Chapter 5 What's With Them

"Hey, don't worry about it," Lily told Sarah. "They're just hanging out. It doesn't mean anything."

"But I liked it when it was just the three of them," Sarah whined. "I liked calling them the MJs. Everyone started calling them that, too. Now it's like they're a different group altogether."

Lily glanced over at the group of boys; Mark, Justin, Jace, and Ethan, they were laughing and joking around. But her eyes were more on Ethan, who seemed to be fitting in well with the group, even though he was new to their school. Mark and his friends, Jace and Justin, were the most sought-after boys in her grade. Girls of different grades were always vying for their attention. With a new face in the mix, they might just become even more popular.

"Come with me," Sarah commanded, dragging Lily along with her.

Lily and Sarah sat at a table near MJs, straining to hear what the boys were saying. Suddenly, Madison stood up from her table and walked past Lily's table, sending her a withering glare. Lily tensed with annoyance as Madison was walking over to the boys' table, she sat down next to Ethan. The boys' bickering came to an abrupt halt as all eyes turned to Madison.

They leaned even closer to hear what was being said.

"Hi boys," Madison said, then turned to Ethan with a flirtatious gaze. "Hi Ethan," she cooed, batting her eyelashes at him. Lily felt a pang of disappointment at the sight.

"What's up, Maddie?" Ethan replied with a charming smile.

Lily was taken aback. Everyone referred to Madison as "Madison," so why did Ethan call her "Maddie"?

"Maddie? Awwn," Madison replied, her voice dripping with honey. "It's been long. Six years, was it?" Madison said, reminiscing with Ethan.

"Yeah," Ethan remarked.

"Wait, you know each other?" Jace asked, his eyes widening in disbelief.

"Yes, of course," Madison replied with a coy smile.

"Yeah, we were classmates in elementary school, childhood friends," Mark said, gesturing to Ethan and Maddison.

Lily felt a pang of jealousy. Madison had known Ethan longer than she had.

"I knew about you and Ethan, but not Maddison," Jace told Mark.

"So, Madison, you've known Mark since you were kids?" Justin asked.

"Yes, of course. He was so cute and bubbly when he was little," Madison said, giggling. "And he loved Ethan," she added, causing everyone to laugh.

"You came to this school, and you didn't even say hi," Madison scolded Ethan.

"Sorry, I thought you forgot me like the rest of them," Ethan explained.

"Forget you? No way. Come on, honey. You were my first kiss," Madison teased.

Lily's jaw dropped, feeling a surge of anger. Ethan and Madison had kissed?

"First kiss?" Justin was surprised as he listened to their conversation.

"Are you still a good kisser?" Maddison asked Ethan.

"If you want, we could try it out so you can be sure," Ethan jested, leaning closer to her. Madison reciprocated.

The shock and disbelief on the boys' faces mirrored Lily's own feelings.

"Whoa, whoa," Mark used his hands to separate them. "What the hell?" Jace exclaimed. "You two reunite, and the first thing you want to do is kiss?"

"He was pretty good back then. I want to be sure he still is," she giggled.

"You both got spoiled at an early age," Justin uttered.

"Does it matter?" Ethan replied arching his brow with a questionable smile.

With a grimaced face, Lily watched as Madison leaned in closer to Ethan, her hand lightly touching his arm. Lily felt a wave of jealousy wash over her.

"Should we continue where we stopped, Ethan?" Madison asked, her voice laced with seduction.

"Where did we stop?" Ethan asked with a smirk, leaning closer to Madison.

"Oh, come on, eth, don't act dumb," Madison said, giggling.

"Y'all should find another table to act lovey-dovey on," Mark said, trying to diffuse the situation.

"Let's go somewhere more private... before lunch break is over," Madison said, her eyes locked on Ethan's. "Maybe we could relive old days," she added, as she offered him her hands.

Ethan paused for a moment, looking at the boys, who were amazed. Ethan's eyes met Lily's as he turned to look at the table where she sat. Lily, who was watching him intently, thought she saw a flicker of hesitation but she got flustered and quickly faced her lunch then he looked away.

Finally, he placed his hands in Maddison's and they walked out of the cafeteria together.

֍ ֍ ֍

"What?!" Lily's eyes widened with anger and jealousy as she watched Maddison and Ethan. She clenched her fists, trying to control the emotions that were threatening to burst out of her.

Emily and her friend, Andie, who were both close to Lily, rushed to her side, sensing her distress. Sarah filled them in on what she had overheard, and Lily's jealousy grew even more intense.

"First kiss?!" Sarah's voice was full of excitement. "I guess they were friends in elementary school."

Lily could barely contain herself. "Did you see how she acted like Ethan was hers?" Her voice was tinged with envy.

