Copyright © 2015 Juliette Duncan
All rights reserved.
THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Chapter 1
"Mom, Hannah's here!" Madeleine Richards shouted to her mom from the bottom of the stairs. She raced out the door and ran into her best friend's arms.
"I'm so glad to see you!" she said, as she and Hannah danced around in circles together. "I've been so bored here on my own. I've been driving Mom crazy these past few weeks!"
"Yes, haven't you what!" her mom laughed, joining the girls and Shirley McDougall, Hannah's mother, at the front of the large two story house in suburban Smithtown.
Sarah, Maddy's mom, greeted Shirley with a warm embrace, and invited her and Hannah inside for a drink and something to eat.
"This is a lovely home," Shirley said to Sarah as they walked through the impressive entrance, and along the hall into the back living area of the home that Sarah and Hank had bought just before their wedding, six weeks earlier.
"Thank you very much," Sarah replied. "It's so much bigger than our old home in Riversleigh, and it's taken us a little time to get used to, hasn't it, Maddy?"
"Yes, sure has. No more creaky steps, though! Can I take Hannah upstairs and show her my room?"
"That's fine, sweetheart. But just remember there's that lunch today with the ladies from church. You and Hannah can either stay here, or I can drop you downtown if you prefer. You could maybe go and see a movie."
Maddy looked at Hannah before she replied. "A movie sounds good, Mom."
"Okay. We'll need to leave shortly, so go and get Hannah settled, and then we'll head off."
Hannah kissed her mom good-bye before heading up the stairs with Maddy.
"How's married life?" Shirley asked Sarah once the girls were out of earshot.
"It's fantastic!" Sarah replied. "But Maddy's been finding it a little difficult to settle. She's been really missing her friends from Riversleigh, as we knew she would. She's been looking forward to Hannah's visit so much. Thank you for bringing her all this way."
"A pleasure, Sarah. Hannah's been counting down the days until she could come as well. It's a wonder they didn't plan something devious, knowing what those two girls are like!"
Shirley reached over and patted her friend's hand. "It's wonderful to see you looking so happy, Sarah. Married life obviously suits you!"
After finishing her coffee, Shirley called out to say good-bye to the girls and gave Sarah a hug. She was planning on doing some shopping before heading back home to Riversleigh later that afternoon and wanted to make the most of her time in town.
Meanwhile, upstairs, Hannah was in awe of Maddy's room. "Wow! Look at this! It's enormous!" she'd exclaimed as they entered her bedroom.
"I know," Maddy replied, twirling around with her arms spread wide. She stopped mid twirl, and plonked herself on the big comfy bed. She sat up and patted the space opposite her. "Come and sit here, Han."
Hannah climbed onto the bed, and sat cross legged, looking at Maddy.
"Show me your braces, kiddo," Maddy said, taking her best friend's hands in hers.
"Do I have to?" Hannah replied, lowering her head. "I hate them."
"Yes, you do. Now, open your mouth." Maddy had always been the boss, and Hannah always ended up doing whatever Maddy said, even if sometimes she didn't do it straight away. Like the time they ran away together when Maddy was trying to stop her mom and Hank from moving to Smithtown.
Hannah opened her mouth and showed Maddy the braces that she'd had fitted just after they returned from their surprise trip to Hawaii. Both girls had been stunned when Sarah and Hank had told them they were going with them on their honeymoon to Hawaii. They couldn't believe their luck.
They'd had an amazing time together. A whole week of sun-filled days, swimming, sightseeing, eating and sleeping. Magic! But then the magic ended and they had to part ways. Sarah, Hank and Maddy were moving into the new home in Smithtown, and Hannah was returning to Riversleigh, the town where they'd both lived their whole lives.
Maddy had dreaded moving and leaving all her friends behind. The last few weeks had gone so slowly. It was summer vacation, and it seemed that everyone apart from themselves had left Smithtown. She hadn't really met anyone her age that she liked. Only a couple of boring girls at church. No-one she wanted to make friends with.
