L8r, G8r
Page 15
zoegirl:
omg. angela’s behind this, isn’t she?
mad maddie:
no doubt. isn’t it classic?
zoegirl:
they should just give us bonus free periods. if they want to do something for us, that’s all they need to do.
mad maddie:
“cheese heads.” it kills me. and i love the part about, “if you can, act excited”! when mr. gerard came to that part, he glanced up with his typical deadpan expression and said, “yippee.”
zoegirl:
it’s insulting, the idea that throwing cheese balls at each other will make us forget how stressed we are.
mad maddie:
and don’t forget the “big one,” a root beer chugging contest!
mad maddie:
but I’M not stressed. who says we’re stressed? the only one who’s stressed is you, zo.
zoegirl:
you’re not stressed? really?
mad maddie:
spring semester grades don’t even matter. you’ve gotta lighten up, cupcake.
zoegirl:
ack—maybe you’re right
zoegirl:
tina and arlene suggested that too, although not in those words.
mad maddie:
who the hell r tina and arlene?
zoegirl:
the jehovah’s witnesses who visited me. they came back today.
mad maddie:
yr now on a first-name basis?
zoegirl:
i invited them in and we had a nice chat. i served them pepperidge farm cookies.
mad maddie:
jesus, zoe. what would your mom say if she knew you were inviting strangers into the house and giving them cookies?
zoegirl:
but my mom wasn’t here, and anyway, all she talks about these days is when i’m going to hear from princeton.
zoegirl:
*she’s* the reason i’m stressed. well, part of the reason.
mad maddie:
so what did you and tina and arlene talk about?
zoegirl:
if i tell you, you’re going to be rude, but i don’t care.
zoegirl:
we talked about everlasting life.
mad maddie:
uh huh
mad maddie:
and what did you learn about everlasting life?
zoegirl:
i didn’t “learn” anything. tina and arlene talked about the peaceful paradise that’s waiting for us after we die, and i was like, “yeah, that would be nice.”
mad maddie:
it WOULD be nice. doesn’t mean it’s true.
zoegirl:
doesn’t mean it’s not, either
zoegirl:
tina, she’s the one who just got married, she looked so … i don’t know. open and honest when she talked about it. her whole face lit up.
mad maddie:
cuz she’s trying to suck you in. it’s all an act.
zoegirl:
no it’s not. why are you so cynical?
zoegirl:
i haven’t figured out what makes jehovah’s witnesses so different from normal old Christians. so far it seems like it’s just that they call God “Jehovah.”
mad maddie:
and that they go door to door invading ppl’s privacy, trying to cram jehovah down their throats.
zoegirl:
i was thinking how hard that must be, the whole door-to-door thing. i bet people are mean to them all the time. (case in point: YOU!)
mad maddie:
i wouldn’t be mean. i just wouldn’t invite them in for cookies.
zoegirl:
i think they’re brave. it may not be what you or i would do with our lives, but that doesn’t make it wrong.
mad maddie:
whatevs
mad maddie:
did they give you any more reading material?
zoegirl:
yeah, a book called “The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived.” i gave them a $5 donation for it.
mad maddie:
$5 for a book you neither asked for nor wanted?
zoegirl:
in the illustrations, jesus looks like that cute guy from “white collar.” only not a criminal.
mad maddie:
maybe that’s to keep all the j.w. girls hot for christ.
zoegirl:
uh huh, i’m sure that’s what they were thinking
mad maddie:
whoa—i’m fading here, zoe. i’m gonna go take a nap.
zoegirl:
it’s almost six o’clock! you can’t take a nap, you’ll be up all night!
mad maddie:
vicious cycle, isn’t it?
mad maddie:
buenas noches!
Tues, Mar 14, 8:17 PM E.D.T.
SnowAngel:
hey, zo. i just got the saddest email from my sister!
zoegirl:
poor chrissy. what’s going on?
SnowAngel:
it’s sooooo freshman yr. it’s almost laughable, except i know how much this stuff can hurt.
SnowAngel:
her email was all about this girl named mackenzie, who lies.
zoegirl:
mackenzie lies? about what?
SnowAngel:
er, everything? apparently she’s 1 of those girls who can win ppl over when she wants to, but then she stirs things up by spreading rumors and everybody gets mad at her.
SnowAngel:
shit—i just realized! she’s a 9th-grade jana!
