know.”
Mom smiled. “Oh, Maddie, I wish I could take all your nerves away. Come here.”
Mom hugged Madison. Then she helped her comb her hair so it wouldn’t have so much static. The digital clock read 10:52. Madison had to hurry.
“Good luck!” Mom waved good-bye from the porch. Madison waved back and sped over to Aimee’s house, trying to avoid ice slicks and slush puddles along the way. She had on her rainbow cap, green gloves, and orange parka and her new orange sweater and jeans.
Most important, the Ivy letter was neatly jammed into the inside pocket of her coat.
Roger, Aimee’s oldest brother, drove the girls over to the lake. He had a bad cold and kept sneezing the whole time, so Madison and Aimee huddled in the backseat as far away from the germs as they could get. They didn’t want to get sick, the way Fiona had been all week. By the time they passed through the gate marked WELCOME TO LAKE WANNALOTTA , the skating party came into view. Almost everyone else was already there. Madison could see Egg speeding around the lake, showing off his new hockey skates. Drew was following right behind him with his digital camera. Ivy and her drones were huddled by a bench. About a dozen other kids who weren’t in the seventh grade were there, too.
“I haven’t skated yet this winter! I am so psyched,” Aimee said as she leaped out of her family’s minivan. Madison wanted to stay in the backseat and go back home with Roger, but she finally did get out, skates in hand.
“Hey, Finnster!” someone yelled.
Hart.
Madison felt her cheeks blush. She wasn’t prepared to say hello, so she let Hart do most of the talking. He rushed right over, also carrying his skates in his hands.
“Whatcha been doing during the snowstorm?” he asked, babbling on and on about the weather. Madison couldn’t understand why he was talking so fast—or why he was talking to her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ivy give a dirty look in her direction.
“We’d better put our skates on,” Madison said. She felt warm.
“I knew you’d come,” Egg said, walking over to both of them. He was walking on the ground but wearing his skates.
After five minutes, with Aimee’s assistance, Madison’s skates were tied up and she was ready to hit the ice. Hart was still struggling with one of his laces, which had broken.
“See you out there,” Madison said, wobbling over to the ice. There was a splintered wooden deck built on one edge of the lake where people could enter and exit.
Ssssssssssst!
Chet skidded to a stop on the edge of his blades, sending up an ice spray.
“Hey, Maddie!” Chet said. “Fiona said to say hi to you and Aimee. She’s almost better. Mom says you guys can come over Sunday if you want. Actually, I think we’re gonna have everyone over for hot chocolate.”
“Really? Great!” Madison said.
Chet spun around in a circle like some kind of professional skater.
“Where did you learn to do that ?” Madison asked him. “You’re from California.”
“So? We skate there, too,” Chet said, laughing. “Are you skating or what?”
Madison was about to make up some excuse, but then Egg skated by and pushed Chet. He took off to chase Egg around the ring. Across the ice, they caught up with Drew, Lance, Suresh, and some other kids from school.
“Madison?” Dan Ginsburg was standing right behind her. “I figured you’d be here. Cool.”
“Hey, Dan,” Madison said, smiling. “Everyone is here.”
“Are Ivy and Hart going out or what?” Dan asked.
Madison’s mouth dropped open. “Huh?”
“Look over there. I heard he was a good skater, so why is he letting her show him how to skate? How dorky is that?” Dan laughed and skated off.
Madison shoved her hands into her pockets. She felt the letter and pulled it out. Maybe I should just rip this up, she thought. But she put it back into her pocket again.
She could see that Ivy was actually grabbing Hart’s hand and pulling him along the
Mom smiled. “Oh, Maddie, I wish I could take all your nerves away. Come here.”
Mom hugged Madison. Then she helped her comb her hair so it wouldn’t have so much static. The digital clock read 10:52. Madison had to hurry.
“Good luck!” Mom waved good-bye from the porch. Madison waved back and sped over to Aimee’s house, trying to avoid ice slicks and slush puddles along the way. She had on her rainbow cap, green gloves, and orange parka and her new orange sweater and jeans.
Most important, the Ivy letter was neatly jammed into the inside pocket of her coat.
Roger, Aimee’s oldest brother, drove the girls over to the lake. He had a bad cold and kept sneezing the whole time, so Madison and Aimee huddled in the backseat as far away from the germs as they could get. They didn’t want to get sick, the way Fiona had been all week. By the time they passed through the gate marked WELCOME TO LAKE WANNALOTTA , the skating party came into view. Almost everyone else was already there. Madison could see Egg speeding around the lake, showing off his new hockey skates. Drew was following right behind him with his digital camera. Ivy and her drones were huddled by a bench. About a dozen other kids who weren’t in the seventh grade were there, too.
“I haven’t skated yet this winter! I am so psyched,” Aimee said as she leaped out of her family’s minivan. Madison wanted to stay in the backseat and go back home with Roger, but she finally did get out, skates in hand.
“Hey, Finnster!” someone yelled.
Hart.
Madison felt her cheeks blush. She wasn’t prepared to say hello, so she let Hart do most of the talking. He rushed right over, also carrying his skates in his hands.
“Whatcha been doing during the snowstorm?” he asked, babbling on and on about the weather. Madison couldn’t understand why he was talking so fast—or why he was talking to her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ivy give a dirty look in her direction.
“We’d better put our skates on,” Madison said. She felt warm.
“I knew you’d come,” Egg said, walking over to both of them. He was walking on the ground but wearing his skates.
After five minutes, with Aimee’s assistance, Madison’s skates were tied up and she was ready to hit the ice. Hart was still struggling with one of his laces, which had broken.
“See you out there,” Madison said, wobbling over to the ice. There was a splintered wooden deck built on one edge of the lake where people could enter and exit.
Ssssssssssst!
Chet skidded to a stop on the edge of his blades, sending up an ice spray.
“Hey, Maddie!” Chet said. “Fiona said to say hi to you and Aimee. She’s almost better. Mom says you guys can come over Sunday if you want. Actually, I think we’re gonna have everyone over for hot chocolate.”
“Really? Great!” Madison said.
Chet spun around in a circle like some kind of professional skater.
“Where did you learn to do that ?” Madison asked him. “You’re from California.”
“So? We skate there, too,” Chet said, laughing. “Are you skating or what?”
Madison was about to make up some excuse, but then Egg skated by and pushed Chet. He took off to chase Egg around the ring. Across the ice, they caught up with Drew, Lance, Suresh, and some other kids from school.
“Madison?” Dan Ginsburg was standing right behind her. “I figured you’d be here. Cool.”
“Hey, Dan,” Madison said, smiling. “Everyone is here.”
“Are Ivy and Hart going out or what?” Dan asked.
Madison’s mouth dropped open. “Huh?”
“Look over there. I heard he was a good skater, so why is he letting her show him how to skate? How dorky is that?” Dan laughed and skated off.
Madison shoved her hands into her pockets. She felt the letter and pulled it out. Maybe I should just rip this up, she thought. But she put it back into her pocket again.
She could see that Ivy was actually grabbing Hart’s hand and pulling him along the
Similar Books
