TTFN (29 page)

zoegirl:

mads, you there?

mad maddie:

i is, i is. wassup, girl?

zoegirl:

well, i can't talk long because i'm heading out to dinner with my parents. i figure i should play the good-girl role while i can, so that they won't suspect anything about saturday night.

mad maddie:

have u worked out the details with doug?

zoegirl:

my mom and dad leave for the prom at 7:00, so i'll start cooking then. i'm making chicken parmesan, steamed broccoli, and crescent rolls.

mad maddie:

i thought for a romantic evening u were supposed to eat oysters.

zoegirl:

yeah, like i know how to cook oysters. if i even liked oysters, which i don't. anyway, i told doug to show up at 8:00. i don't want him coming over until the food is in the oven.

mad maddie:

what about kidding around? don't u guys usually work on saturday nights?

zoegirl:

we traded shirts.

mad maddie:

u traded SHIRTS?

zoegirl:

oops

zoegirl:

*shifts. we traded shifts with other employees. this is our one opportunity to have the house to ourselves, and i intend to take advantage of every minute of it.

mad maddie:

yeah, so that u can trade shirts, heh heh heh.

zoegirl:

that was pretty freudian, huh?

zoegirl:

i'm *nervous*, maddie. isn't that silly?

mad maddie:

it's cuz ur having impure thoughts. just think, after saturday u'll be a soiled dove.

zoegirl:

a soiled …?

zoegirl:

maddie, no. i told you already—we're not gonna have sex.

mad maddie:

says who?

zoegirl:

says me! *and* doug. we're not ready.

mad maddie:

u say ur not ready, but what happens when the passion of the moment overtakes u? do u have a condom just in case?

zoegirl:

oh, and where am i supposed to get a condom? you think i'm just going to march into the drugstore and

zoegirl:

*stop*! i am not having this conversation! doug and i are going to have a lovely romantic evening together, and maybe we'll fool around and maybe we won't.

mad maddie:

believe me, you will

zoegirl:

okay, we will. but we're *not* going to have sex.

zoegirl:

what about you? have you planned what you're going to say to chive?

mad maddie:

ur joking, right?

zoegirl:

if you're gonna confess your love to him, you need to know what you're gonna say. these things require thought.

mad maddie:

cuz ur the expert now?

mad maddie:

zo, u know i'm not a plan-it-out kind of girl.

zoegirl:

have you thought about it at all?

mad maddie:

dude, i have sweat stains the size of buffaloes blooming from under my pits.

zoegirl:

ick, maddie!

mad maddie:

just imagine how bad i'll be by saturday when i actually see him. THIS is why i don't wanna think about it. i'll just … say whatever i happen to say. don't stress me out, ok?

zoegirl:

fine, just as long as u don't wimp out. just remember: marshmallows!

mad maddie:

grrrr

zoegirl:

ack, my mom's yelling that it's time to go.

zoegirl:

but quickly, have u heard from angela today?

mad maddie:

no. u?

zoegirl:

she called from her cell a few hours ago. it was a little strange.

mad maddie:

strange how?

zoegirl:

because three minutes into our conversation, she said, “oh crap. here comes glendy.”

mad maddie:

i thought glendy was giving her the cold shoulder.

zoegirl:

that's exactly what i said. and angela said, “i thought so too, but she's heading straight for me. and she's wearing a VEST.”

mad maddie:

i don't get it. what's the significance of a vest?

zoegirl:

i don't know, that they're tacky?

zoegirl:

then in the background i heard this whiny voice, which i assume was glendy, saying, “angela? can we talk?”

zoegirl:

and then angela told me she had to go, but that she'd call me right back. and then she hung up.

mad maddie:

huh. i wonder what happened.

zoegirl:

and *i* wonder why she hasn't called me back.

zoegirl:

all right, bye for real!

zoegirl:

where in the world is angela? she still hasn't called or txted or anything!

mad maddie:

give it a rest. she's FINE.

zoegirl:

you don't think she's gone off and done something crazy, do you?

