Keep It Real (From the Files of Madison Finn, 19) (8 page)

BOOK: Keep It Real (From the Files of Madison Finn, 19)
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“I’ll take that!” she cried in a sudden burst of paranoia, grabbing the journal right out of Hart’s hands. One of the pages was completely exposed. Right there in black and white was written the name Madison Jones.

Had Hart seen that or any of the other dozens of name combinations scribbled in the same margin? That question put her tummy into instant knots. Madison was sweating just thinking about it.

Gulp.

With her notebook still clutched tightly to her side, Madison wished Hart a speedy good-bye. Of course, he wasn’t ready to go.

“So, have you been writing more?” Hart asked, indicating the notebook. “Do you like the journal project?”

“Um…um…huh?” Madison stammered. She couldn’t look him in the eyes.

“Are you heading to science?” Hart asked easily, checking his watch. “I hear Mr. Danehy is back.”

“I heard that, too,” Madison said. “If you’re going to class, why are you walking in this direction?”

Hart tossed his head. “I was going to drop something off…but I haven’t got time now.”

“Sorry,” Madison said. “My fault.”

“No prob,” Hart said. He smiled.

Madison wanted to smile, too, but she couldn’t. All she could think about was the journal, still tucked tightly under her armpit. With each passing moment she was becoming more and more convinced that of course Hart had seen the doodles, seen “Madison Jones,” and was right now planning a breakup with her. Of course, that would have made a lot more sense if he had actually been going out with her, but just the same—the gut-wrenching, embarrassing, and ghastly emotions were still there, all rolled into one.

Naturally, Hart didn’t say anything more about the book, which left Madison guessing all the way to science class.

At least Mr. Danehy was back—and feeling much better. He hardly even sniffled anymore. Not having to go back upstairs to Mr. Books was a huge relief.

Madison and Hart separated to take their seats at opposite ends of the lab. Madison went to her spot near Ivy.

“This seat is taken,” Ivy said as Madison approached.

“Taken? By who?” Madison asked.

“By you, twit,” Ivy said with a smirk.

“Oh, like, that’s funny,” Madison said. She climbed onto the lab stool and placed her journal on the countertop.

“Is that your journal for school?” Ivy asked.

“You know it is,” Madison nodded. “Where’s yours?”

“In a safe place,” Ivy said. “I don’t want anyone looking at it. Not that there’s much to read. I mean, life couldn’t be better right now, you know?”

“I bet,” Madison said, vaguely annoyed. Silently, she wished a curse on Ivy and Ivy’s journal. If she had to hear one more word about how perfect the world of Ivy Daly was, Madison was going to be sick!

After school, Madison couldn’t wait to complain to her BFFs about Ivy, who was getting on everyone’s last nerve. Plus, according to Aimee, there were more Ivy rumors circulating.

They decided to chat online after school. Aimee, Fiona, and Madison arranged to meet in a chat room called BFFTOGO. Madison was always trying to find chat rooms with the cleverest names.

: Sry but PI is awful

: IDK if she realizes it tho and how PATHETIC is she????

: remember when I thought she used to be sooo nice???

: yeah b4 her heart transplant ha ha

: Hart transplant?

: LOL u guys r funny 2day aren’t u?

: So ppl this is what I know. The guy @ Dunn Manor’s name is TA DA! Fred.

: Fred?

: well that’s what doug told me

: LOL I know hes ur bro but is he a reliable source or is he good at making stuff up b/c MY bro makes up weird lies ATT!

: u know aim I’m sry 2 but ivy would NEVER date a Fred guy would she?

: yeah maybe not

: !!!< >)?

: the guy Ivy is seeing is like the loser of tenth grade

like he got suspended once for doing drugs

: maybe this means Ivy will get in trouble 2--that would be rich! For some reason I am madder than mad @ her 2day

: come on ur mad @ her evry day, Maddie

: yah

: well aren’t u? Aren’t u sick of the whole look-at-me-I’m-so-pretty-and-perfect-and-everyone-should-worship-me thing she has going?

: hey doug just got home want me to ask about the Fred thing maybe he knows more?

