Maddie and Matt spent the afternoon together at his after Brian left. Most of that time was spent in his bedroom until they decided they should probably get changed and head off to Zacky’s. It was only a short drive to his and when they pulled up there were 3 other cars already in the driveway, Matt put his arm round her and they walked up to the door, ringing the bell. After a few seconds a man answered the door and immediately looked at Matt and smiled.
“Hey dude!” he said
“Hey Zacky man, how are you?” Matt replied. Zacky had tattoos up and down his arms like Matt, he had black hair and snakebites and a septum piercing. He turned to look at Maddie and she was struck with his piercing green eyes.
‘What is it with these damn Californians and their eyes?’ she thought to herself as he answered
“Good thanks, who’s this?”
“This is Maddie, my girlfriend.” He said.
“Hey, nice to meet you” she said, holding out her hand and he shook it.
“Nice to meet you too” Zacky said smiling and staring at her. After a few seconds Matt asked grinning,
“So are you going to let us in or what?”
“Oh yeah of course, sorry.” He replied, looking flustered as he held the door open for them. Matt then introduced her to Johnny and his girlfriend Lacey, and Brian’s girlfriend Michelle. They all seemed very nice, except for Michelle who just seemed to glare at her the whole time. Suddenly the doorbell rang, interrupting her stare. Zacky answered it and this ridiculously tall man bounded in, shouting and hugging everyone, he stopped when he came to Maddie and Matt.
“Jimmy this is Maddie, Maddie this is Jimmy.” Matt said.
“Hello Maddie!” Jimmy said before hugging her too.
“Oh, uh hi!” she replied, laughing.
He and Matt then went off to get some beers from the kitchen, leaving Maddie on her own. Zacky came over and started talking to her, asking about where she was from and how she’d met Matt. Partway through their conversation she asked,
“Sorry but do you know why Michelle keeps staring at me?”
Zacky looked a bit shifty.
“Um I think she’s just been fighting with Brian quite a lot recently.” At that moment she started shouting at Brian and pointing around where Maddie and Zacky were, Brian managed to pull her out of the room swiftly. Zack then asked her another question, distracting her from what had just happened.

Later in the evening Matt and Maddie went to talk to Lacey and Johnny. After a while Matt and Johnny started talking about recording so Lacey talked with Maddie, she was very nice and seemed very happy welcoming her into their group. This made Maddie feel a lot better after how Michelle had reacted, and she hadn’t even spoken to her. They left at about 10, saying goodbye to everyone. While Matt drove he asked,
“Hey Mads what was Zacky talking with you about earlier?”
“Nothing really, just about me and how I met you and stuff. Why, you look a little anxious?”
“Oh it’s nothing,” he replied relaxing, “just wondering.”
“Why was Michelle glaring at me?” she asked. He tensed up again.
“I don’t know. Maybe she was fighting with Brian.”
“Well that makes no sense.”
“I’m sure it was nothing, she was probably just looking. Do you want me to take you to mine or yours?” he said. She sighed at his blatantly obvious attempt at changing the subject. Something was definitely going on, and all this denial made her more worried as to what it could be.