Shattered Trust

The redolence of triumph fills the air. Maddie wins the contest for the 4th time feeling excited and enthusiastic, she walks over to her friends to say hi. Who knew what they were actually saying.

"Hi guys, sorry you didn't win but you did your best and you gave it your all. I read your stories, it was awesome, too bad reedsy.com chose me as their winner for the writing contest but you can try again" Maddie says to her friends.

"We understand" Alexis one of Maddie's friends say.

"Yeah, well congratulations champion, i guess you're just the best, what a natural i must say" Penelope, another one of Maddie's friends say.

"Uh really? you guys are the best, thanks a lot.

*******

Maddie walks down the street and suddenly sees Penelope talking with a hooded figure in an alley, she stealthily walks to a corner of the alley trying to hear what they were saying but they were talking too fast and silent that she could only hear......... her full name, how shocking , she then sees Alexis coming from the other side of the alley and brings out a box which she hands to the hooded figure. Maddie blinks and then closes her eyes. Tight. Real Tight, trying to process what she had just seen.

The next minute she feels a tap on her shoulder and she jumps and almost screams, she sees Alexis.

"Hey chill babe, what's up with you?".

But Maddie being a sharp thinker immediately replies Alexis

"I was taking a walk and i started feeling dizzy then i decided to relax for a while, i jumped cause i taught it was a thief, what are you doing here?"

"I was just....you know.......i was passing by and i saw you so i decided to wake you, it's not safe here" Alexis lies and walks away.

"Liar, she thinks i am a fool, something's fishy and she totally bought my lie, i have to get to the bottom of this, i just hope she didn't get me spying on them" Maddie says to her self and walks home.

*******

At school in the cafeteria, Penelope ad Alexis are sitting with Penelope's brother Sebastien when Maddie carries her tray and walks up to them.

"Hi guys, can i seat here?" Maddie asks politely.

"No, sorry Maddie not today, my brother already occupied the space, too bad darling, i guess you have to go seat elsewhere" Penelope replies innocently.

"It's okay, i will go elsewhere and speaking of brothers, say, Sebastien, when did you return from the UK?" Maddie asks Sebastien.

"Last week, i mean yesternight, don't mind me, well guess what? i am attending this school now, i got enrolled yesterday before i got here. I really missed Midfield High and it feels great to be back plus, you've changed a lot but i still remember you, cool isn't it" Sebastien says.

"Yeah great, i better go find a vacant seat", Maddie says.

"Yeah loser you better do, cause you'll soon be one", Alexis says under her breath.

"What did you just say", Maddie enquires, pretending not to have heard".

"'Nothing, i just sighed and said you better go find a seat before they're all occupied", Alexis says putting on a false front.

''Okay", Maddie says as she walks away "What's going on, something feels off point, the girls are hiding something, first i find Alexis and Penelope in an alley with a strange hooded figure, then Alexis lies to me, then Sebastien suddenly shows up and Alexis calls me a loser and lies about it, something really is off, there is Tabby, the nerd everyone stays away from, she might be friendly if i sit with her for lunch, since she is a nerd she can help me find out what is going on with my friends", Maddie says to herself as she walks off.

*******

Maddie walks to Tabitha's table and asks to seat with her, Tabby agrees and they soon get entangled in a conversation.

"How come everyone thinks you are boring when they haven't even associated with you", Maddie asks.

"They just think so, just because i don't party the night away doesn't mean i am boring, besides are you Madison Price cause you look like her", Tabitha asks.

"Yeah, i am"

"No way, you must be kidding, i am a huge fan of yours, like how do you do it, like seriously, four times".

"Yeah, thanks, but it's nothing special trust me".

"I think it is cool"

"Actually, there are people who have won more than five times i guess, and i have been writing in reedsy.com seen i was nine and now i am fourteen, nothing new"

"You may think differently but i think you are awesome, i really haven't managed to win more than one contest and i have been writing since i was eleven and now i am thirteen".

"You are trying actually, can i see your stories"

"Sure'' Tabby says as she brings out her phone and hands it over to Maddie.

"Ha ha ha, you must be kidding, your stories are sick but you don't completely follow the prompt, i guess that's the prob"

"Oh, i get it''

Meanwhile.........

Alexis, Sebastien and Penelope get annoyed seeing Tabby and Maddie laughing.

"Why is she laughing with that good for nothing freak?" Alexis says annoyed.

"She must be a dummy like Tabby, i hate to see Maddie happy cause she wins all the time instead of us, stealing our happiness" Penelope says irritated.

"Don't worry girls, i understand, she will soon get a piece of her own cake cause what's coming for her, she will never expect it"

Back to Maddie and Tabby.

"So Maddie, why are you not sitting with your friends?"

"They've occupied the seats so i came to your table instead......Tabby, can i trust you"

"Yeah sure"

"Promise me you won't tell anyone what i am about to say until i tell you to do so"

"I promise, a promise is a debt so i won't dare break it"

"Okay, here it comes, i think something is going on with my friends cause just yesterday, i saw Penelope and Alexis talking with a hooded figure and i heard my full name from Penelope's mouth then i closed my eyes trying to process what was going on and immediately Alexis tapped me and i jumped, then she lied to me that she was just passing by and today Sebastien suddenly returns from the UK and he said he returned last week but i noticed Penelope step on his foot under the table and he changed it to yesternight and to top it all Alexis called me a loser and said i was about to lose thinking i did not hear what she said, everything feels so weird"

"I think something is truly fishy, lets investigate".

''I like your idea, let's do it".

*******

The next day is a weekend so Tabby invites Maddie to her house where Maddie tutors her on improving her stories then they go to both Alexis and Penelope's house putting up an act that they wanted to say hi to them and they place video recording trackers on them which they got from Tabby's mom who was a detective after explaining the situation to her then they return to Tabby's house and opened their laptops checking the trackers but nothing was suspicious then hours later they see Alexis and Penelope speaking to the hooded figure.

"So, have you started making the report"' Penelope asks.

"Yeah sis, in two days time the report will be ready and Maddie will be ruined, once we report to them that Maddie had been stealing your stories and submitting pirated stories, she will be banned from reedsy.com and we will also post it online making it on social media and everyone would see her as a terrible person that she is" the hooded figure replies.

"Great job Sebastien you are a genius, the proof will be ready by tomorrow cause i am already writing the entire story she wrote so that everyone will think she is the pirate ha ha ha, she should get ready for her downfall" Alexis says and laughs.

"OMG! they are planning something as big as this, what do we do, what do we do" Maddie says worried.

"I have an idea, maybe we should send this video to my mum and see what she will do about it".

"Okay, nice plan, let's do it".

Tabby sends the video to her mom who sends it to the cops and Sebastien, Alexis and Penelope and end up in a rehabilitation center for a year and Maddie and Tabby become besties.

"Oh thanks Tabby, i couldn't have done this without you, you saved me" Maddie says to Tabby.

"Thanks to you also for helping me with writing stories" Tabby replies and they hug each other.