Authors: Laura Dower
Only the Lonely (14 page)
“Hey, Mad! Have you seen Walter?” piped a voice from behind
“My name is not
Mad,”
she snapped back. But as soon as she turned, she realized that she had just snapped at Egg’s friend Drew. “Oh, it’s you.”
Drew sighed, “No prob.”
But Madison felt awful. “I didn’t mean to yell, it’s just that—”
“No prob,” Drew repeated. “Really.”
A kid from the back row yelled out, “Yo, Drew! Isn’t your BBQ today?” and the entire class started buzzing. He’d invited the entire seventh grade section to his house for a barbecue—and
everyone
was planning to go.
Madison wondered how 300 people would fit into Drew’s house. Did his mother know he’d over-invited by about 250 people? Madison figured the reason for the massive invite list was simple: Drew was the kind of kid who couldn’t say no to anyone. He didn’t want anyone to feel left out.
After waiting past the second bell, the science teacher, Mr. Danehy, finally rushed into the room and quickly handed out a list of things they’d be studying.
“I am sorry to be late, class,” he said “The copy machine busted down and I had to wait. How is everyone today? As you know, I’m Mr. Danehy.”
The class was whispering like a chorus of crickets—about science, Mr. Danehy’s ugly brown tie, and most of all about Drew’s upcoming barbecue, which was scheduled to begin in less than three hours.
“Okay, now quiet down, please,” Mr. Danehy said. “We need to get going since this period is going to be really short today.”
Madison read the top of the page the teacher had passed out. The words
ozone, waste,
and
parasites
jumped out at her.
Sounds great, she thought. It’s all dead stuff. What about living, breathing
animals,
Mr. Danehy—huh?
“In addition to the items on this page, we will also be dissecting a frog,” Mr. Danehy announced. “A
virtual
frog.”
Madison grimaced.
Virtual
frog? She didn’t want to cut open anything, not even on a smart board. What animal-lover Madison Finn really wanted to study was penguins and puffins, as they had in third grade. Why couldn’t they study arctic creatures all over again? Why couldn’t she just be
in
third grade again, when life had been so much easier? In third grade, Madison didn’t have to worry about enemies like Ivy. Everyone liked everyone else.
After the bell rang, Madison met up with Aimee at the lockers. They’d gotten their locker assignments in homeroom that morning.
“I saw your friend Fiona in class,” Aimee said as soon as she saw Madison.
“You did? Where?” Madison couldn’t believe Aimee had found Fiona today before she had.
“In our science block the teacher paired us up as lab partners. Pretty scary, huh, how things work out? She’s cool though. We talked a lot.”
Madison couldn’t believe it. “Well, what did you talk about? What did she say? What happened?”
“What are you getting all worked up about?” Aimee snapped. “Your new friend barely said anything except how nice you were and that you guys had fun over the summer. I asked her about that. What’s the big deal, Madison?”
“Is she going to the barbecue today?” Madison asked. “What did you talk about?”
“Why don’t you just ask her?” Aimee answered. “She’s coming down the hallway right now.”
Of course, what Aimee neglected to say was that Fiona was walking down the hallway with Poison Ivy, Rose
Thorn
and
Phony
Joanie.
Madison turned away.
“Madison!” Aimee poked her. “Fiona’s coming right…”
But Madison’s head was stuck into the locker, where she emptied her bookbag and stayed as still as she possibly could.
“Madison?” It was Fiona’s voice calling her name this time, but Madison still didn’t move.
Everything with Fiona was different now that they were in school. There was no way she could associate with Fiona and Ivy together. It wasn’t the same as over the summer. Maybe they were meant to be summer friends and that was that. Madison Finn was cornered, so running away was out of the question. This time, she just froze.
After a few seconds, Fiona just walked away.
Ivy made a face at Aimee and blurted, “Nice friends you are.”
Madison’s stomach flip-flopped.
“What was
THAT
?” Aimee said as soon as Fiona and Ivy and the rest of the gang were gone. “Madison Finn, that was so strange. I don’t think I have ever seen you blow someone off like that before. I can’t believe she was standing there trying to talk and you just…
ignored
her? That is so mean. I can’t believe—”
Madison finally interrupted her. “Just leave me alone, Aimee.”
Aimee shook her head with disbelief. “Fine, be that way.” And she walked away.
Madison ran into the girls’ bathroom to cry. She felt sick and now she hated seventh grade more than before and it was only the
FOURTH DAY
! There was no way Fiona would ever talk to her again. Even Aimee was probably going to stay angry for a little while. Madison had started the day wanted to be everything but mad, and ended up alienating half her friends.
Drew saw her as she walked out of the bathroom.
“Madison, don’t forget about the party,” he said, handing her a slip of paper. On it he’d written,
BBQ Party at Drew’s.
It had the address and phone number of his place.
But Madison just shoved it into her backpack and headed home—
alone.
Since Mom was still off at work by the time Madison got back to Blueberry Street, she took her laptop out to the porch to wait around.
It was a beautiful sunny day. The clouds were practically invisible, just wisps of gauze across the blue sky. There was even a soft breeze in the air.
