Chapter 1: More Than Meets The Eye
Warnings and info: alive AU, swearing, Maddie gets bullied, Wally is popular, fake dating, eventual smut, sex talk throughout, Charley and Rhonda are popular by association, Wally and Charley are neighbors, Simon is protective over Maddie, the cheerleaders are mean, Claire and Xavier are together
Story summary: What happens when two complete opposites agree to fake date to avoid people each for their own reasons? Will they fall in love, or will they get what they ultimately want?
Chapter Summary: Paired together for a project, Maddie and Wally discover they might have more in common than either of them expected. By the end of the night, one crazy idea could change everything.
Split River High was the kind of school where everybody knew everybody – at least, that’s what people liked to say.
The truth was that most students only knew the version of someone that had been passed around through gossip, assumptions, and whatever reputation they’d built for themselves over the years. In a small town like Split River, those reputations stuck. Once people decided who you were, it was almost impossible to convince them otherwise.
The social hierarchy had been established long before Maddie Nears ever stepped through the front doors as a freshman. Four years later, very little had changed.
At the top sat the Populars.
Nobody officially called them that, but everyone knew exactly who they were. The football players, the cheerleaders, and the students who somehow found themselves orbiting around them occupied the highest rung of the social ladder. Friday night football games were particularly a town holiday, drawing in crowds from across Split River and turning teenage boys into celebrities. By Monday morning, the players were back in the hallways carrying themselves with the easy confidence that came from knowing half the town spent the weekend cheering their names from the stands.
At the center of it all was Wally Clark.
Wally wasn’t popular because he tried to be. If anything, that was what made him so irritatingly popular. He was the captain of the football team, good- looking in a way that made girls lose their minds, and somehow managed to be friendly to almost everyone he met. Teachers liked him. Students liked him. Parents adored him. Even people who claimed not to care about popularity usually ended up admitting Wally Clark was a decent guy.
Popularity spread by association at Split River High.
Wally’s best friend, Charley, was proof of that. Everybody knew Charley. Whether it was because he lived for drama, somehow knew every piece of gossip before it became public knowledge, or simply refused to lower the volume of his voice in public spaces, Maddie wasn’t entirely sure. Openly gay and unapologetically himself, Charley floated between social groups with ease most people envied. He was the type of person who could spend lunch with the football team, gossip with the theater kinds after school, and somehow still know exactly what was happening in everyone’s lives.
Most people found Rhonda intimidating the first time they met her. She rarely smiled, spoke only when she had something worth saying, and carried herself with the kind of confidence that discourages unnecessary conversation. The few times Maddie had interacted with her over the years, she’d discovered Rhonda wasn’t nearly as scary as people assumed. She was simply selective about who she let into her life. Once somebody earned her loyalty, she’d defend them with a level of dedication that bordered on terrifying.
The cheerleaders occupied their own corner of the Populars, though everybody knew who led them. Claire.
Beautiful, charismatic, and painfully aware of both those facts, Claire had spent most of high school sitting comfortably at the top of the social ladder. Other cheerleaders followed her lead. Younger students wanted to be her. Teachers adored her. If Split River High had royalty, Claire would have considered herself queen.
Unfortunately, she wasn’t the only person who thought so.
Beyond the Populars sat the academic crowd. The students who always had their assignments finished early, collected leadership positions like trophies, and somehow managed to turn every class discussion into a competition. They were future lawyers, doctors, engineers, and valedictorians, spending their lunch breaks discussing university applications while everyone else worried about surviving senior year.
Then there were the outsiders.
Artists. Musicians. Burnouts. Students who worked after school. Kids who had bigger things to worry about then social status. Some chose to stay out of the hierarchy. Others had simply never found a place within it. They weren’t really a group so much as a collection of people existing on the edges of everyone else’s story.
Maddie preferred the edges. Popularity looked exhausting. It looked even more exhausting now than it had a week ago.
The cafeteria buzzed with the same usual lunch time chaos as Maddie, Simon, and Nicole sat at their usual table, picking absentmindedly at the fries on their trays. Around them, conversations overlapped with laughter and the occasional shout from where the jocks sat, creating the kind of noise that faded into the background.
Simon was flipping through the pages of his biology textbook, quickly skimming over each word and trying to remember as much as he could before his test next period.
