Friends till the End (20 page)

“Suresh Dhir and Wayne Bronstein!”

The room filled with polite applause. Madison sank back in her seat, feeling strangely deflated.

“However.” Mr. Danehy said, holding up his forefinger, “I cannot stop there. In my mind, the winners of this honor include another fine pair of my students who overcame great obstacles to produce a sharp project. That’s why I would like a second award to go to Madison Finn and Ivy Daly.”

Thunk.

Madison was sure that her stomach had just dropped all the way to her feet. She felt clammy.

“Maddie,” Aimee whispered. “He said your name. You have to go up onstage.
Now.”

The clamminess got worse as Madison’s mind raced. She had to go
where?
She was not getting on that stage… She was not getting an award…She was not standing next to the enemy!

Poison Ivy, meanwhile, had already worked her way up to the podium in her dumb short skirt, with her hips swinging and her red hair flipping.

Madison somehow managed to slink out of her row. Hart gave her hand a grab as she went by, which helped, but she was still pretty sure she’d fall flat on her face.

Was everyone looking at her right now?

Help.

Mere seconds had passed between the time when Mr. Danehy had made his surprise announcement and the moment Madison climbed onto the stage, but it felt like an eternity. And there was Ivy, waiting by the podium, grabbing Madison’s hand and bringing her fist into the air with Ivy’s own, with a wide grin, as if they were the closest of partners—and friends.

Help!
Madison wanted to scream.

Instead, she leaned over to shake Mr. Danehy’s hand with her free hand. He nodded approvingly. Then Madison glanced out at the crowd before her, all clapping. And then, in the middle of all the chaos, she saw Dad. He stood up in the back…and there was Mom, right next to him…and Stephanie, too…and Gramma Helen on the other side.

Seeing family gave Madison a lot more comfort.

“This is incredible,” Madison whispered to Ivy as they stood there.

“I know,” Ivy said.

“You didn’t do any of the work, and you got an award,” Madison said.

“No kidding,” Ivy gloated.

Madison pulled her hand away and gave the enemy a hard stare. “What goes around comes around,” Madison said sharply before stepping back and heading for the stage steps. “So I guess I’ll see you around…”

Ivy’s smile disappeared in that brief exchange, but catching her enemy off guard wasn’t the best revenge. As Madison walked away, Ivy wobbled just a bit on the edge of her platform shoes. That caused her to drop the award. As she bent over to retrieve it, Ivy’s skirt rode up in the back. Madison saw everything, including her underwear. And so did half the assembly! As Ivy struggled to fix her outfit, she lost her balance a second time! It was the ultimate fashion malfunction for the queen of mean.

It was
perfect.

Then Madison heard a few chuckles in the audience. She glanced back to see what the enemy had done now. Ivy stood perfectly still on the stage, frozen there like an icicle.

As she clambered back to her own seat, proudly clutching
her
award in her right hand, Madison rubbed her ear with her left hand. Dad’s moonstone earrings had brought her more than luck today.

From that moment on, Madison would consider this trophy as an award not for science class or for her blue sky project, but for sheer guts.

It stood for the day when she finally took some of the air out of Ivy’s sails—without sinking too far down herself to do it.

Real name
:
MADISON FRANCESCA FINN

Nickname
:
Maddie, Finnster :>)

Screename
:
MadFinn

Grade @ FHJH
:
7
^th
Grade GRAD!!!

Favorite class
:
Technology, English, and Writing

Favorite teacher
:
Mrs. Wing (of course)

Favorite after-school activities
:
The four Ws: website team (aka computer anything), watching Fiona’s soccer games, working backstage, and walking Phineas T. Finn, my pug.

Hobbies
:
making collages, writing in my files, chatting online with my long-distance keypal, Bigwheels

Best achievements
:
Winning a prize in the Halloween story contest on tweenblurt.com, getting the science recognition for all of 7
^th
grade
.

Best memory
:
Anything with my BFFs, but especially these top-ten seventh-grade moments. …

10. Celebrating Lindsay’s 13
^th
birthday party in NYC and feeling like I was with my “Twin” sister (and shopping with Aunt Mimi on Madison Avenue, of course!)

