Forget Me Not (From the Files of Madison Finn, 21) (5 page)

At the end of class, when no one was able to solve any of the brainteasers, Mr. Danehy shared the answers with everyone. Then class was dismissed. On the way out, Madison and the others ran into a crew of people filming another classroom.

The moment they saw a camera in the vicinity, Ivy and her drones began primping.

“Get to your next class, ladies and germs,” Mr. Danehy said.

Ivy, Rose, and Joan scooted away.

Hart caught up with Madison.

“You going to lunch?” he asked.

Madison nodded. “Are you done with filming?” she asked. “How was it?”

“Lame,” he said. “You were so right. It’s just a bunch of boring questions about what we do at school and what we do in our free time and if we hang out in groups or date or whatever.”

“Date?” Madison asked, super curious. “What did you say?”

Hart gave her a cross-eyed look. “Huh? I told them that we basically hang out in a large group.”

“Right.” Madison wasn’t sure what answer she had been expecting, but in any case it wasn’t the answer that Hart had given.

“We didn’t spend any time talking about sports,” Hart groaned. “But Chet did do a rap.”

“And?” Madison asked.

“It was good,” Hart said. “You’re always giving him such a hard time, but Chet’s a good guy.”

“You mean Fiona gives him a hard time,” Madison said.

“Nah,” Hart said, “all of you give him a hard time. Aim’s the worst.”

“Oh,” Madison said. The tone of their conversation had shifted. “So what else did you guys say on video?” she asked.

“Nothing,” Hart shrugged as they turned in to the doorway at the cafeteria. The big signboard out front read:
MEAT LOAF, FRENCH FRIED POTATOS, BEENS, AND BROWNIES
; someone had crossed out one
E
in
beens
and inserted an
A
to spell
beans
. Another person had inserted an
E
to correct the spelling of
potatoes
.

Aimee, Fiona, Lindsay, and the rest of the guys in their group had their food already. They crowded in at their usual orange table in the lunchroom. As Madison and Hart approached with their own trays, stacked high with sandwiches and fruit, the loudspeaker crackled.

“Attention,”
Principal Bernard’s voice called out.
“Your attention, students.”

Everyone in the room stared up at the square speaker on the ceiling.

“As you know, we have a film crew working here at the school this week,”
the principal continued.

Everyone in the room cheered.

“However, I am unhappy to report that we’ve had some incidents of students skipping classes this morning, due to the filming….”

Aimee, Madison, Fiona, and Lindsay looked at one another and tried hard not to laugh.

“Students, I want to remind everyone that the most important things you need to remember are your regular classes. Tests and presentations are not going to be rescheduled due to the filming. It is your responsibility to show up in the proper classes where you are expected. Thank you.”

The loudspeaker clicked off.

“Looks like the whole school is losing it,” Chet said.

“Even though we had permission to go to that seventh-grade interview, we got in trouble on the walk back,” Drew said. “The administration wants to be helpful, but I think they’re freaking out.”

“Did you see Mrs. Goode?” Hart asked the table. “She looked like she was having a major meltdown when I saw her in the hallway.”

“We saw that, too,” Fiona admitted.

The girls all giggled.

“Get this: my mom won’t let the film crew even step into her classroom,” Egg said. His mother was Señora Diaz, a Spanish teacher at FHJH for many years. “She says she doesn’t want an intrusion on her privacy or something like that.”

“See?” Madison said.

“See what?” Lindsay asked.

“Not everyone is a camera hog like you, Egg,” Madison said.

“Hmmm. Let’s see. There’s you, my mom …” Egg said slowly. “And who else doesn’t like it?”

“I don’t know,” Madison stammered.

“Face it. Everyone else is mugging. You’re way in the minority, Maddie.”

“Egg, shut up! You’re not helping,” Aimee said.

Madison’s friends moved in closer and put their arms around her for a group hug.

“You’re being a chicken,” Egg said.

“Cluck, cluck,” Chet added.

Fiona punched him.

“What’s the big prob, Maddie?” Dan asked. “You’re the one who keeps telling us the whole film shoot is no big deal.”

“Is it because you have absolutely nothing interesting to say?” Egg asked.

Madison threw a poppyseed roll at his head.

“Relax. You’ll be okay when they do the filming, Maddie,” Fiona reassured her friend. “Just sit in the back.”

