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Maddox Kelley stood in the long line outside the auditorium. It was school picture day. Sailor Kent and Clyde Martin were in line ahead of her. She stared contemptuously at her schoolmates. Sailor wore a smart white top with a sailor collar trimmed with navy ribbon, and a pair of flared navy slacks. Her friend wore an outfit depicting her name every year on picture day since kindergarten. Clyde had on a suit jacket with a blue and white striped tie.
Bethany Copley and Eric Newell joined the line behind Maddox. They were both dressed in new clothes also. Maddox looked down at her own garments. She wore her usual sweater and plaid skirt with old Keds on her feet. Her heart sank. Once or twice in her life, she remembered having new store-bought clothes. Most of her wardrobe came from Goodwill or Salvation Army. She hated herself as her eyes roamed across the picture line.
Maddox realized she had to do something. She couldn't continue sticking out like a sore thumb amongst the more affluent students. Her mother wasn't helpful in parenting situations. Enola overlooked her daughter's needs. Maddox was growing up. Her body was changing slowly from a little girl to a young woman. Her breasts poked out a little further, and she'd experienced her period two or three times.
Sailor turned and, noticing Maddox, waved. Maddox held her hand up flat. She didn't twinkle her fingers like Sailor did. Her greeting was plain, unemotional. She could talk to Sailor about changing her wardrobe if she swallowed her pride. Her friend had good taste in clothing and always looked pretty. Maddox suddenly wanted to look and feel pretty. She wanted boys to look at her when she walked down the corridor. She wanted Jack to look at her differently.
Maddox had her picture taken with a glum expression on her face. She didn't care. Enola wouldn't buy the photo anyway. There weren't any framed photos of Maddox or Mikey in the trailer. No lasting memories of their growing up years existed in the Kelley family.
Kent family photos abounded in Sailor's house. The girls' school pictures adorned the mantelpiece in the living room. Vacation pictures hung in the stairwell leading to the upper floor. Gabrielle, Sailor, and Kennedy waved happily at the camera and photobombed each other. London, Paris, and Rome were familiar backdrops.
Maddox couldn't recall leaving town since her family moved there when she was six years old. She felt envious of her friend and wished just once for an invitation to join them. Maddox wanted more out of life than her life had to offer.
"You could have smiled," Bethany Copley snidely remarked, brushing against Maddox in the hallway. "Glum Gus."
Maddox returned Beth's statement with an expletive she heard Jack use frequently.
"What did you say?" Bethany shrieked, her face turning crimson. Maddox obliged her with a repeat.
"Take that back, Maddox Kelley," Eric Newell threatened, looming above Maddox. Several other students stopped and stared when they heard the expletive.
Frank Bartley joined his friend Eric. Together, they lifted Maddox and hung her on an open locker door. Maddox kicked and flared while everyone gathered around to laugh. The corridor cleared when the bell rang. Along the hall, doors slammed. Maddox hollered and kicked her feet against the row of lockers.
A door flew open, and Mr. Willard stormed into the hall. The biology teacher halted in front of Maddox, clasping his hands behind his back as he rocked on his heels.
"Well, well, Ms. Kelley," her teacher drawled, "This is a fine mess you've gotten yourself into."
"Get me down," Maddox hissed menacingly.
"We'll see about that in a moment," Mr. Willard stated, taking out his phone. He began videoing Maddox. "This is an occasion I wouldn't want to forget."
"Please, Mr. Willard," Maddox begged. "Eric and Frank did this. You better punish them."
"You should watch your language, Ms. Kelley," the biology teacher admonished. "Perhaps then you wouldn't find yourself in awkward situations."
"I hate you." Maddox's eyes bore into her teacher.
"That won't get you down." Mr. Willard continued videoing. "I seem to recall some damage to my car last year," he continued. "Know anything about that?"
"You're mean!" Maddox kicked at the locker. The sound echoed through the hall. Doors opened, and several students stared out. "Get me down."
"After you apologize."
Maddox clamped her mouth shut. She remembered her doodles projected for the biology class to see, which embarrassed her. The damage to Mr. Willard's car was payback; it was justified.
"Ms. Kelley?" Mr. Williard arched his eyebrows.
"Never."
