Chapter 2.14 - What Happened?

Before you read: If you haven't read the last chapter, 2.13 - Promises, Promises, please read that before you read this one. The link to the chapter list is on the side, as is the archive.

As Election Day grew closer, the tension rose. Beckett stayed true to his word and campaigned for Alaric, who was actually shockingly persuasive when people bothered to listen to him. Madeline covered the school walls with professional-looking posters and handed out candy bars with Vote Madeline Milne printed on the wrapper. Alaric convinced Jade to shoot a campaign video, then distributed the link across the school. Madeline promised to get a good Homecoming theme this year. They waged war on every possible battlefield, and the race appeared to be neck-and-neck.

Madeline was furious. Why would anyone want to vote for Alaric? He wore a suit to school every day, he blackmailed his own brother, he used way too much hair gel, and he was always smirking. Nothing about him should appeal to voters, but somehow it did. Every seemingly fool-proof plan she came up with failed, and she couldn’t even really understand why.

Alaric was… well, not thrilled, but satisfied. Everything was going according to plan. As anticipated, Madeline didn’t understand the concept of underdog appeal. She thought that she should win hands down, and that was the attitude that would make her lose. Alaric knew how to manipulate his peers, and he had absolutely no qualms about saying what they wanted to hear so that they would vote for him. Yes… everything was going according to plan.

Beckett stood caught in the middle, not sure how he got there. He wanted to be standing at Madeline's side, supporting her in this election. Instead, she refused to speak to him, and he had never felt so lonely in his life. Most of his friends had sided with Madeline, which meant that they wouldn't talk to him either. He was a social person, and his exile was killing him on the inside.

All three were glad when the election day came around.

Alaric and Madeline both sat in smug silence at opposite ends of the room, each completely confident that they would win. Beckett sat reluctantly next to Alaric, shooting very obvious wistful glances at Madeline’s side of the room, where she sat with all the rest of his friends. Madeline pointedly ignored him.

It felt like years passed before the principal came in to announce the winners. Even then, they had to wait. School policy declared that the freshman class president was the very last position announced, for some reason. Finally, after ages of upperclassmen with satisfied politician smiles had given speeches, it was time. “Our new freshman class president is… Alaric Doe!”

Alaric rose assuredly and made his way to the podium, where he stood and waited. Finally, he leaned toward the microphone and spoke. “I believe that my opponent has to come up and shake hands with me before we can be done.” When the room was still silent, he made eye contact. “Madeline?”

Reluctantly, she stood and slowly walked to the podium where Alaric stood. He held out his hand. Madeline stared at it as though it was covered in poisonous slime. He sighed, sounding almost disappointed. “All you’re doing now is embarrassing yourself, you know.”

She took his hand gingerly, as though afraid that he would shock her, then shook it. As she leaned in, she whispered, “I know you cheated, and as soon as I figure out how… well, let’s just say that you’re just keeping that seat warm for me.”

He laughed and spoke just as softly. “I’m afraid you’re wrong. I won fair and square. After all, a victory is only satisfying if you win in a fair fight against a worthy opponent.”

She met his eyes. “And was this victory satisfying?”

He held eye contact just a little too long. “Very.”

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Jade and Marc made a striking contrast as they walked to lunch that day. Eve was sick, so it was just the two of them.

Marc was practically bouncing with excitement. “Did you see the look on Madeline’s face? She looked like someone ran over her genuine Louis Vuitton handbag.”

Jade was more pensive, but that remark made her crack a smile. “That was pretty entertaining, but I’m not looking forward to mandatory family dinner tonight. Beckett’s going to be moping, Alaric’s going to be smug, and I have to explain to my dad that I’m dropping Latin to take Art.”

Marc winced. “I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do?”

Jade shrugged. “Don’t run an inflammatory story about the election in the paper. Other than that… you don’t have any way of getting Beckett and Madeline back together, so I’ll have to deal with the rest of it.” She laughed and kept walking.

Marc, however, had stopped in his tracks. “But what if I do?”

“Do what?”

“Have a way of getting Beckett and Madeline back together.”

She stared at him incredulously. “Then I’d say have at it, I guess. But if you actually pull it off, you’re a miracle worker.”

He grinned. “Anything for you. Just give me a few hours.”

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Madeline was at the gym after school when her phone buzzed. She checked it absentmindedly, then frowned. Why was Marc Funke texting her? Still, she opened the text. Then she froze. It read, Have you ever wondered why Beckett made that promise?

There was no need to ask what promise. She typed her response with trembling fingers. What do you know about it?

He made the promise in exchange for Alaric’s cooperation in his plan to ask you out. Madeline read the text, then nearly dropped her phone in her hurry to get out the door. She had somewhere to be.

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Beckett was in his backyard, moping. After all, what else was there to do when everyone you cared about had abandoned you? He was thinking about making an attempt at some tragic poetry. He closed his eyes and thought.

My one true love has abandoned me,

She cares nothing for my… tragedy?

He was really beginning to get the hang of it when he heard a voice. “Beck!” He thought he was hallucinating. Tragic poets hallucinated about their true loves, didn’t they? He thought they did, but he hadn’t really paid a lot of attention during their poetry unit last year.

“Beck, what are you doing?”

That was about when he realized that he wasn't hallucinating. Madeline was really here, and he was… “I'm trying to compose a poem.”

“A poem?” She sounded shocked. Beckett wasn't usually the poetic type.

“It seemed like a good idea at the time. Still does, honestly. I like poetry. I never told you that, but I guess I have now. Oops! You don't mind, do you?”

“Beckett, are you drunk?” Now she sounded really shocked.

“I don't think so. A little tipsy, maybe. I only drank about this much.” He held up his hands pretty far apart.

“Of what?”

“The nectar Dad bought for dinner tonight. It was just sitting on the counter, and I was sad, so… I took it.”

“Did you really?” She actually sounded kind of impressed now, weirdly.

“I think it's the most rebellious thing I've ever done. I kind of feel bad about it now, actually. Dad bought that for dinner.”

“That kind of ruins your bad boy image.”

He snorted. “I've never had a bad boy image. What did you come here for, anyway?”

“Oh, that. Well… I'm not mad at you anymore.”

“No?”

“No.”

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Alaric felt his lip curl as he watched the happy couple from the kitchen window. Why did Beckett always get to be happy? No one has ever gone out of their way to make sure Alaric was happy. But Beckett just had to smile and the world was at his feet. Alaric was better than Beckett in every way that mattered. He was smarter, he was more ambitious, he understood people better… but it didn't matter. No one ever preferred Alaric to Beckett. That was all he'd ever wanted, for one person to pick him over his brother. Needless to say, it had never happened. Their father liked Beckett better. Jade liked Beckett better. Everyone at school liked Beckett better. Even their mother had wanted Beckett over Alaric. All Alaric had wanted was to know that he'd taken something from his brother. Just one thing. But from the looks of it, Beckett had been welcomed back by his friends. All Alaric had wanted was for people to recognize that Beckett was no better than he was. But of course, it hadn't worked. Beckett lived a charmed life.

Alaric would never win.

Author's Note: Once a week updates are really starting to become routine, as much as I wish I could update more often. I should only be really busy for a few more weeks, then I can probably get out chapters more often.

As always, please ignore annoying little errors like the little blue group plumbob and pixelated shadows. Also, ignore the several pictures where Alaric is slightly cross-eyed. He is absolutely determined to make goofy faces, no matter what I do. Next time: we have a Beckett chapter!