She hasn't slept the whole night, thinking about the not-kiss repeatedly in her mind, unable to stop thinking of it.

Or how much she'd loved it.

Or how much she wanted it to happen again.

As Madison and Audrey get into her car for school, Audrey is watching her carefully as she slides into her seat, adjusting her school skirt. Madison had insisted Audrey stay the night, having almost resorted to throwing Audrey's phone across the room as Kyle had blown it up with his incessant texting and calls. Instead, she had called back, with her sweetest tone, and told Kyle to stop hounding Audrey, while Audrey had shaken within her arms and begged Madison to stop.

Madison purses her lips.

Kyle still thinks that he and Audrey are in a relationship and Audrey still thinks Kyle loves her, begging Madison to not lift a finger. But Madison can't. She has to do something, regardless of what Audrey wants.

Madison turns her head towards Louie and orders quickly, "Lula's house, Louie. Elliot and Maria say they're coming separately."

Audrey clears her throat delicately and tears apart the warm, buttered croissant within her thin fingers.

"Are you not going to eat, Madison?" she asks, putting a piece of the croissant into her mouth. When Madison opens her mouth to remind her of her diet, Audrey continues quickly, "I know you're on a diet, but you look perfect, Madison."

"I know," Madison agrees, but she narrows her eyes. "But flattery won't work on me. Don't change the subject, Audrey," she tells Audrey, who flushes hotly. "You're breaking up with Kyle, Audrey. If you won't let me at him, the least you can do is break up with the asshole."

"But Madison –,"

"He hurt you, Audrey," Madison bites angrily towards Audrey. "I don't know how many times I can tell you that that is not how your boyfriend is supposed to treat you! You're a queen, Audrey. You're perfection personified –,"

"No," Audrey says, shaking like a leaf, as she begins to cry. "No, Madison, I'm not. I tried – I tried really hard to be strong but I'm – I'm not. I'm not like you or Maria or –,"

Madison could scream in frustration. She can't understand Audrey sometimes.

"Audrey –,"

"You don't know what it's like, Madison," Audrey sobs. "You'll never know what it's like, how could you? You're perfect." She says it like it's a curse and Madison frowns in confusion towards her. "I love Kyle – I love him. I can't – he's – he's everything to me, please. Please, don't say anything, Madison, please!"

She's beginning to grow hysterical and Madison knows Audrey when she gets into this kind of state, fraught with frustration. It's not that Audrey won't listen, it's that Audrey's confusing hysterics make it hard for her to pick up anything. Madison stares at Audrey before she reaches forward to hug the girl, her brows furrowing together in thought. She understands what Audrey's saying.

Audrey's too in love with Kyle to break things off, so Madison's going to have to do it for her.

"Alright," Madison murmurs, her breaths fraught against Audrey's perfectly straightened hair. "Alright, Audrey. It's okay, you're okay. I got you. I know how much Kyle means to you, I do." Her voice is taut as Audrey nods. "Come on, Lula's house is coming up soon. We've got to get you cleaned up."

Audrey attempts to stop herself crying as Madison fumbles through their bags, to help to blot away some of the tears. She's thankful that Audrey has such good skin and a naturally beautiful face that the lack of some make up won't go unnoticed. Even her eyes are completely fine, with none of the usual puffiness that used to plague Madison when she used to cry. Louie clears his throat a few minutes before they drive up to Lula's house and Audrey sits back, finally perfectly fixed up within the few minutes they'd had.

"Stay here and eat something," Madison instructs Audrey, before pushing Audrey's breakfast muffin into her fingers. She doesn't trust Audrey with her phone, so Audrey's phone stays within her bag. "It'll get your mind off things."

As Madison gets out of the car to greet Lula, she realises that Lula is not outside, waiting for her. Instead, it's her parents. Slight alarm and the beginnings of a startled panic writhe into the beating of her heart at the sight of the Worthingtons.

Not letting anything of her inner turmoil show, Madison forms a soft and polite smile, her eyes bright.

"Mr and Mrs Worthington, good morning," Madison says politely. "Is Lula coming down?"

