Maddie Beside Me

By Laura Calvert

Do you believe in guardian angels? What if you suddenly found you were one? Caught in a situation more confusing than high school trig, a young girl finds herself becoming a guardian angel to her parents before she's born – or she might not be.

After "passing out" in science class Maddie comes to in the back seat of a car where she discovers a much younger version of her mother and aunt in the front seat. Maddie discovers she has the ability to enter small segments of the lives of others and become a guardian angel of sorts –one whom no one can see or hear.  What's a daughter to do when she doesn't even know if she's alive or dead? And how can someone who's alive, but maybe dead, make her parents like each other so she can be born to come back and save them? Poor Maddie. If life wasn't already complicated enough, it just reached a whole new level of convoluted complexity!

 

"The plot twist is invigorating and had me invested in Maddie…The scene building is perfectly set up, the tone and flow creating an energy that helps bond to the characters. I have enjoyed this so much! And you have a skilled hand in creating a tight, warm dynamic between all your characters. It feels like home, like making new friends. Which only the best writing can capture. Such a terrific job here!" International Award Winning Aurthor, Marni MacRae

• Language: English
• Publisher: spcloward
• Release date: Apr 22, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224505630

Book preview

Part 1: Madeline Pierce

Chapter 1

T

hree children, two girls and a boy, arrived at the designated location in the woods behind their housing subdivision. It was a beautiful summer afternoon, lazy and hot, but tell-tale signs of shorter days and the coming autumn surrounded them. They all knew these getaways wouldn’t last much longer. In two weeks school would start, they would all begin middle school, and there would be no more time for meeting up at their secret rendezvous. Still, they weren’t really concerned. They’d just move to Maddie’s house, where her mom kept an eye on all of them after school.

Brad arrived a little before the other two. He lived next door to Maddie and had called to tell her and Jackie where he was headed and to meet him. Jackie was already at Maddie’s, and together they bicycled to their secret spot in the woods bordering the back of the subdivision. They’d met here for years, best of friends since kindergarten, and they knew everything there was to know about each other.

Jackie jumped off her bike and climbed onto the largest of the rocks in the area. It had a wide, flat top with plenty of room for the three of them to stretch out. It was already evident to the adults in her life that Jackie, an intelligent, pretty blond, would grow up to have a dazzling career in the field of her choice. Brad, who was going through a growth spurt and now towered over both girls, moved with athletic grace as he too jumped up on the rock and stretched out in the shade provided by the surrounding trees. He showed promise of becoming the athlete his father had hoped for, though he hadn’t stuck around long enough to see it.

Maddie, the last to join them, was the smallest of the three and harder to read. A quiet child with light-red, curly hair, she was the dreamer who followed her friends and was willing to share their adventures but seldom took the lead. To anyone other than family and friends, she was easily overlooked. Jackie was her self-designated protector, but Maddie would deny she needed a protector if the concept was ever voiced aloud. Each of the girls considered the other her sister, and even their parents acknowledged the strength of the relationship between them and Brad.

Their fort was simply a clearing in the woods with several large rocks. The perfect place to escape when they didn’t want to be found. They’d made a pact not to tell anyone else about it and were sure the only other person who knew was Maddie’s older brother Sam. Sam had once joined in their fun, but he was in high school now and his interests no longer involved a younger sister and her friends.

They spoke of the school year coming up, the changes going to middle school would bring, and what was going on in their families. Finally, all talked out, they subsided into a comfortable silence.

I wish Sam was here, Brad grumbled. He stood up, jumped off the rock, and began to pace around the area, full of nervous energy. Maddie and Jackie just watched him.

Brad was an only child. He lived next door to Maddie and her family, and because he lived so close, he’d grown up spending much of his time at Maddie’s house with her and Jackie. Maddie’s mom watched them both after school. Although he was almost a year older than the girls, they’d all started school at the same time and had been in the same class throughout elementary. It was as if even their teachers recognized they were better together.

Brad’s parents had divorced when he was seven, and his dad immediately moved out without a word to the little boy who idolized him. For reasons no one bothered to explain, Brad never saw him again and didn’t even know where he was. It had been a very difficult time for Brad, but Jackie and Maddie helped him through it.

