SnowAngel:
i agree
mad maddie:
and now, onto my account of our exciting and dramatic speed limit rebellion.
SnowAngel:
rebellion? i thought u guys were gonna stick to the speed limit exactly. i thought that was the whole point.
mad maddie:
the point was to rebel AGAINST the speed limit by showing how dumb it is—which we totally did. oh man, angela, it was wild.
SnowAngel:
fine, tell me.
mad maddie:
we spread out across I-285 like we planned, each of us in our own lane. then todd spencer gave the thumbs-up, which was the signal for everyone to set their speed to 65 mph. so we did. man, u shoulda seen the look on the face of the guy behind us as he realized he wasn’t just behind one slow car, he was behind a whole row of slow cars.
SnowAngel:
was he pissed?
mad maddie:
more like confused… for a few moments. and then it was really funny, cuz slowly the stretch of highway in front of us emptied out, since the drivers ahead of us were driving faster than 65, and then EVERYONE ELSE was stuck behind us.
SnowAngel:
wow
mad maddie:
a couple of ppl honked their horns, and then a couple more, and then *everyone* was honking and it was the loudest noise i’ve ever heard. it was cool, but i actually started getting a little freaked out.
SnowAngel:
i TOLD u it was dangerous!
mad maddie:
i mean, i could FEEL the fury directed at us. it was like a mob was forming or something.
SnowAngel:
*shivers*
mad maddie:
then cars started passing us in the emergency lane. kaitlin jones was the driver in the far right lane—the one next to the emergency lane—and i was SO glad it wasn’t me. this one car whizzed past her, blaring its horn, and then pulled into her lane so closely that he almost cropped her bumper.
SnowAngel:
shit, maddie
mad maddie:
then someone threw a beer bottle at joe weiss’s car. it made a loud crack, like a gun, and i about crapped my pants.
SnowAngel:
did it actually HIT joe’s car?
mad maddie:
no, thank god
mad maddie:
by this time cars were passing in the left-hand emergency lane too. this one guy in a volvo pulled right in front of rex and terri and jana and then intentionally slammed on his brakes. can u believe that?
SnowAngel:
omg, maddie. u guys r sooooooo lucky no one got hurt.
mad maddie:
then kaitlin broke out of formation, cuz i guess she lost her nerve, which meant more cars could get through.
mad maddie:
after that, the rest of us fell out of line too. at first ppl glared and shouted stuff out their windows as they passed, but soon they must not have recognized us, cuz no one did anything *truly* terrible.
SnowAngel:
u could have been killed, maddie.
mad maddie:
but i wasn’t.
SnowAngel:
but u COULD have been.
mad maddie:
the only thing i’m bummed about is that we didn’t make it onto the news. think how great it wld have been when they announced it: “cars going the speed limit cause traffic jam”!
SnowAngel:
hey, wait a sec. that car that slammed on his brakes…
SnowAngel:
i just scrolled back to read that text. did u say he pulled out in front of rex, terri, and jana?
mad maddie:
yeah, what an asshole. it was really scary.
SnowAngel:
i thought jana was gonna ride with u.
mad maddie:
well, she ended up riding with rex and terri instead.
SnowAngel:
so who rode with u?
mad maddie:
no on.
SnowAngel:
u were out there with a bunch of maniacs behind u BY YOURSELF?
mad maddie:
it was no big deal, angela.
SnowAngel:
was anyone else alone, like kaitlin or joe?
mad maddie:
what’s yr point?
SnowAngel:
they weren’t, were they? u were the only one without a passenger.
mad maddie:
i SAID it was no big deal. ur making it out like… i dunno, like jana did some horrible thing by riding with rex instead of me. but i was the one who was there, so i get to choose if it was a problem or not. AND IT WASN’T.
SnowAngel:
it just doesn’t seem very nice, that’s all.
mad maddie:
ur totally reading into it.
mad maddie:
anywayz, unlike some ppl, i’m fine being by myself. i don’t need reassurance 24-7.
SnowAngel:
what is that supposed to mean?
mad maddie:
u figure it out.
SnowAngel:
u know what, maddie?
SnowAngel:
nvm
mad maddie:
what? go ahead and say it.
SnowAngel:
it’s just that all our convos seem to end this way these days, and it’s getting really annoying. ur always getting huffy over nothing.
mad maddie:
I’M the one getting huffy?
