Three's a Crowd (From the Files of Madison Finn, 16) (5 page)

From: LuvNStuff


To: MadFinn; Wetwinz; Balletgrl


Subject: Mega Gossip


Date: Wed 24 Sept 10:37 AM


I am sitting in the library right now with a perfect view of you-know-who. Yes, I’m talking about Miss Wishes-She-Were-All-That, otherwise known as POISON IVY. First of all, she is wearing this truly UGLY brown shirt with fringe on it (no I am not kidding) and jeans that are WAAAAAY too tight. I know she’s skinny and I’m not a fashion plate myself but these are UGLY pants. So I was in the stacks earlier and I overheard her and the drones talking. Can we just say for the record please that Rose and Joanie are the two most ANNOYING people on the planet? They do not have minds of their own, they just agree with everything Ivy says. But anyway Ivy was up here talking about Hart because (drumroll please) he BLEW HER OFF yesterday.


I heard that Ivy & Hart were supposed to get together during lunch yesterday (after you 3 went home sick) to study or talk about that webpage project. Well, he never showed! And even worse (or better!), he told this other kid Ross that he doesn’t even WANT to do the project with Ivy. OMG! Somehow Ross told Phony Joanie her dronie—and now Ivy knows and WOW she is SO MAD. Maddie, this is HUGE news, right? I mean, maybe this means Hart really is yours and all yours!!! Whaddya think? Maddie + Hart 4-Ever!


In other school news, some kid set off the school alarm this morning and Principal Bernard had a MAJOR fit. Asst. Principal Goode was running around the halls looking for the guilty party. I think it’s some ninth grader. Well, that’s the theory in school anyhow. There are always a lotta rumors about this stuff. It hasn’t been boring around here even though I MISS YOU GUYS!


I hope you are all feeling better. I wish I could be in bed watching TV all day. BTW: Egg told me that he’s getting homework for Aim & Maddie. He said he can drop it on your porch in the mailbox or somewhere. And I guess Chet is obviously getting yours, F. If you need ANYTHING please just E me. I know you already picked each other to do that web project but I was hoping I could join with you three. Would that be okay? 2 is company, 3 is a crowd, but 4 is AMAZING! I made that up. LOL.


I will send another update VVS (like same time tomorrow). If you need any special info, just lemme know.


BYE-BYE!


Lindsay


Madison’s mind (and heart) raced. Hart had blown Ivy off? That was news. Thrilling, exciting, amazing, WOW news.

But Madison didn’t know if she should feel glad—or sad. After all, Hart might have blown Ivy off because he liked someone else…. But what if it weren’t Madison? What if it were Carmen or some other cute girl in their class? There was no way to know for sure.

Madison placed her laptop on the bed for a moment so she could get up and get a tissue. The box beside her bed was empty.

Prrrrrffffffffff! Prrrrrffffffffff!

Madison blew her nose hard and walked over to the window.

The house next door stared back at her, empty. There was no boy outside walking his dog. Madison wondered if maybe he went to school somewhere other than Far Hills. Maybe he was older? Maybe he was visiting from out of town?

She needed to find out who he was.

Prrrrrffffffffff!
She blew her nose again.

“Maddie?” Gramma Helen’s voice cut through Madison’s thoughts.

She whirled around to face her grandmother.

“Not so hard!” Gramma warned. “You’ll blow a blood vessel in your eyes if you blow that hard, not to mention your nose.”

“Sorry,” Madison replied sheepishly, wiping her face. She coughed for effect, which made her cough for real.

“Listen to that!” Gramma said. “I just came up to see how you were feeling and to find out what you wanted for dinner.”

“Dinner?” Madison answered. “Gramma, it’s only lunchtime.”

Madison noticed that Gramma was wearing orange rubber gloves that stretched up to her elbows. She smelled vaguely of bleach.

“I’m trying to get things in order around here,” she said.

Madison could almost see Mom rolling her eyes as Gramma rewashed everything Mom had spent hours scrubbing that very morning.

“Gramma,” Madison said. “What are you cleaning for? Why don’t we just play cards or something? Why don’t you just chill out?”

“No time for chilling out. There are things to be done,” Gramma said.

“What things?” Madison asked.

“Your mother needs my help,” Gramma replied.

Madison nodded.

“Besides, don’t you want me to make you some chicken soup?” Gramma asked. “And clean up the house so we can have some fresh air around here? This place is a little stuffy, don’t you think?”

Madison nodded again. “What kind of chicken soup?” she asked, trying to change the subject.

“Chicken and lemon and orzo,” Gramma said as she shooed Madison back into bed. “Now, you stay bundled up, and I’ll be back in a jiffy.”

Madison smiled. “Okay,” she said simply. There was nothing else she could say.

Luckily, Gramma had not noticed the laptop at the side of the bed. Madison’s flatfoot platypus screen saver wasn’t blinking very brightly in the dark room. Madison lifted it back onto the bed. She had a little while to stay online before Gramma returned with the soup.

Another e-mail was waiting.

From: Bigwheels


To: MadFinn


Subject: For You!!!


Date: Wed 24 Sept 10:46 AM


I found the coolest website with free cards u can download and they play music and have buttons you can push to hear funny sounds it is sooooo cool. So I am sending one to you. It’s attached to this e-mail.


Yours till the nose blows,


Vicki aka Bigwheels


: GET WELL, GIRL (card)


The greeting card was animated. Bigwheels had two cats of her own, so she sometimes sent cards and notes with cat’s-paw borders. This card had two kittens playing with a ball of multicolored string that spelled out the words “Get Well, Girl!” As the string unraveled, the card made a meowing sound.

