by Laura Dower
Things like that never happened.
Madison kept moving toward the exit. She said her good-byes to Leonard and the other members of the camp staff. Then she stopped off at a large table set up by the door. She needed to pick up her official Camp Sunshine T-shirt and visor.
The room was overflowing with kids and their parents. Madison searched for Suchita and Logan to say good-bye, but couldn’t find them anywhere. Then she looked for Teeny. He gave her a big wave from across the room. After that, Madison sneaked out to the parking lot.
After Stephanie took her back to the apartment, Madison packed up as much of her stuff as she could. The flight was leaving the next day at noon. Madison crashed down on her bed, closing her eyes for a few minutes. Or at least, she thought it was only a few minutes.
When she woke up, however, it was nearly dinnertime.
“So, I guess you were exhausted,” Dad said when they sat down to eat. “It’s been quite a week, hasn’t it?”
“I second that one,” Stephanie said knowingly.
Dad reached for Stephanie’s hand across the table. He kissed it.
“Quite a week,” he repeated. Then he grabbed Madison’s hand, too—and squeezed it.
Madison couldn’t believe how tired she actually was. It was from the previous night—and all the nights before that, too. Despite any sentimental feelings earlier in the day or even right now, Madison was ready to get back to Far Hills. She missed her pillows—and of course she missed her best pillow of all, Phinnie. She’d spoken to Mom that morning. Phinnie had, as usual, been sleeping on Madison’s bed every night since she’d been away.
After dinner, Madison washed up, finished packing, and logged on to TweenBlurt.com. She hadn’t checked her e-mailbox in a while.
And there was important mail.
Very important mail.
FROM SUBJECT
Sk8ingboy Sorry no E-MAIL
GoGramma Photos, please!
TheEggMan F.W.
Bigwheels My bro & other stuff
Madison clicked on the first e-mail on the list. After two weeks of not getting one single note from Hart, there it was.
It was short, but very, very sweet. The strange thing about Hart’s e-mail was the fact that he’d written it a few days earlier. Somehow it had gotten stuck in the server—and had not been delivered until today.
But it had arrived, nonetheless, and Madison had to smile as she read it once, twice, and then a third time—before hitting SAVE.
From: Sk8ingboy
To: MadFinn
Subject: Sorry no E-MAIL
Date: Wed 18 Aug 7:51 PM
So I know u won’t believe me but I swear I wrote a couple of times. It keeps coming back 2 me. Stupid e-mail account I have 2 switch. I don’t know why my e-mail is so messed.
Things here are ok. Boring as usual. The other day at the pool a little girl went under the water and I guess u could say I saved her. So that was a big deal for me. I went to the movies with Egg, Drew, and Dan the other night and that was good. Have u talked 2 anyone?
How is camp? I heard from Aim that u are having fun. I hope so. I can’t wait until you come back. Bye for now. Send me a postcard or something. LOL.
Hart
Then Madison opened Gramma Helen’s e-mail. She’d heard from Mom about the great times at Camp Sunshine—and wanted Madison to forward her some photos of the setting—and of her new friends. Madison hit SAVE. She could write a letter back to Gramma when she was on the plane going home.
She went on to Egg’s e-mail. Madison knew he’d been e-mailing Fiona for a week with no reply from her, so Madison hit FORWARD and sent a copy on to Fiona. She imagined her BFF all the way in Los Gatos, California, dealing with the whole Julio thing—and then getting some crazy Egg-mail. Madison was surprised that Fiona and Egg’s relationship had taken a different turn over the vacation—and curious to see how it would all wind up between them.
The e-mail Madison truly had been waiting for—maybe even more than she’d been waiting for Hart’s—was the one from Bigwheels.
Madison read it quickly.
From: Bigwheels
To: MadFinn
Subject: Camp & other stuff
Date: Fri 20 Aug 6:27 PM
So I haven’t written in a short time b/c camp has been SUPER BUSY. We have these long horseback rides and then chores and cooking to do @ the ranch so sometimes I have like NO time to write letters 2 people like U!
