Give Me a Break

by Laura Dower

“Oh, honey,” Dad said in a comforting voice. “She wants your help. Aimee is just overwhelmed right now.”

  “What are we going to do?” Madison asked.

  Dad looked at Stephanie.

  Stephanie looked at Dad.

  “I think we probably should head back to Far Hills,” Stephanie said.

  Dad concurred. “Aimee’s parents are worried. They know she’s in good hands, but they want to see her for themselves.”

  “Go back to Far Hills?” Madison asked. “You mean end the winter vacation? Now?”

  Stephanie nodded. “It seems like the smart thing to do.”

  “No, it doesn’t!” Madison blurted out. “Why do we have to go back? Why can’t her parents come and pick her up?”

  “Maddie…” Stephanie said, trying to calm her down.

  “I can’t believe this is happening!” Madison said.

  Dad scratched his head. “I had a feeling you might see it this way,” he said. “But I know you understand why we have to do it this way, Maddie. Stephanie and I are just as disappointed as you are.”

  A picture of Hugh flashed into Madison’s mind.

  “No way! You are definitely not as upset as I am!” Madison said.

  Dr. Sangee was on his way back in to Aimee’s room, but he stopped to talk to Dad. “So,” he said. “We have the release papers here. Aimee should be fine. Have her doctor call me with any questions when she returns home. I think the biggest thing you need to watch for is any possible complications from her concussion. It wasn’t too bad, though. Keep her hydrated and happy.”

  Dad and Stephanie thanked the doctor for his help. They signed the release papers, and, once they’d picked up Aimee, the four left the hospital. They boarded a shuttle bus headed back to Treetops.

  The ride was mostly silent. Neither Aimee nor Madison talked at all. Madison gazed out the window. As they left the downtown area where the hospital was situated, traffic picked up. Enormous pine trees rose up like giants, casting shadows over wide tracts of ground. A huge cloud darkened one side of the mountain.

  “Aimee?” Stephanie asked. “Did you and your mother discuss our heading back to Far Hills?”

  Aimee nodded without saying a word, which seemed to make Stephanie a little nervous.

  “Aimee? Are you still feeling dizzy?” Stephanie asked.

  “She looks fine to me,” Madison said.

  Aimee shot her a look. “Yeah. I’m fine. I just fell down a mountain.”

  “Sorry,” Madison grumbled.

  “Girls,” Dad cautioned from the front seat. “Let’s be nice, shall we? We’ll head back to the chalet, have a nice supper, a good sleep, and we’ll hit the road in the morning.”

  Madison wanted to scream. She hated the idea of leaving when it seemed as if the fun had only just begun. She’d been so panicked about clothes and skis and boys, and now… things were just starting to look up.

  “Did you cancel our lessons and everything?” Madison asked.

  Dad shook his head. “Oh, no, I haven’t canceled a thing yet. We’ll take care of all that in the morning.”

  Madison settled back in her seat.

  Maybe Aimee’s wrist would heal overnight and everything could go right back to normal, she thought. Maybe the vacation wouldn’t be called to a screeching halt. Maybe Madison would get another chance to hang out with Hugh.

  She glanced over at Aimee, curled up in her own seat in the car. Aimee’s eyes still looked a little glazed over. Deep down, Madison was worried. Her BFF had gotten hurt. That was serious. How could Madison think about herself at a time like this? Suddenly she felt ashamed for wanting to stay.

  They pulled into Treetops and headed for their chalet. Dad got a ride back to the mountain to pick Phinnie up. Stephanie stayed with the girls and made arrangements to have room service deliver dinner.

  Aimee said her head was pounding, so Stephanie made her go and lie down. Then Stephanie lit a fire.

  “Do you need help?” Madison asked halfheartedly before she plopped down onto an overstuffed couch in the living room.

  Stephanie shook her head. “No, you just relax. I’ll call and order the food. It’s been a crazy day.”

  Stephanie’s cell phone was sitting on the table next to the couch. Madison picked it up and dialed.

  “Mom?” Madison whispered when her mother answered. “I’m so glad you’re home!”

  “I was just thinking of you!” Mom said.

  “You were?”

  “I was thinking that you must be quite the ski bunny,” Mom said.

