Lights Out! (14 page)

And some kids did nothing but sit. Like Ivy and the drones. They sat under a tree, off to the side, gossiping and acting as exclusive as ever.

Fiona, Aimee, and Lindsay each grabbed a paper plate and plopped down on the grass. They wanted to make M.A.S.H. charts again. But Madison wanted to make something else—something that would be a souvenir for herself. Collages were her thing, even if they were composed of flat stones and blades of grass instead of words and pictures from magazines.

After a half hour, a loud horn blared. Mrs. Goode clapped and asked everyone to line up for the departure from camp.

Madison shoved her decorated plate into her orange bag, which was overflowing by now. She looked up at the blue sky over Jasper Woods for the last time and sucked in some of the warm afternoon air. Off in the distance, the Tower rose up from the ground in the distance, orange and imposing.

But this was nothing to fear—not anymore.

She noticed that Fiona, Aimee, and Lindsay had grabbed their stuff and were heading for the bus line.

“Hey, wait for me!” Madison cried, waving.

“Wait!” Aimee said. “We have one more thing to do before we get on the bus.”

Fiona grinned. She tugged Madison’s sleeve, pulling her along.

“What?” Madison asked.

Lindsay had to stifle a giggle, too.

“What is this?” Madison asked again. “We’ll be late.”

Aimee and the others led Madison over to the Tower, the site of Madison’s morning triumph. They bent down.

“Look,” Aimee said. “Here!” She pointed to one of the beams along the Tower’s base.

Madison wrinkled her brow. “So?” she said, leaning closer to the base.

There, in the middle of one beam, she saw what her friends wanted her to see. Carved into the wood was a simple message:

M. F. + A. G. + F. W. + L. F. 4-Ever.

T
HE BUS SOUNDED LIKE A
camp song jukebox that had short-circuited. Kids were singing at least four different songs at once. But as discordant as it sounded, the bus was a happy place to be sitting right now. And it was much less cliquey than it had been on the trip out to Jasper Woods.

Plus, Madison loved it because now she knew most of the songs.

“‘Miss Lucy had a steamboat, the steamboat had a bell, Miss Lucy went to heaven, but the steamboat went to…’”

“HELL-O, operator!” Egg cried.

Mrs. Goode stood up, clapping. “Okay, we’re heading back to Far Hills. The trip takes about three hours from here. I want all of you to behave, please, on the ride back. We will be stopping at designated school bus stops that were prearranged by your parents. We’ll also be stopping back at the main school building. A parent must be there to take you home.”

Everyone kept on singing for a good ten minutes, but after that some kids stopped to talk. Others closed their eyes and napped. Madison yawned. It had been an exhausting three days.

Hart sat in the back of the bus near Ivy again, but he spent most of the time goofing off with Chet, so Madison wasn’t too jealous. Ivy and the drones kept mostly to themselves.

Aimee proudly showed off the results of her newest M.A.S.H. chart, which she’d finished after boarding the bus. Her future destiny was revealed. She would be a prima ballerina, riding in her limousine, living in a mansion in Paris, honeymooning in Tahiti, and having two kids.

“You cheated,” Madison said. “That’s too perfect.”

“You can’t cheat fate,” Aimee said, smiling.

Fiona showed the results of her M.A.S.H. quiz. Fiona was an archaeologist, riding on a donkey, living in the woods in an apartment, honeymooning in Far Hills, and having 99 kids.

“Hey, you and Maddie both have ninety-nine kids,” Lindsay said, laughing.

“Now,
that’s
more like it,” Madison said. “See, Aimee? Fiona’s is better.”

“And what’s wrong with that?” Aimee said.

Fiona reread her results. “Do they have apartments in the woods? A donkey? Gosh, my future is scary.”

The BFFs laughed together.

“What about you, Lindsay?” Madison asked.

Lindsay hadn’t finished hers. “I’m too superstitious,” she said. “What if it really did come true? That’s too weird for me.”

The girls talked about the homework that was due the following Monday and gossiped about the boys a little, but eventually, each of them dozed off. Madison was going to write in her notebook, but she decided to wait until she got home to her laptop.