“And don’t say much,” Aimee said.

“Ask to be excused for just a sec,” Lindsay said. “But then come back when they finish up their questions.”

“Why don’t you try not breathing while you’re at it?” Egg said.

Madison wanted to believe them, but she just couldn’t. By now the many reasons that she felt nervous and camera shy had taken over the core of her being. And even if she did get up the nerve to let herself be caught on camera, she couldn’t possibly answer any questions with her mom right there in the room, could she?

There had to be a way out.

The class-period bell rang and everyone shuffled their trays and grabbed their bags. No one had any video appointments until after school. It was back to normal classes for the seventh grade, at least until the next day’s disruptions. Aimee, Fiona, and Lindsay rushed ahead of the crowd to get out of the lunchroom. Madison hung back, and Hart came over to her.

As they walked toward the exit, Hart leaned in.

“Don’t bug out, Finnster,” he whispered. “You’ll be great.”

Madison turned and looked up into his wide eyes. “You mean it?”

“I mean it,” Hart said again, louder this time. By now they’d caught up to Egg. “And Egg was only kidding around. He thinks you’ll be great, too. Right, Egg?” Hart said, flipping his finger against the back of Egg’s head.

“I never said that!” Egg said. He hip-checked Madison. Egg was just trying to be funny, but he hit her too hard, and she lost her balance and fell to the floor with a loud splat. Madison’s book bag’s contents fell out everywhere.

Her BFFs turned back around when they heard the fall. “Thanks a lot, idiot,” Madison said as she scrambled to gather her stuff.

“Good thing no one was filming
that
,” Egg joked.

“I’m so going to get you,” Madison said.

“Me? Little old me?” Egg said. “Nah, you’re chicken, remember?”

The boys laughed. In the next moment, Madison was back on her feet, chasing them, making very loud promises that she was going to find a way to embarrass Egg—no matter what.

Of course Madison knew that before she did anything else (including getting revenge on Egg) she needed to conquer her fear of being on film.

And despite the comforting words from her friends, she had absolutely no idea how to accomplish that.

J
ULIAN LODGE STOOD
in the middle of the playing field, shouting directions and organizing his crew to get just the right shot. Madison’s mom stood next to him, clipboard in hand. Although it was midwinter, the playing fields at FHJH still looked a little green in places. Luckily for the film crew, there was no snow or ice on the ground, so they could do a few staged shots of teams in action. The athletic coaches had made arrangements for the team stars to fake scrimmages in soccer, lacrosse, and even baseball. The crew would film the ice rink (for hockey) and the interior gyms (for basketball and volleyball) later.

Aimee, Madison, and Lindsay had come along to cheer on their BFF, Fiona, and the rest of the soccer players. Fiona wore her shin guards, track pants, and Far Hills Rangers sweatshirt. Daisy Espinoza, her fellow teammate and soccer pal, was geared up, too.

“We have to play really well,” Fiona said.

“Absolutely,” Daisy said.

“Why? It’s just a fake game,” Aimee said.

“No game is ever fake,” Daisy insisted.

“Aim, what if some soccer scout sees the video and decides that he wants me … or Daisy … on his team?” Fiona hypothesized aloud.

“That’s true,” Lindsay said.

“Could happen, Aim,” Madison said.

“Please!” Aimee jeered. She politely reminded Fiona that they were in junior high school. Professional soccer tournament play was still a few years—at least—away. No one was scouting seventh graders.

“Still, I want to play my best,” Fiona asserted. “Being caught on film is a way to be remembered forever, and I don’t want to be remembered falling on my butt.”

Fweeeeeeet!

A shrill whistle blew on the field, and the soccer coaches, along with Julian, Mrs. Finn, and the rest of the crew, instructed the members of the girls’ soccer team to huddle. Fiona and Daisy ran off together, a blur of blue and white, which were the team colors.

“Good luck,” Madison cried out.

Fiona and Daisy smiled. “Thanks, Maddie,” they said, running toward the field.

The cast of spectators clapped for the team as they moved into positions for the scrimmage.

Madison watched Julian and Mom like a hawk. They were out on the field talking, leaning close together, and whispering to each other. Were they planning something? What? At one point, they both turned around, and Madison was sure she’d been spotted. Madison quickly ducked behind Lindsay.

