by Laura Dower
Madison and Dad ducked into Freeze Palace to find a crowd of ice-cream eaters who’d been caught in the rain.
“Oh—I’m—soaked—” Madison said as they looked around.
Dad was focused on the menu. “Do you want butternut crunch or chocolate chip?” he asked. He was getting his favorite, mint chip. They didn’t have Madison’s favorite, Cherry Ripple.
All of a sudden, Madison caught her breath.
A bunch of customers who’d been caught in the downpour stood nearby talking. In the middle of the group was a familiar face.
Josh Turner.
Madison left Dad at the counter and walked over toward Josh.
He recognized her immediately. “Hi, Madison.”
“Hey, Josh,” Madison said, worrying about whether or not her hair looked good.
“Wild night,” he said. “I’m just here with a few friends. We were studying together for a test, but we snuck out to the movies.”
Madison sighed. She imagined herself at the movies with Josh and his friends. She’d never been on a real movie date, but Madison liked to dream about what could happen on such a date, all alone in the dark.
Josh would reach his arm around her back and pull her closer to him.
He’d lean over and take her hand in his.
He’d move in for one … slow … kiss. …
“Madison?” Josh was trying to get Madison’s attention. “What are you doing here?”
Madison pointed to Dad. “I’m with him. That’s my dad.”
Madison wanted to turn three shades of purple.
I’m with my dad.
It sounded so seventh grade.
“Oh,” Josh said. “I recognize your dad from the neighborhood. He’s always mowing the lawn the same time as my dad.”
“Are you getting something?” Madison asked.
“Yeah, a cone,” Josh replied. “Are you?”
“Oh, yes….” Madison glanced at the glass display case. “A chocolate-chip cone,” she said.
“No kidding! That’s my favorite flavor,” Josh said.
Madison swooned. “Really?” she said.
A girl with wet hair walked up to them and grabbed Josh’s elbow.
“Did you order already?” the girl asked.
“Hey, Madison, this is Remy,” Josh said.
Madison felt like she’d swallowed a fork.
Remy?
“Hi,” Remy said in a soft voice. She had long, curly, black hair that was all frizzed out from the rain. Her clothes were wet, too. “I just got soaked outside,” she said, pointing at her sneakers, which were completely drenched.
Madison looked down and then back up again at the two of them. She noticed that Josh had his hand on the small of Remy’s back.
She felt as though someone had hit her with a stun gun.
Where had Remy come from?
As if the whole scene couldn’t be made any worse, at that exact moment Dad walked over with their ice-cream cones.
“Maddie? It’s late, honey. Can you talk to your friends another time?”
Dad gave Madison the perfect “out.” But she couldn’t move. Her feet were stuck to the linoleum floor.
She had officially put the freeze back into Freeze Palace.
Fortunately, the paralysis was fleeting. As soon as Madison regained control of her limbs, she grabbed Dad’s arm and pulled him away.
She would eat her ice cream at home.
No good-byes for Josh or Remy.
Just a very quick escape.
On the drive home, Madison fought back a flood of tears.
After she had filled him in, Dad tried to be understanding. He made Madison feel a little less embarrassed about what had happened by telling her at least a hundred times that she was terrific. By the ninety-ninth time, she actually believed him.
Mom was even more consoling when Madison got home. Mom told her she was terrific, too.
Once her head stopped spinning, Madison headed upstairs to get ready for bed. She wasn’t sure she could ever face Josh again after what had happened. And what would she tell her BFFs? She’d made such a big deal about the new guy, the ninth grader, the cool next-door neighbor she’d never noticed before.
Now what?
Madison logged onto her laptop.
An e-mail from Bigwheels popped right up. There was one from Gramma, too. Madison read them in order.
From: Bigwheels
To: MadFinn
Subject: I’m Better How About U
Date: Wed 1 Oct 6:11 PM
I haven’t heard from you in a little while. Are you sick again? I’m better now. But I gave my flu to my little brother and sister so now almost everyone in the house is coughing. Oh well.
Remember that guy I sort of liked, Reggie? Well he e-mailed me and now I think I like him again. We were sort of going out except that we hadn’t really gone anywhere yet. Do you think I could ask him out? Would that be weird? I know girls rule and all that but I still feel embarrassed about asking him. I want him to ask me. Is that wrong?
BTW: We just found out at the vet that Sparkles is having kittens! I am so excited I want to keep them all. My mom just laughed at me when I said that. “Maybe one,” she said. LOL.
Write back! You haven’t said anything about Josh and I want to hear all the juicy details, ok? I think it would be soooo cool if you guys fell in love and lived happily ever after.
Yours till the teddy bears,
Vicki aka Bigwheels
Gramma’s e-mail was short and sweet.
From: GoGramma
To: MadFinn
Subject: Back Home
Date: Wed 1 Oct 7:03 PM
Home safe. But the house feels so empty with just me. I miss you already.
Hope you are feeling like your old self again. Stay as fit as a fiddle.
Love, Gramma
Reading Gramma’s kind e-mail made Madison wish that Gramma were still in Far Hills so she could tell her all about the Josh disaster.
Madison opened a new file.
