A Parasitic Paradise

"MADDISONNNNNN" She could hear her mom yell up the stairs, "Maddy it's time to get up! YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE TO SCHOOL!!!" "Sheesh, MOM I'M UP" Maddison reluctantly yelled back "Give me five minutes!" Maddison, a new junior at Oceanside High school wasn't ready for the day to begin. It's her first day at this new school seeing how she should be used to changing schools and houses so much because her mother, Christine Bryne aka Chrissy as she likes to be called, is a traveling agent for the Peace Corps. Or so she says, Maddison seems to think that her mother has alternative motives consisting of making sure Maddison will never have a normal life. Back to the high school, she has googled everything she possibly could about this "NEW" high school, not exactly her type. "Oh GEZZZZ" She grumbles as she rolls out of bed "MOM!! it's only 6:00! I don't have to be at this new HELL HOLE until 7:30!!!" "Maddison Elizabeth! Don't talk about a new adventure like that and watch your language little lady you're only 16!" She proclaimed as she ran down the hall getting ready for work. Same thing every day torn up jeans and a hippie t-shirt! "Mom why do you have to dress like that! Don't you know its 2016 the peace core isn't all about hippies now!" "Maddison don't tell me how to dress until you have a sense of style that doesn't consist of baggy jeans and a 1980's band t-shirt that you know nothing about! I didn't even see INXS in concert!" as she pushes huge hoop earrings into her ears and trips over two boxes trying to get to Maddison's mirror. "You need to move these before someone dies!" She looks back at Maddy. "MOM!! why do you have to judge me...." Maddy snares. "Don't you think us moving around all over the damn earth constitutes for me never knowing what in the world these people here wear, plus it's my own style so shut it!" Throwing her dirty t-shirt on the ground and grabbing a clean one from the box her mother had just tripped over "Why should I unpack? Aren't we moving again in six months like we always do!" "Well Maddy, I'm going to try to stay here as long as we can! I'm just as tired of moving around as you are!" "I doubt it" Maddy whispers under her breath. "What...?" Her mother throws her a quick glance "Nothing," Maddy smirks "UH-HUH! Anyways would you just look at this view it’s amazing!!!" As she flings the curtains open exposing the beach and crystal blue water. "I can't wait ‘til this weekend we’re gonna go swimming!" smiling at Maddy "Mom, It's December!! We can't let them see us being shoobies!" She said embarrassed "Maddison? Are you ashamed of your mother?" She said in a joking tone "Do you think we're shoobies? 'Cause last I checked our last air quotations HOME" She acted it out like a child "Was a trailer in the middle of Hicksville, USA! This place is heaven!" she sang out. Maddy shook her head and laughed, "Okay we will go swimming, not like I'm gonna make any friends in five days anyways!" "You never know sweets," her mom sits down on Maddy's bed "It only took me three to meet your dad in high school!" "Oh god mom please don't start!" Maddy turns to walk out the room! "Maddison, your father was a good man at one point, I did love him and I'm sure you would have loved him and he would have loved you!" her mom hollered at her over the railing, "Mom, we are not going there today!" she yelled Back as she walked down stairs. "ALRIGHT!! BUT YOU BETTER EAT SOMETHING!! Her mom yelled back Yea, yea, yea. I'm not even hungry, why does she always have to bring up dad? I haven't seen him in like thirteen years...I just don't know why she uses that as a motivator. She grabs a bowl from the counter and unwraps the newspaper off of it. Should I wash this? Naw...she's right I should eat. She thinks to herself as pours lucky charms into the bowl and adds a little milk from the fridge. "Maddy, I love you, I have to go to the office now, but first does this look better?" She had changed her clothing into a nice pair of slacks and one of Maddison's Old pink dressy shirts accompanied by a half up pony and diamond earrings. "Wow mom you look great. That's perfect. way to make a great first impression! go get 'em tiger!" Maddison smiled and kissed her mom on the cheek. "OK girl, the high school is only three blocks from here so you should probably leave here at 7:20." looking down at her watch, "gives you 30 min to pick something out that doesn't make you look like a hobo" she laughed and shoved a donut in her mouth getting powder everywhere. "I GRLOVE YEOU, BYRE" she said with a mouth full as she