Serendipity | A HutchPoppe Fanfic

Chapter Two

Enjoy the chappie❤️

***

The two of them walked down the street, looking for a place to eat. Maddie discovered that as nice as Caleb was, he was also funny and sarcastic. Right now as they walked, he was amusing her with accurate impressions of famous artists.

They both stopped in front of a cafe. Caleb turned to Maddie and asked, "Is here fine?"

She nodded with a smile. "Yeah."

They entered the small but cute cafe, and after they ordered, they sat down in a booth by the window. As they waited for a waiter to bring their food to the table, Caleb decided to bring up the earlier topic for a conversation.

"So, do you still want to talk about earlier?" He asked.

Maddie shrugged. Caleb seemed trustworthy, and so far all he had been was nice. "I mean, sure. You accidentally caught me at a bad time, really."

Caleb said nothing, but was listening intently, so Maddie took it as a sign to continue. "I... feel like I can't do this. For some reason, I always think that everyone else is better than me. In fact, I feel like I'm going to drag our group down."

Caleb's eyebrows furrowed. "Seriously? I've already heard your voice and I can say with all honesty, you're a very great singer. Hell, you're one of the best singers in the competition."

Maddie bit her lip, feeling a bit too pessimistic. "I really can't see it that way. There are better singers out there that deserve my spot."

"That's not a healthy mindset." Caleb stated as he drummed his fingers on the table. "You know that, right?"

"I know, I know, but it's a habit I can't get rid of." Maddie groaned as she rested her head on the table. "It makes me feel hopeless."

She felt someone tap her shoulder. She looked up.

"Maddie, I know you are going to destroy that song tommorow—" Caleb started.

"Is destroy a good thing or a bad one?" Maddie interrupted him, genuinely curious.

"A good thing, don't worry." He reassured her. "Anyway, you are going to destroy that song tommorow, and you are going to the next round. I know it."

"And if I don't?" Maddie muttered.

Caleb smiled. "Then they're going to miss out on your talent."

Maddie couldn't help but return the smile. They'd only just met, but all he'd shown her was kindness, and for that she was thankful.

"Thanks for that, Caleb. I appreciate it." She said gratefully.

Caleb chuckled as a waiter finally came up to them with the food in his hands. "No problem." He said. Then, when he took a bite of his pie, he asked, "How does it feel, being here?"

Maddie laughed as she spooned a small bit of cheesecake into her mouth. "I don't know why, but the way you asked that question made me feel like I'm in an interview. Anyway, it feels... surreal. I always think that I'll just wake up suddenly, and all of this ends up being a dream."

"Okay, I have to admit, I did feel like an interviewer when I asked that question." Caleb confessed with a smile on his face. "But I can relate to how you feel."

"Did you ever audition for any other national contest before Idol?" Maddie questioned as she took a sip of her pink lemonade, which tasted absolutely amazing.

"I auditioned for The Voice in 2015 actually. I was sixteen back then." He answered. "None of the judges turned for me though."

Maddie was surprised. "Oh? I auditioned for The Voice, too, in 2016. The judges didn't turn for me, either." She sighed, eating another bit of her cake. "Oh wow, the food here is great."