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towards the main street.   “It wasn’t my number one choice and it totally doesn’t match who I am, but my boyfriend helped me choose and he was super into it.   Poor thing, I don’t think he has anything to drive when he gets his license.”   She swiftly removed a pair of Chanel sunglasses from a compartment and put them on without taking her eyes off the road.   “I’ll just use it for now and give it to my little brother once I go to college.   I won’t need a car in New York anyway.”
    Madison did most of the talking during their brief ride home, but Gemma didn’t mind.   It gave her a chance to fully examine Madison for flaws like a crooked tooth or stubby fingernails.   As far as she could see, there were none.   Madison went on about the various school events that she chaired and all the college dance programs and ballet companies that were personally courting her.   Gemma would have hated her if it weren’t for the fact that Madison seemed to love her company.
    Once they pulled up to Gemma’s house and parked, Madison immediately began texting on her iPhone.
    “Sorry I’m being totally rude, I just need to check something,” Madison said.   “I’ll see you tomorrow though.”
    Gemma smiled, leaning into Madison’s glossy pout so Madison could kiss her on both cheeks.   She couldn’t be more relieved about Madison’s intent to hang out with her beyond the first day.
    Feeling as if she were walking on air, Gemma strolled into the empty house, tossing everything aside and heading straight for the fridge.   She poured herself a glass of passionfruit Vita-Coco and smiled peacefully.   It had been an incredibly successful first day of school, despite not running into Lucas.   Befriending a girl like Madison was like hitting the jackpot.   Besides, she had plenty of time to run into Lucas considering he played basketball with her brother.
    Lost in her thoughts, she accidentally sloshed the coconut water onto her shirt as she closed the fridge door.   “Ugh, Gemma,” she scolded herself despite the smile that still curved her lips.
    She made her way up the grand flight of stairs and walked down the length of the hall.   Through the circular window above the front door, she noticed that Madison’s car was still parked outside.   Maybe she wants to come in and hang out , Gemma thought to herself.   She continued to her bedroom to change into something more comfortable but still remotely cute, just in case Madison did decide to ring her doorbell.   She settled on a striped Commes des Garçons sweater dress that reached her mid-thigh, pulling the neckline slightly off one shoulder.
    Through her window, she could see movement in Lucas’s room.   Leo bounced up and down on his bed, barking excitedly.   Lucas was curled on the bed around him, tossing a rubber ball.   Gemma smiled as she watched Leo shoot out of the room after the ball, which bounced off the bed and out the door.
    Then her smile quickly faded.
    Madison walked into Lucas’s open door, the rubber ball in her left hand and Leo cradled in her right arm.   She leaned over and kissed him on the lips with Leo yapping happily in between them.   Gemma quickly turned away, her heart sinking.   I’m an idiot. She leaned against the wall and slowly slid down against it to the floor, her cheeks absolutely burning.   Her whole face burned.   How could I not put two and two together?
    She cursed her windows for not having curtains and slipped out of her own room as discreetly as possible.   She ran down the stairs and plopped down on the living room couch, trying to normalize her heartbeat as she reasoned with herself.   There was no reason to be so upset.   After all, she and Lucas had only spoken once.   They barely knew each other.   Plus, Madison was her best chance at having not just a normal life at Beauford High, but an amazing one.   An enviable one.   It’s not worth torturing yourself over , she tried to