by Laura Dower
Madison hoped so.
“So does Egg have a girlfriend?” Fiona said all of a sudden, switching to a new subject.
“Egg?” Madison laughed.
Aimee stopped short.
“He really is a cutie,” Fiona said shyly. “I know I said that before but—”
“Fiona Waters, did you just say Egg was CUTE?” Aimee laughed out loud.
“Don’t you think so?” Fiona said. “I don’t know why but he is just so—”
“Are you nuts?” Aimee asked seriously. “No, Fiona, I mean it. ARE YOU NUTS?”
“Noooo.” Fiona grinned. She was a little embarrassed, but she didn’t stop talking about it. “I just think he’s cute.”
Aimee doubled over with laughter. Madison had to hold back her own attack of the giggles, too. How could someone really like Egg, the same Egg who had burped “Yankee Doodle” at field day last year?
Aimee and Madison were practically keeling over in hysterics, but Fiona wasn’t going back on what she had said.
“Go ahead and laugh,” Fiona said.
“We’re not laughing at you, I swear,” Madison said.
“You really have boys on the brain, don’t you?” Aimee smiled.
“Don’t you?” Fiona asked.
Fiona didn’t get a chance to hear their answers. From across the front lawn where the girls were standing, someone suddenly howled.
“Fi-moan-a, you’re LATE!”
It was Fiona’s twin brother Chet.
Fiona yelled back, “Coming!” and looked down at her silver watch. “Oh! I am soooo busted! Tonight is my Dad’s birthday and I gotta make a cake and Mom’s gonna—’bye!”
She dashed across the lawn.
Madison started to say, “Wanna walk to school tomor—?” but it was too late.
Fiona was already inside the house.
Chapter 4
AS MADISON WALKED INSIDE Aimee’s house, Phineas T. Phin, Madison’s snuggly pug, rushed the front door.
“Phinnie!” Madison squealed, chasing him into the family room. His little pug tail squiggled. He was allowed to stay at the Gillespie house too when Mom was away because he could hang out with Aimee’s dog, Blossom, a sad-looking girl basset hound with bloodshot eyes.
Her arms full, Madison chased Phinnie into the next room to get his personalized dish, which said PHIN FOOD on the side.
“Whoa, there!” Roger jumped back. “You’re about to crash into me!”
Roger was the oldest child in Aimee’s family. At twenty-three, he was busy helping Mr. Gillespie with The Book Web, the family bookstore, while he saved up money for graduate school. He had thick blond hair like his sister. Madison liked the way it waved. He was really smart and talented.
Older brothers were so great. Aimee was so lucky. She had four of them.
“Hey, Ma says keep it down in here you guys and, oh yeah, dinner is in like an hour,” said another one of Aimee’s brothers, Billy, coming into the room. The soles of his sneakers were peeled back to reveal ratty yellow socks. He was an undecided sophomore at Briarwood, the local community college. Billy couldn’t decide what TV show to watch, let alone decide on a major or minor.
He clicked past ten channels, which annoyed Aimee.
“Billy, don’t be a jerko,” she yelled, looking disgusted. “You are such a—”
“Bonehead, just give sis the remote.” Roger flicked a finger on the back of Billy’s head.
“No way,” he responded. “Quit poking me.”
Roger poked him again. The two brothers started a slap fight.
Aimee, as usual, was not amused.
“Roger! Billy! Can’t you be a little bit more normal? What is your problem?” Aimee’s voice increased in volume with each word. “Maddie, let’s go up to my room before dinner. My stupid brothers are soooooo embarrassing.”
Madison picked up her bag and laptop computer case, followed closely behind by panting Phin and Blossom. She caught one last look at Roger and Billy, sprawled across the couch as she left the room. Aimee had her brothers all wrong. These boys seemed perfect.
Half an hour later, everyone was gathered together again at the Gillespie dinner table for a health food feast.
This is a long way from one of Mom’s Scary Dinners, Madison thought as she and Aimee silently devoured their platefuls of delicious homemade spaghetti and tofu meatballs. Madison hoped chewing quickly would help make the tofu taste more like real meatballs. Healthy dinners could also be scary ones in their own way.
