Drama Queen
Chapter 1
Madeline was different, yeah, you could say that. She had long golden curly blonde hair that went down to her shoulder blades, while the rest of her family had glossy black hair. She had white skin that tanned in the summertime. While the rest of her family had skin the color of maple syrup. The only thing that Madeline had in common with her family was brown eyes, the color of chocolate. So when it came to her family, she tried not to be anymore different than she already was.
When she was five, she came to the Coplyn household. And that was in London, England. And she knew right away that she had to do her best to be less different as possible. She even faked a English accent. She didn’t want to be anymore different. Even when they moved, she still kept it.
Now, let’s talk about her family a little more.
Her fourteen year old brother, Jeremiah, was the living Ian Kabra. He wasn’t nice to anyone ecxpet his family. But sometimes, he would pick on Madeline.
The very first day he stepped into Branch High, Middle and Elemtrey school, everyone knew to steer clear. And they do, to this very day every time he comes to school.
Her eleven year old sister, Jade, was the living Natalie Kabra. She judged everyone’s clothes, even Madeline’s, so Madeline tried to keep her clothes the way, Jade liked them. The very first day Jade walked into her school, everyone started to do their hair, and smooth their clothes.
Her mum, Lacie, was a fashion model and designer. She traveled the world like crazy. Everyone was sure she was trying to get away from her children.
Her father, said to have won his whole fortune by playing poker. And Madeline could believe it, he cheated that every game they played together. Not that she got to play many with him, he was gone most of the time, and everyone was sure it was for the same reason as Mrs. Coplyn.
Now, back to Madeline, when ever she stepped into her school, everyone just didn’t talk to her or anything. They knew that if they teased her, they would have to taste the wrath of Jade and Jeremiah.
So, on April 27th, in Los, Angelas in Branch, High, Middle and Elementary school. Madeline Coplyn stood in front of the table with that sign up sheet for the Drama Club. Bag slung over her shoulder, she took up the silver pen and wrote her name on the 11th space:
Madeline Coplyn
She put the pen back down and took a deep breath. She rembered when her last name was, Coplin. But when Jade was five, she begged her father to change it, because it didn’t soot Ms. Angel at all. So daddy’s little ‘princess’ changed it just for her. But when Madeline asked for something it was either: ‘not now’ ‘no’ ‘I’m busy’ so Madeline stopped asking for things. And just bought them.
Madeline had stood so long in front of the table, that when the little: “Excuse me” came from behind her, she didn’t move.
“Excuse me!” the voice came again.
Madeline whirled around, almost smacking the person behind her with her bag.
“S-sorry. I was just.—“
“Nevermind. It’s fine.” The girl put her hand up.
The girl’s name was Sophie. She had tie dye shirt on and jeans. With the same cloth tied around her right leg at the knee. With her brown hair in a tie dye bandana. She was part of that group,
Oh, what did Jade call it? The Disgrace Clothes group or something. Madeline thought.
Madeline scooted out of the way for Sophie. Sophie eyed her white silk tights and black skirt with the sweater and plaid blue plaid shirt under it. She black shoes that had just been polished gleamed in the hall lights.
“Soooo, are you going to sign up for the Drama Club too?” Madeline asked.
Sophie looked at her for a moment. “Um…sure.” Sophie shrugged and turned to look at some papers.
“Well, I think it’s going to be fun.” Madeline said, she grabbed a flyer with all the times of the Drama Clubs meetings and turned to walk down the other hall to the limo that was waiting for her outside.
But instead, she turned and ran into a yellow sweater.
“Oh! Watch where your going, Love.” Jeremiah said. His silky, voice gave anyone chills. And with his English accent. Made it even more chilling.
Anyone that had heard him, would of thought that he was just calling her the name that Jack Sparrow, called Elizabeth Swann. But that was Madeline’s nick name. And she hated it. But she never said so, because she knew talking back at either of her siblings wasn’t a good idea.
Jeramemia gently pushed Madeline away from him. “What’s going to be fun?” he asked.
“Um…” Madeline didn’t know what to say. If she said that she was signing up for the Drama Club, then Jerameia would have a fit. She never sang or did plays in front of her family. They didn’t like it. So Madeline was forced to do them in her room, and watch High School Musical in her closet.
She let out a sigh of relief when Jade stalked up, hand on hip other hand out like she was walking the red carpet.
She stopped when she came to Madeline and Jeremiah. And she took one look at Sophie and said:
“We have a dress code you know.”
Sophie just shrugged and went back to looking at papers. Madeline guessed she was used to Jade commenting on her clothes.
“Don’t just shrug! My mum.—“
Sophie turned to Jade and snapped,
“I don’t care what your ‘mum’ has done. I can dress they way I want.”
Madeline’s mouth opened in shock. No one, not even their mother talked to Jade like that. Let alone someone at school.
Jade’s mouth was open too, and she was struggling to say something snippy back. But Sophie didn’t give Jade a chance.
“Why do you even care what I dress like?”
“Because, you and your little friends are a disgrace to this whole school! Let alone your families!” Jade snapped back.
Madeline didn’t want to loose a friend that she might make, because of Jade’s ‘opinions’ on clothes.
Madeline looked down at the white table and say Mrs. Lily’s coffee. She picked it up and went to pretend to take a sip, she took a step between Sophie and Jade. And pretended to trip.
All of the coffee landed on Jade. There was a yelp, from Jeremiah. He didn’t know who to try to help. Madeline or Jade. So he jumped back, but coffee got on his silk black trench coat.
“MADELINE!” Jade screeched. She said the ‘e’ for a whole second before finishing her name. She always did that when she was calling for Madeline, or in this case, yelling at her.
“Jade! I am so sorry! Here,” Madeline opened up her bag and pulled out some wipes. Jeremiah had ran to get some paper towels from the restroom.
There were giggles coming from anyone who had seen what had happened. Jade kept brushing on her clothes, but that made the coffee go everywhere.
“Hold still, Jade. Let me get it.—“ Madeline said.
“HOW COULD YOU?!” Jade screamed at her.
“Jade, it wasn’t Madeline’s fault.” Jeremiah soothed when he came back.
The giggles had turned into laughs, but everyone stopped when Jeremiah gave them the Juvi. Glare. That’s what everyone called his glared. It was like saying: ‘if you don’t stop, I will send you to jail!’ Everyone started to run off somewhere besides here, the ran into each other on the way.
When they had gotten most of the coffee out. Madeline turned her head slightly and gave Sophie a smile and a wink.
Sophie gave a small smile back.
When they got out into the outside, Madeline could see how Jade’s black skirt, pink sweater and pink plaid shirt underneath was stained beyond washing.
“Why weren’t you more careful?!” Jade cried.
“I’m sorry, Jade. I really am.” Madeline said. Even though Madeline was a good four inches then her sister, Jade still made Madeline take a step back.
“If you were really sorry, you would buy me a new one!”
Madeline felt Jeremiah’s on her. She knew, if she said no. She would have to face him, and right now, she couldn’t let anything slip about joining the Drama Club.
“I will buy you three new ones. I promise.” Madeline said. The cuafer opened the door to the limo, and they got in.
Jade folded her arms. Getting more stains on her sleeves. “Fine.” And she sat back, arms still crossed.
Madeline got out her book she was reading: Sophie’s World.
She could really relate to Sophie, she was different to everyone. And so was Madeline
She started to read, and got lost in Sophie’s problems. She didn’t even know why were home, when Jeremiah said,
“We’re home, Love.”
She tucked the book back into her bag and hurried out after them.
The Coplyn Manor was as big as the White House. It had marble pillars and was made of brick, with double white doors. It looked grand to anyone who would pass it. But to Madeline, it looked like a prison. She couldn’t do anything out of secret in there.
Charles, their butler opened the door for them. “How was school?” he said, in this drowsey way.
“It was brilliant, Charles.” Jeremiah said.
“That’s good, sir.” He said. And he closed the door after them.
Madeline walked around the house, reading. Before she went up to her room, to look at the Drama Club paper. She grabbed her bag off the dining room chair. Were so many times, she had forgotten it. And got scolded, not by mum or father. But by Jeremiah. Because her parents were never there. And she never got her homework done because she left it, so then she would get scolded by her teachers, and then the teachers would send a note home, and it would go to Jeremiah. She hated that, he was only a year older than her.
She climbed the stairs. Dragging the bag behind her, and nose in her book.
She pushed the door open with he elbow. And walked in, nose still in book. Then a hand took it out of her hand.
“I think I should start calling you, Book Worm instead.” Jeremiah said.
She sighed and went over to her bed. There was no reason to ask for her book back now, he wanted something, and he wasn’t getting her book back until he had gotten what he wanted.
Madeline opened up her bag and pulled out her homework.
“Yuck.” She said.
“Pardon?” Jeremiah asked. Put her book on her desk, and sat down on the edge of her bed.
“How’s your grades going?” he asked. He took her math homework out of her hands. Madeline started to panic. But she looked and saw the Drama Club paper still in her bag. She quickly closed it.
“Good.” She answered. Looking down at her reading homework. A whole paper to write. That wasn’t going to be fun.
When Jeremiah found out about Madeline’s ‘problem’ with school work. He said he would tell mum and father. But Madeline begged him not to. And, so, she promised him that she would do more studying then reading. And that didn’t give her much time to read. With him always bugging her.
He put down her homework. “Why did you spill coffee on, Jade?” he asked.
Madeline looked up from her homework. “I didn’t. It was a accendeint.” She lied.
Jermiegha eyed her. “Really?”
Oh, here we go. Madeline thought.
“Yes, really.” She tried not to sound sarcastic.
Jeremiah leaned back on her bed post. And sighed. He was in father mode. And Madeline hated that. “How many times do I have to tell you, not to lie?”
How many times have you lied? Madeline thought to herself.
“I’m not! It was a accendent. I swear.” She looked back down homework again.
“Madeline,”
Jeremiah.
“What?” she looked up again.
“Your sister counts on you to buy her a new shirt.”
“I know.”
“Are you going to buy her a new one?”
“I promised, didn’t I?”
Jeremiah sighed again. “You did. Alright, I give up. I’m just going to believe you.” He got up, and got her book and tossed it to her. “See you are dinner, Love.” And he left.
Madeline let out a sigh. And laid back on her pillows. Then she jumped up and ripped open her bag and looked at the Drama Club paper. Then her phone rang.
Her ringtone was, “Faboulas.” From High School Musical 2. So she always started dancing when she heard it.
“Oh!” she said, she picked up the phone.
CALL UNKNOWN.
“Hello?” she said.
“Hi, is this Madeline Coplyn?” someone said back.
“This is her.”
“Hi, this is Sophie. Y’know, from school.”
“Yes.”
“Well, I was calling you to say thanks for spilling coffee on Jade.”
Madeline laugh. “Your welcome. I’ve been wanting to do that for awhile.”
Madeline heard Sophie giggle. “Wish I would of done it.”
“So, how did you get my number?”
“Looked it up in the school yearbook from last year.”
“They put the students numbers in the year book?”
“Yeah, thanks to your mom.”
Madeline didn’t even flinch. She was used to people judging her mum. She was the one who wanted the High School, Middle School and Elementry School as one. She was the person who decided on the dress code. She was the one who controlled everything, it seemed.
It wasn’t surprising that her mum had made them give their phone numbers and put them in the year book.
“I gotta go, but before I do, did you look at the sheet for the Drama Club?” Sophie asked.
“I was about to. But then you called. And…No.” Madeline said.
She heard Sophie giggle. “Well make sure you do. Tomorrow we have a meeting after school at four.”
“Alright, I’ll be there.”
“Good. Bye.”
Madeline hung up. And she read the sheet. Nothing to worry about. She just have to tell Jade and Jermeigha that she was going over to a friends house and to pick her up and wait outside for her at five. It was easy.
Madeline sighed. I hope. She thought.
And she got busy on her paper.
Chapter 2
Madeline was late for dinner, again. She rushed down the stairs. And through the living room and she pushed open the dining room doors and jumped into her seat.
“Your late again.” Jade sighed.
Tell me something I don’t’ know. Madeline thought.
“What’s for dinner?” Madeline asked.
“Maccorni and Cheese. Olive Graden style.” One of the servers said. Putting a plate of it in front of her.
Madeline loved it that way. She said a quick prayer to her self and dug in. Or, that’s how she would of liked to have eaten it. She look one small bite at a time.
After a couple minutes of silence, and just the chewing of food. Jade said,
“When are you going to buy me a new shirt?” And it wasn’t a pleanent sort of way, normal siblings talk to each other. It was annoyed sort of way.
Madeline wanted to say, ‘don’t you have enough clothes already?’ But she bit her lip and said. “Saturday.”
“Why not after school?” Jade whined.
Madeline almost chocked on her macaroni and cheese. “Because, I’m going to go to a friends house after.” She picked her words carefully.
“Who?” Jeremiah asked. He still had a hint of father mode in him.
“Just someone I met at school.” Madeline said into her food.
“Who?” Jeremiah asked again.
Madeline looked up. “Sophie.”
Jade gasped. “Her? Why her? That.—“
“Now, now, Jade. Madeline can go where she likes. What time will you get back? Do you want us to wait for you?—“
“No!” Madeline said. “I mean, no thanks. I’ll call you when I’m ready to go. I’ll only be gone for a hour.”
“Do you want us to drive you there?”
Madeline wanted to explode. “No thank you. Sophie’s…um…mom will pick us up.”
“Alright.” Jeremiah said.
And they went back to eating.
When bed time came, Madeline climbed the stairs. Nose in book again. And she was happy. So happy, she could barely read. When she was about to the top. The book was pulled from her hands.
“Where does, Sophie, live, Madeline?” Jeremiah asked.
Madeline knew that he was trying to get something. He only used her name when he really wanted something.
“I-I…” Madeline said.
“You don’t’ know? How am I soupossed to let you go somewhere when I don’t know where your going?”
Jeremiah was being over protective. She was thirteen years old, she didn’t need her fourteen year old brother telling her when and where she can go.
“It’s fine.” She took a step towards the top. And to her room, where she could finish her stupid paper. That was due on Monday, but she didn’t think she would work on it on the week end. They would probably go somewhere, like Paris or something.
“Madeline Coplyn.” Jermiegha commanded.
He really wanted something now. Madeline looked back at him. “What?” she tried to not sound annoyed.
“If your lying, I will find out, and I won’t be happy.” He tossed Madeline her book. And went back down the steps.
Madeline didn’t feel happy anymore. She was doomed. She thought. Doomed.
He was right, he would find out and he wouldn’t be happy. She kinda wished that mum and father would come home. He didn’t act like her dad when they were around. She sat down on her bed, and worked on her paper, until ten. And then she got up and changed into her silk nightgown, and got under the covers, and went to sleep.
Chapter 3
In the morning, Madeline had over slept, again. She rushed to her closet, she pulled out some black dress pants a blue silk shirt. She rushed into those and went into her bathroom.
Her bathroom had white marble everything. She almost slipped and fell into the bath tub.
“Stupid flats.” She murmered.
She brushed her teeth and brushed her long curly golden blonde hair.
She often caught Jade envyly eyeing it, but when Madeline looked back at Jade, Jade when look away and start randomly brushing her hair, for no reason.
She put her a burret in her hair. She rushed back out of her bath room and pulled out a black dress coat. (without the puffy shoulder pads. Just they way, Jade liked them. And Madeline too. It was the only thing they agreed on about clothes.)
She grabbed her bag, and her book, stuffing into her bag and rushed down the stairs.
She ran into the kitchen.
“Mary,” she was breathing hard. “Can you pop me in a bagel.—“
“Already done so, miss. Here you go.” Mary the cook’s, blue eyes danced with happiness. That made Madeline happier. She took the everything bagel with cream cheese, and put it in a paper bag and ran out of the kitchen.
“Thank you!” Madeline called over her shoulder.
She ran outside and got inside the waiting limo.
“Your late.” Jeremiah said, crossing his arms.
“Sorry, I over slept.” Madeline said. Taking out her bagel, and taking a bite. (not too big though)
“You always over sleep. When will you ever not be late?” Jade said. Crossing her arms, and leaning back. She looked at Madeline’s outfit and nodded.
That meant she approved of what Madeline was wearing.
Madeline didn’t’ answer Jade’s question.
The trip to school was a quiet one, Madeline ate her bagel in silence. She didn’t’ want to talk to Jeremiah. He had scared her last night, about not being happy if she found out. She had prayed all night about if she should still do the meeting that day.
When she got to school, she got out and threw her paper bag away. And the Coplyns walked in together. And imentdly, everyone scattered. Running over themselves to get away. Only Sophie didn’t run away. She wasn’t scared of the Coplyns. She had seen that Madeline wasn’t mean like her brother and sister. So she was determined to make friends with her.
“Hey, Madeline.” She said. She couldn’t walk next to Madeline because she was flanked by her siblings.
“Hello, Sophie.” Madeline answered. Nervously eyeing Jeremiah.
“I hear Madeline is going to come over to your house tonight, Ms. Rice.” Jeremiah said.
Sophie glared at him. “Don’t call me that.” Then she turned to Madeline and asked with her eyes. What?
Madeline looked back, just say yes.
“Oh, yeah. She is.” Then she walked on ahead. “See you in class, Madeline.”
The only class Madeline had with her brother was homeroom. The High Schoolers and Middle Schoolers always had homeroom together. Another brilliant idea from Mrs. Coplyn.
Madeline had a desk that was closest to the door. She had her name printed in big captail letters on the front of her desk, just like everyone else. She had a normal desk just like everyone else too. Just because her mom had completely taken over the school and she was rich, didn’t mean that she didn’t have the same old desks that the other kids did.
They had a couple minutes until class would start. (Ten to be exact) So Madeline decided to work on her paper. She hadn’t quite finished it, so she wanted to work on it as much as possible. She had her outline ready and all she had to do was write it.
“Dude, why do you wear those clothes?”
Andrew Jackson’s voice interrupted Madeline’s thoughts.
She looked up and he was leaning against the top of her desk.
“Pardon?” she said.
“Why do you wear those clothes?” Andrew said, more slowly.
“Um…” She wasn’t used to people talking to her about her clothes. Or taking to her at all for that matter. So she didn’t know what to say.
“Man, are you daft, or something?” Andrew said. He was wearing a white shirt with black sleeves. He had convers and jeans on. He had dark hair and grey eyes.
Madeline gritted her teeth. “I’m not.”
“Then answer my question!” he said. Sounding annoyed.
“I wear my clothes because…” How was she supposed to put this? ‘I wear my clothes because my sister would kill me if I didn’t.’
She instead she said, “Because I want to.”
“Wow, that is a good reason.” He rolled his eyes. “Not.”
Why did boys think they were all that? Madeline thought.
“Hey, man. Leave her alone,” Tyler Macintyre said. Hitting Andrew in the arm. “She can dress the way she wants. You know that.”
“Whatever.” Andrew said. He jumped off Madeline’s desk and went to his at the back of the class room.
“Sorry about him, he’s just annoying.” Tyler said. He was wearing the same thing Andrew was wearing except the sleeves were red. He had blonde hair and blue eyes He looked like Troy Bolton from High School Musical to Madeline.
“So I see.” Madeline said. Jade had rubbed off on her. That wasn’t good.
Tyler looked at her desk where her name was.
“Madeline Coplyn, huh?” he said.
Madeline looked up and sighed. Would the boys just go back to ignoring her? “Yes, that’s my name.”
“Didn’t you sign up for the Drama Club?” Tyler asked.
Madeline quickly looked over to where Jeremiah was sitting, he was talking to a girl. Wow, I guess everyone deicied to talk to the Coplyns all of a sudden.
“Yes. I did.”
“Cool, so did I. Did Sophie call you?”
“Yes.”
“Man, enough with they English accents already! My brain is hurting!” Andrew cried from the back.
“Shut up, man.” Tyler said. He turned back to Madeline. He leaned in closer. “That was wicked how you spilled coffee on Jade.”
Madeline smiled. “Thanks. I’ve been wanting to do that for awhile.”
Tyler laughed.
“Oh, and just so you know. Could you not tell Jeremiah and Jade I’ve signed up?” She turned and looked at Jeremiah. Still talking to that girl. “Because they’d kill me.”
“Sure. We wouldn’t want anyone dyin’, now would we?”
Madeline giggled. “No.”
Just then the bell rang. Tyler ran to his desk by Andrew’s.
“Good morning class! Today the Drama Club is having a meeting! If you have signed up then make sure you be there a four sharp!” Ms. Lily said.
There were mummers of ‘yes ma’ams’ and a ‘yes sir’ from Andrew.
He sure is annoying. Madeline thought.
The day pasted quickly for Madeline. Mr. Cromwell was happy to see that Madeline had almost finished her paper. He said she had a talent for writing.
If only I could share it with my family. Madeline said to herself.
At lunch. Sophie came and sat next to her. No one had even dared to sit at the Coplyn table. No one. So when Sophie sat down, Madeline couldn’t help but widen her eyes. Jade and Jeremiah did too.
“Hey, Madeline.” She said. And then she leaned in close. “Why did your brother say you were coming over to my house?”
Madeline leaned in too. “Because, if they found out I signed up. They’d kill me.”
Sophie nodded. “That makes sense.” Then she got up and walked over to the table she usually sat at. Tyler, Andrew and that girl Jeremiah was talking to were over there too. Madeline guessed they were all friends. She sighed. She wished she had friends.
“What did she want?” Jade asked. Flipping her perfect black glossy hair.
“She was talking about what we were going to do tonight.” Madeline said. Not even missing a beat when she said it.
“Just don’t come home wearing those, clothes.” Sophie said, distastefully. She said clothes as if they weren’t clothes at all, like they were just rags or something.
“I won’t.” Madeline said. And she went back to eating her chicken salad. And she didn’t even eat it slowly, she just dug in.
Chapter 4
After school was over at 3:30, Madeline waved good bye to Jermiaha and Jade.
“We’ll be here at five.” Jermigha said. “And if you any later than that, I will come in and get you.”
“Alright. Sophie’s mom will drop us off here at fourish. So don’t worry.”
Jeremiah looked at her for a second. Madeline was biting back saying: What? In a sarcastic voice.
But he just climbed into the limo. And drove away.
“Man! I thought he would never do away.” Andrew Jackson said. He came out from behind the service desk in the back of the room.
“You were spying on us?” Madeline said. She took all her sarcastic voice out on him. Jeremiah had built it up, she just needed to vent it.
Andrew shrugged. “You guys don’t talk about anything interesting anyway.” She started walking down the hallway.
Madeline groaned and followed, she knew he was in the Drama Club she had seen his name on the sign up sheet, and since she didn’t know where the meeting was, she followed him.
As they neared the meeting room, they were shouts of excitement. And a couple of loud noises from things falling over.
Andrew went into the room, Madeline looked around the corner at the room.
There was a long plastic table in the middle, with chairs around it. (some of them had fallen over) There was a house plant in the corner and a bunch of posters of famous actors, muscains, and writers on the walls. With so many, Madeline could barely see the yellow wall behind it.
At first, Madeline wanted to make like a rabbit and run, but then she said a poster for High School Musical. And that got up her courage. She went in.
No one scattered, like they did when she walked by them in school. They just continued to shout and knock things over.
Madeline spotted Sophie. She was in the back near the house plant looking through some papers. She was wearing a black shirt with black jeans and a black head band in her brown hair.
“Hello, Sophie.” She said.
Sophie looked up. “Hey, Madeline. I see you got them off your back.”
Madeline was confused.
Off your back? What? She thought.
Sophie laughed her half hearted laugh. “I was talking about J and J, I see they finally left you alone.”
“Oh, yes. They did.” Madeline said. Still confused. But she forced a smile.
Sophie shrugged and went back to flipping through papers.
Why do they always shrug? Is it like a code or something.—AH!
Madeline’s thoughts went from confused to total terror.
Someone pushed her out of the way, as a folder flew in her direction.
“Hey, man! Watch where you throw things!” Tyler yelled.
Madeline was stunned. Luckily, the shove hadn’t knocked her to the floor that hard. She had landed against some file cabnits.
Tyler held out his hand to her. “Sorry about that, everyone’s excited about starting.”
Madeline took his hand, but pulled it away once she was up. She wiped her hands on her shirt. His hand was sweaty.
“Thanks…um…for shoving me.” Madeline said.
“No problem.” Tyler said. A blue small shape flew in his direction. He caught it without even thinking about it. “Andrew!” he yelled.
Madeline looked over at the other side of the table, and saw Andrew shrug.
“Here,” Tyler said. Hanging her the small object, “It’s a bouncy ball, but it won’t kill anyone if it’s with you.”
Then Tyler went to the other side of the room and hit Andrew on the arm.
She looked down at the ball. She had seen these in those cheap places when you put a quarter in and turn the knob and, pop! You had a ball. Jermgiaha had never let her have one though. He said that it would break something. Madeline had always been mad at him. But now she knew that it could probably take someone’s eye out.
She cupped her hand around the ball and put it in her bag.
Then there was a rap on the table. No one heard it, so Sophie yelled: “SHUT UP PEOPLE!” That got everyone’s attention.
“This is the first meeting for the Drama Club! So we are going to pick a cool name for it. But it’s a secret.”
“We don’t that every year!” Someone said.
“Shut up, Nick.” Sophie said, and then she went on. “So we’re going to pick a secret name and we’re going to introduce each other. And then tomorrow we will vote on the presedinedt, vice prestendts. And so on.”
“We always do that!” Nick shouted.
This time the whole room told him to shut up.
“Everyone stay were you are!” Sophie said. “And we’ll introduce ourselves.”
“How about we tell our first and last names, if we have brothers or sisters and our favorite thing to do.” The girl Jeremiah was talking to in class that morning.