Three’s a Crowd
Is this the face of permanent embarrassment? My cheeks will never be a normal color again. Help.
Rude Awakening: I thought having the flu was bad. But now I’m heartsick and there’s no good medicine for that.
When I saw Josh with his girlfriend at Freeze Palace I thought I would shrivel up and die right there. Thank goodness none of my other friends were around. Egg would never have let me forget it.
How could I have been so wrong about him? Why did he write me those signs if he didn’t like me? Why did he talk to me in school if he didn’t want to get to know me better? He didn’t want to go out with me, a lowly seventh grader. He already had a ninth-grade girlfriend. And what kind of a name is Remy anyway?
Is it my fate to be loveless? I don’t get fortunes in my cookies. And I don’t get the guy.
I feel sick all over again.
Chapter 14
BY THURSDAY MORNING, MADISON had recovered. She got up and got dressed, determined to face the world with a smile. At least that was what she told herself in the mirror.
“Look good, and feel good,” Madison said to her reflection as she applied some strawberry-kiwi lip gloss. She wore her favorite T-shirt, faded Capri jeans, and clogs. Mom came into the bathroom and French-braided her hair with a ribbon. Madison put on the moonstone earrings Dad had given her and a silver ring on every finger. Lately she hadn’t been wearing her rings that much. Today she wanted to have on as much armor as possible.
“Wow! You look so pretty today,” Aimee, said at the lockers later in the morning, after homeroom class.
Madison smiled. She looked good. She felt good.
During study period, Madison, Aimee, Fiona, and Lindsay headed for Mrs. Wing’s computer lab to work on the webpage project. They had permission to use the scanner. Aimee had pulled some images of optical illusions from old books her Dad had given her. The pictures showed spirals and curlicue
s and cubes and even rainbows with mixed-up colors. The girls needed to put all of it on a disk so Madison could start formatting the page over the weekend.
After a rocky start organizing the project, Madison, Aimee, Fiona, and Lindsay were now gaining momentum.
Lindsay had a great idea for the opening screen of the webpage. It would be a greeting that played a trick on the eyes. It was shaped like a road sign.
DO YOU
LOVE TO
SEE OPTICAL
ILLUSIONS ON THE
THE INTERNET?
They showed the illusion to Mrs. Wing. She didn’t figure it out for at least a minute. Then she spotted the word the written twice. Madison loved the fact that they could fool a teacher, even if it was only for a short time.
After finishing up in the computer lab, Madison headed into the hallway with her friends.
“Look!” Aimee said. “It’s Josh Turner.”
Sure enough, Josh was standing in the hall, by the lockers. He was alone.
“Go talk to him,” Fiona said, nudging Madison. “He’s so cute.”
“We’ll wait here,” Lindsay said.
Madison didn’t budge. “I don’t think so,” she said. “Not right now.”
“But you look so great,” Aimee said. “You have to let him see you like this. He will ask you out in five seconds. Trust me.”
Madison shook her head. “I don’t think so,” she said, slumping.
Brrrrrring.
The bell rang for the next class period. Josh disappeared down the hall in the opposite direction. Madison was relieved.
“Now you missed your chance!” Fiona said.
“Can we meet up later to finish scanning stuff?” Aimee asked. “I have to return some of these books to my dad tonight.”
Lindsay nodded. “I can stay after school.”
“Me, too,” Madison said.
Fiona was the only one who had to go home. She was still taking medicine for her lingering flu. “I’ll help more tomorrow,” she said.
Everyone was fine with that.
“Even if we can’t always be here working together, we’re making progress,” Madison said. “That’s good, right?”
“Good?” Aimee scoffed. “Our project is going to kick some major butt.”
Fiona and Lindsay laughed, grabbed their book bags, and ran off to the next class. Madison needed to get something out of her locker, so Aimee waited with her.
“Is something wrong?” Aimee asked.
The halls were starting to clear out. The second bell was about to ring.
“I’m an idiot,” Madison said simply.
“What are you talking about?” Aimee asked, looking concerned.
“It’s about Josh. I’m an idiot. He never liked me. He never even thought about me like that,” Madison confessed.
“Wait—you said he—but—I thought you said—”
“Ignore everything I said,” Madison said. “I was wrong. Josh doesn’t like me. He already has a girlfriend. Lindsay told me she hadn’t seen him with any girls at school, but I saw him. Last night at Freeze Palace. He was with this girl Remy. Do you know her?”
“Remy McEvoy?” Aimee asked.
“I don’t know her last name. How many Remys can there be in the ninth grade, though?” Madison said.
Brrrrrrrrring.
They tried to finish the conversation as they walked along to the next class.
“So that’s it? That’s the end of Josh?” Aimee asked. She sounded disappointed. “I was getting excited about the prospect of your dating some ninth grader. And then maybe you’d introduce me to some other ninth grader….”
“Yeah, right,” Madison said. But she smiled.
Aimee put her arm around Madison’s shoulders. “You’ll be okay, Maddie.”
“I just feel so stupid.”
“Don’t say that!” Aimee said. “You are not stupid. You’re … you’re perfect.”
“Yeah, well, whatever. We better get to class,” Madison said.