: Nah I have 2 go do homework b4 we go 2 dinner we’re eating out 2nite

: wait--have u guys written in ur journal yet today?

: almost done! I always try 2 finish the question in my study lab

: sort of done--I jotted down a few ideas. What was the question again?

: Write a desc. of someone u know

: it’s a lot like yesterday

: yeah but more paragraphs and not list

: I better finish mine

: Me 2 BYE TTYL

: *poof*

: *poof*

Madison wondered where Ivy was right at that very moment—and if she was working on her journal—or just basking in the perfectness of her own life.

She felt all the ugly anger toward her enemy building up again inside. She didn’t feel much like writing anything nice, so she tried scribbling a description of Poison Ivy in the pages of her notebook.

Description

How do you describe someone you hate? Let me try. Miss Perfect thinks she is so great, but her big head is covered with red hair like flames shooting everywhere. She looks through you when you talk to her, like she can see all your weaknesses and she can’t wait to tell you off. And she
always
has something mean to say.

Madison stopped writing. Now
she
was the one saying the mean things.

“Maddie! Are you online?” Mom cried from downstairs. “Can I borrow your laptop? My computer down here isn’t working right, and I just need to check something online fast.”

“Sure, Mom!”

Madison trotted downstairs with her laptop and the portable disk drive.

“Mom, can I ask you something?” Madison asked as she curled up in a ball on the large chair in Mom’s office.

“Yes?” Mom replied.

“What am I supposed to do about Ivy? Because I can’t deal anymore,” Madison said.

“Deal with what?”

“I cannot deal with anything Poison Ivy says or does!” Madison said.

Mom made a face. “So? Is there anything you can do about it?”

“I want to request that I switch lab partners in science—and maybe even get a different homeroom so I don’t have to see Ivy every single morning. Is that possible? Can’t you write me a note or something?”

“Maddie…of course I can’t,” Mom said.

“But I hate her, Mom,” Madison said with a scowl. “I hate and detest and despise her and her perfect, perfect life.”


Hate
is a very strong word,” Mom replied. “Who says her life is perfect?”

“She does!”

Madison told her mom what she’d seen, by mistake, of course, in Ivy’s journal and what Ivy had told her in class.

“She’s acting snootier than ever, and it just makes me want to SCREAM. Today she called me a twit! Plus, there are these rumors…well, I can’t confirm anything, but apparently she’s dating some guy…and he’s older than us…”

“Older?” Mom asked. “Dating?”

“Aimee’s brother says the guy is a sophomore at Dunn Manor.”

“Oh, boy,” Mom said.

“Mom, I even saw Ivy crying in the girls’ room at school. She is
such
a total drama queen.”

Mom clasped her hands in front of her.

She got very quiet.

“Maddie,” Mom said, “I think there’s something you need to know.”

Chapter 8

“W
HY ARE YOU ACTING
so serious?” Madison asked Mom. “You’re making me nervous.”

Mom put her hand on Madison’s arm. “I need to tell you something important. It’s a secret, but I’m going to share it with you. Can you keep this a secret? You can’t tell anyone right now. Not even Aimee and Fiona.”

Madison listened carefully as Mom spoke.

“When you were younger, I was very good friends with Ivy’s mother, as you know,” Mom said.

“So?” Madison couldn’t keep herself from interrupting. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“So…I haven’t seen or talked to Ivy’s mom in ages. We keep in touch a little through e-mails, but that’s about it. She’s been quite busy these past few years…”

“Mom, what’s your point?” Madison asked. The suspense was killing her.

“My point is that Ivy’s mother happened to be at Salon Pink at the same time as me the other day—and we started talking.”

“About Ivy?” Madison asked, intrigued.

Mom shook her head. “Maddie, just listen.”

Madison sat back in her seat and crossed her arms. “Okay, okay.”

“So, I got to talking with Ivy’s mom and…well…apparently she’s sick.”

“Ivy’s sick?”

“No, Maddie. Mrs. Daly is sick.”

“Oh,” Madison said. “How sick?”

“She was diagnosed with breast cancer a month ago.”

Madison’s entire body went limp. “Cancer?”

“Come here,” Mom said. She held her arms out to Madison.