“Good idea, Katy. Sound good to everyone?” Sophie asked.
Everyone nodded. Except Madeline, she didn’t want to tell anyone who she was. As soon as they knew, they wouldn’t talk to her.
Sophie started. “I’m Sophie Rice, I’m thirteen years old and I have one older brother and I love to direct plays, dramas and musicals.”
Tyler went next, “I’m Tyler Macentire, I’m fourteen years old. I have one little sister and I love to act and sing.”
There were some murmers. Everyone was trying to avoid going next.
“How about Blondie over there,” Andrew said. Pointing to Madeline.
Everyone’s eyes went on Madeline. She froze.
Tyler gave her a encouraging nod. And so did Sophie. Madeline opened her mouth. “Um…I’m Madeline Coplyn.”
Murmuring.
“I’m thirteen years old, I have a older brother and a younger sister.”
Even more murmuring.
“And my favorite thing to do is sing in my bedroom, and watch High School Musical.”
When she had finished, her limbs felt like speggiti. No one laughed no one left the room. They just moved on to intruding each other.
She didn’t hear anyone else’s intros. She was so relived that she didn’t hear them.
“Alright, now that everyone has introduced themselves, we’re going to move on to voting on a new SECRET name.”
Everyone started to giggle. Madeline guessed it was a joke she had missed. She was never into joking in the first place. There was no joking in the Coplyn house. Everything was serious. So Madeline got her jokes from books and movies.
Everyone started to sit down, so Madeline did the same. Andrew sat next to her. Probably just to annoy her.
“This is the boring part.” Andrew whispered to her.
Madeline rolled her eyes.
“Am I annoying you, Blondie?” he asked her.
She looked at him. “Yes. You are.” She said it in her most heavy English accent she could muster.
He grabbed his head. “Ah! Too much accent! And he slid down from his chair and disappeared under the table.
Madeline laughed.
“Alright dofus. Get back up and we’ll decide on a name.” Sophie said.
Andrew did. And everyone started shouting out names like: Secret Drama Club, The Drama Losers. (Andrew’s idea)
Then, Madeline had a great idea. “How about the Drama Kings and Queens?”
Everyone stopped shouting and throwing things at each other.
“That’s a great idea, Maddie. What do you guys think?” Sophie said.
Everyone started whispering to each other. “I like it.” Katy said.
“Yeah, it sounds sick.” Andrew said.
Madeline was shocked, did Andrew really mean that it sounded like someone who was sick?
Sophie noticed her shock and said. “He means that it sounds awesome, Madeline.” Then she looked at Andrew. “She doesn’t talk like us yet. Cut her some slack.”
Madeline didn’t know what that meant either. So she just nodded.
Andrew said, “Ok, that sounds ‘brilliant’ ol’ chap.”
Madeline turned red.
“Andrew…” Sophie sighed.
“What? I’m speaking Coplyn.”
“Never mind. Ok, so all in favor of the Drama Kings and Queens say I.”
Everyone said I and the meeting was adjourned.
Madeline hurried out of the room.
“See ya tomorrow Blondie!” Andrew called after her.
“Bye, Maddie!” Sophie said. Then she ducked, avoiding something flying through the air.
“I hope she doesn’t get into trouble with her brother and sister,” Tyler said. “She said if they found out, they’d kill her.”
“I beilive that.” Katy said. Leaning against Tyler, her older brother.
They were all silent as Madeline’s flats foot steps echoed down the hall. And they heard the door open. And the chilling voice of Jeremiah.
Then something flew and whacked Tyler in the head. And everyone went back to feeling happy again.
Chapter 5
Madeline could barely sit still in the ride home. Jeremiah didn’t ask for details, and she was glad. She didn’t think she could hold onto her secret with so much engrey going through her.
When they pulled up to the house, Madeline didn’t even wait for Goerge the driver to open the door, and pushed it open and ran inside.
“Sure is excited.” Goerge said rubbing his head, where the door had hit him.
“Yes, she is.” Jeremiah said absent mindedly. He shut the door himself, and he went into the house after her.
Madeline was almost to the top of the stairs when Jeremiah called after her. She groaned. “What?” she said, trying not to sound annoyed.
“What exactly did you go at Sophie’s…um…” Jeremiah said, trying to figure out what to call Sophie’s ‘home’
“House. It was a house, Jeremiah.” Madeline rolled her eyes. But then she caught herself and put a hand over her mouth.
Jeremiah eyed her. “A house, you say?” He came up the stairs to where she was standing.
“Oh, Sophie wants me to come over again tomorrow, is that alright?” Madeline asked, before crumbling to pieaces.
Jeremiah thought for moment. “I guess, but you have to buy Jade a new shirt first.—“
“I will! I promise!” The sarcasim had broken through.
“Would you like to rephrase that?”
“No! Acutally, I like talking this way!” Madeline said. And she stormed up the steps and into her room slamming the door behind her and locking it. She leaned against the door breathing hard. Then she ran and threw herself onto the bed. Throwing a blanket over her.
She lay there for a couple seconds before a knock came at the door.
“Madeline.” Jeremiah said. He sounded annoyed.
“Go away!” she cried.
“Madeline Coplyn.” More annoyed.
Madeline decided no matter how many times he said her full name, she would not open the door.
“Madeline Louise Coplyn!” this time he sounded mad.
Madeline jumped up from the bed. And threw open the door.
“What?” this time with as much sarcasm as she had. Her English accent almost went away completely. She had gotten so used to saying it, that it was hard to get rid of, but it was going away.
“You know what.” Jeremiah said. He pointed to the bed. “Sit.”
Madeline obeyed and sat down that the bed, crossing her legs and arms. And looked down at the floor.
She felt Jeremiah’s hands on her legs. “Look up here, now.”
Madeline did. Right into her horrible brown eyes. She looked away.
“Madeline.—“
“Fine!” she looked back.
He was leaning over her with his hands on her crossed legs. “I don’t want you to ever, ever, talk to me like that again.”
“You think that your all that don’t you?” Madeline snapped.
“Madeline…” his voiced dropped to a dangerous place.
“Well you do!”
“Madeline!” Jeremiah sat down behind her. “Shut up!”
Madeline did. She felt like crying now.
“That is the last straw.” He said.
“What.—“
“I said SHUT UP!” He raised his hand to slap her. Madeline shrank back in fear. He grabbed the hand with his other and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
Madeline heard the click of the lock.
“JEREMIAH!” She screamed. She ran to the door and she tried to pull it open. It was locked.
There was no reply.
She tears were coming now. She didn’t know how she was ever going to get over this. She wished that she was back in the class room where all of the people only teased her nicely.
Jeremiah had gone to slap her. That was too far. But Madeline knew that he wouldn’t do it again.
I think. She thought.
She ran to her closet and slammed the door. And she hid, trying to get away from her fears. That was why she never talked back. And she was never going to do it again.
Chapter 6
Madeline fell asleep in her closet.
She didn’t hear Jade unlocking her door and opening up the closet.
“Madeline.” She whispered. “Are you alright?”
Madeline stirred, but didn’t wake up.
This time, Jade wasn’t going to be so kind. “Madeline!”
Madeline jolted wake, banging her head on the door way of the closet. She was gong to yell at whoever had done that. But when she saw that it was Jade she took a deep breath and said, “What is it, Jade?”
“Jeremiah said that you talked back to him.”
Madeline sighed. “I did.”
“Well, he’s not happy.”
What gave you the first clue? Madeline thought.
“He says you don’t get any dinner tonight.”
And just to make things worse, Madeline stomach growled. “Ok.” She said. She stood up. And she went to her bed and laid down she sighed.
Jade just stood there, “Um…well…he just wanted me to deliver that. So bye now, I guess.” And she left the room.
Madeline laid there, and she manged enough energy to change into her night gown and get under the covers.
Saturday and Sunday went by fast. Madeline called Sophie and told her that she wasn’t coming to the meeting on Saturday.
“Why?” Sophie had asked.
“B-because.” And she hung up.
Madeline felt sick for the weekend too. Jeremiah had gotten over being mad, and things went back to they way there were. But now that when Jeremiah came anywhere near her, she would shrink in fear. One night, Jeremiah had called her to his room.
With shaking hands and feet, she went to his room which was on the other side of the house. Her shoes echoed on the wooden floors.
She didn’t even bother knocking on his bedroom door she just went in.
Jeremiah’s room was like Madeline’s which she found disturbing. She hadn’t really been in his room. Just like every brother on the planet. Girls weren’t allowed in it. He was at his desk typing something on his laptop.
She turned when he heard her, closing his laptop. “Ah, Madeline, love. Have a seat.” He guestered to his bed. She sat down uneasily.
He rolled over in his computer chair over to the bed.
Madeline felt like a patient at the doctor’s office.
“I just want to say, I’m sorry.” Jeremiah said.
Wow, he was saying he was sorry, that’s a first. Madeline thought to herself.
“But what I really want to know is, are you sorry?”
Oh, so that was where he was going with this.
Why should she be sorry? He was the one who had almost slapped her. And Madeline was doing the normal teenage thing: Talking back. And he wasn’t really sorry, he just said that as a conversation starter.
“Ok, I’m sorry.” She had to say something, and Jeremiah wouldn’t settle for anything else.
He leaned back in his chair. “You mean it?”
“Y-yes.”
“Your positive?”
“Ok, he’s was going too far now.” Madeline grumbled.
“What was that?”
“I’m positive.”
“Alirght. Now…”
Here is comes…
“This wouldn’t of happened if you hadn’t gone to Sophie’s.”
Madeline eyes got wide. “But.—“ Then she covered her mouth.
Jeremiah didn’t notice, he kept on, “I don’t want you to see her anymore.”
Oh! He did not just say that!
She just had to say something, she cleared her throat.
“Yes?”
“It wasn’t Sophie’s fault. It’s just that I wasn’t having a great day to begin with.” Madeline said her words slowly.
Jeremiah folded his hands. And thought. “Fine, but don’t ever talk back again. Do you understand?”
Madeline nodded.
“Alright, now get that homework done. I like good grades not bad ones.”
Madeline hurried out the door and closed it behind her. Then she ran down the hall and yelled: “YES!” Then she covered her mouth and giggled. And she contuined down the hall way. On her way there, she heard the door bell ring, she looked down over the railing, her room was by the railing that protected you from falling off onto the floor. Madeline didn’t see a use for it, if you feel you would land on the swan feathered sofas.
She went down some of the steps to get a better view of who was at the door.
Charles went and opened the door. “Yes, this is the Coplyn household.”
“Ugh, just some bussines guy looking for father. Try Tokyo.” And she started to go back up the stairs.
“Yes, Ms. Coplyn is here. Come in.”
Jade didn’t usually have vistors. So Madeline turned back around.
“Woah! Check out his place! It’s sick!” And Andrew Jackson came into the room, hands in the air.
“Andrew, remerber, they don’t know what that means…” Sophie warned. She came in too. Wearing a pink shirt and jeans, with a pink bandanna in her hair.
Tyler came in too, with Katy right behind. Katy’s blonde hair was groomed so much that it shined, even without the light. And she was still fussing over it.
“It looks fine, Madeline doesn’t care.” Tyler said to her.
“I know! But what about Jeremiah?”
Yuck, I don’t know what you see in him. Madeline said to herself. She smoothed her pink top and black skirt. She hurried down the steps curls bouncing.
“Hello.” She said. With a huge grin on her face.
“Hey, Blondie. Do you know where I could get some juice? This place makes me thirsty.” Andrew said, not even looking at her.
“In the kitchen, sir.” Charles said. “I will get you some.”
“Wow, you have a butler?” Andrew cried.
Tyler hit him in the arm. “Shut up!”
Sophie came over and hugged her. “Are you alright?” Sophie asked.
“I am now.” Madeline smiled. Then there was a crash.
“Um…someone broke that.” Andrew said, standing next to what once a vase stood, but now there was marble chunks all over the floor.
“ANDREW!” Sophie yelled at him.
“Sorry!” Andrew said.
“It’s fine, we can buy a new one.” Madeline said. “Windy!”
A maid in a black dress with a white apron came down the steps. “Oh dear, oh dear!”
“Wow, you have a.—“
Tyler clamped his hand on Andrew’s mouth.
The crash had gotten to Jeremiah who was now by the railing.
Katy started to fuss with her hair again.
He came down the steps. “Who are they, Madeline?” he asked.
“Theses are…um…people I met at Sophie’s house.” Madeline said.
Jeremiah looked all of them up and down, when he landed on Katy his face brighnted. “Katy! How good to see you again.”
“I-It’s good to see you too, Jeremiah.”
Andrew made gagging sounds. Tyler hit him in the arm.
Jade came down the steps. “Why is she here?” she asked. Motioning to Sophie.
“Now, Jade, darling. These are Madeline’s friends. You have to be nice to them.” Jeremiah said. Keeping his eyes on Katy. She giggled.
“What did you guys come here for?” Madeline asked.
“Well…” Sophie eyed Jeremiah, who was still looking at Katy. And Katy was blushing.
Just then, Charles brought Andrew some orange juice from the kitchen.
“Thanks, Geeves.” Andrew said slurping it down.
Jeremiah and Jade flinched.
“We came here,” Sophie said as they walked to the kitchen with Madeline and Katy. With the boys behind. “Because you didn’t sound well when I had called you.”
Madeline looked down at the floor. “Yes, I didn’t,” she looked up. “But now am.”
They got a table in the kitchen, while the boys went to the libaray to talk about Polo. Who knew that Tyler, Andrew and Jeremiah liked that same thing.
When they had all sat down, Madeline blurted about what had happened on Friday night.
When she had finished, Sophie said, “How could he? That makes me sick! And not the good kind.”
“I didn’t know that Jeremiah could be so…cruel.” Katy said into her coffee.
“Try living with him.” Madeline said. “It’s great to have you guys here. I was so lonely.”
“I wish I could live here…” Katy said.
Madeline stared at her. “Why?”
“Because, you have all these nice things.”
Madeline shrugged. “There ok.”
“Ok?!” Katy’s voice surprised Madeline.
“Y-yes.” A shiver went down her spine.
“You have all these nice things, and you say they’re just ‘ok’?!” Katy stood up.
Madeline scooted back in her chair.
“And I think your just jealous of me.” Katy snapped.
“Jealous? No I’m not.” Madeline said.
“You are! You wouldn’t lie about Jeremiah that way if you weren’t jealous! Your jealous that he might like me more than you!”
This time, Madeline stood up. “I’m not lying!”
“Prove it then! Show me how cruel Jeremiah can be!”
“H-he wouldn’t do anything to me if there are people around.”
“See?” She looked down at the stunned Sophie. “See? She’s lying! I told you she wasn’t a good person to be friends with!”
Madeline felt like crying. “I want to be friends! Honest!” She heard the boys coming down the hall. She knew that Jeremiah would scold her for yelling at Katy. And Katy would love that.
So, she ran out of the room.
“Maddie!” Sophie called after her. “Wait!”
She ran out the kitchen door, and out into the celler. It was dark and musty. She had trouble breathing it was so dusty.
She heard Jeremiah’s voice. He was saying something to Katy. He was cofermting her. Katy had lied. How could she? Madeline knew he wasn’t going to be happy when she found her. So she moved farther into the celler. She couldn’t see anything. She bumbed into something and it fell over, knocking her down.
She screamed.
The door flew open, light sprayed across the dirt floor. Madeline was trying to get up. She didn’t know how long she had been stuck. She just hoped that Sophie and the others were still there. She didn’t want to face Jeremiah alone.
She felt a hand on her arm. “Hey, Blondie. You alright?” Andrew said. Pulling her up.
She was covered in dust. “Yes, I’m fine.”
“That sound sounded wicked.” Andrew said when they had gotten back into the kitchen.
Katy was sitting on the table, her shoulders shaking.
“Madeline, what did you do?” Jeremiah asked.
“I was in the celler.—“
“No! I mean here. What did you do to Katy?”
“Nothing! Honest.”
“She said you yelled at her and thrented to hit her.” Jeremiah’s voice was dark. It made Madeline shiver.
“I didn’t! Sophie was here! She’ll tell you!”
Sophie was still at the table. “She’s right, Madeline did nothing.”
“Are you sure, sis? I mean, what if your lying.” Andrew said.
Sophie glared at him. “I’m not.” She said flatly.
Everyone stared at each other, no one knew who to belive.
Jeremiah sighed. “Fine. Katy, You don’t look well, how about you go home, love.”
Love? Really? Madeline thought.
“Alright.” Katy sobbed. “Come on Tyler.”
“Bye, guys. See ya all tomorrow.” Tyler said, waving as he left.
Sophie and Andrew stayed for a little while longer, just to make Madeline feel better. She didn’t know who Jeremiah had belived. Katy, or her. She had a feeling he had belive Katy. That no good…
When Sophie and Andrew went to leave, Sophie stopped at the door. “I’ll be praying for you.” And she left.
Madeline took a deep breath and closed the door.
“Thank you. I’m going to need it.” She whispered.
Chapter 7
At dinner that evening, Jeremiah brought up the ‘insedent’. So he called it. Madeline had prayed he had forgotten.
“Madeline, I want the complete and utter truth. Did you, or did you not threnten Katy?”
“I didn’t.” Madeline said into her food.
“Look me in the eye and say it.” Jeremiah said.
Madeline looked up. “I didn’t.”
Jeremiah put down his fork.
Madeline knew what was coming. He was going to acuse her of lying. Again.
Well, the first time I was, but that doesn’t matter. Right?
What do you think?
A strange voice appeared in her head, she didn’t have time to ask who it was because Jeremiah was talking.
“When will you ever stop lying?”
“I didn’t!”
“Madeline…” his voice had a warning note in it.
“How about you blame Katy? Why me?”
“Madeline!” Jeremiah snapped.
Jade had scooted back from the table. She was scared, with Jeremiah right beside her, she didn’t want him to accendintly hit her instead of Madeline.
Madeline pushed away from the table too. And she got up. “Can I be ecussed?”
“No. Sit back down, I’m not done talking to you.—“ Jeremiah said.
“No! I am leaving the table.” And Madeline stormed out of the dining room.
When she was almost to the stairs. A hand grabbed her arm and spun her around.
“I said I wasn’t done!” Jeremiah snapped.
“Well, I said that I’m done!” Madeline snapped back, her voice shook.
Jeremiah grabbed both of her wrists. “Listen to me.”
“No!”
He pushed her back into a wall. She bit her lip, she tried not to cry out.
“You will! I’m through with you lying! I want the whole truth!”
“I didn’t threaten Katy! Honest!” she felt like crying.
“Then why was she crying?”
“She yelled at me, so she didn’t want to get into trouble so she blamed me! Really!”
“Madeline, don’t make up stories.”
“I’m not!” This time a tear slid down her face. “I didn’t make it up!”
This time Jeremiah kicked her in the leg.
“Ow!” More tears.
“I. Want. The. Truth.”
“I’m telling the truth!”
Jeremiah let go of one of her wrists and raised his hand.
“Please don’t hit me.” She whispered.
Before he could, the door bell rang. He turned around just enough so Madeline could get out of his grip and step away from the wall.
Before Jeremiah could react, Charles opened the door, and Sophie walked in.
At first, she just stared at the frightened Madeline and the angry Jeremiah. But she gathered her self up and said: “I forgot something, sorry to disturb you.”
She walked past Madeline, grabbing her arm. And pulling her up the steps.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, once they were in Madeline’s room.
“Jeremiah, he-he.—“ Madeline’s voice broke.
“Maddie, relax and tell me what happened.”
Madeline did. “It was horrible! If you hadn’t come in when you did, he would of…hit me.” She forced out the last words.
“It’s fine. It’s alright. I’ll spend the night tonight, and we’ll get Katy to tell the truth to Jeremiah in the morning. K?”
“Th-thank you, Sophie.” Madeline said.
“Your welcome.” Sophie smiled and gave Madeline a big hug.
Jeremiah didn’t like the idea of Sophie staying. He said that Madeline was in trouble for lying. But somehow, for reasons that Madeline doesn’t know. Sophie made Jeremiah say yes.
Since Sophie didn’t have any clothes to wear, Madeline said she could dig in her closet, and find clothes that Jade wouldn’t let Madeline be seen in.
“Since I can’t wear them. You can just keep them.” Madeline had told Sophie,
“I’ll borrow them. I have a feeling that someday you’ll be allowed to wear them.” Sophie had answered.
Sophie and Madeline stayed up almost all night just talking. Madeline told Sophie it would be ‘brillant’ to do some High School Musical sceances for the Drama Club.
“That would be awesome, everyone at the Drama Club loves High School Muscial, and they love Camp Rock. Ever seen that?” Sophie asked.
Madeline nodded. “Yes, but only once. The High School Muscial movies make me laugh more. No offence.”
“None taken. You know what I think? If we did those I think you should be Sharpay and Tess.”
Madeline’s eyes got wide. “No, no. If I’m the center of attention. Jeremiah and Jade might find out.—“
“Enough about them. This is about you. What do you think?”
“I’d love to. I’m just scared.” Madeline said fiddling with her silk sheets.
“You know, you look like a lost princess.” Sophie said.
Madeline looked at her.
“Sorry, that was random. You know though, you don’t look or act like your family. So you must be adopted.”
“I know, Jeremiah and Jade don’t let me forget it. They don’t say it straight out, but they just act mean so I’ll remember.” Madeline said. Trying hard not to break down and cry.
“Do you ever think that they know something you don’t about your life before you came here?”
Madeline looked up. “Yes.”
Before Sophie could answer. There was a knock at the door.
“Mr. Copyln requested you be quiet.” Charles said.
Madeline and Sophie giggled. “Tell him we were just going to bed.”
And they did. But Madeline forgot all about the ‘lost princess’ thing. She was too busy being happy.
Chapter 8
For once, Sophie felt uncofterble.
Sophie kept pushing up on the leather seats and trying to get over the fact that she was in a limo. Going to school.
She looked over to Madeline who had her face in a book.
Oh, so that’s how she hides. Sophie thought.
Jade broke the horrible silence, “Where did you get those horrible looking clothes?”
Sophie went to answer. Madeline kicked her.
She looked over at her. She mouthed: What?
Madeline shook her head.
Then Sophie understood, if she told Jade that Madeline had had these clothes in the closet, Jade would tell Madeline to get rid of the clothes, and Madeline someday would like to wear them.
“So where did you get them?” Jade asked again. Annoyed.
Jeremiah was eyeing Madeline. He must of seen her shake her head.
“I brought them with me.” Sophie said. Pushing up on her seat.
Jade sniffed. “Oh.” And the silence returned.
Then Jeremiah said something, “What did you see last night with Madeline and Katy? Did Madeline threnten Katy?”
Sophie saw Madeline start to shake. She still wasn’t over what happened last night.
“She didn’t. And why do you keep asking this? Didn’t Madeline tell you she didn’t’ do it?”
Madeline looked over her book at Jeremiah. His eyes narrowed.
“She did. But I don’t have any proof.”
“Isn’t her word enough?”
“No. It isn’t.”
“What if Katy told you what happened? Would you belive her?”
Madeline put her book down.
Jeremiah had been caught off guard. “I…um…”
For once, he’s at a lost for words. Sophie thought.
Before Jeremiah could come up with anything to say, they were at school. The driver got out and opened the door for them, Sophie was the first one out.
No more limo riding for me! She said to herself.
She waited for Madeline to come out. She wanted to protect Madeline if Jeremiah decided to hit her.
Madeline came out. Stuffing her book in her bag. They walked into school.
*
Sophie and Madeline didn’t have homeroom with each other. But Sophie walked her to the room.
“I’ll see you at lunch. Ok?” Sophie said.
“Ok.” Madeline said. Forcing a smile. She wasn’t too thrilled about being in the same room as Jeremiah. Even if there were people around.
“Hey! It’s Bondie!” Andrew said. Jumping off his desk. “I heard Soph, spent the night at your house.”
“She did.” Madeline said. She went over to her desk.
Jeremiah brushed by her. When he had gone, Madeline looked at her desk. There was a note.
Madeline looked over to where Jeremiah was. He was talking to Katy.
That witch. Madeline though. Blaming me.
“What does the note say?” Andrew asked.
“Oh, I don’t know. I haven’t read it yet.” Madeline said. Swinging her bag onto the back of her chair.
“Well aren’t you gonna open it?” Andrew asked.
Madeline sighed. Andrew wasn’t going to rest until she read it. “Fine.”
With Andrew leaning over her shoulder, Madeline opened the note:
I’ll be watching you, so be careful what you say and do. Understand?
Jeremiah
Madeline knew it wasn’t a nice way of saying things. Jeremiah was mad.
Andrew whistled. “Man! He isn’t happy.”
“Shut up.” Hissed Madeline.
“Wow!” Andrew said, lowering his voice. “You spoke normaly.” And he went over to his desk. Madeline sat down. She swallowed the ball in her throat.
She looked over at Jeremiah. And sure enough. He was watching her. She hoped that he hadn’t heard what Andrew had said.
She sank farther into her chair.
This is going to be a long day. She told herself.
Chapter 9
And it was, Madeline could go almost anywhere, and Jeremiah would still be watching. During lunch, she decided she was going to be brave and sit with Sophie and the others.
“Wow! You actually are becoming normal, Blondie.” Andrew said, when she sat down.
“I guess.” Madeline sighed, head and palm.
“Aren’t you hungry?” Sophie asked.
“Not really.” Then she leaned in close. She was glad that Katy had decided to go sit with Jeremiah and Jade. She fit better over there anyway.
“Ok, you have to promise that you won’t tell Jeremiah and Jade I said this,”
They all nodded.
