just because of the way I dress—” Mariah joked.
“But you dress great,” Madison interrupted.
“Yeah, whatever.” Mariah shrugged it off. “The point is, they don’t get it.”
“Get what?”
“It! Wait until you get to be a freshman like me. Then it really starts to stink. You never know what’s happening. You’re like the oldest in some ways, but then you’re the youngest in other ways.”
Even though she was only two years ahead, Madison really looked up to Mariah. But was it really going to get worse as she went along in junior high?
Madison did NOT want to believe it.
“No matter what happens during the show,” Mariah said as she walked out, “just remember this. It’ll all go back to the way it was when the show ends. So don’t stress about the jerks. Like my brother.” She winked.
Madison sighed.
“Look, Madison, you’re the glue, right?” Mariah said.
Madison gave her a blank look. The glue?
“Think of it like this,” Mariah tried to explain. “You’re the one holding The Wiz together, okay? So you’re the glue.”
It sort of made sense. Mariah’s words repeated like a recorded message inside Madison’s head.
You’re the glue. You’re the one holding it together.
Whenever rehearsals felt bizarre or she felt out of it, Madison could take that message and play it again.
Maybe being the glue could be her secret weapon against Poison Ivy?
Maybe it could even get Hart to notice her more?
That night, Madison wanted to talk about The Wiz and “being the glue.” Madison didn’t like how important ideas could happen when there was no one to share them with.
Mom was under a deadline, so she wasn’t talking much.
Aimee and her brothers were off at some family dinner in another town.
Fiona’s line was busy.
Madison checked her e-mailbox. She’d been unlucky in e-mail lately, but every time she opened it anew, she held her breath for an extra beat—just in case. It had been a few days since she’d checked. Madison didn’t like the idea of deleting messages even if they meant nothing.
But she had to eliminate some things.
FROM
SUBJECT
Wetwins
Surfing the Net Games
Boop-Dee-Doop
Spring Clothes ALL NEW
JeffFinn
Fw: FW: This is so funny!!!
WebMast@TweenBlurt
discussion boards working
Postmaster
Nondeliverable mail
Nothing in her mailbox made Madison feel any more “with it” than she’d felt hanging with Mariah at rehearsal. It was all e-junk, mostly.
There was a super T-shirt sale at one of her favorite online stores. Nah. DELETE.
Dad sent a lame joke about a duck, DELETE.
Fiona’s brother, Chet, had written about a Net newsletter he wanted to create, reviewing Web sites and computer games he liked. Not into it right now, maybe later, DELETE.
TweenBlurt.com was starting up a new area of bulletin boards where kids could safely post messages. Worth checking out. SAVE.
Finally Madison saw an e-mail that was returned to her. She had originally sent it to Bigwheels last week. Even worse than getting no e-mail was learning that e-mail you sent didn’t arrive.
Madison would have to write another e-mail to Bigwheels right away.
Maybe this one would get delivered.
Chapter 8
Bigwheels
So I sent Bigwheels this long, long, long e-mail that started out talking about boys and school and ended up talking about how I felt when Mom and Dad had the Big D.
Funny how that subject always comes up, isn’t it?
Bigwheels is feeling bad and I hope I can be helpful. So she IMed me back right away and we went to GOFISHY for a chat. I thought, here is the moment when I could make even more of a difference. Yes!
But she left in the middle of talking! She hasn’t e-mailed me again, she hasn’t IMed me either.
Do I give terrible advice?
Maybe having a friend online isn’t the same as having a real friend. Is that why I can’t help her?
Is Bigwheels a real friend?
M ADISON GOT TO THE lunchroom later than usual Tuesday afternoon.
Gilda Z slopped Sloppy Joes onto soft
“But you dress great,” Madison interrupted.
“Yeah, whatever.” Mariah shrugged it off. “The point is, they don’t get it.”
“Get what?”
“It! Wait until you get to be a freshman like me. Then it really starts to stink. You never know what’s happening. You’re like the oldest in some ways, but then you’re the youngest in other ways.”
Even though she was only two years ahead, Madison really looked up to Mariah. But was it really going to get worse as she went along in junior high?
Madison did NOT want to believe it.
“No matter what happens during the show,” Mariah said as she walked out, “just remember this. It’ll all go back to the way it was when the show ends. So don’t stress about the jerks. Like my brother.” She winked.
Madison sighed.
“Look, Madison, you’re the glue, right?” Mariah said.
Madison gave her a blank look. The glue?
“Think of it like this,” Mariah tried to explain. “You’re the one holding The Wiz together, okay? So you’re the glue.”
It sort of made sense. Mariah’s words repeated like a recorded message inside Madison’s head.
You’re the glue. You’re the one holding it together.
Whenever rehearsals felt bizarre or she felt out of it, Madison could take that message and play it again.
Maybe being the glue could be her secret weapon against Poison Ivy?
Maybe it could even get Hart to notice her more?
That night, Madison wanted to talk about The Wiz and “being the glue.” Madison didn’t like how important ideas could happen when there was no one to share them with.
Mom was under a deadline, so she wasn’t talking much.
Aimee and her brothers were off at some family dinner in another town.
Fiona’s line was busy.
Madison checked her e-mailbox. She’d been unlucky in e-mail lately, but every time she opened it anew, she held her breath for an extra beat—just in case. It had been a few days since she’d checked. Madison didn’t like the idea of deleting messages even if they meant nothing.
But she had to eliminate some things.
FROM
SUBJECT
Wetwins
Surfing the Net Games
Boop-Dee-Doop
Spring Clothes ALL NEW
JeffFinn
Fw: FW: This is so funny!!!
WebMast@TweenBlurt
discussion boards working
Postmaster
Nondeliverable mail
Nothing in her mailbox made Madison feel any more “with it” than she’d felt hanging with Mariah at rehearsal. It was all e-junk, mostly.
There was a super T-shirt sale at one of her favorite online stores. Nah. DELETE.
Dad sent a lame joke about a duck, DELETE.
Fiona’s brother, Chet, had written about a Net newsletter he wanted to create, reviewing Web sites and computer games he liked. Not into it right now, maybe later, DELETE.
TweenBlurt.com was starting up a new area of bulletin boards where kids could safely post messages. Worth checking out. SAVE.
Finally Madison saw an e-mail that was returned to her. She had originally sent it to Bigwheels last week. Even worse than getting no e-mail was learning that e-mail you sent didn’t arrive.
Madison would have to write another e-mail to Bigwheels right away.
Maybe this one would get delivered.
Chapter 8
Bigwheels
So I sent Bigwheels this long, long, long e-mail that started out talking about boys and school and ended up talking about how I felt when Mom and Dad had the Big D.
Funny how that subject always comes up, isn’t it?
Bigwheels is feeling bad and I hope I can be helpful. So she IMed me back right away and we went to GOFISHY for a chat. I thought, here is the moment when I could make even more of a difference. Yes!
But she left in the middle of talking! She hasn’t e-mailed me again, she hasn’t IMed me either.
Do I give terrible advice?
Maybe having a friend online isn’t the same as having a real friend. Is that why I can’t help her?
Is Bigwheels a real friend?
M ADISON GOT TO THE lunchroom later than usual Tuesday afternoon.
Gilda Z slopped Sloppy Joes onto soft
Similar Books
