These Are A Few Of My Favourite Things

𝑪𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝑷𝒊𝒆 ꨄ︎ (Garrett Graham X FemReader)

Content: Smut, Oral Fem Receiving, Pussy Drunk, Hockey Celebration, Graham Has A Thing For Eating Pussy, Spit Play, Praises, Really That Song Again?

The late-night air in the Briar hockey rink was biting and sterile, the kind of cold that seeped into your bones despite the heavy fabric of the oversized hoodie you wore. It was Garrett’s hoodie, smelling of his cologne and the faint, salty scent of sweat, wrapping you in a warmth that felt like a protective shield.

You sat on the lower bench, the hum of the overhead lights the only sound accompanying the rhythmic, aggressive thwack of pucks hitting the boards. On the ice, Garrett Graham was a blur of focused frustration. He wasn't just practicing; he was fighting. Every stride was too hard, every shot too violent. Even from the bench, you could see the tension in his jaw, the way his shoulders were hunched, hiding a turmoil that had nothing to do with hockey.

"You're not practicing, Garrett!" you called out, your voice echoing through the empty arena. "You're hiding!"

𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐘𝐒 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐓 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔’𝐑𝐄 𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐊...

𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦, 𝐣𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐚𝐧, 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐢 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐬, & 𝐣𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫

GARRETT GRAHAM...

garrett knows you're getting sick before you do. it starts when the two of you are sitting in the library, supposedly studying for your biology exam. he's trying, he really is, but every couple of minutes his eyes drift away from his notes and back to you.

normally you're the one reminding him to focus. today, though, you've barely said a word.

your chin is resting in your palm as you stare unfocused at your textbook, blinking a little slower than usual. every few minutes you quietly sniffle, rubbing your nose with the sleeve of your sweatshirt before apologizing under your breath.

garrett watches you for another minute before reaching across the table and laying the back of his hand against your forehead.

you blink up at him. "what are you doing?" his brows furrow. "checking to see if you're dying."

you let out the smallest laugh, rolling your eyes. "i'm not dying, silly."

"you look like you could fall asleep face first into your textbook."

"i'm just tired." he studies your face for another second. there are faint bags beneath your eyes, and your usual bright smile is nowhere to be found.

Chapter 1: More Than Meets The Eye

Wally x Maddie

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. 

Then there was Rhonda.

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.

“Ooh, someone’s feisty.”

“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.

“Uhm. Sure.” 

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.”

“Right.”

“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.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s exactly the kind of smart-ass comment she’d make.” 

“Charming.” 

“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. 

Unknown number. 

Hi partner :)

“Now you have my number,” he said.

“Great.”

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. 

“Okay.”

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?”

“I am nice.” 

“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.”

“Yes, but I have eyes.”

“I’m telling Teo.”

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?

Wally: Be there in 10 :)

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?”

“Si, why would he lie?”

“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.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,”

“Yeah. See ya.”

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.”

“Why?”

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, 

Fuck 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.”

“Sure,” Wally replied. 

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: Heyyyy ☺️

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.”

“Honestly.”

“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.”

“Right.”

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.

“Huh?”

“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. 

Maddie: I’m in.

Ch 2

New story, let me know if you want to be tagged when I update each chapter ☺️

Chapter 1: More Than Meets The Eye

Wally x Maddie

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. 

Then there was Rhonda.

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.

“Ooh, someone’s feisty.”

“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.

“Uhm. Sure.” 

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.”

“Right.”

“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.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s exactly the kind of smart-ass comment she’d make.” 

“Charming.” 

“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. 

Unknown number. 

Hi partner :)

“Now you have my number,” he said.

“Great.”

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. 

“Okay.”

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?”

“I am nice.” 

“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.”

“Yes, but I have eyes.”

“I’m telling Teo.”

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?

Wally: Be there in 10 :)

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?”

“Si, why would he lie?”

“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.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,”

“Yeah. See ya.”

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.”

“Why?”

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, 

Fuck 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.”

“Sure,” Wally replied. 

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: Heyyyy ☺️

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.”

“Honestly.”

“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.”

“Right.”

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.

“Huh?”

“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. 

Maddie: I’m in.

Ch 2

New story, let me know if you want to be tagged when I update each chapter ☺️

Here you will find all the links to each chapter of I Bet You Think About Me

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?

Ch 1 Ch 2 Ch 3 Ch 4 Ch 5

Part 29: I Hope You Had The Time Of Your Life

Wally x Maddie

Warnings and info: everyone is Alive AU, set in 2023-24 (in line with the show), swearing, underage drinking

Summary: its finals week at Split River High and our seniors are feeling the pressure. Then it’s time for graduation where family all come together, when Wally and Maddie gets the ultimate surprise. Then our teens attend one last high school party.

Masterlist

The days between prom and the week of finals seemed to blur together, and suddenly it was the first day of exams. Wally was nervous, to say the least. This was his final chance to impress the University of Illinois with his grades. He had to ace these exams. Otherwise, he’d be stuck in Split River while Maddie was in Chicago, miles away from him – and that was something he didn’t want to think about. 

Maddie and Wally walked hand in hand into school early Monday morning, heading toward Mr Anderson’s room for their English final. The halls of Split River High felt strangely different now. Wally wasn’t sure if the feeling in his chest came from knowing this could be one of the last times he’d walk these hallways after spending the past four years here, or if it was simply because the school felt eerily quiet this early in the morning, long before most students would arrive. 

 Maddie could feel his hand trembling in hers, so she gave it a reassuring squeeze. “You’ve got this, Wally.”

Wally glanced over at her nervously. “What if I don’t?” “You do, trust me,” she said. “You know all the material. We’ve gone over everything multiple times.”