She showed them the note. “And he’s been watching me all day, and I don’t want to think about what they’ll do when we get home. I’m scared.”
“Maybe we could come over after the meeting tonight.” Tyler suggested.
“No, I can’t keep asking you guys to come over everyday. Besides, they’ll start wondering why you are over all the time. And then I’ll be in even more trouble.”
“Why don’t you tell your parents then?” Tyler asked.
Madeline looked down at her food, “I don’t know where they are, and even if I did, they don’t listen to me. They always go with whatever Jeremiah and Jade say.”
Tyler leaned back in his chair. “This is fishy. Why aren’t they nice to you? How long have you been there?”
“Eight years.”
“Then why haven’t they warmed up to you?”
“I don’t know!” Madeline leaned back in her chair. “That’s what’s fishy.”
“And they always seem to know something about her that she doesn’t.” Sophie added.
“Maybe you were like some famous person, but then they took you away or something?” Andrew said.
They all looked at him.
He threw his hands in the air, “What? It’s a good suggestion!”
Sophie rolled her eyes.
“Ok, enough about my life. Let’s talk about the Drama Club.” Madeline said.
“Yeah! Last night, Madeline and I were thinking about the dramas we could do this year.” Sophie looked at Madeline.
“High School Musical and Camp Rock.” Madeline answered.
“Awesome! I’ve always wanted to do those! We all always did some made up dramas, and those were lame.” Andrew said.
Sophie glared at him. “I made those up.” Then she turned to Madeline. “And we were thinking that if we did them, that Madeline should be Tess and Sharpay.”
“You should! That’s a great idea!” Tyler exclaimed.
Madeline blushed. “Thanks.”
Before they could say anything else, Jeremiah walked up, followed by Katy.
“What are you doing, Madeline?” Jeremiah asked. He was standing right behind her. She shivered. She turned around.
“I was talking to my friends.” She smiled. Trying not to sound sarcastic. “What are you doing?”
Katy sqeezed Jeremiah’s arm. “We were talking.”
Andrew made gagging sounds. Sophie just rolled her eyes.
“Um…that’s nice.” Madeline said, turning back to the table.
“Oh, sweetie, I was wondering if I could come over tonight, you now, just to hang out.” Katy asked.
Madeline stopped in mid turn. She looked at Sophie, Sophie just shrugged.
She turned to Katy. “I’d love to Katy! But I was going to Sophie’s house tonight. I’m sorry, how about tomorrow?”
She said that just to get Jeremiah to leave her alone.
“Oh! That would be great! See ya then!” And she dragged Jeremiah away.
Madeline let out a sigh. And then she looked at her friends, and she burst out laughing.
“What’s so funny?” Andrew asked.
“Oh…” laughing, “You should see your faces!” and she laughed some more.
“Oh, we were just surprised you stood up to them like that. That was awesome.” Tyler said, holding up his hand. “High five!”
Madeline hit his hand.
“I knew it!” Andrew said, getting up to toss his food. “She’s turning normal!”
Chapter 10.
While Madeline was going to the meeting, Katy came up.
“Hi!” She sounded cheerful to Madeline, but also kind of sly. Like she was up to something.
“Hello, Katy.” Madeline kept walking.
Katy fell in step with her, “What are you doing?”
“Um…I’m going to the meeting. How about you?” Then she had a terrible thought.
Katy knows that I’m in the Drama Club, she’ll tell Jeremiah!
“Oh, I’m not in the club anymore. I quit.”
“Oh, that’s too bad.” Madeline said.
“Yeah, I’ll miss it.”
She actullay sounds sad. What if Jeremiah did something to make her quit? Madeline thought.
Madeline decided she would ask. “Why did you quit?”
Katy stopped walking. “Because…”
“Did Jeremiah do something to you?” Madeline asked, she had stopped too, and she was facing Katy.
“No! He would never do anything to me! He’s nice!”
“Really? How come he’s so nice now? He wasn’t nice before, why was that?”
“You’re his sister! You should know!”
“Well, I don’t! Because all he is to me, is mean!”
“Your still mad that Jeremiah got angry at you when you threntened me!”
“I never threnthened you! I would never threthen anyone!” Madeline yelled.
“Then why were you yelling at me?”
“I wasn’t.—“ then she stopped, she had been yelling. “I’m sorry.” Madeline said, looking at the ground.
“Oh, so you can yell. You are mean.” Katy said, she was smiling slyly.
“No! I’m just…upset. That’s all. Don’t you have bad days?”
“Not really. I have nice friends. And in this case, I have a nice boyfriend.”
“What…?” Madeline turned and saw Jeremiah walking up.
“Bravo, Katy. That’s all the proof I need.” He said.
Madeline started to step back. She was scared now. Katy had made her yell. Now Jeremiah would…
“So you did threnethen Katy then.” Jeremiah said.
“No! I didn’t!” Madeline said, walking faster.
“Then why are you scared then? If you were telling the truth, then you wouldn’t act scared.” Jeremiah said, walking towards her.
“Scared? Ha!” Katy said. “She’s terrified!”
Katy was right, Madeline was terrified.
Then Madeline ran into something.
“Hey, Blondie, you coming to.—“ then Andrew saw Jeremiah. “To, Sophie’s house?”
“Yes, I was just taking a short cut.” She let out a sigh of relief.
Thank you for coming when you did! She thought.
“I was just saying good bye to Madeline.” Jeremiah said. “Bye Madeline! Have fun, Love!”
And he grabbed Katy’s arm and they walked back down the hall way.
“Oh. My. Gosh.” Madeline breathed.
“Wow, you get more normal every time I see you.”
“He was going to hurt me, Andrew.” Madeline said.
“Well I wouldn’t let him. Remember that. You have nice friends. No need to worry.”
Madeline smiled, “Thanks.”
*
The meeting went great, they waited to vote on presdents and such. So Madeline got to cast her vote, she didn’t get an office, but she didn’t care, as long as she was there, she didn’t care.
Sophie was made President, it was her third year running.
Tyler was nice president.
Andrew was treasurer.
And Nick was voted secretary.
Sophie introduced the idea’s that Madeline and her had thought up. Everyone thought they were great ideas. And that Madeline should be Tess and Sharpay.
“I think she should! I mean, she’s blonde, and she’s lived a wealthy lifestyle and she’s been around people who are snooty and mean her whole life. She’ll know how to act like them.” April Spring said. (yes, that’s her first and last name)
“But what about Katy?” Nick asked.
No one had noticed that Katy was there. “She quit.” Madeline said.
Everyone looked at her.
“She told me on the way here.”
“Are you just saying that so your get the parts?” Nick asked.
Madeline’s eyes blazed. She was getting sick and tied of people accusing her of lying. “No. She did.”
“She’s not lying. I saw Katy talking to her. And she ran off with her boyfriend.” Andrew backed Madeline up.
“Really?” Nick scoffed.
“I belive them,” Sophie said. “And as president. I say that if we do those dramas. That Madeline gets those parts.”
“Can’t we vote?” Nick whined.
“No.” Sophie had always been firm. But Madeline had never seen her this firm.
Nick sat back in his chair. “Some free Drama Club this is!”
And the rest of the night. Nick didn’t say anything else.
After the meeting. Sophie, Tyler and Andrew wanted to come to Madeline’s house.
“No, no. I-I’ll be fine. Jeremiah thinks I did it. And that’s good enough for him. So maybe he’ll just leave me alone.” Madeline said.
“I don’t know, Maddie…” Sophie said.
“Sophie’s right. Jeremiah was mean before, now he’s hurting you. And that’s not right. It’s like, he doesn’t want you do go all indepentant. So he thinks hurting you will keep you in line, or something.” Tyler said.
“Yeah, Blondie.” Andrew said “You wouldn’t be safe with him around. And Jade isn’t any help either.”
“Speaking of Jade, I haven’t seen her like all day. Just when we were in the limo.” Sophie said.
“What if…” Madeline said, her eyes got wide. “Do you think that Jeremiah would hurt her too? What if this whole time, she was mean to me just because Jeremiah threntened her if she didn’t?”
“Do you know anything about your life before you came to the Coplyns?” Tyler asked.
“No.” Madeline sighed.
“Think as hard as you can.”
“Ok.” She closed her eyes.
She thought back as far as she could go. She rembered some of her mom, she had blonde hair like Madeline and her dad. It was a little fuzzy, but she could rember him having brown hair and beard. Then…then…
A loud noise came. Madeline lost the picture, her eyes flew open.
“What the…?” Andrew said.
Then they saw Jade. “Oops. I didn’t mean to know down all these file cabnits.”
And sure enough, all the file cabnits were in the floor.
Everyone just stared at her, except Madeline, she was angry, Jade had done that on purpose.
“What are you doing?” Madeline asked.
“I was coming in here to see if you were done with your…” She looked around the room. “Club.”
Madeline turned pale.
They know. She thought. I am so doomed now!
She was going to try to lie her way out of this.
Just tell them the truth. Some said inside her head.
“No!” she hissed to herself.
“What?” Jade asked.
“Nothing. But what do you mean, ‘club’? We were just in here waiting for you guys to get here.” Madeline crossed her arms.
“Really?” Jade asked. A sly smile came across her face.
“Y-yes, really.” Madeline said, trying to act confident.
“Yeah, we were waiting for you guys to get here. I guess your limo isn’t very fast.” Tyler said.
Thank you for helping! Madeline thought. But she was sarcastic. They had just stood there.
“Really? Then what is this?” Jade held up Sophie’s notebook, with all of her notes about the Club.
Sophie’s eyes got wide, she looked at Madeline. Madeline was still pale.
“That’s mine Jade, give it here.” Sophie said.
“What is it?” Jade asked, she went to open it.
“It’s just notes on math!” Sophie said quickly.
“Really?”
“Yes!” they all said that once.
But that wasn’t enough for Jade. “Let me look in it first.”
Madeline felt like she was in a book she read. When some guy was hurting this girl and a bunch of people ganged up on her, because that’s what the guy wanted. Because if they didn’t, they’d be sorry.
Madeline closed her eyes.
“Ha! I knew it! You are in the Drama Club, Madeline! Wait until Jeremiah hears about this!” Jade said, tossing the note book on the table.
“Jade! No! Please!” Madeline said. Running after her.
Jade whirled on her. Madeline took a step back. “I’m telling Jeremiah. And your going to be in so much trouble!” she flipped her perfect black hair and laughed. Contuining down the hall.
“I’m so doomed!” Madeline wailed, throwing her arms in the air.
“Hey, it’ll be fine. We’ll figure something out.” Andrew said. “Like I said before, we’re your friends, you don’t have to worry.”
Chapter 11
They did figure something out, but Madeline still wasn’t sure it was going to work.
Jeremiah and Jade picked her up just like after every meeting. But Jeremiah didn’t say anything.
Jade probably hadn’t said anything yet. Madeline thought. She clung to that. It was her only hope at the moment.
But Madeline was still scared. Jeremiah saw her yelling, so now he would get on her for lying. Which she wasn’t! She was just yelling because she was mad at Katy.
When they got to the house. Madeline ran out of the limo and into the house. She looked behind her, that was part of the plan.
It’s going to work. It has too! She thought.
Jade and Jeremiah were still in the car. The rain poured down, so Madeline couldn’t see what they were doing. She wanted so bad just to run into her room. But she needed to get proof that Jeremiah was hurting her so she could show someone.
The house was dark. And with the rain, thunder and lightning made it even more scarier.
Madeline shivered.
She walked around, looking at the pictures on the walls that she’d passed so many times. But in the dark and lightning, they looked different. There was a painting of her mum and father. And of the whole family, and indivaul paintings of each of the children.
“At least I got one.” Madeline murmered.
“You got what?”
Madeline whirled around and saw Jeremiah leaning on one of the chairs.
“Um…a painting.” Madeline said. So was fighting the fact just to run.
“I see.” Jeremiah said, stepping up to the painting Madeline was looking at. She stepped back so he could take a better look at it. (and just plain fear)
Then he turned to Madeline. “Jade told me.”
Madeline almost ran when he said that. She just had to hold him there, and make him do…something! Anything! So that Sophie and the others could tape it.
Just a few more mintues. She told herself.
*
Sophie and Andrew were climbing through the vents of the Coplyn house. Or mansion. Whatever you want to call it.
“This is so stupid!” Sophie hissed. “We should of just came home with her, and made sure Jeremiah didn’t so anything!”
“Sheesh, sis. Chill. I’ve learned how to hack into secerty systems, we just have to get to their’s.”
“How did you even learn how to do that?” Sophie said.
Andrew smiled his: Do you really want to know? Smile.
“Nevermind.” Sophie said.
When they finalley made it to the secerty room, Sophie was still not sure about his.
“What if Jeremiah files a law suit for breaking into his house?”
“Madeline gave us permission to do this! So it’s not against the law.” Andrew said. Walking up to the screens.
“But Madeline doesn’t have a lot of power over the house though. So Jeremiah could do what he pleases. And what if her parents find out? What if.—“
“Shhh! I need to work!” Andrew hissed.
He sat down at one of the chairs. Sophie pulled out her walkie talkie. “Tyler? Do you read me?”
“Loud and clear.” Tyler replied.
“Have you grilled Katy yet?” Andrew asked.
“No, she’s in her room, and I’m not allowed in there, but I’ll find a way. No problem.”
“Good.” Sophie said.
“How’s Madeline doing?”
“Fine, at the moment, Jeremiah just talking to her.” Then Sophie could a good look at the camara that was filiming Jeremiah and Madeline. “Never mind. She’s backing up. Gotta go Tyler.”
“Good luck!”
*
Madeline was backing up, because Jeremiah was talking to her, but he wasn’t being nice.
“You lied to me this whole time!” Jeremiah yelled.
“Y-yes, but I didn’t want you to find out.—“
“At least your honest about that! I wouldn’t have let you!”
“But why? What’s wrong with joining the Drama Club?” Madeline yelling back.
“Because. Just because.” Jeremiah said.
“Define: Because.” Madeline challenged.
That didn’t make Jeremiah happy. “It’s none of your business! Your in so much trouble Madeline!” He walked towards her.
Madeline’s eyes were wide to begin with, but now they got even wider. She walked back faster. Bumping into the painting of her parents.
You can do it! You can do it! She told herself.
Then Jeremiah raised his hand.
I can’t! She ducked and Jeremiah’s fist hit the painting.
Then there was a noise.
*
“What did you do?!” Sophie yelled over the loud ticking noises.
“I DIDN’T DO ANYTING!” Andrew yelled back.
Then the ticking stopped.
Andrew jumped out of the chair and dove at Sophie knocking her to the floor. And then the screens and camaras exploided.
*
Jeremiah turned his head at the noise. “What did you do?” He asked.
“Nothing! I-I did nothing!” Madeline said. Still staring at the hole Jeremiah had made in the painting.
He hadn’t meant to hit her, he was just letting some of his anger out, but Madeline still looked at it, stunned.
“Oh, that.” Jade said, walking through the door. “Was just the secerty system blowing up. Someone was in there,” She looked at Madeline. “Who wasn’t soupossed to be in there.”
“You didn’t!” Madeline screamed at her.
“Ha! I did!” Jade said.
“You could of killed S—whoever was in there!” Madeline screamed. Lunging at Jade.
Jade backed up, in fear. But before Madeline could touch Jade, Jeremiah pulled her back, wrapping his arms around her middle.
“This is quite enough!” he scoulded.
“Let me go!” Madeline yelled.
“Your not going to find out what you want! We’re making sure of that!” Jade said.
“What?” Madeline asked. Trying to pry Jeremiah’s arms off her.
“You know what I mean. Now,” Jade said stepping closer. “Who’s up there?”
Madeline looked away. “I don’t know.”
“Sure you do.” Jade said. “Who’s up there?” She asked again.
“I said I don’t know!” Madeline yelled
Jeremiah clamped a hand over her mouth. “No yelling. Who’s up there?” he took his hand off.
“I said I don’t ‘know!” She yelled again.
He put his hand over her mouth again. “Clearly she doesn’t know.”
“Your right. We should go see ourselves.” Jade said.
No! If they find them, I’ll be doomed! And they’ll be doomed! Madeline screamed at herself.
Jeremiah dragged Madeline along as they climbed the stairs and to the secerty room.
Andrew and Sophie were just recovering from their shock.
Jade threw open the door. “Look who we have here!”
Jeremiah had taken his hand off Madeline’s mouth and she yelled: “Run guys!” Jeremiah put his hand back on.
“None of that. Why are you up here?” Jeremiah damnded.
Sophie and Andrew scrambled to her feet. “We were, looking around, nice place you have by the way.” Andrew said.
Jade rolled her eyes. “Oh please.”
“Why are you here?” Jeremiah asked again.
“We were…” Sophie looked at Madeline.
What do we do? Sophie mouthed.
Just then a phone rang. Everyone just stood there. As the faint ring echoed threw the house.
“Jade, darling, we have a call. How about you go see who it is?” Jeremiah said.
“Oh course.” She bowed for some stupid reason and went out the door.
“I’m only going to ask one more time. Why are you here?” Jeremiah asked.
Madeline had been able to pry Jeremiah’s hand off her mouth. “There here because I have them permission to! Ok?”
“She actullay talks. That’s a first.” Jeremiah said. “Why did you give them permission?”
“Because.—“
“JEREMIAH!” Jade screamed.
“What?” Jeremiah yelled. Clearly annoyed.
“It’s father! Him and mum are coming home tomorrow!”
Jeremiah let go of Madeline, and she fell to the floor. Andrew rushed to help her up. “You ok, Blondie?” he asked.
“I’m fine.” She stood up. “At least father and mum are coming home, I won’t have to deal with Jeremiah and Jade for awhile.” Madeline said.
“We hope so.” Sophie said.
Chapter 12
For the rest of the night, Jeremiah didn’t yell. Jade didn’t…well…do anything. They let Sophie and Andrew go home.
They didn’t bother Madeline.
And for the rest of the night and all of the next day they didn’t even talk to Madeline.
While they were in the limo on the way home from school. Madeline finalley got up enough courage to ask them a question.
“Aren’t you guys mad at me?”
They turned in her direction. “Yes. Why wouldn’t we be?” Jade asked. Flipping her hair.
“I am. But it’s up to father what he thinks your punishment should be.” Jeremiah said.
“Just because I joined the Drama Club? You think I should get punished for that?” Madeline snapped. “And wouldn’t of been father’s job to like you know…Father me?”
Jeremiah’s eyes narrowed. “Yes.” And no one said anything else.
You didn’t answer my other question. Madeline thought.
When they got home, Madeline went straight to her room. And she fell on her bed and sighed.
“They thought I knew something that they didn’t want me to know.” Madeline said to herself. “Or they don’t want me to find out something.”
She stood up and started pacing. “This is getting out of hand. They’ve never acted the way they did last night. Something big is going on.” She stopped. “Or has been going on for the past eight years.”
Before she could pace anymore the door opened down stairs and a chorus of ‘hellos!’ ‘Miss you’s!’ came from the bottom floor.
Madeline so didn’t want to go down there. But she had too. She decided to wait until they had stopped saying hello. But then there was a awful silence.
They’re telling on me! Madeline thought. She ran to her door and threw it open.
“Madeline dear! It’s so nice to see you!” came Mrs. Coplyn’s cheery voice.
Madeline floated down the steps. And gave her mum a hug.
“You sure have grown. How long has it been? A week?”
“A year, mum.” Jeremiah said.
“Oh! Yes, well time flies when your having fun.”
Playing poker and walking down runways, fun? Ha, I don’t think so. Madeline thought.
“Oh, yes! Fun indeed.” Mr. Coplyn said. He patted Madeline on the shoulder. “Good to see you, Madeline.”
Madeline didn’t hug her father, she knew better not to. He wasn’t one for hugs, kisses, anything loving really.
“Hello, father.” She had gotten rid of her ‘Drama Speech’ so that mum and father wouldn’t of suspected anything.
“Jeremiah tells me you’ve been acting up.” Mr. Coplyn said.
Madeline looked over the Jeremiah and Jade, looking like perfect angels. She stuck her tonge at them. Jade smiled and sly smile. Jeremiah just winked.
“Really? I don’t rember such things.” Madeline said. Putting on a smile. Lie Number 1 of the Day.
“Really?” her father raised any eyebrow.
“Yes, father. Would I ever lie?” Lie Number 2.
“You’ve been known too.” And then he turned to Jeremiah and Jade. “We’ll discust this later. For now, let’s just be happy that we’re home.”
“Yes father!” They all said.
“Good.” And then he sweeped up the steps to his study. And Mrs. Coplyn went to the sitting room.
And Madeline was left alone with Jade and Jeremiah.
“Why did you do that?” she damnded.
“Do what?” Jade asked.
“Tell on me!”
“Well you did act up.” Jeremiah said.
Madeline opened her mouth to say something, but then she closed it. No matter what she said, she would still not win.
She crossed her arms and looked out the window.
“Don’t look so glum, Love.” Jeremiah said, putting a hand on her shoulder.
Madeline flinched.
“Maybe it’ll be a mild punishment.”
“Ha, do we live with the same father?” Madeline snapped. Taking his hand off her shoulder.
“But I might add, you did a good job at lying back there.” Jeremiah said.
“Well, when you live with liars, you learn how do lie.” Madeline sniffed.
“Really? You calling us liars?” Jade asked, taking a step towards Madeline.
“Yes! You have lied so many times, I can’t even recall how many. Like that one time, when you,” she pointed at Jeremiah. “Broke one of mum’s vases, and you blamed it on me!”
“Enough, Madeline.” Jeremiah said.
“No! I’ve had enough with the lying around here. It’s always: ‘Madeline did this’ and ‘Madeline did that’ never ‘Jeremiah did this’ or ‘Jade did that’ it’s always me. Why is that?”
Jade and Jeremiah looked at each other.
“Well?” Madeline asked.
“It doesn’t matter.” Jeremiah said.
“Not to you it doesn’t, but to me it does!” She tried to hold back the tears.
“I said enough!” Jeremiah yelled.
Madeline decided that she should go, so she did. She ran out the front door. And down the sidewalk. Her own tears blinded her. And she came to the libaray and went in.
“Hello, Madeline, dear. How are you today?” Ms. Longachre the librain asked.
Madeline brushed her eyes with her hand. “Not good I’m afraid.”
“Why dear?” The librain asked.
“I-It’s nothing. Just something going on with my family. That’s all.”
“Oh I see. How about you have a seat dear.”
“Thank you.” Madeline sat down and buried her hands in her knees and cried.
Chapter 13
Jeremiah and Jade were looking. And looking. And looking.
“Where is she?” whined Jade. “I’m tired of walking!”
“Shut up, Jade. She’s around here somewhere. She couldn’t of left the state.” Jeremiah thought about that for a second. “On second thought, yes she could.” He didn’t usually tell Jade, his perfect little sister to ‘shut up’ but he was irrated.
“Then can we just go home? If she left the state then we’ll never have to worry about her finding out who she is.” Jade said. The sun beat down on her black silky hair, making it shine.
“No. If we never find her than she’ll find out another way. And then mum and father would kill us.”
Jade sighed. “Yes. Your right.”
As they were walking up the side walk, they passed the play ground.
“Hey! Look! It’s the Coplyns!” Andrew Jackson yelled from the top of the slide.
“So immature. He’s fourteen. Why would he up there?” Jade said. Flipping her hair.
“Really.” Jeremiah said.
“Where’s Blondie?” Andrew called.
That made Jade and Jeremiah stop. “Madeline, has run away. Have you seen her?”
“No, but I can see why she would want to.” He slapped his knee and laughed.
“Andrew! Shut up. If Madeline has run away, then we’ll help look for her!” Sophie snapped.
“Oh yeah, right.” Andrew slid down the slide and down to where is sister was sitting doing some kind of math work on the swing.
“No, we don’t need help.” Jade said.
“I don’t care if you don’t need help. Madeline might be the one who needs help.” Sophie said, sticking her caculater in her back pocket.
“Seriously.” Andrew said.
“We don’t need help! So go back to what you were doing.” Jeremiah snapped.
“Why should we? We don’t want you to hurt her now do we?” Sophie said, falling in step with the Coplyns.
“We don’t want to hurt her.” Jade said.
“Really? I saw that hole you made in the painting. Looks like you could of if you wanted to.”
“How did you…? Nevermind. It doesn’t matter. We wouldn’t really hurt her.” Jeremiah said.
“Then why does she have a bruise on her leg from where you hit her?” Sophie pushed.
Jeremiah stopped, his eyes narrowed. “That was between me and Madeline.”
“Then maybe you should say your sorry then?”
“She’s the one who should say sorry.”
“No. You should, for hitting her. I don’t care how much you think that she was lying. She wasn’t.”
Jeremiah and Sophie gave each other a horrible glare. And they probably would of attacked each other if Tyler’s voice hadn’t sliced through them.
“Hey, guys. What’s up?” asked Tyler. Katy was right beside him.
“We’re looking for Madeline.” Sophie said, still glaring at Jeremiah. “She ran away.”
“Good,” Katy crossed her arms. “She can stay lost, I don’t care if she ever finds out she’s.—“
“KATY! SHUT UP!” Jeremiah yelled at her.
Katy covered her mouth. “Sorry.”
“Finds out she’s who?” Sophie asked.
“Nothing. Come Jade, Katy.” And he started to walk away. Jade and Katy hurried after him.
Sophie groaned. “I can see why Madeline’s always complaining about him.”
“You didn’t know that before?” Andrew said.
Sophie elbowed him in the ribs.
“What do we do? We don’t want them to find Madeline first.” Tyler said.
“We don’t.” Sophie sighed.
