Ex-Rating (14 page)

“What about?” Flynn asked.

Flynn was in the school musical, so Lina knew she could find her at rehearsal after school. She was hoping to straighten out
this whole Elvira thing. Maybe then at least Walker wouldn’t hate her. And not-hating could lead to liking, which could lead
to like-liking … that was the theory, anyway.

Lina looked at Flynn’s friends, who seemed eager to hear her answer. “It’s private.”

Lina had already gone to Ramona and accused her of being Elvira, but Ramona had denied it. Nothing Lina said could make Ramona
admit her guilt. She was so stubborn! And she seemed to be going out of her way to cause problems. But that was Ramona. Causing
problems was her lifestyle.

Flynn got out of her seat and followed Lina to the back of the auditorium, where they could have some privacy.

“It’s about that X-Rating,” Lina said. “From Elvira. I just wanted to tell you that I had nothing to do with it. I have an
idea who might be behind it, but no proof. Yet—”

“Why are you telling me this?” Flynn demanded.

“Because I know you and Walker had a fight about it, and I think it’s silly to let something like this come between you—”

“You think it’s silly? Silly to be upset because I just found out my boyfriend is a player? Because I was insulted in front
of the whole school?”

“I’m trying to tell you that the Elvira thing was fake,” Lina said. “Think about it. When has Walker ever acted like a player?”

“How would I know? We just started going out. But you’ve known him longer. He used to talk about you a lot. Not so much lately.”
Flynn paused and stared Lina right in the face. “I still don’t get it. Why would you bother telling me this … ? Wait! There’s
only one reason.
You
must be Elvira!”

“What? I am not,” Lina said. “I just wanted to help—”

“Because you feel guilty?” Flynn said. “Or because your plan backfired and now Walker’s mad at you instead of running into
your arms?”

“Flynn, that’s ridiculous.”

“I always thought there was something weird between you two,” Flynn said. “He always said you were ‘friends.’ But everybody
knows guys and girls can’t be friends—not really. You like Walker and you’re trying to steal him from me! It’s the only explanation!”

Flynn’s voice had risen to a shriek. “Flynn, listen, you’ve got this all wrong—”

“I don’t believe you,” Flynn said. “Get away from me. I don’t want to talk to you again.”

She marched up the aisle back to her friends, who were staring at Lina as if she were a circus freak.

So much for Plan A
, Lina thought as she slipped out of the auditorium.
What a snippy little pain in the butt she is! How can Walker like her?

Elvira’s right about one thing
, she thought.
Walker has sucky taste in girls
.

HERE IS TODAY’S HOROSCOPE: VIRGO: I know I said you were maturing, but now I take it back. If you keep regressing at this
rate, you’ll be back in diapers within a week.

Y
ou’re what?!?” M.C. shrieked.

Mads thought she’d better break the news of her suspension to her parents as soon as possible—before they had a chance to
return Rod’s call. It wasn’t going well.

“My innocent little girl!” M.C. cried. “What kind of delinquent have you turned into?”

“Calm down, honey,” Russell said. “It’s not as if she was suspended for smoking or cheating or anything like that.”

M.C. was curled up on the couch, hugging a pillow. Her eyes were wet behind her red cat’s-eye glasses. “I know,” she said.
“But—suspended! What does it mean?”

“It just means I can’t go to school for two weeks,” Mads said.

“But it’s almost the end of the year!” M.C. said. “You won’t be prepared for your final exams. And what about your permanent
record?”

“Um, I guess it’ll have a little smudge on it,” Mads was hoping to play this down, but that never worked with M.C. She was
high-strung. “Unless I can get the suspension revoked. And I can.”

“You can?” her father said. “How can you do that?”

“There’s a big parents’ board meeting next week,” Mads said. “I’m going to state my case in front of them and convince them
that this suspension is wrong. They have no right to censor the students! And all I’m really being punished for is speaking
out.”

“And disrupting school,” M.C. reminded her.

“Only for one period,” Mads said.

Russell gave her a hug. “I hope you can get the suspension reversed. If you need any help, let me know. I’m proud of you for
standing up for what you believe in.”

“Don’t tell her that!” M.C. cried. “You’ll only encourage her.”