"They look cool!" Maddy thought they made Hannah's face look quite different, but she didn't want to cause her any more concern, so she didn't say anything about that. "I like the pink and green colors. They look really cool together!"
"Thanks Mad. I'm still getting used to them, and they hurt a bit. I wish I didn't have to wear them."
"You'll have amazing teeth at the end! Don't worry about them. Hey, I've got lots of good stuff lined up for us to do this week, so let's get going!"
She jumped off the bed, and quickly showed Hannah around the rest of the upstairs rooms.
"Maddy! Hannah! Time to go," Sarah called from downstairs.
"Coming Mom!" Maddy replied.
The two girls ran downstairs, and jumped into Sarah's little red sports car. Hank had surprised Sarah with the car on their wedding day. He was a very successful doctor, and he knew how much Sarah had struggled over the years, raising Maddy on her own. She'd always gone without, just so she could provide for Maddy, so he decided to spoil her. She loved it!
Hannah squeezed into the tiny back seat, and Maddy sat beside her mom in the front. Sarah lowered the roof since it was such a beautiful day. She pushed the ignition switch, and the car jumped to life.
"We've got time to do a quick tour of the town and show Hannah the sights before I drop you off," she said. "Would you like to do that?" she asked, turning her head to quickly look at Hannah.
"There's not much to see," Maddy piped up. "Just a boring old town."
"That's not true!" Sarah replied. "There are a lot of interesting old buildings, and there's the river and the park," she continued. "What do you think, Hannah?"
"I guess so, Mrs Richards. Whoops – Mrs Wilson! That still sounds so funny!" Hannah said, giggling to herself in the back.
"I know! I haven't got used to it myself yet," Sarah said.
"Neither have I …," Maddy chipped in.
"Are you going to change your name too, Maddy?" Hannah asked. She had to shout so that Maddy could hear her over the sound of the engine.
"No," she replied, shaking her head.
Sarah put her foot down, and the car took off. She'd decided to take the girls for a short drive along the river, as she thought they might enjoy the open spaces more than the busy city streets. They both laughed as the wind blew through their hair. This was going to be a good week, Maddy thought to herself.
The week indeed was a good one, but it went all too fast. Before she knew it, Maddy was waving goodbye to her best friend.
"I'm going to miss you so much," Maddy said as she gave Hannah a last hug before she and her mom left Hannah's house in Riversleigh. It was the Saturday before the new school year was about to start, and Sarah had agreed to drive Hannah back home. Sarah had thought she'd take the opportunity to visit her parents, who also lived nearby, and catch up quickly with some of her own friends, who she hadn't seen since the wedding. She really did need to find the time to get back more often, she thought to herself.
Maddy turned around and waved frantically to Hannah as they drove off. Once she lost sight of Hannah, she sat quietly in the seat beside her mom, lost in her own thoughts.
"Are you okay, Maddy?" Sarah looked over at her, and quickly squeezed her hand.
"I guess so. It's just hard being back here," she replied, looking out at the all familiar surroundings. Sarah noticed a tear in Maddy's eye.
"I know, darling. I'd much prefer to live here as well. Maybe one day there'll be a job for Hank at the hospital, and we'll be able to move back."
Sarah's
parents lived about fifteen minutes' drive from Riversleigh, so after having a quick coffee with her good friend, Robyn Henderson, they drove out of town and arrived just in time for lunch.
"Let me see you, missy!" Betty Johnson held her only grand-daughter at arm's length, allowing her gaze to wander over her. "My, how you're growing up!" she said, before almost squashing Maddy with her fervent embrace.
"Mom!" Sarah said, walking around the back of the car. "Don't squash her!"
Betty Johnson reluctantly let go of her grand-daughter. Maddy was relieved, as although she loved her gran, she didn't like her squashy embraces!
Sarah kissed her mom on the cheek, and hugged her affectionately before they headed inside to escape the midday heat.
Betty had been thrilled when Sarah announced she was marrying Hank Wilson. She was proud of the way her daughter had raised Maddy on her own after Dave's death all those years ago, but she also knew how lonely she had become. What a godsend Hank Wilson had been! Sarah now looked the happiest she'd seen her for years, and although it meant them moving away, Betty could now relax in the knowledge that her only daughter was happily married to a wonderful man that loved her dearly.