“Call her then.” Andrew suggested.
“Good idea. I will.” Sophie pulled out her phone and dialed Madeline’s number.
*
Madeline heard her ringtone. She looked up from her knees, eyes red and puffy. And took her phone out of her pocket.
CALL: SOPHIE
She answered it as fast as she could.
“Sophie! I can’t take them anymore!” she cried. There was a ‘shhh’ from Ms. Longacre.
Madeline got up and went to the back room, where the bathrooms were. And a door where people delivered books from other libaray’s.
“It’s fine, but where are you? If Jeremiah and Jade, and K—That witch, find you firtst, then your going to be in even more trouble.” Sophie said.
“I’m at the libaray. What do you mean ‘find me first’?”
Sophie told Madeline the whole conversation between her and Jeremiah.
“Then I am different! I mean, really different!” Madeline whispered.
“I know, but if they find you first.—“ Sophie’s voice was covered up by a loud noise. Madeline looked at her phone.
TRACKING IN PROGGRESS
“W-what?” Madeline said. She threw her phone on the ground and ran out of the libaray. She stopped sundenly when see saw Jeremiah, Jade and Katy walking towards her.
“Madeline, darling! There you are!” Jeremiah sang.
“Um…I have to go somewhere!” Madeline said and she ran back into the libaray.
“Wait!” Jeremiah called.
But Madeline didn’t stop, she just kept running. She ran into the libaray and out the door were people delivered books. Or that’s what she thought the door was for, she almost fell off the edge. It was a good ten feet fall down into an alley. She took a step back and breathed deep.
“That was close.” She murmerd. She turned around and ran into yellow polo shirt.
Jeremiah.
Chapter 14
Jeremiah grabbed her arms so she couldn’t fall or run away.
“Why did you run away?” he asked. He wasn’t being nice anymore.
“I-I…” Madeline said. “Because!”
“Because isn’t a good enough reason!” Jeremiah snapped.
“Well you thought it was a good enough reason when you used it!”
“That’s different. I can use it.”
“Why can’t I?”
Jeremiah looked away for a second. He looked back. “Because I am older and I have complete and utter control over you.”
Madeline took a step back. Almost falling. Jeremiah still had a grip on her arms, but she wasn’t feeling safe with them there.
“You do not!” Madeline yelling.
“I do! Now shut up. We’re going back home.”
“No! I don’t want to!” she screamed. She kicked Jeremiah, he bangded against the stone wall.
And Madeline did a terrible thing. She took another step back.
She screamed as she fell to the ground.
“MADELINE!” Jeremiah screamed. He tried to grab her hand, anything. But she was already falling.
Madeline turned herself around, preparing for the worst. Then everything went black.
Chapter 15
Madeline rembered being carried into the ambulance. She rembered Jeremiah wanting to ride with her. But someone wouldn’t let him.
She remembered waking up and screaming. And then someone poked something in her arm. And she went back to sleep.
When she finalley woke up. She was in a hospital room, with a huge window and a awesome view.
Her head hurt. A lot. And her hand didn’t feel right. She tired to sit up but she felt sick.
“Uhhhh.” She said.
“Hey, Blondie, how ya doin?” Andrew asked.
Sophie was at the end of her bed. Patting her leg.
“Not good I’m afraid.” She said. her voice sounded like scratchy.
“At least your talking.” Sophie said.
Good old Sophie. Madeline thought.
“They wouldn’t let Jeremiah in.” Andrew said.
“Why?” Madeline asked.
“We don’t know. Something about needing to ask him why you were up there in the first place. He’s the oldest and the one who isn’t in the hospital right now. So the police had to ask him.”
“Oh.” She kind of wanted him in with her. But then she pushed that thought away.
“But you got us.” Andrew smiled.
Madeline forced a smile back. She wasn’t feeling all to happy.
“What’s wrong with my hand?” she asked.
“You broke it.” Sophie said. “But that’s it. Nothing major.”
“Oh, is that all?” she groaned. “Feels like something really heavy fell on it.”
“Well you did.” Andrew laughed. “You hit the ground on your front and your hand was tucked under you.”
“The doctor said that you have a slight concusion.” Sophie added.
“So that’s why my head hurts.” Madeline moaned. “Where’s Jade and Katy?”
“They were taken to the police station. I have no idea why. They weren’t even there.”
“You don’t know that.” Madeline said. Forcing herself to sit up. “They could have been. I mean, I didn’t even hear Jeremiah walk up behind me.”
Andrew looked at Sophie. “She’s right. Her brain wasn’t damnanged.”
Sophie hit him in the leg. “Shut up.”
Madeline laughed. But it hurt, so she had to stop.
“What happens when I get out of here?” Madeline asked. “I don’t want to go back home.”
“If you can ever call it that.” Sophie said. Crossing her arms.
Then there was a knock at the door. Andrew went to see who it was, but the person apperntly wasn’t in a waiting mood, the door flew open.
“Madeline, darling! Are you ok?” Mrs. Coplyn cried, running to the bed.
Mr. Coplyn pushed Andrew aside and walked to the bed too.
“I’m fine.” Madeline said. Then she looked at Sophie and mouthed: I’m not.
Sophie nodded. She knew that Madeline’s parents weren’t the nicest.
“What happened dear?” Mrs. Coplyn asked.
Madeline laid back down.
“She broke her hand, Mrs. Coplyn. And she has a slight consucsion.” Sophie replied.
“Did we ask you?” Mr. Coplyn asked.
Sophie opened her mouth to say something snippy back, but Andrew covered her mouth. “Acutlley, that’s what the doctor said. We were just saying what he said, sir.”
Mr. Coplyn nodded. “Fine. Who are you anyway?”
“There my friends, father.” Madeline said.
“I see.” He looked them up and down. “Well, off you go. We would like to talk to Madeline. Alone.”
“Of course sir.” Andrew dragged Sophie out of the room, hand still on her mouth.
Sophie tore his hand off and mouthed: Praying for you.
Madeline smiled.
“Madeline, enough with the acting, what happened?” Mr. Coplyn danmded.
“I fell.” Madeline said.
“Where?”
“I was at the libaray and Jeremiah and I were arguing and you know we got mad so I fell off.”
Mr. Coplyn opened his mouth to say something.
“And I’m not blaming him, I’m just saying what happened.” Lie Number 3.
My fake parents. Madeline thought.
“We know your not, darling.” Mrs. Coplyn said. Giving Mr. Coplyn a look that cleary meant: shut up.
Mr. Coplyn sat in the chair next to the bed.
Here it comes. Madeline thought. Jeremiah and his father had the same body language, so Madeline knew what was coming.
“Why did you run away in the first place?” He asked.
“Because….we were arguing.” Madeline said. Looking away.
“Where is Jeremiah and Jade?” Mrs. Coplyn asked.
“At the police station.” Madeline answered. Still turned away.
“What?” Mr. Coplyn cried. “Why are they there?”
He was turning into mean Jeremiah, except, he could be a lot meaner
“I don’t know! Something about questioning them.” Madeline snapped. Turning to her father.
“Don’t you dare talk to me that way, you little.—“
“Exiuse me, sir. But I would like you not to stress my patient out.” The doctor came into the room.
“I’m her father mister. You got a.—“
Mrs. Coplyn hit him in the arm. “Sorry doctor, we’ll be leaving now.” And she dragged Mr. Coplyn out the door.
“Were they your parents Madeline?” the doctor asked. Sitting at the end of the bed.
“To tell you the truth. I don’t know.” Madeline sighed.
“What do you mean?” the doctor asked.
“It’s hard to explain. Do I look anything like them?”
“No. But, that doesn’t explain anything. You could be adopted.”
“Like I said, it’s hard to explain.” Madeline sighed.
The doctor just nodded. “Ok, back to medical things. How do you feel right now, for a scale one to ten?”
“A eight.”
“Alright. How does your arm feel?”
“Like a semi truck fell on it.”
The doctor laughed, and then he saw Madeline’s face. “Ahem, sorry.”
Madeline just nodded. “I don’t know what I’m going to do!”
“It’s going to be fine, we’ll patch you up and you’ll be good as new.—“
“No! I don’t want to go back to my house!” she burst into tears.
“Madeline, I’m not a therapist. But I can see your having some emotional problems.”
Madeline just nodded, she kept crying.
“I don’t know how you fell off a ledge, your too old to not go around places like that.”
Madeline nodded again.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Madeline forced herself to stop crying. And she spilled the whole story out to the doctor, starting with spilling the coffee on Jade.
“I see.” The doctor leaned back. “I’ll tell the police.—“
“No! If you do that, then-then…”
“Madeline, this is serious. If what you say is true, someone needs to talk to your ‘parents’.”
Madeline nodded, and leaned back on the bed. “They just know something that I don’t.”
And when she turned back to the doctor, he was gone.
“Hello?” she said.
I am with you always. A voice said in Madeline’s head. It was God’s.
“I know. I’m just having some issues.” She sighed. “And I have to make them right.” She stood up and got off the bed.
She wobbled her way to the door.
She was going back there, and she was going to make everything right, no matter what it took.
Chapter 16
Madeline had to sneak around the hospital to get out. The nurses and doctors would ask why she was out of bed. She couldn’t go around being seen. (1 She looked like someone who was soupossed to be there. That’s all I need to say.
So found a back door and walked out. The sun blinded her. She sheilder her eyes, and she saw the police station.
She started to walk over to it, but then she doubled over and threw up.
“Oh, that is sick.” She mumbled. And she countined over to the station.
When she was almost to the door, it flew open and a angry Mr. Coplyn came storming out.
Madeline hid behind a wall.
“YOU TWO ARE STUPID!” He was yelling.
And a scared Jeremiah and Jade came out after him.
“We’re sorry, she just got too smart.” Jade was saying.
“I DON’T CARE HOW ‘SMART’ SHE IS! YOU WERE STUPID!” Mr. Coplyn bellowed.
“We’ll go find her for you.—“ Jeremiah started.
“NO! I already know where she is, I just need to get her out of there. And she’s going to get it.”
Madeline almost ran at the moment. But she stayed firm.
“How?” Jeremiah asked.
George was holding open the limo door. Mr. Coplyn stopped and turned to his children.
“I have my people working on it. Now GET IN!”
Jeremiah and Jade, with their heads down, got into the car. Mr. Coplyn slammed the door shut behind them. And he got in on the other side.
Madeline was waiting for that feeling she always wanted, the one when Jade and Jeremiah would finally get it. But it didn’t come. And she would about to run to the car and tell Mr. Coplyn a thing or too. But somebody grabbed her from behind.
“What are you doing?” Hissed Katy.
“I’m going to tell my ‘dad’ a thing or to.—“ then she stopped. “Wait, why aren’t you with Jeremiah?”
“It’s hard to explain. And just please, don’t go to them.” Katy was shaking now.
“What did they do?” Madeline asked.
“Nothing!”
Madeline looked at her.
“Ok! Your ‘dad’ is so mad at Jeremiah that he told me who you were and now he said he would take care of me later! I’m so scared!” Katy was now crying.
“Now you know how I feel.” Madeline said. “Come on. You can help me.” She grabbed Katy’s hand and dragged her to get a cab.
“Hey, where’s the accent?” Katy asked.
Madeline stopped. She hadn’t known she had stopped using it. “I’m not English you know. I was just waiting for a opportunity to get rid of it.”
“Oh.” Katy nodded, the tears were still coming. But not as fast. “Do you want me to tell you who you are?”
“No, I want Jeremiah, Jade and my—Mr. and Mrs. Coplyn to tell me who I am.”
“I can agree with that.” Katy said, getting her hand away from Madeline’s.
They walked for awhile and then they came to an ally.
“This is a shortcut I took when I was littler. Then they found out. And that wasn’t any fun.” Madeline said. They went through. When they were almost threw someone in black landed in front of them.
“We were wondering where you had gone.” The lady said.
Madeline took a step back. “W-who are you?”
“I see your accent is gone, James isn’t going to like that.” The lady said, stepping closer.
“Who?” Katy whispered.
“M—Mr. Coplyn. Mrs. Coplyn name is Jemima. I’m the only one who’s name is different.” Madeline whispered back.
“Oh.”
“Stop whispering!” the lady yelled.
Madeline’s bravery meter had gone down. She took another step back.
Then Katy screamed. Madeline whirled around a man in black was behind them, he had black sunglasses on and he had his arm around Katy’s neck and a gun in the other hand. Madeline knew what was coming.
She turned back around and bumped into the lady. “I’ve been having some problems with bumping into people.”
“Now, darling, we just want to take you home.” The lady put a finger under Madeline’s chin. “You don’t look well.”
Madeline slapped the lady’s hand away. “I’m fine!” she snapped.
The lady took off her sunglasses. Her blonde hair was wavy and her dark blue eyes seemed to bore into Madeline’s brown ones.
“Your…” Madeline said.
“You remember me darling? I’m glad you do.” The lady laughed. “Without me, you wouldn’t be here right now.”
“What do you mean?” Madeline’s voice shook.
“I think we should let, Mr. Coplyn tell you. How’s that?”
“No!” Madeline said. She heard Katy scream.
“Now, now, if you don’t behave, then your friend will have to suffer the consuqenions.” The lady shook her head.
“Hurt me instead! You have all done that a lot already!”
Another scream from Katy.
“Hey!” Madeline whirled around and saw Tyler waving his hands. “Over here, dumbies!”
“What is this?” the lady schreenched.
Madeline turned back around. “My friend.” Then she kicked the guy who held Katy. His gun shot off into the air.
“You little…” The women growled. The lunged for Madeline, but then she stopped, and her eyes rolled up into her head and she fell.
It was Katy’s turn to throw up.
“You guys alirght?” Andrew asked. He came around the other side of the building. And Sophie came from the other side. And they both weren’t even smiling.
Tyler came from the back. “You ok, Katy?” he asked. His face full of concern.
“Y.—“ then Katy doubled over and again and puked.
“Ok, that is gross.” Madeline said. “What did you eat?”
“This isn’t the time to joke around.” Andrew snapped.
Madeline turned around eyes wide. Andrew never stopped joking. And he never snapped. Ever. “You ok, Andrew?”
“No, no I’m not. We need to get you out of here. They’ll be back.”
“Who?” Madeline damndaned. She was starting mistrust her friends.
Tyler was confused too. “What?”
Sophie, even though a good four inches shorter than Madeline, pushed her out of the ally.
“Sophie! Stop!” Madeline was freaking out now. Sophie now had a tight grip on her arm. “That hurts!”
“This is for your own protection, your highness.” Sophie said.
“What?” Madeline stopped moving completely.
“It’s hard to explain, you just need to get into the helicopter, and.—“
“No! What are you talking about?” Madeline yelled.
She went a hand over her mouth. “Chief was right. This was going to be hard.” Andrew said.
“She doesn’t get it.” Sophie said.
Madeline wanted to scream: I don’t get what?! But Andrew’s hand was over her mouth.
Then a helicopter came, blades making everything windy, just like the sceane in High School Musical 2 when Sharpay’s dad came by helicopter just to play golf. But this time, Madeline was happy.
A bunch of people in black suits came pouring out. And they went to Tyler and Katy, who were looking completely and utterly terrifed.
“What are you doing?!” Madeline screamed.
“Just, chill, Blondie. Everything’s going to be fine, ok? ”Andrew said.
Then a bunch of agents grabbed Madeline and dragged her into the copter. They put her in a seat and buckled her up.
“Just sit, your highness, everything will be ok.” One of them said.
Madeline just stared at him. But the agent was probably used to getting reactions like that, because he went back out of the copter, Madeline could hear Tyler was yelling, and Katy crying.
Madeline tired to unbuckle herself, but it wouldn’t come undone.
“Tyler! Katy!” she screamed. Then she saw them being dragged in too, with their hands hand cuffed behind their backs.
“Stop that! Leave them be!” Her English accent was coming back, because she was really scared.
They put blind folds on them.
“This is for your own safety.” Another agent said.
“Well I don’t see how you got the auortiry to tie up my friends!” She yelled.
The agent just walked away. Andrew sat down next to her. She looked away.
“Hey, it’ll be fine.” He said.
Still turned around, Madeline said, “I don’t even know what’s happening, how am I soupossed to know it’s going to be ok?” She turned, hitting Andrew in the face with her curls. “And how come you have to tie up Katy and Tyler? What did they do?”
“It’s part of protacal.” Andrew replied.
Madeline snoted. “Sure.”
“This isn’t a laughing, matter, Madeline.—“
“I don’t care!” she yelled. And she turned back around, smacking Andrew again with her curls.
Andrew sighed and got up.
“She’s not getting this.” She said the Sophie.
“I can hear you!” Madeline shouted.
Andrew and Sophie went to the very back of the helicopter. “She’s not understanding this.” Andrew hissed.
“She will.” Sophie turned and looked at Madeline, who was now looking out the window with her arms crossed. A tear slid down her cheek. “I just don’t like how we have to do this. Why couldn’t the more advanced agents do it?”
“Because, we were the ones she had to get to trust.” Andrew answered.
Sophie turned to him. “So we can break her trust?” And she went off to the cock pit.
Andrew sighed. Great, now I have two girls one me.
Chapter 17
On the ride there, Madeline was trying to think of a plan to excape. But when she saw the base, all of the planning disappeared. As soon as they landed, two agents came and unbuckled her and practicly dragged her out of the helicopter.
The base was locatied in a forest, so that no one would know where it was. It was just like any other buisnees building you’d see like in New York or something. But inside, that was what was different.
The two agents had there hands on her arms, gently, but they were pulling her. Because she was highly protesting.
“Let me go!” she yelled at them.
“This is for your own good, your highness.” One of the agents said.
“I don’t understand any of this!” Madeline cried.
The agent didn’t answer. As they dragged her along, Andrew and Sophie hurried to catch up.
When they got to a room, a dark room. They put her in a chair.
“I damnand to know what is going on!” she screamed.
“We were saving your life, missy.” A dark man came in to the room. “Unless you would like us to take you back.”
“I would!” Madeline said.
“Wow, that uselly works.” The man said. Then he took a deep breath and folded his hands behind his back. “Do you know why you are here?”
“Some ‘hello’ that is. And no. I don’t. And that’s what I want to know!”
“Well, you are here because you are in danger.”
“From whom?” Madeline said.
“You don’t have to act, your highness. We know all about you.”
“Fine.” Madeline said. non-accent. Folding her arms. “Why am I in danger?”
“You are in danger because, these people…” he switched a light on and pulled a projector screen out of the ceiling. And the picture of the same women that had threntened her back in the ally. “This is Juilia Switchal. Top assain. And bounty hunter. In all of the world.”
“That’s nice.” Madeline murmered. “I thought bounty hunters were only in Star Wars.”
“No, they all very real, ma’am. Very real.”
“Please don’t call me ‘ma’am’” Madeline said.
“Alright then…” he looked at a file. “Madeline.”
Madeline rolled her eyes.
“Now back to what I was saying.” He clicked a button and the screen changed. It was now on a picture of a family that Madeline rembered from history class. “This is the Nikolaevna’s. The last royal family of Russia.”
“Oh! I rember them. They were shot in a basement.” Madeline said. Sundenly interested.
“Yes. Ahem. They were. But did you know that they had had another child?”
“What do you mean?” Madeline asked.
The man leaned in. “There was one more child born into that family before they all died.”
“And this has to do with me how…?” Madeline asked, puzzled.
“Your mother was that child.”
Madeline sat back. Then she said. “You guys are crazy!” she got up.
“Sit, Madeline.” The man said sternly.
Madeline sat.
“We are not crazy, when your mother was eighty, she died in child birth.”
“That’s impossible! You can’t have a baby at eighty!” Madeline exclaimed.
“Your mother prayed for one. And God did. Just like Elizabeth in the Bible.”
Madeline thought about it. “Yes, I guess you could if God helped.” Then she sat forward. “But how did my mom exacpe?”
“The nurse hid the baby and then when your family was shot she ran out with her and raised her on her own. But always was told she was royalty.” The man reipled. “So when your mother was old enough she married and at eighty had you. And sadly, she died.”
“What about my dad?” Madeline pressed.
“Before you were born, there had been rumors going around that some people new about your mother. And that they had formed a group to get rid of her. So after you were born, the group found out for real that some of the royal family was still alive.” The man said. “But they didn’t’ strike until you were five.”
“That’s when I came to the Coplyn’s!” Madeline exclaimed.
The man nodded. “Yes.”
“Juilia said that I wouldn’t be here if she hadn’t helped me or something.” Madeline said.
The man nodded again. “She was right. When Mr. Coplyn ordered his people to take you and your father down. Juilia was with them. But when she saw you. She was too sad to kill you. So she took you back to the Coplyn’s. But they killed your father.”
Madeline had been trying to hold back tears. But they were coming down her cheeks. “I can’t belive they lied to me for so many years. I knew that I was different. I always have. But…” her voice trailed off.
“That is why we are trying to protect you. Now they won’t stop until you are dead, Madeline. That’s why we’re here. We are to protect you. Not even the government knows we exist. That’s how secret we are.” The man said.
Madeline nodded. “What do I do now? I can’t go back to the Coplyn’s.”
“That is why we have gotten you a au pair slash mother.” He motioned towards the door. “This is Izzy.”
A women with blonde hair and brown eyes just like Madeline came in. “Hello, sugar.” She said. She had a western accent. Which Madeline thought was cool.
“Hi.” Madeline said. Shyly.
“Izzy is here to protect you and to be your mother. And what not.” The man said.
“Great!” Madeline said.
“And at school…” he motioned to the door again and Andrew and Sophie came in. “They are to protect you when Izzy isn’t there. All good?”
“It’s all good. Thank you.” Madeline said.
“Oh, and by the way, my name is Chief.” The man said.
“Got it.” Madeline said.
Madeline walked down the hall with Andrew, Sophie and Izzy.
“I guess everything will be ok now.” Madeline said, turning to Izzy she said. “Can I sing and watch High School Musical like, when I want?”
“Of course. Why couldn’t ya?” Izzy answered, smiling. Her tooth paste commercial smile.
“Because, I couldn’t back at my other place.” She said. Turning back around. “I was forced to watch it on my closet.” She laughed.
Izzy wraped her arm around Madeline. “Well, not where your going, you don’t.”
Madeline smiled. This isn’t going to be hard. Then she prayed silently to herself. “Thank you, Lord, for helping me.”
They took the helicopter back to Los. Angelas. Where Izzy, Andrew and Sophie took Madeline to an apartment.
It wasn’t small, it was big. With two bedrooms. One for Izzy and one for Madeline and two bathrooms and a dining room and kitchen. It was a nice little place. And out of the way, so no assaians wouldn’t try to get here.
When Andrew and Sophie were about to leave, Madeline said. “And guys.” The turned around. “Don’t call me, ‘your highness’ just call me what you always used to.”
Andrew bowed clumsily. “Of couse, Blondie.”
Sophie gave her a hug. “See ya tomorrow at school, Maddie. Hope your hand feels better.”
“Bye!” Madeline said, waving from the front door.
“Hey, darlin. What do you want for supper?” Izzy called from the kitchen.
Madeline stopped and thought. She wouldn’t have to have fancy food ever again.
“Turkey sandwhiches!” she called.
“With chips?” Izzy called back.
“BBQ. Please.”
“Sure thing. I’ll make it right now!”
Madeline went to her room and fell on her bed. This wasn’t going to be bad at all. She would decorate her room with High School Musical posters. And she was sing and dance all she wanted. And she could be in the Drama Club. And there would be no one to be afraid of.
She sat back up. She heard Izzy singing “Home on the Range” in the kitchen. And she had a wonderful new mom. Someone who would actually love her. And no ignore her.
She went to her closet and squealed with joy. There were so many outfits she had never seen before! And they weren’t fancy! And now one to tell her not to wear them.
This was going to be ok. She told herself. Ok.
Then her phone rang. She went happily to it and didn’t even look at the screen, so was so sure it was Tyler or Katy. (which by the way. Are fine, they didn’t get brainwashed or anything. They swore they wouldn’t’ tell anyone about Madeline.) Or maybe, Andrew or Sophie but before she could say anything Jeremiah’s silky voice spoke into her ear.
“Hello, there Love. How are you?” he asked.
“Great. And why.—“
“Just let me cut to the chase. Father isn’t happy. Not happy at all. So you better not make anymore trouble for us. And just come right back. Everything can be the way it should, all of us together again.”
“I don’t want to go back with you! You weren’t even nice to me!”
“Well, how can we be nice when we don’t like you?” Spat Jeremiah then he could a deep breath. “We just miss you. Come back.”
“No!”
Jeremiah sighed. “Your funeral, Love.” Then the line went dead.
“Darlin, are you alright?” Izzy’s voice cheered up Madeline a little.
“I’m fine!” She called then to herself. “I won’t tell her, it’ll just make her worry.” And she went back down stairs.
Everything will be fine. God’s with me and I have the nicest friends and family anyone could ask for. It’s gonna be fine. She thought.
And she went to have supper\dinner with Izzy.
“What would my last name be, Izzy?” Madeline asked.
“Since we don’t know your father’s last name, your last name would be, Nikolaevna. But not to rise suspension, we would change the ‘I’ to a ‘y’.” Izzy replied.
Madeline took a bite of her turkey sandwich. “That makes sense. And what would I be called? Would it be: Lady Madeline or something like that?”
Lizzy laughed. “Yes darlin. It would.”
“I like how that sounds. ‘Lady Madeline!”
Izzy laughed again. And smiled her tooth-paste-commercail-smile. “Madeline, your too funny.”
And they countied to eat. And Madeline went to bed that night, forgetting about the conversation between Jeremiah and her.
