with Mom already.”
Madison couldn’t stomach even the idea of eating another all-natural, nut-and-grains-and-tofu meal at Aimee’s place. She loved squirrels, but she didn’t see the point in eating like one. Besides, Mom’s “scary dinners” of fast food had been fast improving, so eating at home wasn’t half bad. Since the Big D, Mom had been trying to work a little bit less and pay a little more attention to meals and housecleaning and other home stuff. And surprisingly, she and Mom were having a lot of fun together during the snow days.
Aimee grabbed her scarf and coat. “Come over and we’ll drive to the lake in a little while.”
“You didn’t say what you’re wearing,” Madison said.
“My lemon-drop ski parka, what do you think?” Aimee said. “It’s been waiting to make its ice-skating debut. And my new jeans with the embroidery up the sides. Oh, Maddie, I planned my outfit like days ago. I could never ever wait until the last minute—I would just lose my mind, you know?”
As Aimee left, Madison looked in the mirror again and smiled. She was calmer than calm now. This was going to be okay. She hung the rest of her clothes back in the closet.
But then, as she was tidying her room, Madison noticed the sealed Ivy letter. She picked it up from her dresser and read the front and back, something she’d done at least fifty times since finding it. Then she turned on her dresser lamp and held the letter up to the light. Wasn’t there any writing she could see through the envelope? She wanted desperately to know what it said.
“Drat,” Madison said to herself. She couldn’t see anything except for random scribbles and their names.
Madison sat down on the bed quietly. She wanted to work out a plan to bring the letter to the lake. Ivy had a right to read the letter at the same time as Madison. That was what they had promised each other. Madison needed to find some quiet time with Ivy and pull Ivy away from her evil drones.
Was this letter something that could change Ivy from enemy back into friend? Would it make up for all the yucky things that had been said and done over the past four years? Would they share a good laugh about surviving seventh grade—and even about both liking Hart Jones?
Madison curled up onto a pillow and sighed. A part of her felt like crying, but she didn’t understand why. She picked up the phone and dialed Fiona’s house, but the machine picked up.
Why did she feel like crying?
Madison sat upright again, determined not to feel anything.
She would give Ivy the letter and then walk away. She would let Ivy decide who should open it. That would be that.
Madison walked back over to the full-length mirror and stared at her reflection once more. “Chill out, Maddie,” she told herself. “It’s only a dumb letter. It’s only a dumb skating party.”
Mom happened to walk into the room at that exact moment and heard Madison talking to herself. “You really shouldn’t say that, honey bear.”
“What?” Madison said, whirling around.
“I don’t like hearing you talk that way about yourself or about anyone. You are not dumb,” Mom said.
“Oh.” Madison gulped. “I didn’t know you were standing there.”
“You are a beautiful young lady. And that sweater looks dreamy on you, if I may say so. Your mother has good taste, right?” Mom said.
Madison nodded. “Yeah. It’s just that I get so nervous about doing things I’m not good at. And skating is one of those things. And then there’s this boy…”
“Boy?” Mom asked. “You mean Egg?”
“What?” Madison said. “Eeew! Yuck! No! Someone else.”
“You mean someone who’s going to be at the lake, too?” Mom asked.
Madison nodded. “So I have to look right. I have to act right. I have to—”
“You have to be yourself, sweetie. This boy will like you just fine if you have a good time and be yourself.”
“But what is being myself, Mom?” Madison sighed. “I just don’t
Madison couldn’t stomach even the idea of eating another all-natural, nut-and-grains-and-tofu meal at Aimee’s place. She loved squirrels, but she didn’t see the point in eating like one. Besides, Mom’s “scary dinners” of fast food had been fast improving, so eating at home wasn’t half bad. Since the Big D, Mom had been trying to work a little bit less and pay a little more attention to meals and housecleaning and other home stuff. And surprisingly, she and Mom were having a lot of fun together during the snow days.
Aimee grabbed her scarf and coat. “Come over and we’ll drive to the lake in a little while.”
“You didn’t say what you’re wearing,” Madison said.
“My lemon-drop ski parka, what do you think?” Aimee said. “It’s been waiting to make its ice-skating debut. And my new jeans with the embroidery up the sides. Oh, Maddie, I planned my outfit like days ago. I could never ever wait until the last minute—I would just lose my mind, you know?”
As Aimee left, Madison looked in the mirror again and smiled. She was calmer than calm now. This was going to be okay. She hung the rest of her clothes back in the closet.
But then, as she was tidying her room, Madison noticed the sealed Ivy letter. She picked it up from her dresser and read the front and back, something she’d done at least fifty times since finding it. Then she turned on her dresser lamp and held the letter up to the light. Wasn’t there any writing she could see through the envelope? She wanted desperately to know what it said.
“Drat,” Madison said to herself. She couldn’t see anything except for random scribbles and their names.
Madison sat down on the bed quietly. She wanted to work out a plan to bring the letter to the lake. Ivy had a right to read the letter at the same time as Madison. That was what they had promised each other. Madison needed to find some quiet time with Ivy and pull Ivy away from her evil drones.
Was this letter something that could change Ivy from enemy back into friend? Would it make up for all the yucky things that had been said and done over the past four years? Would they share a good laugh about surviving seventh grade—and even about both liking Hart Jones?
Madison curled up onto a pillow and sighed. A part of her felt like crying, but she didn’t understand why. She picked up the phone and dialed Fiona’s house, but the machine picked up.
Why did she feel like crying?
Madison sat upright again, determined not to feel anything.
She would give Ivy the letter and then walk away. She would let Ivy decide who should open it. That would be that.
Madison walked back over to the full-length mirror and stared at her reflection once more. “Chill out, Maddie,” she told herself. “It’s only a dumb letter. It’s only a dumb skating party.”
Mom happened to walk into the room at that exact moment and heard Madison talking to herself. “You really shouldn’t say that, honey bear.”
“What?” Madison said, whirling around.
“I don’t like hearing you talk that way about yourself or about anyone. You are not dumb,” Mom said.
“Oh.” Madison gulped. “I didn’t know you were standing there.”
“You are a beautiful young lady. And that sweater looks dreamy on you, if I may say so. Your mother has good taste, right?” Mom said.
Madison nodded. “Yeah. It’s just that I get so nervous about doing things I’m not good at. And skating is one of those things. And then there’s this boy…”
“Boy?” Mom asked. “You mean Egg?”
“What?” Madison said. “Eeew! Yuck! No! Someone else.”
“You mean someone who’s going to be at the lake, too?” Mom asked.
Madison nodded. “So I have to look right. I have to act right. I have to—”
“You have to be yourself, sweetie. This boy will like you just fine if you have a good time and be yourself.”
“But what is being myself, Mom?” Madison sighed. “I just don’t
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