"It's so good to see you both," Betty said, busying herself with the lunch preparations. "You both look so tanned after your holiday! And Maddy, you're looking so grown up!"
Maddy squirmed in her seat. Her gran always said things like that, making her feel awkward. She felt awkward enough as it was. She didn't need to have her gran say things like that!
"She looked lovely at the wedding, didn't she, Mom?" Sarah said as she sat down at the kitchen table that was already laden with the food that Betty had prepared earlier.
"Yes, absolutely gorgeous! You should wear dresses more often, young lady!" her gran replied.
Maddy hated wearing dresses normally, but she knew she’d looked good in her bridesmaid's dress. Her mind flitted back to her dance with Hank, and how grown up she'd felt as he led her around the dance floor. Such a special moment!
"Maddy!" Sarah interrupted her thoughts.
"Thanks Gran. Maybe I will. Although I still prefer jeans," Maddy said to her gran as she snuck a cookie from the table.
Just then, she heard her grandpa kicking his boots off on the steps. Maddy jumped off her seat and ran down the steps to greet him. She loved her grandpa, and was missing their times together now that she and her mom and Hank lived in Smithtown.
"Hi Grandpa!" she bent down and gave him a kiss on the top of his head before sitting down beside him.
"Maddy, so good to see you, love," he replied, smiling fondly at his grand-daughter. "How's life in Smithtown?"
"Not so good," Maddy replied. "I haven't made any friends yet. I wish I could live with you and Gran." Maddy laid her head on her grandpa's shoulder.
"You'll be okay, love," he replied, giving her a hug. "I'm sure you'll make some good friends when school starts. Now let's go up and get some of your gran's lunch! I'm starving!"
They stood and walked up the stairs arm in arm. Sarah's heart warmed as she saw the love her father had for Maddy. How thankful she’d been for the support of her parents in the years after Dave's death. She knew that their influence on Maddy's life was quite significant, and she was indebted to them.
"That smells great, love," Jim said to his wife, pulling up a chair at the old wooden table. He took off his hat, and reached out for his daughter's and grand-daughter's hands before giving thanks for the food.
The four of them spent a lovely hour or so around the table, but all too soon it was time for Sarah and Maddy to leave. Hank was expecting them home for dinner after his day at the hospital, and Sarah didn't want to be late.
Maddy had wanted to stay longer. She loved following her grandpa around, helping him with all the little odd jobs that he did on the farm, but Sarah said they had to go.
"Maybe you can come and stay with us for a while during the next school break?" Betty suggested to Maddy, giving her another one of her squashy embraces.
"That would be great, Gran!" Maddy managed to pull herself away from her grandma and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"Bye!" Betty and Jim waved as Sarah and Maddy sped off into the distance in Sarah's little red sports car.
Maddy was quiet on the way home. It was difficult to hold a conversation anyway, with the noise of the car and the wind rushing through her hair. She gazed at the passing hills and fields, but her thoughts turned to the next few days. What would school really be like? Would she find a new best friend, like her grandpa said she would? Would she fit in? She wished she could have stayed in Riversleigh, but that was not to be. Smithtown Middle School was where she was headed.
Chapter 2
Maddy woke up early on the first day of school. She'd been finding it difficult to sleep, as images of what school might be like kept flitting through her mind, keeping her awake. Normally she would have raced outside to collect the eggs from her brood of chickens, but this morning she dragged herself out of bed, and down the stairs. Dynamo, her big ginger cat, meowed and wrapped himself around her legs as she went to put her boots on. She stopped to give him a cuddle.
"Oh Dynamo," she said, nuzzling her face into his soft fur. "Don’t tell anyone, but I'm really nervous about today," she whispered.
She gently put him back down on the floor, and headed outside to the chicken coop that Hank had built when they moved in so she could bring her chickens with her from Riversleigh.