Everything was normal. Until…
THE END
Madeline was different, yeah, you could say that. She had long golden curly blonde hair that went down to her shoulder blades, while the rest of her family had glossy black hair. She had white skin that tanned in the summertime. While the rest of her family had skin the color of maple syrup. The only thing that Madeline had in common with her family was brown eyes, the color of chocolate. So when it came to her family, she tried not to be anymore different than she already was.
When she was five, she came to the Coplyn household. And that was in London, England. And she knew right away that she had to do her best to be less different as possible. She even faked a English accent. She didn’t want to be anymore different. Even when they moved, she still kept it.
Now, let’s talk about her family a little more.
Her fourteen year old brother, Jeremiah, was the living Ian Kabra. He wasn’t nice to anyone ecxpet his family. But sometimes, he would pick on Madeline.
The very first day he stepped into Branch High, Middle and Elemtrey school, everyone knew to steer clear. And they do, to this very day every time he comes to school.
Her eleven year old sister, Jade, was the living Natalie Kabra. She judged everyone’s clothes, even Madeline’s, so Madeline tried to keep her clothes the way, Jade liked them. The very first day Jade walked into her school, everyone started to do their hair, and smooth their clothes.
Her mum, Lacie, was a fashion model and designer. She traveled the world like crazy. Everyone was sure she was trying to get away from her children.
Her father, said to have won his whole fortune by playing poker. And Madeline could believe it, he cheated that every game they played together. Not that she got to play many with him, he was gone most of the time, and everyone was sure it was for the same reason as Mrs. Coplyn.
Now, back to Madeline, when ever she stepped into her school, everyone just didn’t talk to her or anything. They knew that if they teased her, they would have to taste the wrath of Jade and Jeremiah.
So, on April 27th, in Los, Angelas in Branch, High, Middle and Elementary school. Madeline Coplyn stood in front of the table with that sign up sheet for the Drama Club. Bag slung over her shoulder, she took up the silver pen and wrote her name on the 11th space:
Madeline Coplyn
She put the pen back down and took a deep breath. She rembered when her last name was, Coplin. But when Jade was five, she begged her father to change it, because it didn’t soot Ms. Angel at all. So daddy’s little ‘princess’ changed it just for her. But when Madeline asked for something it was either: ‘not now’ ‘no’ ‘I’m busy’ so Madeline stopped asking for things. And just bought them.
Madeline had stood so long in front of the table, that when the little: “Excuse me” came from behind her, she didn’t move.
“Excuse me!” the voice came again.
Madeline whirled around, almost smacking the person behind her with her bag.
“S-sorry. I was just.—“
“Nevermind. It’s fine.” The girl put her hand up.
The girl’s name was Sophie. She had tie dye shirt on and jeans. With the same cloth tied around her right leg at the knee. With her brown hair in a tie dye bandana. She was part of that group,
Oh, what did Jade call it? The Disgrace Clothes group or something. Madeline thought.
Madeline scooted out of the way for Sophie. Sophie eyed her white silk tights and black skirt with the sweater and plaid blue plaid shirt under it. She black shoes that had just been polished gleamed in the hall lights.
“Soooo, are you going to sign up for the Drama Club too?” Madeline asked.
Sophie looked at her for a moment. “Um…sure.” Sophie shrugged and turned to look at some papers.
“Well, I think it’s going to be fun.” Madeline said, she grabbed a flyer with all the times of the Drama Clubs meetings and turned to walk down the other hall to the limo that was waiting for her outside.
But instead, she turned and ran into a yellow sweater.
“Oh! Watch where your going, Love.” Jeremiah said. His silky, voice gave anyone chills. And with his English accent. Made it even more chilling.
Anyone that had heard him, would of thought that he was just calling her the name that Jack Sparrow, called Elizabeth Swann. But that was Madeline’s nick name. And she hated it. But she never said so, because she knew talking back at either of her siblings wasn’t a good idea.
Jeramemia gently pushed Madeline away from him. “What’s going to be fun?” he asked.
“Um…” Madeline didn’t know what to say. If she said that she was signing up for the Drama Club, then Jerameia would have a fit. She never sang or did plays in front of her family. They didn’t like it. So Madeline was forced to do them in her room, and watch High School Musical in her closet.
She let out a sigh of relief when Jade stalked up, hand on hip other hand out like she was walking the red carpet.
She stopped when she came to Madeline and Jeremiah. And she took one look at Sophie and said:
“We have a dress code you know.”
Sophie just shrugged and went back to looking at papers. Madeline guessed she was used to Jade commenting on her clothes.
“Don’t just shrug! My mum.—“
Sophie turned to Jade and snapped,
“I don’t care what your ‘mum’ has done. I can dress they way I want.”
Madeline’s mouth opened in shock. No one, not even their mother talked to Jade like that. Let alone someone at school.
Jade’s mouth was open too, and she was struggling to say something snippy back. But Sophie didn’t give Jade a chance.
“Why do you even care what I dress like?”
“Because, you and your little friends are a disgrace to this whole school! Let alone your families!” Jade snapped back.
Madeline didn’t want to loose a friend that she might make, because of Jade’s ‘opinions’ on clothes.
Madeline looked down at the white table and say Mrs. Lily’s coffee. She picked it up and went to pretend to take a sip, she took a step between Sophie and Jade. And pretended to trip.
All of the coffee landed on Jade. There was a yelp, from Jeremiah. He didn’t know who to try to help. Madeline or Jade. So he jumped back, but coffee got on his silk black trench coat.
“MADELINE!” Jade screeched. She said the ‘e’ for a whole second before finishing her name. She always did that when she was calling for Madeline, or in this case, yelling at her.
“Jade! I am so sorry! Here,” Madeline opened up her bag and pulled out some wipes. Jeremiah had ran to get some paper towels from the restroom.
There were giggles coming from anyone who had seen what had happened. Jade kept brushing on her clothes, but that made the coffee go everywhere.
“Hold still, Jade. Let me get it.—“ Madeline said.
“HOW COULD YOU?!” Jade screamed at her.
“Jade, it wasn’t Madeline’s fault.” Jeremiah soothed when he came back.
The giggles had turned into laughs, but everyone stopped when Jeremiah gave them the Juvi. Glare. That’s what everyone called his glared. It was like saying: ‘if you don’t stop, I will send you to jail!’ Everyone started to run off somewhere besides here, the ran into each other on the way.
When they had gotten most of the coffee out. Madeline turned her head slightly and gave Sophie a smile and a wink.
Sophie gave a small smile back.
When they got out into the outside, Madeline could see how Jade’s black skirt, pink sweater and pink plaid shirt underneath was stained beyond washing.
“Why weren’t you more careful?!” Jade cried.
“I’m sorry, Jade. I really am.” Madeline said. Even though Madeline was a good four inches then her sister, Jade still made Madeline take a step back.
“If you were really sorry, you would buy me a new one!”
Madeline felt Jeremiah’s on her. She knew, if she said no. She would have to face him, and right now, she couldn’t let anything slip about joining the Drama Club.
“I will buy you three new ones. I promise.” Madeline said. The cuafer opened the door to the limo, and they got in.
Jade folded her arms. Getting more stains on her sleeves. “Fine.” And she sat back, arms still crossed.
Madeline got out her book she was reading: Sophie’s World.
She could really relate to Sophie, she was different to everyone. And so was Madeline
She started to read, and got lost in Sophie’s problems. She didn’t even know why were home, when Jeremiah said,
“We’re home, Love.”
She tucked the book back into her bag and hurried out after them.
The Coplyn Manor was as big as the White House. It had marble pillars and was made of brick, with double white doors. It looked grand to anyone who would pass it. But to Madeline, it looked like a prison. She couldn’t do anything out of secret in there.
Charles, their butler opened the door for them. “How was school?” he said, in this drowsey way.
“It was brilliant, Charles.” Jeremiah said.
“That’s good, sir.” He said. And he closed the door after them.
Madeline walked around the house, reading. Before she went up to her room, to look at the Drama Club paper. She grabbed her bag off the dining room chair. Were so many times, she had forgotten it. And got scolded, not by mum or father. But by Jeremiah. Because her parents were never there. And she never got her homework done because she left it, so then she would get scolded by her teachers, and then the teachers would send a note home, and it would go to Jeremiah. She hated that, he was only a year older than her.
She climbed the stairs. Dragging the bag behind her, and nose in her book.
She pushed the door open with he elbow. And walked in, nose still in book. Then a hand took it out of her hand.
“I think I should start calling you, Book Worm instead.” Jeremiah said.
She sighed and went over to her bed. There was no reason to ask for her book back now, he wanted something, and he wasn’t getting her book back until he had gotten what he wanted.
Madeline opened up her bag and pulled out her homework.
“Yuck.” She said.
“Pardon?” Jeremiah asked. Put her book on her desk, and sat down on the edge of her bed.
“How’s your grades going?” he asked. He took her math homework out of her hands. Madeline started to panic. But she looked and saw the Drama Club paper still in her bag. She quickly closed it.
“Good.” She answered. Looking down at her reading homework. A whole paper to write. That wasn’t going to be fun.
When Jeremiah found out about Madeline’s ‘problem’ with school work. He said he would tell mum and father. But Madeline begged him not to. And, so, she promised him that she would do more studying then reading. And that didn’t give her much time to read. With him always bugging her.
He put down her homework. “Why did you spill coffee on, Jade?” he asked.
Madeline looked up from her homework. “I didn’t. It was a accendeint.” She lied.
Jermiegha eyed her. “Really?”
Oh, here we go. Madeline thought.
“Yes, really.” She tried not to sound sarcastic.
Jeremiah leaned back on her bed post. And sighed. He was in father mode. And Madeline hated that. “How many times do I have to tell you, not to lie?”
How many times have you lied? Madeline thought to herself.
“I’m not! It was a accendent. I swear.” She looked back down homework again.
“Madeline,”
Jeremiah.
“What?” she looked up again.
“Your sister counts on you to buy her a new shirt.”
“I know.”
“Are you going to buy her a new one?”
“I promised, didn’t I?”
Jeremiah sighed again. “You did. Alright, I give up. I’m just going to believe you.” He got up, and got her book and tossed it to her. “See you are dinner, Love.” And he left.
Madeline let out a sigh. And laid back on her pillows. Then she jumped up and ripped open her bag and looked at the Drama Club paper. Then her phone rang.
Her ringtone was, “Faboulas.” From High School Musical 2. So she always started dancing when she heard it.
“Oh!” she said, she picked up the phone.
CALL UNKNOWN.
“Hello?” she said.
“Hi, is this Madeline Coplyn?” someone said back.
“This is her.”
“Hi, this is Sophie. Y’know, from school.”
“Yes.”
“Well, I was calling you to say thanks for spilling coffee on Jade.”
Madeline laugh. “Your welcome. I’ve been wanting to do that for awhile.”
Madeline heard Sophie giggle. “Wish I would of done it.”
“So, how did you get my number?”
“Looked it up in the school yearbook from last year.”
“They put the students numbers in the year book?”
“Yeah, thanks to your mom.”
Madeline didn’t even flinch. She was used to people judging her mum. She was the one who wanted the High School, Middle School and Elementry School as one. She was the person who decided on the dress code. She was the one who controlled everything, it seemed.
It wasn’t surprising that her mum had made them give their phone numbers and put them in the year book.
“I gotta go, but before I do, did you look at the sheet for the Drama Club?” Sophie asked.
“I was about to. But then you called. And…No.” Madeline said.
She heard Sophie giggle. “Well make sure you do. Tomorrow we have a meeting after school at four.”
“Alright, I’ll be there.”
“Good. Bye.”
Madeline hung up. And she read the sheet. Nothing to worry about. She just have to tell Jade and Jermeigha that she was going over to a friends house and to pick her up and wait outside for her at five. It was easy.
Madeline sighed. I hope. She thought.
And she got busy on her paper.
Chapter 2
Madeline was late for dinner, again. She rushed down the stairs. And through the living room and she pushed open the dining room doors and jumped into her seat.
“Your late again.” Jade sighed.
Tell me something I don’t’ know. Madeline thought.
“What’s for dinner?” Madeline asked.
“Maccorni and Cheese. Olive Graden style.” One of the servers said. Putting a plate of it in front of her.
Madeline loved it that way. She said a quick prayer to her self and dug in. Or, that’s how she would of liked to have eaten it. She look one small bite at a time.
After a couple minutes of silence, and just the chewing of food. Jade said,
“When are you going to buy me a new shirt?” And it wasn’t a pleanent sort of way, normal siblings talk to each other. It was annoyed sort of way.
Madeline wanted to say, ‘don’t you have enough clothes already?’ But she bit her lip and said. “Saturday.”
“Why not after school?” Jade whined.
Madeline almost chocked on her macaroni and cheese. “Because, I’m going to go to a friends house after.” She picked her words carefully.
“Who?” Jeremiah asked. He still had a hint of father mode in him.
“Just someone I met at school.” Madeline said into her food.
“Who?” Jeremiah asked again.
Madeline looked up. “Sophie.”
Jade gasped. “Her? Why her? That.—“
“Now, now, Jade. Madeline can go where she likes. What time will you get back? Do you want us to wait for you?—“
“No!” Madeline said. “I mean, no thanks. I’ll call you when I’m ready to go. I’ll only be gone for a hour.”
“Do you want us to drive you there?”
Madeline wanted to explode. “No thank you. Sophie’s…um…mom will pick us up.”
“Alright.” Jeremiah said.
And they went back to eating.
When bed time came, Madeline climbed the stairs. Nose in book again. And she was happy. So happy, she could barely read. When she was about to the top. The book was pulled from her hands.
“Where does, Sophie, live, Madeline?” Jeremiah asked.
Madeline knew that he was trying to get something. He only used her name when he really wanted something.
“I-I…” Madeline said.
“You don’t’ know? How am I soupossed to let you go somewhere when I don’t know where your going?”
Jeremiah was being over protective. She was thirteen years old, she didn’t need her fourteen year old brother telling her when and where she can go.
“It’s fine.” She took a step towards the top. And to her room, where she could finish her stupid paper. That was due on Monday, but she didn’t think she would work on it on the week end. They would probably go somewhere, like Paris or something.
“Madeline Coplyn.” Jermiegha commanded.
He really wanted something now. Madeline looked back at him. “What?” she tried to not sound annoyed.
“If your lying, I will find out, and I won’t be happy.” He tossed Madeline her book. And went back down the steps.
Madeline didn’t feel happy anymore. She was doomed. She thought. Doomed.
He was right, he would find out and he wouldn’t be happy. She kinda wished that mum and father would come home. He didn’t act like her dad when they were around. She sat down on her bed, and worked on her paper, until ten. And then she got up and changed into her silk nightgown, and got under the covers, and went to sleep.
Chapter 3
In the morning, Madeline had over slept, again. She rushed to her closet, she pulled out some black dress pants a blue silk shirt. She rushed into those and went into her bathroom.
Her bathroom had white marble everything. She almost slipped and fell into the bath tub.
“Stupid flats.” She murmered.
She brushed her teeth and brushed her long curly golden blonde hair.
She often caught Jade envyly eyeing it, but when Madeline looked back at Jade, Jade when look away and start randomly brushing her hair, for no reason.
She put her a burret in her hair. She rushed back out of her bath room and pulled out a black dress coat. (without the puffy shoulder pads. Just they way, Jade liked them. And Madeline too. It was the only thing they agreed on about clothes.)
She grabbed her bag, and her book, stuffing into her bag and rushed down the stairs.
She ran into the kitchen.
“Mary,” she was breathing hard. “Can you pop me in a bagel.—“
“Already done so, miss. Here you go.” Mary the cook’s, blue eyes danced with happiness. That made Madeline happier. She took the everything bagel with cream cheese, and put it in a paper bag and ran out of the kitchen.
“Thank you!” Madeline called over her shoulder.
She ran outside and got inside the waiting limo.
“Your late.” Jeremiah said, crossing his arms.
“Sorry, I over slept.” Madeline said. Taking out her bagel, and taking a bite. (not too big though)
“You always over sleep. When will you ever not be late?” Jade said. Crossing her arms, and leaning back. She looked at Madeline’s outfit and nodded.
That meant she approved of what Madeline was wearing.
Madeline didn’t’ answer Jade’s question.
The trip to school was a quiet one, Madeline ate her bagel in silence. She didn’t’ want to talk to Jeremiah. He had scared her last night, about not being happy if she found out. She had prayed all night about if she should still do the meeting that day.
When she got to school, she got out and threw her paper bag away. And the Coplyns walked in together. And imentdly, everyone scattered. Running over themselves to get away. Only Sophie didn’t run away. She wasn’t scared of the Coplyns. She had seen that Madeline wasn’t mean like her brother and sister. So she was determined to make friends with her.
“Hey, Madeline.” She said. She couldn’t walk next to Madeline because she was flanked by her siblings.
“Hello, Sophie.” Madeline answered. Nervously eyeing Jeremiah.
“I hear Madeline is going to come over to your house tonight, Ms. Rice.” Jeremiah said.
Sophie glared at him. “Don’t call me that.” Then she turned to Madeline and asked with her eyes. What?
Madeline looked back, just say yes.
“Oh, yeah. She is.” Then she walked on ahead. “See you in class, Madeline.”
The only class Madeline had with her brother was homeroom. The High Schoolers and Middle Schoolers always had homeroom together. Another brilliant idea from Mrs. Coplyn.
Madeline had a desk that was closest to the door. She had her name printed in big captail letters on the front of her desk, just like everyone else. She had a normal desk just like everyone else too. Just because her mom had completely taken over the school and she was rich, didn’t mean that she didn’t have the same old desks that the other kids did.
They had a couple minutes until class would start. (Ten to be exact) So Madeline decided to work on her paper. She hadn’t quite finished it, so she wanted to work on it as much as possible. She had her outline ready and all she had to do was write it.
“Dude, why do you wear those clothes?”
Andrew Jackson’s voice interrupted Madeline’s thoughts.
She looked up and he was leaning against the top of her desk.
“Pardon?” she said.
“Why do you wear those clothes?” Andrew said, more slowly.
“Um…” She wasn’t used to people talking to her about her clothes. Or taking to her at all for that matter. So she didn’t know what to say.
“Man, are you daft, or something?” Andrew said. He was wearing a white shirt with black sleeves. He had convers and jeans on. He had dark hair and grey eyes.
Madeline gritted her teeth. “I’m not.”
“Then answer my question!” he said. Sounding annoyed.
“I wear my clothes because…” How was she supposed to put this? ‘I wear my clothes because my sister would kill me if I didn’t.’
She instead she said, “Because I want to.”
“Wow, that is a good reason.” He rolled his eyes. “Not.”
Why did boys think they were all that? Madeline thought.
“Hey, man. Leave her alone,” Tyler Macintyre said. Hitting Andrew in the arm. “She can dress the way she wants. You know that.”
“Whatever.” Andrew said. He jumped off Madeline’s desk and went to his at the back of the class room.
“Sorry about him, he’s just annoying.” Tyler said. He was wearing the same thing Andrew was wearing except the sleeves were red. He had blonde hair and blue eyes He looked like Troy Bolton from High School Musical to Madeline.
“So I see.” Madeline said. Jade had rubbed off on her. That wasn’t good.
Tyler looked at her desk where her name was.
“Madeline Coplyn, huh?” he said.
Madeline looked up and sighed. Would the boys just go back to ignoring her? “Yes, that’s my name.”
“Didn’t you sign up for the Drama Club?” Tyler asked.
Madeline quickly looked over to where Jeremiah was sitting, he was talking to a girl. Wow, I guess everyone deicied to talk to the Coplyns all of a sudden.
“Yes. I did.”
“Cool, so did I. Did Sophie call you?”
“Yes.”
“Man, enough with they English accents already! My brain is hurting!” Andrew cried from the back.
“Shut up, man.” Tyler said. He turned back to Madeline. He leaned in closer. “That was wicked how you spilled coffee on Jade.”
Madeline smiled. “Thanks. I’ve been wanting to do that for awhile.”
Tyler laughed.
“Oh, and just so you know. Could you not tell Jeremiah and Jade I’ve signed up?” She turned and looked at Jeremiah. Still talking to that girl. “Because they’d kill me.”
“Sure. We wouldn’t want anyone dyin’, now would we?”
Madeline giggled. “No.”
Just then the bell rang. Tyler ran to his desk by Andrew’s.
“Good morning class! Today the Drama Club is having a meeting! If you have signed up then make sure you be there a four sharp!” Ms. Lily said.
There were mummers of ‘yes ma’ams’ and a ‘yes sir’ from Andrew.
He sure is annoying. Madeline thought.
The day pasted quickly for Madeline. Mr. Cromwell was happy to see that Madeline had almost finished her paper. He said she had a talent for writing.
If only I could share it with my family. Madeline said to herself.
At lunch. Sophie came and sat next to her. No one had even dared to sit at the Coplyn table. No one. So when Sophie sat down, Madeline couldn’t help but widen her eyes. Jade and Jeremiah did too.
“Hey, Madeline.” She said. And then she leaned in close. “Why did your brother say you were coming over to my house?”
Madeline leaned in too. “Because, if they found out I signed up. They’d kill me.”
Sophie nodded. “That makes sense.” Then she got up and walked over to the table she usually sat at. Tyler, Andrew and that girl Jeremiah was talking to were over there too. Madeline guessed they were all friends. She sighed. She wished she had friends.
“What did she want?” Jade asked. Flipping her perfect black glossy hair.
“She was talking about what we were going to do tonight.” Madeline said. Not even missing a beat when she said it.
“Just don’t come home wearing those, clothes.” Sophie said, distastefully. She said clothes as if they weren’t clothes at all, like they were just rags or something.
“I won’t.” Madeline said. And she went back to eating her chicken salad. And she didn’t even eat it slowly, she just dug in.
Chapter 4
After school was over at 3:30, Madeline waved good bye to Jermiaha and Jade.
“We’ll be here at five.” Jermigha said. “And if you any later than that, I will come in and get you.”
“Alright. Sophie’s mom will drop us off here at fourish. So don’t worry.”
Jeremiah looked at her for a second. Madeline was biting back saying: What? In a sarcastic voice.
But he just climbed into the limo. And drove away.
“Man! I thought he would never do away.” Andrew Jackson said. He came out from behind the service desk in the back of the room.
“You were spying on us?” Madeline said. She took all her sarcastic voice out on him. Jeremiah had built it up, she just needed to vent it.
Andrew shrugged. “You guys don’t talk about anything interesting anyway.” She started walking down the hallway.
Madeline groaned and followed, she knew he was in the Drama Club she had seen his name on the sign up sheet, and since she didn’t know where the meeting was, she followed him.
As they neared the meeting room, they were shouts of excitement. And a couple of loud noises from things falling over.
Andrew went into the room, Madeline looked around the corner at the room.
There was a long plastic table in the middle, with chairs around it. (some of them had fallen over) There was a house plant in the corner and a bunch of posters of famous actors, muscains, and writers on the walls. With so many, Madeline could barely see the yellow wall behind it.
At first, Madeline wanted to make like a rabbit and run, but then she said a poster for High School Musical. And that got up her courage. She went in.
No one scattered, like they did when she walked by them in school. They just continued to shout and knock things over.
Madeline spotted Sophie. She was in the back near the house plant looking through some papers. She was wearing a black shirt with black jeans and a black head band in her brown hair.
“Hello, Sophie.” She said.
Sophie looked up. “Hey, Madeline. I see you got them off your back.”
Madeline was confused.
Off your back? What? She thought.
Sophie laughed her half hearted laugh. “I was talking about J and J, I see they finally left you alone.”
“Oh, yes. They did.” Madeline said. Still confused. But she forced a smile.
Sophie shrugged and went back to flipping through papers.
Why do they always shrug? Is it like a code or something.—AH!
Madeline’s thoughts went from confused to total terror.
Someone pushed her out of the way, as a folder flew in her direction.
“Hey, man! Watch where you throw things!” Tyler yelled.
Madeline was stunned. Luckily, the shove hadn’t knocked her to the floor that hard. She had landed against some file cabnits.
Tyler held out his hand to her. “Sorry about that, everyone’s excited about starting.”
Madeline took his hand, but pulled it away once she was up. She wiped her hands on her shirt. His hand was sweaty.
“Thanks…um…for shoving me.” Madeline said.
“No problem.” Tyler said. A blue small shape flew in his direction. He caught it without even thinking about it. “Andrew!” he yelled.
Madeline looked over at the other side of the table, and saw Andrew shrug.
“Here,” Tyler said. Hanging her the small object, “It’s a bouncy ball, but it won’t kill anyone if it’s with you.”
Then Tyler went to the other side of the room and hit Andrew on the arm.
She looked down at the ball. She had seen these in those cheap places when you put a quarter in and turn the knob and, pop! You had a ball. Jermgiaha had never let her have one though. He said that it would break something. Madeline had always been mad at him. But now she knew that it could probably take someone’s eye out.
She cupped her hand around the ball and put it in her bag.
Then there was a rap on the table. No one heard it, so Sophie yelled: “SHUT UP PEOPLE!” That got everyone’s attention.
“This is the first meeting for the Drama Club! So we are going to pick a cool name for it. But it’s a secret.”
“We don’t that every year!” Someone said.
“Shut up, Nick.” Sophie said, and then she went on. “So we’re going to pick a secret name and we’re going to introduce each other. And then tomorrow we will vote on the presedinedt, vice prestendts. And so on.”
“We always do that!” Nick shouted.
This time the whole room told him to shut up.
“Everyone stay were you are!” Sophie said. “And we’ll introduce ourselves.”
“How about we tell our first and last names, if we have brothers or sisters and our favorite thing to do.” The girl Jeremiah was talking to in class that morning.
