TTYL (34 page)

mad maddie:

let's drop it. she's not worth talking about.

zoegirl:

you're so right

zoegirl:

here's a thought. if things work out with you and
ian, then you two could double-date with angela and doug. (hee, hee)

mad maddie:

angela and doug? as in doug schmidt?

zoegirl:

the one and only

mad maddie:

what happened to the schlank-master?

zoegirl:

geez, ur behind the times. this is what u get when u drop off the face of the earth for two weeks.

mad maddie:

fine, i guess i deserved that.

zoegirl:

angela hung out with doug at a coffeehouse the other night, and i guess they had a really good conversation. she CLAIMS she's not going to start crushing on him, but you know angela.

mad maddie:

good grief. will the madness ever stop?

mad maddie:

GOD it's good to talk to u. seriously, the last two weeks have been hell. without u and angela, i didn't know who i was anymore.

zoegirl:

you're maddie, that's who. madigan kinnick, who swoops in like wonder woman to rescue me from sex-crazed english teachers, and who thinks up terrific ideas that angela or i would never come up with, like taking a road trip to cumberland island.

zoegirl:

are we still on???

mad maddie:

u mean u still want to?

zoegirl:

of course, you goof!

mad maddie:

what about your parents?

zoegirl:

what about them? as far as they know, the trip was never off. is that a problem?

mad maddie:

no! it's just that i never thought

mad maddie:

i mean, i just assumed

zoegirl:

what, that angela and i would let u bail on what's bound to be the most exciting thanksgiving vacation of our lives?

mad maddie:

ah, crap. now i really am getting teary, can u believe it? i can't believe i'm getting teary over this.

zoegirl:

we've GOT to call angela. she would kill us if she missed this historic moment.

mad maddie:

crap again! angela! i'm supposed to pick her up so we can go to shoney's breakfast bar!

zoegirl:

who's “we”?

mad maddie:

*facepalm*

mad maddie:

all three of us, of course

zoegirl:

all three of us meaning you, angela, and me? yay!

mad maddie:

wh-hoo!

zoegirl:

but before we stop texting—does this mean things r good between us again?!

mad maddie:

totally

zoegirl:

thank goodness. i'm glad.

mad maddie:

it's funny how some things r easier to say thru texting, isn't it?

zoegirl:

but other things—like our road trip—are much more exciting to talk about in person. so get off your butt and come get me!

mad maddie:

right on. to shoney's, my comrade!

zoegirl:

talk to u soon!!!

SnowAngel:

hey there, zoe-cakes. r we studs or what?

zoegirl:

yahootie!

SnowAngel:

i have a total adrenaline buzz going, even tho i am completely and thoroughly exhausted. my muscles r gonna be crazy sore tomorrow.

zoegirl:

i hear you. can you imagine how in shape we'd be if we did that every day?

SnowAngel:

we could call it the winsome-threesome workout-of-the-century. we cld make an exercise video and rake in oodles of cash.

zoegirl:

even my toenails are tired

SnowAngel:

*flops onto pretend bed and groans*

SnowAngel:

i told chrissy what we did, and she was like, “u ran up the escalator at peachtree center? that super-duper long one?”

zoegirl:

okay, yes but the critical point is that we ran up the *down* escalator. you did explain that to her, didn't u?

zoegirl:

that's gotta be the longest escalator in the world. seriously, it's as long as a football field.

SnowAngel:

i nearly lost it when maddie stopped for a breather and the escalator took her down, down, down. she was all, “noooo! i'm losing ground!”

zoegirl:

hee hee

SnowAngel:

but in the end we conquered it, cuz we can do ANYTHING, baby.

SnowAngel:

it's like in “the cave” by my buds Mumford & Sons. “but i will hold on hope… and i'll find strength in pain!”

zoegirl:

god, i love Mumford & Sons.

SnowAngel:

i know. and that one particular song—it's like therapy every time i listen to it.

zoegirl:

i like the line about wanting to live life as it's meant to be lived.

SnowAngel:

i do too, and how even when things are hard, we just keep going.

SnowAngel:

and do u know HOW we keep going? or at least how *i* keep going?

zoegirl:

how?

SnowAngel:

cuz of u and mads.

zoegirl:

awwwww

SnowAngel:

it's true. true blue, me and u, and don't forget to add maddie 2.

