Three's a Crowd (From the Files of Madison Finn, 16) (14 page)

“Rowooorrrrooooooo!” Phin howled. He jumped at Madison. Madison grabbed him in her arms.

“Hello?” Madison called out. No one rushed to the door with an offer of a hug or a bowl of soup. Gramma was long gone.

“Hi, Maddie,” Mom responded.

With Mom back at home, the dinner plan was take-out.

“How was your day?” Mom asked.

“Okay, I guess,” Madison said. “Aim and I went over to see if Fiona was feeling better. I have a lot of homework tonight.”

“It seems strange without Gramma here, doesn’t it?” Mom said.

Madison nodded. “I liked having her here,” she said. “But you know what? I like having you here, too. I like it when it’s just us.”

Mom kissed Madison on the top of her head. “Me, too,” she said. She presented Madison with a Chinese take-out menu. “Pick something out for dinner tonight,” she said.

Madison grabbed the menu and sat down on the staircase to read it. She knew one thing for sure. She wasn’t ordering soup.

By the time the Chinese food delivery man brought the bag of Chicken with Cashews and Vegetable Surprise, with an extra-large order of brown rice, Madison and Mom were starved. They sat down at the kitchen table and laughed as they ripped open the bag of food.

“Here we are again!” Mom cheered as she poured them each a glass of ice water. She tossed a crunchy noodle to Phin, who poked it around on the floor with his little pug nose.

Madison grabbed her fortune cookie after they’d finished eating. She was hoping for some profound fortune like
Love is near
or
Love is all around you.

She didn’t know what to think when her fortune cookie had no fortune in it at all. Madison wished she got fortunes like the ones Gramma got before coming to Far Hills.

While Mom was cleaning up the dinner dishes, Dad called.

“I’m back from my business trip!” he cried into the receiver. “Want to go out for dinner?”

“It’s after seven, Dad,” Madison sighed. “And Mom and I just finished dinner.”

“No! Well, how about tomorrow, then?” Dad asked.

Madison held her hand over the receiver.

“Mom, it’s Dad,” she whispered. “Can I have dinner with him tomorrow?”

Mom nodded. “Of course,” she said. “Maybe you can spend the night at his place. He can drive you to school from the apartment.”

Madison liked that idea. So did Dad. They made a plan to meet the next evening at around six. Stephanie would make a Tex-Mex feast. That was one good thing about having a stepmother from Texas.

“You haven’t told me how you’re feeling, sweetheart,” Dad said, sounding concerned.

“Oh, I got the flowers. Thanks. And I’m much better now. Still have the cough a little. The doctor said bronchitis takes a long time to go away.”

“Wait!” Dad said. “I just got an idea. Why don’t I come over there right now and take you out for dessert?”

“Right now? Dessert?” Madison asked. She glanced over at Mom and then whispered into the phone. “Dad, it’s a school night.”

“We’ll grab a quick ice cream. It’s a warm night.”

“Well, I did get gypped on my Chinese fortune cookie….” Madison said. “Let me ask Mom.”

“He wants to take you for ice cream on a Wednesday night?” was Mom’s response. “Is he kidding?”

Madison put on her best pleading face.

Mom sighed. “Okay,” she finally said. “It’s one of the last warm days.”

Madison squealed and told Dad the good news. He agreed to come over right away. They would go downtown to everyone’s favorite ice-cream joint, Freeze Palace.

Dad honked the horn when he arrived, and Madison ran outside and jumped in. Unfortunately, by the time they got to Freeze Palace and parked the car, it had started to rain. In a matter of moments, rain was coming down hard. It was only a quick summer rain, but people who’d been enjoying the warm evening got soaked.

Madison and Dad ducked into Freeze Palace to find a crowd of ice-cream eaters who’d been caught in the rain.

“Oh—I’m—soaked—” Madison said as they looked around.

