Off the Wall
Page 6
Before making any dinner preparations, however, Madison decided to make a cup of instant hot cocoa and watch some TV. She could procrastinate with her homework, since Mom wasn’t around. Phin didn’t seem to care. She flopped in front of the tube and channel-surfed her way through an hour.
After four-thirty, Madison finally turned off the television set and started chopping vegetables.
She was standing over the garbage can shucking an ear of corn when the phone rang.
Madison picked it up. “Hello?” she said, expecting to hear Mom’s voice on the other end.
“Maddie? Is that you?” the voice said.
It was Fiona. She sounded upset.
“Fiona?” Madison asked, concerned. “Is something wrong?”
Madison could hear Fiona taking a deep breath on the other end. She sounded as though she’d been crying.
“Maddie, I can’t believe you!” Fiona cried out.
“What happened?” Madison asked.
“You promised you wouldn’t tell!” Fiona said.
Tell what? Madison was confused. “Fiona … ”
“I thought you were my friend,” Fiona said. “How could you?”
Madison felt her stomach flip-flop. She dropped the ear of corn onto the kitchen floor, nearly bonking Phin on the head.
“Please tell me what’s wrong,” Madison pleaded with her friend.
“Why don’t you read The Wall?” Fiona said. “You’ll see what I’m talking about, Maddie. You’ll see.”
Fiona hung up.
Chapter 8
“HELLO? HELLO?”
Madison clicked the receiver twice, but Fiona was gone.
She considered dialing her BFF back again but decided she’d better check out The Wall first.
Phin chased Madison around the house as she retrieved her orange laptop and bag and set up her computer on the kitchen table. She quickly opened an Internet browser.
The Wall home page came into view.
Madison punched a few keys, looking for whatever it was that had gotten Fiona angry. But she didn’t see anything. Then she surfed to the topic “Friends-n-enemies” once again.
That’s when she saw the message.
Posted by: MF13
Date: 8 Nov
Message: some secrets r way 2 hard 2 keep even about my friends F.W. sez its all good but she and W.D. probably want to hook up @ the movies next week I know it what a j-o-k-e they are so NOT innocent :)
---------
Madison swallowed hard. “‘What a j-o-k-e,’” she read again, aloud. “‘They are so NOT innocent.’”
She couldn’t take her eyes off the “posted by” screen name: MF13.
Those were Madison’s real initials and her lucky number.
Anyone reading that post would have thought she had written it. That was what Fiona had thought.
Madison clicked around to see what other messages lay hidden on the site, but she couldn’t find anything—and certainly not anything about Fiona or Egg.
After she’d carefully looked around, Madison picked up the phone and dialed the Waterses’ house. Fiona answered.
“Fiona,” Madison said softly. “I read that message in the Friends-n-enemies section of The Wall. I can’t believe you think I wrote that.”
“What else am I supposed to believe?” Fiona asked. “It says your name right at the top—and you told me you would keep a secret. I feel so hurt, Maddie. How could you do this to me?”
“Wait a second!” Madison said. “I didn’t do it. I didn’t do anything. I haven’t even been around my computer since I was at school, before you told me about the date with Egg. And I never would have told anyone. You know that!”
Fiona grumbled on the other end. “Yeah, well … who else could have done that? I told you that no one else knew.”
“Are you sure you didn’t tell anyone else?” Madison asked.
“What? You don’t believe me?” Fiona cried.
Madison thought for a moment. Someone else must have known—somehow.
“Egg knew!” Madison said aloud, without really thinking.
“Huh? You think Egg posted that on the web?” Fiona said. “That is so mean. How could you think that? Why would he do that to me?”
“Wait, wait,” Madison said, backtracking. “I didn’t mean he posted it. I mean … maybe he told someone else who posted it. You told me, so he probably told Drew or Hart or someone, right? Maybe he didn’t keep it quite as secret as you did.”
Fiona paused. “What are you talking about?”
“What if Egg told Chet?” Madison suggested. “Isn’t your brother always trying to get you into trouble?”
“Chet?” Fiona said. “Yes, he is always trying to get me into trouble, especially with my mom. So what?”
“And you’re always telling me how obnoxious he is,” Madison said. “He wouldn’t care about hurting your feelings, would he?”
“No, Chet couldn’t have done it,” Fiona said. “He’s a dork, but he’s not a mean dork.”
“But he admitted that he likes visiting The Wall, didn’t he? And he knows me and my lucky number, so he would know all the information to make up a fake-o screen name.” Madison wanted to find a reason to make Fiona think someone else was guilty of the posting. She had to find out who had done this!
Fiona’s end of the phone got very quiet.
“Do you really think it could be Chet?” Fiona asked. “Because he has done worse things to me in the past. And he might know about the date from Egg, that’s true. Wow, I just never expected … ”
Madison chimed right in. “I bet he won’t admit it, either,” she said. “Like, if you ask him, he won’t say he did it. He’ll say someone else, like me, did it.”