“You know, if you studied at home,” Nicole said in between bites of her sandwich, “you wouldn’t be having this problem right now.”
“It’s not my fault Stephen King was doing an exclusive fan Q&A while he’s in Australia,” Simon defended. “It didn’t finish until four in the morning, but it was worth it.”
Nicole rolled her eyes. “Tell me it was worth it when you fail biology.”
Maddie tried to pay attention to her friends, but her eyes drifted to the other side of the cafeteria where the cheerleaders sat. And with the cheerleaders sat Xavier, her ex-boyfriend.
It has only been two weeks since Maddie found out about Xavier secretly hooking up with Claire, the cheer captain. Xavier even had the audacity to shrug it off, insisting he hadn’t been with Claire and that it wasn’t true. But when Maddie saw the two of them together in his truck in the parking lot of the APEX, there was no point in denying it anymore.
Now, Xavier and Claire had taken their relationship public, making them the school’s new golden couple. Xavier’s newfound popularity had seemed to change him quickly.
Before Maddie could look away from their table, Chloe- another cheerleader and Claire’s best friend caught Maddie staring as she was leaving the cafeteria.
“Well, if it isn’t Saddie Nears gawking over her ex,” Chloe said, her voice carrying over the murmur in the cafeteria. She always had a way of drawing attention to herself. “Maybe if you had given Xavier some head, he wouldn’t have needed to cheat on you.”
Students burst out in laughter, several glancing over to Maddie’s table
Simon rolled his eyes. “Are you insinuating that Xavier cheating is Maddie’s fault?”
“Hey, those are your words, not mine.” Chloe giggled.
“Fuck off, Chloe.” Maddie snapped.
“Just leave us alone, Chloe.” Nicole said.
“Whatever,” Chloe replied. “I’ve got better things to do anyway.”
Chloe flipped her hair as she turned, pushing open the cafeteria doors before disappearing out into the hallway.
“What a bitch,” Nicole muttered, glancing toward the door Chloe had just walked through. “Don’t pay attention to her, Mads.”
Maddie shook her head. “I’m not. I’ve got bigger things to worry about than her.”
Home life had never been easy for Maddie. Ever since her father passed away when she was nine, she’d basically been on her own. Sure, she still had her mother, Sandra, but Sandra had turned to alcohol shortly after the funeral and had been in the same spiral ever since. She’d drink for days on end, sometimes not even coming home, leaving Maddie to wonder where she was. Then she’d go to rehab, get better for a week, and eventually fall back into the same pattern all over again.
Maddie had learned to fend for herself at a young age. She cooked her own meals, made sure the bills were paid, and looked after her mother, making sure Sandra was okay before she ever allowed herself to rest her head on the pillow.
Nicole and Simon only knew the surface-level details of what Maddie dealt with at home. She preferred it that way, unwilling to let the people closest to her see what a mess her mother really was.
“How is your mom, by the way?” Simon asked.
“She’s fine,” Maddie said, stiffly. “She’s back to work today, so that’s something.”
Before Simon or Nicole could press her any further, the warning bell sounded, bringing lunch period to an end.
“I should get going,” Maddie said, standing and grabbing her backpack. “I’ve got English next, and we all know Anderson hates it when you’re late.”
Maddie sat at her usual desk with Nicole seated beside her. They scrolled absentmindedly on their phones until class started. A couple of minutes later, Mr. Anderson walked in carrying a steaming mug of coffee in one hand while carrying a stack of papers in the other.
“Sorry everyone,” Mr. Anderson said, setting his things down on his desk. “There was a problem with the printer.”
He turned around and shut the door. “Okay, we’re starting our next assignment. You are to make a presentation about the life and work of any author, playwright, or poet from history. You have two weeks to work on this, and it will be completed in pairs.”
Around Maddie, students immediately started talking amongst themselves, already discussing which friends they wanted to work with.
“Quiet, please.” Mr. Anderson instructed. “Before you go any further, I have already pre-selected everyone’s partners.”
In front of Maddie sat Livia, another cheerleader and one of Claire’s friends. An all-around goody two-shoes thanks to her strict mother, the superintendent, Livia raised her hand to speak.
“Mr. A,” Livia began, “why can’t we pick who we do the project with ourselves?”
