "You gave up your friends. I guess we weren't a part of the image you show everyone else. Or maybe we just weren't good enough for your company."
"It was never about that, Amy."
"Well, you never really took the time to tell me any different either," Amy's mocking smile had vanished, disappointment remained, "Guess I'm just gonna have to stick to the rumor mill about my best friend. At least then I won't be ghosted."
Madison tried to say, knowing it was a lie as it dropped from her mouth "I'm sorry about that."
"I don't see it," Amy shook her head, "I have to go, Madison."
Her path to being the most loved girl on the island hadn't been easy and her parents had squeezed every single thing that Madison had to give out of her, to the point that she couldn't tell if anything real remained of her. She was just a trophy, ready to be paraded around and disposed of when not needed anymore. Trophies didn't have friends; they didn't have time for them. She had tried to make it easier for her and the people around her instead, she had left damage in her wake.