by Laura Dower
“Tomorrow,” Mom said.
“Tomorr—” Madison sneezed before she could get out the words. The sneeze sounded like an elephant’s call.
“Let me go make you a cup of tea with honey,” Mom said. “And how about breakfast? What do you want to eat?”
Madison made a yucky face. “No food. No tea,” she said, sticking out her tongue. “I just want to lie here.”
“Okay, Maddie,” Mom said gently. “I’ll get your tea later. But drink some water, will you? You need to stay hydrated. I’ll be downstairs if you need me.”
As soon as Mom left, Madison kicked off the blankets and dragged herself over to the window. She peered out. The bright air outside looked warm and inviting; it was like one of those perfect September days that still feel like summer.
And she was stuck with a cold.
Madison looked across the yard to the neighbor’s house where she had spotted the cute mystery boy the night before. She tried to guess which window was his. She wondered about his name. Where did he go to school? With each question her head spun. The medicine was kicking in.
Madison crawled back under the covers and closed her eyes tight. The only sounds in her room were the low rumble of Phin’s shallow doggy breaths and her own squeaky breathing.
Within seconds, she was fast asleep.
Madison blinked because the sun was pouring in through her window and her face felt hot. She imagined herself getting sunburned while lying sick in bed. That would be funny!
The clock next to Madison’s bed said 4:06. She’d been asleep longer than an entire school day.
“Phinnie?” Madison asked aloud, looking under the blankets for her pug. But he was no longer in the bedroom.
Madison took a sip of water from the cup on her nightstand. Then she reached down to the floor and pulled her orange laptop into bed with her.
Once the laptop purred on, Madison connected to the Internet and opened her e-mailbox.
FROM SUBJECT
Xcr_ultywQ DON’T MISS THIS
DantheMan Lizard Alert
TheEggMan Hmeowrk
newsflash88 Get Rich NOW
Bigwheels Sorry UR Sick
GoGramma My Visit!!!
Madison immediately deleted the messages marked DON’T MISS THIS and GET RICH NOW. Then she opened a note from her good friend Dan. In addition to being a classmate at school, Madison and Dan volunteered together at the Far Hills Animal Clinic.
From: DantheMan
To: MadFinn
Subject: Lizard Alert
Date: Tues 23 Sept 3:33 PM
Someone told me ur sick. No way b/c I am @ the clinic & there are 5 lizards here right now and they are sick 2!!! I had 2 tell u b/c u always laff @ stuff like that.
Some guy collects exotic animals or something & they all got the FLU so his whole collection is HERE. Dr. Wing put them in the cages way in the back. I named them already: Wizzy, Fizzy, Dizzy, Tizzy, and Lizzy (of course).
Write back if u get bored.
See ya, Dan
Madison made a mental note to write back to Dan about the funny lizard names. Then she clicked on the message after his.
From: TheEggMan
To: MadFinn
Subject: Hmeowrk
Date: Tues 23 Sept 3:41 PM
hey maddie I volntered in scool 2day 2 get homework assns 4 fiona and then I said I would 4 u 2 I hope that’s ok I will clal l8r bye
Egg
ps I will prob get 4 aimee if she wnts
pps u need 2 decide who ur doing that web project with topics r due soon
Egg was the worst e-mail speller on the planet, Madison decided. She chuckled to herself. And of course he was getting Fiona’s homework! He was acting so mushy around Fiona lately. His reminder about the web project set Madison’s mind spinning. She had to e-mail Aimee and Fiona so that they could decide on their topic.
Madison took another sip of water. She didn’t feel like her normal self for so many reasons. Her nose was clogged. Her head pounded. Plus, she actually felt popular today—she felt more popular staying at home sick than she did when she went to school in good health!
“I have to get sick more often,” Madison sniffled to herself.
The next message was from her keypal. Madison had written to tell her about the mystery boy next door. Bigwheels had a lot to say on that subject.
