"Nick," Will says. "I think I've got a problem. This whole year has passed and I'm still single."

Nick only hums, his gaze lingering on Madison, who is seated before him.

The light of the sun trickles against her hair, limning it a burnished chocolate colour, and Nick has to keep himself from sighing. She turns her head, her hair shifting slightly, and makes eye contact with him. He pulls another face at her goofily, mimicking the teacher, and watches triumphantly, when Madison lets out a laugh, before she tries to stop herself, quickly.

He's realised how much he likes seeing her icy façade break, Nick thinks. Anything to make her laugh.

Will is still talking.

"...saw on the news that most people don't even find anyone at all," he's saying. "Plus, Mum says that it takes a lot of luck to find someone not to love, but who you're comfortable with. It's not even about love, she says. She's talking about having someone beside you that you find comfortable, and I swear, I'm not even asking for much, I just need to get laid – are you even listening?"

Will frowns at him.

"Huh?" Nick blurts out, turning his head quickly. "Yeah, I'm listening. You need to get laid."

His gaze drifts towards Madison once more, where she sits beside Elliot and hugs him, laughing at some joke he'd passed. Nick furrows his brows in confusion, wondering exactly how close she is to Elliot.

"Plus –,"

"Hey, Will," Nick says, holding himself taut. "You know Madison?"

"Evil ice queen of the school?" Will blinks, as Nick winces lightly. "Yeah, her name rings a bell."

"Is she dating that Elliot guy?" he asks, trying to sound as casual as he can. When Will eyes him curiously, Nick hurries to explain. "It's just that – the – the scholarship – I mean, Diana likes Elliot, so she wanted me to find out for her."

"I thought Diana liked you," Will points out, before he shakes his head. "Nah, I don't think they're going out. They're just friends." He looks at Nick, frowning a little. "You haven't spoken about Madison in ages. The two of you finally getting along?"

Yeah, in my bed, in my sheets.

"Something like that."

* * *

When school finishes, Nick comes upon Madison staring up at the picture of the atlas on the wall.

"You don't have to go," she tells him softly, when he makes to move away, as they've agreed upon, when they're in school.

They're not to even acknowledge the other, though Nick suspects Madison's being lenient with the rules today. His gaze lingers on her curiously and Nick stops, his big, hulking form towering over her. Madison turns her head towards him, her eyes bright.

"You made up with your friends," he tells her, and he's genuinely glad for her.

Nick knows how much Madison adores her friends, even if she won't actually admit it to anyone. It's easy to see how much she cares for them, he thinks, and considering how her own mother treats her, it lets him understand Madison a whole lot better than he thought he would. No wonder she is so cold to those she doesn't like and manipulative, if her own mother lauds the ability over anything else.

"Yes," Madison says, but in that one word, there's everything she won't let herself say, he knows. "What are you doing here?"

"Trying to figure out a way to deal with Mitchell," Nick admits honestly.

He rubs the back of his neck with his hand, furrowing his brows, tiredly. Madison's gaze turns slightly sharper and a little worried, if he's not mistaken. She takes a step towards him, her brown curls shifting against her shoulders.

"Has he done something?" Madison demands, her eyes on him. "Did he –,"

"No, but this silence is making me edgy," Nick tells her.

Madison nods understandingly, her brows furrowed in thought. Nick watches the way her features twist a little, the way her lips part open slightly, like a rosebud, the way her forehead creases very lightly, in that way that it does when she's worried and thoughtful. How did he come to know Madison so well?

"You need to give him something, as an apology," she tells him finally. When Nick gapes at her, Madison rolls her eyes at him. "You don't have to mean it. But if Mitchell's the type of person you say that he is, this silence doesn't mean he's going to go away. You've got to crush whatever attack he might even think of making."

"But I hate him," Nick moans.

Madison's lips quirk upwards in amusement, but she shakes her head at him.

"Get over yourself," Madison says, but there's a note of playfulness within her words that makes him smile a little. "Extend an olive branch towards him and maybe there's hope."

"Careful," Nick says. "You keep talking like that, and I'm going to start thinking you actually care."

"Don't be silly," Madison retorts smoothly. "Half the population is made up of men. I'm sure I'll find another."

Nick shifts, uneasy, his smile dropping. He doesn't like the sound of that, something heated and annoyed flaring up within his stomach. The thought of Madison, with someone else that's not him? Not only is that stupid and ridiculous and –

He breaks his thought, realising that he's working himself up, as Madison's phone rings.

His gaze drops to her screen, inadvertently, and Nick realises it's her father. A flicker of annoyance crosses Madison's face and she practically stabs at the screen to avoid the call. Nick opens his mouth to question her, but Madison aims such a dark glower at him, that he knows this is one of the few things they cannot speak of.

"If you're telling me to deal with Mitchell nicely, then you have to do the same for Diana," Nick tells her instead.

Madison blinks.

"Who's Diana?"

Nick rolls his eyes.

"Scholarship girl."

"You want me to be nice to someone who tried to get me, and my friends suspended?" Madison bites at him, scowling.

"You want me to be nice to someone who threatened my mother's life?" Nick retorts.

They stare each other down, though with Nick's height, it's more like Madison glowering up at him, as best as she can and him trying to glare back at her. When they both break away, they do so, together, still simmering darkly.

"Fine," Madison bites out, nodding to him. "I'll be nice to scholarship girl, if you'll be nice to Mitchell."