The early morning sunshine reached out to Maddy, warming her body and soul. With the eggs collected, she took a few moments to sit on the garden bench in the sunshine before going in for breakfast. She closed her eyes and breathed in the healing warmth of the sun. With her mind quietened, she sent up a silent prayer. "God, please be with me today. You know how nervous I am. And could you please give me a special friend, just like Hannah? I really miss her. Amen."
Feeling a little better, Maddy entered the kitchen just as her mom was preparing breakfast.
"Well, today's the day, sweetheart," Sarah said as Maddy placed the eggs on the counter. "Come and have some breakfast, and then we'll head off as soon as you're ready."
"I don't feel like much, Mom. My stomach's full of butterflies."
"Oh sweetie, you'll be okay, you'll see!" Sarah said, cuddling Maddy gently and kissing the top of her head.
"I know. I just wish I could get it over and done with. It's just been driving me crazy, thinking about it all the time," Maddy said. She pulled away from her mom and sat at the table which Sarah had laid out with all sorts of yummy things which normally she'd bolt down. She picked at a pancake, and had a mouthful of juice, but then asked if she could leave to get ready.
Back in her room, she slowly put on the clothes she'd chosen to wear on the first day. She’d thought long and hard about what to wear, as she knew that first impressions make a difference, but as she wasn't that into clothes, she didn't feel too good about her options. Finally she'd chosen a green shirt, skinny black jeans and converse sneakers.
The next problem was her hair. It never behaved. Probably braided would be best, she thought. She might need to get her mom to help with that. Probably all the girls will be wearing make-up. Even though she'd enjoyed playing with make-up with her friends at her twelfth birthday party, she normally never wore any. All she ever wore was lip gloss, so she reached out for her favorite strawberry flavored one, and applied it carefully to her lips.
She grabbed her bag, took a look at herself in the full length mirror, and then walked down the stairs where she asked her mom to fix her hair.
"You look nice, sweetheart," Sarah said when Maddy walked back into the kitchen. "Here, let me do your hair," she continued. "How do you want it?"
"In braids, I think," Maddy replied, sitting on the stool at the kitchen bench.
Once her hair was done, Sarah drove Maddy to school. She stopped in the drop off zone, and leaned over and gave Maddy a big cuddle.
"You'll be fine, sweetie.
I'll be thinking of you all day. I'll look forward to hearing all about it this afternoon."
Maddy waved to her mom as she drove off, and then turned to enter her new school for the very first time. She knew that starting in Grade Seven was going to be hard, as most of the students had been there the previous year, and would have already formed their groups.
Okay, here goes, she said to herself.
The first thing she had to do was find her homeroom and locker. Her mom had printed off a map of the school, so she had a vague idea of where to go. There were so many corridors, and so many students. Finally, she found the room. She peeked in. Some students were already sitting around in groups. She tentatively ventured in just as the bell rang.
She took a seat not too far from the entrance beside another girl who was also on her own. Maddy quickly introduced herself before the teacher came in, and found out that the girl's name was Nina. Nina had a friendly face, and she looked nice. Maybe this was going to be alright after all, she thought.
Maddy and Nina talked a little during the breaks between lessons, but when they took a table together in the cafeteria for lunch, they were able to talk more freely. Nina told Maddy that her best friend from last year had moved interstate, and she was missing her a lot already. Although she had other friends, it wasn't quite the same.
"I know the feeling," Maddy said. She told Nina about how difficult it had been moving to Smithtown and leaving all her friends behind, and how hard it had been trying to meet anyone during the summer vacation.
"Well, maybe we can be friends," Nina replied.
"I think I'd like that," Maddy said, smiling at her new friend.
Over that lunch break, Maddy found out a lot about Nina. Her family was originally from Puerto Rico, but she herself had never been there. Spanish was spoken in the home, which she shared with her mom, dad, grandma, three brothers and two sisters. She was the youngest of the close knit family, and seemed to be the favorite with her grandma.
Before Maddy could learn more, they were interrupted by a couple of other girls who asked if they could join them.
The Madeleine Richards Box Set (The Madeleine Richards Series Book 4) Page 14
