All Shook Up (From the Files of Madison Finn, 22) (8 page)

At some point during dinner, the family conversation turned to school. Madhur reported on how she had done on the last paper for English, as well as her results on a pop quiz in social studies class. Madison never had to report in to her mom like that. She wondered if Mr. and Mrs. Singh would ask about Madison’s grades, too. But thankfully, Madhur was doing all the talking.

Mr. Singh listened intently as the subject switched to that of the school conference. His face broke into a crooked grin again as Madhur mentioned the presentation with Madison.

“So, Dad, we decided to do our presentation on world hunger,” Madhur said.

“Makes sense,” Jahan interjected. “Since you eat so much.”

“If I wanted your opinion …” Madhur started to say, but Mr. Singh held up his hand to cut her off.

“Tell me more about the project,” he said, pressing for particulars.

Madison kept quiet while Madhur explained. Madhur talked about poverty and signing petitions and saving the world. She sounded really knowledgeable.

“Good, good,” Mr. Singh said. “You see how even one small presentation in school can make a difference. You must look at every academic opportunity as a moment when you stand and let your voice be heard.”

“ACK!”

Jahan broke up the conversation when he nearly choked on some kind of bone. He gulped a glass of water as Madhur cracked up.

“Choke much?” Madhur said. “That’s one way to be heard, all right.”

“Very funny,” Jahan cracked back. “Mom, this tandoori is a little hot, no?”

“No. You like it hot,” Mrs. Singh said. “Hush.”

Jahan settled back into his seat, stewing. The rest of the meal passed by more quietly as they talked about other subjects besides the conference. Mr. and Mrs. Singh engaged in a brief but humorous debate about their neighbor’s pet cats.

“Sorry about my parents,” Madhur said to Madison near the end of the meal, rolling her eyes. “Utter mortification.”

“Not at all,” Madison said, shaking her head. “Parent stuff. I get it. Except what was all that stuff about world hunger? We hadn’t officially decided on a topic, had we?”

“Oh,” Madhur said quickly. “I was just thinking on my feet. There was no way I could avoid telling my dad about the project. If I said we were undecided, he would have given us a very hard time.”

Madison appreciated the fact that there was a lot of pressure in Madhur’s home to do things the “right” way.

“Sure,” Madison said. “Besides, it’s a great idea. And we can pull the whole thing together this week, right?”

“I hope so,” Madhur said. “We’ve been spending more time being friends than doing what we’re supposed to do, you know?”

“I guess so,” Madison said.

“We were assigned to each other to do the work, not to hang out at the movies,” Madhur went on.

“Right,” Madison said. Inside she was thinking, Is hanging at the movies so bad?

Madhur must have been thinking the same thing, because a moment later she added, “Not that I don’t like the movies. And, your friends are all so nice….”

“Especially Chet, right? I saw you talking to him a lot,” Madison said.

“Yeah. Hart, too,” Madhur added. “He really is cute, isn’t he?”

“Who?” Madison stammered.

“Hart, of course. Everyone thinks so.”

“They do?”
This was the time to say something,
Madison thought.
Say something.

“I have a little crush,” Madhur admitted. “Is that wrong?”

Yes! Yes! Yes! S-o-o-o-o-o-o wrong!

Madison’s eyes must have rolled all the way back into her head, because the next words out of Madhur’s mouth were, “Um … Maddie, are you okay? Was the tandoori too hot or—”

“Huh?” Madison asked. “What?”

Madhur lowered her voice to a soft whisper. “Forget I said any of that, okay? I’m just being silly.”

Madison nodded. But forget? She couldn’t possibly.

Hadn’t Madhur seen Madison and Hart holding hands at some point? Didn’t she
know
? Didn’t she
sense
it?

That night, after Madison returned home, Mom asked her about the big dinner. Madison told Mom all about the food and the orange door and the very cool Sri Ganesha statue. But she couldn’t bear to admit out loud what Madhur had said about Hart.

The only one to whom Madison could admit the truth was her computer. She opened a new file before bed.

Madhur and Hart?


Just writing those two names together makes me feel all oogy. Wait. Is oogy a real word? I should have said something to Madhur about me & Hart, shouldn’t I? But I looked over at her and my lips and tongue got stuck. Maybe it was the curry from dinner? It was like she shot me with a poison dart.


Rude Awakening:
When is a sure thing not a sure thing? I’m not sure anymore.


Help.


Tonight I saw how exciting life is in Madhur’s world. She has so much going on.


Sometimes, when she starts talking about Punjab and her family, I feel like plain cardboard. I have nothing going on; not like her. I barely even do the web updates anymore. I haven’t played my flute in weeks. I don’t go to the animal clinic as often as I should (which is why I missed seeing those kittens one last time). If Madhur and I were in the same room, she would totally win the contest of who was more interesting.


I was never REALLY worried about Hart liking Ivy because after all, Poison Ivy is super fake. But Madhur isn’t fake at all. She’s the opposite of fake. And it’s probably only a matter of time before Hart notices—REALLY notices—this fact. It’s also only a matter of time before he realizes Madhur is way more interesting than me. Gulp. Then what? What am I supposed to do when things feel all shook up like this?


Rude Awakening #2:
Life is just a fizzy bottle of Coke. One shake too many and then … PFFFFFFFFFFFT.


Wow. I hope
I’m
not going to explode.


Can I do something to hang onto Hart—before it’s too late?


P
HIN WOKE MADISON UP
extra early on Monday morning with wet doggy kisses on her nose and forehead. Even though she was up earlier than usual, Madison felt way less fizzy than she had the night before. She hadn’t exploded—not even close.

Well, not yet, anyway.