“I also agree with your mother that getting suspended isn’t good,” Russell added.

“Hey, get in here!” Audrey cried from the den. “Mads is on TV!”

They ran into the den to catch the Rosewood strike on the six o’clock news.

“Look at you!” Russell said proudly. “A real old-fashioned radical! You’re the head honcho of this whole production, aren’t
you?”

“It was all my idea,” Mads said.

“That’s why you’re in trouble now,” her mother reminded her.

“You look fat,” Audrey said.

“Shut up!” Mads said.

“It’s peaceful, well-organized,” Russell said. “Mads, I think you were right to protest.”

“Don’t say that!” M.C. said. “What about her record? What about college?”

“I know your mother secretly agrees with me,” Russell said.

“I do not!” M.C. said. “Don’t speak for me.”

“See, Mom? That’s what we were protesting about,” Mads said. “The right to speak for ourselves.”

“Oh, honey,” M.C. said. “What are you going to do with yourself for two weeks?”

“It won’t be a vacation. You’ll have to keep up with your schoolwork,” Russell said.

“And we’re going to punish you,” M.C. said. “Somehow. Right, Russell?”

“I guess we have to,” Russell said. “This is serious.”

“I know how you can punish her,” Audrey said. “Make her be my slave! She has to do whatever I tell her to.”

“I have a better idea,” Mads said. “For punishment, I have to find the lowlifes who are your real parents!” Audrey wasn’t
adopted—she was the spitting image of M.C.—but sometimes Mads couldn’t believe she was related to her.

“We’ll think of something,” Russell said.

Monday, Mads’ first real day of suspension. It dragged. Russell and M.C. had yet to think up a punishment, but Mads was convinced
that the boredom of staying home all day was punishment enough.

The doorbell rang. Finally, something that passed for excitement. Mads glanced at the clock. It was after four—time for a
Lina/Holly update. Her father wasn’t home from work yet, and her mother the pet shrink was downstairs in her office with a
patient, a cat who hated its owner. Audrey was at a friend’s house. Mads went to the door expecting to find Lina or Holly.
Instead, she found Sean.

Without thinking, she threw open the door, then immediately regretted it. She was still wearing her pajamas (why get dressed?
She hadn’t left the house all day, and they were comfy). And not just any pajamas—SpongeBob SquarePants footie pajamas.

Sean took her in, shocked at first, and then laughed.

“Oh my god!” Mads cried. “I’ll be right back!” She tried to slam the door shut, but Sean caught it and pushed it open again.

“Wait, it’s okay,” he said. “You look cute. I’m a big SpongeBob fan.” He cracked up. Mads wanted to die. What was he doing
popping over and surprising her like this with no warning? She would have gone out and gotten a makeover if she’d known. Or
at least gotten dressed.

What
was
he doing there, anyway?

“Can I come in?” Sean asked.

“Please let me change,” Mads said.

“I’m only going to stay a minute,” Sean said. Mads let him in.

“Do you want something to drink or anything?” she asked him.

“A Coke would be great,” he said. He followed her into the kitchen.

“We don’t have any Coke,” Mads said. Her mother was a health freak. She opened the fridge and scanned its contents. “How about
an Herbal Kick Carrot-Celery Cooler?”

“Uh, pass. Listen, kid—Madison—I heard about what happened. That Rod suspended you and everything. Everybody’s talking about
it. And I just wanted to tell you I think it sucks. Totally janky. That school is supposed to be cool—different, you know?
Even my mom’s on your side.”

“Really?” Mads was surprised. His mother was one of those perfectly dressed, perfectly made up types with a super-neat house
(Mads had been there for a party once). Mads would have taken her for an anti-Dating Gamer. She looked uptight. “That’s nice.”

“Yeah,” Sean said. “I just wanted to tell you I think what you’re doing is awesome. I mean, standing up for yourself, for
students’ rights and all that. I-I totally admire it.”

Mads’ jaw dropped open. She had to use her hand to slap it shut. Sean had come to her house to tell her he
admired
her? Was she dreaming? It had to be a dream. In a few minutes she’d wake up to find Audrey standing over her, laughing and
saying, “You should have heard what you were saying in your sleep!”