Wally nodded, even though he wasn’t fully convinced. 

They rounded the corner of the hallway, spotting a group of students already waiting outside the classroom. Charley looked up as they approached, somehow managing to look even more stressed than Wally. 

“I have never been more stressed in my whole entire life.” 

“You say that about everything, drama queen.” Rhonda said, sliding her phone back into her pocket. “It’s just a test.” 

Charley whipped his head toward her. “It is not just a ‘test.” He held up air quotes. “It’s the test of all the stuff we learnt this year, all in one big test and if you fail one final, you could not graduate and not go to college.” He paused for a breath after blurting it all out at a record speed -even for him-. “I wish Yuri was in this class. He always calms me down.”

Nicole laughed. “Okay, breathe, Charley. I understood like half of that.”

“I think we all can benefit from a deep breath right now. I feel like we’re all tense about our first final.” Wally said. 

The group took a deep breath in and out, slowly, the anxiety everyone carried easing slightly, though it was still there. 

Then Mr Anderson opened the classroom door. “Okay, seniors. Head inside, place your phone in the box on my desk and find somewhere to sit. You will have a ten-minute reading period where you can look everything over, and once I say so, you may begin.” 

“Good luck, guys.” Maddie said, squeezing Wally’s hand once more before letting go and entering the classroom.

Every final that followed seemed to follow the same pattern: nervously waiting in the hall, overlooking over study notes one last time before entering the classroom, sitting in the same desk layout in different classrooms, hands sore from holding a pen for so long, and then the familiar wave of relief that came every time another final was crossed of the list.  

Each day seemed to drag by, staring at clocks that barely moved and counting down the minutes until they could leave. Somehow, though, the week itself passed at the exact opposite speed. Then suddenly, they were walking out of their last final on Thursday afternoon.

Wally pulled open the door leading to the parking lot, holding it for the others before stepping outside himself. The warm air immediately felt different.

“So,” Wally said, grinning, “we actually did it.”

“Barely,” Charley replied. “My hand hasn’t stopped cramping from holding a pen for like three hours.”

Maddie laughed. “Oh, so you can’t hold a burger? Because Wally and I were going to shout lunch for everyone to celebrate.”

Charley immediately straightened up. “What hand cramp?”

Simon laughed. “Anything for free food.” 

“Correct,” Charley said. “And you would do the exact same thing.” 

“He’s not wrong,” Nicole added. 

“Can we just go already?” Rhonda asked. “I’m starving.”

Charley pointed at her. “See? Rhonda gets it.”

“I don’t get it,” Rhonda replied. “I just want food.”

“That’s literally the same thing.”

Rhonda rolled her eyes as the group moved towards their cars, agreeing to meet at Murphy’s Diner. The tension and anxiety from the last couple of days finally seems to ease as they drove away from school. 

Murphy’s Diner was packed with students celebrating the end of finals, but Maddie, Wally, Nicole, Rhonda, Simon and Charley managed to find a free booth near the back. Before long, the table was covered with burgers, fries, milkshakes, and baskets of onion rings. They settled into easy conversation, relieved to finally have finals behind them. It didn’t take long for the conversation to shift to the lake house trip later that summer. They confirmed details, who was riding in which car, and made sure everyone knew what they were responsible for bringing. Nicole even started making a list of what everyone needed to bring, already planning to text reminders later. 

When they had first planned the trip, Conrad had reassured everyone there was plenty of room for ten of them and that the house already had most of the basics they would need. By the end of lunch, there was very little left to organize. The lake house trip had been planned for months, but with the final details sorted out, it suddenly became much closer. Graduation was only a few days away, and a couple weeks after that, they would all be piling into cars and heading out for a week at the lake together. 

June 7th – Graduation Day

The sound of an alarm broke through Maddie’s deep slumber as she rolled over and turned it off. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she sat up. Today was finally graduation day.  

A lot had happened during Maddie’s senior year. Some things she wanted to forget and leave in the past, never thinking about them again. But there was also so many moments she wanted to remember – when she discovered Wally had feelings for her, when she realized she still had feelings for him, when they went on their first date, when they first said I love you, when they had sex for the first time, and all the little moments in between with Wally and her friends that she wouldn’t trade for the world. 

She wandered into the kitchen, turned on the coffee maker, and slipped a few slices of bread into the toaster. A few minutes later, she padded into the living room with a steaming mug of coffee, setting it on the coffee table before curling up cross-legged on the couch and switching on the TV. 

A little while later, Sandra appeared in the living room, still blinking as she adjusted to the bright morning light. 

“Oh, sorry, did I wake you up?” Maddie asked, grabbing the remote and pausing the TV. 

Sandra shook her head as she sat down beside her. “No. I’ve been up for a while. I just can’t believe you’re graduating today. As much as I am happy, I’m also sad. It’s another milestone in your life without your dad.” 

A flicker of sadness crossed Maddie’s face. “I wish he was here too.” 

Sandra quickly wiped away the tear that escaped before changing the subject. “I’m really proud of you, Maddie. After everything that’s happened this year, you never let your grades slip.” 

“Thanks, mom.” 

A brief silence settled between them before Maddie spoke again.  

“You know, Mom,” she said, glancing over at her, “I know I haven’t said it lately, but I’m proud of you too. You’ve been sober since February, you stuck with your sobriety, even when things got hard. You’ve had a tough year too.”

A smile spread across Sandra’s face. “Oh, Maddie, that means so much to me. Thank you.” 

Sandra leaned across the couch and pulled her into a hug. A few moments later, they pulled apart as Maddie pressed play on the TV. 

“Do you want to watch the rest of this with me?” she asked. 

Sandra smiled. “Alright. An episode or two. I have to start making some food to take over to Bea’s for tonight.”