ran out the door. "LOVE YOU TOO MOM!!!" Maddy laughed and yelled out the door after her! Awwwwhh, alone time. Time to throw on some jams and get ready for school. let's see how about some Metallica, that sounds like a plan. she plopped herself down on the couch and ate her cereal. DING! DING! "Humm, I wonder who could be texting me?" She says as she unlocks her phone "'Hey! How are you?'" The text said, from a number she had never seen before. "'Who is this?'' She hesitantly replied back. who is this? I have never seen this number before and it's from a 772-area code, we haven't lived in Stuart since '08. DING! DING! The phone went off again. "'If you don't know then I won’t tell'' the text said, I have no idea who this could be should I even reply? DING! DING! Again? "'I guess I don't mean a whole lot to you =('" who on god's green earth could this be? "'Again, I ask who is this?'" "OH CRAP!" she had lost track of time it was 7:15 she had five minutes to get ready and leave. she ran upstairs and threw on a pair of jeans and her converse completely skipping socks. Flew into the bathroom and slapped some eye liner on and threw her hair in a pony and jetted out the door. Okay Madds look at the map on your phone it should only be three blocks, it couldn't be that hard to get to this place. She looks at her phone using it to guide her. DING! DING! "'Just know I miss you like crazy Madds!!'" She stops dead in her tracks. OK! the only other person in this world who ever called me Madds was my Dad, this is not possible. not at all!!! "'OKAY! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!!!'" she kept walking, not quite paying attention to where she was going and ran straight into the guy walking towards her, both looking down at their phones they bumped and hers went flying through the air like a projectile missile. "OH s**t! I am so sorry!!" she held her hand out to man she had just knocked down, "Here let me help you up." "Oh, your fine, I wasn't quite paying...." He looks and after brushing the dirt off of him and stops. "what? is there something on my face? what are you looking at?" Maddy insists, she didn't quite understand. "oh no! there's nothing on your face," he grabs her hand and she helps him up. “I was just shocked to see a such a pretty face with such force." He said smiling as she helped him up. "I'm Jaxson, Jaxson Barrett" "Hello Jaxson," she said embarrassed "I'm Maddison Bryne, but you can call me Maddy for short" She smiled back at him as he brushed the dust off and picked her phone up off the ground. "I think this belongs to you, but it's a little cracked. I can replace it if you want" he said handing it to her. wow he's so handsome...I wonder how old he is. "Oh no it's fine, it's just a cheap phone didn't think it would last too long anyways, plus I was the one who knocked you down, and for that I'm sorry I'm a little scattered brained at the moment trying to find this damn high school" she said looking down at her feet. He looked at her and smiled "Hey no worries, I'm headed that way anyways I'm a senior, Oceanside, right?" He laughed and grabbed her shoulder to insure her she was alright from knocking him down. she looked up at him "Yea. That's right, first day. Woot, not." She shook her head "Well let's go we're gonna be late I'll follow you" She looked down at her cracked phone "Can't use this thing for directions anymore." "Ha-ha, yeah, no kidding," He started walking "Follow me." "OK but are you sure this is the right way? When my phone was working it said that way," She said pointing at the street behind them "Oh, yea you definitely don't want to go that way, bad neighborhood. So, I learned a shortcut, come on" He grabbed her hand and pulled her along. "Kay" She smiled shyly and followed. They walked for a little while in silence, not really knowing what to say to this new guy she had just met that was actually pretty cool. "So, where you from anyways?" Jax Asked, Oh, thank god he broke the silence, Maddy thought "We moved here from a little town in the middle of nowhere. I'm not really from anywhere we have moved around so much in the last thirteen years that I don't even know where I'm originally from" She said with a strange tone in her voice. "Well, that's odd, never met anyone who doesn't know where they are from." He said looking over at her pointing down the side street, "School is right down this way," she could see the big blue and white building with waves on the side, "I'm originally from Ocala, we moved here when I was nine. So, this has pretty much been home since then." He smirked and looked over at