“Past group assignments have shown that when I let you all pick your partners, it takes all of you -except some of you- to actually do the project,” Mr. Anderson replied. “Plus, it’ll be a great way to get to know more of your peers. In only a couple of months, you’ll be leaving this place for college.”
“Now, if everyone could grab your things and stand at the back of the classroom,” Mr. Anderson instructed, opening his laptop. “When I call out your names, step forward and that is who your partner will be. Then you can move the desks together and discuss who you are basing your presentation on. Once you and your partner have decided on someone you want to do the project on, you’ll come to the board and write your names down with the person you’ve chosen. That way, we don’t all end up with projects about Shakespeare.”
The sound of chairs scraping against the linoleum filled the room as students grabbed their things and made their way to the back of the classroom.
“It sucks we can’t work together on this,” Nicole whispered to Maddie as they made their way to the back of the room.
“I know,” Maddie replied quietly. “I just hope I don’t get stuck with a cheerleader because I’d rather fail than work with any of them.”
Mr. Anderson started reading out names, and one by one students stepped forward with their partners, moving desks closer together.
“Nicole, you will be partnered with…” He paused for a second. “Charley.”
Both of them stepped forward, finding a pair of empty desks and pushing them together.
“Wally, you will be partnered with Maddie.”
“What?” Chloe snapped, crossing her arms.
Everyone glanced over at her.
“Is there a problem, Chloe?” Mr. Anderson asked.
Chloe let out a sharp breath. “It’s not fair.”
“What’s not fair?” Mr. Anderson asked.
Chloe glanced briefly over at Wally, rolling her eyes. “Whatever.”
“That was weird,” Mr. Anderson muttered under his breath. “Okay then, next we have…”
As Mr. Anderson continued reading names in the background, Maddie and Wally moved to the nearest empty desk and pushed them together.
Maddie took a seat across from the tall jock. She’d never really paid much attention to him in the past, but now she was sitting this close, she could see how cute he was. His deep chocolate-brown eyes seemed to catch the light every time he moved his head. The cute little freckle sat near the bottom of his lip. His sharp jawline looked like it could cut diamonds. His perfectly tousled brown hair had a single strand curling over the front of his forehead.
“Uhh… Earth to Maddie,” Wally said, snapping his fingers lightly. “Did you hear anything I just said?”
“What?” Maddie asked, embarrassed that he’d caught her daydreaming (which he will never know she’d been admiring his perfect features.) “Sorry. I zoned out a bit. I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
Wally nodded. “I get it, no worries. I asked do you have any idea about who you wanted to do for the project?”
“Oh, uh, I have a few ideas,” Maddie opened up her laptop and began typing. “I was thinking Jane Austen, Emily Bronte, Agatha Christie, Stephen King, Tennessee Williams, James Patterson-”
“I’m gonna stop you right there, Maddie,” Wally interrupted. “I’ve only heard of some of those people.”
Confusion flickered across Maddie’s face. “They’re some of the most famous writers in history. How are you even in this class if you didn’t know that.”
“It doesn’t matter, okay?” Wally replied abruptly. “You can pick and I’ll be happy with whatever.”
“It’s meant to be a group project,” Maddie said. “I need your input too.”
“I said pick whoever.” Wally snapped.
And there it was. That stereotypical jock attitude she’d thought he didn’t have, but clearly he did. Expecting other people to do the work while he gets all the credit. But that wasn’t going to work with Maddie. If she had to work with Wally, he was going to have to do the work too.
“Too fucking bad,” Maddie replied. “I need your input. I’ll narrow down the list, and then we’ll both agree on who we’re working on, got it?”
Wally’s brows lifted. No girl had ever talked to him like that. Ever. Most people simply agreed with whatever Wally said, but not Maddie.
Maddie continued writing out a list of the potential writers they would base their presentation on. After a minute, she slid the paper across the desk.
“Okay, out of this list, who do you know?”
Wally scanned over the list only really recognising a couple of them. “I know Stephen King, James Patterson, Agatha Christie, Mary Shelley and Louisa May Alcott.”
Maddie nodded, glancing over at the board. “Well, Stephen King, James Patterson and Mary Shelley have already been taken.”
“I know more about Agatha Christie,” Wally said. “My mom and older sister love her books and movies.”
“Agatha Christie it is,” Maddie said, standing to her feet, and writing their names on the board beside Agatha Christie’s.