SnowAngel:

do u like my rhyme?

zoegirl:

very impressive

SnowAngel:

wait, there's more! er, let's c… since 7th grade they did not part, they stayed connected in their hearts. zoe's the good girl, maddie's wild, and sweet darling angela is meek and mild.

zoegirl:

meek? hahahahaha! mild? hahahahaha!

SnowAngel:

fine, miss brainiac. U find something to rhyme with wild.

zoegirl:

“and sweet goofy angela tends to act like a child”?

SnowAngel:

hey now!

zoegirl:

just teasing. you know i love you.

zoegirl:

i've just got kid-type people on my brain, because guess what? i got the job at Kidding Around!

SnowAngel:

wh-hoo! *happy dance, happy dance*

zoegirl:

there was a message waiting for me when i got home. i'm psyched.

SnowAngel:

ah, what joy, to be wiping noses and chasing toddlers. when do u start?

zoegirl:

um, don't freak, okay?

SnowAngel:

why would i freak? ur not gonna say something to make me freak, r u?

SnowAngel:

wait a minute. don't u DARE tell me u have to start tonight.

zoegirl:

the thing is… i do.

SnowAngel:

zoe! noooo!

zoegirl:

saturday night's their busiest night! the director wants me to come in for training.

SnowAngel:

but we were gonna watch “Bridesmaids” again! and eat ugly carrots!

zoegirl:

i know, and i will miss eating my ugly carrot very much. but we can watch “Bridesmaids” tomorrow. that'll be even better, because that way maddie can join us.

SnowAngel:

the point being that she has plans tonight too? yeah, rub it in. u've got yr job and maddie has her cousin's wedding and i have a big old pile of poop. thanks a lot.

zoegirl:

angela, you are such a drama queen. and you don't have a big old pile of
. you have a delicious bag of carrots! with hopefully at least one ugly one mixed in for luck!

SnowAngel:

zoegirl:

you're not really mad, are you?

SnowAngel:

of course i'm mad! *flames shoot from ears* SnowAngel: only not really, cuz this way i can watch as many episodes of “extreme makeover: home edition” as i want, and i will cry and it will be very emotional, if u would just TRY the show then u would c what i mean.

zoegirl:

umm… no

zoegirl:

but you know what's weird? and i mean this in the nicest way ever. last year you would have been totally upset if i'd changed our plans at the last minute. i mean, truly upset, with all kinds of
wounded hurt feelings. but this year, you're so much more chill. why is that, do you think?

SnowAngel:

cuz i'm a junior, that's why. *struts around in funky junior-ness* cuz i can drive, even tho i don't have a car. cuz i choose to live my life the way it's meant to be lived, even tho i will be all alone on a saturday night, and even tho there is seriously something up with my parents, not that they'll admit it.

zoegirl:

there's something up with your parents? explain.

SnowAngel:

it's just this feeling i've been getting.

zoegirl:

like what? and for how long?

SnowAngel:

i dunno, maybe a week?

zoegirl:

a week?! why are you just now telling me???

SnowAngel:

it's like they're hiding something, i can't explain it better than that. i keep thinking that maybe i'm making it up, but then i think that i'm not.

zoegirl:

hmm

zoegirl:

maybe it's a *good* thing they're hiding—like that they're taking you to hawaii

SnowAngel:

i dunno, that somehow doesn't seem very likely.

SnowAngel:

but, whatever. i'm not gonna worry about it, cuz i'm the new and improved Chill Angela. u think they wld name a Barbie after me?

zoegirl:

definitely. for her accessory, she could have a tiny iPhone.

SnowAngel:

no, her accessory would be a tiny picture of u, me, and mads, cuz that's why i'm chill for real. cuz no matter what, i've got u guys giving me my me-ness.

zoegirl:

maddie and i don't give you your you-ness. you give yourself your you-ness.

SnowAngel:

“you-ness.” now there's a word for ya.

SnowAngel:

my granddad's name was eunice, btw

zoegirl:

your granddad? don't you mean your grandmom?

SnowAngel:

nope, my granddad. only he spelled it “unus.”

zoegirl:

ugh. what were his parents trying to do to him?

SnowAngel:

his full name was unus faye. he went by U.F.

zoegirl:

i am so sorry to hear that.

SnowAngel:

yep

zoegirl:

well, on that note, gtg. wish me luck on my first day, which is really my first night!

SnowAngel:

good luck on yr first day which is really ur first night!

SnowAngel:

ta ta for now!