Elliot's brunch is a tasteful affair.

Rows of bone-white china plates are spread out across the long tables, all ready and shining and waiting. Soft music filters through the rooms and the air is sweet with the smells of fresh food. The waiters are already standing by with elegant plates filled with coffee cakes and bagels and cinnamon rolls, still steaming from the oven. The smell of honeyed pancakes and sweet crepes drift through the air as Madison enters.

When she enters Elliot's stately mansion, the waiting guests turn in awe, their eyes widening briefly when they recognise her. Madison doesn't bother to acknowledge the celebrities and the famous business folk, for none were invited to a Sutton party and therefore, she cannot be seen speaking with anyone less.

Maria is here before her and when she sees her, the Spanish girl's face breaks into a large, welcoming smile. Elliot joins them quickly, embracing them.

"Are we good, Madison?" Elliot asks, his eyes bright.

Madison breathes in his musky scent and says, "Do you mean, do I forgive your stupid ass?" She smiles briefly at him. "Yes."

He has to hurry away but he tells them to enjoy themselves as best they can. Maria laughs at them as she reaches for a bagel and spreads a thick layer of cream on it. She ignores the judgemental looks a few guests throw her but Madison tilts her head up and meets their gaze steadily, until they look away.

"Racist asses," Maria says laughingly, her accent deepening her voice deliberately when she makes her words loud enough to be heard.

Sure enough, the guests around them disperse, looking awkward, but Maria is barely fazed. Instead, the girl takes a leisure bite of her bagel, making eye contact with a boy Madison is sure is a prince of some European country, and makes certain to use her finger to slowly brush the cream from her lips before she licks her finger.

"I don't see how you don't get sick of it," Madison murmurs, eyeing Maria enviously.

Lucky bitch can eat anything without growing heavy like an elephant, unlike her. Maria shrugs. "You get used to it. If anything, I'm embarrassed for them. Who wears chinos to a brunch?" she punctuates before shaking her head. "So Mama is telling me that I sound like a dying dodo when I sing."

"Dodos are extinct," Madison says, her voice light.

"Well, I know that now," Maria says. "I can't help but think that – are you not going to eat, baby?" she breaks herself off to ask, her brows furrowing together at Madison.

Her stomach rumbles hungrily and Madison thinks briefly of how her mother had left the servants with the strict instructions of not to feed her daughter at any hour of the day, excepting one o'clock and then, only a light salad. She knows her mother wants only the best for her so Madison had held her tongue when Becky had given her the new orders, no longer fumbling over her words like a clumsy oaf. The Suttons had trained their housekeeper well.

Madison parts her lips to answer quickly and quietly, her usual answer of a diet, but Audrey arrives, roaring up in Kyle's Bentley. Kyle is waving at them and Audrey kisses her boyfriend hard, her cheeks flushed.

"I hate his stupid ass," Maria says jovially. She curls her lip as she waves cheerfully back at Kyle. "I was asking about the difference between my Gucci shirt and Yves Saint Laurent blouse and he said, and I quote, 'what's the point?'"

Madison lets out a hiss between her teeth. "What a dumbass."

Giving a humming noise of assent, Maria nods. "I don't know what Audrey sees in him. Plus his ass is flat."

When Audrey hurries up to them with bright eyes, Madison and Maria are all smiles. "I'm not too late, am I?" she asks breathlessly, worry flickering briefly in the light of her eyes, as Audrey flashes a guilty grin. "Kyle got a bit... carried away."

Maria is biting into her bagel but she laughs. "You whore. Sisters before misters."

But Madison is frowning. "What are you wearing?"

Audrey is in a soft blue Marc Jacobs number, with a lovely lace design that runs all the way over her arms. The dress flares out around her tiny waist and she's paired it with black stockings. Audrey's cheeks are flushed prettily as she smiles at them but Madison presses her lips together into a thin, taut line.

The dress covers almost every inch of Audrey, Madison realises. Audrey, who likes to show as much skin as she can get away with, who likes to flirt with the teachers to get better grades. It's disconcerting, to see her looking akin to a nun.

"Doesn't it look nice?" Audrey asks, even giving a soft twirl. "It's the latest collection. Daddy gave it to me for missing my birthday. Guilt tripping all the way, girls."

Even Maria is looking confused. "It's beautiful, baby, and guilt trip away because we all know your dad deserves it. But I didn't think Marc Jacobs was you."

Audrey is dismissive, her smile bright and wide across her face. "Oh," she says, waving a hand. "I thought it would be good to try something new, right? Do I pull it off, Madison?"

There's a ripple of worry within the notes of her voice and Madison watches as Audrey looks to her, her eyes wide and hopeful. Madison hums in assent, her gaze flickering briefly to Maria, and she parts her lips to further convince Audrey, but her breath is stolen away when she sees him. The rasping growl that resounds through her throat surprises even the unflappable Maria.

"What is he doing here?"

Maria turns her head. "Who?"

"Hawthorne boy," Madison bites out viciously.

"Do you think he's here to ruin Elliot's brunch?" Audrey asks worriedly.

Maria stiffens, looking as though she's ready to deck the boy, right then and there. Madison's jaw clenches in determination and she hisses, "Over my dead body."