By the time the bus arrived back at FHJH, it was dark outside.

As she got in her mom’s car, Ivy glared at Madison with piercing eyes that told Madison it wasn’t ever going to be over between them. Their feud was one sure thing that didn’t change at camp, Madison thought. Standing by the bus, she watched Ivy get smaller and smaller as Mrs. Daly drove away.

The remaining BFFs quickly spotted Mr. Waters. He stood waiting by the family minivan.

“Your chauffeur is here!” he joked as the three girls and Chet climbed inside.

“Oh, Dad,” Fiona gushed. Chet hopped into the front. Madison, Aimee, and Fiona went into the back.

When Mr. Waters pulled up in front of Madison’s house, Madison grabbed her heavy orange bag and climbed out.

“Let’s all meet up in the chat room tonight?” Madison asked her friends.

“Around nine?” Fiona asked.

“It’s a date!” Aimee said. “If I don’t crash earlier.”

As Madison climbed the porch steps, the tiredness from the field trip hit her all at once.

“Rowwroooooo!” Phin barked from behind the front door. Madison could hear his little nails clickety-clicking. He had been watching her through the window as she came up the front walk.

“Phinnie!” Madison cried, flinging open the door. She collapsed on the rug. He licked her ears.

“Is that you, Maddie?” Mom called out. She had on her jacket and the car keys were in hand. “Welcome back, honey bear. How was it?”

Madison sighed. She held up a single finger as if to say, “Hold on a sec,” and opened up her orange bag. Phin nipped at her knees.

“This is how it was, Mom,” Madison said, producing the certificate for “Best Camp Spirit.”

“Wow,” Mom said. She kissed Madison on the nose. “Let me look at you. You look the same. Oh, wait a minute! I see a new gleam in your eye….”

“Quit it, Mom,” Madison said, giggling.

“I’m so proud of you,” Mom said, rereading the award certificate.

“It’s not a big deal in the world or anything, but…” Madison’s voice trailed off. “I don’t know. It is a big deal to me. I won something.”

“Yes, it
is
a big deal,” Mom said. “Okay, I should dash to the gas station and pick up dinner. I hope pizza is okay. Didn’t have time to cook. I’ll be back in a flash. We can talk more later.”

Madison gave Mom a big hug. “I missed you.”

“Phinnie slept on your bed every night,” Mom said. “We missed you, too.”

Madison leaned down to hold Phin close. “Good boy,” she cooed into his little pug ears.

Mom ran out the door and Madison threw her stuff to the side of the hallway. She’d unpack later.

She had said her hellos to two of the three things she missed most. Dog, Mom, and now…Madison needed to reunite with the laptop. She pulled off her sneakers and ran in her socks up to the bedroom.

Hummmnummmm.

The laptop hummed as she turned it on. She punched the keys to log online and waited for a connection. There wasn’t as much e-mail as she’d expected, but it was from some of her favorite people.

FROM	SUBJECT
JeffFinn	STILL SICK
Bigwheels	He’s Back!
GoGramma	Miss You
W_Wonka7	Photos 4 Everyone

Still sick?
Poor Dad. Madison opened his e-mail first.

From: JeffFinn


To: MadFinn


Subject: STILL SICK


Date: Fri 25 April 5:45 PM


Hey, Maddie…TOY! It’s Friday, and I’m here in my pajamas with a very red nose.


Is it tonight that your class comes home or tomorrow? I can’t remember. Could be the flu medicine I’ve been taking. But I’m getting better slowly. Fever isn’t so bad. Let’s try to have dinner Monday or Tuesday night with Stephanie. She wants to see you.


Hey, did u hear about the sick ghost? He had an oooooooo-ping cough. LOL. Thought you’d like that one.


I can’t wait to hear how everything went @ Jasper Woods. I haven’t been up there in years. And you’re a born camper, Maddie! Dads know these things.


ILY,


Dad


Madison hit
REPLY
and sent Dad a get-well-soon wish. Then she opened the next e-mail, from Gramma Helen. It felt so good to be back online.

