TTYL (33 page)

SnowAngel:

MADDIE, I NEED TO TALK TO U! THIS IS SERIOUS!!!

SnowAngel:

i know yr reading these texts, or i really THINK u r, so i'm gonna tell u anyway. i just got off the phone with zoe, and i'm totally flipping out.

SnowAngel:

she's on her way to greg kravitz's house with mr. h—the kravitzes r out of town, it's a long story—and mr. h thinks that zoe is gonna go hot-tubbing with him.

SnowAngel:

he showed up at the door while we were talking, and maddie, her voice got all panicky and she hung up really quick. WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!!!

SnowAngel:

maddie!!! we're talking about zoe, who can't say
no to anyone. straight-A honor student, ppl-pleasing zoe. do u understand how serious this is?

SnowAngel:

fine, i'll just figure something out myself. only i have no idea what to do and i can't stop thinking about it and if u were really her friend u'd help me. IF ANYTHING HAPPENS, HER BLOOD WILL BE ON YOUR SHOULDERS!!!

mad maddie:

her blood will be on my SHOULDERS? god, ur dramatic.

SnowAngel:

maddie! *weeps with gladness*

SnowAngel:

thank god!

mad maddie:

anywayz, her blood would be on my HANDS, not dripping down my shoulders. why wld her blood be on my *shoulders*?

SnowAngel:

whatever. what r we gonna do?

mad maddie:

u said they're going to the kravitzes'?

SnowAngel:

uh huh

mad maddie:

then so r we. i'll pick u up in ten minutes.

SnowAngel:

yes yes yes!

mad maddie:

and grab your swimsuit. dunno about u, but i'm in the mood to go hot-tubbing.

SnowAngel:

hi, dear, sweet maddie

mad maddie:

hi, angela

SnowAngel:

have i told u how awesome u r yet this morning?

mad maddie:

not unless u airmailed it.

SnowAngel:

well, u r. *warm fuzzies for the mads, queen of heroic rescues*

mad maddie:

whatevs

mad maddie:

we pulled it off, tho, huh?

SnowAngel:

hell yeah! i keep seeing mr. h's face when we came through the back gate. how he went from
shocked to scared to “i'm cool, i'm cool” in, like, five seconds.

mad maddie:

it was classic

SnowAngel:

and zoe!

SnowAngel:

how her eyes were total saucers, especially when u stepped into the hot tub in that hideous purple tank.

mad maddie:

i ordered it from j.crew last summer, but i never wore it cuz it's so ugly.

SnowAngel:

it made u look like a bruise

mad maddie:

well i, for one, had a marvelous time. so nice, lounging in a hot tub in the middle of november.

SnowAngel:

oh yes, we should do it more often.

mad maddie:

i'll mention it to mr. h. maybe we can squeeze something in next weekend.

SnowAngel:

hahahahaha! the winsome threesome strikes again!

SnowAngel:

i say we go to shoney's breakfast bar to celebrate. u game?

mad maddie:

well…

SnowAngel:

mmm, bacon. mmm, those fiendishly good french toast sticks.

mad maddie:

ok, u convinced me

SnowAngel:

*pirouettes gleefully*

mad maddie:

u gonna text zoe?

SnowAngel:

u do it

mad maddie:

why me?

SnowAngel:

u know why. last night was all razzle-dazzle and hysteria—and it was glorious—but i could tell there was still weirdness b/w u two. zoe loves u and u luv zoe, but u need to officially clear the air.

mad maddie:

oh, plz

SnowAngel:

r u scared?

mad maddie:

no, i'm not scared. god.

SnowAngel:

so u'll do it, then. atta girl!

mad maddie:

whatevs. i'll pick u up in half an hour!

mad maddie:

hey, zo. it's me, maddie.

mad maddie:

well, duh. obviously it's me, unless someone stole my phone.

zoegirl:

maddie!!!! i was just going to call you!

mad maddie:

yeah, sure

zoegirl:

what do you mean? i was!

mad maddie:

if u say so. so… what's up?

zoegirl:

nothing much. i just wanted to thank you again. for last night.

mad maddie:

tell me about it. i saved your butt good didn't i? i can't believe u let yourself be alone with him—and in a HOT TUB no less.

zoegirl:

maddie!

zoegirl:

i tell you thanks and your response is to tell me how stupid i was?

mad maddie:

u have to admit u were. what the hell were u thinking?

zoegirl:

i don't know what i was thinking!

zoegirl:

anyway, i would think that you of all people would understand.

mad maddie:

huh? what is THAT supposed to mean?

mad maddie:

i think that *you* of all ppl would be grateful for being rescued! i wasn't that lucky, but U were!

zoegirl:

stops.

zoegirl:

breathes.

zoegirl:

oh my gosh. why are we doing this?

mad maddie:

honestly? i have no idea.

mad maddie:

angela said things were weird between us, and i guess she was right.

zoegirl:

i guess so

mad maddie:

fine

zoegirl:

fine

mad maddie:

FINE!

zoegirl:

FINE!

zoegirl:

this is ridiculous.

mad maddie:

so why don't u stop?