Mrs Worthington smiles warmly at her. "Good morning, Madison," she says, as she helps adjust Mr Worthington's tie for him. "Thirty years and he still can't do this, can you believe?"

"Yes, yes, we all know I'm lost without you," Mr Worthington jokes.

"Tallulah will be coming down," Mrs Worthington adds. "She's been upset about a few things – a new boyfriend or something. Is there anything wrong, Madison? You know my daughter. She won't say a single thing to us – we're too embarrassing."

"Theo?" Madison says, before she can stop herself.

"Yes, that's the fella," Mr Worthington says. "What's this Theo like?"

Madison pauses a little. "He makes Lula happy," she says, forcing the words out of her throat unhappily, but Mrs Worthington brightens visibly. "I think they're just going through a bit of a rough spot for now."

"Ah," Mr Worthington says. "Well, Madison, how is your mother? How are you both doing? You haven't been to the Worthingtons' in a while."

"Oh, we're doing fine," Madison says quickly. "Mother's in Monaco and she's having me handle some of her business while she's gone. I've just been rather busy, is all."

Mrs Worthington looks rather concerned, as she straightens down Mr Worthington's tie. "Well, what with your exams and all, this must all be rather a lot on your plate, dear?"

"No, no," Madison says. "I'm fine."

As Mr Worthington straightens, he kisses his wife and says, "Have a good day at work, dear. Be sure to find out whoever did it, will you?"

Madison swallows tightly. "Find out what?" she asks Mrs Worthington.

Tallulah's mother flushes heavily. "Oh, just a spot of bother, really," she says. "Somebody sent us a rather generous donation and we're just trying to find them out, that's all."

"Well, if it was anonymous –," Madison begins before Lula bursts through the door and grabs her arm.

"I love you, Mum, Dad," Lula says, blowing her parents an array of kisses, "but you have to stop embarrassing me in front of my friends."

"We love you too, darling!" Mr Worthington calls to Lula's disappearing back, as Lula impatiently pulls Madison towards the car. "Do come over some time, Madison."

"Yes," Madison says quickly, as she nods, her heart hammering hard within her chest. "It was lovely to see you."

Lula blows into her car like a hurricane, dragging Madison inside before she bursts out, "I can't understand Theo!"

Madison is adjusting her skirt, a little disgruntled at being manhandled back into her car, as Louie begins to drive off. "Dump him."

Audrey lifts her head sharply. But Lula shakes her head and whines, "I can't!"

Tuning out Lula's moaning, Madison turns to her own thoughts, which are a frantic whirl. The Worthingtons are getting more suspicious and she has to get them off her back as quickly as she can. Glancing at Audrey, Madison is reminded that she has to deal with stupid Kyle, too. Madison fixes her hair and reminds herself that the school trip is coming up, so she can deal with everything then. Even so, her fingers shake.

"Why can't you?" Audrey is asking Lula, her voice soft.

Lula looks like she's about to cry, and oh my God, Madison cannot have another one soaking the backseat of her car. "I really like him," Lula says. "He listens to me, like, you know, really listens to all of my ideas and things and sometimes, we talk so much that we don't even sleep together, can you believe that?"

"No," Madison says dryly.

Louie clears his throat delicately and Madison realises that they have already pulled up to school. Maria and Elliot are already there, and Lula throws herself on Maria, who croons to her, moaning about Theo. A conversation about the school trip begins between Audrey and Elliot, with Madison eyeing Audrey carefully. She's already working through the edges of her plan to deal with Kyle, her lips pursed together and her stomach grumbling in protest, when she finds herself catching a conversation that snatches past her.

"Yeah," someone says, sounding annoyed. "The tables and the chairs were in such a mess when we came. Must have been some stupid kids from yesterday."

Madison flushes hotly, remembering Nick's big hands on her hips, the way he'd kissed her hard against the desk, the way she had curled her fingers into his hair and kissed him back –

"Madison?" Elliot blinks at her. "You okay?"

She nods quickly, heat flaring up within her, as a guy comes up to her.

"Madison?" the guy says, blinking up at her. "Madison Sutton?"