Since then, it had been just him and his mom, who was always home late and emotionally unavailable, and in the last few years was doing a lot of traveling with her work. So, Brad spent his childhood with Maddie’s family. Often, when the weather was good, Brad and Sam, and often Sam’s dad, would play basketball in Maddie’s driveway. Both boys were gifted athletes, and even with the age difference Brad could give Sam a run for his money. Jackie and Maddie would cheer from the side—neither particularly interested in playing.

On one occasion, Jackie had mentioned how cute Sam was, but Maddie just made a face and cringed at her. Yuck, Jackie! He’s my brother! That stopped Jackie from making Sam comments, but every once in awhile, Maddie caught her watching him.

Sam always had the best ideas, Brad continued. Remember that time he rigged up the zip line?

The girls nodded. It was the best, Jackie agreed.

They’d spent hours zipping through the trees and pretending to be explorers, flying superheroes, magicians, and anything else their fertile imaginations could think up. Sam had shown them how to drop and roll onto the soft forest floor just before they came to the end of the wire.

Too bad you had to break your leg, Maddie, Jackie said simply and without condemnation. At the end of one of her runs, Maddie had been so caught up in her fantasy she’d forgotten to ‘release and roll’ and smashed feet first into the tree. Her left leg had been broken in two places. Jackie had stayed with her while Brad ran to get her parents. Maddie had been in a cast for the rest of the summer, but worse than that, the zip line was removed. Poor Sam had been in big trouble for even thinking a bunch of nine-year-olds would be safe on such a contraption, and Maddie felt like she had ruined the fun for everyone, which she tearfully admitted to Jackie and Brad when they came over to visit and sign her new cast.

I can’t even get around very good, she moaned. The rest of the summer is ruined.

Oh, I was getting tired of that dumb line anyway, Jackie cheerfully assured her. And there are still lots of things we can do.

Yeah, don’t worry, Maddie, we’ll take care of you, Brad had added. We won’t leave you alone.

You both have good hearts, Maddie’s mom said from the doorway. She was always looking for good hearts in everyone. More important to Maddie was that she felt loved and included, grateful her friends wouldn’t desert her.

She had always assumed life for the three of them would go on like that forever. But the truth was, Brad had begun to change. He started hanging out with the popular boys and the jocks. He joined a couple of sports teams and started playing both football and basketball after school. The girls saw less of him but still enjoyed his company when he had time to join them. After all, Maddie’s brothers both played sports, so she got it. When she and Jackie talked about it, they decided being into sports was something some kids liked to do, and Brad was one of them. Their conclusion was to let him have his sports time. Besides, when he wasn’t doing sports stuff, he’d join them in the woods, where they’d still hang out and talk. Like today.

There had been other subtle changes in Brad, too. He had begun to notice girls. When he did hang out, he’d talk about things like ‘who liked who’ or ‘who was going out with whom,’ almost as if he was talking to his guy buddies. Maddie would just sit in amazement and listen to his stories. Going out?  She’d barely turned twelve, and didn’t even have a clear idea what it meant but decided she needed to find out. So, one day when Brad was over and Jackie had gone home, she asked him.

What kind of things do people do when they go out? Maddie was too embarrassed to look at him, so she pretended to tie her sneakers.

Oh, you know... you go to movies. Sometimes you can go for a hamburger or something like that.

How do you get there?

Well, your mom and dad can take you and drop you off, I guess. He seemed a little confused, as if he hadn’t considered this question.

Have you ever gone out, Brad? Maddie just had to ask.

No, but I think I might sometime.

Maddie thought it over, I guess it might be fun, maybe we could go to a movie sometime, she said slowly, thinking the three of them were old enough to go to a movie alone if one of their parents dropped them off.

You don’t go with your friends. Brad looked at her like she was stupid. You go with a girlfriend.

Oh. Maddie felt herself turn bright red. So, not a friend.

On this particular day late in the summer, out of the blue, Brad stopped his pacing, looked at them both, and asked, What do you think of Bethany? She’s pretty cute, isn’t she?

Yeah... Maddie said slowly, not willing to voice her complete thought out loud. She was cute, but Bethany was a snob. Maddie might not completely understand ‘going out,’ but she knew what a snob was. Bethany’s daddy had lots of money, and he liked to spoil his little girl. Bethany always got what she wanted, and she wanted everyone to know she was better than them because of her daddy’s money.