The boys chattered and chewed and burped, seated in an arc around one side of the table. Madison caught herself staring a few times. She hoped no one else caught her doing it. It was like a piece of her brain had become fixated on boys, even boys who were Aimee’s brothers.
She didn’t know why. It just was just one of those things.
Before they got ready for bed, Madison found a little downtime to go online. She hadn’t checked her e-mail since yesterday.
FROM
SUBJECT
BUSTER
Sk8ing Message for You
finnrpalzyfg_gogo
Earn $$$ at Home
ff_BUDGEFILM
bonjour!
BUSTER
Sk8ing Message for You
Dad always warned Madison about opening unexpected e-mails and attachments in her mailbox. Tonight she deleted them without even opening the files. She figured the BUSTER Special Message was some kind of advertisement and she wasn’t interested in “earning $$$ at home.”
That left one real message.
Getting Mom’s e-mail tonight was like getting tucked in via long distance.
From: ff_BUDGEFILM
To: MadFinn
Subject: bonjour!
Date: Mon 11 Sept 2:06 PM
Bonjour mon amour! Comment va l’ecole? I love you so much, sweetheart, and I miss you already! I thought you might have fun figuring out the little bit of French here.
The weather over here is rain, rain, rain. Have to get me a new parapluie. That’s umbrella, by the way. We’re on site all week but I promise to write and call. You must be having fun with Aimee.
Au revoir!
Love you, Mom
ff_BUDGEFILM
Ms. Francine Finn
Vice President of Research and Development
Senior Producer
Budge Films, Inc.
“Hey, can we turn out the lights, Maddie?” Aimee grumbled in a sleepy voice. She put down her copy of The Outsiders and rolled over. “Good night.”
It was getting later than late. The clock said 10:25 P.M. Madison punched a few keys to save Mom’s message and then typed one last e-mail, a note to her brand-new keypal, Bigwheels, whom she had met in a special chat room on TweenBlurt.com. Bigwheels was starting seventh grade too.
From: MadFinn
To: Bigwheels
Subject: School elections and stuff
Date: Mon 11 Sept 10:32 PM
Sorry FTBOMBH that I haven’t written! Well, I actually cannot believe a week has passed. How r u???? School is getting to be a little bit weird. I should have written sooner. HELP!
We’re in the middle of school elections right now and it feels like total chaos. I’m not running for president or class rep or anything but I am in the middle of it all. I feel like I am ALWAYS in the middle of SOMETHING!
The tech teacher asked me to help her put all the school elections onto the computer and I’m soooo nervous. What if I make a mistake?
Actually, I wonder sometimes what’s the point of the whole thing. It’s all decided already. Did I mention that my sworn enemy is probably gonna win and rule the school? I just don’t know what magic power she has over everyone so they like her, but they do. How come the people you like the least end up being around you the most? And the people you love the most go away when you need them? It’s a drag.
All I can say is TAL, PAL! Just for being out there in the Web world. I feel not so alone just wri
ting now.
Oh—I have 1 more very important question!!! Is it possible to suddenly like someone when you didn’t like him AT ALL yesterday?
Do you have a boyfriend?
Yeah, I know that was two questions.
Yours till the nail tips,
MadFinn
After she sent the message, Madison yanked on her favorite GRRRILLA POWER T-shirt with the ape on the front and crawled silently into Aimee’s trundle bed. She loved the way the sheets smelled like cinnamon at Aimee’s house.
Once again that creepy yellow hall light clicked on, casting an eerie glow that danced and bobbed along Aimee’s wall. Madison thought for a moment how funny it was that everything in Aimee’s world—even the shadows of her bedroom—danced.
Aimee’s room was so quiet Madison could hear herself blink.
“Maddie?” Aimee whispered from under the covers.
Night vision kicked in as Madison rolled over on her side to see her friend’s face. “Yeah?”
“I can’t sleep.”
“Sorry.”
“No, I’ve been thinking about our conversations today. You know, about Ivy and all.”
