All That Glitters (From the Files of Madison Finn, 20) (17 page)

The message after Dad’s was a coupon from Madison’s favorite online store, Boop-Dee-Doop. It was their annual winter sale, but Madison knew she didn’t need any more mittens or scarves. At least she didn’t
think
she needed any more woolly stuff. Her feelings about that changed significantly when she read the next e-mail from Gramma Helen.

From: GoGramma


To: MadFinn


Subject: Knitting


Date: Tues 25 Jan 2:42 PM


Maddie,


How are my favorite granddaughter and my favorite pug? I got your nice thank-you note for the sugar cookies. That’s my favorite recipe, too. I love hearing from you on e-mail, but my goodness I love it even more when you send me an actual paper letter. I especially liked the little cat stickers and the drawing in the corner of your envelope. You are so good at making pictures and collages—even on letters.


This week I am finishing up a little something else for you that I’ve been knitting for a month. It’s an afghan for your bedroom and I hope I got the colors right. You haven’t changed the wallpaper, have you?


Chicago is so cold. It takes at least three pairs of socks to keep my toes warm these days. We’ve been getting loads of snow, but I guess that’s just how the ball bounces. It’s always like that in the winters here.


I will call over the weekend. I love you all.


Gramma Helen


Madison reread the part where Gramma Helen said, “the ball bounces,” just like Mom would have said. They could be so different, Mom and Gramma, and yet they were also so much alike.

There was one final e-mail in Madison’s e-mailbox. Of course she recognized the screen name and clicked on it to open it.

From: Sk8ingboy


To: MadFinn


Subject: Shoot


Date: Tues 25 Jan 4:01 PM


Egg told me that yr mom is gonna be in school ALL WEEK? Hey I know ur being nice 2 yr Mom and all that but I would DIE if my parents were in my school so long no matter how nice they r. Whoa. I looked @ the sked and saw that we DEF don’t have n e filming @ the same time. I was sorta bummed out. Maybe u should get yr mom 2 change that LOL. Did u still wanna go 2 the movies w/me and Drew and Elaine and maybe Egg and Fiona 2? Lemme know. This wkend hockey might go late, but we could still do it.


C ya


Hart


p.s.: I HATE Mr. Danehy. The sci homewk this week STINKS. I can’t get lower than a B or Dad will ground me.


Madison smiled when she’d finished Hart’s e-mail. Lately, they’d been exchanging notes online and had even passed a few in their lockers at school. These were all signs that their “connection” was realer than real. If only Madison hadn’t had to deal with Mom’s movie, everything in life would have been that much closer to perfect.

She hit
SAVE
.

Madison decided that any communication from Hart deserved its own special folder, to be filed away in for all eternity.

No sooner had she hit the
SAVE
key than a message popped up on her computer with a loud ding.

: Well HELLOOOOOOOO U :>)


Her keypal! Madison headed in to one of the regular TweenBlurt chat rooms where she and Bigwheels liked to talk. Sending e-mail back and forth was one thing, but getting to chat back and forth at the same time was completely different—and way better—especially after the crummy day Madison had had.

: Ur online so late


: NR im just reading email


: how did yr math test go???


: B+ I think How was yr history paper


: I got a B+ 2!! Things R SO AWESOME


: Y what else is up


: got a part in the student chorus


: wowee congrats


: CSS>)


: im so happy 4 u


: But that isn’t even the best of the best news b/c 2day we did the COOLEST thing ever EVER in school


: what?


: We got online class pals


: what IS that


: my teacher signed up w/a class in another country and we all got class pals sorta like keypals


: really?


: yeah my class pal is from Australia


: that’s so far away


: IK isn’t that COOL?


: what is her name?


: her screen name is Pinky (ha ha)


: LOL


: I know it is funny but her real name is Amanda and she lives in Brisbane and she has three brothers and works on her family’s sheep farm


: I met someone from Australia once he worked w/my mom he was a cameraman


: N e way Pinky writes the best e-mails u would love her we already wrote to each other twice today in fact I was just online w/her b4 I knew u were online 2


: that’s cool


: WAM OMG I actually think she’s IMing me again right now how funny is THAT? It has to be really late where she is right now


: sounds like u guys r a perfect match


: I know we have sooooo much in common which seems so weird since she lives halfway across the planet, u know?


“Madison! Are you here?” Mom called.

Downstairs, Madison heard the door keys jangle. Phin ran into the hall.

“Maddie? I got some chow mein and steamed vegetables. Come on down here and let’s eat.”

Madison groaned. She didn’t respond, because of course talking was definitely not allowed in the proposed Mom boycott.

Instead, Madison turned back to the computer. Bigwheels was still there.

: Maddie? Hello???? What happened?


: I gotta go


: go! No! SO&T!


: cant, Mom is calling me


: E me l8r then?


: ok I will


: LYLAS


: me 2


: *poof*


Madison clicked off her computer. The excitement about Hart’s e-mail seemed insignificant compared to Bigwheels’s news.

She had
another
keypal?

Phin zoomed into Madison’s room. He scurried under her desk and grabbed a chew toy that he’d hidden there. Then he trotted out again, playfully shaking the toy in his mouth.

Mom appeared at the doorway to Madison’s bedroom.

“Did you hear me, Maddie?” Mom asked. “I have dinner downstairs. I’m sorry I was a little later than I expected. We finished setting up at the school. Looks like we can get some interviews and preliminary work done tomorrow without any problems. Isn’t that fantastic?”

Madison shrugged. She got up from her desk and silently closed her laptop.

“What’s wrong with you?” Mom asked, looking genuinely concerned. “Are you feeling okay?”

Madison bent over and picked up Phin and his toy. He was still chewing away on the end of the plastic newspaper toy. It let out a little squeak.

“Good doggy,” Madison said to Phin.

But she still didn’t say anything to Mom.

“Madison. Are you feeling all right?” Mom asked. She had a baffled look on her face.

Madison shrugged again.

“Is this about what happened today at school?” Mom asked.

Madison slinked past Mom into the hallway—still without speaking. By then, Mom had stopped talking, too. They headed into the kitchen, wordless, for the Chinese food.

For the next half hour, the only sounds in the Finn kitchen were the clang of forks (and chopsticks); the gnashing of Phin’s doggy teeth; and the low, slow tick of the oversize clock on the kitchen wall.

Buy
Forget Me Not
Now!

Author Laura Dower has a lot in common with Madison Finn: They’re both only children and they both love dogs, the color orange, and books! Laura has written more than ninety kids’ books to date, including twenty-five in the series From the Files of Madison Finn. Her other books include the new Palace Puppies series and
For Girls Only
, a guide to girl stuff. When she’s not writing, Laura loves to garden, sing (loudly), and volunteer as a scout leader for her daughter and two sons. She and her family live in New York. Want to be keypals? Drop her a note at
www.lauradower.com.

All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Text copyright © 2005 by Laura Dower

Cover design by Connie Gabbert

978-1-4804-2321-3

This edition published in 2014 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.

345 Hudson Street

New York, NY 10014

www.openroadmedia.com