Maddie nodded as she and Sandra settled back into the couch while the show played on. 

They ended up watching more than two episodes, and suddenly it was almost one o’clock. 

“As much fun as this was, honey,” Sandra said sitting forward. “I have to get started on cooking for tonight.” 

Maddie smiled and herself up from the couch. “Alright. I should probably start getting organised.” 

Maddie headed down to the hallway toward the bathroom while Sandra made her way to the kitchen to start cooking.

After her shower, Maddie did her makeup and styled her hair, before returning to her bedroom. Her graduation gown and dress hung neatly on the front of her closet door, while her cap rested on her desk. The dress was a classic sleeveless black mini dress, fitted through the bodice before flaring into a softly structured skirt. 

She lifted it from the hanger and stepped into it, carefully pulling the zipper up at the back. Then she slipped on her white heels. Taking one final look in the mirror, she smoothed down the fabric of her dress and adjusted the silver pendant resting against her collarbone. Her thoughts shifted to her dad. 

Taking a deep breath, she grabbed her graduation gown and cap before stepping out of her bedroom. 

Sandra was waiting in the living room, already dressed in a simple floral sundress. The second Maddie stepped into the room, her eyes instantly filled with emotion. 

“Mom, don’t start crying already,” Maddie said with a laugh.

Sandra shook her head, quickly dabbing at her eyes. “I’m really trying not to.”

Maddie’s phone vibrated in her hand. “That’s Wally. He’s waiting outside.” 

Sandra nodded before suddenly holding up a hand. “Oh wait.” She reached for her camera. “Just a few quick photos, please.” 

Maddie groaned. “Okay, but make it quick.” 

After taking far more than just a few photos, Maddie and Sandra finally stepped outside onto the front porch. Maddie’s eyes immediately landed on Wally’s across the street. He was leaning against the side of his truck, dressed in a button-down shirt with slack, waiting patiently. The second he noticed her, he pushed himself upright and started across the street. 

A grin instantly spread across Maddie’s face. Behind her, Sandra headed toward Bea’s car while Wally stopped in front of her, taking a moment to look her over. 

“Hi, beautiful,” he said.

“Hey, you.” 

Maddie wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a hug. It lingered for a few seconds, neither of them seeming particularly eager to let go.  

“As adorable as this is,” Bea called from her car, “we do have a graduation to get to.”

“And it’s probably not the safest place to stand around hugging,” Sandra added. “You’re in the middle of the street.”

Maddie and Wally laughed as they finally pulled apart and headed toward his truck hand in hand. Wally opened the passenger door for her before walking around to the driver’s side. 

Once they were both settled inside, he glanced over at her.

“Ready?”

Maddie nodded. “Let's go graduate.”

By the time they arrived, the parking lot was already filled with students and families. Maddie climbed out of the truck, smoothing down her dress as the four of them made their way toward the stadium entrance. 

The football field had been transformed for graduation. Long rows of white folding chairs stretched across the grass, all facing a large stage decorated in the school’s navy blue and white colors. Banners hung along the front of the stage while families slowly filled the bleachers on either side, the air buzzing with excitement and conversation. 

As Maddie and Wally stepped onto the field, they searched the crowd of students for familiar faces. Near the seating area, Maddie quickly spotted Charley, Rhonda, Conrad, Yuri, Simon and Nicole.  

“There they are,” Maddie said, nodding toward the group. 

When they approached, Nicole glanced over at Maddie. “I love your dress, Mads,” 

“Thank you.” 

“I can’t believe we’re actually graduating,” Nicole admitted. 

“I can,” Rhonda said with a grin. “I’ve been counting down the days since freshman year.”

“One more ceremony,” she added, glancing toward the stage. “Then we’re officially done with this town.” 

Charley placed a hand over his chest. “Wow. That was almost sentimental.”

“Don’t ruin this for me.” 

The group laughed as teachers began directing students toward their assigned sections. Graduates slowly filtered toward the rows of chairs set up across the football field, the excitement growing as more families filled the bleachers. 

“See you guys on the other side,” Simon joked as they spit off toward their assigned seats. 

Around the stadium, conversations gradually faded as students settled into their assigned seats. The rustle of graduation gowns and the scrape of folding chairs carried across the field while parents and families filled the last remaining spots in the bleachers. A nervous excitement hung in the air as everyone waited for the ceremony to begin. Then Principal Hartman stepped onto the stage, making his way to the podium as the crows slowly fell silent. 

“Good Afternoon graduates, families, friends and faculty. Welcome to the graduation ceremony for the Class of 2024.” 

A wave of applause rolled across the field. 

“Today marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. For our graduates, this day represents years of hard work, determination, growth, and perseverance. You’ve survived exams, deadlines, early mornings, long nights, and everything else high school has thrown your way. More importantly, you’ve learned who you are and who you want to be.” 

He paused briefly before continuing. 

“Each of you arrived here with different talents, different dreams, and different challenges. Yet today, you sit together as one graduating class. Some of you are heading to college. Some of you are entering the workforce. Some of you are still figuring out exactly what comes next. Whatever path you choose, I hope you leave Split River High knowing that your future is full of possibilities.” 

“Before we begin awarding diplomas, we have a few speeches from our valedictorian, salutatorian and class president.” 

One by one, the speakers took the stage, their speeches blurring together before eventually introducing Janet as valedictorian. Maddie sat up a little straighter in her chair as Janet gave her speech. Janet spoke confidently about friendship, growth, and the uncertainty that came with standing on the edge of adulthood. As Maddie listened, she found herself thinking briefly about Chicago. In a few months, she’d be living in a new city, attending a new school, and building a life for herself. The thought was equal parts exciting and terrifying. 

