Off the Wall

by Laura Dower

  Madison wasn’t really sure whom to trust or believe anymore. Could she still tell the difference between gossip and truth?

  The drones made a beeline for their own chairs when they saw Mr. Danehy stroll back into the classroom. Ivy put away her compact for a second time. Hart and Madison returned to their seats. Slowly, Mr. Danehy started his standard promenade around the room, quizzing science partners and checking to make sure everyone’s homework questions were in order.

  “What did you find in the back?” Ivy asked Madison, yawning.

  “Not much,” Madison said. “We should do more research upstairs in the media center, though. Can you go look after school?”

  “Me?” Ivy made a face. “Why don’t you go look after school?” she snarled.

  “I have an after-school conflict today,” Madison said simply. She didn’t feel like explaining to Ivy that she couldn’t possibly go to the media center, because that was the day Mrs. Wing had asked students to set aside for an after-school technology meeting with Mr. Franks, the substitute. It was a few hours Madison had been looking forward to all week. Nothing would get in the way of her attending that meeting, least of all some project with Ivy.

  “Well, I have a conflict, too,” Ivy said. “Like, I don’t do science work after school. That’s my conflict.” She laughed at her own joke.

  “Maybe we should each write our own paper,” Madison suggested. “I can ask Mr. Danehy if we can split—”

  “No!” Ivy interrupted. “Okay, I’ll look in the media center. Don’t throw a hissy about it. Gosh, you always overreact. What a drama queen.”

  Madison felt herself grinning inside. She’d matched wills with the enemy and won, very briefly. But she’d won. Ivy was backing down. Plus, Madison had actually convinced Ivy to do work. Madison figured that Ivy was worried about her bad grades and couldn’t risk getting into more trouble in the class.

  “We can look online for more information, too,” Madison added. “I’m sure you go online a lot, don’t you?”

  Ivy sneered. “Sometimes,” she said.” But I think you’d better deal with that part.”

  Madison sighed and opened her notebook to the page with the lab homework notes that she had taken. Ivy glanced at it.

  “Oh, no,” she said.

  “What’s your problem?” Madison asked.

  “I brought the wrong homework,” Ivy said.

  She had hardly spoken the words when Mr. Danehy came by their lab desk. “Okay, girls, show me your homework, please,” he said softly.

  Ivy smiled, and Madison thought she even saw her bat an eyelash or two. “Well, Mr. Danehy,” she said sweetly. “I left my answers in my other binder, at home.”

  Mr. Danehy wasn’t buying that excuse. “Yes, well, then you will get an Incomplete for this assignment. Your homework does me no good at home.”

  “But—” Ivy struggled again to explain.

  Madison was enjoying the show.

  “See me after class, Miss Daly,” Mr. Danehy said. He continued along to the next pair of students.

  Ivy caught Madison staring a little.

  “What are you looking at?” she asked.

  “Not much.” Madison shook her head.

  Ivy smacked her lips and Madison could smell the bubble-gum lip gloss. The rest of the class period passed more quickly. Madison wasn’t sure she could sit near the enemy much longer.

  As class filed out, Madison bent down to tie her laces and retrieve some papers that had fallen out of her notebook when she’d picked it up. At the same time, Mr. Danehy stopped Ivy on her way out of class, having waited for the other students to depart before he spoke with her privately.

  Madison crouched down so she was half hidden behind the science desk. She had to hear this.

  “Ms. Daly,” Mr. Danehy finally said. “I need to know how you plan to address the issue of your failing grade in this class.”

  “Failing grade?” Ivy cried. She lowered her voice, and it was hard for Madison to hear much more. But she’d heard enough.

  With one move Madison shoved the papers into her orange bag, not caring whether she crushed any of them or not. She slung the bag over her shoulder and sped out of the classroom without being noticed, apparently, by Ivy or Mr. Danehy. They were still engrossed in conversation.

  The halls overflowed with students collecting their belongings, getting ready for sports practices and club meetings, and preparing to head home. At one point, Madison thought she spied Aimee and Fiona, together with Lindsay, by the lockers, but as soon as she approached them, they seemed to vanish.

