Maddie woke the next morning when Jessie tickled the bottoms of her feet.

She sat up and looked around. Isaac was in the bed beside her, still deep asleep. Maddie rubbed the sleep from her eyes and looked around. The room was extremely bright for the morning and Jessica was already dressed, shoes and all. “What time is it?” she asked.

“Noon,” Jessie said. “We’re leaving for the airport in half an hour. Mom thought I should wake you two up.”

Maddie gaped. “Your mom?” she asked slowly. Jessie nodded. “She knew that Ike and I were in here together and she didn’t spaz out?” Jessie nodded again. “Your mom rules.”

“I know,” Jessie said simply. “She said that you were a good girl and Ike was a gentleman.”

Maddie smiled. “Well, your mom’s right about that.”

Jessie nodded. “Yep,” she agreed. “Now you might want to wake Ike up.” With that, Jessie made her way out of the room, maneuvering easily on her crutches.

Maddie leaned over and shook the shoulder of the blond guy beside her. “Ike,” she whispered. “Wake up.”

After a moment, Isaac reluctantly stirred. He looked around for a second before sitting up straight. “What time is it?” he asked.

“Noon,” she replied. She stared at the door and added, “You guys are leaving in a half hour.”

“Oh,” he said quietly. “I should probably get packed then.”

“Yeah,” Maddie agreed.

Ike stood up and made his way out of the room. Maddie pressed her lips together and closed her eyes. Half an hour.

Maddie changed into clean clothes and then slowly made her way into the living room. There were bags upon bags piled by the front door. Diana was standing in the middle of the room, touching the fingers of her left hand with her right pointer finger. “I think we’ve got it all,” she muttered as Maddie approached her.

“How are you guys getting to the airport?” she asked.

Diana looked at her and smiled. “Cabs,” she replied. “Walker already took the Neon back to the Rent-a-Car place.”

“Oh,” Maddie said simply. Before she could say anything else, she was aware of her name being called. She turned to see Jessie standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

“Come here, Maddie,” she called when she saw she had the older girl’s attention.

Maddie crossed the room and followed Jessie into the kitchen. “What’s up?” she asked.

Jessie held up a piece of computer paper with an image printed on it. “This is for you,” she said pridefully.

She took the piece of paper. There was a heart drawn in the center of it with words printed in the center. “Maddie Patrick and Jessie Hanson”, it read, “Friends Forever”. She smiled at the little blond girl. “Thank you, Jessie,” she said, leaning over and giving her a hug. “Wait here,” she added. She hung the piece of paper on the refrigerator before bolting into the room where she had been sleeping.

A minute later, she returned. Jessie was standing where she had been before, gazing expectantly as Maddie walked into the room. “I want you to have this,” she said. From behind her back, she pulled out an old stuffed dog.

“Puppy?” Jessie asked in disbelief. “But this is your doggie.”

“It’s okay,” Maddie insisted. She smiled. “I want you to have him. To remember me always.”

Jessie smiled. She rested all her weight on her good foot and let go of one of her crutches. With this free hand, she took Puppy and squeezed him to her chest. “I’ll always remember,” she agreed.

Just then, Taylor came loping down the stairs. “Has anyone seen my shirt?” he asked.

Not able to resist, Maddie said, “Yeah, you’re wearing it.”

Tay looked at her and shook his head. “Not this one. It’s kind of maroon with white stripes on the sleeves . . .” He scratched the side of his face unconsciously. “I just saw it.”

Maddie sighed. “I’ll help you look,” she offered. “Where was the last place you saw it?”

He squinted. “Up in the room we were staying in,” he said at length.

“Well,” Maddie said, “I doubt it walked away itself, so it’s probably still up there.”

Tay nodded. “Probably,” he said, starting back up the stairs.

Maddie followed him. When she walked into the bedroom the guys had been staying in - her bedroom - and groaned. “Awe, man. It’s going to take me a month to clean this up.”

Taylor looked around the room. “I think your being a little dramatic,” he told her. “We didn’t touch much.”

“Yeah, but you brought about every dish and glass and piece of silverware known to man up here.” She looked at a plate on her desk and made a face. “You’d think you’d of eaten that when you brought it up here.”

“Why?” Tay asked. “What is it?”

Maddie shrugged. “I don’t know. But that can’t be what it looked like when they started to eat it.”

Taylor glanced at the plate and nodded. “I hope not,” he agreed. Then, turning his attention back to the matter at hand, he said, “Now, where could that shirt be?”