These are just a few of the things I’ve done since I’ve been here:
Horseback riding (Western)
Sailing
Arts & Crafts
Nature Trail Hunts
Archery
Creative Skits
(like acting & improv)
The camp where I’m at is called Circle8—Infinity Dude Ranch and they have 70 different horses. I ride a dif. one every day if I want although I love this one horse called Spaz. Isn’t that the best name for a horse—or for anything? :>)
The only bad thing is that it’s raining too much and I miss my family. My brother is actually here @ the same camp b/c they have people who work w/autistic kids. He is having a blast too.
Write back soon ok?
Yours till the dude ranches,
Vicki aka Bigwheels
After reading it through a second time, Madison hit REPLY.
From: MadFinn
To: Bigwheels
Subject: Re: Camp & other stuff
Date: Fri 20 Aug 8:04 PM
Thanks for your great letter, as usual giving me the best advice and all that—from so far away. Yr camp sounds WICKED—as in amazing/incredible/BIG WOW. I wish I could ride horses like you. Tell me more in yr next e-mail ok???
This has been a nutty summer in a way b/c I’ve spent a lot of time alone. N e way, thanks and I just wanted to send you this attachment (that I cut & pasted here 2)—it’s a poem I wrote last nite about the whole turtle camp. I thought u’d like it since u write poems. U still write poems, right? Send me one soon. I think I might actually save this and turn it in for English class. I know my teacher Mr. Gibbons would like it.
Yours till the root beer floats (b/c I have the biggest craving for one of those right now!)
Maddie
P.S.: this poem has no title yet I might call it LIKE ME but I’m not sure. Is it like me? What am I like these days?
P.P.S.: Maybe I should just call it TURTLES? Oh I don’t know anything anymore :) LYLAS!!!
((attachment :TURTLEPOEM.pdf))
No Title Yet
She’s on belly digging, flippers
Like feet and arms and she’s half in and
Half out of the pit and then
She comes and goes back
To the sea (like me)
Meanwhile I see babies hatched
into sand crawling
To the water’s edge
Like they’re late to meet
Someone there
Everyone’s looking for someone
Down below sand you’ll find eggs
Up above sky you’ll see stars
And someone waiting (like me)
for the turtles to come home
Chapter 20
THE WARM SUNLIGHT POURED into Madison’s bedroom and she lay there, under the down comforter, smiling. At first she’d been so unsure about coming to Florida to visit with Dad and Stephanie. Leaving her BFFs seemed the worst of it.
And it had been hard to be without them—or Phin—or Mom for that matter, for two long weeks.
But somehow the kids at Camp Sunshine had made the trip to Florida worthwhile. And it wasn’t just the other kids. It was the loggerhead turtles, the pelicans, and even the lizards that scampered across the grounds of the ELC.
Madison dragged herself out of bed once and for all and tried to finish up the bit of packing she had left. From the pocket of her orange bag, she retrieved the very special turtle charms that she had purchased earlier in
the trip. Madison held them in her palm. They would be beautiful reminders of the magic that had happened on the beach the night before.
She dragged her suitcase, which was on wheels, into the dining room of the apartment and grabbed a granola bar. Then she picked up a pad of blank paper, sat down, wrote a note, and shoved it into her pocket. She grabbed a skinny bottle with a twist-off lid from the recycling bin, and shoved that into her pocket, too.
Madison was nearly halfway out the door before she said, “I’m going for one last walk before we go to the airport, okay?”
“Have a nice time, Maddie,” Dad said. He promised to watch—and wave to—Madison from his newspaper-reading perch on their terrace.
Madison tiptoed around the palm fronds that had fallen from the trees onto the back lawn of Dad’s apartment complex. Slowly she made her way to a long path that ran parallel to the beachfront. Then she cut across that path and walked down to the beach.