Maddie looked over at Jackie, and they both rolled their eyes and groaned, but Jackie was never one to avoid an issue. Bethany’s mean, Brad. Remember what she did to Anna? She spilled ketchup all over her at lunch last year just to make everyone laugh. We don’t like Bethany. Jackie was good with the royal we when she spoke for the three of them.

Well, I think I might like Bethany, Brad answered back as he stared angrily at both of them. I saw her at the game yesterday with her Mom. Her brother’s on the team that plays after ours. She wasn’t mean at all. She was really nice.

You didn’t think she was nice last year. You told her to go away when she hurt Anna. And what about what she did to Tony? He was so mad when she ruined his art project. You’re supposed to be Tony’s friend.

Well, maybe she’s nicer now.

She isn’t nice. If she was nice to you, it’s because she wants something. She’s a spoiled brat, and you shouldn’t like her, Brad.

Maddie sat in complete silence, in shock and awe at the conversation going back and forth between Brad and Jackie. In awe of Jackie for having the courage to say it like it was. She felt the same way about Bethany. Still, she was surprised at Brad’s defensive behavior. Nothing like this had ever come between them before. Instinctually, Maddie knew something big was about to change.

You think you know everything, Jackie. You’re not always right, you know. And you can’t tell me what to think! Brad stomped off, throwing out, Or who to like! behind him.

Both girls just watched him go.

I think he’s really mad, Maddie whispered.

He’ll get over it, Jackie snapped back.

Later that night, as she was rethinking what had happened, Maddie wasn’t so sure. They’d never really had a fight like this before.

The next couple of days were uncomfortable as she and Jackie waited to hear from Brad, but the lines of communication were eerily silent. Finally, on the third day, she got a phone call from him asking her to meet him at the fort. Maddie was ecstatic. The fight was over, and things could get back to normal.

I’m going out, Mom, Maddie yelled as she ran out of the house. I’ve already done all my chores.

Not so fast. Where are you going, young lady? her mother called back.

Just to hang out with Brad and Jackie. By then she was out the door and didn’t hear what came next. In her hurry to smooth over their last encounter, she ran the most direct route to the fort, leaving her bike behind.

Brad was pacing anxiously around when she got there. Where’s Jackie? he demanded.

Isn’t she here? Did you call her?

No, I thought you would.

Maddie didn’t say anything but felt confused as she cautiously sat down on a rock. Why would Brad think she would call Jackie? When one of them wanted to meet at the fort, they called the other two.

Well, I need to tell you something anyway. He kept walking around, not looking at her. He seemed nervous, almost embarrassed. His dark mood reached smoky tendrils out to touch Maddie, and suddenly she felt afraid. Something bad was happening.

What, Brad? What’s wrong? Maddie whispered. She’d only seen him like this once before, the day he told them his parents were getting a divorce, but even then it’d been different. He’d been angry and sad but not moody and defensive. And not at her or Jackie. His anger today seemed directed at her.

He stopped in front of Maddie and glared. I’ve decided to go out with Bethany. I decided I like her.

Ooookaaay, Maddie answered slowly, not quite understanding and not really knowing what he wanted from her. Does she want to hang out with us?

No, Maddie. She doesn’t want to hang out with us. Well, she doesn’t mind Jackie so much, but she doesn’t want to hang out with you. And she doesn’t want me to hang out with you either.

Maddie sat in a daze, glad she was sitting so she wouldn’t fall down, unable to respond. Those words hadn’t just come from Brad, had they? She stared at him standing in front of her, at first confused by what he’d said. Then she felt her face turn bright red as his words slowly sank in, and then drain of all color as his meaning became clear. Maddie was smart enough to know she was considered a geek, that most kids accepted her only because of her friendship with Jackie and Brad. She continued to stare at him, afraid of what was coming next. He stared back, and for a second she thought she saw something like regret in his eyes. She tried to speak but nothing came out. Her throat had closed up, and it felt like at any moment her whole body would fall apart. To make her embarrassment complete, she felt tears pooling in her eyes. Then she heard a voice from behind her. Jackie to the rescue, and apparently she’d heard everything.

"What makes you think I’d want