“Good idea, Katy. Sound good to everyone?” Sophie asked.
Everyone nodded. Except Madeline, she didn’t want to tell anyone who she was. As soon as they knew, they wouldn’t talk to her.
Sophie started. “I’m Sophie Rice, I’m thirteen years old and I have one older brother and I love to direct plays, dramas and musicals.”
Tyler went next, “I’m Tyler Macentire, I’m fourteen years old. I have one little sister and I love to act and sing.”
There were some murmers. Everyone was trying to avoid going next.
“How about Blondie over there,” Andrew said. Pointing to Madeline.
Everyone’s eyes went on Madeline. She froze.
Tyler gave her a encouraging nod. And so did Sophie. Madeline opened her mouth. “Um…I’m Madeline Coplyn.”
Murmuring.
“I’m thirteen years old, I have a older brother and a younger sister.”
Even more murmuring.
“And my favorite thing to do is sing in my bedroom, and watch High School Musical.”
When she had finished, her limbs felt like speggiti. No one laughed no one left the room. They just moved on to intruding each other.
She didn’t hear anyone else’s intros. She was so relived that she didn’t hear them.
“Alright, now that everyone has introduced themselves, we’re going to move on to voting on a new SECRET name.”
Everyone started to giggle. Madeline guessed it was a joke she had missed. She was never into joking in the first place. There was no joking in the Coplyn house. Everything was serious. So Madeline got her jokes from books and movies.
Everyone started to sit down, so Madeline did the same. Andrew sat next to her. Probably just to annoy her.
“This is the boring part.” Andrew whispered to her.
Madeline rolled her eyes.
“Am I annoying you, Blondie?” he asked her.
She looked at him. “Yes. You are.” She said it in her most heavy English accent she could muster.
He grabbed his head. “Ah! Too much accent! And he slid down from his chair and disappeared under the table.
Madeline laughed.
“Alright dofus. Get back up and we’ll decide on a name.” Sophie said.
Andrew did. And everyone started shouting out names like: Secret Drama Club, The Drama Losers. (Andrew’s idea)
Then, Madeline had a great idea. “How about the Drama Kings and Queens?”
Everyone stopped shouting and throwing things at each other.
“That’s a great idea, Maddie. What do you guys think?” Sophie said.
Everyone started whispering to each other. “I like it.” Katy said.
“Yeah, it sounds sick.” Andrew said.
Madeline was shocked, did Andrew really mean that it sounded like someone who was sick?
Sophie noticed her shock and said. “He means that it sounds awesome, Madeline.” Then she looked at Andrew. “She doesn’t talk like us yet. Cut her some slack.”
Madeline didn’t know what that meant either. So she just nodded.
Andrew said, “Ok, that sounds ‘brilliant’ ol’ chap.”
Madeline turned red.
“Andrew…” Sophie sighed.
“What? I’m speaking Coplyn.”
“Never mind. Ok, so all in favor of the Drama Kings and Queens say I.”
Everyone said I and the meeting was adjourned.
Madeline hurried out of the room.
“See ya tomorrow Blondie!” Andrew called after her.
“Bye, Maddie!” Sophie said. Then she ducked, avoiding something flying through the air.
“I hope she doesn’t get into trouble with her brother and sister,” Tyler said. “She said if they found out, they’d kill her.”
“I beilive that.” Katy said. Leaning against Tyler, her older brother.
They were all silent as Madeline’s flats foot steps echoed down the hall. And they heard the door open. And the chilling voice of Jeremiah.
Then something flew and whacked Tyler in the head. And everyone went back to feeling happy again.
Chapter 5
Madeline could barely sit still in the ride home. Jeremiah didn’t ask for details, and she was glad. She didn’t think she could hold onto her secret with so much engrey going through her.
When they pulled up to the house, Madeline didn’t even wait for Goerge the driver to open the door, and pushed it open and ran inside.
“Sure is excited.” Goerge said rubbing his head, where the door had hit him.
“Yes, she is.” Jeremiah said absent mindedly. He shut the door himself, and he went into the house after her.
Madeline was almost to the top of the stairs when Jeremiah called after her. She groaned. “What?” she said, trying not to sound annoyed.
“What exactly did you go at Sophie’s…um…” Jeremiah said, trying to figure out what to call Sophie’s ‘home’
“House. It was a house, Jeremiah.” Madeline rolled her eyes. But then she caught herself and put a hand over her mouth.
Jeremiah eyed her. “A house, you say?” He came up the stairs to where she was standing.
“Oh, Sophie wants me to come over again tomorrow, is that alright?” Madeline asked, before crumbling to pieaces.
Jeremiah thought for moment. “I guess, but you have to buy Jade a new shirt first.—“
“I will! I promise!” The sarcasim had broken through.
“Would you like to rephrase that?”
“No! Acutally, I like talking this way!” Madeline said. And she stormed up the steps and into her room slamming the door behind her and locking it. She leaned against the door breathing hard. Then she ran and threw herself onto the bed. Throwing a blanket over her.
She lay there for a couple seconds before a knock came at the door.
“Madeline.” Jeremiah said. He sounded annoyed.
“Go away!” she cried.
“Madeline Coplyn.” More annoyed.
Madeline decided no matter how many times he said her full name, she would not open the door.
“Madeline Louise Coplyn!” this time he sounded mad.
Madeline jumped up from the bed. And threw open the door.
“What?” this time with as much sarcasm as she had. Her English accent almost went away completely. She had gotten so used to saying it, that it was hard to get rid of, but it was going away.
“You know what.” Jeremiah said. He pointed to the bed. “Sit.”
Madeline obeyed and sat down that the bed, crossing her legs and arms. And looked down at the floor.
She felt Jeremiah’s hands on her legs. “Look up here, now.”
Madeline did. Right into her horrible brown eyes. She looked away.
“Madeline.—“
“Fine!” she looked back.
He was leaning over her with his hands on her crossed legs. “I don’t want you to ever, ever, talk to me like that again.”
“You think that your all that don’t you?” Madeline snapped.
“Madeline…” his voiced dropped to a dangerous place.
“Well you do!”
“Madeline!” Jeremiah sat down behind her. “Shut up!”
Madeline did. She felt like crying now.
“That is the last straw.” He said.
“What.—“
“I said SHUT UP!” He raised his hand to slap her. Madeline shrank back in fear. He grabbed the hand with his other and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
Madeline heard the click of the lock.
“JEREMIAH!” She screamed. She ran to the door and she tried to pull it open. It was locked.
There was no reply.
She tears were coming now. She didn’t know how she was ever going to get over this. She wished that she was back in the class room where all of the people only teased her nicely.
Jeremiah had gone to slap her. That was too far. But Madeline knew that he wouldn’t do it again.
I think. She thought.
She ran to her closet and slammed the door. And she hid, trying to get away from her fears. That was why she never talked back. And she was never going to do it again.
Chapter 6
Madeline fell asleep in her closet.
She didn’t hear Jade unlocking her door and opening up the closet.
“Madeline.” She whispered. “Are you alright?”
Madeline stirred, but didn’t wake up.
This time, Jade wasn’t going to be so kind. “Madeline!”
Madeline jolted wake, banging her head on the door way of the closet. She was gong to yell at whoever had done that. But when she saw that it was Jade she took a deep breath and said, “What is it, Jade?”
“Jeremiah said that you talked back to him.”
Madeline sighed. “I did.”
“Well, he’s not happy.”
What gave you the first clue? Madeline thought.
“He says you don’t get any dinner tonight.”
And just to make things worse, Madeline stomach growled. “Ok.” She said. She stood up. And she went to her bed and laid down she sighed.
Jade just stood there, “Um…well…he just wanted me to deliver that. So bye now, I guess.” And she left the room.
Madeline laid there, and she manged enough energy to change into her night gown and get under the covers.
Saturday and Sunday went by fast. Madeline called Sophie and told her that she wasn’t coming to the meeting on Saturday.
“Why?” Sophie had asked.
“B-because.” And she hung up.
Madeline felt sick for the weekend too. Jeremiah had gotten over being mad, and things went back to they way there were. But now that when Jeremiah came anywhere near her, she would shrink in fear. One night, Jeremiah had called her to his room.
With shaking hands and feet, she went to his room which was on the other side of the house. Her shoes echoed on the wooden floors.
She didn’t even bother knocking on his bedroom door she just went in.
Jeremiah’s room was like Madeline’s which she found disturbing. She hadn’t really been in his room. Just like every brother on the planet. Girls weren’t allowed in it. He was at his desk typing something on his laptop.
She turned when he heard her, closing his laptop. “Ah, Madeline, love. Have a seat.” He guestered to his bed. She sat down uneasily.
He rolled over in his computer chair over to the bed.
Madeline felt like a patient at the doctor’s office.
“I just want to say, I’m sorry.” Jeremiah said.
Wow, he was saying he was sorry, that’s a first. Madeline thought to herself.
“But what I really want to know is, are you sorry?”
Oh, so that was where he was going with this.
Why should she be sorry? He was the one who had almost slapped her. And Madeline was doing the normal teenage thing: Talking back. And he wasn’t really sorry, he just said that as a conversation starter.
“Ok, I’m sorry.” She had to say something, and Jeremiah wouldn’t settle for anything else.
He leaned back in his chair. “You mean it?”
“Y-yes.”
“Your positive?”
“Ok, he’s was going too far now.” Madeline grumbled.
“What was that?”
“I’m positive.”
“Alirght. Now…”
Here is comes…
“This wouldn’t of happened if you hadn’t gone to Sophie’s.”
Madeline eyes got wide. “But.—“ Then she covered her mouth.
Jeremiah didn’t notice, he kept on, “I don’t want you to see her anymore.”
Oh! He did not just say that!
She just had to say something, she cleared her throat.
“Yes?”
“It wasn’t Sophie’s fault. It’s just that I wasn’t having a great day to begin with.” Madeline said her words slowly.
Jeremiah folded his hands. And thought. “Fine, but don’t ever talk back again. Do you understand?”
Madeline nodded.
“Alright, now get that homework done. I like good grades not bad ones.”
Madeline hurried out the door and closed it behind her. Then she ran down the hall and yelled: “YES!” Then she covered her mouth and giggled. And she contuined down the hall way. On her way there, she heard the door bell ring, she looked down over the railing, her room was by the railing that protected you from falling off onto the floor. Madeline didn’t see a use for it, if you feel you would land on the swan feathered sofas.
She went down some of the steps to get a better view of who was at the door.
Charles went and opened the door. “Yes, this is the Coplyn household.”
“Ugh, just some bussines guy looking for father. Try Tokyo.” And she started to go back up the stairs.
“Yes, Ms. Coplyn is here. Come in.”
Jade didn’t usually have vistors. So Madeline turned back around.
“Woah! Check out his place! It’s sick!” And Andrew Jackson came into the room, hands in the air.
“Andrew, remerber, they don’t know what that means…” Sophie warned. She came in too. Wearing a pink shirt and jeans, with a pink bandanna in her hair.
Tyler came in too, with Katy right behind. Katy’s blonde hair was groomed so much that it shined, even without the light. And she was still fussing over it.
“It looks fine, Madeline doesn’t care.” Tyler said to her.
“I know! But what about Jeremiah?”
Yuck, I don’t know what you see in him. Madeline said to herself. She smoothed her pink top and black skirt. She hurried down the steps curls bouncing.
“Hello.” She said. With a huge grin on her face.
“Hey, Blondie. Do you know where I could get some juice? This place makes me thirsty.” Andrew said, not even looking at her.
“In the kitchen, sir.” Charles said. “I will get you some.”
“Wow, you have a butler?” Andrew cried.
Tyler hit him in the arm. “Shut up!”
Sophie came over and hugged her. “Are you alright?” Sophie asked.
“I am now.” Madeline smiled. Then there was a crash.
“Um…someone broke that.” Andrew said, standing next to what once a vase stood, but now there was marble chunks all over the floor.
“ANDREW!” Sophie yelled at him.
“Sorry!” Andrew said.
“It’s fine, we can buy a new one.” Madeline said. “Windy!”
A maid in a black dress with a white apron came down the steps. “Oh dear, oh dear!”
“Wow, you have a.—“
Tyler clamped his hand on Andrew’s mouth.
The crash had gotten to Jeremiah who was now by the railing.
Katy started to fuss with her hair again.
He came down the steps. “Who are they, Madeline?” he asked.
“Theses are…um…people I met at Sophie’s house.” Madeline said.
Jeremiah looked all of them up and down, when he landed on Katy his face brighnted. “Katy! How good to see you again.”
“I-It’s good to see you too, Jeremiah.”
Andrew made gagging sounds. Tyler hit him in the arm.
Jade came down the steps. “Why is she here?” she asked. Motioning to Sophie.
“Now, Jade, darling. These are Madeline’s friends. You have to be nice to them.” Jeremiah said. Keeping his eyes on Katy. She giggled.
“What did you guys come here for?” Madeline asked.
“Well…” Sophie eyed Jeremiah, who was still looking at Katy. And Katy was blushing.
Just then, Charles brought Andrew some orange juice from the kitchen.
“Thanks, Geeves.” Andrew said slurping it down.
Jeremiah and Jade flinched.
“We came here,” Sophie said as they walked to the kitchen with Madeline and Katy. With the boys behind. “Because you didn’t sound well when I had called you.”
Madeline looked down at the floor. “Yes, I didn’t,” she looked up. “But now am.”
They got a table in the kitchen, while the boys went to the libaray to talk about Polo. Who knew that Tyler, Andrew and Jeremiah liked that same thing.
When they had all sat down, Madeline blurted about what had happened on Friday night.
When she had finished, Sophie said, “How could he? That makes me sick! And not the good kind.”
“I didn’t know that Jeremiah could be so…cruel.” Katy said into her coffee.
“Try living with him.” Madeline said. “It’s great to have you guys here. I was so lonely.”
“I wish I could live here…” Katy said.
Madeline stared at her. “Why?”
“Because, you have all these nice things.”
Madeline shrugged. “There ok.”
“Ok?!” Katy’s voice surprised Madeline.
“Y-yes.” A shiver went down her spine.
“You have all these nice things, and you say they’re just ‘ok’?!” Katy stood up.
Madeline scooted back in her chair.
“And I think your just jealous of me.” Katy snapped.
“Jealous? No I’m not.” Madeline said.
“You are! You wouldn’t lie about Jeremiah that way if you weren’t jealous! Your jealous that he might like me more than you!”
This time, Madeline stood up. “I’m not lying!”
“Prove it then! Show me how cruel Jeremiah can be!”
“H-he wouldn’t do anything to me if there are people around.”
“See?” She looked down at the stunned Sophie. “See? She’s lying! I told you she wasn’t a good person to be friends with!”
Madeline felt like crying. “I want to be friends! Honest!” She heard the boys coming down the hall. She knew that Jeremiah would scold her for yelling at Katy. And Katy would love that.
So, she ran out of the room.
“Maddie!” Sophie called after her. “Wait!”
She ran out the kitchen door, and out into the celler. It was dark and musty. She had trouble breathing it was so dusty.
She heard Jeremiah’s voice. He was saying something to Katy. He was cofermting her. Katy had lied. How could she? Madeline knew he wasn’t going to be happy when she found her. So she moved farther into the celler. She couldn’t see anything. She bumbed into something and it fell over, knocking her down.
She screamed.
The door flew open, light sprayed across the dirt floor. Madeline was trying to get up. She didn’t know how long she had been stuck. She just hoped that Sophie and the others were still there. She didn’t want to face Jeremiah alone.
She felt a hand on her arm. “Hey, Blondie. You alright?” Andrew said. Pulling her up.
She was covered in dust. “Yes, I’m fine.”
“That sound sounded wicked.” Andrew said when they had gotten back into the kitchen.
Katy was sitting on the table, her shoulders shaking.
“Madeline, what did you do?” Jeremiah asked.
“I was in the celler.—“
“No! I mean here. What did you do to Katy?”
“Nothing! Honest.”
“She said you yelled at her and thrented to hit her.” Jeremiah’s voice was dark. It made Madeline shiver.
“I didn’t! Sophie was here! She’ll tell you!”
Sophie was still at the table. “She’s right, Madeline did nothing.”
“Are you sure, sis? I mean, what if your lying.” Andrew said.
Sophie glared at him. “I’m not.” She said flatly.
Everyone stared at each other, no one knew who to belive.
Jeremiah sighed. “Fine. Katy, You don’t look well, how about you go home, love.”
Love? Really? Madeline thought.
“Alright.” Katy sobbed. “Come on Tyler.”
“Bye, guys. See ya all tomorrow.” Tyler said, waving as he left.
Sophie and Andrew stayed for a little while longer, just to make Madeline feel better. She didn’t know who Jeremiah had belived. Katy, or her. She had a feeling he had belive Katy. That no good…
When Sophie and Andrew went to leave, Sophie stopped at the door. “I’ll be praying for you.” And she left.
Madeline took a deep breath and closed the door.
“Thank you. I’m going to need it.” She whispered.
Chapter 7
At dinner that evening, Jeremiah brought up the ‘insedent’. So he called it. Madeline had prayed he had forgotten.
“Madeline, I want the complete and utter truth. Did you, or did you not threnten Katy?”
“I didn’t.” Madeline said into her food.
“Look me in the eye and say it.” Jeremiah said.
Madeline looked up. “I didn’t.”
Jeremiah put down his fork.
Madeline knew what was coming. He was going to acuse her of lying. Again.
Well, the first time I was, but that doesn’t matter. Right?
What do you think?
A strange voice appeared in her head, she didn’t have time to ask who it was because Jeremiah was talking.
“When will you ever stop lying?”
“I didn’t!”
“Madeline…” his voice had a warning note in it.
“How about you blame Katy? Why me?”
“Madeline!” Jeremiah snapped.
Jade had scooted back from the table. She was scared, with Jeremiah right beside her, she didn’t want him to accendintly hit her instead of Madeline.
Madeline pushed away from the table too. And she got up. “Can I be ecussed?”
“No. Sit back down, I’m not done talking to you.—“ Jeremiah said.
“No! I am leaving the table.” And Madeline stormed out of the dining room.
When she was almost to the stairs. A hand grabbed her arm and spun her around.
“I said I wasn’t done!” Jeremiah snapped.
“Well, I said that I’m done!” Madeline snapped back, her voice shook.
Jeremiah grabbed both of her wrists. “Listen to me.”
“No!”
He pushed her back into a wall. She bit her lip, she tried not to cry out.
“You will! I’m through with you lying! I want the whole truth!”
“I didn’t threaten Katy! Honest!” she felt like crying.
“Then why was she crying?”
“She yelled at me, so she didn’t want to get into trouble so she blamed me! Really!”
“Madeline, don’t make up stories.”
“I’m not!” This time a tear slid down her face. “I didn’t make it up!”
This time Jeremiah kicked her in the leg.
“Ow!” More tears.
“I. Want. The. Truth.”
“I’m telling the truth!”
Jeremiah let go of one of her wrists and raised his hand.
“Please don’t hit me.” She whispered.
Before he could, the door bell rang. He turned around just enough so Madeline could get out of his grip and step away from the wall.
Before Jeremiah could react, Charles opened the door, and Sophie walked in.
At first, she just stared at the frightened Madeline and the angry Jeremiah. But she gathered her self up and said: “I forgot something, sorry to disturb you.”
She walked past Madeline, grabbing her arm. And pulling her up the steps.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, once they were in Madeline’s room.
“Jeremiah, he-he.—“ Madeline’s voice broke.
“Maddie, relax and tell me what happened.”
Madeline did. “It was horrible! If you hadn’t come in when you did, he would of…hit me.” She forced out the last words.
“It’s fine. It’s alright. I’ll spend the night tonight, and we’ll get Katy to tell the truth to Jeremiah in the morning. K?”
“Th-thank you, Sophie.” Madeline said.
“Your welcome.” Sophie smiled and gave Madeline a big hug.
Jeremiah didn’t like the idea of Sophie staying. He said that Madeline was in trouble for lying. But somehow, for reasons that Madeline doesn’t know. Sophie made Jeremiah say yes.
Since Sophie didn’t have any clothes to wear, Madeline said she could dig in her closet, and find clothes that Jade wouldn’t let Madeline be seen in.
“Since I can’t wear them. You can just keep them.” Madeline had told Sophie,
“I’ll borrow them. I have a feeling that someday you’ll be allowed to wear them.” Sophie had answered.
Sophie and Madeline stayed up almost all night just talking. Madeline told Sophie it would be ‘brillant’ to do some High School Musical sceances for the Drama Club.
“That would be awesome, everyone at the Drama Club loves High School Muscial, and they love Camp Rock. Ever seen that?” Sophie asked.
Madeline nodded. “Yes, but only once. The High School Muscial movies make me laugh more. No offence.”
“None taken. You know what I think? If we did those I think you should be Sharpay and Tess.”
Madeline’s eyes got wide. “No, no. If I’m the center of attention. Jeremiah and Jade might find out.—“
“Enough about them. This is about you. What do you think?”
“I’d love to. I’m just scared.” Madeline said fiddling with her silk sheets.
“You know, you look like a lost princess.” Sophie said.
Madeline looked at her.
“Sorry, that was random. You know though, you don’t look or act like your family. So you must be adopted.”
“I know, Jeremiah and Jade don’t let me forget it. They don’t say it straight out, but they just act mean so I’ll remember.” Madeline said. Trying hard not to break down and cry.
“Do you ever think that they know something you don’t about your life before you came here?”
Madeline looked up. “Yes.”
Before Sophie could answer. There was a knock at the door.
“Mr. Copyln requested you be quiet.” Charles said.
Madeline and Sophie giggled. “Tell him we were just going to bed.”
And they did. But Madeline forgot all about the ‘lost princess’ thing. She was too busy being happy.
Chapter 8
For once, Sophie felt uncofterble.
Sophie kept pushing up on the leather seats and trying to get over the fact that she was in a limo. Going to school.
She looked over to Madeline who had her face in a book.
Oh, so that’s how she hides. Sophie thought.
Jade broke the horrible silence, “Where did you get those horrible looking clothes?”
Sophie went to answer. Madeline kicked her.
She looked over at her. She mouthed: What?
Madeline shook her head.
Then Sophie understood, if she told Jade that Madeline had had these clothes in the closet, Jade would tell Madeline to get rid of the clothes, and Madeline someday would like to wear them.
“So where did you get them?” Jade asked again. Annoyed.
Jeremiah was eyeing Madeline. He must of seen her shake her head.
“I brought them with me.” Sophie said. Pushing up on her seat.
Jade sniffed. “Oh.” And the silence returned.
Then Jeremiah said something, “What did you see last night with Madeline and Katy? Did Madeline threnten Katy?”
Sophie saw Madeline start to shake. She still wasn’t over what happened last night.
“She didn’t. And why do you keep asking this? Didn’t Madeline tell you she didn’t’ do it?”
Madeline looked over her book at Jeremiah. His eyes narrowed.
“She did. But I don’t have any proof.”
“Isn’t her word enough?”
“No. It isn’t.”
“What if Katy told you what happened? Would you belive her?”
Madeline put her book down.
Jeremiah had been caught off guard. “I…um…”
For once, he’s at a lost for words. Sophie thought.
Before Jeremiah could come up with anything to say, they were at school. The driver got out and opened the door for them, Sophie was the first one out.
No more limo riding for me! She said to herself.
She waited for Madeline to come out. She wanted to protect Madeline if Jeremiah decided to hit her.
Madeline came out. Stuffing her book in her bag. They walked into school.
*
Sophie and Madeline didn’t have homeroom with each other. But Sophie walked her to the room.
“I’ll see you at lunch. Ok?” Sophie said.
“Ok.” Madeline said. Forcing a smile. She wasn’t too thrilled about being in the same room as Jeremiah. Even if there were people around.
“Hey! It’s Bondie!” Andrew said. Jumping off his desk. “I heard Soph, spent the night at your house.”
“She did.” Madeline said. She went over to her desk.
Jeremiah brushed by her. When he had gone, Madeline looked at her desk. There was a note.
Madeline looked over to where Jeremiah was. He was talking to Katy.
That witch. Madeline though. Blaming me.
“What does the note say?” Andrew asked.
“Oh, I don’t know. I haven’t read it yet.” Madeline said. Swinging her bag onto the back of her chair.
“Well aren’t you gonna open it?” Andrew asked.
Madeline sighed. Andrew wasn’t going to rest until she read it. “Fine.”
With Andrew leaning over her shoulder, Madeline opened the note:
I’ll be watching you, so be careful what you say and do. Understand?
Jeremiah
Madeline knew it wasn’t a nice way of saying things. Jeremiah was mad.
Andrew whistled. “Man! He isn’t happy.”
“Shut up.” Hissed Madeline.
“Wow!” Andrew said, lowering his voice. “You spoke normaly.” And he went over to his desk. Madeline sat down. She swallowed the ball in her throat.
She looked over at Jeremiah. And sure enough. He was watching her. She hoped that he hadn’t heard what Andrew had said.
She sank farther into her chair.
This is going to be a long day. She told herself.
Chapter 9
And it was, Madeline could go almost anywhere, and Jeremiah would still be watching. During lunch, she decided she was going to be brave and sit with Sophie and the others.
“Wow! You actually are becoming normal, Blondie.” Andrew said, when she sat down.
“I guess.” Madeline sighed, head and palm.
“Aren’t you hungry?” Sophie asked.
“Not really.” Then she leaned in close. She was glad that Katy had decided to go sit with Jeremiah and Jade. She fit better over there anyway.
“Ok, you have to promise that you won’t tell Jeremiah and Jade I said this,”
They all nodded.
