L8r, G8r (10 page)

mad maddie:

happy valentine's day, zo! wasn't that sweet what the senior guys did?

zoegirl:

soooo sweet. totally sweet!

mad maddie:

i wonder who came up with it? can you imagine a bunch of guys sitting around and one of them saying, “hey, here's a thought: let's deliver a bag of candy hearts to every girl in the senior class!”

zoegirl:

what *i* can't believe is that doug managed to keep it a secret from me. he told me later that he made sure my bag had extra candy, though. because he is a big sweetie.

mad maddie:

how'd the big sweetie like his unicycle?

zoegirl:

he's out in my backyard right now, trying to get the hang of it. i can see him clinging to a tree branch, attempting to get his balance.

mad maddie:

ha

mad maddie:

what'd he get u?

zoegirl:

a pair of hand-crafted earrings from somalia. he bought them when they docked there and saved them all this time. they're gorgeous.

mad maddie:

uh huh. well, isn't that nice.

mad maddie:

wanna know what i got for v-day? go ahead. ask.

zoegirl:

uh oh …

mad maddie:

A FRICKIN EMAIL CHAIN LETTER! FROM GLENDY!!!

zoegirl:

oh no! what did this 1 say?

mad maddie:

the subject line was “have a heart” (cuz it's v-day, get it?) and the message said, “hi, i am a 29-yr-old father whose baby has some terrible gut-wrenching disease. please forward this to your 2 million closest friends, cuz if you do then we'll get 32 cents a message and we can pay for our poor baby's operation.” it ends with, “if you delete this … you seriously don't have a heart.”

zoegirl:

ouch

zoegirl:

you deleted it, didn't you?

mad maddie:

on the bottom was a picture of a naked baby, butt in the air. there was a ribbon wrapped around the baby with a tag that said “from god.”

zoegirl:

oh no!

mad maddie:

yr laffing, aren't u?

zoegirl:

i just think it's hysterical that you get chain letter thingies from glendy and you actually read them. you get what you deserve.

mad maddie:

gee, thx for your sympathy

zoegirl:

i get glendy's emails too, but they go straight to “junk” and i delete them. i don't understand why you don't.

mad maddie:

i dunno, cuz i'm perversely curious to c what horror she's dredged up next?

zoegirl:

then you can't complain about them.

mad maddie:

yes i can. that's the whole point.

zoegirl:

maybe she'll apply to santa cruz, since she's in-state. maybe you guys can room together.

mad maddie:

should i kill myself now?

mad maddie:

one of these days i'm gonna write her back. i'm just waiting for the right moment.

zoegirl:

be sure to tell me when you do. *that* i want to see.

zoegirl:

hey, have you heard from angela? i called her, but she didn't pick up—probably she's with logan. he found me today after french and told me he's got some great surprise for her. he was verrrrrrrry excited.

mad maddie:

oh man

mad maddie:

you know she wants to break up with him, right?

zoegirl:

WHAT?

zoegirl:

why???

mad maddie:

cuz she finally admitted that he's more like a brother than a lover. ooo, that would make a good country song, wldn't it?

zoegirl:

but that's not true! if you'd seen them on saturday … she sure wasn't *kissing* him like a brother!

mad maddie:

cuz she was faking, and deep down you know it. you just want her to be in love with logan so that angela and logan can be twinsies with you and doug.

zoegirl:

that's ridiculous

mad maddie:

plus it made it easier for you to blow off those rumors, cuz if she was firmly with logan then of course she wasn't flirting with your bf.

zoegirl:

oh god, maddie

zoegirl:

you should have seen logan when he was telling me about her v-day surprise. he was like, “she likes blue, doesn't she? i know pink's her favorite color, but pink wasn't an option. but blue's good too, don't you think?”

zoegirl:

he was so excited!

mad maddie:

see, there's the imbalance. he was so excited, and she was like, “oh, crap. valentine's day.”

zoegirl:

you're depressing me. this whole conversation is depressing me.

zoegirl:

first margo and ian, and now angela and logan?

mad maddie:

it's senior year. these things happen.

zoegirl:

i hate that attitude! just because it's senior yr doesn't mean everything has to fall apart—and people should just keep their mouths shut if all they're gonna be is negative.

mad maddie:

by “ppl,” do you mean me?

zoegirl:

no, not you

zoegirl:

but ok, take this for example. do you know what jana said to me today, totally out of nowhere? she stopped
me in the hall and goes, “how are things with your boyfriend? keeping him on a short leash?”

mad maddie:

heh?

zoegirl:

she said it with a smirk, as if he *needs* to be kept on a leash. i guess she's been hearing those stupid rumors too. or … omigosh.

mad maddie:

what?

zoegirl:

was she the one who STARTED those rumors???

mad maddie:

holy frickin crap!

zoegirl:

all this time i've been thinking, whew, i got off easy with the whole Boo Boo Bear encounter. a couple thousand death stares, but nothing more.

zoegirl:

was this her way of getting me back, by planting rumors about angela and doug?

mad maddie:

jesus, how could we have been so STUPID?!

mad maddie:

AND she has homeroom with paige. we're such idiots!

zoegirl:

we don't know for SURE that it was her …

mad maddie:

if it was, she's going to pay!!!

