took of us and I have kept it all this time. Actually, it’s a picture w/u, me, & that girl Ann. Remember her? Did u keep in touch w/her? She & I kept in touch a little bit but I dunno. So if u get this and want 2 write back that would be kool. Do u ever go into NYC? Where do u live again? OK I better go, it’s late. Write back if you want.
Or not.
Will.
Madison felt her chest clench. Was this some kind of joke?
Will? From camp? From Florida?
The e-mail gave new meaning to the word “flabbergasted.” She reread it again and pictured Will’s shaggy blond hair. Cute. Right now he was an eighth grader preparing for his own MUD; and next year he would be a freshman, a ninth grader—one of the “big” kids. And he wanted to get back in touch? How could this not be a big, major, huge deal?
Madison hit REPLY right away. She started to type.
From: MadFinn
To: WillPOWR
Subject: Re: Remember me?
Date: Tues 13 Jun 7:19 AM
Thanks for writing. Wow, I was surprised. I didn’t think u would remember me, but then you wrote and I just felt so happy inside when I was reading yr
“Ack! That’s terrible,” Madison groaned to herself as she quickly punched DELETE, DELETE, DELETE . She had to make absolutely sure those words didn’t get sent to Will.
With another keystroke, Madison saved her reply to her “Drafts” folder. This was going to take some time. Madison would have to think extra-hard about how to respond without sounding like a dweeb.
The floor upstairs squeaked. Mom was up.
“Maddie?” Mom called out. “Are you awake?”
“Down here,” Madison replied from the kitchen.
Yawning, Mom came down the stairs and shuffled into the kitchen wearing her slippers and a terry-cloth robe. Her hair was curly and damp; she had just towel-dried it.
“You’re up so early today. And dressed! Trouble sleeping again, honey bear?” Mom said, yawning again.
Madison nodded and tried not to yawn herself. She pointed to Mom’s head. “I didn’t hear you take a shower,” Madison said.
“That’s because you’re too focused on that laptop,” Mom said with a sleepy wink. She walked over to the coffeemaker and started scooping some hazelnut roast into the gold filter.
“I got an e-mail,” Madison blurted out.
Mom chuckled. “Just one? That is news…”
“No,” Madison said. “I got one e-mail that was different.”
Mom got a worried look on her face. “Bad different?” she asked, moving toward Madison and the laptop. “Let me see.”
“No, no,” Madison said reassuringly. “Not bad. Not spam. Not dangerous.”
“Oh,” Mom said, taking a step back. “Then, how was it different?”
“It was from someone I haven’t seen in a while,” Madison said.
“Hmmm,” Mom was thinking hard now. “Was it Stephanie’s nephew in Texas? You said he was cute. Or maybe that boy from Chicago…You remember him, don’t you?”
“Mo-o-o-o-o-om,” Madison said, feeling her cheeks turn pink. Of course she remembered the boy from Chicago. Mark had given her her first kiss, on the Fourth of July at Gramma’s lake house. Thoughts of him and fireworks still made Madison grin.
“Who wrote the e-mail?” Mom asked finally. She wasn’t in the mood to guess anymore.
“Remember that guy Will I met at Camp Sunshine in Florida, when I was down there with Dad and Stephanie?”
“Will? Yes, I do remember. You e-mailed me about him. What did he say?”
“Hello. Good-bye. You know. He lives in Manhattan and wants to see me, or at least that’s what he said,” Madison replied.
“See you? My goodness!” Mom cried. “We’ll have to see about that, young lady. Of course I should come along as chaperone…”
Drrrinnngg!
Madison and Mom looked toward the doorway at the same moment. From somewhere in the house, Phinnie started to bark. He’d heard the doorbell, too.
“I wonder which one of your many admirers has come to see you this early?” Mom asked.
“Mom, quit teasing me!” Madison said. “I
Or not.
Will.
Madison felt her chest clench. Was this some kind of joke?
Will? From camp? From Florida?
The e-mail gave new meaning to the word “flabbergasted.” She reread it again and pictured Will’s shaggy blond hair. Cute. Right now he was an eighth grader preparing for his own MUD; and next year he would be a freshman, a ninth grader—one of the “big” kids. And he wanted to get back in touch? How could this not be a big, major, huge deal?
Madison hit REPLY right away. She started to type.
From: MadFinn
To: WillPOWR
Subject: Re: Remember me?
Date: Tues 13 Jun 7:19 AM
Thanks for writing. Wow, I was surprised. I didn’t think u would remember me, but then you wrote and I just felt so happy inside when I was reading yr
“Ack! That’s terrible,” Madison groaned to herself as she quickly punched DELETE, DELETE, DELETE . She had to make absolutely sure those words didn’t get sent to Will.
With another keystroke, Madison saved her reply to her “Drafts” folder. This was going to take some time. Madison would have to think extra-hard about how to respond without sounding like a dweeb.
The floor upstairs squeaked. Mom was up.
“Maddie?” Mom called out. “Are you awake?”
“Down here,” Madison replied from the kitchen.
Yawning, Mom came down the stairs and shuffled into the kitchen wearing her slippers and a terry-cloth robe. Her hair was curly and damp; she had just towel-dried it.
“You’re up so early today. And dressed! Trouble sleeping again, honey bear?” Mom said, yawning again.
Madison nodded and tried not to yawn herself. She pointed to Mom’s head. “I didn’t hear you take a shower,” Madison said.
“That’s because you’re too focused on that laptop,” Mom said with a sleepy wink. She walked over to the coffeemaker and started scooping some hazelnut roast into the gold filter.
“I got an e-mail,” Madison blurted out.
Mom chuckled. “Just one? That is news…”
“No,” Madison said. “I got one e-mail that was different.”
Mom got a worried look on her face. “Bad different?” she asked, moving toward Madison and the laptop. “Let me see.”
“No, no,” Madison said reassuringly. “Not bad. Not spam. Not dangerous.”
“Oh,” Mom said, taking a step back. “Then, how was it different?”
“It was from someone I haven’t seen in a while,” Madison said.
“Hmmm,” Mom was thinking hard now. “Was it Stephanie’s nephew in Texas? You said he was cute. Or maybe that boy from Chicago…You remember him, don’t you?”
“Mo-o-o-o-o-om,” Madison said, feeling her cheeks turn pink. Of course she remembered the boy from Chicago. Mark had given her her first kiss, on the Fourth of July at Gramma’s lake house. Thoughts of him and fireworks still made Madison grin.
“Who wrote the e-mail?” Mom asked finally. She wasn’t in the mood to guess anymore.
“Remember that guy Will I met at Camp Sunshine in Florida, when I was down there with Dad and Stephanie?”
“Will? Yes, I do remember. You e-mailed me about him. What did he say?”
“Hello. Good-bye. You know. He lives in Manhattan and wants to see me, or at least that’s what he said,” Madison replied.
“See you? My goodness!” Mom cried. “We’ll have to see about that, young lady. Of course I should come along as chaperone…”
Drrrinnngg!
Madison and Mom looked toward the doorway at the same moment. From somewhere in the house, Phinnie started to bark. He’d heard the doorbell, too.
“I wonder which one of your many admirers has come to see you this early?” Mom asked.
“Mom, quit teasing me!” Madison said. “I
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