Madison wrinkles her nose in distaste. "What are you?"

But Maria is already turning her head. "Mike?" she echoes, her eyes growing wide. "I thought you were in rehab."

"They – they, uh, don't know I'm here," Mike says, and Madison's lips part in surprise, as she begins to back away from him. "Look, Madison, I'm saying sorry, okay? I'm sorry for everything I did, I'm really sorry – just – just let me talk to Eleanor, please – I really loved her –,"

"You shouldn't have lost her then," Madison bites back, but her voice is less venomous than before, filled with a certain uncertainty that cracks through her voice. "Leave us before I call –,"

"Madison, please," Mike is begging now, as Maria gasps. "She won't answer my calls and I know it's because of what you said to her, please –,"

Mike stumbles forward and grabs at Madison's arm. Elliot is already moving forwards and saying, business-like, "Hey, get your hands off her, man, okay – there's a time and a place –,"

There's the familiar roar of a motorbike and Madison feels the beating of her heart quicken, even without turning her head. She's so dazed she has to snap herself back, as Elliot pulls Mike's fingers from her arm. Elliot's brows are furrowing together, clearly confused at her dazed state and her uncharacteristic lack of assertion. Madison clears her throat and attempts to gather her bearings once more.

"You were an asshole to her," Madison says in a biting hiss. "You were racist to my friend. Own up to that before you go around, throwing your weight and trying to –,"

"Madison, please –,"

Maria reaches forward.

"Look," she says, her eyes sharp. "Madison's right. We're not liable for your actions, white boy. If you want to apologise, you do it properly and you do it right."

Madison swallows thickly, even as Nick's shadow casts over them and she furrows her brows at him. What is he doing here? His eyes are narrowed on the way that Mike towers over her, his hulking frame almost blocking out the rays of the sun. The teachers are all going to notice this entire crowd forming around them and Madison's not sure that she's got enough energy within her to get her friends out of the trouble this could create.

"What's going on?" Nick asks loudly.

Madison turns her head sharply. Oh, no, it's the worst mistake she could have made, she realises, because all she can see is his lips. She's unfocused when she speaks and so she's not as venomous or sharp when she says, "Nobody asked you to interfere."

Nick narrows his eyes towards her, but she can see something flickering within the light of his eyes.

"I know this might be hard to understand, seeing as you believe the entire world revolves around you, but I wasn't talking to you," he says.

Madison flares up hotly, her eyes blazing. All she can see is how dark and hooded Nick's eyes had grown when they had kissed each other senseless in the school. She swallows thickly, wetting her lips.

"Regardless of who you were talking to, let's be honest, nobody cares," she bites back, clearing her throat. "You can leave, Hawthorne boy."

"And here I thought we were on a first name basis," Nick says and it looks like he might spill something about the dance lessons so Madison panics.

"You're so delusional," she throws at him quickly. "The thought that I would even give you a name."

Before Nick can make an answer, Elliot clears his throat delicately and Madison and Nick both turn their heads snappishly.

"Uh, Madison?" Elliot says, his eyes calm and watchful as always, almost flickering with suspicion.

"Yes?"

"The bell rang."

Madison blinks before she turns back to Nick and hisses out through the corner of her lips angrily, "Meet me in the caretaker's hallway, during lunch."

*

The caretaker's hallway is in the deserted parts of the school where nobody comes and so that's why Madison picked it out.

She's been pacing for the past few minutes, her impatience and anger hiking up with every minute that Nick doesn't show. She keeps thinking of the kiss and everything she has to do, and everything within her feels like it's about to explode. Madison forces herself to calm down, forces herself to breathe for a minute, when Nick finally shows up. When he does show up, he's got a plate of food that smells so delicious her stomach grumbles hungrily and Madison hates that she's so hungry, all the time.

She's worried that the diet isn't working. Why is she so hungry? And why isn't she getting any thinner, either? Every time Madison looks at herself in the mirror, she sees that she's just the same as before.

Nick is looking at her carefully.

"Look, I know I'm late, Miss Control Freak," he says, clearing his throat. "But it's either food or dealing with you and I need food to deal with you."