Once everyone had chosen their authors, playwrights or poets, Mr. Anderson stood and began making his way around the room, handing each pair a packet of papers.
“Before you all get too comfortable, here’s the rubric and everything you’ll need for the project,” he said, dropping the packet onto their desk. “Don’t lose it, because I’m not printing another copy.”
Maddie immediately reached for the papers while Wally simply stared at the stapled packet.
“Presentation requirements, bibliography, minimum of ten sources, timeline…” Maddie murmured as she flipped through the pages.
Wally let out a groan. “There’s more?”
Mr. Anderson looked up from another desk. “Mr. Clark, if you’re surprised by that, I suggest you actually read the packet.”
Several students laughed, earning an eye roll from Wally.
“Man, I miss elementary school,” he muttered.
Mr. Anderson spent the next few minutes going over the requirements for each section. By the time he’d finished explaining and reminding everyone not to procrastinate, half the class had already mentally checked out.
Maddie, meanwhile, had already started making notes.
“So,” she said quietly, glancing over at Wally, “are you free after school? We could get started on this today.”
Wally shook his head. “I can’t. I’ve got football practice.”
“But I could come over to your place afterward?” he offered. “Practice ends around five.”
Maddie stiffened slightly. The words were out of his mouth so casually, as if inviting someone into her house was no big deal. As if she wasn’t constantly worried about what people would think if they saw the reality of her life. Sure, Sandra had gone back to work today, but that didn’t mean the house wasn’t a disaster. It didn’t mean Maddie wanted somebody she barely knew seeing where she lived.
“Or…” she said quickly, “we could go to your house?”
Wally grimaced. “Normally I’d say yes, but my mom’s hosting her monthly book club tonight.” He leaned back in his chair with a sigh. “And trust me, you don’t want to be there for that.”
Maddie rained an eyebrow. “That bad?”
“My mom’s friends just spend the whole night talking me up about their daughters, nieces or granddaughters.” He shuddered dramatically. “Or trying to set me up with somebody. It’s weird.”
“Oh, you poor thing,” she said with exaggerated sympathy. “How do you manage? Thoughts and prayers, Wally.”
Wally laughed. “You know, you’d get along really well with Rhonda.”
“Because that’s exactly the kind of smart-ass comment she’d make.”
“No, terrifying. There’s a difference.”
“But you still hang out with her?”
“Of course. She’s basically family.” He smiled to himself. “Besides, if Rhonda likes you, she’ll help you hide a body.”
Maddie blinked. “That’s either sweet or deeply concerning.”
“With Rhonda, it’s both.”
Maddie laughed, changing the topic back to where they were going to work on the project. “We could go to the library?”
Wally grimaced. “Doesn’t it shut at 5:30? We wouldn’t get much done.”
“Fair point,” Maddie said. “I guess my house works. I’ll text you my address so you can come over after practice.”
Wally nodded. “Sounds good. Here.” He unlocked his phone and handed it over. Maddie quickly entered her number before giving it back. A second later, her phone buzzed against the desk.
Maddie glanced down, reading the message.
“Now you have my number,” he said.
At the front of the room. Mr. Anderson glanced at the clock. “Alright everyone, that’s all for today. Don’t forget to read through the assignment packet and decide how you’re splitting up the work. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Around the room, chairs scraped against the floor as students gathered their things. Wally slung his backpack over one shoulder while Maddie packed away her laptop and notes.
“I’ll text you when I’m on the way to your house.” Wally said.
Together, they stepped out into the hallway before heading in opposite directions.
By the time the final bell rang, Maddie had almost forgotten she was supposed to be working with Wally later that evening. Almost.
Nicole drove her home like she did most afternoons. Since Sandra had taken their only car to work, rides from Simon and Nicole had become part of Maddie’s normal routine.
“At least you got paired with someone you know,” Maddie said as they stopped at a red light. “You and Charley already know each other from AV Club.”
Nicole nodded. “Yeah, he’s nice. Though we spend half the time complaining about how outdated the school’s editing software is.”
Maddie laughed. “Sounds thrilling.”
Nicole grinned. “He also said Wally’s actually really down to earth.”
“Captain of the football team and golden boy is down to earth?” Maddie asked skeptically. “I found that hard to believe.”
