t e r e s t ? M o r e li k e l y h e w as h o p i n g t o m a k e n i c e so t h at M a d i s o n w o u l dn' t m e ss u p t h e c a s t i n g f o r h i m .
"I s u gg e s t w e d o ub le c h e c k t h e s p e ll ci r cle a n d t h e n c a s t t h e b i nd i n g," M a d is o n said t ar t l y , t h e n , w h e n A d a m ' s fa c e f e ll, a dd e d , "T h e n I can p ass o u t , we ' ll g o b ack t o c a m pu s, a n d I ' ll g e t t h e t r u t h o u t o f L y d i a . "
" H o w ? " A d a m as k e d m o r o s e l y . " S h e ' ll j u s t l i e agai n ." H e l o o k e d li k e a k ic k e d pupp y , bu t M a d is o n r e f u s e d t o f ee l b a d . H e w as j u s t b e i n g p r a c t i c a l , a f te r all.
" S h e ' s m y s i s t e r , " M a d i s o n said d ar k l y . "I h a v e w a y s o f m a k i n g h e r t e ll t h e t r u t h . "
" T h e n w h a t? " A d am as k e d , e y e i n g M a d i s o n w aril y , as if M a d i s o n m ig h t s u gg e s t l i g h t i n g t h e m all o n fir e . T h a t w a s a te m p t i n g s o l u t i o n , bu t t h e fi n e s f o r t h a t w e re o u t r a g e o u s .
" D e p e nd s o n w h at t h e t r u t h is," M a d is o n sai d , s h r uggi n g. A d am n o dd e d , a p p a r e n t l y a c c e p t i n g t h a t , t h o u g h h e s t ill l o oke d m o r o se a n d d e j e c t e d . M a d is o n h e s i t a t e d ; h e h ad b ee n p l a nn i n g t o l e a v e i t at t ha t , bu t if A d am w as te lli n g t h e t r u t h … w e ll, M a d is o n w o u ld f ee l t e rri b le in h is p la c e . " S i n c e I w o n' t b e a b l e t o fi n d o u t un t il w e g e t b a c k t o c a m pu s, we ' ll j u s t h a v e t o m e e t u p la t e r t h i s w ee k . "
A d am l o o ke d s t a r t l e d , bu t h e ralli e d qu ic k l y . "I ' m u s u ally in t h e s t ud e n t c e n t e r f o r l un c h ? At t h e ca fé . Yo u c o u ld m e e t m e t h e r e ? "
M a d is o n p r e t e nd e d t o t h i n k a b o u t it f o r a m o m e n t , j u s t t o m a k e A d am s qu i r m , b e ca u se h e d i dn' t w a n t A d am t o t h i n k h e w as gi v i n g in t h at e asi l y . " T h a t s h ou ld wo r k . I d o n' t k no w w h e n I ' ll g e t t h e c h a n ce t o t alk t o h e r , s o it c o u ld b e l a te r in t h e w eek . "
" T h a t ' s fi n e , " A d am sai d , gi v i n g M a d i s o n a w i d e , h a pp y s m i l e . H e d e fi n i te ly w a s n ' t l y i n g a b o u t h i s i n t e r e s t in M a d i s o n , un l e ss M a d is o n w as c o m p l e t e l y m isr e a d i n g t h e s i t u a t i o n . It also w a s n ' t a p a s t t e n s e i n t e r e s t , a n d M a d i s o n … w ou ld d e al w i t h t h at la t e r.
"G o o d ," M a d is o n s ai d , l e tt i n g a t i n y s m ile sli p . A d a m b e a m e d e ve n m o r e w i d e l y , a n d M a d i s o n t u r n e d a w ay f r o m it b e f o re h e d id s o m e t h i n g s t up i d l i k e s a y h e b e l i e v e d A d a m a n d w h y d i dn' t t h e y j u s t s k i p rig h t t o d i nn e r o n F ri d a y ? " W e n ee d t o d o t h e s p e l l . I d o n' t w a n t t o b e o u t h e r e t o m o r r o w b e ca u se w e m iss e d t h e w i ndo w f o r c a s t i n g . "
" R i g h t , o f c o u rs e ," A d a m s ai d , falli n g i n t o s t e p b e si d e M a d i s o n as h e h e a d e d t o w a r d s t h e circl e . " T h a n k yo u f o r d o i n g t h i s , r e all y . I d o n' t k no w w h at I wo uld h a v e d o n e if — "
"A d a m ," M a d i s o n sai d , c u t t i n g h im o ff. " We 'v e b e e n o v e r t h i s . Yo u d o n' t h a v e t o t h a n k m e . I w o u ld h a v e d o n e it f o r a ny o n e . " A d a m ' s face f e ll s li g h t l y , a n d M a d is o n h e s i t a t e d , bu t in t h e e n d c o u l dn' t kee p h i s m o u t h s hu t . " L o o k , if it t u r n s o u t y o u' re te lli n g t h e t r u t h , y o u c an t h a n k m e w i t h d i nn e r. T h a t ' s m o r e t h a n e n o u g h
"I s u gg e s t w e d o ub le c h e c k t h e s p e ll ci r cle a n d t h e n c a s t t h e b i nd i n g," M a d is o n said t ar t l y , t h e n , w h e n A d a m ' s fa c e f e ll, a dd e d , "T h e n I can p ass o u t , we ' ll g o b ack t o c a m pu s, a n d I ' ll g e t t h e t r u t h o u t o f L y d i a . "
" H o w ? " A d a m as k e d m o r o s e l y . " S h e ' ll j u s t l i e agai n ." H e l o o k e d li k e a k ic k e d pupp y , bu t M a d is o n r e f u s e d t o f ee l b a d . H e w as j u s t b e i n g p r a c t i c a l , a f te r all.
