Page 13 of Love me, Maddie Mendoza

3- He once tried to argue that Matt LeBlanc was a has-been right during an excellent episode ofTop Gear.

4- He made fun of Maddie once when I made her laugh so much she snorted.

5- Once I saw him wearing those sweaters over his shoulders and my hands itched to punch him square in the face.

6- I wanted to punch him since the first day Maddie introduced us, and I was almost certain the feeling was mutual.

But I was there to argue why housing Maddie was a good idea. I swallowed my pride and spat the lie, “He isn’t that bad.”

My two friends scoffed. Peter Adamson-Burton III was the definition of too bad. They laughed away, especially when I tried once more, injecting some sincerity into it. Eventually, Jason waved my words away. “No one is going to leave poor little Maddie Mendoza in the streets, man. She can come live with us this semester.”

I drew a calming breath. Yes, in the back of my mind I knew they wouldn’t refuse Maddie, but having Peter around might be that big of a deal breaker.

“And stop saying good things about Peter cause you look like you are about to puke every time you try.” Nick added. “Just give the go ahead to Maddie. And tell her ass I’m expecting baked goods every day…”

I stood from the chair with a nod of my head, “Speaking of her ass…” Jason started. I groaned and slummed back. “What?”

“I just want to put it out there that Maddie is hot.” Jason shrugged.

I asked again with emphasis, “What?”

“I want to simply put it on the record that Maddie is hot.”

“There’s no record.”

“In the record of ourminds.”

I looked at Nick, trying to find help, just to find none this time around.

“Come on, Jason is right. Sometimes it’s like you don’t see it.”

“Thank you.” Jay seemed satisfied. “Since she’s moving in with us, I want to say it out loud. Get it off my chest.”

I shook my head but let him proceed. “Go ahead then.”

“Maddie is super hot, and that fact has to be acknowledged.”

“Does it though?” I had to challenge.

“Yes.” Jason pressed on. “We all know she’s off limits. She’s dating that sweater of hers, and she’s your best friend in the world.”

“You make me sound like a five-year-old,” I muttered.

“No one is going to make a move on Maddie.” Jason assured me. I was surprised by their need to assure me at all. They’ve known Maddie as long as they’ve known me. They had their own relationship with her, and I assumed if they wanted to make a move, they’d have made it a long time ago.

“Ok.” I agreed. Sure, no one makes a move on Maddie. I had sixteen years of practice.

“All set.” Nick knocked on the table once, making Jason pout.“That’s my job, Nicholas.”he hissed. And then he knocked the gavel on the table three times, ending our super special meeting.

Maddie was moving in.

Ishould have known better.

Actually, I did. But I was what wise people called asucker.

My father drove Maddie’s moving truck, while her own dad followed in her little Volkswagen Beetle. They barely parked, and she was waving at me like we weren’t together last weekend. I stepped aside from the ramp when I heard the front door closing and Nick joined me.

“A moving truck?” he asked.

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