  “Mom, I miss you,” Madison said.

  “Uh-oh. What’s wrong?” Mom asked.

  “Why do you think something is wrong?” Madison asked.

  “I can tell.”

  Madison sighed. “Aimee hurt her wrist. We just got back from the hospital.”

  “Is she all right? What hospital? Where?” Mom fired questions at her.

  “No, don’t worry. She’s okay now; it’s just a sprain, but we had to go to the emergency room and now Dad’s probably going to call off the vacation and I am really bummed,” Madison replied.

  “Well, I’m sorry you’re bummed—but I’m glad Aimee is okay,” Mom said. “Has the trip been fun so far—until today’s accident, that is?”

  “Not exactly,” Madison said. “Aimee and I have been fighting a lot.”

  “Fighting about what?” Mom asked.

  “I don’t know. Look, I don’t feel like talking about it,” Madison said.

  “Honey bear, you’re the one who brought it up.”

  “I know, but can’t we talk about something else?” Madison asked.

  “Will you be coming home now?” Mom asked. “I assume the Gillespies know what happened.”

  “Yes,” Madison said. “Stephanie called them from the hospital.”

  The silence lingered between them on the phone line.

  “Maddie? Are you okay? I love you,” Mom said. She took a breath and added, “I love you more than ice cream and stars and the big old white moon.” It was something Mom had used to say when Madison was a little girl.

  “I love you, too, Mom,” Madison replied, feeling herself get a little choked up. “I’ll call tomorrow, when Dad decides what we’re doing next, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  They said their good-byes, and Madison settled back into the comfortable couch again. She closed her eyes. Aimee must have fallen asleep, she guessed, hearing silence from the bedroom. Stephanie and Dad’s room was quiet, too.

  Madison tried to lull herself into a nap, but she couldn’t. Her eyes kept opening to scan the room. The fireplace gave off a lot of heat, and the sound of crackling wood and flames was comforting. A row of old books lined the stone mantelpiece. Madison had not noticed them before.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of something glimmering on the carpet. A quarter? A paper clip? What was it?

  Madison stood up and went to look.

  Her lucky ski-bunny charm! She’d left it behind that morning. She guessed that Phin must have grabbed it or that it had stuck to a scarf or sweater and traveled out into the main room. Whatever the case, Madison knew in an instant why the day on the slopes had turned into a disaster.

  It was her luck to lose, and she’d lost it.

  Was there any way to get her luck back again?

  Chapter 11

  JUST AS THE SUN WAS rising, Madison came out of the bedroom and sat down on the sofa, staring at the fireplace. There were nothing but ashes and charred pieces of wood there this morning. Dad and Stephanie were still in their room. Aimee was asleep, snoring as usual. Madison took that as a sign that Aimee was getting back to normal.

  Madison powered up her laptop and opened her e-mailbox. A few important messages were waiting.

  FROM

  SUBJECT

  FF_Budgefilms

  HUGS

  GoGramma

  Vacation

  Wetwinz

  Chet is a GEEK />
  Mom’s message was first. She’d marked her e-mail with a little red exclamation point for URGENT.

  From: Fran Budgefilms

  To: MadFinn

  Subject: HUGS

  Date: Tues 2 Mar 7:04 AM

  Honey bear, after we spoke last night I hope you felt better. Aimee probably could use a friend right now if she’s missing home, and you’re the best kind of best friend. I know I think so. You’re my special girl.

  I love you,

  Mom

  P.S.: I attached a picture I found in my desk. Share it with Aimee. Hugs and kisses.

  <>

  Attached to Mom’s e-mail was a photograph taken many years before. In the photo, Madison and Aimee stood in front of a huge pile of snow in the Finns’ backyard. They were bundled up in funny-looking neon-colored parkas, scarves, and hats with big pom-poms on top. They almost looked as if they were joined at the hip, they clung together so closely.

  It wasn’t hard to remember the day the photo had been taken. The temperature had dropped to about ten degrees in Far Hills a few days after a mega-snowfall. Aimee and Madison built their very own igloo in Madison’s backyard.

  Madison sighed, thinking back to that day in first grade, when the photo was taken.

  Then she remembered that Ivy had been there, too.