It was a perfect day for a barbecue.
Madison logged on to TweenBlurt.com almost immediately and was amazed to discover that Bigwheels was online. She sent her an IM and arranged to meet in a “private” fishbowl.
Bigwheels had logged off and Madison did too.
She closed her laptop and went upstairs to pick out an outfit.
She had a barbecue to go to—and a lot of explaining to do.
M
ADISON HAD BEEN STARING
at her reflection for at least ten minutes.
“Phin, what am I gonna wear?” she was hoping maybe the dog could tell her the best look for end-of-summer barbecues, but he was too busy sucking on a rawhide chewie to offer fashion advice.
Madison tried on the plaid jumper with her pink T-shirt. Nope. She looked sicker than sick in pink.
She tried on the blue striped tank with matching skort—a skirt-and-shorts outfit her mom had gotten for her last summer.
Skort? No self-respecting seventh grader would be caught dead in a skort!
She tried on the yellow sundress from last night.
Too risky. What if Fiona had on her yellow sundress, too?
Finally, Madison decided on denim shorts, a plain white T-shirt and sneakers. She pulled her hair up into her signature ponytails.
“Whaddya think, Phinnie?” she asked her pug. “Might as well call me Plain Jane, right?”
She did look a little boring, but maybe nondescript was a good way to sneak into the party, apologize to Fiona, have a few laughs with Aimee, Egg, and Drew, and sneak right back out again?
Madison dug her hand into her backpack and pulled out the slip of paper Drew had handed to her at school earlier. He lived all the way across town in Falstaff Fairway, a giant mansion with its own tennis court, pool, and a bunch of other stuff that cost a bunch of money. Drew’s great-grandad had invented some little washer or screw or something that every single plumber in America and all over the world used in plumbing.
Translation: Drew’s family were bazillionaires. Who else could host a barbecue for over 300 screaming twelve and thirteen year-olds?
Before dashing out the door, Madison applied a layer of Strawberry-Kiwi Smooch. She had no plans to kiss anyone at the party, but she wanted to look good. She figured that if she looked good, she’d feel good, and if she felt good, she’d do good.
Madison needed to do
real
good in order to get Fiona’s forgiveness.
Then she put on her new moonstone earrings from Dad for good luck.
The bus ride over to Drew’s place only took fifteen minutes. All the way up Drew’s front walkway were different colored balloons. He even had orange balloons. Madison liked those the best.
Naturally, the entire Far Hills seventh-grade class
was
in attendance.
There were people in the pool (and lifeguards, too, thanks to Drew’s parents).
Next to the pool, a dozen or more seventh-grade girls were lying out to get suntanned. Madison hadn’t even brought her bathing suit.
A group of guys were playing Frisbee on the massive lawn.
Another group of guys were sitting in a semicircle checking out the seventh-grade girls who were sunbathing.
There were even a few people milling around who definitely looked like eighth graders.
There was, however, no immediate sign of Fiona or Aimee.
“Hey, yo!” Chet Waters said with a mouthful of potato chips. He walked over to Madison before she had a chance to escape.
“Hey, yo back!” she said.
“You seen Fi-moan-a around here?” he asked. “That Ivy girl was looking for her.”
Madison frowned. “No.”
“Did you come with Fiona?” Chet asked.
“No, didn’t you?”
He shrugged “no” and walked away.
“Weirdo,” Madison mumbled under her breath. She couldn’t believe Chet and Fiona were twins. They may have looked alike, but they were total opposites.
Someone reached for Madison’s arm. “So you came,” a voice said softly.
It was Drew.
“Drew!” Madison turned. “What a party! Wow.”
Madison had known Drew for years, but she’d never actually been to his place.
He nodded. “Thanks. I’m glad you came.”
The music blared. There was a band in the middle of the yard and they were playing at top volume.
“I like your earrings,” Drew said,
“What did you say?” Madison yelled.
Drew just smiled. “Cool earrings, Madison,” he said again.
“What did you say?” Madison yelled louder. She leaned in closer “I can’t hear.”
“Great party.” He nodded, and took a sip from his can of soda.
“Have you seen Aimee?” Madison asked, looking around for her BFF in the pool, on the lawn, on the patio.
“Inside,” he answered. “Aimee’s inside with Egg and that new girl, Fiona, I think.”
Jackpot! Madison thanked Drew and headed into the house.
“Madison Finn?” Drew’s mother greeted her as she walked through the sliders. “I haven’t seen you since sixth-grade graduation!”
“Mrs. Maxwell! Thanks so much for inviting me to the party.”
“Well, I’d say Drew outdid himself again, inviting the whole school, for goodness sake.” She laughed and walked into the crowd. “Off I go! Have fun, my dear!”
Across the giant kitchen, Egg, Aimee, and Fiona were laughing.
Madison approached. At first, she could almost feel her sneakers turning to run in the opposite direction, but she resisted.
She moved
forward.
“Maddie!” Egg screamed and slapped her on the shoulder. “How nice of you to come!”