As she dressed for school, Madison began to wonder if maybe she had been rushing things in her friendship with Madhur. After all, she’d been spending way more time with Madhur than with Aimee, Fiona, or Lindsay combined—and she felt a little guilty about that. Plus, what did she really know about her new friend? What if Madhur were just pretending to be like Madison—so she could
steal
Hart away? What if Madhur turned out to be like Ivy?

With time to spare before she left for school, Madison did what she always did when she had time: she went online. Usually, it calmed her nerves.

Much to her surprise, the in-box overflowed with mail. Madison went through and deleted all of the spam first, but there were many personal e-mails, too. Madison spotted three from Aimee (three?!); one each from Dan and Dad; and one from Fiona.

FROM          SUBJECT


BalletGrl     Mark the Date PLEEEZ


BalletGrl     & don’t 4get


BalletGrl     1 more thingie


Dantheman     thanx


JeffFinn      Dinner


Wetwinz       WUWC?


Madison had to read the Aimee e-mails first. They seemed urgent coming one right after the other like that. And Madison hadn’t said much to Aimee since the movies the day before. What could she possibly have to say that would fill that many messages?

From: BalletGrl


To: MadFinn


Subject: Mark the Date PLEEEZ


Date: Sun 27 Sept 10:12 PM


My bros r finally OFF the computer so I can write 2nite. N e way I wanted 2 say sorry about last wk. I was thinking that somehow u were still mad about it b/c u totally blew me off @ the GNO movies and IK you have been doing the project w/Madhur these days but still. I mean she’s ok, nice, sure, but I miss hanging w/you. OK I better go.


LYLASDA41S (heh heh, I made one up is it lame?)


Bye 4 now,


Aim


Madison was surprised by Aimee’s sort-of apology. Aimee wasn’t really good at saying she was sorry, and really, Madison had been the one who had done the blowing off, so if anyone should have apologized …

Madison hit
DELETE
and skipped to the next e-mail. Aimee sounded different in this one.

From: BalletGrl


To: MadFinn


Subject: & don’t 4get


Date: Sun 27 Sept 10:21 PM


OBTW IK u said u had a lot 2 do w/the conference but u still said u would go 2 my dance recital. I wanted 2 say that the exact time of the show next wkend is after 6 so maybe yr mom can drive u there? I’m a little nervous b/c I have TWO solos (can u believe it) and b/c Ben Buckley said he would come see it. Whoa. Maybe he just said that 2 be nice 2 me. Well, I hope someone comes.


Bye again,


Aim


And that wasn’t the last Aimee e-mail. She obviously had a lot to say.

From: BalletGrl


To: MadFinn


Subject: 1 more thingie


Date: Sun 27 Sept 10:25 PM


U borrowed my nubby green sweater a while ago and well I need it back now. Can u pls. bring it 2 school Monday. Also, I think u have one of my fave bracelets 2 that I loaned u & I need that back 2. ok bye.


As Madison reread the last mail, her stomach churned. After all, the green sweater and bracelet were loans from the
summer
, which felt like a million years ago. How could Aimee possibly need them back now? Was she being mean?

Madison couldn’t bear to think anymore about it. She skimmed through the other e-mails.

Dan’s note was just a thank-you for helping out at the clinic. Dad sent his e-thanks, too, for GNO, even though it had been overwhelming, with the arrival of the boys especially. Dad attached a page of bad jokes that he’d read in an airplane magazine. Madison had to laugh at all of them—even though they were really dumb.

Then came Fiona’s solo message.

From: Wetwinz


To: MadFinn


Subject: WUWC?


Date: Sun 27 Sept 11:05 PM


It is wicked late but Mom said I could work on the computer n e way and besides I owe u an e-mail right? Well, it’s a good excuse. OK so here’s what’s up: Chet is acting like the weirdest weirdo I have ever met. He started talking during dinner tonight (he never talks, just grunts) and he was asking me ALL these ?s about Madhur Singh. Ever since the movies Saturday he’s been obsessed. Does Madhur like him b/c he seems 2 think that she does? ok, I know I may be loony here but I think we should fix them up. Then maybe my bro will just shut up.


LYLAS!


xoxo,


Fiona


p.s.: If he knew I was asking u this he would KILL me so don’t u dare say n e thing.


p.s. again: Aimee called me earlier and she is still mad about Saturday, too. That GNO turned out to be way dif. than the last one we had, right? Is she ok?


Madison scanned Fiona’s note a second time. She thought again about everything that Madhur had said the day before about boys. There was no inkling of “like” for Chet, as far as Madison knew. Hart was the one Madhur kept talking about.
Grrrrrr.
Chet was perhaps the most annoying boy Madison had ever known, but she felt bad for him and for herself at the same time. Maybe if Madison let Madhur know the truth about Hart she would start liking Chet instead.

This was getting so complicated.

Madison glanced up at the clock. It was late! After rising early, she was now on the verge of missing homeroom. Quickly, Madison snapped the laptop shut without properly powering down. She pushed it into her orange bag along with two notebooks and a pencil case and jogged over to the closet to retrieve her jean jacket with the patches on the elbows.

“Where are you, Mom?” Madison called out from the center of the hallway. “I’m ready to go!”

Mom didn’t respond at first, but then she came dashing down the stairs.

“I was in the shower; I was in the shower,” Mom cried, hugging her bathrobe around her.

Phin danced his good-bye dance, too, around Madison’s feet.

“I have a meeting for the conference after school, and then I might hang out with Madhur in the library to work on our …”

“Okay, honey bear,” Mom interrupted sweetly. “Just don’t forget to call.”

“Okay,” Madison agreed. She walked outside and headed straight for school.