Nicole glanced over. “Just be nice to him, okay?”
“Maddie, I love you but you’re sarcastic as hell.”
Maddie laughed as Nicole pulled up to the curb and put the car in park.
“Who knows? You two might get along,” Nicole said. “Besides, he’s really cute.”
Maddie glanced over at her, eyebrow raised. “Nicole, you have a boyfriend.”
Nicole playfully nudged her arm. “You bitch.”
Maddie laughed as she unbuckled her seatbelt. “Thanks for the ride. See you tomorrow.”
“Of course. Text me if you need anything,” Nicole said with a smile.
Maddie slipped out of Nicole’s car and watched as she pulled away from the curb and disappeared down the road. She then walked up the path to the front door, unlocking it and flicking on the light.
The living room was messy, but Maddie had cleaned worse. She knew the kitchen was probably in even worse shape, with last night’s dishes still sitting in the sink.
She decided to tackle the kitchen first, washing the dishes and putting away the clean ones before wiping down the countertops and the cabinets. From there, she moved to the dining table, clearing away old magazines, unpaid bills, and other random clutter that didn’t need to be out.
Once that was done, she moved to the living room, arranging the cushions on the couch, dusting the furniture, and straightening the coffee table before finally vacuuming the carpet.
After she finished the light housework, Maddie plopped down on the couch and flipped open the book she was currently reading to pass the time.
Her phone buzzed on the coffee table, the screen lighting up with Wally’s name.
Wally: Just finished practice. I’ll be there soon.
A feeling of dread settled in her stomach. He was really about to come over. The golden boy. The football star. He was about to see how she lived. Would he feel sorry for her? He was probably used to a huge house filled with expensive things, while Maddie had so little. Would he actually pity her?
Then it dawned on her. Why should she give a fuck what he thought? They were just doing a project together. It wasn’t like they were about to become friends afterward. Once the project was over, things would go back to the way they were before. Wally would go back to the football team and the Populars, while Maddie would stay on the edges where she preferred to be.
Maddie stared at the phone screen for a moment before tying in her address.
Maddie: Cool. My address is 14 Maple Grove.
The three little dots appeared immediately. Was he just sitting there waiting for her response?
Maddie was about to return to her book when her phone rang. Simon.
“Whatcha up to?” Simon asked.
“I’m reading while I wait for Wally to get here.”
There was a brief pause on the other end.
“Wally as in Wally Clark? The stereotypical meathead football player? Why is he coming to your house?”
“It’s not like I want him here,” Maddie replied. “Anderson partnered us up for a project.”
“And why couldn’t you do it at his house?”
“Apparently his mom is hosting book club, and they all spend the night gawking over him.”
Simon scoffed. “That’s probably a lie, you know that, right?”
“Probably because he wants to get into your pants.”
“Gross. That’s not what he’d be doing,” Maddie said. “We’re just working on the project. That’s it.”
“Uh-huh sure. Does he know your mom’s working right now?”
“No, he doesn’t, and it shouldn’t matter anyway because all we’re doing is the project, Si.”
Simon groaned. “Fine. Don’t say I didn’t warn you when something happens.”
Before Maddie could say anything else, the sound of a car door slamming shut drew her attention outside. From the couch, she could see it was Wally’s truck parked in front of her house and Wally making his way up the front path.
“I’ve got to go. He’s here now.”
“Just…” Simon began. “Be safe, okay.”
“He’s not dangerous, Si.”
“We don’t know that. We’ve never seen him on the field. For all we know, he’s ruthless.”
“Well, it’s a good thing we’re not on the field.”
A knock sounded at the front door.
She placed her book on the coffee table and pushed herself up and answered the door. On the other side stood Wally, his hair still damp from his shower, strands sticking to his forehead. He looked good. Maddie quickly shoved that thought out of her head.
“Hi,” she said, stepping aside and pushing the door open wider for him.
“Hey.” Wally smiled as he stepped inside. “I stopped by the library after practice and grabbed a book on Agatha Christie. I’m sure there’s a ton of stuff about her in here.”
Maddie glanced at him, confused. “Doesn’t the school library close at three-thirty? How did you get this?”
“Oh, technically I didn’t grab the book,” Wally admitted as Maddie shut the door behind him. “Quinn, the library assistant, they checked it out for me and dropped it off after practice.”
