Give and Take (13 page)

Kids gossiped in the halls about winter break. Vacation was right around the corner now.

Teachers decorated the halls of Far Hills Junior High with art class collages and paintings. Mr. Duane’s photography class spent the month shooting a photo retrospective of sports teams with black-and-white film. For the holidays, he’d framed the photos and hung them in the school lobby. During a break between classes, students gathered in the halls to take a look.

“Look!” Aimee squealed. “It’s me! They came to our dance class last month. I remember that!”

Madison saw a photograph of Aimee in her leotard, posing at the barre. She looked pretty and graceful, as always.

From behind them, Chet whistled. “You look hot, Aimee,” he said, cracking himself up. Fiona punched his shoulder for saying that, but Aimee thanked him. She wouldn’t turn down a compliment from anyone, not even an annoying boy.

“Hey!” Egg cried. “Check this one out. It’s from our hockey scrimmage. Hart, you’re on the ice, man! Good one!”

In the photograph, Hart had fallen down on his side on the ice. Drew stood over him, stick in the air. It was a great action shot.

“I remember that!” Drew shouted. “I checked you!”

“Couldn’t they show me making a goal?” Hart said, smiling. “I look like SUCH an idiot in that picture.”

“No you don’t,” Madison said without thinking.

“Yeah,” Hart said. “I do. But thanks anyway, Finnster.”

Madison’s face flushed. Hart had looked right into her eyes when he said that. How could a look feel more intense than actual touching?

“Hey, Fiona,” Drew said. “Where’s the picture of you playing soccer?”

Fiona shrugged. “On the cutting room floor I guess. Boohoo.”

“They should put up a picture of you singing a solo,” Egg said, giving Fiona a HUGE compliment right there in front of everyone. “You were the best one at the concert yesterday.”

Madison covered her mouth so she wouldn’t smile too obviously. Aimee hid her grin, too. The mutual crush between Egg and Fiona was as transparent as plastic wrap. Something was bound to happen between them sooner than soon. Maybe over winter break? Madison wondered.

“Hey, Maddie, have you decided what you’re doing yet for vacation?” Aimee asked aloud. “Are the ski plans back on?”

Madison shook her head. “Not yet. But that’s okay.”

“Hey, I’m going skiing—if it ever snows!” Hart chimed in. “My parents are taking me and my brother up to Mount Robinson. Have you ever been there?”

Madison’s heart sank. “Almost,” she said. “I was going to go stay there for a week this winter break, but my dad had a work conflict and my mom didn’t want me to go for so long and then he said … well … forget it.”

She stopped talking midsentence. Was anyone listening?

“What a bummer,” Hart said.

Madison nodded. “Yeah. I guess.” In the two weeks that she was singing in chorus and visiting with Mrs. Romano, Madison had pushed the ski trip into the back of her mind. But now, she felt disappointed all over again.

“Actually, my family is going skiing, too,” Drew piped up. “To Switzerland. My parents have a reservation at some spa there.”

Since Drew was easily the richest kid in class, he flew to ski resorts in Europe while the other kids were visiting tinier mountaintops near Far Hills. It was amazing how normal he acted in school.

“Anyone else want to come to Switzerland?” Drew asked the group. But he was looking straight at Madison when he said it.

Madison laughed in his face. “Yeah, right!”

Aimee leaned over to Madison and Fiona and whispered in her lowest voice. “I think I’m going to marry Drew and travel all over the world. HA! Wouldn’t that be awesome?”

“Yeah, right!” Fiona teased.

By now, Madison wasn’t really paying attention to Drew or her BFFs. Her gaze had drifted over to Hart, who was busy gabbing with Chet and looking at more pictures on the wall.

Madison wanted to marry
him.

Brrrrrring.

When the class bell rang, some of the boys rushed off to classes together. Egg grabbed Madison by the elbow.

“You have computer lab now, right, Maddie?” he asked.

Madison nodded.

“I took digital photos of yesterday’s concert,” Drew said. “And Mrs. Wing wants to put them up on the website.”

“You’re good at writing captions,” Egg said, pulling on her sweater. “You have to help us.”

Madison shrugged and said good-bye to her BFFs as they disappeared together toward science class. Fiona looked back once, like she wanted to stay with Egg. But he was on his way to Mrs. Wing’s classroom.