Madison hit
REPLY.

From: MadFinn


To: Bigwheels


Subject: Re: For You!!!


Date: Wed 24 Sept 12:51 PM


Ur amazing! THANKS SOOOOOO MUCH. I love it when u send me cards and poems like that :>)


I am still feeling ickier than icky but now my Gramma is here so I feel a little better. Mom has to go away for business for two nights and that stinks because I like having Mom around when I’m sick, don’t you? But Gramma will fill in for her and I can deal.


BTW you asked about Hart & he’s the same. I haven’t seen that cute guy again next door but I am looking out for him too. I had this dream last night that he was spying on me and wanted to meet me. I wonder if we ever will meet? I wonder if I will ever even know his REAL name?


Write back or else! I am semi-bored already and I
’
ve only been home sick for two and a half days.


Yours till the cough drops,


Maddie


: Thks for letting me do the project w/u


: :-)


: sorry we didn’t ask right away


: is everyone ok with optical illusions as our topic???


: Yup we can do some groovy stuff on the webpage like show actual illusions with wavy lines and circles


: I already plugged the topic in a search engine and got a lot of hits


: I found this magic book on my mom’s shelf and it gave me some other ideas


: we should have info for
all
subjects like science, math, and not just one


: grrrrreat idea


: I’m sorry u can’t come over now. chet is doing his project with hart and dan I think they’re writing about ships or something


: kool beans


The four friends chatted for almost half an hour about the project.

Lindsay and Fiona would collect information on magic and optical illusions. It was a broad subject, so they were trying to figure out how to narrow it down. Lindsay suggested they call the page
Playing Tricks on Your Eyes
so it could include sleight-of-hand tricks as well as plain old optical illusions.

Aimee would collect images. She would ask her dad (who owned the Cyber Café in downtown Far Hills) to help out. Mr. Gillespie knew what art the girls could use with and without permission. Some pictures couldn’t be downloaded because they belonged to other people or organizations. Madison didn’t really understand copyrights, but she knew she and her friends would have to be careful with whatever they posted on the web.

As the computer pro of the foursome, Madison was in charge of pulling everything together and formatting the page. As much as she had wanted the challenge, it seemed like an overly daunting task, especially when Madison could barely think straight. Where would she begin? Where did anyone begin?

After signing out of the chat room, Madison opened a new file.

Well Begun


Gramma Helen once showed me this little card in her purse that said, “Well begun is half done.” Some classical philosopher named Horace said that. It’s a good thing that things in my life have been well begun. I think. Unfortunately, most of these are a long way from being half done—or even started, for that matter.


1. I need to do all this reading for English class. I have only been out of school for two and a half days and I’m already chapters behind in
The Outsiders.
And oh yeah, don’t forget math, science, and Spanish class homework. HELP!


2. I’ve been picked by my BFFs as the one to put together our optical illusions webpage. They’re doing a lot of the work, but somehow it feels like I’m the one sure to be left holding the bag.


Or holding the mouse, I guess. I’m a little scared that I can’t do it.


3. Gramma has all these unrealistic rules about what sick people (like me) can and cannot do. Rule #1: No leaving the house with a bad cough. (Um … that means I’ll be housebound for weeks!!!) Rule #2: In bed for at least a day after a fever breaks. Rule #3: No wet heads after a shower. And on and on. Of course THIS is not the way I wanted to spend our visit. I don’t want more rules!


Rude Awakening:
Face the facts: how can anything be WELL begun when I feel soooo SICK?


Madison was about to hit
SAVE
when she heard footsteps. Her fingers froze on the keyboard.

“Maddie, dear?”

Gramma!

Madison hit a few keys to escape her file. But the laptop was working slowly today. And she didn’t have time to move it off the bed before Gramma came striding in.

“What’s that you’re doing?” Gramma asked. Her eyes scrunched together as she stared down at the laptop.

Madison felt warm all over—and it didn’t have anything to do with her bronchitis or fever. It was a reaction to Gramma’s steely look.

“I … um … well … I was just …”

“Tsk, tsk. Maddie!” Gramma clucked. “You are supposed to be having a nice rest, not playing games.”

“It’s not … I mean … I can’t …” Madison stammered.

“There’s a boy downstairs to see you.”

“A boy?” Madison’s face lit up. “To see
me
?”

“He said his name is Egg,” Gramma said. “What kind of a name is that?”

“It’s my friend Walter, Gramma,” Madison said, her face drooping. She had no idea why Egg would have been dropping by.

“Did I meet this boy the last time I visited? Why are boys calling on you when you’re sick in bed?” Gramma asked.

Then it dawned on Madison. Egg was coming over with homework.

Madison got out of bed and slid on her monkey slippers. She didn’t want Gramma to give her a hard time about having bare feet. She pulled a sweatshirt on over the T-shirt and sweatpants she’d been lounging around in.

“Where are you going?” Gramma asked.

“Downstairs to see Egg,” Madison replied.

“Like that? But you’re sick.”

“Gramma, it’s only Egg,” Madison said, covering her mouth as she coughed between words. “I won’t talk for more than five minutes, I swear.”

Gramma threw up her hands. “Okay,” she said with a smile. “And
then
you can take your nap. Right?”

“Right.”

Madison smiled back and quickly sped downstairs to see her friend.

“Keep back,” was the first thing Egg said when Madison came to the door.

“Thanks a lot,” Madison said.

“Hey, I don’t want your slimy germs,” Egg added. “Here are your homework assignments. I was going to leave ’em on the porch, but then your Gramma opened the door when she saw me out here and …”