From: Bigwheels
To: MadFinn
Subject: Re: FEVER!
Date: Tues 23 Sept 3:58 PM
That is so weird what u wrote me about a guy next door. I have a neighbor who is a boy, too, but he is the opposite of cute. How can someone live so close but u never even notice him? Maybe your boy just moved in. Send more info! BTW what’s up w/Hart these daze? U don’t mention him as much as b4. R U still crushing on him?
Life here is ok. But I’m having trouble in math already which is a drag cuz math can be a good subject 4 me. Oh well. My 2 cats r GREAT. How’s Phinnie? The other day I was in the mall and Pets Central had a baby pug in the window. I thought of u. :>)
I hope you feel better VERY VERY VERY soon. It is so yucky to be sick. At least u & ur friends can all be sick 2gether tho. You should have a sick sleepover LOL with cocoa and videos. Write back soon.
Yours till the puppy dogs,
Vicki aka Bigwheels
Gramma Helen had sent the final e-mail. She had written to say that she loved Madison very much and was glad to be coming to Far Hills to help out. Madison smiled at the thought of seeing her grandmother. It had been a while. She hit DELETE. She didn’t need to save this one. After all, Gramma Helen would be in Far Hills tomorrow.
Bleeeeeeep.
Her laptop made a noise. A message! Madison hit REPLY and started to chat with her friend Lindsay.
As Madison signed off, she blew her nose. It was fun reading all the e-mails, but her head was so congested. Mom was right. She needed more sleep. Madison quickly exited her e-mailbox and placed the laptop back on the floor.
“Mommmmm!”
Madison screeched as loudly as she could, so Mom could hear her, all the way downstairs in her office.
“Mommmmm!”
Madison called out once more, and then she snuggled under the covers, rubbing her bottom lip with the satin edge of a purple blanket.
Mom appeared a few moments later.
“What is all the fuss?” Mom asked, poking her head into the room. Phin trotted inside, too.
“My ears are ringing,” Madison said.
“I’m sorry you don’t feel well, honey bear,” Mom said.
“And my throat is killing me,” Madison said.
“Oh, sweetheart,” Mom said. Then Mom spied the laptop on the floor. “Um … what’s this? Have you been resting—or writing to your friends online?” she asked.
Madison looked down. “No,” she answered.
>
“No, what?” Mom asked.
“No, I haven’t exactly been resting,” Madison admitted.
Mom clucked her tongue. “Maddie…” she said, sitting on the edge of the bed. “I told you…”
“I feel dizzy,” Madison said aloud. A picture of Dizzy the lizard at the animal clinic popped into Madison’s head. She giggled to herself.
“Well, lie down,” Mom said. “I’m going to get you some food, whether you like it or not. I don’t want you to start passing out. You need your sleep, Maddie.”
Madison curled up into a ball and called for Phin to jump up onto the bed next to her. Her whole body ached. As Mom fussed with blankets and put away folded laundry, Madison wondered what the boy next door was doing right at that moment. Was he outside, right then, walking his dog?
Unfortunately, Madison was way too exhausted to get up and peer out the window. She’d be on the lookout as soon as she caught a few z’s.
Madison crawled back into bed. As she buried her face in a cool pillow, she wondered if maybe all high temperatures were not so bad.
After all, what was really making hers rise?
Was it the bronchitis that gave Madison her fever?—Or was it a certain someone who lived next door?
Chapter 4
THE NEXT MORNING, MOM raced around the kitchen, frantically wiping down counters and sweeping the corners of the floor. Her behavior meant only one thing: Gramma Helen was arriving soon. Madison knew the real truth: Mom didn’t want Gramma to come into the house and start noticing dust bunnies. Gramma was a stickler for a clean house. Mom wanted everything to look perfect.
“Slow down, Mom,” Madison said as she slurped her OJ. “You’re making me dizzy.”
“I thought you were already dizzy,” Mom joked.