Madison followed him there. Along the way, she bumped into Ivy and company.

“Ivy,” Madison said, ignoring the drones. “You did a really good job singing at The Estates yesterday. Everyone said so.”

Joanie made a face.

“Um … let’s go. Ivy,” Rose demanded. “Like, NOW.”

Ivy didn’t budge. She turned away from the drones.

“That’s really nice of you to say that, Maddie,” Ivy said. “I mean it. Thanks a lot. You did a good job, too.”

Madison remembered Gramma Helen’s words and Fiona’s words. They were especially true right now.

You get what you give.

“Hurry up!” Egg cried, racing down the hall. “The bell’s gonna ring, Maddie.”

“See ya,” Madison said to Ivy. She glared at the drones and spun around so she could catch up with Egg. She didn’t look back once.

The computer lab was only a few yards away but Madison had to catch her breath as she entered. Drew was already set up at one terminal, uploading photos from a digital camera. Madison walked over and began to think up captions for the screen captures.

Residents of The Estates ring their Jingle Bells

Fiona Waters sings Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer with a red nose!

Hanukkah coins, candles, and music for everyone

Members of the Class Seven chorus do the Christmas “wave”

Señora Diaz and Mrs. Montefiore enjoy the food

“Hey, Maddie!” Egg called out from his desk. He was preparing an online holiday poll for students. The students helped maintain the school website with articles, photos, and polls.

“What?” Madison barked back.

“I was just wondering … are you going back to The Estates after Christmas is over?” Egg asked.

“Well, yeah,” Madison said. “Of course.” She hadn’t actually thought much about it until now.

“Smokey said I could visit him anytime,” Egg boasted.

“Mrs. Romano did, too!” Madison said. “And she gave me presents, too. An ornament of a bird and a snow globe.”

“A snow globe? You mean the thing you shake up?” Egg said. “Why did she give you that?”

Madison explained the whole story. Egg didn’t make fun, as Madison expected he would.

“She sounds as nice as Smokey,” Egg said. “I think it’s good that we got to know them.”

“And you didn’t want to volunteer at first,” Madison said. “Remember?”

Egg laughed. “Yeah, I know—but just because it was my mom. You know the deal. Sometimes she really gets on my case.”

The loudspeaker overhead crackled. Madison and Egg stopped to listen.

“ATTENTION! ATTENTION! DUE TO THE SEVERE WEATHER WARNING, PRINCIPAL BERNARD HAS CANCELED ALL AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES. STUDENTS ARE ASKED TO REPORT TO THE SECRETARY’S OFFICE IF YOU NEED TO CONTACT A PARENT.”

Madison and Egg looked at one another.

Severe weather warning?

They ran to the window of the computer lab and looked outside. The sky was a little gray, but nothing spectacular. Other students gathered to look outside, too.

“Kids,” Mrs. Wing said. “Please get back in your seats and finish your projects. We can watch for snow a little later.”

“Snow?” Madison said. “Since when is it supposed to snow?”

“All day and all night,” Mrs. Wing said. “There’s a snow advisory in effect. At least that’s what I’ve heard.”

“The weather lady said it was going to snow days ago,” Madison moaned.

Mrs. Wing laughed. “Oh really?”

“Snow! Snow! Snow!” one kid chanted. Egg, Drew, Lance, and a few other kids in the lab joined in.

Madison gazed out of the window. The sky darkened a little bit, moving together into one giant, gray cloud.

Was this the moment she’d been waiting for all week long?

Since computer lab was the last class of the day, Madison left class and headed straight for the lockers. On the way, she spotted Aimee and Fiona in the halls. They were standing in front of Fiona’s locker, acting chummier than chummy. For a moment, Madison didn’t even think they’d say hello. They seemed way more interested in each other.

But a second later, Aimee twirled her body around in a circle and waved to Madison. She darted over. Fiona followed behind, giggling.

“Hi, there,” Aimee said with a smile.

“Hey,” Madison said. “What are you guys up to? I saw you standing there. I didn’t think you saw me.”

“Of course we saw you,” Fiona said, giggling some more.

“What’s so funny?” Madison asked.

“We have something to tell you,” Aimee said.

Madison gulped. This was it. They were going to tell her that they’d decided they had become better friends and Madison would have to find some new BFFs

“Tell you? No, we have something to SHOW you,” Fiona said, correcting Aimee.