mad maddie:

ANGELA? no, i don't think she's gone off and done something crazy.

mad maddie:

unless maybe it involves a daringly sparkly eyeshadow …

zoegirl:

all right, all right. you don't have to make fun of me for worrying about my friend. sheesh!

zoegirl:

maddie, angela's phone is turned off, and i haven't seen her on FB or twitter or anywhere for two days. i called her parents' land line, and her mom says she's at *glendy's*!

mad maddie:

at glendy's?

mad maddie:

that's unexpected

zoegirl:

“unexpected”? that's all you can say?

mad maddie:

what do u want me to say?

zoegirl:

i want you to say that there's something very wrong with this picture, more than just “unexpected.”

zoegirl:

she's disappeared off the face of the earth, and we're supposed to believe she's at *glendy's*?

mad maddie:

she hasn't disappeared off the face of the earth. sure, her phone's turned off, but she probably just spaced it. as for not being online, she prolly just hasn't been online when U'VE been online. did u think of that?

mad maddie:

unless …

zoegirl:

unless what?

mad maddie:

unless the glendinizer locked angela into the basement and forced her into a vest!!! ahhhhhhhhhhhh!

zoegirl:

shut up

mad maddie:

maybe she and glendy had to do a school project or something. try to find glendy's number and call her there.

zoegirl:

do u know her last name?

mad maddie:

sorry, charlie, ur on your own.

SnowAngel:

hi, zo. it's super-duper late, i know. so yr prolly not awake … huh?

SnowAngel:

yeah. (sigh.) figured.

SnowAngel:

i kinda need u, zo. like, i need to talk to u. can u tell i'm not so great at being all by myself at midnight with no one to talk to?

SnowAngel:

ok, well … i know i'm supposed to handle things on my own and all that, but i might not be that strong. i'll call u if i need u. mwah!

SnowAngel:

maddie, are YOU awake?

SnowAngel:

or are you snoring?

SnowAngel:

*drums fingers on scratchy upholstery*

SnowAngel:

yr snoring. fine. just don't call me unpredictable ever again!!!

zoegirl:

maddie! i finally heard from angela, but it was weird. it was a late-night text, and it had to do with midnight and being alone and calling me if she needed me, only wanting to be strong enough not to have to. what was she talking about???

mad maddie:

she txted me too. she made a cryptic comment about not being unpredictable, maybe cuz for once she was up past me??? does that count as unpredictable?

mad maddie:

oh, and she said something about upholstery, which i didn't get.

zoegirl:

well, i feel better knowing that at least she still exists. although her phone is still going straight to voicemail.

mad maddie:

dude, she's fine. it's 8 in the morning california time. she's prolly sleeping, which is what i wanna do. power nap to rest up for my evening of sin and debauchery.

zoegirl:

tell me you're kidding. you're taking a nap at 11 am?

mad maddie:

nighty-night!

zoegirl:

sooooooo …? are you at chive's?

mad maddie:

not yet. we're not heading to his house until after northside's basketball game, cuz whitney insisted they attend.

mad maddie:

are u cooking your fancy dinner?

zoegirl:

everything's in the oven, and all i've got left to do is decide what to wear. what do u think: jeans and my peasant blouse or my black j.crew skirt and my gray cashmere sweater?

mad maddie:

i thought u were gonna wear your fancy underwear.

zoegirl:

but on top, dummy? i'm not going to open the door in my bra and thong!

mad maddie:

well, don't ask me. ask angela.

zoegirl:

don't u think i would if i could reach her???

zoegirl:

so what should i wear??? doug's gonna be here in 20 minutes!

mad maddie:

hmm. your peasant blouse is one of those off-the-shoulder dealies, right? i say wear that, for easy access.

zoegirl:

easy access to what?

zoegirl:

never mind. god, maddie, you and your smutty mind. i'm wearing the sweater.

mad maddie:

u ask for my fashion advice and then do the exact opposite? what kind of friend r u?

zoegirl:

a smart one!