April's admission that she didn't like being alone made Maddie thoughtful. She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, debating whether to give away that her words had been a lie. “I don't think many people like being alone for too long. Unless they're the crazy ones who talk to plants.” There was a lady over in the old cell block who talked to a potted cactus. Cactus Lady was more of a diversionary comment that, with any luck at all, April would focus on instead of Maddie's admission that she didn't like being on her own.
Taking things in the literal sense. Maddie quirked her head in interest. “That could be dangerous. Taking things literally.” She snorted a laugh. “But I bet it makes some things funnier sometimes.” Just not this time.
DJ never willingly let Maddie read many of the things he wrote, and although Maddie understood why (her attention span wasn't made for stuff like that), she still felt a twinge of jealousy when April said that she'd read a lot of DJ's stuff. Maddie had devised a way of reknitting the bond between her and DJ, but it still seemed like April knew more about him than she did. Or at least understood him better. She tried not to let it bother her, for DJ's sake. He needed something to be happy about, and April seemed to be that something.
“So basically you want to see if you can kick my ass at darts like I totally kicked your ass at that drinking contest, huh?” Maddie didn't want to admit it, but that did sound fun. The competition that was more driven by fun than a rivalry. “Okay. I'm game.” She handed off half the darts, then hopped off the table to retrieve the previous two she'd thrown.