  A few moments later, Madison ran into Egg, Drew, and Hart running down the hall. Egg was carrying ice skates.

  “Wait! Aren’t you going to the technology meeting?” Madison asked. “Mr. Franks is expecting us.”

  “Can’t,” Egg explained. “We have to do hockey drills today. We have a match this weekend.”

  Madison frowned. “You have practice? What about Mrs. Wing’s technology lab?”

  “She isn’t even in school, Maddie,” Egg said.

  “But we’re the students she counts on the most,” Madison said.

  “She’ll never know if we’re there or not,” Drew said.

  “If you guys aren’t going,” Madison asked wistfully, “who is?”

  “I know Lance will be there,” Drew said. “He doesn’t have anything else going on.”

  Drew, Egg, and Hart all laughed.

  Madison groaned. Great, she thought. I get to sit in technology lab with a weird substitute teacher and an even weirder guy I don’t like.

  “See you around, then,” Egg yelled.

  Hart waved, too. “Later, Finnster!” he said.

  Madison briefly considered heading upstairs to the media center instead of going to the tech lab. Maybe it would be better to do work on her science project instead of working on the school website. Did it really matter if she showed up? Mrs. Wing wouldn’t know.

  But Madison stuck to her plan and headed straight for Mrs. Wing’s classroom. She owed it to her favorite teacher to be there—even if nose-picking king Lance would be sitting nearby and Egg and the other guys were no-shows.

  She got there fifteen minutes early, so she parked herself at a monitor facing the windows, pulled the flash drive out of her bag, and popped it into the hard drive. She had just enough time to work on her own computer file.

  A directory appeared and Madison selected the file she’d marked Gossip. She’d started it that morning at breakfast, before getting the cold shoulder from her BFFs. Madison reread what she’d written so far in her journal file.

  Gossip

  Rude Awakening: If you can’t say something nicer than nice, don’t say anything at all.

  This is something Gramma Helen says to me all the time—and she’s pretty smart. I know it’s important to remember as I try to make amends with Aimee (fingers crossed) today.

  Madison continued typing where she had left off.

  News bulletin! Thanks to fake gossip, my friends won’t even TALK to me. I wish Aimee and Fiona knew that I have not done anything at all. There is nothing worse than seeing them hanging out without me and talking about me behind my back. They don’t understand! Of course, I’m not sure I would either, if I were them, would I?

  I’m so confused.

  If only I could prove Ivy did it!!! That evil girl is driving me up The Wall, literally. I should have suspected her from the start of this whole messssssssssss

  “Whatcha typing?” Lance came up behind Madison. He startled her, and Madison’s finger stuck on the S key.

  “Something private, if you don’t mind,” Madison said.

  “Really?” Lance said.

  “Yes,” Madison said, with a blank look. “Can you just leave me alone, please?”

  “Oh, sorry, SORRY!” Lance said, putting his hands up in the air and backing away.

  Madison was pleased with his response. She’d finally figured out a way to get rid of him. Just
say “Go.”

  She turned toward the monitor once more but then heard someone coming up behind her again. Frustrated, Madison whipped around in her chair.

  “Lance, can’t I just write something—OH!”

  Madison stopped in midsentence.

  The person standing behind her wasn’t Lance at all.

  It was Mrs. Wing.

  And in her arms Mrs. Wing was holding a precious baby girl.

  Chapter 11

  “MRS. WING!” MADISON BLURTED out, not thinking. “You’re here?”

  The baby gurgled, startled by the noise.

  “Oh,” Madison whispered. “Sorry.”

  Mrs. Wing smiled and gently leaned in to shush the baby with a soft kiss. “I’m so glad to see you, Madison,” she said. “I knew you would come to help out with the website.”

  Madison grinned. She had made the right decision in coming.

  “Surprised to see me?” Mrs. Wing asked.

  “Well, y—yeah,” Madison stammered. “Of course. I mean, we missed you so much. It’s not the same without you. … ”

  “Would you like to meet Phoebe?” Mrs. Wing asked.

  Mrs. Wing leaned down so Madison could look right into Phoebe’s little eyes. They were black, with teeny hazel flecks. She had a full head of black hair, too. The baby grinned a gummy grin that sent a stream of drool down the side of her face. Mrs. Wing mopped it up with a tiny blue cloth draped over one shoulder.