The Hawthorne boy stands, stuffing his face with food from the table carelessly. He is clearly undaunted by the unsettled looks he's gathering from startled, uncertain guests. Madison wants to roll her eyes. No guest of hers would ever dare to be so unmannerly.

What is he doing here?

He doesn't seem like the kind of person to attend these kind of things, even if his mother was invited. She's unsettled and she doesn't like it, remembering the hot flush of humiliation she had experienced, for the first time, at his hand. Madison was used to confrontations and to dealing with people who thought themselves too good for her, but he had somehow strangely gotten under her skin.

Maybe it had been the lighter, or the way he had seen she had not eaten.

Whatever it was, Madison knew she didn't like him.

When Elliot comes back to them with Lula, Madison is seething.

Lula's eyes are bright and she's excited when she sees them. "Sorry," she says. "I'm late, I know –,"

"Last year's Chanel?" Maria blurts out before pressing her fingers against her mouth, horror crossing her face.

Madison's attentions are diverted from the Hawthorne boy and she turns to stare at Lula. The girl is flushing with some embarrassment, her cheeks stained pink, but she holds her shoulders stiff, looking rather defensive.

Lula clears her throat awkwardly. "I told you," she says and her voice is a forced light. "My family's been having some troubles."

Madison eyes Lula's dress. Maria was wrong. It's not just last year's Chanel, it's the year before. It's an abomination to behold and Lula must be so humiliated, she thinks. Madison herself makes it a rule to never wear the same article of clothing twice, giving away most of her collections to the servants or to charity.

"But we didn't know it got this bad," Maria is saying soothingly, her face growing serious. "Is there anything we can do?"

Lula looks horrified as she shakes her head quickly. "No," she says, flushing horribly. "No, we're fine. It's just – it's just a rough patch, Mama says."

Madison wets her lips, narrowing her eyes briefly, before she schools her features into a cool and impassive expression. Lula is lying, she can already tell. The financial situation at her home must be worse than she's saying and Madison makes a mental note to send an anonymous donation to the Worthington family. Maybe she can conjure up some long lost dead great-grandmother.

Maria has already moved to embrace Lula and Audrey both, the latter yelping in surprise. "You poor babies," Maria mumbles against their hair, before saying something in Spanish.

Looking more like herself again, Lula rolls her eyes and is huffing. "Bitch, you know I failed Spanish."

Audrey pulls away quickly, smoothing out the creases in her dress. "What have I got to do with anything?"

"You and that Kyle."

"Maria, I love him," Audrey says and her eyes are wide.

"Bitch, you don't even know what love is," Maria says playfully, but Audrey's eyes are worried. "You're too young to tie yourself away. Have more fun. Isn't that Prince hot?"

Madison turns her head sharply to Audrey.

She really believes her words, Madison realises, eyeing Audrey carefully. Audrey's always has the wildest heart out of them all but Lula had always held the record for the messiest breakups between them. Madison would have never guessed Audrey would fall hard, first, and so heavily.

As the rest of them talk and argue about which prince looks good, Madison turns to Elliot, her gaze hard and accusing. His gaze has followed hers and something settles within his face and Madison realises, he knew.

No.

He didn't just know.

Elliot had been lamenting about how his parents had been – Madison inhales sharply, when she realises it. They had just made up and now he pulls something like this?

"You invited the thug, Elliot?" she hisses out, her voice a vicious curse, dripping with venomous fury. "Need I remind you that he left your face almost disfigured?"

She's exaggerating but there's no denying the fear that had cut straight through her when Madison and her friends had hurried down the school corridors to see Elliot. He had been completely unconscious, looking bruised and beaten all over.

Elliot is looking exasperated. "For the last time, Madison, I deserved it," he says, to Madison's genuine shock. "And I got over it. You should, too."

How could he –

She almost splutters in shock, her eyes wide. "Nothing warrants that kind of response, Elliot," Madison bites out viciously. "He shouldn't have put his hands on you!"

"Madison," Elliot says and his voice is hard. "It's forgive and forget. You should do the same thing."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Don't tell me you're doing all this, just because you're angry for my sake," Elliot says cuttingly and continues, undaunted. "It's touching but I know you. I know you're humiliated and your pride took a bruising, but he's not so bad, Madison."

Madison is stung and even Audrey has fallen silent, as their friends watch with wide eyes, their breaths caught. She's never been so insulted by one of her friends in such a way. They were supposed to be there for each other, supposed to defend and protect each other just as she had always done.

"He's an asshole," Madison bites out, "and so are you."

Elliot is called away and Madison glares after him angrily. She's already reaching for her bag when Maria grabs her arm. Though Madison attempts to shake her off, the girl's grip is surprisingly strong. "Madison, don't," Maria says fiercely. "You can't – you know Elliot will get into trouble with his parents if they find out it was him who pushed you away from this."

"He deserves it," Madison snarls out but her fingers still, anyway.

Lula is staring at her beseechingly. "Madison..." she says, her voice soft. "Just – just ignore him, for now. You're better than this, you know that."

Madison takes a steady breath, but her eyes are still blazing. She's starving and she's been deeply insulted by one of her closest friends but because she's got a kind heart and thinks about something other than shoes, she'll stay.

*