Madison walked into her mother’s arms and squeezed her tightly around the middle. She thought about all the things Aimee had said when she told Madison that her dance teacher had been diagnosed with cancer. Aimee had said that learning that news felt like getting a punch in the stomach. That’s what Madison felt like, too, right now.

“Is it bad?” Madison asked.

“From what I understand,” Mom went on, “Mrs. Daly said they caught it early, so it seems like she has a good chance of a full recovery. But she’s undergoing some medical treatments now.”

“Chemotherapy?” Madison asked. She knew about that from science class and television.

“I think that chemo is part of her treatment, yes,” Mom answered. “Unfortunately, Mrs. Daly has been suffering some side effects that aren’t too pleasant. She’s losing her hair. That’s why she was at the salon—to get her head shaved.”

“But her hair will grow back, right? She’ll get better soon, right?”

“She won’t know if the cancer is gone until she has had all the treatments. And that takes some time. But for now she’s hoping for the best.”

“Poor Ivy,” Madison said. She felt her chest start to heave a little, a wave of emotion building inside her.

“Exactly,” Mom said. “Ivy must be going through a lot right now.”

“So maybe that’s why she’s…” Madison stopped in midsentence. “Oh, Mom, I can’t believe I said all of those things about her.”

“Well, I know you and Ivy haven’t been friends for some time,” Mom said. “It’s understandable. We all say things we don’t mean sometimes.”

“But wait a minute…” Madison said, her whole face lighting up with a bright idea. “If her mom is so sick, then why is Ivy writing in her journal about how perfect her life is?”

“Sometimes when life is not so perfect, it’s nice to pretend that things are better. Maybe she feels she needs to put on a brave front,” Mom said with a shrug. “Only Ivy can answer that question, Maddie. Perhaps you should speak to her about it.”

“Yeah, right,” Madison said.

Mom frowned. “Madison Francesca Finn…” she said in that voice that she used when she was disappointed or upset.

“I know,” Madison said. “I really should be more considerate.”

Mom nodded. “Don’t you think Ivy would do the same for you?”

Madison raised an eyebrow. “Um…is that a trick question?”

“Well,” Mom said, “you get my point.”

They talked for a few more minutes about cancer and what it meant to get radiation treatments and how hard life at the Daly house must be right then. Madison began to feel worse and worse about all the nasty things she’d written in her journal. She thought back to the entries that she’d spied in Ivy’s journal, in particular the page that had the initials
M.
,
H.
, and
J.
on it. Madison realized that those letters probably never stood for Madison or anyone else in their class at all. That
M
must have been for “Mom” and the
J
for Ivy’s older sister, Janet.

“You know, Maddie,” Mom said, “everyone has different ways of coping with change and stressful situations. Maybe Ivy’s journal is the one place where she can really express herself right now. Isn’t that what you do in your files?”

“Yes, but that’s different,” Madison said.

“How?” Mom asked.

Madison didn’t have an answer. She shifted the subject.

“What about Ivy dating a high-school sophomore?” Madison asked. “Don’t you think that is weird?”

“Oh, Maddie,” Mom said with a shake of her head. “I think you’d better check your facts before you go spreading rumors. I do know from Mrs. Daly that Ivy has been spending time with a high-school boy from Dunn Manor…”

“Aha!” Madison said.

“But it’s not because they’re dating. It’s because the boy’s mother is also sick. Mrs. Daly told me that Ivy and he met each other at a Far Hills Hospital cancer support group. There are about five or six kids in the area who know each other from the group.”

“Why is she keeping everything a secret?” Madison asked.

Mom shrugged. “Embarrassed? Afraid? I can think of a lot of good reasons not to talk about it.”

Madison wondered what she would do if she were the one with the sick mother.

“Rowwowoorrroooooo!”

From across the room, Phinnie came running toward Madison for no reason. His little claws click-clacked on the polished floor, and then he slid right over to Madison’s shoes.

“Hello, Phinnie,” Madison said as she scooped him up.

Mom put on the kettle. “Do you want some tea?” she asked Madison. “I can make a pot of chamomile.”

BOOK: Keep It Real (From the Files of Madison Finn, 19)
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