As Janet finished her speech, Principal Hartman stood at the podium. “Thank you, Janet. And now, graduates, it is my honor to present you for graduation. We will now begin the presentation of diplomas.” 

Applause spread through the stadium as the first row of graduates stood and made their way toward the side of the stage. The ceremony settled into a steady rhythm as names were called out one by one. Students climbed the steps of the stage, accepted their diplomas, shook hands, posed briefly for a photo, and disappeared down the opposite side of the stage returning back to their seats. 

Before long, Principal Hartman’s voice echoed through the stadium. “Walter Jacob Clark.”

A smile instantly spread across Maddie’s face as Wally stepped onto the stage. The applause was loud, but Bea’s cheer somehow managed to rise above all of it. Wally accepted his diploma with an easy grin, posed for the photo and gaze out to the crowd as he crossed the stage, eyes immediately landing on Maddie’s, as she blew him a kiss, before making his way back down the steps on the other side. 

Applause continued to roll across the crowd in waves, voices carrying over in the open air as each student crossed the stage, receiving their diploma, and returning back to the line. 

After a while, it was finally Maddie’s row that was called to line up on the side of the stage. Before long she was at the front of the line, and her name was being called. 

“Madison Grace Nears.” Principal Hartman said, glancing over to her. 

As soon as Maddie stepped on stage, a familiar voice cut through the applause. 

“WOO! THAT’S MY GIRLFRIEND!”

Maddie immediately tried not to laugh, to keep her composure as she shakes hands, accepts her diploma and poses for the photo before making her way back to her seat.  After the final diploma was handed out, Principal Hartman returned to the podium. “Graduates, please stand.” 

The sound of hundreds of chairs scraping against the grass echoed across the stadium as the Class of 2024 rose to their feet. Maddie’s heart hammered in her chest as she stood alongside her classmates. Around her, graduates smiled and wiped away a few stray tears from their eyes while families watched from the bleachers. 

Principal Hartman looked over the crowd before speaking. “By the authority vested in me by the State of Wisconsin and the Split River School District, I now declare you graduates. Please move your tassels from right to left.” 

Maddie reached up, her fingers brushing the tassel hanging from the right side of her cap. For a moment, she thought about everything that had brought her here – four years of memories, friendships, mistakes, victories, heartbreaks, and moments she would never forget. Then she moved the tassel to the left. 

The applause grew even louder as Principal Hartman smiled. “Congratulations, Class of 2024.”

Then the confetti cannons went off, spraying navy blue and white confetti over the field as hundreds of graduation caps flew into the evening sky at once. The stadium erupted into cheers. For a few seconds, all Maddie could hear was laughter, applause, and the celebration of a chapter finally coming to an end. 

After picking up her cap, Maddie immediately searched the crowd for Wally, but Wally found her first. He appeared out of nowhere, wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her off the ground as she let out a surprised laugh

“We did it, baby.” 

“We did,” Maddie laughed. 

Wally set her back down, and she immediately pulled him into a kiss as confetti continued drifting through the air around them.

One by one, the rest of their friends found each other in the crowd. Hugs were exchanged, congratulations shouted over the noise of the stadium, and just like that, they were high school graduates. 

Charley opened the diploma cover tucked under his arm and immediately frowned. “Why the fuck is this blank?” 

Rhonda rolled her eyes. “Because it's symbolic, you pin head.” 

“What?”

Janet laughed as she stepped closer. “They don’t hand out the actual diplomas at the ceremony. Final exams haven’t even been fully processed yet.” 

Charley stared down at the empty paper inside. “So I carried this thing around for nothing?”

“It’s also an important document, Charley,” Nicole added. “They don’t want hundreds of teenagers bending them, losing them, or spilling drinks on them before they get home.”

Simon nodded. “Honestly, that’s probably aimed directly at you.”

“Wow. Rude.” 

“Insanely accurate, though, “Rhonda corrected. 

The group barely had time to recover from Charley’s outrage over the blank diploma before their families began making their way onto the field.

Wally was immediately pulled into a hug by his Gran. 

“There’s my graduate,” she said, wrapping her arms around him. 

“Gran,” Wally laughed. “You’re crushing me.”

“You’ll survive.” 

Maddie smiled as Dottie turned to her next, pulling her into a hug just as tightly. “And congratulations to you too, sweetheart.”

“Thanks, Dottie.”

Bea and Carol followed close behind, both pulling the pair into hugs and showering them with congratulations. Around them, the rest of the group reunited with parents, siblings, and relatives as the field filled with graduates posing for photos. 

Maddie was still talking with Dottie when she spotted Sandra weaving through the crowd. “Mom-” she paused, standing beside Sandra were two faces she hadn’t expected to see.

“Grandma? Grandpa?” 

A huge smile spread across her grandmother’s face. “Surprise.”

Maddie crossed the distance between them and threw her arms around both of them. “What are you doing here?”

“Missing our only granddaughter’s graduation wasn’t an option,” her grandfather said. 

Emotion tightened in Maddie’s chest as she hugged them again. The drive from Milwaukee wasn’t exactly short, and she knew how hard travelling was for both of them. So them being there for her, meant everything to her. 

Sandra smiled from beside them. “I might’ve helped keep the secret.”

The next half hour passed in a blur of photos, hugs, and congratulations. Parents insisted on taking far too many pictures, friends were constantly being pulled away from one family photo to another. Eventually, cars began pulling out of the parking lot as everyone headed towards Wally’s house for the graduation dinner. 

By the time everyone arrived at Wally’s house, the sun was beginning to dip lower in the sky, bathing the backyard in golden evening light. 