9. Skiing Big Mountain with Aimee and surviving the boys, the slopes, and a really big fight.

8. Making it thru Mom’s reality video shoot @ FHJH – without losing my mind or all of my friends LOL

7. Babysitting 4 Eliot at the FH pool – and realizing that I can really do something if I set my mind to it.

6. Making it through Dad and Stephanie’s Texas wedding without a major meltdown, even when I sprained my ankle and everyone was hot and bothered and I missed home

5. Fireworks (and much more) at Gramma Helen’s lake house (sigh)

4. Working in the nursing hom and seeing anoter (good!) side of PID (code name for someone who shall not be named on this website)

3. Winnign tickets 2 a Nikki concert and realizing the truth about friendship – and how appearances can be SO deceiving

2. A big camp overnight, the bee-stinging field trip, the election website fiasco, and sooooo many more wild times w. my class (enemies included)

1. Meeting Fiona Waters at the start of seventh grade, and finding friendship all year long with her, Aim, Madhur, and Lindsay … that made me laugh, cry, and wish the year would never end (but it has. Boo-hoo)

T
HE DAY AFTER MUD
, the science award, and the Ivy dismissal at school’s last assembly, Madison felt as if she could breathe easier. Sure, she was worried about the upcoming clash of family members at her house, but deep down she knew that the remnants of ill will from the Big D had melted away a long time ago. Or at least, she told herself that was true. Mom’s preparty tension level, however, reached an all-week high that morning.

The morning got off to a terrible start when Uncle Rick called with some bad news: Aunt Violet’s tummy was on the fritz, so they would be hanging out in the hotel until she felt better. That news came around the same exact time that Phin knocked over a platter of fresh fruit that was sitting on the edge of the counter. Fortunately, Mom’s painted china dish did not suffer; however, the same could not be said of the fruit salad.

As Gramma and Madison scrambled to pick up the chunks of pineapple, strawberries, and melon that were spread across the floor, Mom sat down in a kitchen chair and tried very hard not to cry.

“I should never have done this,” Mom said, choking back the tears. “I’m sorry, Maddie. I should have known better. I have too much on my plate…”

“Actually, Mom,” Madison said, trying to make a little joke, “you have nothing on your plate…well, not on
this
plate anyway.”

Gramma let out a little laugh, but Mom remained stone-faced.

“Mom,” Madison said reassuringly as she plopped a dented berry into the sink, “things have a way of working themselves out, don’t they?”

Mom shot Madison a look. “You sound like Gramma,” she said.

“And that’s not a bad thing, I assume,” Gramma Helen said with a smile.

“Oh, Maddie,” Mom sighed. She stood up and grabbed Madison in both arms. “I’m just being a nervous Nellie for no reason. It’s work…it’s having your father and aunt and uncle here…I don’t know why I’m acting this way.”

Madison wanted to say, “It’s called meltdown, Mom, and to be honest I am glad to know you have them, too.” Instead, she just hugged back.

After the cleanup, Mom calmed down a lot. Madison was grateful for the fact that through it all, Gramma Helen had been there for support—for both Madison and Mom. Sometimes it
was
hard for Mom to balance all of her work and outside activities. Did Madison really take that into consideration?

It was Madison’s big day, post-MUD, but she couldn’t hog the limelight. Mom needed some TLC and attention today, too.

It only took another hour or so before the entire house looked—and felt—completely put together. The table was set. The food was displayed on plates and in deep bowls. The windows sparkled. Gradually, the tension began to fade—except where Phin was concerned. Phin was running on some kind of crazy energy, as if someone had pulled a cord to get him going. His little nails went,
click-click-click,
all around the house. He was probably looking for more platters to knock over, judging by the way his little pink tongue kept darting in and out of his mouth.

Pant, pant, pant.

It was some time after one o’clock when Madison looked around her living room and realized that her entire family was standing there, in one place, and that everyone was
smiling.
Even Aunt Violet was there, happy. Her sick tummy had gotten better, and she and Uncle Rick had come right over.