“That was nice of them,” Maddie said.
“Yeah, they’re the best. And they make Rhonda happy, which is rare coming from her.” Wally laughed to himself.
A brief silence settled between them before Maddie spoke.
“So, do you want to work in the kitchen or on the floor in here?”
“The kitchen's fine,” Wally replied. “My knee’s kind of acting up a bit after practice, so getting on the floor is a no- go.”
As Maddie directed him to the kitchen, she glanced at him. “What’s wrong with your knee?”
“A couple of weeks ago, I sprained my MCL in my right knee,” Wally replied, placing his things on the kitchen table and sliding onto the chair. “It’s alright, though.”
“I’m not a medical professional, but that doesn’t sound alright,” Maddie said.
Wally nodded. “I mean, yeah, it's not alright, but I’ve got to keep playing football.”
Wally’s mouth formed in a straight line. He didn’t want to talk about it, especially with someone he barely knew. He already felt bad enough for snapping at her earlier in class. Instead, he decided to change the subject.
“Do you mind if I get a water?”
“Sure,” Maddie said, turning to the fridge and pulling out a bottle. Clearly, she’d hit a sensitive topic, so she decided to drop it and focus on the reason why he was there in the first place. The project.
Maddie returned to the table and handed him the water. Opening up her laptop, she pulled up the websites she’d found during her free period.
“So, I was thinking that you could get all the general information about Agatha Christie for the introduction, and I can work on some of her most popular works. Sound good?”
“Works for me,” Wally replied, taking a sip of water.
For the next half hour, they worked quietly, occasionally discussing something they’d found before falling back into silence. Maddie had expected the silence to be awkward, but strangely, it wasn’t. She felt comfortable enough around him that she didn’t feel the need to force awkward small talk just to fill the room.
Her stomach suddenly growled. Of course it did.
“Someone’s hungry,” Wally teased.
Maddie grimaced. “Sorry. I was going to wait until you left to eat.”
“You can start making dinner for you and your mom. I don’t mind,” Wally replied.
“It’s actually just me,” Maddie said, pushing herself up and heading toward the fridge. “My mom works the evening shift at the nursing home, but even before that, it was usually me making dinner. I’ve been doing it since I was a kid.”
“Since you were a kid?” Wally asked. “That’s a lot on a kid.”
Wally could tell that it was a sensitive topic by the way her whole body tensed.
“Yeah,” Maddie replied, looking through the fridge.
“You know,” Wally began, pushing himself up and walking over to where she stood. “I can help you out. I’m a pretty great cook. Plus, I don’t have any plans for dinner.”
“That’s okay,” Maddie replied. “I’m just reheating some mac and cheese, and I wouldn’t want to keep you from doing other things tonight.”
“Maddie, I wouldn’t have suggested it if I didn’t mean it,” Wally said. “Besides, mac and cheese is my favourite, and we’re right in the middle of the project. I wouldn’t want to stop halfway through and lose track of what we’re doing.”
Maddie knew he made sense. They were right in the middle of their project, and it makes sense for them to continue to work on it. But having dinner with him was something she hadn’t expected.
The more she thought about it, the more she realized she was overthinking it,
“Fair point,” Maddie said.
After placing the dish of mac and cheese in the oven, she returned to the kitchen table and the two of them continued working on their project until the timer went off.
She pulled the hot dish out of the oven and set it on the stove before grabbing plates and cutlery.
“Help yourself,” Maddie said, placing her plate down now that their books and laptops had been pushed to one side.
“Thank you. It smells amazing,” Wally said.
“Yeah, it’s my gran’s recipe,” Maddie replied. “It reminds me of my dad. It was his favourite.”
Wally stiffened slightly as the past tense. Everyone in town knew about Dave Nears’ tragic death. Wally had only been nine when it happened, but he still remembered hearing about it for months afterward. One of the downsides of living in a small town was that everyone knew everyone’s business, whether you wanted them to or not.
Deciding not to linger on the subject, Wally scooped some mac and cheese onto his plate before returning to his chair. Settling back into his seat, he took a bite and smiled.
“Okay, your gran officially makes the best mac and cheese I’ve ever had. Just don’t tell Charley.”
Maddie laughed. “You’re secret’s safe with me.”
