Survival Of The Fittest

Madison was profoundly nervous, and even though she thought she really had control over herself, this was certainly not the case. She was studdering like a madman (or mad woman, in this case), and like always she really wasn't acknowledging this. She noticed Ethan smiling towards her and instantly her own face beamed as well. For a brief second, Madison actually thought that the boy actually understood what she had to struggle with when speaking to other people. It made her feel much better, especially after the little outburst that she had inside her head. Hmmm... maybe he would understand.

The Hawaiian girl began to speak, and she turned her head away from the boy to listen.

Amber... Dawkins? Madison was confused. There was certainly a possibility that she could have known a girl named Amber and there was another chance there could have been another girl named Madison Conner. Both of these seemed very... impossible. Even if there was another Madison Conner, the chance of her being a poet was slim to none. Then again... it was out of place because a girl like Madison wasn't exactly the best person to call about abstinence. After all she did... No. She was putting that behind her. She was still a pure girl so whatever happened back then had no need being brought back up. Ever again.

Madison did what most girls would have done in this same situation, where they really had no idea what to respond with. She lied.

"Uhh..." Madison gave Kristen a cheerful look, her head rocking up and down like a bobblehead doll. "Yeah. I think I've written something for a girl named Amber Dawkins... yeah. I write poems from time to time." She forced a huge smile, one that showed no deception whatsoever on the brunette's part. I certainly hope that this girl can't see through lies really well. My guts telling me she's all too aware, but my heads saying something completely different.

Madison began to ponder Kristen's question, if only to stall her from figuring out her deception. "Uhhh... get something to eat?" It was a strange question to ask, and Madison really wasn't sure what to make of it. On one hand, both Ethan and Kristen seemed like generally nice people, and Madison really needed more friends. Then again... what if she stayed out late again? What would her mother think? She wasn't exactly too thrilled that she spent the night over at a random boy's apartment. Although nothing really happened, Madison couldn't blame Elana for drawing her own conclusions.

And yet, the more she sat there on the sand, the less attention Madison gave to her battered leg.

Madison nodded her head. "Sure... why not."

A faint frown formed across Ethan's features when Kristin reiterated his statement with confusion. What did she mean, was he sure they had classes together? In a way, it made him feel kind of low for even mentioning it, and he was quite unsure of how to respond. He was somewhat put off by the fact that one of his favorite subjects didn't even know who he was, but he didn't let it show. Instead, he simply smiled politely and shrugged his shoulders.

"Might've been a different Kristin," he answered with a light laugh.

Either way, it didn't seem to phase her. Ethan figured it probably shouldn't phase him either. It wasn't like it really mattered anyway. Somehow, that was the conclusion he seemed to be coming back to to every problem he had ever had over the course of senior year. It didn't really matter. Graduation was quickly approaching, and the odds of him seeing these people ever again outside of high school were pretty slim.

He'd taken that attitude up back at the very beginning of the year and he seemed to have become more of a recluse since then. After all, what was the point of becoming friends with and getting close to your fellow classmates when in a few more weeks, you'd hardly ever see them again. Even if they remained friends, with college and jobs and this crazy little thing called real life, hanging out with friends quickly became a thing of the past. A relic from high school days.

He was thrown from his thoughts as Kristin nonchalantly invited both he and Madison to go grab something to eat with her. He was somewhat surprised when Madison obliged her request. She really didn't seem the type to hang out with people she'd just met. Then again, maybe her attitude varied from Ethan's concerning high school. Maybe she was one of those people who saw these final weeks as some kind of last hurrah and made a last attempt at making their end to their high school days a good one.

"I think I'm gonna have to pass," Ethan frowned lightly, "I'd love to go, but I've gotta take Apollo home, and I'm sure my mom's going to start blowing up my cell phone at any given minute. I've been gone more than thirty minutes, you know. I could be dead or something."

He laughed slightly and tightened his grip on Apollo's leash.

"But, it was nice to meet you, Madison," he grinned, "And good to see you, Kristin. Have a good night, ladies."

With that, Ethan turned around and began walking back in the direction from which he came. Part of him did want to go with the girls, but the other part just saw it as being awkward and uncomfortable. Apollo was some kind of cushion for him. He was the reason that Ethan had initiated some kind of conversation with Madison, and he was also the reason that Kristin had joined in on their conversation, so even if he'd met them after he took Apollo home, all he could foresee happening was an awkward silence between the three of them.

He let out a light sigh and began jogging toward his house with Apollo at his heels.

((Continued elsewhere.))