She showed them the note. “And he’s been watching me all day, and I don’t want to think about what they’ll do when we get home. I’m scared.”
“Maybe we could come over after the meeting tonight.” Tyler suggested.
“No, I can’t keep asking you guys to come over everyday. Besides, they’ll start wondering why you are over all the time. And then I’ll be in even more trouble.”
“Why don’t you tell your parents then?” Tyler asked.
Madeline looked down at her food, “I don’t know where they are, and even if I did, they don’t listen to me. They always go with whatever Jeremiah and Jade say.”
Tyler leaned back in his chair. “This is fishy. Why aren’t they nice to you? How long have you been there?”
“Eight years.”
“Then why haven’t they warmed up to you?”
“I don’t know!” Madeline leaned back in her chair. “That’s what’s fishy.”
“And they always seem to know something about her that she doesn’t.” Sophie added.
“Maybe you were like some famous person, but then they took you away or something?” Andrew said.
They all looked at him.
He threw his hands in the air, “What? It’s a good suggestion!”
Sophie rolled her eyes.
“Ok, enough about my life. Let’s talk about the Drama Club.” Madeline said.
“Yeah! Last night, Madeline and I were thinking about the dramas we could do this year.” Sophie looked at Madeline.
“High School Musical and Camp Rock.” Madeline answered.
“Awesome! I’ve always wanted to do those! We all always did some made up dramas, and those were lame.” Andrew said.
Sophie glared at him. “I made those up.” Then she turned to Madeline. “And we were thinking that if we did them, that Madeline should be Tess and Sharpay.”
“You should! That’s a great idea!” Tyler exclaimed.
Madeline blushed. “Thanks.”
Before they could say anything else, Jeremiah walked up, followed by Katy.
“What are you doing, Madeline?” Jeremiah asked. He was standing right behind her. She shivered. She turned around.
“I was talking to my friends.” She smiled. Trying not to sound sarcastic. “What are you doing?”
Katy sqeezed Jeremiah’s arm. “We were talking.”
Andrew made gagging sounds. Sophie just rolled her eyes.
“Um…that’s nice.” Madeline said, turning back to the table.
“Oh, sweetie, I was wondering if I could come over tonight, you now, just to hang out.” Katy asked.
Madeline stopped in mid turn. She looked at Sophie, Sophie just shrugged.
She turned to Katy. “I’d love to Katy! But I was going to Sophie’s house tonight. I’m sorry, how about tomorrow?”
She said that just to get Jeremiah to leave her alone.
“Oh! That would be great! See ya then!” And she dragged Jeremiah away.
Madeline let out a sigh. And then she looked at her friends, and she burst out laughing.
“What’s so funny?” Andrew asked.
“Oh…” laughing, “You should see your faces!” and she laughed some more.
“Oh, we were just surprised you stood up to them like that. That was awesome.” Tyler said, holding up his hand. “High five!”
Madeline hit his hand.
“I knew it!” Andrew said, getting up to toss his food. “She’s turning normal!”
Chapter 10.
While Madeline was going to the meeting, Katy came up.
“Hi!” She sounded cheerful to Madeline, but also kind of sly. Like she was up to something.
“Hello, Katy.” Madeline kept walking.
Katy fell in step with her, “What are you doing?”
“Um…I’m going to the meeting. How about you?” Then she had a terrible thought.
Katy knows that I’m in the Drama Club, she’ll tell Jeremiah!
“Oh, I’m not in the club anymore. I quit.”
“Oh, that’s too bad.” Madeline said.
“Yeah, I’ll miss it.”
She actullay sounds sad. What if Jeremiah did something to make her quit? Madeline thought.
Madeline decided she would ask. “Why did you quit?”
Katy stopped walking. “Because…”
“Did Jeremiah do something to you?” Madeline asked, she had stopped too, and she was facing Katy.
“No! He would never do anything to me! He’s nice!”
“Really? How come he’s so nice now? He wasn’t nice before, why was that?”
“You’re his sister! You should know!”
“Well, I don’t! Because all he is to me, is mean!”
“Your still mad that Jeremiah got angry at you when you threntened me!”
“I never threnthened you! I would never threthen anyone!” Madeline yelled.
“Then why were you yelling at me?”
“I wasn’t.—“ then she stopped, she had been yelling. “I’m sorry.” Madeline said, looking at the ground.
“Oh, so you can yell. You are mean.” Katy said, she was smiling slyly.
“No! I’m just…upset. That’s all. Don’t you have bad days?”
“Not really. I have nice friends. And in this case, I have a nice boyfriend.”
“What…?” Madeline turned and saw Jeremiah walking up.
“Bravo, Katy. That’s all the proof I need.” He said.
Madeline started to step back. She was scared now. Katy had made her yell. Now Jeremiah would…
“So you did threnethen Katy then.” Jeremiah said.
“No! I didn’t!” Madeline said, walking faster.
“Then why are you scared then? If you were telling the truth, then you wouldn’t act scared.” Jeremiah said, walking towards her.
“Scared? Ha!” Katy said. “She’s terrified!”
Katy was right, Madeline was terrified.
Then Madeline ran into something.
“Hey, Blondie, you coming to.—“ then Andrew saw Jeremiah. “To, Sophie’s house?”
“Yes, I was just taking a short cut.” She let out a sigh of relief.
Thank you for coming when you did! She thought.
“I was just saying good bye to Madeline.” Jeremiah said. “Bye Madeline! Have fun, Love!”
And he grabbed Katy’s arm and they walked back down the hall way.
“Oh. My. Gosh.” Madeline breathed.
“Wow, you get more normal every time I see you.”
“He was going to hurt me, Andrew.” Madeline said.
“Well I wouldn’t let him. Remember that. You have nice friends. No need to worry.”
Madeline smiled, “Thanks.”
*
The meeting went great, they waited to vote on presdents and such. So Madeline got to cast her vote, she didn’t get an office, but she didn’t care, as long as she was there, she didn’t care.
Sophie was made President, it was her third year running.
Tyler was nice president.
Andrew was treasurer.
And Nick was voted secretary.
Sophie introduced the idea’s that Madeline and her had thought up. Everyone thought they were great ideas. And that Madeline should be Tess and Sharpay.
“I think she should! I mean, she’s blonde, and she’s lived a wealthy lifestyle and she’s been around people who are snooty and mean her whole life. She’ll know how to act like them.” April Spring said. (yes, that’s her first and last name)
“But what about Katy?” Nick asked.
No one had noticed that Katy was there. “She quit.” Madeline said.
Everyone looked at her.
“She told me on the way here.”
“Are you just saying that so your get the parts?” Nick asked.
Madeline’s eyes blazed. She was getting sick and tied of people accusing her of lying. “No. She did.”
“She’s not lying. I saw Katy talking to her. And she ran off with her boyfriend.” Andrew backed Madeline up.
“Really?” Nick scoffed.
“I belive them,” Sophie said. “And as president. I say that if we do those dramas. That Madeline gets those parts.”
“Can’t we vote?” Nick whined.
“No.” Sophie had always been firm. But Madeline had never seen her this firm.
Nick sat back in his chair. “Some free Drama Club this is!”
And the rest of the night. Nick didn’t say anything else.
After the meeting. Sophie, Tyler and Andrew wanted to come to Madeline’s house.
“No, no. I-I’ll be fine. Jeremiah thinks I did it. And that’s good enough for him. So maybe he’ll just leave me alone.” Madeline said.
“I don’t know, Maddie…” Sophie said.
“Sophie’s right. Jeremiah was mean before, now he’s hurting you. And that’s not right. It’s like, he doesn’t want you do go all indepentant. So he thinks hurting you will keep you in line, or something.” Tyler said.
“Yeah, Blondie.” Andrew said “You wouldn’t be safe with him around. And Jade isn’t any help either.”
“Speaking of Jade, I haven’t seen her like all day. Just when we were in the limo.” Sophie said.
“What if…” Madeline said, her eyes got wide. “Do you think that Jeremiah would hurt her too? What if this whole time, she was mean to me just because Jeremiah threntened her if she didn’t?”
“Do you know anything about your life before you came to the Coplyns?” Tyler asked.
“No.” Madeline sighed.
“Think as hard as you can.”
“Ok.” She closed her eyes.
She thought back as far as she could go. She rembered some of her mom, she had blonde hair like Madeline and her dad. It was a little fuzzy, but she could rember him having brown hair and beard. Then…then…
A loud noise came. Madeline lost the picture, her eyes flew open.
“What the…?” Andrew said.
Then they saw Jade. “Oops. I didn’t mean to know down all these file cabnits.”
And sure enough, all the file cabnits were in the floor.
Everyone just stared at her, except Madeline, she was angry, Jade had done that on purpose.
“What are you doing?” Madeline asked.
“I was coming in here to see if you were done with your…” She looked around the room. “Club.”
Madeline turned pale.
They know. She thought. I am so doomed now!
She was going to try to lie her way out of this.
Just tell them the truth. Some said inside her head.
“No!” she hissed to herself.
“What?” Jade asked.
“Nothing. But what do you mean, ‘club’? We were just in here waiting for you guys to get here.” Madeline crossed her arms.
“Really?” Jade asked. A sly smile came across her face.
“Y-yes, really.” Madeline said, trying to act confident.
“Yeah, we were waiting for you guys to get here. I guess your limo isn’t very fast.” Tyler said.
Thank you for helping! Madeline thought. But she was sarcastic. They had just stood there.
“Really? Then what is this?” Jade held up Sophie’s notebook, with all of her notes about the Club.
Sophie’s eyes got wide, she looked at Madeline. Madeline was still pale.
“That’s mine Jade, give it here.” Sophie said.
“What is it?” Jade asked, she went to open it.
“It’s just notes on math!” Sophie said quickly.
“Really?”
“Yes!” they all said that once.
But that wasn’t enough for Jade. “Let me look in it first.”
Madeline felt like she was in a book she read. When some guy was hurting this girl and a bunch of people ganged up on her, because that’s what the guy wanted. Because if they didn’t, they’d be sorry.
Madeline closed her eyes.
“Ha! I knew it! You are in the Drama Club, Madeline! Wait until Jeremiah hears about this!” Jade said, tossing the note book on the table.
“Jade! No! Please!” Madeline said. Running after her.
Jade whirled on her. Madeline took a step back. “I’m telling Jeremiah. And your going to be in so much trouble!” she flipped her perfect black hair and laughed. Contuining down the hall.
“I’m so doomed!” Madeline wailed, throwing her arms in the air.
“Hey, it’ll be fine. We’ll figure something out.” Andrew said. “Like I said before, we’re your friends, you don’t have to worry.”
Chapter 11
They did figure something out, but Madeline still wasn’t sure it was going to work.
Jeremiah and Jade picked her up just like after every meeting. But Jeremiah didn’t say anything.
Jade probably hadn’t said anything yet. Madeline thought. She clung to that. It was her only hope at the moment.
But Madeline was still scared. Jeremiah saw her yelling, so now he would get on her for lying. Which she wasn’t! She was just yelling because she was mad at Katy.
When they got to the house. Madeline ran out of the limo and into the house. She looked behind her, that was part of the plan.
It’s going to work. It has too! She thought.
Jade and Jeremiah were still in the car. The rain poured down, so Madeline couldn’t see what they were doing. She wanted so bad just to run into her room. But she needed to get proof that Jeremiah was hurting her so she could show someone.
The house was dark. And with the rain, thunder and lightning made it even more scarier.
Madeline shivered.
She walked around, looking at the pictures on the walls that she’d passed so many times. But in the dark and lightning, they looked different. There was a painting of her mum and father. And of the whole family, and indivaul paintings of each of the children.
“At least I got one.” Madeline murmered.
“You got what?”
Madeline whirled around and saw Jeremiah leaning on one of the chairs.
“Um…a painting.” Madeline said. So was fighting the fact just to run.
“I see.” Jeremiah said, stepping up to the painting Madeline was looking at. She stepped back so he could take a better look at it. (and just plain fear)
Then he turned to Madeline. “Jade told me.”
Madeline almost ran when he said that. She just had to hold him there, and make him do…something! Anything! So that Sophie and the others could tape it.
Just a few more mintues. She told herself.
*
Sophie and Andrew were climbing through the vents of the Coplyn house. Or mansion. Whatever you want to call it.
“This is so stupid!” Sophie hissed. “We should of just came home with her, and made sure Jeremiah didn’t so anything!”
“Sheesh, sis. Chill. I’ve learned how to hack into secerty systems, we just have to get to their’s.”
“How did you even learn how to do that?” Sophie said.
Andrew smiled his: Do you really want to know? Smile.
“Nevermind.” Sophie said.
When they finalley made it to the secerty room, Sophie was still not sure about his.
“What if Jeremiah files a law suit for breaking into his house?”
“Madeline gave us permission to do this! So it’s not against the law.” Andrew said. Walking up to the screens.
“But Madeline doesn’t have a lot of power over the house though. So Jeremiah could do what he pleases. And what if her parents find out? What if.—“
“Shhh! I need to work!” Andrew hissed.
He sat down at one of the chairs. Sophie pulled out her walkie talkie. “Tyler? Do you read me?”
“Loud and clear.” Tyler replied.
“Have you grilled Katy yet?” Andrew asked.
“No, she’s in her room, and I’m not allowed in there, but I’ll find a way. No problem.”
“Good.” Sophie said.
“How’s Madeline doing?”
“Fine, at the moment, Jeremiah just talking to her.” Then Sophie could a good look at the camara that was filiming Jeremiah and Madeline. “Never mind. She’s backing up. Gotta go Tyler.”
“Good luck!”
*
Madeline was backing up, because Jeremiah was talking to her, but he wasn’t being nice.
“You lied to me this whole time!” Jeremiah yelled.
“Y-yes, but I didn’t want you to find out.—“
“At least your honest about that! I wouldn’t have let you!”
“But why? What’s wrong with joining the Drama Club?” Madeline yelling back.
“Because. Just because.” Jeremiah said.
“Define: Because.” Madeline challenged.
That didn’t make Jeremiah happy. “It’s none of your business! Your in so much trouble Madeline!” He walked towards her.
Madeline’s eyes were wide to begin with, but now they got even wider. She walked back faster. Bumping into the painting of her parents.
You can do it! You can do it! She told herself.
Then Jeremiah raised his hand.
I can’t! She ducked and Jeremiah’s fist hit the painting.
Then there was a noise.
*
“What did you do?!” Sophie yelled over the loud ticking noises.
“I DIDN’T DO ANYTING!” Andrew yelled back.
Then the ticking stopped.
Andrew jumped out of the chair and dove at Sophie knocking her to the floor. And then the screens and camaras exploided.
*
Jeremiah turned his head at the noise. “What did you do?” He asked.
“Nothing! I-I did nothing!” Madeline said. Still staring at the hole Jeremiah had made in the painting.
He hadn’t meant to hit her, he was just letting some of his anger out, but Madeline still looked at it, stunned.
“Oh, that.” Jade said, walking through the door. “Was just the secerty system blowing up. Someone was in there,” She looked at Madeline. “Who wasn’t soupossed to be in there.”
“You didn’t!” Madeline screamed at her.
“Ha! I did!” Jade said.
“You could of killed S—whoever was in there!” Madeline screamed. Lunging at Jade.
Jade backed up, in fear. But before Madeline could touch Jade, Jeremiah pulled her back, wrapping his arms around her middle.
“This is quite enough!” he scoulded.
“Let me go!” Madeline yelled.
“Your not going to find out what you want! We’re making sure of that!” Jade said.
“What?” Madeline asked. Trying to pry Jeremiah’s arms off her.
“You know what I mean. Now,” Jade said stepping closer. “Who’s up there?”
Madeline looked away. “I don’t know.”
“Sure you do.” Jade said. “Who’s up there?” She asked again.
“I said I don’t know!” Madeline yelled
Jeremiah clamped a hand over her mouth. “No yelling. Who’s up there?” he took his hand off.
“I said I don’t ‘know!” She yelled again.
He put his hand over her mouth again. “Clearly she doesn’t know.”
“Your right. We should go see ourselves.” Jade said.
No! If they find them, I’ll be doomed! And they’ll be doomed! Madeline screamed at herself.
Jeremiah dragged Madeline along as they climbed the stairs and to the secerty room.
Andrew and Sophie were just recovering from their shock.
Jade threw open the door. “Look who we have here!”
Jeremiah had taken his hand off Madeline’s mouth and she yelled: “Run guys!” Jeremiah put his hand back on.
“None of that. Why are you up here?” Jeremiah damnded.
Sophie and Andrew scrambled to her feet. “We were, looking around, nice place you have by the way.” Andrew said.
Jade rolled her eyes. “Oh please.”
“Why are you here?” Jeremiah asked again.
“We were…” Sophie looked at Madeline.
What do we do? Sophie mouthed.
Just then a phone rang. Everyone just stood there. As the faint ring echoed threw the house.
“Jade, darling, we have a call. How about you go see who it is?” Jeremiah said.
“Oh course.” She bowed for some stupid reason and went out the door.
“I’m only going to ask one more time. Why are you here?” Jeremiah asked.
Madeline had been able to pry Jeremiah’s hand off her mouth. “There here because I have them permission to! Ok?”
“She actullay talks. That’s a first.” Jeremiah said. “Why did you give them permission?”
“Because.—“
“JEREMIAH!” Jade screamed.
“What?” Jeremiah yelled. Clearly annoyed.
“It’s father! Him and mum are coming home tomorrow!”
Jeremiah let go of Madeline, and she fell to the floor. Andrew rushed to help her up. “You ok, Blondie?” he asked.
“I’m fine.” She stood up. “At least father and mum are coming home, I won’t have to deal with Jeremiah and Jade for awhile.” Madeline said.
“We hope so.” Sophie said.
Chapter 12
For the rest of the night, Jeremiah didn’t yell. Jade didn’t…well…do anything. They let Sophie and Andrew go home.
They didn’t bother Madeline.
And for the rest of the night and all of the next day they didn’t even talk to Madeline.
While they were in the limo on the way home from school. Madeline finalley got up enough courage to ask them a question.
“Aren’t you guys mad at me?”
They turned in her direction. “Yes. Why wouldn’t we be?” Jade asked. Flipping her hair.
“I am. But it’s up to father what he thinks your punishment should be.” Jeremiah said.
“Just because I joined the Drama Club? You think I should get punished for that?” Madeline snapped. “And wouldn’t of been father’s job to like you know…Father me?”
Jeremiah’s eyes narrowed. “Yes.” And no one said anything else.
You didn’t answer my other question. Madeline thought.
When they got home, Madeline went straight to her room. And she fell on her bed and sighed.
“They thought I knew something that they didn’t want me to know.” Madeline said to herself. “Or they don’t want me to find out something.”
She stood up and started pacing. “This is getting out of hand. They’ve never acted the way they did last night. Something big is going on.” She stopped. “Or has been going on for the past eight years.”
Before she could pace anymore the door opened down stairs and a chorus of ‘hellos!’ ‘Miss you’s!’ came from the bottom floor.
Madeline so didn’t want to go down there. But she had too. She decided to wait until they had stopped saying hello. But then there was a awful silence.
They’re telling on me! Madeline thought. She ran to her door and threw it open.
“Madeline dear! It’s so nice to see you!” came Mrs. Coplyn’s cheery voice.
Madeline floated down the steps. And gave her mum a hug.
“You sure have grown. How long has it been? A week?”
“A year, mum.” Jeremiah said.
“Oh! Yes, well time flies when your having fun.”
Playing poker and walking down runways, fun? Ha, I don’t think so. Madeline thought.
“Oh, yes! Fun indeed.” Mr. Coplyn said. He patted Madeline on the shoulder. “Good to see you, Madeline.”
Madeline didn’t hug her father, she knew better not to. He wasn’t one for hugs, kisses, anything loving really.
“Hello, father.” She had gotten rid of her ‘Drama Speech’ so that mum and father wouldn’t of suspected anything.
“Jeremiah tells me you’ve been acting up.” Mr. Coplyn said.
Madeline looked over the Jeremiah and Jade, looking like perfect angels. She stuck her tonge at them. Jade smiled and sly smile. Jeremiah just winked.
“Really? I don’t rember such things.” Madeline said. Putting on a smile. Lie Number 1 of the Day.
“Really?” her father raised any eyebrow.
“Yes, father. Would I ever lie?” Lie Number 2.
“You’ve been known too.” And then he turned to Jeremiah and Jade. “We’ll discust this later. For now, let’s just be happy that we’re home.”
“Yes father!” They all said.
“Good.” And then he sweeped up the steps to his study. And Mrs. Coplyn went to the sitting room.
And Madeline was left alone with Jade and Jeremiah.
“Why did you do that?” she damnded.
“Do what?” Jade asked.
“Tell on me!”
“Well you did act up.” Jeremiah said.
Madeline opened her mouth to say something, but then she closed it. No matter what she said, she would still not win.
She crossed her arms and looked out the window.
“Don’t look so glum, Love.” Jeremiah said, putting a hand on her shoulder.
Madeline flinched.
“Maybe it’ll be a mild punishment.”
“Ha, do we live with the same father?” Madeline snapped. Taking his hand off her shoulder.
“But I might add, you did a good job at lying back there.” Jeremiah said.
“Well, when you live with liars, you learn how do lie.” Madeline sniffed.
“Really? You calling us liars?” Jade asked, taking a step towards Madeline.
“Yes! You have lied so many times, I can’t even recall how many. Like that one time, when you,” she pointed at Jeremiah. “Broke one of mum’s vases, and you blamed it on me!”
“Enough, Madeline.” Jeremiah said.
“No! I’ve had enough with the lying around here. It’s always: ‘Madeline did this’ and ‘Madeline did that’ never ‘Jeremiah did this’ or ‘Jade did that’ it’s always me. Why is that?”
Jade and Jeremiah looked at each other.
“Well?” Madeline asked.
“It doesn’t matter.” Jeremiah said.
“Not to you it doesn’t, but to me it does!” She tried to hold back the tears.
“I said enough!” Jeremiah yelled.
Madeline decided that she should go, so she did. She ran out the front door. And down the sidewalk. Her own tears blinded her. And she came to the libaray and went in.
“Hello, Madeline, dear. How are you today?” Ms. Longachre the librain asked.
Madeline brushed her eyes with her hand. “Not good I’m afraid.”
“Why dear?” The librain asked.
“I-It’s nothing. Just something going on with my family. That’s all.”
“Oh I see. How about you have a seat dear.”
“Thank you.” Madeline sat down and buried her hands in her knees and cried.
Chapter 13
Jeremiah and Jade were looking. And looking. And looking.
“Where is she?” whined Jade. “I’m tired of walking!”
“Shut up, Jade. She’s around here somewhere. She couldn’t of left the state.” Jeremiah thought about that for a second. “On second thought, yes she could.” He didn’t usually tell Jade, his perfect little sister to ‘shut up’ but he was irrated.
“Then can we just go home? If she left the state then we’ll never have to worry about her finding out who she is.” Jade said. The sun beat down on her black silky hair, making it shine.
“No. If we never find her than she’ll find out another way. And then mum and father would kill us.”
Jade sighed. “Yes. Your right.”
As they were walking up the side walk, they passed the play ground.
“Hey! Look! It’s the Coplyns!” Andrew Jackson yelled from the top of the slide.
“So immature. He’s fourteen. Why would he up there?” Jade said. Flipping her hair.
“Really.” Jeremiah said.
“Where’s Blondie?” Andrew called.
That made Jade and Jeremiah stop. “Madeline, has run away. Have you seen her?”
“No, but I can see why she would want to.” He slapped his knee and laughed.
“Andrew! Shut up. If Madeline has run away, then we’ll help look for her!” Sophie snapped.
“Oh yeah, right.” Andrew slid down the slide and down to where is sister was sitting doing some kind of math work on the swing.
“No, we don’t need help.” Jade said.
“I don’t care if you don’t need help. Madeline might be the one who needs help.” Sophie said, sticking her caculater in her back pocket.
“Seriously.” Andrew said.
“We don’t need help! So go back to what you were doing.” Jeremiah snapped.
“Why should we? We don’t want you to hurt her now do we?” Sophie said, falling in step with the Coplyns.
“We don’t want to hurt her.” Jade said.
“Really? I saw that hole you made in the painting. Looks like you could of if you wanted to.”
“How did you…? Nevermind. It doesn’t matter. We wouldn’t really hurt her.” Jeremiah said.
“Then why does she have a bruise on her leg from where you hit her?” Sophie pushed.
Jeremiah stopped, his eyes narrowed. “That was between me and Madeline.”
“Then maybe you should say your sorry then?”
“She’s the one who should say sorry.”
“No. You should, for hitting her. I don’t care how much you think that she was lying. She wasn’t.”
Jeremiah and Sophie gave each other a horrible glare. And they probably would of attacked each other if Tyler’s voice hadn’t sliced through them.
“Hey, guys. What’s up?” asked Tyler. Katy was right beside him.
“We’re looking for Madeline.” Sophie said, still glaring at Jeremiah. “She ran away.”
“Good,” Katy crossed her arms. “She can stay lost, I don’t care if she ever finds out she’s.—“
“KATY! SHUT UP!” Jeremiah yelled at her.
Katy covered her mouth. “Sorry.”
“Finds out she’s who?” Sophie asked.
“Nothing. Come Jade, Katy.” And he started to walk away. Jade and Katy hurried after him.
Sophie groaned. “I can see why Madeline’s always complaining about him.”
“You didn’t know that before?” Andrew said.
Sophie elbowed him in the ribs.
“What do we do? We don’t want them to find Madeline first.” Tyler said.
“We don’t.” Sophie sighed.