“Yeah?”
“Why do you think we want her to lose so badly?”
Madison shrugged but then realized, of course, Aimee couldn’t see her in the dark. “I dunno. Because we do. Because we want to see her lose, for once.”
“Because sometimes, I dunno. I feel bad about being so nasty. Like I’m so mean or something—”
“Well, you’re NOT,” Madison said. “And neither am I. She had her chance to be our friend, and she totally blew it.”
“Ivy always gets her way, doesn’t she? She always wins.”
“Yeah.” Madison yawned. She was getting a little sleepy, but she made herself stay awake to talk some more. “Well, she won’t win this time.”
“She’s the only girl running, Maddie. Of course she’ll win.”
Madison yawned again. “Yeah, I guess.”
“I just wish we could get back at her in some way. Not like revenge. Just something to show her that—”
“To show her that she is not the queen of the universe?”
“Exactly.”
Madison scrunched her toes up under the covers. It was cold in Aimee’s room.
“Maddie, I think I know. I have an idea.
“Tell me,” Madison whispered. “Just say it.”
“I think that the way to get back at Ivy for everything she’s ever done to us,” Aimee said softly, white teeth flashing a sudden smile in the dark, “is to make sure she has some real competition in the election.
“Yeah,” Madison agreed, “I guess Montrell Morris and Tommy Kwong don’t have a chance.”
“Like you said, they’re gonna split the boy vote.”
Madison wondered aloud, “Too bad there isn’t a way to split up the girl vote, too.”
“There is. I’m gonna run against her,” Aimee said matter-of-factly.
“You’re what?” Madison propped herself up onto one elbow.
Aimee sat up in bed and clicked on the lamp on her nightstand. Madison squinted.
“I’m gonna run against Poison Ivy in this class president election,” Aimee said with growing confidence. “And I’m gonna win.”
Chapter 5
“IS SHE LOONY-TOONS?” FIONA said to Madison at lunch.
They were standing on line in front of the hot food counter.
“Do you honestly think she can win?” Madison asked aloud. “Do you think Aimee even has a chance?”
“Baked beans, cheezy macaroni, or smashed potatoes?” the cafeteria server asked. Her stained name tag read GILDA Z and she liked to crack jokes as she ladled out the food.
“Macaroni, please,” Madison said politely.
“Good for your noodle.” Gilda laughed, scooping out the pasta. “Now, skedoodle!”
“She freaks me out,” Fiona whispered.
“Hey, you guys.” Aimee arrived, breathless. She twirled up to her friends like the perfect ballerina she was and slid in behind Madison and Fiona with an empty tray.
“No cutting,” a kid yelled.
Aimee snapped back, “They were saving my place.”
“Where were you?” Fiona asked.
“Class.” Aimee’s eyes scanned the tub of neon-yellow-colored macaroni. “Hey, Maddie, did you know that that tub of food has more fat in it than—”
“Aim! I’m eating that,” Madison yelled. “Shhhh!”
Gilda Z. slopped vegetables onto Aimee’s tray.
On the way to the orange table at the back of the room (their regular lunch table), Madison, Fiona, and Aimee passed Ivy and her drones, Rose and Joan. The enemy was seated at their usual yellow table, chatting away.
“Hey, Finnster!” Hart Jones called out from nearby.
Madison groaned under her breath but didn’t say hello.
“Why does he call you that?” Fiona asked.
Madison shook her head, and sat down to eat her lunch. Sitting there, looking out across the student body, Madison felt herself shrinking—and over-thinking.
Why did Hart keep calling her Finnster?
How could she figure out a way to help Aimee win, help Ivy get beaten, and still work on the Web site fairly?
How did she get herself into this mess?
With each bite of cheezy macaroni, Madison was feeling more and more conflicted about her role in the upcoming election.
“Maddie, did you hear what I said?” Fiona slurped her milk.
“Wha?” Madison was acting more spaced-out than Fiona. Apparently, her friends had been trying to get her attention for a minute or so.
“I was just telling Aimee that I really think she can win,” Fiona said. “If we help.”