  Way back before their huge third-grade fight, Ivy had been friends with both Aimee and Madison. In fact, Ivy had helped with the igloo’s construction.

  Madison couldn’t remember why Ivy wasn’t in the photograph with them. It seemed funny to think about how things had changed so much, how Ivy really had—literally—fallen out of the picture. That long-ago day in the snow seemed like a fragment of a dream, as if maybe it had never really happened.

  Madison saved the photo to one of her files. She would print out a color copy for Aimee when they returned home again.

  The next e-mail was a hello note from Gramma Helen. She was “up to her earlobes” in snow in Chicago, she wrote. She’d heard from Mom that Madison had gone skiing with Dad and Stephanie. “Don’t fall off the mountain!” Gramma said in her note. Madison knew Gramma was kidding, of course, but she hit REPLY and told her all about Aimee’s accident.

  After answering Gramma’s e-mail, Madison opened a note from Fiona. It had some surprising news inside.

  From: Wetwinz

  To: MadFinn

  Subject: Chet is a GEEK

  Date: Tues 2 Mar 8:31 AM

  I am up and it is 5 in the morning can u believe it?!! My bed is too hard and the shades let in too much light so the minute the sun comes up it’s like BLAM! I’m up too.

  Chet sprained his foot! 2 bad he didn’t have ur GLC! We have only been here a day. Because of him we couldn’t go to the beach yesterday (it was kind of gloomy outside n e way). I am actually kind of bored. Chet is SOOOOOO mad. He called the other guys on the hockey team and I think I heard him whining to my mom. What a geek. I bet u guys r having the BEST time. I wish I were skiing 2.

  Say hi to Aim 4 me.

  BTW: I got an e-mail from Egg yesterday. He said that he & Hart went sk8ing with Drew and his gf Emily--and Hart was talking about YOU!!!! Isn’t that GREAT? Egg thinks that Hart is going to ask u out on a real date when we get back home. I know he’s said it b4 but maybe this time it’s 4 real? I hope so. I think u should 4get finding a new crush at Big Mountain. You haven’t met someone u like more yet, have u? Well, DON’T!!!!! WBS.

  xoxoxoxoxxo

  Big smoochies,

  Fiona

  Madison instantly hit REPLY.

  She wanted to tell Fiona about Hugh—and about Aimee’s fall on the mountain, too. But as she typed, Madison realized that she couldn’t write about Hugh. She couldn’t put the whammy on a new relationship by talking about it. Talking about things too much brought the worst luck, didn’t it?

  DELETE.

  Madison yawned. She was overthinking things again. Why was she even worried about Hugh when he was practically ancient history? There would be no more cute ski partner. No more Treetops or Big Mountain. Dad had made it perfectly clear: they were heading home today. The coolest winter break in the history of Madison Finn’s life was ending.

  And that was that.

  Madison opened a new file and started to type.

  Never Again

  Dad came back with Phinnie and he’s curled up in my lap right now. Thank goodness he’s here. I feel better than I did an hour ago, but that’s not saying much.

  I wonder how Aimee feels? She’s been crashing out in the bedroom for a while now. I feel so bad about the fact that she hurt herself. But I’m also kind of upset because now our vacation is ruined. I knew it had to be too good to be true. And I told Aimee she should wear her bunny charm. Why didn’t she listen to me?

  Rude Awakening: I thought that coming on this ski trip made me the luckiest duck. As it turns out, Big Mountain is not all it’s quacked up to be. LOL.

  I guess I can live if I don’t see Hugh again even though I sincerely thought we made some kind of real connection. Okay, I only knew him for two days, but still.

  And--big surprise--I still don’t know how I feel about Hart. He chased me around in third grade and I was like, “cooties!” so he and I never had instant sparks like I did w/Hugh on the slopes the other day. Hart’s more like one of these guys who starts as a real good friend and should probably just stay that way esp. since he calls me Finnster. I mean that is just about the most UN-romantic name in the

  “Maddie, can I talk to you?” Aimee shuffled across the floor in a pair of bunny slippers that she’d brought along for the trip.

  “Hey, Aim,” Madison said, hitting a quick SAVE and pressing the button that made the white rhinoceros screen saver appear on Madison’s computer screen. “How are you feeling?”