“Maybe you’re right,” Fiona said. Her mind was working fast now, Madison could tell.
“I swear up and down and all around, it wasn’t me who posted that message, Fiona. I would never break a promise to you. I would never tell one of your secrets,” Madison said.
“I know,” Fiona said. “But this is a little hard to believe.”
“Are you still mad?” Madison asked.
“Well …”Fiona sniffled a little. “I just feel so embarrassed. And if Chet did write this, then he’ll show it to my mom, and she probably won’t let me go on the date now. And I know he’ll show it to her, because he’s always going on to these bulletin boards now with the other guys.”
Madison began to feel a little better that Fiona’s suspicions were no longer directed at her.
“What if you’re right, Maddie?” Fiona said. “Does that mean Egg told Chet? Maybe I shouldn’t even go on a date with him, now.”
Madison didn’t know what to say. By successfully shifting suspicion from herself to Fiona’s twin brother, Chet, she’d made Fiona doubt the one guy she really liked—Egg.
“Don’t cancel your date,” Madison said finally. “You were so excited about it this afternoon.”
“I’m not so excited anymore. I’m embarrassed,” Fiona admitted. “Maybe Aimee will know the right thing to do.”
“Maybe,” Madison said.
“You’re the one who should be really mad at Chet,” Fiona said. “Why did he pick your name to sign the e-mail? That was the meanest part of all. I think you should come over right now and we can yell at him together—”
“Let’s wait,” Madison said, holding her breath. She didn’t want to pick a fight with Chet until she had all the facts. Things felt a little out of control.
“Okay, we’ll wait. I’ll talk to you more in school tomorrow,” Fiona said. “Thanks for calling me back. I feel a little better. I’m mad at my brother now, but at least I don’t have to be mad at you. I hate that feeling.”
“Me, too,” Madison said.
After hanging up the phone, Madison collapsed back into the kitchen chair and stared at the bulletin board message, still glowing on her laptop screen.
Someone wanted to make Madison look like the bad girl.
They’d succeeded—even if it was just for a little while.
Madison logged off The Wall and moved into her e-mailbox. There were no e-mails from Gramma or Dad in there to cheer her up. In fact, there were only three e-mail messages, and Madison couldn’t identify the senders of any of them, so she hit SELECT ALL and then DELETE.
Then she opened a new e-mail to send to Dan.
From: MadFinn
To: Dantheman
Subject: The Wall
Date: Wed 8 Nov 5:58 PM
I have an important favor to ask. I tried calling you @ home. R u still @ the animal clinic with your mom? Things must be crazy there for u 2 stay so late. So here’s my deal: do you or any of the guys @ school ever play pranks online? I’m talking mainly about Chet and Egg and Drew and maybe Hart. I know u guys like having fun and goofing on the girls, but would one of the guys ever do something that can actually be categorized as MEAN?
Let me know ASAP. It’s totally important. I can explain more l8r.
Maddie
No sooner had Madison hit SEND than she got a message back from Dan. She leaned back from the kitchen table, surprised.
Madison typed a response, and she and Dan continued with a virtual conversation.
Madison typed “*poof*” and the chat with Dan disappeared. She pictured him chasing one of the orange-and-white-striped kittens through the back rooms of the clinic.
She opened NEW MAIL next and typed in her key-pal’s screen address.
From: MadFinn
To: Bigwheels
Subject: Fake Names and Other Tragedies
Date: Wed 8 Nov 6:13 PM
I am in the middle of a muddle. My BFF Fiona thinks I squealed on her big secret. My friend Dan thinks I’m paranoid. And I think I’m being set up. Well, it’s just a hunch—1daful.
This all has to do with that new bulletin board, The Wall. I know you told me you saw it this weekend. Have you been on it during the week? For some reason, I can’t stop logging on. Every time I go on the site, though, it seems like something bad happens to one of my friends. So far two friends saw messages posted that were totally about them—and were super mean. And one of the messages makes it look like I’m the one who wrote it because it says MF13 at the top.
Why can’t I just log off and stop looking at the site? Can I convince my friends that I haven’t done anything wrong?
Write back soon.
Yours till the wall flowers,
Maddie
As Madison hit SEND, she heard a key in the front door. Phin dashed into the living room.
Her Mom was home.
Madison yanked her laptop out of the wall where she’d had it plugged in to recharge the battery. Then she shoved it into the case and put it under the kitchen table. By the time Mom strolled into the kitchen, Madison was sitting there looking angelic, chopping a pepper.
“Hey, honey bear,” Mom said, not noticing a thing. She reached inside the refrigerator for a can of soda. “Sorry I’m late. These meetings go on and on and on. … ”
Madison looked up from the chopping board. “I still have a little bit to do,” she explained, pointing to the vegetables that were in their plastic supermarket bags.
“Oh,” Mom said. “Did you turn over the chicken?”