The phone rang. Gramma had just picked up her luggage. She was hopping into a cab at the airport. Mom wanted to pick her up, but Gramma had insisted on taking a taxi to Blueberry Street.
Although Madison felt woozier than woozy for the second day in a row, she was starting to get excited about Gramma’s arrival. Mom had been so busy with work projects that she hadn’t had much time to spend with Madison. That made being sick a little lonely. But now Gramma would be there to play cards with Madison and give her all the TLC she needed.
At least, that was the plan.
Madison hung out by the front door waiting for Gramma’s taxi to pull up. “Gramma!” Madison yelled, pulling her bathrobe around her tightly. “You’re here!”
“My Maddie!” Gramma shouted back as she made her way onto the front porch. “Oh, my little angel! Look at your nose, it’s all red!”
Madison knew she looked like Rudolph, but Gramma was the only one who admitted it. Madison leaned in and gave Gramma a hug.
“What’s this? You’re not wearing any slippers? Get yourself back inside, before you catch your death!” Gramma said.
Madison wrinkled her nose. “Gramma, it’s almost seventy degrees out here. I’m practically sweating.”
“Well, that’s because you’re sick. Now, shoo!” Gramma said.
Madison had to laugh. Gramma always got worked up over the silliest stuff, like slippers.
“You know, last week I was having take-out Chinese with my good friend Mabel and I got the strangest fortune cookie,” Gramma said, walking into the front hall and removing her jacket.
The taxi man followed behind her with a large, red suitcase. Gramma tipped him before he disappeared.
“What was I saying?” Gramma sputtered, taking off her yellow chiffon scarf and placing it gently in the sleeve of her jacket.
“Fortune cookies?” Mom laughed. She appeared in the hallway, arms crossed. “Hello, Mother.”
“Oh, Frannie dear!” Gramma said. “I was telling Madison about a fortune cookie I got just last week. It said that I would travel to a faraway place to help a loved one. Isn’t that something? And here I am.”
“That’s pretty cool, Gramma,” Madison said. She liked the fact that Gramma Helen believed in fate and karma and things like fortune cookies.
Madison did, too.
“Thanks for coming, Mother,” Mom said, reaching for Gramma. They squeezed each other. Mom took Gramma’s bags into the living room.
Madison felt a tickle in the back of her throat. She started to cough … and cough…
“Goodness!” Gramma said, rushing over to feel Madison’s forehead. “You sound horrible! Frannie, how can you let her out of bed in this condition?”
Mom smiled. “I’m not sure how to answer that, Mom.”
Madison laughed, which only made her cough more.
Mom got her a glass of water.
“Listen to that racket! It’s a good thing I’m here,” Gramma said.
“Uh-huh, Mother,” Mom said. “Now why don’t we get Madison back in bed? Then you and I can catch up a little.”
“Can’t I stay downstairs with you both?” Madison asked. She plopped down on the sofa.
Gramma shook her head no. Mom shrugged.
“We could grab some blankets and get you set up on the living room sofa,” Mom suggested.
“Roooooooooooooof!” Phin barked. He liked that idea.
“Nonsense! You should get some sleep in your own bed,” Gramma said, raising her eyebrows and giving Madison one of her “listentomerightnow” looks.
Madison smiled. “Okay, Gramma,” she said. Madison wanted Gramma Helen to feel that what she said mattered, since she’d traveled all the way from Chicago on a moment’s notice.
“See, Fran?” Gramma said smugly. “She listens to me.”
Mom didn’t react. She gave Madison a sidelong look. “So let’s go back upstairs to bed, then,” Mom said.
Madison nodded. “Fine.” She got up and started toward the stairs.
Even though Madison wanted to stay with Gramma and Mom, being back in her bedroom wouldn’t be so awful, after all, she thought. She could go online and check her messages, visit TweenBlurt.com, and surf the Net. And maybe she would sleep—just a little. Madison was feeling a little weak in the knees from her medication and all that coughing.
