Simply Mad (Girls of Wonder Lane Book 1)

by Christina Coryell

  Thinking about who will be taking his blood sort of makes me want to giggle like a schoolgirl. Of course I told everyone we needed a rather large gentleman for the first draw of the day, because it was important that he be in character for the media coverage. Naturally, I was only too happy to suggest an individual that I believed I had seen in the lab on occasion—a rather burly, tall fellow who, if I was not mistaken, until recently worked at a video game store. They knew just to whom I was referring, and he agreed to my requests.

  Just imagine when Cooper sits down to have his blood drawn, already a little jumpy simply because of the process itself, when suddenly there appears an enormous version of Frankenstein equipped with a needle and one of those stretchy rubber arm bands. That should make his artificial tan skin turn white! Plus, there is the added bonus that the lab giant will make Cooper look like a shrimp, which will absolutely drive him crazy, since he is so overly fond of looking down at people from his throne.

  If that isn’t enough, I also got the lab giant (who answers to his last name, Luca, by the way) to agree to recite a little script, simply for effect. Nothing too fancy, just enough to put Cooper a little off guard, so he won’t know what to say. In the end, when Luca is finished with him, the Bride of Frankenstein will appear to ask him if he wants a cookie. It’s going to be simply beautiful!

  I plan on donating myself, later in the day and definitely not with Luca. I still remember what he did to my arm the last time. Ouch!

  “There you are, Maddie!” I hear Audrey call my name from across the street.

  Admittedly, I’m slightly annoyed that she found me, but nothing is going to ruin my day.

  “Hey, Audrey,” I respond. She is wearing pants that look a little like scrubs and an oversized sweatshirt. She clearly thought the blood drive was an opportunity to dress down. Trotting across the street, she pulls up right beside me with a grin on her face. Returning her smile briefly, I begin going through a checklist I made up earlier this morning.

  “This is really something,” she says, popping her gum.

  “Yeah, it turned out well, didn’t it?” I ask, not bothering to look up from my checklist.

  “Too bad Dad isn’t going to see it. He doesn’t know what he’s missing.”

  Jerking my head up, I gawk at Audrey, who is carelessly blowing a big pink bubble with her gum and gazing off at the food stands.

  “What do you mean, he’s not going to see it?” I question her as my stomach drops a few inches. She simply shrugs her shoulders.

  “He told me something came up this morning.” Audrey casually looks around her at the scenery, unaware of the shattering blow she just threw my way.

  “What came up?” I prod, fighting the scream rising in my throat.

  “I don’t know, just something.”

  Whipping my phone out of my pocket, I begin frantically dialing. This can’t be—absolutely can’t be. Cooper has to be here. If he is somewhere else, he simply needs to make his way here right this instant. The whole thing completely hinges on him. If he doesn’t show, there is no…show.

  “Kent Cooper,” I hear through static on the other end of the line.

  “It’s Maddie. Audrey said something about you not coming to the blood drive,” I begin, but the static cuts me off. “Mr. Cooper?”

  I hear nothing.

  No, no, no, no. Say something, Cooper. It’s just a misunderstanding, right?

  “Maddie, I’m losing you…I’ll have…call back…minute.”

  And then my phone goes dead.

  Okay, I’m not going to lose my cool. The crowd is arriving, but I’m going to stay calm. Cooper called me back, and once I explained that he was going to be an integral part of the media coverage, he assured me he would try to make it.

  Try to make it. As if that’s even remotely adequate.

  Like I said, I’m not going to lose my head over this. So what if it’s 9:45 and there’s still no sign of him? I’m sure he’ll be here any minute. He’s probably here now, in fact, and there are simply too many people to catch a glimpse of him. Yes, I’m sure that’s it.

  Grabbing my cell phone out of my pocket, I dial the numbers, attempting to walk casually while doing so. Wouldn’t want anyone to think I was becoming frantic, after all.

  Come on, Cooper! Pick up the phone!

  Luca looks great in his Frankenstein costume. I saw him a few moments ago, and he looks amazingly spooky, being such a big guy and all. The look on Cooper’s face when he sees him will be priceless.

  Pick up, Cooper. Pick up!!

  I sent Audrey out to look for her dad, and Dina’s keeping an eye out, too. They’ll probably both be headed back soon, though, given the fact that it’s almost 10:00. I’d go try to find him myself if I didn’t have to oversee the beginning of the event. Of all days to split on me, why did Cooper have to choose this one?

  A few seconds are spent staring at the phone, wishing it could save me from the possibility of a Cooper no-show. I promised that he would be here. What if the media turn on me like a pack of hyenas? What if I become a laughingstock and no one comes to the blood drive, and the entire city starts talking about what a fool I was to try to plan such a big event? Everywhere I go, people will say, “Look, there’s Maddie Heard. Remember, she’s the one who botched that great idea for a community-wide blood drive?”

  “Can’t find him,” Audrey calls from behind me. The fact that she has managed to find an ice cream cone while on her hunt for dear old dad does not escape me, nor does the fact that it is already half-eaten. Apparently “look for dad” sounds more like “find a snack” to Audrey.