For a few moments, they ate in comfortable silence, both enjoying the break from the project.
“You know,” Wally said eventually, taking another bite of mac and cheese, “if we’re stuck together for two weeks, we might as well get to know each other.”
“Umm sure,” Maddie said, taking a sip of water. “What do you want to know?”
“You tell me five things about yourself, and I’ll tell you five things about me.”
“Okay. Well, one, I want to go to Northwestern. Two, I work at the bookstore. Three, horror movies and books are my favourite things in the world. Four, my favourite artist is Lizzy McAlpine. And five…” Maddie paused for a moment, amused. “A lot of people assume I’m a cat person, but I actually really want a Shih Tzu.”
Wally laughed. “Really? Yeah, I definitely picture you as a cat person.’
“See?” Maddie pointed her fork at him. “Everyone does.”
“I don’t know why, but I can picture you sitting in a giant armchair reading Stephen King with a cat curled up in your lap.”
Maddie snorted. “That’s oddly specific.”
“But you can totally do that with a Shih Tzu though.”
Maddie laughed. “You’re turn, Clark.”
Wally grinned. “One, I love cooking and baking. Two, I can actually sing pretty well. Three, my comfort show is Gilmore Girls. Four, I’ve been playing football since I was eight. And five, I love eighties music.”
Maddie stared at him for a moment. “Hold on. You can sing and your favourite show is Gilmore Girls?”
Wally chuckled. “That’s your takeaway?”
“Oh, absolutely. Never thought the captain of the football team could sing and I absolutely never thought that you would say your favourite show is Gilmore Girls,” Maddie laughed.
“Well, what did you think my favourite show was?”
“Honestly, something like Friday Night Lights or some other sports show,” Maddie said, taking another bite of mac and cheese.
“Well, with only my mom and sister in the house growing up, those kinds of shows and movies were what I grew up watching,” Wally said, finishing the last bite of his meal.
Maddie smiled softly to herself. She didn’t know if Wally’s dad had passed away or if he’d simply never been around, and she wasn’t about to ask, since today was the first time they’d actually really spoken to each other.
Still, in some strange way, it was comforting.
Ever since her dad passed away, she’d always felt different from everyone around her. Like nobody else really understood what it was like to lose someone so important so young. Maybe Wally understood. Or maybe he didn’t. Either way, hearing him casually mention growing up with just his mom and sister made her feel a little less alone.
Maybe there was more to Wally Clark than she’d thought. More than the football captain. More than Split River’s golden boy.
As it turned out, the guy who loved eighties music, loved baking, could sing, and watched Gilmore Girls wasn’t quite who she’d expected. And, to her surprise, she found herself wondering what else she’d gotten wrong about him.
After they finished dinner, they cleared the table and returned to the project. Their plates were left soaking in the sink, something Maddie would deal with later.
Ten minutes later, Maddie closed her laptop and stretched her arms above her head.
“Want to move to the living room?” she asked. “These chairs are killing me.”
The two gathered up their books and laptops and headed into the living room. Wally settled onto one end of the couch while Maddie dropped into the oversized bean bag she usually claimed whenever she read. Setting her laptop on the coffee table, she spread out her notes while Wally did the same.
The peaceful silence was interrupted when both of their phones vibrates almost simultaneously. Setting her laptop aside, Maddie reached for hers while Wally glanced down at his own.
Nicole’s name flashed across her screen.
Nicole: ARE YOU SEEING THIS???
Nicole: That asshole never took you out on a date
Nicole: Yet he takes Claire out when they’ve literally been together for, like, five seconds.
Maddie rolled her eyes. She didn’t care what either Claire and Xavier did. Most people would probably be devastated that their boyfriend had cheated on them and now was dating the girl he’d cheated with. But Maddie had come to realize that she wasn’t hurt because she wasn’t in love with Xavier. Sure, getting cheated on sucked, and having Claire’s friends constantly rubbing it in was annoying, but it didn’t bother her nearly as much as they thought it did.
Meanwhile, Wally’s expression shifted from relaxed and content to annoyed and pissed off.
Chloe: Need a ride to Kristen’s party.
Chloe: Wanna go together? You can be my date 😘
Before he could stop himself, he blurted out. “I’m not fucking interested.”
Maddie looked up from her phone. “What?”
Wally winced. “I said that out loud, didn’t I?”
