Chapter 1

"No, I’m not gonna hurt you…" he pleaded with the girl to stop running. He didn’t even know who she was. "Please, just stop! I promise I won’t hurt you!" he prayed that she would stop. There was something about her that made him crave to know more about this mystery girl who was going through his trash to eat. Homeless people had always fascinated him, but she was different, special, even. His heart went out to her and he didn’t even know her name. She must have heard it in his voice because she stopped running and slowly turned around. Her face was smeared with dirt and her brown hair was going every-which-way. He smiled and she began her walk back to the complete stranger standing in front of her. He held out his hand and she took it in hers. "Zac." He whispered as she slowly let his hand slip from hers. She was desperate for contact he could see that. He waited for her to introduce herself, but when she didn’t supply her name, he urged her on. "What’s your name?" He asked, shifting the weight of his backpack onto his other shoulder.

"Madison…" she whispered, looking away. She seemed fragile, unstable, and seemed to be struggling with some internal battle. He desperately wanted to help this girl. He sighed.

"Madison…" he let the name roll off his tongue, enjoying the sound of it. "Why don’t you come with me? We’ll clean you up and get you fed. Would you like that?" he asked gently. She seemed to be weighing the advantages and disadvantages in her head by the way she tilted her head and closed her eyes in mental thought. She opened them to see him staring at her intently, his brown eyes shining. His eyes seemed to reflect his soul, and she found that trustworthy. She nodded slightly and allowed herself to be led to a two-story house. There were daisies out front and she smiled. Daisies were her favorite flower. This boy…man standing before her seemed vaguely familiar but she couldn’t place him.

"Here are some towels." He placed them on the bench and smiled. "And here are some clothes, they may be a little big…" he smiled sheepishly as he walked towards the door. "I would give you Tay or Ike’s but they’d probably be too small…" he grinned. "They’re my brothers," he explained, noticing her confused look. He closed the door behind him and leaned back against it. His smile disappeared and he sighed. He was in trouble. Not only was he missing rehearsal, he had let a complete stranger into his home, and lent out his clothes in the process. Why he had done this was beyond him, he couldn’t remember the reason why he had let this strange, homeless girl into his home…something about her had urged him to do so, but the magic about this Madison girl had disappeared and was replaced with a sudden urge to get rid of her as soon as possible. The sensible Zac was now returning, replacing the romantic, kind Zac that had been present when Madison had showed up on his doorway only minutes before.

Madison rinsed the dirt and grime from her body and soul, letting the warm water wash over her, enjoying the tingling sensation. She would be forever grateful for what this kind stranger had done for her. She didn’t know what she could do to ever repay him, but she knew deep within her soul that she had to find a way…and as soon as she could. Stepping out of the shower she caught her reflection in the mirror. Her face was clean, and her green eyes held the same glimmer she had before her world had come crashing down on her. Her dripping brown hair hung just below her shoulders and she smiled. She slipped into the clothes Zac had gotten for her. The cargo pants were loose and the long sleeved shirt hung from her frame.

She sighed and opened the bathroom door. She stepped out into the hallway and found her way to the kitchen where Zac was fixing sandwiches. She smiled shyly and he motioned for her to sit down at the table. He brought the sandwiches to the table and silently sat down across from her. He was torn between wanting her to stay and wanting her to leave. She sensed this and shifted uncomfortably. "A little early for sandwiches, I know…" Zac laughed, trying to break the silence, trying to break the trance this strange girl held over him. There was something about her that reminded him of him. Their positions could easily be reversed…he shivered at that thought.

"Look, I really appreciate this, I really do, and I don’t know how I can ever repay you, but I don’t want to be a burden. I think that I should leave…" she whispered the last word, almost not daring to say it. She wanted him to save her, to rescue her from a life on the streets, a life she thought she could handle, but obviously couldn’t. She stood up, and slowly backed away from the table, blinking back tears in the process. She reached for her backpack and whispered a "thank you" before she made her way to the front of the house.

"No…stop!" his voice followed her to the corridor and he grabbed onto her arm. She was thinner than she looked, and it felt like he was just holding onto bone. "Please stay. At least stay long enough to tell me why a girl like you is without a place to stay…" he begged her to stay. He knew he would not be able to handle the guilt that would surely follow if he let this girl out of his front door and probably out of his life forever. Her face softened and a tear trailed down her face.

"Why…why are you being so nice to me? No one has before…" the words rolled off her tongue, followed by silence. Zac ran his fingers through his golden locks and looked Madison in the eyes.

"Because I feel compelled to. There is something about you that I recognize…like a part of me is in you. I keep thinking we could easily be in opposite roles. I only hope you would do the same for me." Madison smiled.

"Do you always talk like that?" she giggled, the tension easing away. Zac smiled.

"No, only when my friends and family aren’t around. There’s more to me than meets the eye." His eyes gleamed as he said this and Madison nodded her understanding.

"So, tell me Madison, why are you here in L.A. of all places?" Zac asked, biting down on his sandwich once they were settled back down at the kitchen table. The phone rang, interrupting their conversation. "Probably fans…ignore it…somehow they always get this number…" he rolled his eyes and took another giant bite of his sandwich. Madison eyed him, not quite understanding but just shook her head. If that’s what he wanted to do…

"Well, I don’t really know. I’m from Eureka…it’s in Northern California. I boarded a bus one morning and here I am." She smiled and turned away quickly to hide her fear.

"Why did you leave?" he asked. She flinched at this question and stared down at the kitchen table, moving her fingers along the smooth surface.

"Well, I couldn’t live with him anymore. I just couldn’t…" she glanced up at Zac only for a second before returning her eyes to the table in front of her.

"With who?" Zac pressed, fully entranced by this girl who sat before him. She seemed to be his age, around sixteen or so.

"You know what? I feel a little queasy…" she mumbled as she stood and ran for the bathroom. With the door safely shut behind her she leaned her head back and let out the breath she had been holding. "Oh…god…" she cracked as she sank to the floor, resting her burning cheek on the cool, tile floor. Just thinking about him had this effect on her. She knew she wasn’t sick; it was just cold-blooded fear she was feeling. She forced herself to take a deep breath and she slowly rose to her feet. She opened the door calmly and returned to the kitchen where Zac was waiting bewildered.

"Are you okay? I’m sorry if I did or said something…"

"No, it’s okay!" she interrupted him, smiling. "I’m okay." She saw him relax and she sat back in her chair, closing her eyes. Everything would be okay…it just had to be.

Chapter Two
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