Maddox continued to hang while her teacher strode purposely back to his classroom. Her face fell, and tears trickled down her cheeks. She kicked the locker again.
"Get her down," the biology teacher instructed Eric and Frank as he passed them. "Don't do that again."
"I hate you," Maddox screamed when her feet were back on the floor. She ran for the door before either boy could respond.
Maddox sat on the curb and cried. No one liked her. They made fun of her and mistreated her. Even Sailor, her best friend, barely spoke to her anymore. They had their lives—boyfriends, after-school activities, fun times. Maddox had nothing. She stood out amongst them like the odd one out.
Determination filling her, Maddox stood. She had to do something different. She strolled along the avenue past the school and into The Wilcox Store. Selecting several garments, Maddox entered the fitting room. She exited wearing a crop top beneath her baggy sweater and a pair of jeans rolled tightly beneath her skirt's waistband. She left her faded Keds in an Adidas box in the shoe department.
Maddox crossed the street and entered the CVS. She filled her pockets with cosmetics and purchased a Snickers on the way out. Money held no value for Maddox. If she couldn't afford new clothes, she would take them. She was used to shoplifting what she wanted and stealing bits and pieces from Sailor's bedroom.
Maddox Kelley appeared at school the following day wearing her new outfit. She felt taller in the flared jeans and crop top, and her freshly made-up face made her feel grown up. Eric Newell and Frank Bartley stared at her when she passed them. Frank whistled and nudged his best friend. He wanted to know who the new girl was. Maddox grinned to herself.
"Maddox?" Sailor asked when her friend approached her locker.
Maddox stood back and held her arms open wide. She twirled around to show off the whole outfit. It felt good to wear new, clean clothes. Bethany Copley hesitated as she passed. Maddox knew she caught her attention. Straightening her shoulders, she strutted past and threw a hard look over her shoulders.
Gathering confidence as she walked home, Maddox hoped Jack was at the trailer. He, too, had to look at her differently when she arrived. He would see she was sophisticated and grown up. No longer would he treat her like a child. Grasping the door handle, she pulled it open and stepped inside the trailer. The screened-in porch was empty. Maddox entered the kitchen.
"Mom? Jack?" she called, her eyes roaming the cramped living space. She glanced into her bedroom and the tiny bathroom. No one was at home.
Stepping outside, Maddox sauntered around the trailer. It seemed eerily quiet. The shade on her mother's bedroom window was firmly closed. Squinting, she tried to see through a crack and failed. Perhaps Enola had a headache and wanted solitude. Her headaches occurred frequently.
Maddox sat on the broken front steps and cradled her chin in her hands. Her desire to capture Jack's attention failed. He wasn't waiting for her, as she thought. The new outfit lost its meaning. Jack wouldn't see her or admire her.
A motion in the living room behind her caught her attention. Maddox rose and entered the trailer. Enola sat on the couch, smoking a cigarette and holding a brandy snifter. Jack lounged in an easy chair, smoking also. His eyes traveled over her body appraisingly.
"Where did you get that outfit?" her mother asked.
"Just something I picked up," Maddox answered, her voice smug. "Like it, Jacky?"
Jack grunted and continued to smoke. He liked what he saw but didn't want to admit it. Maddox plunked onto his lap and circled his neck with her arms. Jack pushed her off. Maddox sat on the floor and glared at him.
"What did you do that for?" she snarled.
"Don't call me Jacky." His voice was flat, menacing. "Maxi Pad."
"Don't call me that," Maddox shouted, leaping up. "I hate it."
"I hate Jacky."
Jack and Maddox glared at each other. Enola leaned back, contemplating them. She enjoyed the flare-up between her daughter and lover; it added a little more spice to her life.
"Leave him alone, Max," her mother cut in. "Go do your homework."
Maddox turned toward Enola in astonishment. Her mother never told her to do her homework, and Maddox never did homework. She copied from Sailor Kent when she could and, more recently, from Dora Cortez.
Lifting her backpack, Maddox left the room. She sat on her bed with her fist beneath her chin, thinking. Her mother and Jack spent a lot of time together, which seemed strange. When she entered the trailer, they seemed to jump apart. Their actions were suspicious, but Maddox couldn't comprehend the significance.
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