Dad was focused on the menu. “Do you want butternut crunch or chocolate chip?” he asked. He was getting his favorite, mint chip. They didn’t have Madison’s favorite, Cherry Ripple.

All of a sudden, Madison caught her breath.

A bunch of customers who’d been caught in the downpour stood nearby talking. In the middle of the group was a familiar face.

Josh Turner.

Madison left Dad at the counter and walked over toward Josh.

He recognized her immediately. “Hi, Madison.”

“Hey, Josh,” Madison said, worrying about whether or not her hair looked good.

“Wild night,” he said. “I’m just here with a few friends. We were studying together for a test, but we snuck out to the movies.”

Madison sighed. She imagined herself at the movies with Josh and his friends. She’d never been on a real movie date, but Madison liked to dream about what could happen on such a date, all alone in the dark.

Josh would reach his arm around her back and pull her closer to him.

He’d lean over and take her hand in his.

He’d move in for one … slow … kiss. …

“Madison?” Josh was trying to get Madison’s attention. “What are
you
doing here?”

Madison pointed to Dad. “I’m with him. That’s my dad.”

Madison wanted to turn three shades of purple.

I’m with my dad.

It sounded so
seventh grade.

“Oh,” Josh said. “I recognize your dad from the neighborhood. He’s always mowing the lawn the same time as my dad.”

“Are you getting something?” Madison asked.

“Yeah, a cone,” Josh replied. “Are you?”

“Oh, yes….” Madison glanced at the glass display case. “A chocolate-chip cone,” she said.

“No kidding! That’s my favorite flavor,” Josh said.

Madison swooned. “Really?” she said.

A girl with wet hair walked up to them and grabbed Josh’s elbow.

“Did you order already?” the girl asked.

“Hey, Madison, this is Remy,” Josh said.

Madison felt like she’d swallowed a fork.

Remy?

“Hi,” Remy said in a soft voice. She had long, curly, black hair that was all frizzed out from the rain. Her clothes were wet, too. “I just got soaked outside,” she said, pointing at her sneakers, which were completely drenched.

Madison looked down and then back up again at the two of them. She noticed that Josh had his hand on the small of Remy’s back.

She felt as though someone had hit her with a stun gun.

Where had Remy come from?

As if the whole scene couldn’t be made any worse, at that exact moment Dad walked over with their ice-cream cones.

“Maddie? It’s late, honey. Can you talk to your friends another time?”

Dad gave Madison the perfect “out.” But she couldn’t move. Her feet were stuck to the linoleum floor.

She had officially put the freeze back into Freeze Palace.

Fortunately, the paralysis was fleeting. As soon as Madison regained control of her limbs, she grabbed Dad’s arm and pulled him away.

She would eat her ice cream at home.

No good-byes for Josh or Remy.

Just a very quick escape.

On the drive home, Madison fought back a flood of tears.

After she had filled him in, Dad tried to be understanding. He made Madison feel a little less embarrassed about what had happened by telling her at least a hundred times that she was terrific. By the ninety-ninth time, she actually believed him.

Mom was even more consoling when Madison got home. Mom told her she was terrific, too.

Once her head stopped spinning, Madison headed upstairs to get ready for bed. She wasn’t sure she could ever face Josh again after what had happened. And what would she tell her BFFs? She’d made such a big deal about the new guy, the ninth grader, the cool next-door neighbor she’d never noticed before.

Now what?

Madison logged onto her laptop.

An e-mail from Bigwheels popped right up. There was one from Gramma, too. Madison read them in order.

From: Bigwheels


To: MadFinn


Subject: I’m Better How About U


Date: Wed 1 Oct 6:11 PM


I haven’t heard from you in a little while. Are you sick again? I’m better now. But I gave my flu to my little brother and sister so now almost everyone in the house is coughing. Oh well.


Remember that guy I sort of liked, Reggie? Well he e-mailed me and now I think I like him again. We were sort of going out except that we hadn’t really gone anywhere yet. Do you think I could ask him out? Would that be weird? I know girls rule and all that but I still feel embarrassed about asking him. I want him to ask me. Is that wrong?