Sean stood up. “So, anyway, I wanted to tell you that everyone at school is behind you, so don’t give up. I loved that walkout,
by the way. Missed a Spanish pop quiz, turned out.”

“Oh. Good.” Mads had finally found her voice, but not, apparently, her brain. Slowly it recovered from the shock of being
an object of Sean’s admiration. And not a moment too soon. Tired of waiting for some kind of response from her, he headed
for the front door.

“Sean, wait,” Mads said. “Thanks. That really means a lot to me. I’m in pretty big trouble, and it’s nice to know it’s worth
something.”

“It is.”

“Listen,” she said. “Will you help me? I want to stage a huge rally at the parents’ board meeting next Thursday. Will you
spread the word?”

“No problem.”

“Thanks. Bye!” She watched him trip down the jagged stone steps that led to the street, jump into his Jeep, and zoom away.
Who knew public service could be such a turn-on?

linaonme: mads—how’s the life o’leisure?

mad4u: boring—until sean came over.

linaonme: ?????

mad4u: 2 say how much he admires me

linaonme: ?????

mad4u: for being miss anti-censorship

linaonme: ?????

mad4u: stop doing that

linaonme: sorry, it’s just so non-sean

mad4u: I know, but it happened. Makes it all worthwhile. I’d turn down a nobel peace prize for a shot at sean. how was school
2day?

linaonme: bleh. Walker still pissed.

mad4u: did u tell him ramona is elvira?

linaonme: no. she still denies it. we need proof. Or a confession.

mad4u: I’ve got nothing but time. I’ll beat it out of her.

Mads was annoyed with Ramona. She got the Dating Game into extra trouble with this Elvira stuff, but she still wouldn’t admit
her guilt? It was wrong. And it was making things harder on Lina.

We’ve got to get her to confess
, Mads thought.
Maybe then Walker will forgive Lina, and they can at least be friends again. If that’s possible
.

First, to set the trap. Mads e-mailed Ramona and asked if they could meet at Vineland the next afternoon, just to bring Mads
up-to-date on what was going on in English class. Mads really didn’t care about English class, of course. She was on Elvira’s
trail.

“What did you really want to talk about?” Ramona asked Mads at Vineland the next afternoon. “I know it isn’t English. You
could give a crap about that.”

Mads was taken aback. She hadn’t expected Ramona to see through her so quickly. But it didn’t matter. The important thing
was she had her suspect in sight.

“Okay, you’re right,” Mads said. “I wanted to ask you a question … ELVIRA!”

She leaned close to Ramona and spat out the name Elvira as if she were saying “Boo!” Ramona didn’t flinch.

“You’ve got the wrong girl,” Ramona said. “I’m not Elvira.”

“Oh, come on,” Mads said. “It’s just the kind of name you’d pick. And I know you wanted to get Walker and Lina together—”

“So do you,” Ramona said. “Are you Elvira?”

“No,” Mads said. “And neither is Holly.”

“Well, neither am I,” Ramona said.

“But you’re the only person who could be,” Mads said. “You work in the school office. You even wrote down an access code for
me. You’re the only person who could tap into the Dating Game without us knowing.”

“That’s not true,” Ramona said. “Rod could have done it. Or Ms. Ellen.” Ms. Ellen was Rod’s secretary.

“But they didn’t,” Mads said. “Don’t toy with me. I’m a tough rebel now. I’m a bad girl. I’ve been
suspended
.”

“Big whoop. Sorry, but it doesn’t make you any more intimidating than you ever were. And you were always about as intimidating
as a baby bunny.”

“Hey! That’s not nice. Just confess, Ramona. To help Lina.”

“I’d love to help Lina, but I’m telling you, I’m not Elvira,” Ramona said. “If you’re through interrogating me, I’ve got homework
to do. I go to school.” She stood up and added, “I’ll let you pay for the coffee.”

Mads watched her go in disbelief. How could Ramona sit there and lie to her face that way? Repeatedly? Without blinking an
eye? What kind of person does that? She’d never really been friends with Ramona—Ramona was more Lina’s friend, and even Lina
had mixed feelings about her.

Sorry, Lina
, Mads thought.
I gave H my best shot. Ramona is too tough for me.