  “She’s so beautiful,” Madison said. “She looks like a doll.”

  Phoebe’s skin was flawless alabaster, with thin little eyebrows. As Madison took her tiny hand, Phoebe grasped Madison’s index finger with her five little fingers—and squeezed.

  “She likes you,” Mrs. Wing said. “She doesn’t squeeze just anyone’s finger.”

  Madison laughed. She felt her stomach flip-flop again, but in a good way. Phoebe glowed. The baby’s gaze never wavered from Madison’s face.

  By now, assorted other students who were working on the school website began to enter the room. Madison’s private moment with Mrs. Wing and Phoebe came to an end. But Madison didn’t mind. She was just happy to see Mrs. Wing after a long, weird week apart.

  “One at a time, please,” Mrs. Wing told the kids who were all clamoring to touch the newborn. No one could believe that Mrs. Wing was really standing there with her own baby. Phoebe looked around, unfazed by the crowd.

  “How old is she?” one girl asked.

  Mrs. Wing explained that Phoebe was four months.

  “Isn’t it weird just getting a baby overnight?” a boy asked.

  “You bet it is!” Mrs. Wing said. “But it’s a joy, too. We’ve waited a long time to meet little Phoebe.”

  “Aren’t you tired?” Madison asked, looking up at her teacher.

  Mrs. Wing rolled her eyes. “For sure!” she said with a laugh. “I’m exhausted. But it was important to me to come and visit. I didn’t want any students to feel left out or angry about my leaving so suddenly. And most importantly, I wanted you to meet the reason that I left—even if for just a few minutes.”

  Just then, Mr. Franks came into the room. He’d never met Mrs. Wing in person, so he introduced himself. He was wearing green-framed glasses and looked a lot like a frog.

  “I bet you don’t get a baby visitor every day,” Mr. Franks joked to the kids.

  “Neither do I,” Mrs. Wing added.

  The after-school group laughed in unison.

  “She’s soooooo cute,” a girl said, tickling the baby’s foot.

  “She’s so small,” a boy said.

  “All babies are small,” another boy replied. “Duh.”

  “My cousin had a big, fatso baby,” Lance spoke up. “He was so huge, he looked like he was stuffed.”

  Madison bit her tongue so she wouldn’t laugh. Lance always said the wrong thing at the wrong time—but sometimes it was funny, anyway.

  Mrs. Wing sat in a chair on the side of the room. Kids came over one by one to say their hellos to Phoebe. A few teachers who knew that Mrs. Wing was visiting the school came in to meet the baby, too. Mrs. Wing let some of the teachers take turns holding the baby for a while so she could take a rest.

  Madison was impressed to see that Mr. Franks brought in fruit punch and cookies for a snack. It was a nice thing for him to do, especially since he was just the substitute teacher. She poured herself a cup of punch.

  “So, how are things going?” Mrs. Wing asked, looking at Madison. Madison saw that Phoebe was nodding off in her stroller, with Assistant Principal Goode watching over her.

  “Oh—I’m okay,” Madison said. “I guess.”

  Mrs. Wing poured herself a drink. “You seem a little distracted.”

  “I do?” Madison asked. Mrs. Wing had always been good at guessing about those moments when Madison wasn’t feeling quite herself.

  “I love seeing all of you again. But where are Egg and Drew?” Mrs. Wing asked, looking around.

  “They had hockey practice,” Madison said. “They didn’t know you’d be here. No one did.”

  “It was my surprise. This whole week has been a whirlwind for me and Dr. Wing,” Mrs. Wing said.

  “Does she cry a lot?” Madison asked.

  “Not at all, except in the middle of the night, when we need to sleep,” Mrs. Wing said with a laugh.

  “How come you didn’t tell anyone?” Madison asked.

  Mrs. Wing took a deep breath. “We didn’t want to get our hopes up or talk about it until we knew for sure that we really had a child to call our own.”

  “Wow,” Madison said. “It must have been hard to keep that secret.”

  “Oh, yes,” Mrs. Wing replied. “Especially from you kids! After all, you’re practically my family, too.”

