ice. She was touching him! Rose and Joan were following like good drones. Madison looked away.
Across the ice, Aimee was doing some kind of pirouette. Madison was amazed. Aimee was excellent at ballet, skating, and so many other things. Some cute boy was already talking to her on the ice, too.
“Maddie!” Aimee shouted, and waved. “Get out here. It’s FUN!”
Madison tentatively stepped out on the ice. Her legs started to slide apart like she’d do a split, but she was able to steady herself quickly. She pushed off with her right foot but couldn’t quite push off with her left. This meant that when she tried to skate, all she did was go around in circles.
Aimee came over when she saw Madison wavering on the ice. “Gotcha,” Aimee said, sweeping in and putting her arm on Madison’s arm.
“Aimee, I can’t do this,” Madison said. Her knees and voice were shaking.
“Yes, you can,” Aimee said. She pulled Madison along by the side and then switched over to skating in front. As Aimee skated backward, she pulled Madison along with her.
“Cowabunga!” Egg screamed from the middle of nowhere. He skated right toward the two girls. Aimee jumped back, but before Madison knew what had hit her, she was lying flat on her back.
“Jerk!” Aimee yelled at Egg as he zipped away, laughing hysterically. She leaned down to help Madison up off the frozen lake. “Are you okay, Maddie?”
“Yeah,” Madison said. She could see that almost everyone was staring at her now, like they were waiting for her next round of ice acrobatics.
“You wanna keep skating?” Aimee asked.
They circled the ice once together. “I need to stop for a minute,” Madison said. She clung to the edge of the ice, holding on to the railing, while Aimee skated off. Next to her was a girl she’d never met before, who introduced herself as Susie Quinby.
“Where do you go to school?” Madison asked.
“Actually, I go to boarding school. I’m just home on break,” Susie said.
“Really?” Madison said. “So where in Far Hills do you live?”
“Well, do you know where Hart Jones lives? I’m his next-door neighbor. And he’s the one who invited me here. He’s wicked nice.”
“Really?” Madison said. For a brief moment, she let go of the railing, which sent her body sliding back into the middle of the lake.
“Madison?” Susie called out.
But in a matter of seconds the damage was done. Madison Finn felt her body swirl around the ice before landing with a hard smack.
She’d fallen.
And she couldn’t get up.
Chapter 9
“I S THIS YOURS?” SUSIE was leaning over Madison, holding the Ivy letter.
Madison finally lifted herself up. The ice was cold on her butt. “Yes, that’s mine!” she said, grabbing the letter and shoving it back into her pocket.
“What happened over here?” Egg said, skating up to investigate the fall. “One minute you’re gliding over the ice, and the next minute you’re—SLAM!”
“Very funny, Egg,” Madison moaned, struggling to her feet.
Ivy skated over. “Ouch, that must have hurt.” She snickered. Most of the other kids around Madison giggled, too.
“Hey, Finnster,” Hart said as he checked in, too.
“HEY, EVERYONE!” Egg cried out from across the ice. “IT’S TIME TO PICK TEAMS!”
“Why do we need to pick teams?” Madison asked aloud.
Drew said, “Ice tag’s better that way!”
Everyone skated off toward the middle of the lake to play, but Madison collapsed on a bench instead.
“What are you doing over here?” Aimee asked, joining her on the bench.
“I can’t play ice tag,” Madison said, making a face. “I’ll just watch.”
“Then I’ll watch, too,” Aimee said, sitting.
“GET OUT HERE, AIM! WE NEED YOU!” Egg yelled from the ice.
“Let’s just start the game,” Ivy complained. “If she wants to sit out, then let her.”
“Hey, Finnster!” Hart shouted. He was a little unsteady on his skates, but he threw his arms into the air and glided
Across the ice, Aimee was doing some kind of pirouette. Madison was amazed. Aimee was excellent at ballet, skating, and so many other things. Some cute boy was already talking to her on the ice, too.
“Maddie!” Aimee shouted, and waved. “Get out here. It’s FUN!”
Madison tentatively stepped out on the ice. Her legs started to slide apart like she’d do a split, but she was able to steady herself quickly. She pushed off with her right foot but couldn’t quite push off with her left. This meant that when she tried to skate, all she did was go around in circles.
Aimee came over when she saw Madison wavering on the ice. “Gotcha,” Aimee said, sweeping in and putting her arm on Madison’s arm.
“Aimee, I can’t do this,” Madison said. Her knees and voice were shaking.
“Yes, you can,” Aimee said. She pulled Madison along by the side and then switched over to skating in front. As Aimee skated backward, she pulled Madison along with her.
“Cowabunga!” Egg screamed from the middle of nowhere. He skated right toward the two girls. Aimee jumped back, but before Madison knew what had hit her, she was lying flat on her back.
“Jerk!” Aimee yelled at Egg as he zipped away, laughing hysterically. She leaned down to help Madison up off the frozen lake. “Are you okay, Maddie?”
“Yeah,” Madison said. She could see that almost everyone was staring at her now, like they were waiting for her next round of ice acrobatics.
“You wanna keep skating?” Aimee asked.
They circled the ice once together. “I need to stop for a minute,” Madison said. She clung to the edge of the ice, holding on to the railing, while Aimee skated off. Next to her was a girl she’d never met before, who introduced herself as Susie Quinby.
“Where do you go to school?” Madison asked.
“Actually, I go to boarding school. I’m just home on break,” Susie said.
“Really?” Madison said. “So where in Far Hills do you live?”
“Well, do you know where Hart Jones lives? I’m his next-door neighbor. And he’s the one who invited me here. He’s wicked nice.”
“Really?” Madison said. For a brief moment, she let go of the railing, which sent her body sliding back into the middle of the lake.
“Madison?” Susie called out.
But in a matter of seconds the damage was done. Madison Finn felt her body swirl around the ice before landing with a hard smack.
She’d fallen.
And she couldn’t get up.
Chapter 9
“I S THIS YOURS?” SUSIE was leaning over Madison, holding the Ivy letter.
Madison finally lifted herself up. The ice was cold on her butt. “Yes, that’s mine!” she said, grabbing the letter and shoving it back into her pocket.
“What happened over here?” Egg said, skating up to investigate the fall. “One minute you’re gliding over the ice, and the next minute you’re—SLAM!”
“Very funny, Egg,” Madison moaned, struggling to her feet.
Ivy skated over. “Ouch, that must have hurt.” She snickered. Most of the other kids around Madison giggled, too.
“Hey, Finnster,” Hart said as he checked in, too.
“HEY, EVERYONE!” Egg cried out from across the ice. “IT’S TIME TO PICK TEAMS!”
“Why do we need to pick teams?” Madison asked aloud.
Drew said, “Ice tag’s better that way!”
Everyone skated off toward the middle of the lake to play, but Madison collapsed on a bench instead.
“What are you doing over here?” Aimee asked, joining her on the bench.
“I can’t play ice tag,” Madison said, making a face. “I’ll just watch.”
“Then I’ll watch, too,” Aimee said, sitting.
“GET OUT HERE, AIM! WE NEED YOU!” Egg yelled from the ice.
“Let’s just start the game,” Ivy complained. “If she wants to sit out, then let her.”
“Hey, Finnster!” Hart shouted. He was a little unsteady on his skates, but he threw his arms into the air and glided
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