SnowAngel:
well, i’m glad u had fun with your new friends, even tho none of them actually wanted to be in the same car with u.
mad maddie:
what a lovely thing to say. and i’m glad that you’re not AT ALL threatened by the fact that i’m hanging out with jana just cuz jana’s in a different social league than u.
mad maddie:
i’m sorry if ur jealous, angela, but don’t take it out on me.
SnowAngel:
what?!! u r insane if u think i’m jealous of jana whitaker.
mad maddie:
am i?
Sat, Oct 23, 2:19 PM E.D.T.
SnowAngel:
zoe! aaargh!!!!!!!!
SnowAngel:
i just had the most infuriating convo with maddie!
zoegirl:
what happened?
SnowAngel:
she was bragging about her 285 adventure—that’s what started it. i happened to mention that i didn’t think it was very nice that no one rode with her, not even her precious jana, and she totally flipped out and got nasty.
SnowAngel:
god, zoe, it is so weird with her these days! one minute things r fine and dandy, and then the next minute we’re at each other’s throats!
zoegirl:
maybe it’s weird just because she knows you don’t like jana.
SnowAngel:
well, she shouldn’t either. jana sucks. she’s just using maddie for her car—it’s so obvious.
zoegirl:
is it?
SnowAngel:
YES
zoegirl:
i don’t know. the whole scene sounded sketchy to me, like a bunch of obnoxious high school kids on a power trip. i’m glad i wasn’t there.
SnowAngel:
me too
zoegirl:
how about your night? how’d bowling go?
SnowAngel:
and that’s another thing! maddie didn’t even bother to ask about that, thank u very much. it’s like she thinks my life is too boring to talk about.
zoegirl:
well, I’M asking: how was it hanging out with doug and steve? was it fun, or was it miserable?
SnowAngel:
*does wishy-washy thing with hand*
zoegirl:
explain
SnowAngel:
it wasn’t soooooo bad. i got chrissy to come with me at the very last minute, and it was surprisingly fun having her along.
SnowAngel
:
she kept getting gutter balls, and one time the ball flew off her hand when she was swinging it backward. it bounced across the floor making these big whomping sounds, and we all cracked up.
zoegirl:
chrissy’s great. if i had a sister, i’d want one like chrissy.
SnowAngel:
yeah. she looked really good too. she wore a pair of jeans with embroidery at the bottom, along with a pink t-shirt that said “princess” on it. which sounds dreadful, but on her it looked cute.
zoegirl:
did doug and steve hit on her? jk
SnowAngel:
*arches one eyebrow* actually…
zoegirl:
angela! she’s 12!!!
SnowAngel:
they didn’t hit on her, exactly.
zoegirl:
then what?
SnowAngel:
well, like i said, chrissy kept throwing gutter balls, and each time she would laugh and get embarrassed and say she was never gonna go bowling again.
SnowAngel:
then one time she went up for her turn, and when she put her fingers in the ball, she stopped and looked confused.
zoegirl:
why?
SnowAngel:
there was a note rolled up in one of the holes! she pulled it out, and it said, “ur doing terrific. don’t give up. p.s. i think ur pretty.”
zoegirl:
awww!
zoegirl:
i take it doug or steve slipped it in there?
SnowAngel:
yes, but for the longest time they didn’t admit it. they said it must be from someone at the bowling alley, one of the guys who worked behind the lanes.
SnowAngel:
chrissy’s eyes got big, and she blushed like crazy. then she got even more embarrassed when she rolled a gutter ball again, cuz she was worried that the guy—whoever he was—was watching.
zoegirl:
that totally makes me like doug and steve. what a sweet thing to do.
SnowAngel:
yeah, they kept teasing her about it, saying she had a secret admirer and stuff like that.
SnowAngel:
only…
zoegirl:
what?
SnowAngel:
this is really, really, really humiliating, but i kind of got the teeniest bit jealous. *hides head in shame* this was before i knew doug and steve had planted the note. i kept thinking, “why’s that bowling guy flirting with chrissy and not me?”
zoegirl:
silly angela
SnowAngel:
i know. the thought even crossed my mind that the note had been meant for me, and that chrissy had gotten it by accident. how lame, to be jealous of my 12-year-old sister.
zoegirl:
but you were happy for her too, so that’s okay. and doug and steve probably wanted to slip notes in your bowling ball, but they knew they couldn’t, because that would be, like, too real.
SnowAngel:
*big mushy hug* thanks, zo. u always make me feel better.
