Page 6 of Love me, Maddie Mendoza

“So you’ll dance with me?”

“I will dance with you.”

Maddie took that, biting her lip. “I never asked because… It was already a pain in the ass this whole thing. I didn’t want to drag you down.”

I smiled. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” She punched my shoulder playfully. “But you’ll dance with me?”

I raised a finger. “I will save one dance for you, yes.”

Maddie narrowed her eyes. “I thoughtIwas saving one for you.”

“One song, Mads.” I chuckled.

She arched an eyebrow. “Any song?”

“Any song.”

“Any time?”

“Yes.”

She thought for a second, like it was a trap. Too good to be true. I wasn’t the best dancer, but maybe the promise of making a fool of myself was enough to make her a little calmer.

“Ok….” She let out a breath.

“It’s fine, Maddie.” I told her. “But…you’re not going to make me dance to Britney Spears or something so you can cherish the memory forever. Are you?”

She looked at me for a second too long, and then smiled. “Katy Perry. It’ll probably be Katy Perry.

Icracked the book’s spine as I opened it to its max. It was a pleasure of mine, to feel my fingers between the pages, to read it so well it left marks behind. The Catcher in the Rye was an excellent book, but I couldn’t say it would be my choice if wasn’t a requirement. I’ve met many Holden Caufields and while I got the message, it mostly annoyed me.

I cracked the spine again, laying back with an arm under my head, but a movement to my right caught my eye and I lowered the book.

The thick branches of the tree outside shook, and a small smirk came to my lips. The branches wobbled like in the middle of a storm, scratching the glass of my window as the tiny figure got bigger and bigger.

We were at the point where our sneaking was art. We grew with those trees; we knew its branches better than anyone. I saw her stepping onto the roof then heard her knock on my window.

I chuckled. “It’s open.”

I told her it was always open. Day or night, I wanted her to come and go as she pleased.

Maddie let herself in, tripping as she usually did. Lunging forward to catch herself on the side of my bed, she brushed her strands of hair out of her face with a smile.

“Hey, Z,” a whisper.

“Hello, Maddie.”

She straightened her little pajamas, a cute lavender number with an orange pattern. Short shorts and tank, her usual sleeping uniform.

“What are you reading?” she asked, jumping on the bed with me and hitting my headboard. I showed her. She’s probably started it before, but Maddie got distracted sometimes. There weren’t many books she finished.

“Like it?” she asked, taking the paperback in her hands.

“It’s ok.” I shrugged it off. “What’s up?”

We got so used to jumping in each others room, sometimes we forgot some things could be said over the phone.

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