Dad and Stephanie stood on opposite sides of the room. Dad chatted with Gramma Helen (they’d always liked each other). Stephanie talked to Mom, which wasn’t really all that weird. They seemed to be laughing like old friends. Was it possible for two people to seem so at odds and yet so compatible at the same time?

Madison smiled. Why had Mom been so worried? This was great.

Phin was the only X factor at the party. He sniffed everyone’s ankles with his little pug nose and he moved from guest to guest without stopping, his curlicue tail moving in fast circles. He wasn’t really begging, although he made out like a real beggar: everyone tossed scraps and cookies and crackers directly into his open mouth.

Pant, pant,
yum.

At one point, Madison spotted Mom and Dad standing together, over by the buffet. They were standing very close. Too close. Dad had his hand on Mom’s back. She was holding back a laugh, Madison could tell. She had her lips pursed as Dad spoke. Then Dad rubbed her back. What was going on? They seemed to lock eyes and hold hands and…Wait a minute!

Where was Stephanie?

Madison searched the room for her stepmother. Did Stephanie know that Mom and Dad were standing over there—that close—
talking?
Did she care?

When Madison glanced back over at Mom and Dad, she saw them embrace, warmly, as if they weren’t going to let go.

“Well, hello, you.”

Madison turned around and came face to face with Stephanie.

“Oh!” Madison said. “Whoa. I didn’t see you there.”

“Sorry about that,” Stephanie said. She smiled. “I see your dad and mom are proud of you today.”

Madison shrugged. “I hadn’t noticed…”

“They sure look proud,” Stephanie said, glancing over in their direction. She stroked the side of Madison’s head, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “And I’m very proud of you, too, Maddie. You made it through a tough year. That science award was a big wow. Did you hear your dad chanting in the audience? I couldn’t shut him up.”

“Aw, it wasn’t
that
tough a year,” Madison said.

Stephanie raised an eyebrow. “If you say so…”

“Well,” Madison sighed. “Maybe a little tough, but just sometimes…”

“We’re always here for you, Maddie,” Stephanie said, “and when we move into the new house, things will only get better…”

For some reason, Madison felt a little choked up. How could she have thought Stephanie and Dad and Mom were acting weird? The opposite was true. Even if the idea of Dad and Stephanie moving into some kind of McMansion gave Madison the heebie-jeebies.

“Maddie Finn! And Stephanie!” Gramma Helen cooed as she swept toward Madison. “What are you two gals giggling about?”

“Giggling?” Madison asked.

Stephanie laughed. “Would you excuse me? I’m going to grab Jeff for a minute.”

Gramma nodded. As Stephanie walked away, Gramma took Madison’s hands in hers. The skin was cool and wrinkled. Madison loved the way Gramma touched her, outside—and in.

“Some party!” Gramma said. “So why do you look blue?”

“No,” Madison said. “I’m not blue! Not at all. I’m happy, actually. I was just thinking about everyone who is here. I love you all so much.”

The doorbell rang, and Phin let out a howl.

“Shhhh!” Madison yelled at her dog. She hustled over to the door and flung it open. On the porch landing stood Aimee, with her dad and her dog, Blossom. The two dogs started sniffing each other hello as Aimee and her father walked inside.

“It’s a big day for you two, eh?” Mr. Gillespie said.

Madison nodded. “Thanks for stopping by, Aim.”

“Would I ever miss a party? My mom is coming over in a little while.”

“You remember my grandma, right?” Madison asked, indicating Gramma Helen.

Madison was about to close the front door when someone ran up the porch steps. It was Madhur; her parents followed.

“You came!” Madison said.

“Duh!” Madhur said. “I promised. I don’t break promises. You know that.”

Madison nodded and gave her newest friend a big squeeze. “Come on in,” she said, saying a quick hello to Mr. and Mrs. Singh, too.

No sooner had everyone wandered into the main part of the house than a glass was heard being clinked.

“A toast!” Mom said to the group. She raised her glass into the air. “First of all, thanks to everyone for coming to the party. It’s wonderful having everyone together—
again
—in the house like this…”