The Clark’s back deck had been transformed for the celebration. Navy blue and white streamers hung from the railings, matching balloons were tied to posts around the yard, and a large Congratulations Graduates

Banner stretched across the back of the house. As daylight faded, strings of warm white lights began to glow, casting a soft light over the gathering. 

Folding tables lined one side of the deck, covered with enough food to feed an army. Sandra, Bea, Carol and a few others moved between the kitchen and backyard carrying trays while other parents added bowls, platters, and desserts to the growing spread. The smell of grilled food drifted through the yard, mixing with the sounds of laughter and conversation.

The backyard quickly filled with graduates, parents, and family. Some gathered around the tables, others settled into deck chairs or stood talking in small groups. Graduation gowns, caps and diploma covers were scattered across patio tables, abandoned for the moment as everyone focused on celebrating. 

For the first time all day, everyone could simply relax. Finals were over. Graduation was finished. The stress of senior year had finally been replaced by excitement for whatever came next. Around them, laughter drifted as friends and families celebrated together. 

As dinner began winding down and conversations broke into smaller groups, Dottie approached Wally and Maddie’s table. “Wally, honey, can I borrow you for a minute?”

Wally glanced up from his plate. “Sure, gran.”

Dottie smiled at Maddie. “You too, sweetheart.”

Maddie exchanged a curious look with Wally before following Dottie inside, the sounds of laughter and conversations fading as they moved further into the house. 

 Once they were in the living room, Dottie reached into her purse and pulled out an envelope. “This is for you.” 

Wally accepted it, looking confused. “Gran, you already got me a graduation card.”

“Just open it, sweetheart.”

Wally pulled out the folded check and the color immediately drained from his face. Beside him, Maddie leaned forward slightly to see what had him so stunned, then she saw the number and her eyes widened.

“Dottie…”

Wally stared at the check for several seconds before finally looking up.  “Gran…”  his voice was barely above a whisper. “What is this?”

Dottie smiled. “A graduation present.”

Wally looked back down at the check. “How?”

Dottie stepped forward, resting a hand on his arm. “I sold the farm.”

Wally blinked. “You sold it?”

“A few months ago.” Dottie said. “I wanted to be closer to my girls now that I’m getting older. I’ve been staying with Carol while everything was finalized, and I found a small apartment here in Split River.”

Wally was still staring at the check. “But what about Mom? And Aunt Carol? Shouldn’t they be getting this money?”

“Your mother and Carol got a portion of the money from the sale,” Dottie continued. “And I had enough savings for me. I wanted the rest to go to you.”

“Gran.. this is too much.”

Dottie shook her head. “No, it’s not, sweetheart. Your mom has been telling me how hard you’ve been working the last few months, and everything you’ve been dealing with because of your father. You deserve this.” 

His grip tightened around the check. The amount wasn’t just generous, it was enough to cover his entire college tuition. 

“Gran, you don’t need to do this.” “I know I don’t, sweetheart,” Dottie’s voice softened. “I’m doing it because I want to.”

For a moment, Wally couldn’t find the words. Maddie slipped her hand into his, feeling how overwhelmed he was. 

Dottie smiled. “You have enough things to worry about. Paying for college shouldn’t be one of them. Use the money you’ve been saving on something for you and your sweet girlfriend,” she glanced over at Maddie, “which I am so happy to see. I always knew you two would find your way to each other.”

Wally’s eyes filled with emotion as he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. “Thank you, gran.” 

“Congratulations, sweetheart,” she whispered. 

Just then, Bea walked into the kitchen carrying a few dishes. She glanced toward to the living room where Wally, Maddie and Dottie stood and immediately noticed the check still clutched in Wally’s hand.

“Mom, you told him without me?” Bea asked, dropping the dishes on the kitchen island and walked into the living room. 

“I’m sorry, love. I couldn’t wait any longer,” Dottie said. “I wanted to give it to him before he left for the party afterwards.” 

Bea nodded. “It’s okay, Ma. But since we’re on a roll with doing gifts…” she crossed to the cabinet beside the TV stand and pulled out a small present bag. “Happy graduation day, honey.”

Wally accepted the bag from her and smiled. “You didn’t have to get me anything, mom.” 

“Yes, I did.” Bea replied.

Wally opened the box to find a sleek black watch. It’s dark face and silver hands gave it a clean, timeless look.

A small smile spread across his face. “I love it.” He looked up at Bea. “Thanks, Mom.” He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. 

“I’m happy you like it.” Bea said once they pulled apart.

Then she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, wrapped gift, turning toward Maddie. “I wanted to get you something too.”

Maddie looked surprised. “Bea, you didn’t have to do that.”

“I wanted to,” Bea said, placing the gift in her hands. “It’s not much, just a gift card to a nice restaurant I found in Chicago. I figured the two of you could use it for a date night.”

Maddie’s smiled instantly widened. “Thank you, Bea. That was really sweet of you.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart.”

Dottie smiled as she patted Wally’s cheek. “As much as I’m enjoying stealing you two away, I think we’d better get back to the party before everyone starts wondering where we’ve all disappeared to.” 

Wally laughed. “Probably a good idea.”

Hand in hand, he and Maddie followed Dottie and Bea back outside. The backyard was still buzzing with conversation, the smell of food still lingering in the air as music played softly over the backyard. 

Before long, they found the group gathered around one of the tables. Charley was still eating the same slice of cake he’d started twenty minutes earlier, spending more time talking than actually taking bites while Rhonda rolled her eyes beside him. 

“There you two are,” Simon said. “Did you get kidnapped or something?”

Wally laughed. No, but my Gran did just give me my graduation present.”

“What was it?” Conrad asked. 