SnowAngel:

LADIES! i haz news! you both out there?

mad maddie:

angela, where have you been? i've been calling forever!

SnowAngel:

i know, but i was unable to answer the phone. wanna know why?

zoegirl:

why?

SnowAngel:

cuz i was 2 busy DRIVING MY JEEP!!!!!! *squeals and laffs spazerifically*

zoegirl:

your jeep? what jeep?

mad maddie:

wait a minute, please don't tell me …

zoegirl:

no

SnowAngel:

yes

mad maddie:

NO

SnowAngel:

YES!

zoegirl:

LOGAN GAVE YOU A *JEEP*???

SnowAngel:

i know, isn't it incredible?!

SnowAngel:

he took me to collier park and led me to the playground area, and parked on the street was this sweet baby-blue Suzuki Samurai. he goes, “nice car,” and i said, “yeah.” he goes, “you should take it for a ride,” and i was like, “uh huh, sure, whatever.” and he goes, “no, seriously. look—the keys r in the ignition.” and i was like, “what dummy left the keys in the ignition?”

SnowAngel:

finally he took me by the shoulders, looked me in the eyes, and said, “angela, it's yours. happy valentine's day.”

mad maddie:

whoa, that's a helluva v-day present

SnowAngel:

his uncle IS the decatur car king, you know. i've given him so much hell over those cheesy radio commercials, but now i'm like, “car king, i love you!!!”

SnowAngel:

OMG!!! I HAVE A JEEP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

zoegirl:

but angela … you can't *keep* it!

SnowAngel:

why not?

zoegirl:

you know why! cuz yr planning on breaking up with him!

SnowAngel:

maddie! *growls at friend*

mad maddie:

oops—guess i let the cat out of the bag

SnowAngel:

*regains composure like a glorious summer day*

SnowAngel:

well OBVIOUSLY i'm not gonna break up with him now! duh!

zoegirl:

cuz he gave you a *car*?

SnowAngel:

yep

SnowAngel:

i mean, what an amazingly generous thing! he's like … oprah!

mad maddie:

i can't believe he gave you a jeep—altho that does
show good taste on his part. if your parents were here, no way would they let you keep it.

SnowAngel:

but they're not, and aunt sadie thinks it's extremely romantic. she's gonna put me on her insurance, and we're just gonna … not exactly mention it, that's all.

zoegirl:

angela, i can't get my head around this. how much do you think he spent?

SnowAngel:

$2000, he told me. his uncle cut him a deal.

zoegirl:

two thousand dollars???

SnowAngel:

it's used. der. but logan sez it's been really well maintained (whatever that means).

zoegirl:

angela, i think that's … vz

zoegirl:

i mean, it's incredibly nice …

mad maddie:

MORE than nice

zoegirl:

but it just doesn't seem right. you can't just give someone a CAR!

SnowAngel:

well, he did

zoegirl:

what did you give him?

SnowAngel:

erm … a very lovely gift certificate to barnes & noble

mad maddie:

for how much?

SnowAngel:

that hardly matters, now does it?

mad maddie:

you need to give it back.

SnowAngel:

i'm not giving it back.

mad maddie:

but you don't even love him!

SnowAngel:

love can grow! love can bloom!

zoegirl:

ANGELA!!!

mad maddie:

ohhhh, i just figured out what's going on here. zoe's rethinking those hand-crafted earrings … aren't you, zo?

zoegirl:

what?! i *adore* my earrings!

zoegirl:

r you suggesting i'd rather have a car?

mad maddie:

heavens, no. who in their right mind would rather have a car than earrings?

SnowAngel:

you guys, please don't spoil this for me. you KNOW how much i've wanted a car, for like my whole life. and logan wanted to do this—for me.

SnowAngel:

i think everyone should just be happy, k?

mad maddie:

come pick us up—i wanna see these wheels of yours!

mad maddie:

plus, we've got news to share about our evil nemesis, the dragon lady.

zoegirl:

we've MAYBE got news. MAYBE.

SnowAngel:

i'll be right over

SnowAngel:

zoe, you in?

zoegirl:

ohhh … ok. i've just gotta call doug and tell him i'll be late for our study date.

SnowAngel:

there in a flash, chickies. i'll be the one in the jeep!!!!