BTW: We just found out at the vet that Sparkles is having kittens! I am so excited I want to keep them all. My mom just laughed at me when I said that. “Maybe one,” she said. LOL.


Write back! You haven’t said anything about Josh and I want to hear all the juicy details, ok? I think it would be soooo cool if you guys fell in love and lived happily ever after.


Yours till the teddy bears,


Vicki aka Bigwheels


Gramma’s e-mail was short and sweet.

From: GoGramma


To: MadFinn


Subject: Back Home


Date: Wed 1 Oct 7:03 PM


Home safe. But the house feels so empty with just me. I miss you already.


Hope you are feeling like your old self again. Stay as fit as a fiddle.


Love, Gramma


Reading Gramma’s kind e-mail made Madison wish that Gramma were still in Far Hills so she could tell her all about the Josh disaster.

Madison opened a new file.

Three’s a Crowd


Is this the face of permanent embarrassment? My cheeks will never be a normal color again. Help.


Rude Awakening:
I thought having the flu was bad. But now I’m heartsick and there’s no good medicine for that.


When I saw Josh with his girlfriend at Freeze Palace I thought I would shrivel up and die right there. Thank goodness none of my other friends were around. Egg would never have let me forget it.


How could I have been so wrong about him? Why did he write me those signs if he didn’t like me? Why did he talk to me in school if he didn’t want to get to know me better? He didn’t want to go out with me, a lowly seventh grader. He already had a ninth-grade girlfriend. And what kind of a name is Remy anyway?


Is it my fate to be loveless? I don’t get fortunes in my cookies. And I don’t get the guy.


I feel sick all over again.


B
Y THURSDAY MORNING, MADISON
had recovered. She got up and got dressed, determined to face the world with a smile. At least that was what she told herself in the mirror.

“Look good, and feel good,” Madison said to her reflection as she applied some strawberry-kiwi lip gloss. She wore her favorite T-shirt, faded Capri jeans, and clogs. Mom came into the bathroom and French-braided her hair with a ribbon. Madison put on the moonstone earrings Dad had given her and a silver ring on every finger. Lately she hadn’t been wearing her rings that much. Today she wanted to have on as much armor as possible.

“Wow! You look so pretty today,” Aimee, said at the lockers later in the morning, after homeroom class.

Madison smiled. She looked good. She felt good.

During study period, Madison, Aimee, Fiona, and Lindsay headed for Mrs. Wing’s computer lab to work on the webpage project. They had permission to use the scanner. Aimee had pulled some images of optical illusions from old books her Dad had given her. The pictures showed spirals and curlicues and cubes and even rainbows with mixed-up colors. The girls needed to put all of it on a disk so Madison could start formatting the page over the weekend.

After a rocky start organizing the project, Madison, Aimee, Fiona, and Lindsay were now gaining momentum.

Lindsay had a great idea for the opening screen of the webpage. It would be a greeting that played a trick on the eyes. It was shaped like a road sign.

DO YOU

LOVE TO

SEE OPTICAL

ILLUSIONS ON THE

THE INTERNET?

They showed the illusion to Mrs. Wing. She didn’t figure it out for at least a minute. Then she spotted the word
the
written twice. Madison loved the fact that they could fool a teacher, even if it was only for a short time.

After finishing up in the computer lab, Madison headed into the hallway with her friends.

“Look!” Aimee said. “It’s Josh Turner.”

Sure enough, Josh was standing in the hall, by the lockers. He was alone.

“Go talk to him,” Fiona said, nudging Madison. “He’s so cute.”

“We’ll wait here,” Lindsay said.

Madison didn’t budge. “I don’t think so,” she said. “Not right now.”

“But you look so great,” Aimee said. “You have to let him see you like this. He will ask you out in five seconds. Trust me.”