That night, after a long day of trying to ease the tension between Raelene and Madison, the house was finally quiet. Madison had gone to bed early, exhausted from the day’s excitement. You peeked into her room to make sure she was asleep—she was curled up with her phone on the nightstand, breathing softly.

“Perfect,” you whispered, closing the door quietly.

Raelene smirked from the hallway. “You sure she’s out?”

“Completely,” you said, grabbing your jacket. “Now let’s go before she changes her mind in her sleep.”

The two of you slipped out the back door into the cool night air. The city was calm, and the park was only a short walk away. When you arrived, it was nearly empty, except for the distant hum of traffic and the soft glow of streetlights. You found a bench under a big oak tree, and Raelene sat down, brushing her hair back as the wind caught it.

“This feels… nice,” she said softly. “Just you and me. No stress, no sibling death stares.”

You laughed, sitting next to her and taking her hand. “Yeah, it’s been a long day.”

For a while, you just talked—about college, about dreams, about stupid things that made you both laugh until your stomachs hurt. She leaned her head on your shoulder, and for a moment, everything was perfect.

What you didn’t know… was that Madison wasn’t asleep anymore. She had woken up, noticed the house was quiet, and your jacket was gone. Curiosity turned into suspicion, and suspicion turned into her grabbing her hoodie and following the faint sound of your voices all the way to the park.

From behind a tree, Madison peeked out, her arms crossed, eyes narrowed. Seriously? A secret date? Without telling me? she thought, fuming as she watched you and Raelene laugh under the stars.

On the bench, Raelene whispered, “You think Madison will ever actually like me?”

You sighed, squeezing her hand. “She’s just… protective. Give her time.”

Before Raelene could respond, you heard a twig snap. You turned, and there she was—Madison, standing with the most dramatic glare, hands on her hips.

“Wow,” she said, her voice sharp. “You sneak out? To have a date? Without ME knowing?”

Your jaw dropped. “Madison—what are you doing here?!”

“I should be asking YOU that!” she snapped, marching toward you. “You left me at home alone so you could… sit on a bench?! Really?!”

Raelene tried not to laugh, but you shot her a look that said don’t. You stood up quickly. “Maddie, it’s not like that—”

“Oh, it’s exactly like that,” Madison interrupted, arms crossed like an attorney winning a case. “You two have some explaining to do.”