“Call her then.” Andrew suggested.
“Good idea. I will.” Sophie pulled out her phone and dialed Madeline’s number.
*
Madeline heard her ringtone. She looked up from her knees, eyes red and puffy. And took her phone out of her pocket.
CALL: SOPHIE
She answered it as fast as she could.
“Sophie! I can’t take them anymore!” she cried. There was a ‘shhh’ from Ms. Longacre.
Madeline got up and went to the back room, where the bathrooms were. And a door where people delivered books from other libaray’s.
“It’s fine, but where are you? If Jeremiah and Jade, and K—That witch, find you firtst, then your going to be in even more trouble.” Sophie said.
“I’m at the libaray. What do you mean ‘find me first’?”
Sophie told Madeline the whole conversation between her and Jeremiah.
“Then I am different! I mean, really different!” Madeline whispered.
“I know, but if they find you first.—“ Sophie’s voice was covered up by a loud noise. Madeline looked at her phone.
TRACKING IN PROGGRESS
“W-what?” Madeline said. She threw her phone on the ground and ran out of the libaray. She stopped sundenly when see saw Jeremiah, Jade and Katy walking towards her.
“Madeline, darling! There you are!” Jeremiah sang.
“Um…I have to go somewhere!” Madeline said and she ran back into the libaray.
“Wait!” Jeremiah called.
But Madeline didn’t stop, she just kept running. She ran into the libaray and out the door were people delivered books. Or that’s what she thought the door was for, she almost fell off the edge. It was a good ten feet fall down into an alley. She took a step back and breathed deep.
“That was close.” She murmerd. She turned around and ran into yellow polo shirt.
Jeremiah.
Chapter 14
Jeremiah grabbed her arms so she couldn’t fall or run away.
“Why did you run away?” he asked. He wasn’t being nice anymore.
“I-I…” Madeline said. “Because!”
“Because isn’t a good enough reason!” Jeremiah snapped.
“Well you thought it was a good enough reason when you used it!”
“That’s different. I can use it.”
“Why can’t I?”
Jeremiah looked away for a second. He looked back. “Because I am older and I have complete and utter control over you.”
Madeline took a step back. Almost falling. Jeremiah still had a grip on her arms, but she wasn’t feeling safe with them there.
“You do not!” Madeline yelling.
“I do! Now shut up. We’re going back home.”
“No! I don’t want to!” she screamed. She kicked Jeremiah, he bangded against the stone wall.
And Madeline did a terrible thing. She took another step back.
She screamed as she fell to the ground.
“MADELINE!” Jeremiah screamed. He tried to grab her hand, anything. But she was already falling.
Madeline turned herself around, preparing for the worst. Then everything went black.
Chapter 15
Madeline rembered being carried into the ambulance. She rembered Jeremiah wanting to ride with her. But someone wouldn’t let him.
She remembered waking up and screaming. And then someone poked something in her arm. And she went back to sleep.
When she finalley woke up. She was in a hospital room, with a huge window and a awesome view.
Her head hurt. A lot. And her hand didn’t feel right. She tired to sit up but she felt sick.
“Uhhhh.” She said.
“Hey, Blondie, how ya doin?” Andrew asked.
Sophie was at the end of her bed. Patting her leg.
“Not good I’m afraid.” She said. her voice sounded like scratchy.
“At least your talking.” Sophie said.
Good old Sophie. Madeline thought.
“They wouldn’t let Jeremiah in.” Andrew said.
“Why?” Madeline asked.
“We don’t know. Something about needing to ask him why you were up there in the first place. He’s the oldest and the one who isn’t in the hospital right now. So the police had to ask him.”
“Oh.” She kind of wanted him in with her. But then she pushed that thought away.
“But you got us.” Andrew smiled.
Madeline forced a smile back. She wasn’t feeling all to happy.
“What’s wrong with my hand?” she asked.
“You broke it.” Sophie said. “But that’s it. Nothing major.”
“Oh, is that all?” she groaned. “Feels like something really heavy fell on it.”
“Well you did.” Andrew laughed. “You hit the ground on your front and your hand was tucked under you.”
“The doctor said that you have a slight concusion.” Sophie added.
“So that’s why my head hurts.” Madeline moaned. “Where’s Jade and Katy?”
“They were taken to the police station. I have no idea why. They weren’t even there.”
“You don’t know that.” Madeline said. Forcing herself to sit up. “They could have been. I mean, I didn’t even hear Jeremiah walk up behind me.”
Andrew looked at Sophie. “She’s right. Her brain wasn’t damnanged.”
Sophie hit him in the leg. “Shut up.”
Madeline laughed. But it hurt, so she had to stop.
“What happens when I get out of here?” Madeline asked. “I don’t want to go back home.”
“If you can ever call it that.” Sophie said. Crossing her arms.
Then there was a knock at the door. Andrew went to see who it was, but the person apperntly wasn’t in a waiting mood, the door flew open.
“Madeline, darling! Are you ok?” Mrs. Coplyn cried, running to the bed.
Mr. Coplyn pushed Andrew aside and walked to the bed too.
“I’m fine.” Madeline said. Then she looked at Sophie and mouthed: I’m not.
Sophie nodded. She knew that Madeline’s parents weren’t the nicest.
“What happened dear?” Mrs. Coplyn asked.
Madeline laid back down.
“She broke her hand, Mrs. Coplyn. And she has a slight consucsion.” Sophie replied.
“Did we ask you?” Mr. Coplyn asked.
Sophie opened her mouth to say something snippy back, but Andrew covered her mouth. “Acutlley, that’s what the doctor said. We were just saying what he said, sir.”
Mr. Coplyn nodded. “Fine. Who are you anyway?”
“There my friends, father.” Madeline said.
“I see.” He looked them up and down. “Well, off you go. We would like to talk to Madeline. Alone.”
“Of course sir.” Andrew dragged Sophie out of the room, hand still on her mouth.
Sophie tore his hand off and mouthed: Praying for you.
Madeline smiled.
“Madeline, enough with the acting, what happened?” Mr. Coplyn danmded.
“I fell.” Madeline said.
“Where?”
“I was at the libaray and Jeremiah and I were arguing and you know we got mad so I fell off.”
Mr. Coplyn opened his mouth to say something.
“And I’m not blaming him, I’m just saying what happened.” Lie Number 3.
My fake parents. Madeline thought.
“We know your not, darling.” Mrs. Coplyn said. Giving Mr. Coplyn a look that cleary meant: shut up.
Mr. Coplyn sat in the chair next to the bed.
Here it comes. Madeline thought. Jeremiah and his father had the same body language, so Madeline knew what was coming.
“Why did you run away in the first place?” He asked.
“Because….we were arguing.” Madeline said. Looking away.
“Where is Jeremiah and Jade?” Mrs. Coplyn asked.
“At the police station.” Madeline answered. Still turned away.
“What?” Mr. Coplyn cried. “Why are they there?”
He was turning into mean Jeremiah, except, he could be a lot meaner
“I don’t know! Something about questioning them.” Madeline snapped. Turning to her father.
“Don’t you dare talk to me that way, you little.—“
“Exiuse me, sir. But I would like you not to stress my patient out.” The doctor came into the room.
“I’m her father mister. You got a.—“
Mrs. Coplyn hit him in the arm. “Sorry doctor, we’ll be leaving now.” And she dragged Mr. Coplyn out the door.
“Were they your parents Madeline?” the doctor asked. Sitting at the end of the bed.
“To tell you the truth. I don’t know.” Madeline sighed.
“What do you mean?” the doctor asked.
“It’s hard to explain. Do I look anything like them?”
“No. But, that doesn’t explain anything. You could be adopted.”
“Like I said, it’s hard to explain.” Madeline sighed.
The doctor just nodded. “Ok, back to medical things. How do you feel right now, for a scale one to ten?”
“A eight.”
“Alright. How does your arm feel?”
“Like a semi truck fell on it.”
The doctor laughed, and then he saw Madeline’s face. “Ahem, sorry.”
Madeline just nodded. “I don’t know what I’m going to do!”
“It’s going to be fine, we’ll patch you up and you’ll be good as new.—“
“No! I don’t want to go back to my house!” she burst into tears.
“Madeline, I’m not a therapist. But I can see your having some emotional problems.”
Madeline just nodded, she kept crying.
“I don’t know how you fell off a ledge, your too old to not go around places like that.”
Madeline nodded again.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Madeline forced herself to stop crying. And she spilled the whole story out to the doctor, starting with spilling the coffee on Jade.
“I see.” The doctor leaned back. “I’ll tell the police.—“
“No! If you do that, then-then…”
“Madeline, this is serious. If what you say is true, someone needs to talk to your ‘parents’.”
Madeline nodded, and leaned back on the bed. “They just know something that I don’t.”
And when she turned back to the doctor, he was gone.
“Hello?” she said.
I am with you always. A voice said in Madeline’s head. It was God’s.
“I know. I’m just having some issues.” She sighed. “And I have to make them right.” She stood up and got off the bed.
She wobbled her way to the door.
She was going back there, and she was going to make everything right, no matter what it took.
Chapter 16
Madeline had to sneak around the hospital to get out. The nurses and doctors would ask why she was out of bed. She couldn’t go around being seen. (1 She looked like someone who was soupossed to be there. That’s all I need to say.
So found a back door and walked out. The sun blinded her. She sheilder her eyes, and she saw the police station.
She started to walk over to it, but then she doubled over and threw up.
“Oh, that is sick.” She mumbled. And she countined over to the station.
When she was almost to the door, it flew open and a angry Mr. Coplyn came storming out.
Madeline hid behind a wall.
“YOU TWO ARE STUPID!” He was yelling.
And a scared Jeremiah and Jade came out after him.
“We’re sorry, she just got too smart.” Jade was saying.
“I DON’T CARE HOW ‘SMART’ SHE IS! YOU WERE STUPID!” Mr. Coplyn bellowed.
“We’ll go find her for you.—“ Jeremiah started.
“NO! I already know where she is, I just need to get her out of there. And she’s going to get it.”
Madeline almost ran at the moment. But she stayed firm.
“How?” Jeremiah asked.
George was holding open the limo door. Mr. Coplyn stopped and turned to his children.
“I have my people working on it. Now GET IN!”
Jeremiah and Jade, with their heads down, got into the car. Mr. Coplyn slammed the door shut behind them. And he got in on the other side.
Madeline was waiting for that feeling she always wanted, the one when Jade and Jeremiah would finally get it. But it didn’t come. And she would about to run to the car and tell Mr. Coplyn a thing or too. But somebody grabbed her from behind.
“What are you doing?” Hissed Katy.
“I’m going to tell my ‘dad’ a thing or to.—“ then she stopped. “Wait, why aren’t you with Jeremiah?”
“It’s hard to explain. And just please, don’t go to them.” Katy was shaking now.
“What did they do?” Madeline asked.
“Nothing!”
Madeline looked at her.
“Ok! Your ‘dad’ is so mad at Jeremiah that he told me who you were and now he said he would take care of me later! I’m so scared!” Katy was now crying.
“Now you know how I feel.” Madeline said. “Come on. You can help me.” She grabbed Katy’s hand and dragged her to get a cab.
“Hey, where’s the accent?” Katy asked.
Madeline stopped. She hadn’t known she had stopped using it. “I’m not English you know. I was just waiting for a opportunity to get rid of it.”
“Oh.” Katy nodded, the tears were still coming. But not as fast. “Do you want me to tell you who you are?”
“No, I want Jeremiah, Jade and my—Mr. and Mrs. Coplyn to tell me who I am.”
“I can agree with that.” Katy said, getting her hand away from Madeline’s.
They walked for awhile and then they came to an ally.
“This is a shortcut I took when I was littler. Then they found out. And that wasn’t any fun.” Madeline said. They went through. When they were almost threw someone in black landed in front of them.
“We were wondering where you had gone.” The lady said.
Madeline took a step back. “W-who are you?”
“I see your accent is gone, James isn’t going to like that.” The lady said, stepping closer.
“Who?” Katy whispered.
“M—Mr. Coplyn. Mrs. Coplyn name is Jemima. I’m the only one who’s name is different.” Madeline whispered back.
“Oh.”
“Stop whispering!” the lady yelled.
Madeline’s bravery meter had gone down. She took another step back.
Then Katy screamed. Madeline whirled around a man in black was behind them, he had black sunglasses on and he had his arm around Katy’s neck and a gun in the other hand. Madeline knew what was coming.
She turned back around and bumped into the lady. “I’ve been having some problems with bumping into people.”
“Now, darling, we just want to take you home.” The lady put a finger under Madeline’s chin. “You don’t look well.”
Madeline slapped the lady’s hand away. “I’m fine!” she snapped.
The lady took off her sunglasses. Her blonde hair was wavy and her dark blue eyes seemed to bore into Madeline’s brown ones.
“Your…” Madeline said.
“You remember me darling? I’m glad you do.” The lady laughed. “Without me, you wouldn’t be here right now.”
“What do you mean?” Madeline’s voice shook.
“I think we should let, Mr. Coplyn tell you. How’s that?”
“No!” Madeline said. She heard Katy scream.
“Now, now, if you don’t behave, then your friend will have to suffer the consuqenions.” The lady shook her head.
“Hurt me instead! You have all done that a lot already!”
Another scream from Katy.
“Hey!” Madeline whirled around and saw Tyler waving his hands. “Over here, dumbies!”
“What is this?” the lady schreenched.
Madeline turned back around. “My friend.” Then she kicked the guy who held Katy. His gun shot off into the air.
“You little…” The women growled. The lunged for Madeline, but then she stopped, and her eyes rolled up into her head and she fell.
It was Katy’s turn to throw up.
“You guys alirght?” Andrew asked. He came around the other side of the building. And Sophie came from the other side. And they both weren’t even smiling.
Tyler came from the back. “You ok, Katy?” he asked. His face full of concern.
“Y.—“ then Katy doubled over and again and puked.
“Ok, that is gross.” Madeline said. “What did you eat?”
“This isn’t the time to joke around.” Andrew snapped.
Madeline turned around eyes wide. Andrew never stopped joking. And he never snapped. Ever. “You ok, Andrew?”
“No, no I’m not. We need to get you out of here. They’ll be back.”
“Who?” Madeline damndaned. She was starting mistrust her friends.
Tyler was confused too. “What?”
Sophie, even though a good four inches shorter than Madeline, pushed her out of the ally.
“Sophie! Stop!” Madeline was freaking out now. Sophie now had a tight grip on her arm. “That hurts!”
“This is for your own protection, your highness.” Sophie said.
“What?” Madeline stopped moving completely.
“It’s hard to explain, you just need to get into the helicopter, and.—“
“No! What are you talking about?” Madeline yelled.
She went a hand over her mouth. “Chief was right. This was going to be hard.” Andrew said.
“She doesn’t get it.” Sophie said.
Madeline wanted to scream: I don’t get what?! But Andrew’s hand was over her mouth.
Then a helicopter came, blades making everything windy, just like the sceane in High School Musical 2 when Sharpay’s dad came by helicopter just to play golf. But this time, Madeline was happy.
A bunch of people in black suits came pouring out. And they went to Tyler and Katy, who were looking completely and utterly terrifed.
“What are you doing?!” Madeline screamed.
“Just, chill, Blondie. Everything’s going to be fine, ok? ”Andrew said.
Then a bunch of agents grabbed Madeline and dragged her into the copter. They put her in a seat and buckled her up.
“Just sit, your highness, everything will be ok.” One of them said.
Madeline just stared at him. But the agent was probably used to getting reactions like that, because he went back out of the copter, Madeline could hear Tyler was yelling, and Katy crying.
Madeline tired to unbuckle herself, but it wouldn’t come undone.
“Tyler! Katy!” she screamed. Then she saw them being dragged in too, with their hands hand cuffed behind their backs.
“Stop that! Leave them be!” Her English accent was coming back, because she was really scared.
They put blind folds on them.
“This is for your own safety.” Another agent said.
“Well I don’t see how you got the auortiry to tie up my friends!” She yelled.
The agent just walked away. Andrew sat down next to her. She looked away.
“Hey, it’ll be fine.” He said.
Still turned around, Madeline said, “I don’t even know what’s happening, how am I soupossed to know it’s going to be ok?” She turned, hitting Andrew in the face with her curls. “And how come you have to tie up Katy and Tyler? What did they do?”
“It’s part of protacal.” Andrew replied.
Madeline snoted. “Sure.”
“This isn’t a laughing, matter, Madeline.—“
“I don’t care!” she yelled. And she turned back around, smacking Andrew again with her curls.
Andrew sighed and got up.
“She’s not getting this.” She said the Sophie.
“I can hear you!” Madeline shouted.
Andrew and Sophie went to the very back of the helicopter. “She’s not understanding this.” Andrew hissed.
“She will.” Sophie turned and looked at Madeline, who was now looking out the window with her arms crossed. A tear slid down her cheek. “I just don’t like how we have to do this. Why couldn’t the more advanced agents do it?”
“Because, we were the ones she had to get to trust.” Andrew answered.
Sophie turned to him. “So we can break her trust?” And she went off to the cock pit.
Andrew sighed. Great, now I have two girls one me.
Chapter 17
On the ride there, Madeline was trying to think of a plan to excape. But when she saw the base, all of the planning disappeared. As soon as they landed, two agents came and unbuckled her and practicly dragged her out of the helicopter.
The base was locatied in a forest, so that no one would know where it was. It was just like any other buisnees building you’d see like in New York or something. But inside, that was what was different.
The two agents had there hands on her arms, gently, but they were pulling her. Because she was highly protesting.
“Let me go!” she yelled at them.
“This is for your own good, your highness.” One of the agents said.
“I don’t understand any of this!” Madeline cried.
The agent didn’t answer. As they dragged her along, Andrew and Sophie hurried to catch up.
When they got to a room, a dark room. They put her in a chair.
“I damnand to know what is going on!” she screamed.
“We were saving your life, missy.” A dark man came in to the room. “Unless you would like us to take you back.”
“I would!” Madeline said.
“Wow, that uselly works.” The man said. Then he took a deep breath and folded his hands behind his back. “Do you know why you are here?”
“Some ‘hello’ that is. And no. I don’t. And that’s what I want to know!”
“Well, you are here because you are in danger.”
“From whom?” Madeline said.
“You don’t have to act, your highness. We know all about you.”
“Fine.” Madeline said. non-accent. Folding her arms. “Why am I in danger?”
“You are in danger because, these people…” he switched a light on and pulled a projector screen out of the ceiling. And the picture of the same women that had threntened her back in the ally. “This is Juilia Switchal. Top assain. And bounty hunter. In all of the world.”
“That’s nice.” Madeline murmered. “I thought bounty hunters were only in Star Wars.”
“No, they all very real, ma’am. Very real.”
“Please don’t call me ‘ma’am’” Madeline said.
“Alright then…” he looked at a file. “Madeline.”
Madeline rolled her eyes.
“Now back to what I was saying.” He clicked a button and the screen changed. It was now on a picture of a family that Madeline rembered from history class. “This is the Nikolaevna’s. The last royal family of Russia.”
“Oh! I rember them. They were shot in a basement.” Madeline said. Sundenly interested.
“Yes. Ahem. They were. But did you know that they had had another child?”
“What do you mean?” Madeline asked.
The man leaned in. “There was one more child born into that family before they all died.”
“And this has to do with me how…?” Madeline asked, puzzled.
“Your mother was that child.”
Madeline sat back. Then she said. “You guys are crazy!” she got up.
“Sit, Madeline.” The man said sternly.
Madeline sat.
“We are not crazy, when your mother was eighty, she died in child birth.”
“That’s impossible! You can’t have a baby at eighty!” Madeline exclaimed.
“Your mother prayed for one. And God did. Just like Elizabeth in the Bible.”
Madeline thought about it. “Yes, I guess you could if God helped.” Then she sat forward. “But how did my mom exacpe?”
“The nurse hid the baby and then when your family was shot she ran out with her and raised her on her own. But always was told she was royalty.” The man reipled. “So when your mother was old enough she married and at eighty had you. And sadly, she died.”
“What about my dad?” Madeline pressed.
“Before you were born, there had been rumors going around that some people new about your mother. And that they had formed a group to get rid of her. So after you were born, the group found out for real that some of the royal family was still alive.” The man said. “But they didn’t’ strike until you were five.”
“That’s when I came to the Coplyn’s!” Madeline exclaimed.
The man nodded. “Yes.”
“Juilia said that I wouldn’t be here if she hadn’t helped me or something.” Madeline said.
The man nodded again. “She was right. When Mr. Coplyn ordered his people to take you and your father down. Juilia was with them. But when she saw you. She was too sad to kill you. So she took you back to the Coplyn’s. But they killed your father.”
Madeline had been trying to hold back tears. But they were coming down her cheeks. “I can’t belive they lied to me for so many years. I knew that I was different. I always have. But…” her voice trailed off.
“That is why we are trying to protect you. Now they won’t stop until you are dead, Madeline. That’s why we’re here. We are to protect you. Not even the government knows we exist. That’s how secret we are.” The man said.
Madeline nodded. “What do I do now? I can’t go back to the Coplyn’s.”
“That is why we have gotten you a au pair slash mother.” He motioned towards the door. “This is Izzy.”
A women with blonde hair and brown eyes just like Madeline came in. “Hello, sugar.” She said. She had a western accent. Which Madeline thought was cool.
“Hi.” Madeline said. Shyly.
“Izzy is here to protect you and to be your mother. And what not.” The man said.
“Great!” Madeline said.
“And at school…” he motioned to the door again and Andrew and Sophie came in. “They are to protect you when Izzy isn’t there. All good?”
“It’s all good. Thank you.” Madeline said.
“Oh, and by the way, my name is Chief.” The man said.
“Got it.” Madeline said.
Madeline walked down the hall with Andrew, Sophie and Izzy.
“I guess everything will be ok now.” Madeline said, turning to Izzy she said. “Can I sing and watch High School Musical like, when I want?”
“Of course. Why couldn’t ya?” Izzy answered, smiling. Her tooth paste commercial smile.
“Because, I couldn’t back at my other place.” She said. Turning back around. “I was forced to watch it on my closet.” She laughed.
Izzy wraped her arm around Madeline. “Well, not where your going, you don’t.”
Madeline smiled. This isn’t going to be hard. Then she prayed silently to herself. “Thank you, Lord, for helping me.”
They took the helicopter back to Los. Angelas. Where Izzy, Andrew and Sophie took Madeline to an apartment.
It wasn’t small, it was big. With two bedrooms. One for Izzy and one for Madeline and two bathrooms and a dining room and kitchen. It was a nice little place. And out of the way, so no assaians wouldn’t try to get here.
When Andrew and Sophie were about to leave, Madeline said. “And guys.” The turned around. “Don’t call me, ‘your highness’ just call me what you always used to.”
Andrew bowed clumsily. “Of couse, Blondie.”
Sophie gave her a hug. “See ya tomorrow at school, Maddie. Hope your hand feels better.”
“Bye!” Madeline said, waving from the front door.
“Hey, darlin. What do you want for supper?” Izzy called from the kitchen.
Madeline stopped and thought. She wouldn’t have to have fancy food ever again.
“Turkey sandwhiches!” she called.
“With chips?” Izzy called back.
“BBQ. Please.”
“Sure thing. I’ll make it right now!”
Madeline went to her room and fell on her bed. This wasn’t going to be bad at all. She would decorate her room with High School Musical posters. And she was sing and dance all she wanted. And she could be in the Drama Club. And there would be no one to be afraid of.
She sat back up. She heard Izzy singing “Home on the Range” in the kitchen. And she had a wonderful new mom. Someone who would actually love her. And no ignore her.
She went to her closet and squealed with joy. There were so many outfits she had never seen before! And they weren’t fancy! And now one to tell her not to wear them.
This was going to be ok. She told herself. Ok.
Then her phone rang. She went happily to it and didn’t even look at the screen, so was so sure it was Tyler or Katy. (which by the way. Are fine, they didn’t get brainwashed or anything. They swore they wouldn’t’ tell anyone about Madeline.) Or maybe, Andrew or Sophie but before she could say anything Jeremiah’s silky voice spoke into her ear.
“Hello, there Love. How are you?” he asked.
“Great. And why.—“
“Just let me cut to the chase. Father isn’t happy. Not happy at all. So you better not make anymore trouble for us. And just come right back. Everything can be the way it should, all of us together again.”
“I don’t want to go back with you! You weren’t even nice to me!”
“Well, how can we be nice when we don’t like you?” Spat Jeremiah then he could a deep breath. “We just miss you. Come back.”
“No!”
Jeremiah sighed. “Your funeral, Love.” Then the line went dead.
“Darlin, are you alright?” Izzy’s voice cheered up Madeline a little.
“I’m fine!” She called then to herself. “I won’t tell her, it’ll just make her worry.” And she went back down stairs.
Everything will be fine. God’s with me and I have the nicest friends and family anyone could ask for. It’s gonna be fine. She thought.
And she went to have supper\dinner with Izzy.
“What would my last name be, Izzy?” Madeline asked.
“Since we don’t know your father’s last name, your last name would be, Nikolaevna. But not to rise suspension, we would change the ‘I’ to a ‘y’.” Izzy replied.
Madeline took a bite of her turkey sandwich. “That makes sense. And what would I be called? Would it be: Lady Madeline or something like that?”
Lizzy laughed. “Yes darlin. It would.”
“I like how that sounds. ‘Lady Madeline!”
Izzy laughed again. And smiled her tooth-paste-commercail-smile. “Madeline, your too funny.”
And they countied to eat. And Madeline went to bed that night, forgetting about the conversation between Jeremiah and her.
Everything was normal. Until…
THE END