  My phone begins vibrating, and I whip it out of my pocket anxiously.

  “Hello?”

  “Still no sign of him,” Dina states, “but I’ll keep watching.”

  I’m not going to freak out. This is not the end of the world. There are worse things that could happen.

  Although I currently can’t imagine anything worse than Cooper irresponsibility skipping out on my big day and ruining the entire event. Or anything worse than Cooper possibly removing any chance I have at a future career, past the obviously perfect job of tennis playing assistant. Once the word gets out, I will be completely undesirable as an employee. What will I do for the rest of my life?

  Cooper!

  He has officially earned his own spot in the clenched fist hall of fame, right alongside Brittany and Newman.

  “Maybe now is the time to come up with a backup plan,” Audrey states through a mouth full of ice cream.

  She’s right, of course. Why don’t I have a backup plan? Why didn’t I think ahead and at least consider the possibility that Cooper might be a no-show?

  I wonder if anyone would notice if I sat down right in the middle of the street and cried.

  Chapter Twenty

  “I t’s that time, Ms. Heard,” a guy with a camera tells me. He’s standing fairly close to Harley Laine, the reporter from Channel Six. The media turned out in full force.

  Perfect.

  I’ve decided that I’m going to be honest, and if they bury me right here in the street, then so be it. It’s 10:00 and still no Cooper, so what else can I do?

  Maybe I can ask them to be patient and wait a little while. It has to be worth a try.

  “Excuse me,” I begin, but no one pays any attention. “Excuse me!” I try again with a louder voice, causing people to stop and look in my direction. “I’m afraid we have a bit of a delay. Kent Cooper is running late and isn’t here presently. If we could postpone the interviews for a little while, that would—”

  “We can’t postpone anything,” Harley pipes up. “We’re on a tight schedule here.”

  “I’m sure he’ll only be a few more minutes. Surely mere minutes wouldn’t—”

  “Get somebody else then,” Harley suggests, brushing her waving dark locks away from her face. “Just make it snappy.” Beautiful Wonder Lane neighbor news reporter. She looks perfect at close proximity, too, which is beyon
d annoying.

  “Well, let me think for a minute, and I’ll try to come up with someone,” I suggest, scanning the crowd. Maybe another executive would work, if I can locate one nearby.

  “Maddie’s the project coordinator!” Audrey shouts. “She should do the interview.”

  Audrey is beaming as though she thinks she did me a favor, and I really wish she would just go hide under a rock or something.

  “That’s a great idea,” Harley agrees. “People would rather watch you than Kent Cooper, anyway.”

  I can’t really express what I’m thinking at the moment, other than the fact that I don’t want to be on television and I am definitely not a public speaker. This is going to ruin everything.

  Harley ushers me towards the front of the crowd, and I’m propelled by a sense of the entire experience being out of my control. She could try to push me off a cliff, and I might actually simply walk off the edge.

  Just a few words, if I have to, and then I’ll manage to slink away. Climbing up on the makeshift podium, I scan the crowd, hoping to catch a glimpse of Cooper coming to the rescue. Rather than Cooper, I see what seem to be a million faces staring back at me, waiting patiently.

  “Good morning,” I say into the microphone, which lets out a high-pitched squeal. Backing away for a moment, I hesitantly begin again. “Good morning. Welcome to the Cooper Corporate Financial Halloween Bloodfest, a community-wide blood drive. First of all, I’d like to thank all the companies who have co-sponsored this event. Your heartfelt commitment to the community is evidenced by your presence here today.”

  Taking a short pause for the sporadic claps going through the crowd, I try to settle my nerves. That cameraman is pointing his big flashing red light directly at me. For a split second, I worry that I might throw up. (Wouldn’t Mom love that? In front of the whole city on television, no less.)

  “The object of this event is to provide a service to the community. I want to thank everyone who came out to donate today, and I hope you’ll encourage others to come out as well. Tell your neighbors and your friends, your coworkers, and people you just met on the street, because we’d like to make this a banner day for our life-saving friends here and the people of this city.” Forcing a deep breath, I focus on a tree a few hundred yards in front of me, trying not to faint. “As you can see, we have games for the kids and the young at heart, as well as a wide variety of food and drinks. You are more than welcome to partake of all these things completely free. Once again, thank you so much for your presence, and I hope we can make this event a success.”

  Stepping down from the platform, I’m aware only of the fact that I’m anxious to get away from the spotlight. My stomach feels funny and my legs feel like they’re about to give out. Seeing a break in the crowd, I begin to bolt towards the back.

  “Okay, just a few words, if we may,” Harley states, suddenly in front of me. “Your name, please?”

  “Madeline Heard,” I blurt, slightly frightened of her. She certainly doesn’t seem this pushy on television. Maybe I should tell her I don’t feel well and ask her to speak for me instead, but I don’t think she’s going to give me the opportunity.

  “We are speaking with Madeline Heard, project coordinator for the Cooper Corporate Financial Halloween Bloodfest. Tell me, Madeline, why is Cooper Corporate Financial hosting this event?” She places one arm across her stomach and holds the microphone out in front of me expectantly.

  Deep breath—sound professional and speak clearly. Surely I can do at least that much.