SnowAngel:
and last but not least: how was your bingo date with mr. h?
zoegirl:
my wild night at the nursing home? just kidding.
zoegirl:
it was nice. really nice. i helped all these old ppl with their cards, and it made me feel floaty inside.
SnowAngel:
floaty?
zoegirl:
you know, like when you see a sunset, or when you’re outside looking at the stars. that huge, happy feeling like you’re connected to all the good things in the world.
SnowAngel:
wow. that’s awesome.
zoegirl:
it made me want to do more stuff like that, stuff that doesn’t involve school and grades and all that pressure. they have a volunteer program, and i’m thinking about signing up.
SnowAngel:
what about mr. h—did anything happen with him?
zoegirl:
well… you have to promise not to tell anyone, okay? not even maddie. (and unlike maddie, i honestly mean it.)
SnowAngel:
i promise, i promise! did he kiss you?!!
zoegirl:
no, no, no, nothing like that. but—and i’m probably wrong, and i know i’ll sound super arrogant for even saying this—but i’m starting to think that maybe there could be something between us, something more than the fact that he’s my teacher.
SnowAngel:
what do u mean?
zoegirl:
i think maybe he… you know. likes me.
SnowAngel:
well, duh, zoe. u don’t see mr. miklos schmoozing me for bingo dates, now do u? *shudders* ew, what a horrible image.
zoegirl:
you don’t think i’m being ridiculous? you think there’s, like, a chance?
SnowAngel:
do u WANT there to be a chance?
zoegirl:
i don’t know.
zoegirl:
maybe?
zoegirl:
oh, wow, i’m turning bright red just saying it out loud—and i’m NOT even saying it out loud. thank goodness we’re not talking in person. i’d probably faint.
SnowAngel:
whoa. this is so… lifetime-channel-ish.
zoegirl:
gee, thanks
SnowAngel:
no, it’s just that u expect things like this to happen in movies, not in real life. only it IS happening in real life.
zoegirl:
kind of scary, huh?
SnowAngel:
i guess i thought it was just a game, something we talked about just for fun. but ur seriously falling for him, aren’t u?
zoegirl:
i don’t know. i think about him a lot. more than a lot. and last night, when he dropped me off…
SnowAngel:
yes?
zoegirl:
we were sitting in his car, talking, and he reached over and brushed my hair off my face. i know that sounds like nothing, but the way he did it made it seem like more.
SnowAngel:
like how?
zoegirl:
just really gentle, like it meant something to be touching me.
SnowAngel:
wow
zoegirl:
then he pulled back his hand and said, “you’re in 10th grade, zoe.” and i said, “i know.” then he said, “you’re 15,” and i said, “i know.”
SnowAngel:
oh man. he was totally, like, admitting he was into u.
zoegirl:
then he pushed back my hair again, tucking it behind my ear, and…
zoegirl:
it’s the way he looked at me, like he was saying two different things at the same time.
zoegirl:
it sounds really stupid, doesn’t it?
SnowAngel:
it doesn’t sound stupid, zo. it sounds… big.
zoegirl:
yeah. that’s kind of how it feels too.
SnowAngel:
i guess i’m excited for u, since u like him back and everything. but r u sure this is ok? i mean, he’s a TEACHER.
zoegirl:
i know. and probably nothing more will happen, not till i graduate. and that won’t be for another two years.
SnowAngel:
true. and i’ve gotta say—thank god for that!
Mon, Oct 25, 7:17 PM E.D.T.
zoegirl:
i saw you drive by my house this afternoon. why didn’t you stop?
mad maddie:
i couldn’t, cuz i was already running late. i honked, tho.
zoegirl:
yeah, i heard. what were you late for?
mad maddie:
doc appointment. annual physical.
zoegirl:
and?
mad maddie:
no shots, baby!
zoegirl:
wh-hoo!
mad maddie:
&nbs
p; at the end, the doctor got all serious and asked me a bunch of questions. doc: “r u sexually active?” me: “sadly, no.” doc: “do u ever drink?” me: “ummm…” doc: “have u ever thought of killing yourself?” me: “maybe. doesn’t everyone?”
zoegirl:
good one
mad maddie:
doc: “yes, well, have u ever made a plan?” me: “no, unless continuing to sit through geometry counts as a plan.” doc: “excuse me?” me: “meet mr. miklos and u’ll understand. u’ll die of boredom.”
zoegirl:
you did not say that.
mad maddie:
maybe i did, maybe i didn’t. i am a woman of mystery.
Ttyl Page 14