"Yeah, what if Ethan likes Madison, Lily?" Sarah perceived eagerly tapped Lily on the shoulder.

Lily's heart sank at the thought. "What happened? What are you guys talking about?" Emily asked.

"We just saw Madison talking to MJs and Ethan," Sarah whispered. "We couldn't quite hear what they were saying, but we sure heard the part where Madison said Ethan was her first kiss."

"What?!" Emily and Andie exclaimed in unison.

"Madison seems to get all the guys," Andie said with a sigh.

"How?" Emily asked Sarah.

"Something about being childhood friends," Sarah whispered. "Maybe they all lived here when they were young."

"I know for a fact that Maddison has lived here all her life, considering the fact that I've been here longer than all of you," Andie chimed in.

"But it doesn't mean anything," Emily tried to reassure them. "He might end up liking another girl."

"Or being a player like Mark," Andie added.

"That's not all," Sarah said, her voice filled with excitement. "He called her Maddie!"

"What?!" Emily and Andie exclaimed once again.

"Maddie? Bro, does that even make sense?" Andie scoffed.

"Maybe he really likes her," Emily suggested.

"No! And I was developing a crush on him," Andie said, her face frowning with frustration.

"I have my eyes on Jace," Sarah said with a smirk. "What about you, Emily?"

"Uhm, I'm not sure," Emily said, her eyes still on Lily witnessing her obvious distress.

"I remember Lily having a crush on..." Sarah stopped herself mid-sentence, realizing that she was the only one who knew about Lily's crush on Mark.

"Lily! Lily!" Sarah called out, hoping to change the subject.

"Yeah?" Lily, lost in her thoughts, barely registered Sarah's call. She kept looking towards the entrance of the cafeteria, waiting for Maddison and Ethan to come back, as the scene of them walking out holding hands kept replaying in her head.

"Who do you have a crush on?" Andie asked Lily, trying to draw her out of her thoughts.

"Oh, I'm not sure. They're all hot," Lily replied absentmindedly.

"I couldn't agree more," Andie replied.

Emily and Sarah exchanged knowing looks, both sensing the worry and jealousy that Lily was trying to hide.

Just then, the bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch break. There was no sign of Madison or Ethan, leaving Lily to wonder where they were and what they were doing.

֍ ֍ ֍

Lily walked through the crowded halls, her heart racing as she tried to spot Madison and Ethan. She couldn't shake off the feeling of disappointment and anxiety that had been gnawing at her since lunch break.

As they entered the classroom, Emily and Sarah noticed the worry etched on Lily's face. Emily could tell that Lily was trying to play it cool, but she knew her friend too well to be fooled.

"Lily, what happened?" Emily asked, concern lacing her voice.

"Ooh, nothing." Lily hesitated for a moment before finally admitting, "Have either of you seen Madison or Ethan?" she asked.

Sarah let out a laugh. "I knew it! You're looking for them, aren't you?"

Lily blushed and looked away, "Yeah..."

"Are you developing feelings for him?" Emily asked, sensing the hesitation in Lily's voice.

"Come on now, I'm just curious," Lily lied, but the tone of her voice gave her away.

Sarah could sense the tension in the air and tried to ease the situation. "I guess they didn't just play piano," she joked, nudging Emily playfully.

But Emily wasn't in the mood for jokes. "This isn't the time for that, Sarah."

"Lily, don't worry about them." Sarah added, "I don't want to sound like a bitch, but Ethan might actually be a player like the Mjs. He's very close to Mark, so it might just be..."

"That won't help," Emily interrupted. Sarah's words weren't making things any better.

Lily was disappointed but not surprised. "Maybe I'm just overreacting," she sighed.

"If you have a crush on him, it's actually very normal," Emily tried to make Lily feel better.

Sarah agreed, "Yes, Lily. Emily is right. We will keep an eye out for both of them and remember, you can always tell us everything."

"Yeah, Lily, we are best friends. Don't hide things from us, even if you like him a little or maybe just attracted to him. Telling us should be the first thing you should do." Emily scolded Lily.

Lily nodded, grateful for her friends' support. "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry guys. I just wanted to be sure if I actually have a crush on him... I mean, we just met, so I can't be sure."

"Ooh, I get it," Emily said, trying to ease the tension. "No pressure, though. Just relax."

"You can always count on us," Sarah added, as they settled into their seats for class.

Jealous, Lily spent the rest of the day looking for both Ethan and Maddison, but she didn't see either of them since they left the cafeteria. She couldn't shake off the feeling of anxiety that had been gnawing at her all day, wondering if they had skipped school together, leaving her feeling restless and uneasy, a feeling only she could understand.