  “Cooper Corporate Financial was looking for a way to support the community that supports them, and we thought there would be no better way than to make a contribution to the health and wellbeing of the community’s citizens.”

  “Why Halloween?”

  Oh, come on, Barbara Walters! It’s a blood drive. Just take some pictures of people donating blood and leave me alone!

  “That’s a valid question,” I lie with a chuckle. “We were hoping to entice people with the idea that this is a fun event for adults and children alike, and a Halloween theme played into that nicely.”

  “It must have been a tremendous undertaking, coordinating such an event,” Harley states, pushing the microphone in front of me yet again. I would agree, but complaining about hard work on the evening news doesn’t sound like a great idea.

  “If we can help change one life with what we’re doing here today, then it’s worth any amount of effort,” I state with a smile.

  “For those at home, what would you like to tell them about this event?”

  “I would say, what are you waiting for? We’re having a blast out here, and we sincerely hope you’ll join us. Free games, free food…what’s not to like? Show your support for your community, your neighbors, and a worthy cause. We’ll be here until 6:00 this evening.”

  “Thank you,” she adds, turning to her left and facing the camera. “Harley Laine reporting from Cooper Corporate Financial with a great opportunity to support your community and your fellow citizens.”

  Harley hands the microphone to her cameraman and offers me her hand.

  “Nicely done,” she offers. “Kent Cooper would do well to make you the new spokesperson for the company, instead of those old bald guys he usually uses. Might give the company a friendlier image. Next time I’m called here to report on something, I think I’ll just ask for you.”

  “Thank you,” I mumble, “but I actually don’t—”

  “Come on, let’s get rolling!” she shouts to her cameraman, swinging open the door to the Channel Six van.

  “Hey, not so fast, we have to get the shots of the first donor,” the cameraman states. “I’ve got orders.”

  “Oh, very well,” Harley grunts, looking in the rear view mirror and smoothing her hair. “Just make it snappy. I want to be back at the studio in time to redo my hair before we go live. This wind is absolutely horrible.”

  She steps away from the van, practically perfect and with her hair looking very much in place as she stalks over to the blood drawing station and waits at the steps.

  “Where’s the first donor?” she calls. The cameraman looks at me expectantly, and I shake my head.

  “It was supposed to be Kent Cooper, but since he’s a no-show, just take the first person in line.”

  “Send Madeline up here,” Harley declares. “She’s the company spokesperson. Besides, I have a feeling the camera likes her. She should be the first one.”

  No, not the first one. Second or third or fourth or two-hundred fifty-sixth, but not the first!

  “All these people have been waiting,” I suggest. “Just let them go ahead and go in.”

  “That doesn’t make sense,” she complains, marching over to grab my arm. “You’re the project coordinator, as well as the face of Cooper Corporate Financial, so you should go first. When you’re finished, you’ll be able to coordinate, or whatever it is you do, for the rest of the day.”

  Glancing back, I search for a friendly face, but the only person I recognize close by is Audrey, who is waving and grinning from ear to ear. I should make her be the guinea pig and face Frankenstein. If it can’t be Cooper, it would at least be a member of his immediate family. I’m fairly certain, however, that Harley would not think the camera loves Audrey in her scrubs and ice cream-stained sweatshirt. That girl never seems to stay clean.

  Before I know it, I am being ushered into the hot seat. It’s a picture perfect photo op, and the newspaper photographers are standing by, ready to grab the first moments. Outwardly I try to appear cheerful, though I’m inwardly cringing. I know who is preparing to come around that corner, in his Frankenstein suit with his big needle, and it doesn’t seem so funny anymore.

  Within a matter of seconds, Luca emerges looking every bit Frankenstein, with the bolts coming out of his neck and his enormous shoes. He gives me a wide-open gaze to express surprise at my presence in the chair rather than Cooper, but then shrugs his shoulders and straightens to his full stature. He lurche
s slowly toward my chair, not bending his legs at all as his arms are outstretched in front of him. Apparently he is determined to take his role seriously.

  “Are you scared?” he asks in a deep voice.

  Drat. I forgot about the script. Maybe he didn’t memorize the entire thing.

  “No,” I protest with a slight forced laugh, conscious of the cameras focusing on me.

  Of course I’m scared, you big ogre. I remember what you did to me last time, jamming the needle back and forth like you were sewing a sweater.

  “Well, you should be,” he growls, bending down to tie the rubber around my arm. I’m vaguely cognizant of a camera flash behind him, and I lean close to his ear to get his attention.

  “Luca,” I whisper, “forget the script.”

  “Really?” he wonders softly, staring at my eyes. “But I memorized it and everything.”

  “And I appreciate that, I really do, but it’s not necessary anymore.”

  “You told me this would happen,” he adds with a hint of a smile, as though a light bulb is going off in his head.

  Um, yeah, technically true. I told him that Cooper might protest, but I am decidedly not Cooper.

  “Do not worry, lady. I have never killed a mortal before lunch time.”

  Panic. Total panic. Think fast.

  “Foul creature, I shall not permit you to maim me. I demand that you return from whence you came and locate a more genteel monster.”