Heart to Heart (From the Files of Madison Finn, 11) (19 page)

“There is so much to do!” Madison said.

“What’s a bird walk?” Rose asked.

“I’m starved. Is it time for the box lunch yet?” Joan the drone whined.

Madison noticed
The Tower
listed twice. She wondered if this meant her tall orange tower that she’d seen looming in the field.

“I heard that we have to climb to the top of the tower,” Lindsay said.

“The top?” Madison’s stomach flip-flopped.

“We have to fix up the trails or something, too,” Rose said. “Gosh, I am so NOT in the mood for this.”

“You’re never in the mood,” Ivy snapped jokingly. Rose stuck out her tongue.

“My brothers told me that this place is haunted.” Aimee said. “One of the old cabins has a ghost.”

“Ghost?” Madison said.

“I’m not afraid of this place,” Ivy said with an annoyed sigh. “Are
you
?”

“There’s hardly any time for talent show practice,” Fiona said, looking over the agenda.

“Like you even have a chance of winning,” Joanie said snidely from across the cabin. She said it softly, but
everyone
heard.

Ivy laughed out loud.

Aimee shot Ivy a cold look. “If we’re going to be in this cabin, we might as well try to get along,” she said, crossing her arms.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Ivy shrugged. “Take a chill pill.”

Aimee huffed and puffed but ultimately backed down. There was no point in getting all worked up
now.
The trip was only just beginning.

Madison and Fiona decided to play Switzerland and stay out of this confrontation, too. Fiona went to the other side of the room to talk with Lindsay and another girl in the cabin, Stacey, while Madison opened her duffel and unpacked the orange notebook Mom had given her the night before.

Inside the front cover Mom had taped a photo of Phinnie. In the photo, Phin wore a glitter-green bobbler Madison had purchased for him at the mall. His little pink tongue poked out. He had that happy-dog look.

Madison smiled to herself, clicked her pen, and started in on her first “temporary” file.

FILE: Field Trip

Laptop, where are you? It’s practically a washout here. Everyone’s fighting and the clouds are getting darker by the minute. I bet there are huge spiders that live in this cabin, too, which freaks me out. But I won’t mention that, because Fiona is scared of spiders and she’ll stay up all night even more freaked out than me. And my bed stinks. I can feel all the springs in the mattress. Nightmares are practically guaranteed here.

Speaking of nightmares, Ivy Daly is up to her usual tricks. And the bus ride was bumpy, hot, and looooong. Except for M.A.S.H, of course. Unfortunately, I am not going to marry Hart. That bums me out big time. I keep thinking about poor Bigwheels and her ex-boyfriend, Reggie. Maybe they’ve gotten back together? Maybe not. Sometimes I feel like bad news follows ME around like a dark cloud. And what’s with that tower in the middle of Jasper woods?

Field trips are supposed to be fun.

Are we having fun yet?

Buy
Lights Out!
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, 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.

Copyright © 2003 by Laura Dower

Cover design by Connie Gabbert

978-1-4804-2303-9

This edition published in 2013 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.

345 Hudson Street

New York, NY 10014

www.openroadmedia.com