Damn. Maddie heaved a sigh. Well, she'd sort of given herself away with that comment, hadn't she? Which meant she either had to admit she'd been lying, or confess that she was a crazy chick who talked to plants. Jeez, conversations were annoying sometimes. “Not really, no,” she admitted quietly. “But like I said, not a lot of people like being alone. I can be alone. I don't always need someone around.” It was preferred, though. Maddie's defensiveness wouldn't let her admit to being lonely.
She supposed that was true. It wasn't easy to change who you were. There were days when Maddie wished she could just stop being a pain in the ass to everyone – or at least the people who didn't deserve to get attitude from her. Like Nick. Maddie nodded. “Yeah, that's true. Tigers can't change their stripes.” An old saying her dad used to say.
“You totally do,” Maddie agreed with a smirk. “Or you can try, anyway. And when you inevitably lose, it'll be Maddie: 1, April: 0, and I can brag endlessly.” Bragging rights were always a good wager.
Maddie watched April try to balance on her crutches, and her head tilted to one side. “You know you can sit, right? Or can't you? Did the docs tell you you have to stay standing all day?” She nodded at the darts, stepping out of the way of the board. “You can go first.”