" S h e ' s m y s i s t e r , " M a d i s o n said d ar k l y . "I h a v e w a y s o f m a k i n g h e r t e ll t h e t r u t h . "
" T h e n w h a t? " A d am as k e d , e y e i n g M a d i s o n w aril y , as if M a d i s o n m ig h t s u gg e s t l i g h t i n g t h e m all o n fir e . T h a t w a s a te m p t i n g s o l u t i o n , bu t t h e fi n e s f o r t h a t w e re o u t r a g e o u s .
" D e p e nd s o n w h at t h e t r u t h is," M a d is o n sai d , s h r uggi n g. A d am n o dd e d , a p p a r e n t l y a c c e p t i n g t h a t , t h o u g h h e s t ill l o oke d m o r o se a n d d e j e c t e d . M a d is o n h e s i t a t e d ; h e h ad b ee n p l a nn i n g t o l e a v e i t at t ha t , bu t if A d am w as te lli n g t h e t r u t h … w e ll, M a d is o n w o u ld f ee l t e rri b le in h is p la c e . " S i n c e I w o n' t b e a b l e t o fi n d o u t un t il w e g e t b a c k t o c a m pu s, we ' ll j u s t h a v e t o m e e t u p la t e r t h i s w ee k . "
A d am l o o ke d s t a r t l e d , bu t h e ralli e d qu ic k l y . "I ' m u s u ally in t h e s t ud e n t c e n t e r f o r l un c h ? At t h e ca fé . Yo u c o u ld m e e t m e t h e r e ? "
M a d is o n p r e t e nd e d t o t h i n k a b o u t it f o r a m o m e n t , j u s t t o m a k e A d am s qu i r m , b e ca u se h e d i dn' t w a n t A d am t o t h i n k h e w as gi v i n g in t h at e asi l y . " T h a t s h ou ld wo r k . I d o n' t k no w w h e n I ' ll g e t t h e c h a n ce t o t alk t o h e r , s o it c o u ld b e l a te r in t h e w eek . "
" T h a t ' s fi n e , " A d am sai d , gi v i n g M a d i s o n a w i d e , h a pp y s m i l e . H e d e fi n i te ly w a s n ' t l y i n g a b o u t h i s i n t e r e s t in M a d i s o n , un l e ss M a d is o n w as c o m p l e t e l y m isr e a d i n g t h e s i t u a t i o n . It also w a s n ' t a p a s t t e n s e i n t e r e s t , a n d M a d i s o n … w ou ld d e al w i t h t h at la t e r.
"G o o d ," M a d is o n s ai d , l e tt i n g a t i n y s m ile sli p . A d a m b e a m e d e ve n m o r e w i d e l y , a n d M a d i s o n t u r n e d a w ay f r o m it b e f o re h e d id s o m e t h i n g s t up i d l i k e s a y h e b e l i e v e d A d a m a n d w h y d i dn' t t h e y j u s t s k i p rig h t t o d i nn e r o n F ri d a y ? " W e n ee d t o d o t h e s p e l l . I d o n' t w a n t t o b e o u t h e r e t o m o r r o w b e ca u se w e m iss e d t h e w i ndo w f o r c a s t i n g . "
" R i g h t , o f c o u rs e ," A d a m s ai d , falli n g i n t o s t e p b e si d e M a d i s o n as h e h e a d e d t o w a r d s t h e circl e . " T h a n k yo u f o r d o i n g t h i s , r e all y . I d o n' t k no w w h at I wo uld h a v e d o n e if — "
"A d a m ," M a d i s o n sai d , c u t t i n g h im o ff. " We 'v e b e e n o v e r t h i s . Yo u d o n' t h a v e t o t h a n k m e . I w o u ld h a v e d o n e it f o r a ny o n e . " A d a m ' s face f e ll s li g h t l y , a n d M a d is o n h e s i t a t e d , bu t in t h e e n d c o u l dn' t kee p h i s m o u t h s hu t . " L o o k , if it t u r n s o u t y o u' re te lli n g t h e t r u t h , y o u c an t h a n k m e w i t h d i nn e r. T h a t ' s m o r e t h a n e n o u g h
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