“I guess so.”
Aimee made a face. “Hey, you’re supposed to be on my side! Whaddya mean, ‘I guess’?”
Madison snapped back to attention. “Sorry. I was just thinking.”
“Oh! I almost forgot,” Fiona said. “The coaches told us they would put the soccer lists up today. We can find out if we made the JV team, Madison.” She slid out from behind the orange table.
“I can’t believe Fiona got you to try out for a sport, Maddie.”
Last weekend, Madison had joined Fiona at soccer tryouts. Fiona had been on four different soccer teams back in California before she moved to Far Hills. Everyone who tried out was blown away by Fiona’s running and passing and overall soccer skills.
“Of course you made it. You were born wearing soccer cleats, right?” Madison dragged her fork across her plate. “Fiona, you’d better give up on me. I just don’t have a chance at getting on.”
“It would be fun to do it together, though.” Fiona was still hopeful. “Maybe you can get picked as an alternate.”
“Well, you check the list. I’m too scared to look,” Madison said.
“Okay, then.” Fiona was standing up, slinging her bag over her shoulder. “But you should think positive.”
“I am positive,” Madison said, “positively sure I didn’t make it.”
“Well, if I don’t see you after school, I’ll text you later, ’kay?” Fiona said. “’Bye, Aimee.”
Madison knew she hadn’t made the team because during tryouts, she’d passed the ball to the wrong person twice coming down the field and she had touched the ball with her hand like four times. That was a no-no.
But deep down, she didn’t mind. The whole reason for trying out wasn’t so Madison could become the next soccer star. It was just a way to get closer and have something else in common with Fiona. With soccer practices happening practically every afternoon, Madison wouldn’t be seeing very much of Fiona during the fall, especially not on weekends with out-of-town games.
“Don’t worry about soccer, Maddie,” Aimee said, trying to make her friend feel better.
Madison picked pieces of coconut off the cake on her tray. She said nothing.
“Hey, did you s
ee what Ivy was wearing today?” Aimee said. “She thinks she is so all that. Please.”
Madison glanced over at Poison and her drones. Ivy had on a tight pink T-shirt that said FAR OUT and a long camouflage-patterned cargo skirt. Madison recognized it from the pages of her favorite online catalog. She hated the way Ivy looked good wearing anything. It wasn’t fair.
Just as she was looking that direction, Madison also saw Ivy motion to Hart Jones to come over to her table. Chet and Hart sat down there together for a moment or two.
“Don’t look now,” Aimee leaned into Madison, “but there’s a teacher headed right this—”
“There you are!” Mrs. Wing rushed up to Madison’s table carrying a clipboard and a cup of coffee that looked like it was about to spill. “Oh! I have been looking for you all over. We need to talk about the election site. Mr. Bernard is so pleased that you will be helping out. Can you come by my classroom after school?”
Madison shrugged. “Okay.”
“Of course!” Mrs. Wing said. “Now, I should tell you that I have two other students helping out, too. Andrew Maxwell and Walter Diaz.”
“Drew?” Madison wasn’t sure she’d heard Mrs. Wing correctly. “Walter?”
“They’ll be working with me on data entry. You know, candidate profiles and that stuff. They volunteered to help. Said they just really had to be involved in some way. Isn’t that nice?”
Aimee stood up. “Look, I gotta go, Maddie. Sorry to interrupt, Mrs. Wing.” She disappeared before Madison had time to respond.
“Well, then, I’ll see you and Drew and Walter after classes then,” Mrs. Wing said. Then she disappeared, too, out the door going in the direction of the teachers’ lounge.
Madison looked up to see that three-quarters of the 12:00 cafeteria group had left. Madison stood up. No one sat in the lunchroom alone! She dumped her uneaten food.
“Hey, Maddie!” Drew caught up with Madison in the hallway on his way to social studies class.
“Hey,” Madison said. “So I wanted to ask you—”
“What?” Drew asked.
“Okay.” Madison bit her lip. “I wanted to ask you. … Since when are you and Egg signed up to help with Mrs. Wing’s thing?”