“You did,” Maddie replied, setting her phone down. “What are you not interested in?”
“Chloe,” Wally said, tossing his phone onto the couch. Leaning forward, he rested his elbows on his knees and rubbed his temples. “She keeps asking me out when I’ve made it pretty clear I’m not interested. And if it’s not her, its Livia or Kristen or literally any girl on the cheer team.”
Maddie rolled her eyes. “Those girls really need to use their fucking ears.”
“They’re always at me talking about Claire and Xavier being together,” Maddie said, leaning back into the bean bag. “They think it hurts me, but frankly, I couldn’t give a shit.”
Wally nodded. “I heard about what happened between you and Xavier. What a fucking asshole.”
“He is,” Maddie agreed. “But I’m over it.”
“You know, it can’t be easy admitting that you’re over what happened already. Wasn’t it only two weeks ago?” Wally asked.
“I mean, yeah, I felt like shit when I found out,” Maddie admitted. “But I quickly realised I wasn’t that upset because I never loved Xavier.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re not with him anymore,” Wally said, leaning back against the couch. “I’ve only known you for a few hours, and I already can tell you’re better off without him.”
Maddie smiled to herself, warmth spreading through her chest. She quickly snapped herself out of whatever she was feeling and tried to bring focus back to the project.
“That got emotional real fast,” she said quickly. “We should probably get back to the project.”
The living room returned to silence. The only sounds were the ticking clock and the clicking of keyboards. Every now and then, Wally caught himself glancing over the top of his screen at Maddie before quickly looking away. Then and idea hit him. Was it stupid? Absolutely. Would she even go for it? Probably not. But he was still going to ask.
Closing his laptop and setting it beside him on the couch, Wally turned to her.
“I think I’ve come up with something that will solve both of our problems.”
Maddie glanced up from her laptop. “It’s going to be something stupid, isn’t it?”
“Oh, absolutely,” Wally admitted with a nod. “But I think it’ll work both in our favor.”
“Okay, what’s your stupid idea?” Maddie asked, intrigued.
“We fake date,” Wally said simply.
“We fake date,” Wally repeated.
“Yeah, I heard you the first time,” Maddie replied, raising an eyebrow “How does that solve our problems?”
“Think about it,” Wally said, gesturing with his hands. “If I have a girlfriend, the cheerleaders and all the moms, aunts and grandmothers in this town will leave me alone. And if you have a boyfriend, the cheerleaders will stop bothering you about Xavier. Plus, I know the school is divided by social status, which frankly is fucking bullshit, and maybe this gets rid of some of that too.”
Before Maddie could respond, the front door opened and Sandra walked through.
“Oh, hi,” Sandra said, spotting Wally on the couch.
Maddie and Wally immediately stood up.
“Mom, this is Wally,” Maddie said. “Wally, this is my mom, Sandra. Mr Anderson partnered us up for a project.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Nears.” Wally said.
“Nice to meet you too, Wally.” Sandra replied. “I’ll get out of your way.”
“No need, Mrs. Nears,” Wally said. “I should probably head home anyway.”
Wally gathered his things and shoved them into his bag.
“It’s nice to meet you again, Mrs. Nears,” he said. Then his eyes flicked over to Maddie. “And think about my idea, okay?”
Maddie snorted. “Trust me, it’ll be hard to forget.”
Wally grinned. “Good. Text me when you decide whether I’m a genius or an idiot.”
“I’m leaning towards idiot.”
“Fair enough. See you tomorrow, Nears.”
With that, he headed out the front door, following the path down to his truck before driving off into the night.
Everything had happened so quickly that Maddie barely had time to process any of it.
“He seems nice,” Sandra said, hanging her bag on the hook by the door. “Did you heat up the mac and cheese for dinner?”
Maddie blinked. “Really? You’re not going to yell at me for having a boy over while you weren’t home?”
Sandra shook her head. “It was definitely a surprise seeing him on my couch, but I trust you, Mads.”
Maddie smiled as Sandra disappeared into the kitchen. Returning to her bean bag, she stared blankly at the wall for a moment, replaying Wally’s plan in her head. It was stupid. Reckless even. But it also kind of made sense.
Picking up her phone, she opened her messages and found his contact.
New story, let me know if you want to be tagged when I update each chapter ☺️