“She sold her farm a few months ago,” Wally explained. “My mom and Aunt Carol got part of the money, and Gran decided to use the rest to pay for college.” “Like…” Simon blinked. “All of it?”

Wally nodded. “My entire tuition. I still can’t believe it.” 

Nicole’s eyes widened. “Wally, that’s amazing.”

“Seriously, that’s incredible.’ Rhonda said, nodding.

“Your gran is the sweetest,” Janet added.

Charley pointed his fork at Wally. “I wish she was my grandma.”

“Charley!” Dawn gasped. 

“What? He defended. “I’m happy for him. I’m just saying, if Dottie wants to adopt a dramatic, gay grandson, I am available.” 

The group burst out laughing as the party continued to move around them, as the night grew on. 

By eight thirty, mostly everyone had mostly gone home to get ready for the party. Sandra, Carol, Dottie, and Maddie’s grandparents stayed behind for a little while to help clean up.

After most of the house had been tidied, Sandra grabbed her things and glanced over at her parents. “Ready to head home?” 

“Yes, dear,” Maddie’s grandmother, Alice, said as she pushed up from the dining chair. “I left Maddie’s gift in my bag.” 

Wally placed the kitchen towel down on the counter and stepped over to help Maddie’s grandfather, George, to his feet. “Let me help you, Mr Graham.” 

George accepted his hand and smiled. “Thank you, son. But how many times have I told you to call me George?”

“Sorry Mr… George,” Wally corrected himself with a sheepish smile. “Habit.” 

Sandra laughed. “If it makes you feel better, Dad, he’s only just gotten used to call me Sandra after all these years.”

Wally smiled and turned to Bea, who was finishing up in the kitchen. “I’m just going to help walk them across the street then I will be back.”

“Such a sweet boyfriend you have, Madison,” Alice said, taking hold of George’s arm. 

Maddie smiled. “He’s the best.” 

After helping Maddie’s grandparents settle onto the couch, Wally headed back across the street to get ready for the party, promising Maddie he’d be back soon.

“Alice, my love,” George teased, “don’t forget why we came over.”

Alice chuckled. “Right. Sandra, darling, would you mind getting Maddie’s gift from my bag? It’s in the side pocket.”

“Of course, Mom.”

 Sandra disappeared down the hall to the spare room where her parents were staying for the night. 

“You really didn’t need to get me anything, Grandma and Grandpa,” Maddie said, looking between them. “You making the trip here was enough.” 

“We know you’re fiercely independent, darling, and that you don’t like accepting things for yourself,” Alice began. “But you’ve just accomplished something huge, and we wanted to celebrate that.” 

George nodded. “You deserve it, Maddie.” 

A few moments later, Sandra returned from the hallway with a small envelope, the same kind Dottie gave Wally earlier and handed it to Maddie.

Curious, Maddie opened it. Sure enough, there was a check inside. She glanced down at the amount and her mouth fell open. “Ten thousand dollars?”

Sandra looked at her parents, confused. “Mom, Dad, where did you get this?”

George glanced at Alice before looking back at them. “We’ve been putting money aside for a while for Maddie’s college. You can use it for tuition, books, decorating your dorm, anything you want.” 

 “I can’t accept this,” Maddie blinked before crossing the room and sitting down beside them on the couch. “You need this more than I do.”

“Nonsense, honey,” Alice said. “Your grandfather and I are doing just fine. We want you to take it.” 

Maddie’s eyes filled instantly with tears. “I don’t know what to say.”

“How about thank you?” George suggested. 

Alice turned to him and lightly smacked his arm. “Oh, George, now’s not the time for jokes.” 

Maddie laughed, wiping tears from her eyes. “Thank you. It means a lot.” She wrapped her arms around them both in a hug. “I love you both.”

When they pulled apart, Maddie pushed herself to her feet. “I should probably go get ready.” 

Sandra nodded. “Okay, honey. But first…” She crossed the living room into the dining room and returned with a small gift bag. “I got you a little something.”

“Mom-”

“I know what you’re going to say,” Sandra cut in. “I wanted to get you something and I’ve been saving for a while.” She paused for a brief moment. “I’ve been meaning to tell you, I now work full-time instead of part-time at the hospital. One of the other receptionists quit, and they needed someone to cover for him.” 

Maddie smiled. “That’s amazing, Mom. I’m so happy for you.”

Alice glanced at George before looking back at Sandra. “Since when do you work at the hospital? What happened to your job at the law office?”

“We can talk about that later, mom.” Sandra said gently. “This is Maddie’s day.” 

Alice’s mouth tightened into a thin line. “Fine.”

Maddie opened the gift bag and lifted out a long black velvet box. Inside lay a delicate silver bracelet, its twin chains glinting softly in the light. 

“It’s beautiful,” Maddie said, taking the bracelet out of the box, fastening it around her right wrist.  “Thank you, mom.”

“You’re welcome honey,” Sandra replied, pulling her into a hug. 

Before anyone could say anything else, there was a knock at the door. Maddie went to answer it and smiled when she saw Wally standing on the other side. 

“Wait, baby, you’re not ready yet?” Wally asked as he stepped inside. 

“Sorry, Mom and my grandparents were giving me my graduation presents,” Maddie replied, shutting the door behind him. “Give me five minutes.”

“Sure,” Wally nodded. “I’ll hang with your grandparents and Mom.”

Maddie smiled shyly. “I was going to ask your opinion on what I should wear.”

“I can definitely help with that.”  

Maddie grabbed Wally’s hand and led him down the hall to her room, the door shutting with a soft click.  

 George frowned. “You let her boyfriend be in her room when she changes?” 

“Dad, they’re adults,” Sandra replied. “I can’t exactly tell them no.”