Maddie looked around the room. She checked in the closet and in all of her drawers. She had no idea why it might be in one of her dresser drawers, but she figured it wouldn’t hurt to check. Tay tore the bedding apart and searched through it, as if it may have been swallowed up by the sheet monster. After a good ten minutes of searching, Zac walked into the bedroom.

“Hey, Zac,” Tay called, searching through pillow cases, “do you know where my shirt is?”

Zac grinned. “Yeah, you’re wearing it,” he said sarcastically.

Tay eyed his brother suspiciously before shaking his head. “No, smart guy, my maroon one with the white stripes on the sleeves?”

“Yeah, I’m wearing it,” Zac said simply.

Maddie and Tay both looked up. Sure enough, Zac was wearing the infamous maroon shirt under a black button up. Taylor tossed his head back and groaned. “I’m going to kill you,” he said slowly.

“Oh, no you’re not,” Maddie said quickly. “You’re already growing cultures on my desk. I will not have blood on my carpet too.”

Zac and Taylor both laughed as Diana’s voice drifted up the stairwell. “The cabs are here.”

The three of them walked down the stairs and into the living room. All of them took turns loading the trunk of the cabs with various bags until the living room was free of them. By the time they were done, it was five minutes till twelve thirty.

“Goodbye,” Diana said, putting her arms around Maddie and giving her a motherly hug. “It was nice meeting you.”

Maddie hugged the older woman back. “Likewise. If you guys are ever in town, you’re always welcome here,” she said.

Diana pulled away and smiled. She walked over to a cab just as Walker walked over to Maddie. He stuck his hand out. “It was a pleasure meeting you, young lady,” he said formally as Maddie shook his hand. “Thank you for letting us stay in your home.”

“It’s no trouble,” Maddie insisted. “Come back any time.”

Next, Avery and Mackenzie walked up to give Maddie a hug. Neither of them said anything more than, “Bye.”

Jessie was the next person to come up to Maddie. She hugged the older girl tightly and whispered, “Goodbye. I’ll see you again.”

Maddie squeezed Jessie in return. “Yeah,” she agreed. She kissed the younger blond girl on top of her head and whispered, “You get better, okay? And no more chasing cats into the street.”

Jessie smiled as she broke the embrace. “I promise.” With that, she made her way for one of the cabs.

Maddie turned to Zac. “Leaving your betrothed?” she asked.

Zac shrugged, trying to make a serious comeback. However, he cracked, grinning broadly.

She took a step forward and hugged him. “I’ll miss you, Zac,” she said.

“Me too,” Zac agreed. “It’s been fun.” He smiled as Maddie stepped back and then walked to a cab.

“Sorry for leaving cultures growing in your bedroom,” Tay said as she turned to him.

She smiled and wrapped her arms around him. “Just come back every so often and check on them, okay?” she asked.

“I’ll try,” he told her, hugging her back.

Maddie kissed his cheek and Taylor, in turn, kissed hers. “I’ll miss you,” she whispered.

“I’ll miss you, too,” he said honestly. Taking a step back from her, he looked around. “Where’s Ike?”

Maddie shrugged. “Still in the house, I think. I’ll go find him.”

Taylor nodded and Maddie made her way into the living room. “Ike?” she called. “Where are you? Everyone’s ready to leave.”

A moment later, Isaac emerged from the direction of the guest bedroom. “I’m here,” he said. “Is everybody waiting outside?” he asked.

Maddie nodded. “Yep. I’ve been sent in here to fetch you and bring you out kickin’ and screamin’,” she told him, smiling.

Softly, Isaac smiled as well. He took a step toward her and took her hand in his. Automatically, their fingers linked between each other’s. “I will keep in touch,” he promised quietly.

“I trust you, Isaac. Don’t say it if you don’t mean it,” she insisted.

“I mean it,” he persisted. “I won’t hurt you.”

Maddie smiled, remembering her conversation with Jessica. “You love me,” she murmured, not realizing she’d spoken until she heard the words in her ears.

“Yeah,” Ike agreed. “I love you.”

Maddie glanced at their interlocked fingers and then at Isaac’s face. “And I love you,” she told him.

And instant later, the two of them had leaned forward and their lips connected. The kiss was soft and sweet. When their lips parted, Isaac squeezed her fingers. “I’ve got to go,” he said quietly. “Bye.” A moment later, he was gone.

Maddie watched as the two cabs pulled out of her driveway and blinked back the tears forming in her eyes. “Goodbye forever, my friends.”