her. "Mom's a flight attendant and dad's a celebrity lawyer, he was a car salesman in Ocala but now he drives a Bentley and has no time for family. We don't talk much, they got a divorce two years after we moved here so it's pretty much been me and mom my whole life almost. And I don't know why I'm telling you all this, it's a lot to take in." He said shyly. "I'm sorry." "OH! no don't be I know how it feels, it's been me and my mom for as long as I can remember, my dad vanished when I was little so it's really honestly all good" She smiled up at him. wow he's tall and giggled "Not like I really knew the guy but you know I can still relate, kind of" "Yea. Well hey" They stepped up to the front of the school "If you need help finding home room I can show you the way plus I kind of like talking to you." "JAX COME ON WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE!" A tall, skinny, blonde haired girl in a cheerleading uniform yelled at him from inside the big glass doors leading to the main office. "No, it's okay, looks to me like your needed" Nodding over to the cheerleader waving her hands back and forth trying to get his attention."Alright, well maybe we can meet up later?" He said hesitantly. The cheerleader ran over to him and grabbed his hand "COME ON JAXSON!" she snarled at Maddy "Find your own man, freak." She pulled him away. "I'll see you around Maddy!" He yelled back at her as he was drug by the small girl down the long hall. "See ya!" She quietly whispered. Well I was hoping he would have walked me to homeroom I have no idea where I am. she thought to herself looking around. Hum I wonder if that's the office, I could probably go in there and ask for help. Looking at the massive wooden doors leading to a huge glass box looking office smack dab in the middle of the two long halls. Well Madds let's give it a try. She walked into the office and saw a lady sitting at a desk with long red hair and fifty's glasses propped up on her nose. "Can you help me?" Maddison asked ashamed she had no clue what she was doing. "Why certainly my dear give me one quick second," she replied, fiercely typing something on her keyboard. "There!" she said with one last bang to the keyboard "What can I do for you today sweets?" she asked looking up and smiling kindly up at her. Maddy just stood there looking back at her. She looks so familiar. "Miss?" The secretary said "oh yea, I'm sorry, um, can you tell me how to get to room 304. This is my first day at this school and I have no idea what I'm doing or where I'm going." "Of course, sweet pea," She say whipping out a map and circling the large room in the very back of the school. "It's right here, what you're going to want to do is turn right when you leave here and walk down to the third hallway on the left and go all the way to the end of that hallway and it will be directly in front of you." "OK thank you." Maddy smiles back at the lady. "Oh, wait do I need a hall pass or anything since the bell just rang?" Maddy asks hoping that since it’s her first day here that being late won't make a bad impression. "Nope, you're new we all understand, been there done that!" She winked. "Alright. Thanks again! Have a good day!" Maddy replies as she turns to walk out of the office. "You're welcome Maddison." Maddison stops dead in her tracks. "How do you know my name?" She asks over her shoulder. "It’s right here on Mr. Lee's roster, Go! Go! you're going to be even later than we accept!" The lady shoos her out of the office. OK that was strange, I could of swore I knew her and then she knew my name. I mean I know she said it was on the roster but I didn't see a roster in front of her at all. Not even on her laptop. Maddy thinks to herself as she hastily walks down the hallway towards the even longer hallway. "One, Two, Three, okay this is it! WOW!! This school is massive and so colorful" she says out loud, "I did not expect this..." "Did not expect what?" She hears a familiar voice behind her and spins around quickly. "Jaxson, you scared the crap out of me! What are you doing roaming the halls!" He smiles at her, "I'm a jock, ha-ha, I do what I want" Pulling on his letterman jacket that Maddy just noticed. "The question is what are you doing Maddison?" "I'm new and I think I'm lost" Maddy lying just in case he was one of those narky preps seeing how now he decides to inform her he's a jock. "Well, well, well. go figure, I had to help you find the school and now I have help you find your class. Isn't this a coincidence." He laughed and rolled his eyes "Come on, let's go...what room?" He puts his arm around her shoulder and snatches the map. "Seems only fitting that you and I have the same home room." Maddy tried to grab the map back from him as he holds it above her reach and out in front of her. She twists out of his arm jumping for the paper. "Jaxson." "Jax! you can call me Jax" He interrupts her as they stop at the huge white door leading to room 304. "JAX," she corrects herself "Are you going to bully me now? Because you don't seem like the type." She smirked at him raising her eyebrows as to say really now. "Well if I must admit I am kind of a big deal here, so umm... probably." He leans up against the door like a big shot and grins. "Oh really? Well I didn't take you as a ‘“Big deal!”’ She does air quotes with her fingers, just then the door flies open and Jaxson loses his footing and falls to the floor. Maddy can't help but to laugh. "Mr. Barret! What in god’s green earth are you doing out here," Mr. Lee looks down "I guess I should say down there, Sir I'm going to have to ask you to get up off this floor right now, it is time for class!" Mr. Lee looks up at Maddy, "Well hello there you must be Miss. Bryne?" He says with a polite English accent as he extends his hand towards Maddy. "I am Doctor Harrison Lee, but you can just call me Mr. Lee. please come in." He makes a swimming motion with his hand, "Jaxson what have I told you about bothering the new students with your bully nonsense." Mr. Lee laughs. "Well you see Mr. Lee" He is stopped short "OH NO! No more excuses from you sir not today, please have a seat." Jaxson walks over to his seat as the class rumbles with chatter. Maddy looks around, confused as to where the desks are if this is a classroom. "Um, Mr. Lee, where are the desks? Isn't this a class?" She asks confused. "Well that is a mighty fine question you ask my dear." He chuckles lightly "You see this is an acting class. Reason number one why there is a makeshift stage in the middle of the room" Maddison just now noticed as he pointed it out. "And Reason number two why Mr. Barret seems to believe he is a bully. But I must say his acting needs to improve!" Mr. Lee snaps his fingers at Jax "Put your chair down young man!" He plunks down. Mr. lee looks at Maddy. "Since you are new here you can sit this one out as he pointed to a special chair behind him next to his desk. "and we will show you how this is done!" lifting his hands to the class and they stand as if he had levitated them with magic. "ready my minions," he looked over at Maddy, and whispered "I call them that because they are like my little puppets" and winks. "Here we go." he says back addressing the class" they get into a large formation in the middle of the room and begin humming, when Maddy sees the cheerleader that drug Jaxson down the hall away from her. She steps on to the stage and speaks, "Whatcha doin’?" She looks over at another student Maddy had not seen before "Well you see this here humdinger won't start" He points to the chair acting like it was some kind of equipment. "Oh, I see there" the cheerleader says. "Well let me take a look at it." do I even WANT to be in this class. Maddy thinks to herself trying to drone out this stupid skit they are acting out. I have no ambition to be an actress. I can't believe this is even a class. well I guess it figures considering we're in California, and Hollywood is here. But still? Maddy zones back into the class, "Well looky there, I got her fixed" Jaxson was now on stage acting like a hill jack of some type. Maddy couldn't help herself but to bust out laughing. The class stopped and looked over at her. "Miss. Bryne do you mind me asking what is so funny?" Mr. Lee asks looking at her with a disappointed yet surprised look on his face. Maddy stops laughing for a second and looks around realizing that the whole class was staring at her. "Well you see Mr. Lee," Maddy starts "The last place I lived before I moved here was smack dab in the middle of Hicksville, Literally Hicksville. USA the high school was the size of this room maybe a little bigger. An I can tell you for a fact that is not the way hillbilly's sound." Maddy laughed again. "Well Miss. Bryne why don't you show us how it’s done!" Mr. Lee said as to coaxed her on to the stage. Maddy stopped laughing and looked at him. "Are you serious" She asks hesitant. "well of course Maddy, let’s see your skills!" Jaxson blurts out, the cheerleader throwing him a quick slide glance accompanied by a smack to the arm. "Alright let me show you a thing or two." Maddy blurts popping up on stage like a rabbit out of a hole. "Everybody step aside" Mr. Lee says. "Maddy has got something to prove" …