  Aimee sat on the comfy sofa next to Madison and crossed her hands neatly in her lap. Madison stared at the cast on Aimee’s wrist.

  “Does it hurt?” Madison asked.

  Aimee shook her head. “Only when I breathe,” she said dramatically.

  Madison laughed. “I’m really sorry that you fell,” she said.

  “Why are you sorry?” Aimee said. “I’m the one who fell.”

  “Oh,” Madison said. “I just meant… well… I feel bad.”

  “Why?” Aimee asked. “Don’t feel bad.”

  “Well, I feel bad that you won’t be able to ski in the presentation or finish the lessons.”

  “Oh, no. I’ll be there,” Aimee said. “We’ll both be there.”

  Madison did a double take. “What?” she said. “Aim, the doctor said you should rest. And Dad said we’d be going home this morning.”

  “No, we’re not,” Aimee said. “Yesterday my parents said I could stay if I wanted. I just wasn’t sure.”

  “We’re staying? Really?” Madison asked.

  Aimee nodded. “I hope that’s okay… I just have to tell your dad…”

  “What do you mean, ‘if it’s okay’?” Madison cried. A wide grin spread across her face, and she lurched forward to give Aimee a bear hug. Of course, she stumbled while doing it, nearly squashing Aimee’s cast, and stubbing her own toe at the same time, but it didn’t matter.

  They were staying.

  Madison dashed into the next room, waving her arms. “Stephanie! Dad! Aimee has something to tell us. It’s very important. She’s staying!”

  Phinnie got excited by all the commotion. He jumped on and off the sofa at least five or six times, panting wildly.

  “What did you say?” Stephanie asked. “You’re hungry?

  “No, no, no, no, no! Aimee’s staying,” Madison cried. She could hardly form a complete sentence—she was that excited.

  “Is this true, Aimee?” Dad asked. “You want to stay?”

  Aimee nodded. “Yes,” she said. “I thought about it a lot. I just don’t want to ruin anyone’s vacation—not even my own. And if I go back I’ll just have to
work in my dad’s store even with my sprained wrist, so I’d rather hang out at a cool chalet and watch Madison put everyone else into the deep freeze at the ski presentations this week. Is that okay?”

  “If that’s what you want, Aimee,” Madison’s dad said. “I’ll call your parents and let them know.”

  The next morning, Aimee helped Madison get ready for their sunny day on the slopes. Even with a cast on, Aimee was a fashion expert. She looked good, too, Madison noticed. With or without injuries, Aimee looked like a ski catalog model, all dressed up in her navy ski pants and the flowered wool sweater she’d been bragging about.

  “Why are you so dressed up?” Madison asked.

  Aimee shrugged. She pulled out a tube of eyeliner.

  “Hey, you don’t even wear makeup!” Madison said.

  “Yes, I do… sometimes,” Aimee said. “I just don’t talk about it. “And you know, my mom says that most cosmetic companies test their products on animals, so I’m not allowed to touch mascara or even lip gloss unless it’s a cruelty-free product.”

  Aimee stared at herself intently in the mirror. It was hard to apply eyeliner with only one free hand.

  “Can I wear some?” Madison asked, looking at herself in the mirror, too.

  Aimee leaned in and applied a little eyeliner to Madison’s lids. Madison blinked. She looked different with makeup. Maybe Hugh would notice her more. After her minimakeover, Madison dressed in her ski pants and other layers, including her oversize Far Hills sweatshirt, a lavender Henley shirt, and a pale blue scarf she’d borrowed from Mom. Then she hooked her ski-bunny chain and charm around her neck like a KEEP OUT BAD LUCK sign. She wasn’t taking any chances today. No way.

  “Wow! Maddie!” Aimee said. She stood back and put her fingers up in front of her eyes as if she were a fake photographer taking a picture. “You look…”

  Snap. Snap. Snap.

  “FAB-ulous…”

  Snap. Snap. Snap.

  Madison posed like a starlet, going along with Aimee’s compliments and the pretend photography session. Then she broke into a small fit of giggles.

  “I started this trip as a fashion disaster, and now I’m ready to walk the runway!” Madison said, still cracking up.