Madison wanted to believe what Aimee said.
But she couldn’t get Josh and his signs out of her head.
She was perfect, all right.
Perfectly embarrassing.
Her usual daily routine was back once Madison returned home that afternoon. Phin rushed to the door, panting. Mom was holed up inside her office, juggling the computer and phones. Working on the final edit of her documentary was an all-consuming task.
Madison said hello to Phinnie and rushed upstairs with no more than a quick hello to Mom through the office door. Although she’d been determined to get well, Madison wasn’t so sure anymore. The new plan: to bury herself as far down under the covers as possible and try hard to forget the last twenty-four hours.
Before she pulled the curtains closed in her bedroom, Madison glanced across the yard at Josh’s window.
She half expected to see Josh and Remy staring back at her, laughing and pointing.
But no one was home next door.
Madison made a beeline for her bed.
“Maddie!”
Mom was calling upstairs to her.
“What?” Madison yelled back.
“Phone!” Mom screeched again. She was coming up the stairs.
“What?” Madison raced over to the door.
Mom stood there, portable phone in hand. “Didn’t you hear the phone?” she asked. “Here. It’s for you.”
Madison took the phone and clicked the HOLD button.
“Hello?” Madison asked. She expected to hear Aimee’s or Fiona’s voice.
“Finnster?”
Madison sighed. Hart was one of the last people Madison felt like speaking to just then.
“Are you there?” Hart asked.
“Yeah,” Madison said. “Are you calling about the science work again? Because I felt bad when I told you I couldn’t do it. I mean, of course, you were right about me not liking my partner….”
“That isn’t why I’m calling,” Hart said, clearing his throat.
“Oh,” Madison said. “Then why are you calling?”
“How are you feeling?” Hart asked.
“I’m mostly better,” Madison said. “Still have a little cough.”
“That’s good. Not the cough, I mean. It’s good that you’re mostly better,” he said.
“What are you guys doing for your webpage project?” Madison asked.
“The Titanic,” Hart said.
“That’s deep,” Madison said, making a bad joke.
Hart cracked up.
He thought that was funny?
Madison threw herself across her bed, phone in hand. Talking to Hart right now wasn’t so bad after all. It was actually cheering her up a little.
“Did you do your science homework yet?” Hart asked.
“No,” Madison said. “I am so behind in Mr. Danehy’s class.”
“Me, too,” Hart said. “At least we’re not as behind as Ivy Daly.”
“Huh?” Madison said. She couldn’t believe he’d brought up the name of the enemy.
“Ivy never does her work. She’s always bugging me for help,” Hart said.
“Really?” Madison asked.
“She’s kind of annoying, in case you hadn’t noticed.”
Madison let out a huge roar of laughter. She couldn’t help herself. The laughter just exploded from her.
“Are you okay?” Hart asked after a brief pause.
“Sorry,” Madison said. “It’s just that … well, I thought … never mind.”
“Look, the reason I called is actually…” his voice trailed off.
Madison chewed on her fingernail. She needed to paint her nails. That would make her feel better, wouldn’t it?
“I called because a bunch of us are going over to the Far Hill Shoppes on Saturday. And I know Egg is going to go with Fiona,”
“Yeah?” Madison said, still looking at her nails.
“Well, everyone wanted to go to the movies….” Hart said.
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“Uh-huh.”
“And I was wondering if maybe … Finnster, would you go with me?”
Madison swallowed hard. She wanted to ask Hart to repeat what he had just said, but she couldn’t bring herself to say the words.
Had Hart Jones just asked Madison Finn out on a date?
After the embarrassment with Josh, Madison didn’t know what to think. Was this some kind of practical joke masterminded by Egg? Was this another of Madison’s romantic misunderstandings?
“You want me to go to the movies with you?” Madison asked.
“Exactly,” Hart said, his voice perking up. “We’ll all be there as a group, but everyone sort of goes as a couple—with someone else, you know?”
“Cool,” Madison said.
“So, we can go together, then?” Hart asked a second time. “I’d really like that.”
Madison realized that this was no misunderstanding.
“Yes!” she blurted out, not thinking anymore about it.
“Cool,” Hart said. “So, tomorrow at school I’ll tell you where we’ll be meeting, okay?”
“Okay,” Madison said. As usual, shock had her speaking in one-syllable words.
She hung up the phone.
“Rorwowowowwowowooo!” Phinnie howled and hopped up onto the bed next to Madison.
“Phin, what just happened?” Madison asked.
Phin cocked his head and made a whimpering noise, as if to say, “I have no idea, and why are you asking me anyway? I’m a dog!”
Madison felt tightness in the center of her belly. She had to speak to her BFFs. She had to speak to them right then and there.
Madison went online. Unbelievably, no one from her buddy list was online, so she reached for the phone again.
Aimee was at dance class.
Fiona was asleep and could not be disturbed, according to her mom.
Lindsay wasn’t home yet.
Madison sent all three of them a quick, emergency e-mail. She hoped they would respond soon. Madison was ready to burst with her news.
From: MadFinn
To: Wetwinz; Balletgrl; LuvNstuff
Subject: CALL ME ASAP!!!