SnowAngel:
anyway, chrissy made the mistake of telling mackenzie some personal private things about this other girl named jo ellen, and now she’s worried mackenzie’s gonna blab.
zoegirl:
why would chrissy tell mackenzie anything if she knew mackenzie’s reputation?
SnowAngel:
according to chrissy, she was mad at jo ellen at the time.
zoegirl:
so what happened?
SnowAngel:
i’ll paste in her email so you can read it yourself.
oh and i’m so smart. i told mackenzie some stuff about my friend jo ellen and i’m scared she’s gonna tell to get back at me for not sitting with her at lunch. if she does, i’m in deep doo doo cuz it’ll start this whole big war all over again. should i tell jo ellen wut i said about her or lyke leave it alone???
zoegirl:
sheesh, tough call
SnowAngel:
it’s all so silly, and yet i feel bad for her.
SnowAngel:
aren’t you glad we’re past that? i mean, yeah, we have our problems, but we have learned SOME things, ya know?
zoegirl:
er …
SnowAngel:
what? why r you ER-ing?
zoegirl:
not to be rude, but are you *sure* we’re past all that?
SnowAngel:
are you referring to jana? the REAL jana? such a different situation, omg!
zoegirl:
how is it so different?
SnowAngel:
for the record, jana started everything, or do you not remember?
SnowAngel:
SHE started it and SHE continued it and SHE is the person to blame. and btw, i’ve decided not to let her comment about logan go unpunished!
zoegirl:
ok, let’s try again. *how* is it so different?
SnowAngel:
you don’t get to have an opinion, cuz you have wimpily refused to get involved. *sticks out tongue*
zoegirl:
well … i think it’s sweet that chrissy writes you for advice, even if she has no idea how unqualified you are to offer any. she misses her big sis.
SnowAngel:
she’ll see me in 5 days. i fly out to el cerrito on sunday.
zoegirl:
what r you gonna do about the chicks?
SnowAngel:
holy crap! (literall
y!)
SnowAngel:
what AM i gonna do about the chicks?
zoegirl:
i can’t take care of them, because i leave for tennessee that same day. i’m *dreading* the car ride with my parents. all they’re going to talk about is college, i just know it.
SnowAngel:
blech
zoegirl:
how are they, anyway? the chicks. when do i get to meet them?
SnowAngel:
whenever you get your butt over here. how bout right now?
zoegirl:
i would, but i just can’t. too much homework.
zoegirl:
have you named them?
SnowAngel:
yes, but i kept getting them mixed up. so now i call all of them “squishy.” they’re the collective squishy.
zoegirl:
*are* they squishy?
SnowAngel:
when you squeeze them, yes. but not in a yucky way.
SnowAngel:
they’re growing on me, the little squishies. altho 1 of them pooped on my pillow.
zoegirl:
you let them on your bed?
SnowAngel:
they like it when i bounce them.
zoegirl:
okaaaay
zoegirl:
moving on … how are things with logan?
SnowAngel:
zoegirl:
what does that mean?
SnowAngel:
it means that things r fine and not fine.
SnowAngel:
we’re on cruise control. we’re both just kinda … going along.
zoegirl:
well, could be worse, i guess
SnowAngel:
yeah. thanks for not saying anything obnoxious. *makes face to show idiocy of it all*
zoegirl:
you’re a good person, angela. you’ll do the right thing!
Wed, Mar 15, 5:15 PM E.D.T.
mad maddie:
dude! i’m at ian’s and i’ve got news. zo? angela? PLZ tell me yr both out there. are you????
SnowAngel:
i iz! hi!
zoegirl:
i’m here too. what’s going on?
zoegirl:
except, wait, don’t tell us yet. let me tell doug one thing …
zoegirl:
ok, i’m all yours. spill!
mad maddie:
I GOT ACCEPTED TO SANTA CRUZ!!!!
SnowAngel:
omg!!!!
zoegirl:
maddie!!!!! yay!!!!!!
mad maddie:
i know! it’s incredible!
SnowAngel:
*squeals and hugs sweet maddie*
SnowAngel:
tell us every single detail!!!
mad maddie:
well, i got home from school and saw this big thick envelope on the kitchen counter, with “Santa Cruz Admissions Office” as the return address. i got really fidgety and just started screaming, right there in the house. no one was there but me, so i could be as loud as i wanted.
zoegirl:
omg!!!
mad maddie:
i took a deep breath and tried to calm down, but my hands were shaking. i opened the envelope and pulled out a folder that said, “Welcome to Santa Cruz.” inside was a letter that said, “Dear Madigan. You’re In!”
mad maddie:
isn’t that cool? i LOVE that, that instead of being all prissy and formal, they’re like, “you’re in! yahootie!”