"That's another deal, then," Nick says, and sticks out his hand.

*

She stares at Nick, before rolling her eyes and huffing.

Madison reaches out to shake his hand and a few seconds pass before they both realise that her hand is still in his, that it's changed from a handshake to just hand-holding. Her hand is small, wrapped up in his broad fingers, but strangely, as most things with Nick are, Madison feels completely safe. She feels comfortable, she thinks, her traitorous mind flushed with warmth. They both drop each other's fingers quickly, scrambling away from each other awkwardly, as Madison's cheeks flush pink.

The moment passes quickly, and Madison, unable to tear her gaze away from him, laments that it's not a Friday night.

"Then I'll be seeing you," Nick says quickly.

Not trusting herself to speak, Madison simply nods at him.

She watches him walk away slowly, something within her heart aching slightly. She pulls out her phone, a scowl perched at the corner of her lips at the reminder of her father, to tap at the texts that her friends are sending her.

A shadow falls over her, looming and quiet, and Madison barely looks up, making to move away.

"Nick," she begins, already rolling her eyes, "what –,"

"It's all because of you!"

Madison's gaze lifts in a panic, just in time for her to duck Ash's clenched fist.

She's breathing hard as she backs away from the enraged boy, staring at him. Ash looks utterly deranged, his hair stuck up in little tufts, and he's bleeding from his mouth, as though he's been beaten.

"Ash?" Madison gets out, her brows furrowed. "What the hell –,"

"Stop talking!" Ash says angrily, and as he lunges for her again, Madison moves back, hitting her palm against the wall. "You crazed bitch. My mum's business failed, and Dad blames me for it, but it's your fault. It's all because of you, everything is because of you –,"

"What are you talking about?" Madison splutters, as she turns her head towards the empty hallways. "Ash, calm down! For God's sake, is there any security in this stupid school?"

Ash lets out an angered growl and Madison swallows her fear down, continuing to back away from the boy. She realises that he's utterly crazed now, realises that his looming figure will completely overpower her own, unless she does something fast. Her gaze flickers around the place, but there is nothing around to help her, nor anyone, either.

"You –,"

"I'm sorry about your mother's business, Ash," Madison says quickly, and that makes the boy stop before her, startled. Renewed, Madison continues, as fast as she can, the panicked falseness pouring from her voice. "I'll do whatever I can to help, I swear it, Ash. I –,"

"You're lying!" Ash roars angrily. "That's what you do! That's what you always do! You made the school turn on me, you made Dad hate me –,"

He's so overcome with anger that Madison realises Ash won't be reasoned with. She edges away from him, her heels clattering against the floor, sick with fear, with panic. This is Kyle all over again, she thinks to herself, horrified.

What has she gotten herself into?

Ash lunges towards her and he grabs her arm, just as Kyle had done, and twists it painfully –

God, it hurts, it hurts, how can one person be so strong?

"Ash, just let me go," Madison gets out, quickly, her voice breaking in desperation. "Please, Ash. You don't want to hurt me. It's not going to end well – whatever it is that you need, I'll help you –,"

She's almost crying, because Ash isn't even drugged, like she did Kyle, and Madison is all alone, struggling to pull herself away from Ash, and she doesn't know what to do. Her heart is hammering away in her chest. Madison is cold with fear, struggling helplessly against Ash's overpowering strength.

"You can't help me –,"

"Just let me go, please, Ash –,"

"Get off her!"

And Ash is ripped from her, in a blinding moment.

"You bastard," Nick swears angrily, his eyes darker than she's ever seen him, and all sorts of foul words of poison pour from his mouth, in his fury.

Relief overwhelms Madison in that moment as she leans back against the wall, attempting to swallow her sobs as best as she can. Nick is still towering over Ash, who is on the ground, and God, she's never seen him so furious, his entire body taut with suppressed rage. Madison's never realised quite how big Nick is, either, his shoulders broad and muscled, and she realises faintly, with some relief, that Nick is bigger than both Kyle and Ash.

Yet, Nick is safe in a way that Kyle and Ash will never be.

And then, as Ash attempts to stand, Nick moves forward and suddenly, Nick is just pummelling into Ash, his fists clenched furiously. Ash is fighting back fiercely, both boys brawling on the ground together, but it's clear to see that Nick has the shattering advantage over Ash. There is blood on the ground and both Nick and Ash are howling, and Madison is in a panic.

"Nick, stop it!" she calls to him, barely able to stand as she pulls herself together, as best as she can. "Nick!"

It's her voice that seems to lift Nick out of whatever rage-filled trance he had gone into, and he lifts his head, staring at her as though there's nothing else in his world. His gaze rakes over her carefully and Madison realises that her breaths are coming out hoarse, that she is still shaking. She leans heavily against the wall, to compose herself, and watches as Nick straightens, moving towards her, his lips parting.

On the floor, Ash laughs and spits blood.

"Are you her bitch now?" he says, laughing.

"Shut up, Ash," Madison bites out, but her voice is shaky.

Nick's gaze is on her and he reaches for her, his eyes lit with concern. Still shaky, Madison grips Nick's fingers tightly, as she leans against his chest, and she swears she loves him when he only squeezes her hand.

"Are you alright?" Nick is asking her, his fingers running against her cheek.

Madison tilts her head up to look at him and thinks, I am, now.

*