  Madison smiled.

  Ms. Goode came over and tapped Mrs. Wing on the shoulder. “You were right. She’s fallen asleep,” Ms. Goode said. “Sweet thing.”

  A group of students had gathered around the stroller while Phoebe napped. The baby had a head of wispy hair that was soft as bunny fur, and pink arms and legs that looked like chubby sausages.

  “Boooooooh,” the baby cooed in her sleep.

  Everyone cooed right back.

  Ms. Goode snapped a photo of everyone standing together.

  “We have to put that one on the school website!” Mr. Franks said cheerily. He passed cookies around to the students and teachers in the room.

  Madison wondered if Phoebe were dreaming. Her little arms moved a lot when she slept.

  “Hey! Maddie!” Egg called out from across the room.

  Madison turned and saw Egg and Drew rushing over. They still had half their hockey gear on.

  “You boys made it!” Mrs. Wing beamed. “Another surprise.”

  Egg grinned. “Yeah, of course we made it,” he said, tossing his head to the side. Madison laughed at how Egg acted—he seemed smitten in Mrs. Wing’s presence. He’d had a crush on her since the beginning of school.

  “So we got to hockey practice,” Drew explained to Mrs. Wing. “And then someone said you were here. The coach said we should come and say hello for a few minutes, so we bolted.”

  “I’m so glad to see both of you boys,” Mrs. Wing said. She pointed to the baby. “I’d like you to meet Phoebe. She’s asleep right now, but—”

  “What’s that smell?” Egg said.

  Drew snorted. “Yeah, what is that?”

  “Oh!” Mrs. Wing smiled. “Sometimes the baby gets a little gassy after she’s been fed. … ”

  “Ewwww! Gas me!” Egg cracked.

  Madison punched him in the shoulder. “Egg! Don’t be such a loser.”

  Drew snorted again.

  “Whoa! She’s looking right at me!” Egg said.

  Phoebe blinked and rubbed her cheek. She was awake again.

  “You probably woke her up because you’re so loud,” Madison told Egg.

  “Why don’t you hold her?” Drew said to Egg, joking around.

  �
�Hold her? No way!” he said. “No offense, Mrs. Wing, but I’d probably drop her or something.”

  “I think it’s better if I hold her,” Mrs. Wing said. “You boys and girls can just look and say hello from there, okay?”

  “She’s so little,” Drew said. “Ga ga goo goo.”

  Phoebe’s mouth curled up in a smile.

  “Did you guys see that?” Drew said excitedly. “She smiled at me!”

  Madison and Egg had to smile, too.

  “I think you’re in good hands with Mr. Franks, kids,” Mrs. Wing announced to the entire room. “He says that he’ll keep me posted on the website’s progress while I’m on maternity leave. And who knows? I may drop by for another surprise visit, when you least expect it.”

  “We’ll miss you,” Egg said sheepishly.

  Mrs. Wing nodded. “I know, Walter,” she said. “I miss all of you, too.”

  Madison could almost see Egg swooning inside at Mrs. Wing’s remark.

  “Thanks for bringing Phoebe to school,” Madison added.

  Mrs. Wing said individual good-byes to the website helpers. She and Phoebe needed to greet a small group of teachers that had entered the technology lab at the last minute.

  Madison, Egg, and Drew each grabbed a last cup of fruit punch on the way out of the room. The boys hurried back to hockey practice. Madison headed for home.

  Phoebe’s visit had lifted her spirits.

  Now she just needed to figure out a real plan for getting her BFFs back.

  “I’m home!” Madison shouted as she walked in the front hallway. “Mom?”

  “I’m in here, working on a report!” Mom called out from her office.

  Madison had already suspected that Mom would be busy working, as she had been all week. Whenever Mom had important paperwork to complete, she always turned her classical music up to full volume.

  Madison walked into the office and stood leaning against the door frame until Mom looked over.

  “You’re home late for a Friday,” Mom finally said, noticing Madison.

  “They had this surprise party for Mrs. Wing,” Madison said. “It was in the technology lab and everyone thought it was supposed to be this meeting with the substitute teacher, but then Mrs. Wing was the one who showed up.”