Phinnie tagged along, as usual. He dragged his favorite rope toy upstairs. Madison promptly removed it from her room. It was wet and chewed-on and smelled as though it had been sitting at the bottom of a moldy garbage can for weeks. Madison couldn’t stomach that smell on an ordinary day. It was even worse when she felt sick.
She’d been in her bedroom for only a few minutes when Gramma appeared at the doorway. Madison hadn’t fallen asleep yet, much to Gramma’s dismay.
“My stars!” Gramma said, barging into Madison’s bedroom. “You’re still up? Get into bed this instant!” She chased Madison toward the bed.
“Gramma,” Madison said firmly. She wanted to insist that Gramma just leave her alone, but realized that wouldn’t have been very smart. Gramma had come all that way—just for her. And the truth was that Madison had wished for lots of attention.
Maybe I should have been more careful about what I wished for? she mused.
Gramma sat on the edge of the bed and started to rub Madison’s back.
Madison started coughing again.
“That sounds so awful,” Gramma said, rubbing harder. “What you need is a saltwater gargle.”
“A what?” Madison said, gulping. “That sounds awful.”
“Not at all,” Gramma said. “It’s good for you.”
That was what grandmothers said about everything gross they wanted you to do when you were sick, Madison thought. It’s good for you.
“I brought my compact cold-air vaporizer from Chicago,” Gramma went on. “It’s good for your sinuses and breathing.”
Madison nodded.
“And tonight I think you should take a long, warm bath. I have this eucalyptus bubble bath that smells great,” Gramma said.
“Why don’t we play cards?” Madison asked.
Gramma shook her head. “Not now,” she said. “You are going to get some slee
p.” Gramma went over to the window and drew the curtains. The room got darker.
“It’s like night in here,” Madison said.
“That’s the idea,” Gramma replied.
Madison nestled under the quilt as Gramma gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead.
“It’s a good thing I’m here,” Gramma said for a second time.
Madison nodded. “I know,” she said, and rolled over. Gramma walked out of the bedroom, shutting the door behind her.
As soon as she was gone, Madison sat up. Since she couldn’t do much of anything (including breathe) without having a coughing fit, the best activity wasn’t even sleep. So Madison decided to surf. She booted up her laptop again.
Madison felt like a spy in the darkness of her room. The screen flashed and filled the room with a dim, blue glow.
She had e-mail in her mailbox.
Hooray!
During her morning free period, Lindsay had written to Madison, Aimee, and Fiona from the media lab at school. Reading it was like being back at FHJH.
From: LuvNStuff
To: MadFinn; Wetwinz; Balletgrl
Subject: Mega Gossip
Date: Wed 24 Sept 10:37 AM
I am sitting in the library right now with a perfect view of you-know-who. Yes, I’m talking about Miss Wishes-She-Were-All-That, otherwise known as POISON IVY. First of all, she is wearing this truly UGLY brown shirt with fringe on it (no I am not kidding) and jeans that are WAAAAAY too tight. I know she’s skinny and I’m not a fashion plate myself but these are UGLY pants. So I was in the stacks earlier and I overheard her and the drones talking. Can we just say for the record please that Rose and Joanie are the two most ANNOYING people on the planet? They do not have minds of their own, they just agree with everything Ivy says. But anyway Ivy was up here talking about Hart because (drumroll please) he BLEW HER OFF yesterday.
I heard that Ivy & Hart were supposed to get together during lunch yesterday (after you 3 went home sick) to study or talk about that webpage project. Well, he never showed! And even worse (or better!), he told this other kid Ross that he doesn’t even WANT to do the project with Ivy. OMG! Somehow Ross told Phony Joanie her dronie—and now Ivy knows and WOW she is SO MAD. Maddie, this is HUGE news, right? I mean, maybe this means Hart really is yours and all yours!!! Whaddya think? Maddie + Hart 4-Ever!