zoegirl:

why don't U?

mad maddie:

ok, i'm outta here

zoegirl:

wait!

mad maddie:

what?

zoegirl:

thank you. i DO mean it.

zoegirl:

it's just that you must think i'm so pathetic.

mad maddie:

i'm listening

zoegirl:

because… you know. because it was all so awful. because i was, like, paralyzed, just sitting there clenching my toes while mr. h kept inching his way toward me. you would have never have let something like that happen.

mad maddie:

uh, no, i'd just whip off my shirt instead. IF there were a hundred drunk frat boys there to appreciate it.

zoegirl:

agh

zoegirl:

what is WRONG with us?

mad maddie:

i have no idea

zoegirl:

i am so embarrassed, maddie.

mad maddie:

join the club

zoegirl:

you know what? maybe i need a little bit of you—like your “screw u” ballsiness—and you need a little bit of me, like my lame scaredy-cat-ness. only in a good way (if that is possible).

mad maddie:

you're not a lame scaredy-cat.

zoegirl:

oh?

mad maddie:

well, maybe last night u were.

mad maddie:

but unlike me, u never would have screwed up so royally at that frat party. and NOT cuz u would have been scared, but just cuz u don't get sucked in by the whole popularity game.

mad maddie:

and that's great! don't get me wrong! but it's one of the reasons i felt so stupid about what happened, cuz i knew u were thinking u were so much better than me.

zoegirl:

no i wasn't! we *all* make mistakes—obviously.

mad maddie:

hmmm

mad maddie:

no comment

zoegirl:

why wouldn't you talk to us about it? we were totally there for you, but it's like you didn't want us.

mad maddie:

i DIDN'T, at first, cuz i was so pissed. and then the more time that went by, the harder it got.

mad maddie:

it just sucked, basically.

zoegirl:

it sucked for us too

zoegirl:

and i know i already told you this, but i AM sorry that angela and i talked about you behind your back.

zoegirl:

but honestly, we didn't mean to.

mad maddie:

i know. i'm sorry for overreacting.

zoegirl:

it's okay. i'm sorry for not being a better friend!

mad maddie:

should we be like playing violins and shit? angela would be bawling her eyes out.

zoegirl:

and you're not? kidding!

mad maddie:

speaking of angela, what would we throw in from her? if we were creating the perfect mix of the three of us, that is.

zoegirl:

i don't know. her love of makeup?

mad maddie:

her love of boys?

zoegirl:

her love of… what's that drama guy's name? her love of schlankers?

mad maddie:

ZOE! i can't believe u said that!

zoegirl:

see? i'm not such a saint.

mad maddie:

i'd say u proved that last night, sister.

zoegirl:

*covers head*

zoegirl:

noooo! i don't want to think about it!

zoegirl:

i'm just teasing about angela, though. you know i love her.

mad maddie:

and you know i do too. and she loves us, and maybe that's what part of her we'd add in—her complete and full loyalty to her besties.

zoegirl:

zoegirl:

and fine, i admit it. it *was* pretty awesome when you two showed up last night.

mad maddie:

yeah?

zoegirl:

how you strolled through the kravitzes' back gate, gabbing about what a fabulous night it was for hot-tubbing?

mad maddie:

heh heh heh

zoegirl:

omigosh, and when you dropped down between me and mr. h, stretching out your legs and taking up as much room as possible? i about died.

mad maddie:

just doing my duty, ma'am

zoegirl:

you were practically in his lap!

mad maddie:

AND he was wearing a speedo, which made it doubly horrific.

mad maddie:

shit, zoe, what r u gonna do when u c him on monday?!!

zoegirl:

i have no idea

mad maddie:

what is HE gonna do?

zoegirl:

i *seriously* have no idea

zoegirl:

i wish i could switch out of his class, but i know it's impossible.

mad maddie:

cldn't u get your mom to request it?

zoegirl:

and tell her WHAT?

mad maddie:

ah. good point.

mad maddie:

at least u won't have to waste your time with that religious crap anymore.

zoegirl:

it wasn't the church's fault. i LIKED the church.

mad maddie:

oh, lord

zoegirl:

but i'm not worried about that. i'm worried about HIM.

mad maddie:

well, we'll figure something out together, u and me and angela. cuz, u know, all three of us r such pros when it comes to guys.

zoegirl:

yeah, right

zoegirl:

so whatever happened with ian? did you straighten things out with him?

mad maddie:

i've only seen him once since halloween, and that was last saturday when we worked together. at first he was all aloof, but we were thrown together so much that it was pretty much impossible NOT to talk.

zoegirl:

are you too a thing again, then?

mad maddie:

i wouldn't say we're a “thing.” i'd say we're a “maybe.” i didn't tell him exactly what happened on halloween night, but he knows i ditched him for jana, and he wasn't exactly thrilled.

zoegirl:

i can see that

zoegirl:

and speaking of, what about jana? are you going to patch things up?

mad maddie:

u have to ASK?

mad maddie:

u and angela were right—jana's a bitch. case closed.

zoegirl:

oh. well, sorry. except also—good!