SnowAngel:
oh, maddie, i am soooooo happy for you!
mad maddie:
i ran out to my car all jumping and hopping around and drove to ian’s, cuz i knew neither of you would be home yet. i showed him my letter and he hugged me really hard and lifted me into the air. it was AWESOME.
zoegirl:
i’m so proud of you, maddie!
SnowAngel:
me 2!!!
zoegirl:
but it’s scary, too. out of the 3 of us, this is our first college acceptance. which means that others (hopefully) are coming, and which means it’s really going to happen … we’re really going to graduate and leave and never be together again!!!
SnowAngel:
what are you talking about? we’re gonna be together FOREVER. you think college is gonna change that?
zoegirl:
well … it’s not going to be the same, no matter how much we want it to.
SnowAngel:
don’t SAY that!
SnowAngel:
we’re gonna be friends when we’re 90. we’ll grab our walkers and meet at maddie’s house for a pole-dancing party. we’ll gossip about who died and who got divorced and who’s got the biggest wattle. OKAY???
mad maddie:
who’s got the biggest what-ull?
SnowAngel:
WATTLE. it’s, like, a fold of skin that hangs down low and wobbles under your throat. turkeys have them, as do old ladies. aunt sadie does neck-tightening exercises to prevent 1 from coming on.
zoegirl:
my grandmom has a wattle.
zoegirl:
you think they’re genetic?
SnowAngel:
probably. you should get aunt sadie to show you her exercises, altho she looks extremely silly when she does them. *widens eyes and stretches mouth into “O” shape, then rotates lips all around*
mad maddie:
girlies, i’ve gotta run. the rents will probably wanna take me out to dinner to celebrate.
SnowAngel:
hug hug, kiss kiss! yr amazing, miss college stud girl!
zoegirl:
you really are. way to go!!!
Wed, Mar 15, 9:03 PM E.D.T.
mad maddie:
omg, i hate my parents
SnowAngel:
oh no. why?
mad maddie:
this should have been such a happy day, but now it’s turned bad and it’s all their fault. i HATE them!
SnowAngel:
talk to me. did something happen at dinner?
mad maddie:
at dinner? no, cuz they went to dinner WITHOUT me. i got home and there was a note on the kitchen counter saying they’d gone out for chinese.
mad maddie:
isn’t that cold? the moms must have known what the UCSC letter meant, and even so they went out w/o me.
SnowAngel:
maybe they thought you were celebrating on your own
mad maddie:
they could have called me. they could have checked.
mad maddie:
and then when they DID get home and i told them my good news, the dads didn’t say a word. the moms said, “well, congratulations, but you know santa cruz isn’t our top choice.”
SnowAngel:
ouch
mad maddie:
i started to tell her about going over to ian’s and what a rush it was, and midway thru my story the moms held up her hands and said, “wait, wait, wait. do you realize you’ve said the word ‘like’ in front of almost every word you’ve said?” and then she MIMICKED me, saying “and then ian, like, hugged me, and, like, it was awesome!”
SnowAngel:
ewww. why was she being so mean?
mad maddie:
she goes, “madigan, you say you don’t want to be a typical teenager, that there r bigger things in store for you. but talking like that makes you sound better suited to a community college than some fancy school in california. so try not to use the word ‘like’ at all, just eliminate it from your speech entirely. now start over and tell your story again!”
SnowAngel:
oh, maddie, ICK. i am not liking your mother AT ALL right now.
mad maddie:
i waited until she finished her lecture, and then i looked at her and said, “i can’t believe you just said that, when i was so happy and trying to share that with you.” i told her that i had absolutely no desire to tell my story again, and then i left the kitchen and ca
me up here.
SnowAngel:
*reaches thru time and space and gives friend tremendous bear hug* i’m SO sorry!
SnowAngel:
DON’T let her ruin your excitement!
mad maddie:
she already did
SnowAngel:
mad maddie:
i’m gonna make a list of things NOT to do when i have kids, including “burst their bubble for no good reason.” seriously, what does she stand to gain from making me feel like crap?
SnowAngel:
just remember: you DID get accepted. she can’t take that away from you.