The sand was cool this morning. Madison smiled at the thought that there might be little turtle eggs everywhere under the sand. She saw the whole beach differently now than she had at first.
The tide had pulled out pretty far. Low tide was a beautiful sight. She loved the way the packed sand looked with just a thin layer of water on it. Moving closer, she danced her toes in that water. She’d miss this beach—a lot.
Madison had smuggled along one of Dad and Stephanie’s recycled water bottles. She also had written a note: TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN.
To Whom It May Concern:
I believe in the power of the ocean. You must, too, since you’re reading this. Where did this wash up on shore?
I believe in turtles that come back to nest after two years and know exactly where to go. I believe in the power of friendship. I hope this note gets somewhere all the way across the Atlantic. And I hope you believe in something, too.
Write me a note back and tell me what it is. Good-bye 4 now!
Madison Francesca Finn
Far Hills, New York
p.s.: go to www.tweenblurt.com 2 find me! :>)
Madison carefully rolled up the note and stuffed it into the water bottle. She’d thought about writing something more personal or more fun, but changed her mind at the last minute. This note would do just fine. There was only one chance in a zillion that someone would find it and write back anyway, right? She’d included the website at the end just in case that one-in-a-zillion thing occurred.
The water was peaceful-looking—and sounding—as it lapped at the shore. Madison zoned out staring at the waves. She wanted to remember that place—that moment—that ocean—just like that.
Before heading back to Dad’s apartment, Madison plucked three pink-and-perfect shells off the beach. She would hand-deliver one to each of her BFFs as soon as she was back home.
Good-byes at the West Palm Beach airport a few hours later didn’t take long. Dad and Stephanie gave Madison big hugs and thanked her for coming to Florida. Madison, of course, thanked them for treating her to two of the most interesting (and challenging) weeks that she’d ever had.
And then Madison Finn boarded the plane, with laptop in hand. Throughout the ride she found herself daydreaming about the turtles on the beach. Madison looked out the plane window; instead of clouds she saw foam, like ocean foam. She saw the sea in everything.
By the time she landed back in New York City, Madison had composed a new version of the poem she had sent to Bigwheels. Madison would have to send it later that night. She liked the way seeing the turtles had inspired her to write more. Keeping the blog had inspired her to do the same.
Madison had to wait on the plane until nearly everyone disembarked. She was following the thirteen-and-under rule; the same one she had followed on the flight down. Once all the other passengers had gotten off, Madison found her way to the exit door. She grabbed her orange bag and walked into the main terminal.
Many of the people from Madison’s flight had disappeared into the restrooms, down to the baggage-claim area, and over to ground transportation. Madison walked along with one of the flight attendants, searching for some sign of Mom. She was ready to end the trip with a warm hug.
But then something unexpected happened. She saw Mom standing there, but not alone. Standing next to Mom were Fiona, Aimee, and Lindsay. They held up a piece of poster board with words written on it.
WELCOME HOME!!!
MADDIE WE LUV U
Madison wanted to burst into happy tears, but she didn’t. Instead, she ran all the way to them and threw open her arms.
“Maddie!” Aimee shrieked, dancing up and down on her toes, as she often did.
Fiona’s braids were piled high on her head and she had on a new T-shirt that read CALI GRRL. She threw her arms into the air as if to say, You’re back! At last!
Lindsay looked the most changed, almost as if she’d had a fashion makeover. She wore funky leather sandals and a peasant blouse, with ripped jeans. And she’d actually gotten a little tanned, which seemed odd, since it had happened on her trip to England, a place not particularly known for its tanning.
Madison sighed a really good sigh. Seeing all three of her friends standing there like that made her head hum. They all looked so … huggable. Here they’d all four of them gone off to different corners of the world, yet here they were, back again, together again. Next to seeing the turtles laying eggs in the moonlight, this was the most satisfying feeling Madison could remember having had in a long time.