“But you can still enforce rules when it comes to your house, Sandra.” Alice said. 

“I trust Maddie, and I trust Wally.” Sandra said firmly.

“They are good kids,” Alice agreed, “but like you said, they are young adults with raging hormones. Have you had the talk with them?” 

Sandra groaned. “Can we not talk about this now?” she asked, glancing toward the hallway. “They could come out any second.” 

“Fine,” George said. “We’ll continue when they leave.” 

The sound of Maddie’s bedroom door opening brought the conversation to an abrupt end as Maddie and Wally returned to the living room. 

“Have fun, you two,” Alice said with a smile. 

Maddie smiled back. “Thanks, Grandma.” 

“Have a good rest of your evening.” Wally said, holding the front door open for Maddie, closing it behind once they stepped out on the front porch. 

By the time Wally pulled into the crowded street, cars lined both sides of the road and music could already be heard from inside the house. Seniors filled the front yard and spilled out onto the driveway, laughing and greeting friends as they made their way inside. 

Hand in hand, Maddie and Wally stepped through the front door and immediately found themselves squeezed between groups of people talking in the entryway and dancing in the living room. The smell of pizza and snacks mixed with whatever song was currently blasting through the speakers. 

“Remind me whose house this is again?” Maddie laughed. 

“No idea,” Wally admitted. “One of the guys on the team.”

They eventually found their friends gathered around the kitchen island. Janet and Dawn were talking while Quinn leaned against the counter beside Rhonda. Simon was helping himself to a bowl of chips, Conrad was in the middle of a conversation with some of the football players, and Charley was animatedly recounting some story while Yuri stood beside him shaking his head fondly. Nicole was laughing at something Charley had said. 

 “There you two are,” Simon said as Maddie and Wally joined the group.

“What took you guys so long?” Nicole asked.

“My grandparents and my Mom were giving me my graduation present.” Maddie said, opening up a can of Cherry coke.

“Oh nice,” Janet smiled. “What’d they get you?”

Maddie lifted up her right arm. “My Mom got me this bracelet, and my grandparents gave me a check. Said I can spend it however I want.” 

Charley gasped. “Is everyone else’s grandparents giving them money except mine?”

The group burst out laughing. 

“My grandparents gave me a luggage set,” Charley continued. “Which, sure, was nice, but still, I wouldn’t mind some money for college.”

Rhonda rolled her eyes. “Charley, stop whining.”

“I’m not whining. I’m observing an alarming trend.”

“You’re being dramatic,” Yuri corrected with a smile. 

 “That’s literally his personality,” Conrad laughed. 

Before Charley could defend himself, a guy burst into the kitchen from the hallway. 

“Next round of beer pong is starting in the basement!”

Immediately, heads turned. 

Nicole looked around the group. “We’re playing, right?”

Simon grinned. “I mean, it’d be rude not to.”

“Oh, absolutely not,” Janet laughed. 

“Same,” Dawn agreed. “You guys have fun.”

Quinn shook their head. “Maybe later.”

Rhonda smirked. “Well, somebody had to keep Charley humble.”

Charley clutched his cup dramatically. “Excuse you. You should be honored to witness greatness.”

Yuri snorted. “Char, you missed the trash can trying to throw away a napkin earlier and you were right next to it.”

Conrad laughed. “He’s got a point,”

Wally grinned. “Come on, let's go.” 

Within moments, Maddie found herself following Wally downstairs along with Rhonda, Conrad, Yuri, Simon, Nicole, and Charley while Janet, Quinn, and Dawn stayed upstairs. 

As they made their way downstairs, Maddie took in the crowded basement. Music blasted from a speaker in the corner while people surrounded five long tables lined with red cups. Four games were already underway, groups of spectators cheering around them, leaving only one empty table.

“Perfect,” Wally grinned. 

The group claimed the table, sitting their drinks down and arranging the cups while everyone argued over who should play first. Eventually, they decided on the first round, Simon and Rhonda against Charley and Conrad. 

Charley picked up a ball and pointed at Conrad. “We got this. You’re good at throwing a football. Throwing a small ball into a cup should be easy.” 

Conrad laughed. “I don’t think that’s how it works.”

“Trust me. Athleticism.”

Conrad blinked. “That’s not a thing.”

“It absolutely is.” 

Across from the table, Rhonda snorted. “Famous last words, Kitani.”

As they continued setting up, Simon leaned closer to Rhonda’s side. “Not gonna lie, I have no idea what I’m doing.”

“Let me go first,” Rhonda said. “In my family we play this every fourth of July, the non-beer version, obviously. Just follow my lead.”

Meanwhile, Wally, Maddie, Nicole and Yuri settled onto one of the couches, red cups and cans in hand as they watched them setting up and other games playing around them. The basement buzzed with conversation and laughter as more people squeezed onto couches and chairs, leaned against the walls, and gathered around the tables. 

Rhonda picked up a ball and smirked across the table. “You boys ready, or are you still working on your excuses?” “Excuses?” Charley scoffed. “Please. Conrad and I are about to humble you.” “That’s cute you think that,” Rhonda replied. She lined up the first shot, the ball dropping neatly into one of their cups. “Drink up, boys.” 

Conrad retrieved the ball and drank the beer from the cup, placing the empty cup on the floor.

Rhonda then handed the ball to Simon. “You’re turn. Just do what I did.”

“Sounds easy enough.” 

Simon lined up his first shot and threw the ball, but it bounced off the rim of one of the cups and rolled onto the floor.

Next, Conrad grabbed the ball and took a second to line up his shot. The ball bounced off the table before landing in one of Rhonda’s and Simon’s cups.

“Drink up, Rosen and Elroy. Since that bounced, two cups are eliminated.”

