TTFN (26 page)

mad maddie:

ah, we meet again in the lovely media center. so give me my stupid dare already, will ya? enough with the taunting looks, just get on with it.

zoegirl:

do u ever actually do your work when ur here? ever?

mad maddie:

i already know what it's gonna be, so don't think ur gonna pull one over on me.

zoegirl:

you know what it is, do you? then why don't you tell me?

mad maddie:

go on, just say it

zoegirl:

all right, then, here's your dare: tell chive how you really feel about him.

mad maddie:

WHAT? that's not the dare ur supposed to give me!

zoegirl:

that's the dare. are you a mealworm or are you a fly?

mad maddie:

that's a stupid dare. that's the most stupid dare u could have possibly come up with.

zoegirl:

oh yeah? then why is your face all red? i can see you, you know.

mad maddie:

chive doesn't like me. he likes whitney.

zoegirl:

then why does he kiss you? and why do you let him? and why are you packing up your books all of a sudden? has it gotten too hot in here for you?

zoegirl:

tell him how you feel. that's your dare!!!

zoegirl:

hey, angela. i know it's like two in the morning there, but … are you awake?

SnowAngel:

good god, zoe, i'm gonna have to strap a time-change clock to your forehead.

SnowAngel:

if it's 11:30 there, then it's 8:30 here, which means UR the one who's up late, at least for u. were u out with doug?

zoegirl:

yeah, we went out after work. but i'm not txting about doug for once. i'm txting to tell you what graham cracker said.

SnowAngel:

that 3-yr-old u think is so adorable?

zoegirl:

he fell and skinned his knee, and he got all worried when he saw that he was bleeding. it was just the tiniest bit, but he clamped his hand over it and said, “i am holding it in. i am holding it in.” like if he didn't, it might all drain out.

SnowAngel:

poor little guy

zoegirl:

finally he let me put a band-aid on. he watched me really carefully, and then his eyes welled up and he said, “zoe, i miss my mommy.” and i said, “i know. she'll be here soon.” and he said, “i miss her because i love her. and when i love people, i want them with me always.”

SnowAngel:

awww

zoegirl:

and it made my heart hurt, and i thought of you.

zoegirl:

that's all.

mad maddie:

hey, zo. i'm at java joe's right now, and guess who i ran into?

zoegirl:

who?

mad maddie:

ian! with margo pedersen! AND THEY WERE HOLDING HANDS!

zoegirl:

ooo, maddie, ouch.

zoegirl:

you okay?

mad maddie:

am i ok? hell yeah i'm ok. it was a classic awkward moment, tho, the ex meeting the new flame. ian was like, “uh, maddie, this is, um, margo. she's, um … well, we were just …” and i was like, “dude, i know who margo is. we go to the same school. and ur allowed to date someone new, u know.”

zoegirl:

weren't you upset?

mad maddie:

i did have the uncharitable thought of “she has a big ass, ha ha ha.” but oddly enough i wasn't that upset. wanna know why?

zoegirl:

why?

mad maddie:

cuz i don't like ian anymore. i mean, as a human being, sure. but i'm not pining over him.

zoegirl:

ahhh

mad maddie:

he's not chive, that's the point.

zoegirl:

so you're admitting loud and clear in the light of day that YOU LIKE CHIVE. that's good, maddie. that's very good. now you just have to tell *him*.

mad maddie:

wait for it, wait for it

mad maddie:

i'm gonna tell him this weekend. we're gonna hang on saturday—i'll tell him then.

zoegirl:

for real?!

mad maddie:

i haven't done it YET. but i figure if u can glue marshmallows to your nipples …

zoegirl:

doug calls me “hot cocoa” now. warm and luscious with a delightful marshmallow topping.

mad maddie:

good god, one little dare and out comes your inner deviant.

zoegirl:

ha ha ha. doug said the same thing, actually …

mad maddie:

doug shld send me flowers. he owes me BIG time.

mad maddie:

but for now, i'm outta here. i finished my chai and i've got some errands to run.

zoegirl:

like what?

mad maddie:

never u mind. it has to do with angela (and MAYBE u if ur nice), and it's a surprise. i just hate it that she's so depressed. it kills me.

zoegirl:

she left me a voicemail saying her mom's driving her into the city this afternoon. maybe that'll help.

mad maddie:

that reminds me, the other thing i need to do is swing by the DMV and apply for a new driver's license. every time i drive somewhere, i think, “shit, what if i get pulled over.”

zoegirl:

why do u need a new license?

mad maddie:

cuz i lost mine, didn't i tell u? byeas!

SnowAngel:

maddie, my life has hit an all-time low.

SnowAngel:

i know that hardly seems possible. how could i be lower than i already was? yet here i am.

mad maddie:

but … i thought u went into the city today. i thought u loved the city!

SnowAngel:

i do—it's the only good thing about being here. but guess who i saw while i was there? actually, don't bother, cuz u never will. i was buying a hot dog at the embarcadero, and the girl in front of me looked vaguely familiar. she turned around and it was JEANNIE STARR.

mad maddie:

jeannie starr? she goes to northside, doesn't she? i think she's one grade above chive.

SnowAngel:

yeah, she's a senior. that's why she was in san francisco, cuz she was visiting colleges. she says she wants to get as far away from home as possible.

SnowAngel:

isn't that ironic? i was like, “here, u can have my life. wanna trade?”

mad maddie:

that is so weird. i don't know that i'd even recognize her.

SnowAngel:

it took us both a minute, cuz i barely know her and she barely knows me. but then she said, “wait a sec … aren't u angela silver? i thought u were dead!”

mad maddie:

DEAD?

SnowAngel:

she said, “i thought u died in a car wreck! that's what someone told me!”

SnowAngel:

this is what my life has come to, maddie. i move away, and one month later everyone assumes i'm dead!

mad maddie:

that is so sad

SnowAngel:

i said to jeannie, “what? no, i'm not dead.” and she goes, “r u sure?”

mad maddie:

good grief. she is 1 donut short of a dozen.

SnowAngel:

i stuck out my arm and said, “u can pinch me if u want.” and she did!!!

mad maddie:

man. it's like that mark twain quote, “the reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”

SnowAngel:

but the reports of my pathetic-ness have not. i might as well be dead.

mad maddie:

DON'T EVEN SAY THAT. EVER!!!

SnowAngel:

and then—THEN—i came home to find glendy's name on our caller ID 13 times. what cld anybody have to say that's that important?

mad maddie:

how do u know it was the glendinizer? maybe it was mr. boss, calling for your dad.

SnowAngel:

nuh uh, cuz she didn't leave a message, which mr. boss would have done. anyway, dad was at work, so if mr. boss needed him, he'd have just gone to his office.

mad maddie:

did u call glendy back?

SnowAngel:

no, i hit delete, delete, delete. *jabs button 13 times*

mad maddie:

lord, angela

SnowAngel:

and now i am going to take a very long, very hot bath and use up all of my mom's aromatherapy beads. and even that will not wash away the stain of my pathetic-ness.

SnowAngel:

i love u, maddie, but i hate my life!!!