There was nothing fake about the game. Everyone was playing as hard as he or she could. Madison, Aimee, and Lindsay even made up a funny cheer. They were trying hard to be serious cheerleaders, but they kept cracking up, so their cheer sounded way more like a sick whale song than a real cheer.

Ooooooh, my Feeee-Yona!

“Bend it like Beckham!” Madison screeched when Fiona was going for a ball. She knew that Fiona idolized the soccer star. She’d recently plastered her wall with a full-size poster of David Beckham on one side and one of Mia Hamm on the other. Plus, Madison knew that Fiona was a huge fan of that movie about the girl who loved to play soccer.

The only problem with cheering the team on was the temperature. As the Rangers played, the sun kept going in and out behind a large cloud. Madison and the others huddled close to keep from shivering.

After a few minutes, Fiona raced from the corner for an easy goal. Julian Lodge clapped his hands. “Great shot!” he cried as the camera zoomed in. But the ball soared right over, not into, the net.

Fiona dropped her head.

“Get up! You rule!” Madison cheered.

“Dance it back!” Aimee cried.

“You got it next time!” Lindsay yelled.

Mom shot Madison and her friends a smile. She liked it when they supported one another, even when (or was it especially when?) the chips were down.

Out on the field, Daisy slapped Fiona on the shoulder as the pair circled back.

“Hold on! Let’s take that one again!” Julian Lodge called out to Fiona and anyone else who was listening. “The angle on that play is exactly what I want. Can you gals just get into formation again?”

Even from way over on the sidelines, Madison swore she could see the panic—and doubt—in Fiona’s eyes. They wanted her to try the kick again. They wanted the good goal shot. But what if … she couldn’t make it?

Fiona rubbed her hands together fast and furiously, as she often did when she was nervous.

“Let’s do it again, Fiona!” Mom yelled. She raced over and took Fiona by the arm. Madison could practically hear Fiona’s anxious heartbeat. When Fiona glanced back at her BFFs, Madison, Aimee, and Lindsay gave her a long-distance thumbs-up—
way
up.

Fiona threw her arms up over her head and arched her back. She leaned over to touch her toes and then shook out her hands. Finally, she leaned back and ran. Her sneaker made contact with the ball. It looked good.

But with a whoosh the ball careened right past the net again.

“No-o-o-o!” Fiona called out, slapping her hands against her sides.

“No, no. Don’t despair. Let’s keep trying,” Julian cried, motioning to his team. “The light is perfect here, and it’s a good shot. Let’s do this until we get it right. Okay?”

Fiona looked a little defeated after her two misses, but the team applauded her, to get her pumped up. She got into position again.

“Take three!” a film crew member yelled.

Everyone clapped. Madison saw Fiona grin. She loved the attention. Madison knew that if she’d been in Fiona’s cleats she would never have been able to deal with that kind of pressure.

Fiona bounced on her toes and took off. The ball rolled her way, and she moved to the side to take a kick.

Madison couldn’t believe what happened next. Aimee and Lindsay missed the exact moment of impact, but everyone else saw the fall. Fiona made one swift kick into the air and landed on her back with a resounding thud.

She’d missed a third time.

“Cut!” Julian called.

Madison dashed over before anyone else could get there. At first, Fiona said nothing. Then she whimpered, “I blew it. Totally.”

“Fiona!” Aimee said, coming up behind Madison. By now everyone had gathered around.

“You didn’t blow anything. You’re the best wing on the team,” Daisy said.

“You just have to try, try again,” Lindsay said. “You know the rule.”

Julian walked over to the girls. “Sometimes it takes a dozen shots to get just the right one, girls.”

Fiona nodded. Madison could tell she was fighting tears. She wasn’t too good at failure on the soccer field, let alone failure
on camera
.

“Maddie, you were right,” Fiona whispered. “This film is dumb.”

“Don’t think that just because you didn’t get a goal,” Madison said. “Because
that’s
dumb.”

“I couldn’t get one kick to go the right way,” Fiona said. “I understand now why you didn’t want to be on camera.”

“Why not try again like Lindsay says?” Madison asked.

But Fiona didn’t feel like taking another shot at the goal.

Daisy went next. On her first try she landed the ball right in the corner. Everyone let out a loud “Hooray!” The other forwards on the team took a sequence of kicks after that. Pleased with his footage, Julian wrapped up filming on the field within a half hour.