After retrieving Madison’s suitcase, they walked back to Mom’s car arm in arm. There was another surprise waiting there: Phinnie. Mom had left him in the car with a dish of water and the window rolled down.
And that wasn’t the last surprise of the afternoon. Not by a long shot.
They got into the car and started the drive back toward home, but somewhere in Far Hills, Mom made a sharp left turn where she usually made a right. So, instead of going toward Blueberry Street, Mom drove over to the Far Hills pool.
“Are you kidding?” Madison said when she realized where they were going. “We’re going to the pool? Now?”
“Of course!” Aimee snickered. “Someone is waiting for you!”
Fiona smiled. “He was over at our house last night with Chet, and he said your name, like, ten times, Maddie, I swear. Ten times.”
Lindsay just smiled. “You are so lucky,” she said.
“I’m lucky?” Madison joked. “You’re the one who got to meet Prince Harry!”
Everyone chuckled. Even Phin wagged his tail.
Madison nuzzled her pug’s head. “I missed you so much,” she whispered in his ear. Naturally, Phin barked once in response. That meant “Me, too!”
“So what happened to that guy Will?” Fiona said with a grin.
Madison shot her a look back.
Mom pricked up her ears. “What guy Will?” she asked.
Madison rolled her eyes. “No one, Mom. Nothing.” She didn’t feel like explaining. Especially not five minutes before she was supposed to see him. Mentioning Will right now was like inviting bad karma onto her reunion with Hart.
Mom let it drop, although Madison was pretty sure she wouldn’t let it be forgotten. Sometime that night Madison would get that same question again, only Mom would want a real answer.
“By the way, Maddie, I found out that the dance studio is staying,” Aimee said.
Madison smiled. “That’s great news.”
“Oh, I almost forgot! I got you guys something in Cali,” Fiona said. “I left it at home, though. It’s a CD from one of my old friend’s bands. Isn’t that cool? Their band is called Three-Legged Dog, and they rock out.”
Madison laughed. “That’s a great name.”
Lindsay laughed, too. “Wait until you guys see what I got you in London,” she said. “Well, it’s what Dad got, actually. I got the same T-shirt for all of us, and it has the London Underground map on it. It looks really mod.”
“Wow,” Madison said. “I got you guys something, but th
ey’re just shells.” She pulled the shells out of a pocket in her bag. “You think shells are lame? I didn’t get anyone else anything,” she said. “So there.”
Even Mom laughed at that one. She pulled in to the parking lot at the Far Hills pool. The lot looked filled to capacity.
“Do I look okay?” Madison asked her friends.
Everyone nodded at the same time. They were more eager for her to go see Hart than she was.
They jumped out of the car and walked four abreast, like superheroes, as they entered the pool area. Madison didn’t know it, but her friends had actually made plans for everyone to meet up there. So when they walked inside, Madison saw Egg, Drew, Dan, and Chet. Then she saw Hart, sitting up on one of the lifeguard seats. He was blowing his whistle.
And he looked cuter than cute. Madison’s heart thumped. She felt as though they were all watching her, which of course they were. It was like being on reality TV, only weirder.
“Hey, Finnster!” Hart yelled from his seat. He got someone to take over for him and came over. He would have run if running had been allowed, Madison guessed, but Hart was a stickler for pool rules.
Everyone hung around as Madison said her hellos to all the guys. She noticed that Lindsay and Dan were standing close together, while Fiona and Egg were not. Madison didn’t want to overthink it, but she wondered if something were going on there.
“Did you ever get any of my e-mails?” Hart asked.
Madison shrugged. “I just got one. Today. Something is really messed up with your account, I think.”
“Yeah,” Hart said.
Aimee stepped in and managed to distract everyone; they all ran over to the side of the pool to say hello to another one of the guys from school.
That left Hart and Madison alone—just for a minute. But it was time enough to say a real hello.
“So, hey …” Hart said a little awkwardly.
Madison stared at the whistle around his neck. He had on red lifeguard shorts. He was definitely tanned—super tanned.