Charley clapped. “Yes, we’re winning.” 

Rhonda glanced at him over the rim of her cup. “Don’t celebrate too soon. It’s your turn now.”

Charley grabbed the ball from Conrad and carefully lined up his throw. He threw it a little too hard, completely missing the cups before it bounced onto the floor.  

Rhonda laughed. “What was that about keeping us humble?” “Shut up,” Charley said, rolling his eyes. 

The rest of the game lasted longer than a normal game of beer pong. Simon picked up the technique quickly from Rhonda taking out the majority of Conrad and Charley’s cups. In the end, Rhonda and Simon won.

“That’s bullshit,” Charley declared, grabbing his cup off from the table in front of the couches. “I want a rematch.” “Bring it on, Kitani,” Simon snickered. “Tipsy you is hilarious. I can only imagine drunk you is even funnier.”

Rhonda laughed beside him as she squeezed onto the couch next to Maddie and glanced over to the group. “You guys, ready?”

Maddie nodded. “I think so. I watched you for a bit. I think I know what to do.”

Wally smiled beside her, placing his drink down. “We got this, babe.”

Yuri, Nicole, Maddie, and Wally stood and made their way over to the empty table as the others took their seats on the couch.

They quickly set up the cups, pouring beer into each one and wiping down the ping pong balls before they began. 

Wally wasted no time. He picked up the ball and threw it without hesitation. It bounced off the table and landed in one of the cups. 

“Oh shit, he’s good,” Nicole said as she picked up the cup. “Is it too late to swap partners?”

Yuri glanced at her over the rim of his cup. “Dude, I’m right here.” 

Nicole grimaced. “Right. Sorry.” She drank the beer and placed the empty cup off to the side.

Wally handed the ball to Maddie. “You’ve this,” he said with a smile.

“WOOOO! GO, MADDIE!” Charley cheered from the couch.

“Char, you’re cheering for your best friend’s team to beat your boyfriend’s team,” Yuri pointed out, glancing over at him.

“I’m sorry I want my bestie to win.”

Yuri rolled his eyes, laughing, returning his attention to the game.

Maddie took a deep breath and threw the ball. Once again, it bounced off the table before dropping neatly into one of the cups. 

“That’s my girl,” Wally said, giving her a quick kiss on her forehead. 

Nicole picked up another cup. “Okay, we get it, you’re adorable.” 

Maddie laughed. “You’re up, Nic.”

Nicole lined up her shot, throwing the ball and landing directly in one of the cups. 

Wally went to take the cup before Maddie stopped him. 

“I got this.”

“You sure?” 

Maddie nodded, taking a drink of beer. 

The game carried on. One after another, they kept making shots, with only a few misses until it came down to one cup each. 

It was Yuri’s turn. He took a second to line up the ball. Before he could throw, Charley cheered loudly once more.

“WOOO! THAT’S MY BOYFRIEND!

“Good to know you can still encourage me, too.” 

“ANYTHING FOR YOU, BOO BOO.”

Wally chuckled. “So, Charley’s drunk.”

“That didn’t take long,” Nicole said. 

Yuri then threw the ball, but he didn’t throw it hard enough and it stopped in the middle of the table. 

“Fuck,” Yuri said, placing both his hands on his head in frustration. 

Maddie grabbed the ball, lined up her shot, and made it.

“Yes!” she cheered. 

Wally immediately pulled her into a hug, picking her up from the ground.

“Yes, my love, you did it.”

Nicole stared at them. “Honestly, I don’t care that we lost, that was adorable.”

“Nicole,” Yuri groaned. 

“No, seriously. You guys are disgustingly cute.”

Maddie laughed. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologise. Just know I hate you both a little.” 

Maddie and Wally laughed. 

“Good game,” Nicole said with a smile. 

They then spent the next hour playing a couple more rounds, eventually turning it into a tournament, with the winner receiving a makeshift medal Charley and Nicole made out of paper they found in the basement. In the end, much to Maddie’s surprise, she won the tournament. It came down to her and Rhonda, with neither giving an inch until the very end.

Everyone clapped, as Conrad stepped forward and held Maddie’s hand in the air. “We have our beer pong champion,” he announced, handing her the paper medal. “Madison Grace Nears.” “WOOO! THAT’S MY BABY!” Wally cheered. 

“THAT’S MY BEST FRIEND, I KNOW HER!” Charley clapped, his words beginning to slur.

Eventually, they returned back upstairs, reuniting with Dawn, Quinn and Janet, who were in the middle of playing a UNO. The rest of the night passed in a blur of dancing, more drinking, and chatting with friends about nothing and everything all at once. Eventually, they decided to leave. 

Luckily for them, Dawn lived just two houses down from where the party was being held, and her parents had agreed to let everyone crash there for the night. It was nearly three in the morning by the time everyone had settled in, spread between the basement, the two-pull-out couches, and sleeping bags scattered across the floor. 

Curled up beside Wally on one of the pull-out couched, Maddie listened to the soft murmur of Charley and Yuri arguing over who had snored louder, Simon and Nicole laughing quietly somewhere in the dark, and Rhonda threatening to throw a pillow hard at all of them if they didn’t go to sleep. 

A smile spread across her face. Graduation, her grandparents surprise visit, her mom healthy and happy, the dinner at Wally’s, the party, her friends.

Chicago was waiting for her, she’ll be in there in the fall. 

For the first time in a long time, Maddie wasn’t worried about the future. She wasn’t afraid of change or wondering if things would fall apart. 

As she felt Wally’s arm tighten around her and sleep slowly pulled her under, one thought drifted through her mind. Life was good. And with that, Maddie fell asleep.

Part 28 Part 30

One last part until the final one 😭

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