Madison gritted her teeth. “Um … I think so.”
To her relief, Mom seemed distracted. “Oh. Good,” she said, opening her soda and taking a big gulp.
“So, how was your meeting?” Madison asked.
“This movie we’re financing is one big headache,” Mom said. “I think I may have another meeting next week, too. You may have to spend some nights with Dad. Is that okay?”
“It’s cool,” Madison said. “I don’t mind.”
Mom came over and kissed Madison on the top of her head. “I don’t know what I would do without you, honey bear,” she said.
Madison shrugged. “You’re the only one who feels like that today,” she quipped.
But her mom didn’t hear her. Looking into the refrigerator, she debated aloud the question of whether they should have frozen fries or potato flakes with the chicken.
Chapter 9
“I BELIEVE YOU!” AIMEE said emphatically.
She threw her hands around Madison and shook her friend’s shoulders playfully. The two friends sat in the locker room, getting dressed for gym class.
“I just don’t understand how Fiona could even think I would tell anyone a secret. You’ve known me forever, Aim. You know I wouldn’t do that, right?” Madison said.
“Maddie,” Aimee said gently. “You need to chill out. Fiona was only mad for five minutes. And she isn’t mad anymore.”
“I know I shouldn’t go on The Wall,” Madison said. “But it’s hard to stay away. I just want to peek and see what other people are writing. Don’t you?”
“Yeah, I guess,” Aimee admitted with a smile. “But not if it’s mean.”
Madison nodded, agreeing with her friend.
Meanwhile, she was thinking ahead to the next time she’d have a chance to go online.
“What else is new?” Madison asked, switching subjects.
“The kennel owner found a mate for Blossom. Oh, doesn’t that sound strange?” Aimee chuckled. “But we’re going this weekend so the two doggies can meet.”
“And mate,” Madison joked.
Aimee laughed. “I hope my mom lets us keep one or two of the puppies.”
“She’ll never let you—”
“Oh, wow, Maddie! I almost forgot! You have to let me tell you what happened in my studio class yesterday. …”Aimee said.
“What?” Madison asked.
“My teacher lost it,” Aimee said.
“What do you mean, she lost it?” Madison asked.
“I mean she got super mad at me and everyone else in class. She threw this fit about how none of us practice as hard as we used to. … and how we can’t expect to be good dancers if we don’t try harder … and how we’re just wasting her precious time. Everyone was so shocked. She’s never said or done anything like that before.”
“It sounds awful,” Madison said.
Aimee started to giggle. “Yeah, it was.”
“So what’s funny about that?” Madison asked.
“It’s funny because …” Aimee said. “She said all that stuff, and then she pulled me aside later and told me that none of it really had to do with me. She told me I was the most improved in the class. I think I may even have a chance of getting a LEAD in the next production.”
“Get out!” Madison squealed. Getting a lead as a seventh-grade dancer was a very special honor. “You’re a star!”
“I hope so!” Aimee said. “Of course, I have to get my favorite leotard patched first. I tore this huge hole in it yesterday.” She gave Madison a special big BFF hug.
“Thanks for understanding about F
iona,” Madison said, giving Aimee a squeeze.
As soon as she’d spoken, Fiona appeared inside the locker room.
“What are you guys talking about?” Fiona said, raising an eyebrow.
Madison turned and threw her arms around Fiona, too. “I was just telling Aimee how bad I feel about what happened on The Wall. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Fiona said, smiling. “I think you were right about my brother. When I confronted him about The Wall this morning, he acted suspicious. Very suspicious.”
“Boys stink,” Aimee said.
Madison held her nose. “Peeeeuuuuw.”
The three BFFs laughed. The bell rang for gym class to begin.
“Wait!” Madison said. “I just have to put on my sneakers.”
“Meet us inside,” Aimee said, running ahead into the gym with Fiona.
Madison pulled on her sneakers and knotted the laces twice. She hated her gym shorts as much as ever, particularly today, because they were riding up on her butt. Even worse, it was colder than cold inside the locker room, so she had goose bumps up and down the backs of her legs.
“Aimee! Fiona! Wait up!” Madison called out, jumping up and down to keep warm. She turned the corner and entered the gym.
“Okay, girls,” the coach said, clapping her hands together for order. “I want to pair you all off for volleyball.”
Madison tugged at her shorts. She liked volleyball better than most sports, except when she served. It always left a welt on her wrist, because she hit the ball the wrong way.
Coach Hammond asked everyone to pair off with the person nearest to her. As usual, Madison happened to be standing right next to Ivy.
Grrrrrrrrrrr, Madison thought.
“Nice shorts,” Ivy said, pointing. “Is that your idea of a fashion statement?”
Ivy was wearing the exact same type of shorts, but they looked a lot better on her legs, for some reason.
“Yeah, well …”Madison didn’t know how to respond. She wanted to trade partners and she wanted to trade partners, now.