Madison doesn't like the way he says that.

"I don't need to be dealt with," she bites out at him. "I'm not some animal to be caged up in the zoo, Nick."

"Hey, I –," Nick begins, before the playfulness falls away from his face and he looks seriously at her. "I was only fooling around, Madison. I'm sorry. Are you hungry? I figured you didn't get anything, so I got extra helpings for you, too."

He puts the tray of food down on the ledge of the window beside them and picks up a chip. Madison doesn't let herself look down at the food because she knows she will lose all the self-control she has, in the face of her hunger, and Mother will be so angry with her. She hates that he's being so nice, hates that to stop herself eating, she has to reach inside and pull out the faint traces of anger against him.

Instead, Madison glowers up at Nick angrily.

"What are you thinking?" she bursts out at him. "I told you I didn't want anyone at school getting suspicious!"

There's a pause within the moment and the unspoken sentiment lingers in the air between them as Madison realises that Nick could take her words a little differently than she'd meant them. Nick blinks at her.

Suspicious of what, exactly?

They didn't kiss, after all.

She clears her throat and flushes hotly. "I meant, with the dancing!"

"Trust me," Nick says dryly, "nobody is going to look at the two of us and immediately think, oh my God, Madison and Nick are dancing together in a charity ball. I don't think that's going to make Vague magazine."

"It's Vogue," Madison corrects, rolling her eyes. "And you would be surprised at the rumour mill in this place."

"I'll bet you had a hand in starting it," Nick says, his voice slightly husky and she realises they're way too close once more.

Madison clears her throat and makes to step back, except she really doesn't want to. Nick's eyes are growing darker.

"Of course," she says, and her voice is slightly faint even to herself. "Look, I just don't want anyone getting suspicious or anything."

Nick swallows thickly and she sees the movement of his Adam's apple against his neck, feeling slightly weak in the knees.

"Yeah," he says. "I'll try."

"Thank you."

For the longest moment, neither of them move.

And then Madison moves and suddenly they're both reaching for each other again.

Madison gasps and his lips meet hers and it's like fire.

Nick's fingers wrap around her waist as he pushes her back up against the cold wall and Madison kisses him back just as fiercely, their breaths heavy as Nick leans into her desperately. She's already got her hands around him, her fingers running through his hair and pulling him closer to her. Another arm wraps itself tightly around his broad back, running against the bare muscles that ripple with every move he makes.

A moan of pleasure escapes her lips, rough and raspy, and Nick's grip tightens around her, one hand drifting scandalously lower, fingers pressing against her bare thighs. Madison gasps hotly into his mouth and something about this just feels so right, like finally. She bites his bottom lip, tugs it between her teeth, and Nick groans against her, his arms wrapped around her tighter. He murmurs something under his breath, mumbling something low as he pulls at her waist, as if they could get any closer. She melts within his arms and he's the only thing holding her up, Madison realises as she sinks against him in a contented daze, as Nick's lips move from her lips to her neck, leaving a hot trail of kisses.

He's already pushed against the soft school white shirt she's wearing and Madison tugs at the buttons impatiently, to give him better access, moaning in pleasure. She's not sure why she's so affected by Nick because she's been kissed. She's not a virgin and she's not an idiot but there's something about Nick's touch that leaves a blazing trail of sparks around them. She's hot all over and she can't stop thinking that this is how it's supposed to be. There's something about him that drives her completely mad with desire, out of her mind in a blissful haze of pure want.

The bell rings.

Both of them pull away from each other in a haze of confusion.

Within minutes, they're scrambling away from each other and her mind is reeling, as she gasps for breath, their faces flushed. Nick is looking dazed, just like last night, his eyes are still dark with hunger, his lips bruised, and his jaw slack, as he stares at her and Madison has never felt so beautiful. She licks her lips, stumbling to gather herself together again, the absence of his arms around her making her feel strangely hollow.

They are both gasping for breath, still staring at each other. Madison parts her lips.

"After school," Nick manages to get out, his voice husky. "We have to –,"

Madison only nods. "Sort this out," she finishes throatily.

They flee each other once again.

*