L8r, G8r (38 page)

mad maddie:

hey, a. found any dead birds recently?

SnowAngel:

ha ha

mad maddie:

just messing with ya. so can you graduate in peace, now that zoe finally went to bat for you?

SnowAngel:

why yes, i can. *smiles radiantly*

SnowAngel:

i woke up this morning thinking, “something good happened—what was it?” and then i was like, “right! zoe caught jana's stepmom going at it with the liquor store guy!”

mad maddie:

kind of a terrible thing to be glad about, but what is it they say? one person's pain is another's pleasure?

mad maddie:

what do you think jana's stepmonster is gonna do, now that jana knows?

SnowAngel:

make jana's life a living hell?

mad maddie:

i wonder if jana's gonna tell her dad. what do you think he'll do?

SnowAngel:

ya got me

mad maddie:

talk about an awkward conversation. can you imagine having to tell your dad that his wife's been whacking the liquor store guy's salami?

SnowAngel:

STOP! it's possible i feel a tiny bit sorry for jana's dad, but not for jana and certainly not for her stepmom.

SnowAngel:

if i feel sorry for anyone, it's zoe. she's the one who went thru it all.

mad maddie:

when i showed up at the parking lot, her face totally collapsed in relief. and then she burst into tears. like she'd been holding it together and holding it together, and could finally let go.

SnowAngel:

i'm so glad you were there for her. if i still had the jeep …

SnowAngel:

grrrr!

mad maddie:

she said something really smart when i was driving her home, tho. she was like, “being there in such an awful situation DID make me realize something. that no matter what i'm feeling, i get to choose how to act.”

SnowAngel:

meaning what?

mad maddie:

she said that when she was in the back of jana's car, her heart was pounding so hard she thought she might die. but she thought, “what would maddie do? what would angela do?”

SnowAngel:

hey now—why do YOU get to be 1st? does she think yr braver than i am?!

mad maddie:

yes, cuz i am

mad maddie:

and it was like a revelation to her that SHE'S the
one who gets to define what kind of person she is, despite being scared or anxious or whatever.

SnowAngel:

ohhhh! like last year when i decided i'd had enuff of california, so i just took off. it was so liberating to realize that i could make such a bold move and not be struck down by lightning.

mad maddie:

it sounds dumb when i write it down in words, cuz of course we're the ones who get to decide how to live our lives.

mad maddie:

but still. it seems important.

SnowAngel:

it IS important. it's not dumb at all.

SnowAngel:

so should we call zo and tell her how great she is? i tried her once, but she wasn't awake.

mad maddie:

ah, let her rest. she deserves it. but tonite let's take her to din-din.

SnowAngel:

thumbs up, big buddy!

SnowAngel:

OMG, it's officially our last wk of skool! 4evah!!!!

zoegirl:

and mad's sleeping in. go figure.

SnowAngel:

lame x 100. cya at grad rehearsal!

SnowAngel:

wake up, you lazy bum!!! i'm calling you over & over till you do!!!

zoegirl:

did you see jana at graduation practice?

mad maddie:

yeah. so?

zoegirl:

she was smirking at me. snidely. she was snidely smirking at me.

mad maddie:

and again i say … so?

mad maddie:

you didn't expect things to change b/w you, did you?

zoegirl:

well …

mad maddie:

she snidely smirked at me and angela 2. AND she whispered something to terri about my tevas, which i ignored.

zoegirl:

i think it was something about how you weren't as dressed up as everyone else. i couldn't quite hear, but i *think* that's what it was.

mad maddie:

whatevs, i'm just glad my fashion statement could bring jana and terri back together again. nothing like a catty remark to mend a friendship, that's what i say.

zoegirl:

i told jana it wasn't really terri who called, by the way. that night in the parking lot.

mad maddie:

well aren't you sweet

zoegirl:

i didn't want her thinking terri had stood her up, that's all.

mad maddie:

listen, jana and terri will do their dysfunctional dance till the end of time. and if one day they realize they've wasted their lives being nasty? tuff tootle birds for them.

zoegirl:

“tuff tootle birds”?

zoegirl:

maddie, i'm going to miss you soooo much.

mad maddie:

oh god, here we go. 1st angela with her waterworks … now UR getting mushy?

zoegirl:

it was the graduation music that got me. otherwise i would have been fine!

mad maddie:

curse marching in 2 by 2! curse “pomp and circumstance”!

zoegirl:

you got teary too, don't try to deny it. and i *am* going to miss you. and angela, of course. and mary kate and kristin and DOUG … i'm going to miss everybody so much!

mad maddie:

ian and i had another talk about next fall

zoegirl:

and?

mad maddie:

he said we'll make it work no matter what. that we just have to be honest with each other and tell each other what we're feeling.

zoegirl:

awww

zoegirl:

i hope you guys *do* make it. and doug and me, too. do you think we will?

mad maddie:

i don't know. but at the same time, i don't see why not.

zoegirl:

yeah. i like that way of thinking about it.

mad maddie:

what did doug say about your jana adventure?

zoegirl:

he was shocked. and he told me how stupid it was, which was oddly gratifying. he was being mr. protective.

mad maddie:

a little too late for that, bucko

zoegirl:

it changed the way he looked at me, i think. in a good way.

mad maddie:

that's awesome

SnowAngel:

heya, zo. i'm txting on this beautiful day to tell you that even if you super-duper want to, you can't ask me out for dinner tonight.

zoegirl:

uh … okay. only i never was planning on asking you to dinner. was i?

SnowAngel:

i'm just saying that if you got a wild urge for burritos, you'd have to call mads. not me. k?

zoegirl:

right. well. that was out of nowhere, but sure.

zoegirl:

anything else going on? did mrs. evangelista decide whether your exam's gonna be take-home?

SnowAngel:

*huffs in indignation* i can't believe yr talking about exams instead of asking me to dinner. do you not WANT to ask me to dinner?

zoegirl:

you just told me NOT to!

SnowAngel:

so?

SnowAngel:

i make this big deal out of telling you and maddie that i'm not available for dinner, and do either of you even fight it? nooooooo, yr both just like, “sure, whatevs, is your exam gonna be a take-home?”

zoegirl:

sweetie. r we having an angela moment?

SnowAngel:

it's like yr not even aware that we only have 3 more days of school. THREE MORE DAYS to enjoy just being us, and then come exams, followed by graduation, followed by 5 billion zillion graduation parties. and the parties will be fun, but they won't exactly be winsome-threesome intimate. i'm just SAYING.

zoegirl:

oh good heavens

zoegirl:

angela … would you like to go to dinner tonight?

SnowAngel:

oh, thank you so much for asking! that is so thoughtful! *hugs zoe and smothers her with smooches*

SnowAngel:

but no, i can't. sorry.

zoegirl:

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SnowAngel:

i'm taking *myself* out, that's why. this is STAND TALL FOR ANGELA DAY, and in my brain i will be saying “hahahaha” to logan and every other boy on the planet, cuz i do not need a boy to be complete.

SnowAngel:

i'm going to have a lovely time if it kills me, and that's why i can't drag you or maddie along. make sense?

zoegirl:

yes, altho you could have just said that.

SnowAngel:

g2g. gotta go primp for my hot date—with myself!!!