“Oh yeah. Duh,” Aimee said, hitting herself in the forehead. “I’m so excited I can’t even speak.”

“What is it?” Madison asked.

Fiona pulled a gift-wrapped box out from behind her back. “Here!” she proclaimed.

“For me?” Madison said, blinking twice.

Aimee leaned over and gave Madison a big squeeze. “Of course!” she said. “Open it! Open it! OPEN IT!”

“Yeah,” Fiona said, thrusting it into Madison’s hands. “I can’t wait to see the look on your face.”

Madison’s chest heaved.

This
was what Aimee and Fiona had been getting from the lockers?

This
was what they had been talking about “together?”

This
was the big secret?

Something for
her
?

Carefully, Madison untied the green ribbon on the package. Little silver bells were knotted at each end of the ribbon so the package made a tinkling noise every time Madison moved.

“Jingle bells!” Fiona said.

“Come on, Maddie,” Aimee said. “You’re too slow. Rip it open!”

But Madison took her time. The package was wrapped beautifully in red foil paper embossed with little Christmas trees. She peeled back the tape and opened the ends. Inside was a hard box wrapped in a layer of bright orange tissue paper.

“Orange!” Fiona blurted. “Your favorite color, right?”

Madison remembered when Fiona had asked her that question a few days before. Slowly, Madison pulled the tissue away to reveal the gift beneath.

A
collage
box.

“Do you like it? Do you like it?” Aimee asked before Madison even had a chance to respond.

“Like it?” Madison repeated. She took a deep breath and opened her mouth to speak—but no more words came out.

“Maddie?” Fiona asked. “Are you okay?”

Madison looked down at the collage box. Aimee and Fiona had decorated it with words and pictures of the three friends together. On top were the words
SUPER FRIENDS 4-EVER
. Around the sides, they’d pasted photos of Madison’s favorite animals, including Phin and Blossom. And inside, they’d lined the box with felt and fabric. They traced the number “13” on one edge.

“For good luck,” Aimee said. “Your lucky number is inside the box!”

“I can’t believe this,” Madison said dumbly.

Aimee and Fiona squealed. “She likes it!” and threw their arms around Madison. The trio grabbed the rest of their stuff and headed for the door.

“It’s snowing!” Aimee said as they crossed the street and wandered away from school together.

Fiona broke into song. “‘… walking in a winter wonderland…’”

As Madison looked up, a few fat flakes landed—
splot!
—on her face. She bent down and slipped the present into her bag so it wouldn’t get wet.

“I can’t believe you guys made me this present,” Madison said. “I went with Mom and bought your presents at the mall.”

Aimee and Fiona grinned.

“Well, you ALWAYS make us stuff,” Aimee said.

“So it was our turn to make stuff for you!” Fiona said.

Madison sucked in some cold air and let out a little gasp.

You get what you give.

Arm in arm, the three best friends headed for home under the snowy sky.

W
HEN MADISON GOT HOME,
Mom handed her Phin’s leash. He needed a quick walk before the weather got any snowier.

Madison grabbed Phin around the middle and pulled on his newest knit sweater. Gramma Helen sent it from a specialty pet store in Chicago. It was dark blue with little snowflakes. Just right for the day’s weather.

“Rowrrooooooo!” Phin howled and circled around excitedly, getting his little paws caught in the leash.

Madison grabbed the end and hurried outside.

The streets were busier than usual. People were heading home from work. Kids were still coming back from school. The city services truck drove by and dumped salt along the road to keep it from icing. Its giant plow was raised, but Madison knew that would be put into good use soon enough.

The sky was still light out even through the gray, and the eerie brightness reflected off the flakes of falling snow. It really is a winter wonderland out here, Madison thought. Phin trotted alongside her, stepping lightly since his paws were cold. He stopped to pee and then turned around for home right away.

But Madison picked him up so she could walk back slowly. She wanted to savor every moment of this delicious afternoon. Snow dropped from the sky like powdered sugar. It was like being inside a real-life snow globe.

Madison stopped short in the middle of the wet sidewalk.

A snow globe? That was it!

Her legs picked up the pace and she found herself sprinting toward home, trying not to slip along the way. Madison needed to tell Mom what she was thinking before the sky got any darker or the day got any later. She had something very important to do.