From: GoGramma


To: MadFinn


Subject: Miss You


Date: Fri 25 April 7:04 PM


Hello, my dear. I just got off the telephone with your mother who tells me you’re still off camping with the seventh grade. Well, good for you! I’m sure there was nothing to worry about. Were Aimee and Fiona there?


Have you and your mom planted the flowers in the backyard yet?


Call me on Sunday so we can chat. Give Phin a hug, too.


Love,


Gramma


Madison grabbed a piece of paper from her desk and scribbled
Gramma
on top so she’d remember to call the next day. Then she moved to the next e-mail, from her keypal.

From: Bigwheels


To: MadFinn


Subject: He’s Back!


Date: Sat 26 April 9:10 AM


I am such a spaz! I looked 4 u online all day Thursday to chat and was sad when I couldn’t find u n e where. But it’s ur school field trip. U get back tonight, right? How did it go?


Here’s the best news in the world. Reggie said he was sorry. I was like, TAH! But then he kept calling Thurs. night and then all day in school Fri. and I still like him. So we’re back together. He’s sooo…he even gave me some daisies. Did Hart ever give u daisies? That means he likes me again, right? I took one from the bunch and did that “loves me, loves me not” game. Guess which one came up?


I hate it when we’re not e-mailing.


Let’s go online & chat tomorrow. I MISS U! ! ! ! ! ! !


Yours till the gum balls,


Victoria, aka Bigwheels


Madison saved Bigwheels’ message in her files. It was a relief to know that Reggie was back on the scene. Madison hated sad endings to love stories, especially when her own love life was such a question mark.

She wanted to get through all the e-mails before responding to Bigwheels, so Madison clicked on the message from W_Wonka7. That was Drew. He’d sent it only moments earlier.

From: W_Wonka7


To: LuvNstuff, MadFinn, BalletGrl,


Wetwin, Wetwinz, Sk8ingboy,


TheEggMan, Dantheman


Subject: Photos 4 Everyone


Date: Sat 26 April 6:55 PM


Hey, there. I took some kool shots of everyone @ camp and on the bus. My digital camera rocks.


:>))))


C U in school on Monday!


Drew











Madison clicked open the attachments from Drew’s e-mail. In the first photo, Drew and the boys were goofing off in front of their cabin. Hart looked as cute as ever. Madison saved it to disk so she could print it out later on Mom’s laser printer.

The photo from the bus was a shot of everyone all squished together, arms waving. Egg was making a funny face. Dan had rabbit ears pointed behind Aimee’s head. Fiona and Chet were wrestling to be in front. Madison was off to the side, near Hart.

Hart. Sigh.

But the last photo was the best of all.

Drew had taken a digital shot of everyone cheering on while someone climbed the Tower. That person was Madison. He’d angled the camera so that Madison looked like a real daredevil, half hanging off the side of a beam. She had one arm raised in the air—like Madison the Conqueror. In the picture, Madison was beaming under her orange helmet.

From under the desk, Phin nuzzled Madison’s feet.

“I did it, Phinnie,” Madison said, kissing the top of his head. “I made it.”

Madison leaned over and opened up her bag. It was like a bag of camp memories. First, she took out the Camp Spirit certificate. She could scan it into her files to save and e-mail to Gramma Helen and Dad. Then she would find a frame to hang it over her desk. Next, Madison gently pulled out the paper-plate collage she’d made that afternoon. One corner got squished on the journey home, but it still looked pretty enough. She would give that to Mom at dinner. Finally, Madison pulled out her Day-Glo orange notebook and flipped through the pages. Reading it was like being at camp all over again. She powered up her laptop and began to type the notebook entries into her computer files.

“Maddie!” Mom yelled from downstairs. “Are you up there? Maddie! Pizza’s here! Hungry?”

“I’m coming, Mom!” Madison cried, quickly shutting her computer down.

Madison closed her notebook and sighed. She was no longer the camp outsider. She had survived Ivy, mud, and the Tower.

She really
was
Madison the conqueror.

: -e           Totally disappointed

>^,,^<      Kitty cat