Three's a Crowd (From the Files of Madison Finn, 16) by Laura Dower Page B
Authors: Laura Dower
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wandering around in the half darkness of his bedroom. She sat down on the window seat and started to think about what it would have been like to meet him face to face. Had he ever noticed Madison at school? Had he ever looked through her window?
No!
Madison froze. Josh had his nose pressed up against the glass of his window. He was staring toward her room.
Quickly, Madison ducked behind her curtains.
When she leaned around to peek over at his window again, he waved.
Tentatively, Madison waved back. She fought hard to hold in her nervous giggles. What was happening here?
Josh held up a finger as if to say, “Hold on one moment!” and dashed away and out of sight. A moment later he returned to the window with a piece of yellow cardboard in his hands. On the cardboard was a message in black Magic Marker.
HI THERE
Madison almost fell over because she started laughing so hard.
HI THERE? It seemed so normal—but still weird.
Josh shrugged and waved the sign again, looking for some kind of response.
Madison was about to search for a pen and paper on which to write her own sign back, but she stopped. There were footsteps on the stairs. She couldn’t risk getting caught by Mom or Gramma in the middle of her window “conversation”! What should she do?
Phin nipped at her knees. Without a moment’s hesitation, Madison closed the curtain and jumped back. A few moments later, when Madison realized that she’d been hearing things and that no one had entered Madison’s room, she gently pulled back the curtain again, hoping to see another yellow sign.
But by then the light in Josh’s bedroom had been turned off. He wasn’t there. Madison collapsed on her window seat.
“Where did he go, Phinnie?” Madison asked aloud.
Phin let out a little bark, as if he wanted to climb into the window seat with Madison. She picked him up, pulled him into her lap, and gave him a cuddle.
Josh Turner. Josh Turner. Josh Turner.
Madison said his name over and over in her mind. Finally, they had made contact. He had made contact. With a sign!
For a person as superstitious as Madison, it was all about the signs.
She wondered what the next one would be.
Chapter 7
Sicker
Last night I went to sleep dreaming of dreamy Josh Turner. I was thinking about what will happen when I head back to school next week. Maybe I’ll see him in the hallway and he’ll ask me to have lunch with him at his table in the cafeteria. That would just burn Poison Ivy if I got to sit with the ninth graders at lunch!
While I was thinking about all this, I got SICKER! I had a massive coughing fit and spent half an hour trying to stop this awful tickle in my throat. Gramma had to make me hot peppermint tea with honey. That was really nice of her but it was A MAJOR DRAG because after coughing for soooo long, I started to get this thumping headache. And to think, I thought I was getting better!!! I have the cold sweats, too. Gross. And Gramma said (of course) all of this is because I tried to do too much before I was better. There’s nothing worse than someone who says, “I told you so.” Ugh. So why do moms and grandmoms always say that?
Rude Awakening:
Just when I thought I was off and running—major relapse. Now I’m just cough and running.
The funny thing is that I called up Fiona and Aim and they both had a relapse, too. Fiona said she’s not moving out of bed and her Dad moved the TV into her bedroom. And Aimee’s mom made her these all-natural health elixirs from stuff like alfalfa and wheatgrass and chamomile. Gross.
Maybe I better listen to Gramma Helen next time she tells me how to get better.
Madison looked over at her bedroom clock. She debated whether or not to call Fiona or Aimee again, but decided against it since she’d already spoken to her BFFs twice that day.
Madison was starting to feel claustrophobic. She still had not changed out of the confetti-print pajamas from the night before, and her hair felt a little greasy. Being sick
No!
Madison froze. Josh had his nose pressed up against the glass of his window. He was staring toward her room.
Quickly, Madison ducked behind her curtains.
When she leaned around to peek over at his window again, he waved.
Tentatively, Madison waved back. She fought hard to hold in her nervous giggles. What was happening here?
Josh held up a finger as if to say, “Hold on one moment!” and dashed away and out of sight. A moment later he returned to the window with a piece of yellow cardboard in his hands. On the cardboard was a message in black Magic Marker.
HI THERE
Madison almost fell over because she started laughing so hard.
HI THERE? It seemed so normal—but still weird.
Josh shrugged and waved the sign again, looking for some kind of response.
Madison was about to search for a pen and paper on which to write her own sign back, but she stopped. There were footsteps on the stairs. She couldn’t risk getting caught by Mom or Gramma in the middle of her window “conversation”! What should she do?
Phin nipped at her knees. Without a moment’s hesitation, Madison closed the curtain and jumped back. A few moments later, when Madison realized that she’d been hearing things and that no one had entered Madison’s room, she gently pulled back the curtain again, hoping to see another yellow sign.
But by then the light in Josh’s bedroom had been turned off. He wasn’t there. Madison collapsed on her window seat.
“Where did he go, Phinnie?” Madison asked aloud.
Phin let out a little bark, as if he wanted to climb into the window seat with Madison. She picked him up, pulled him into her lap, and gave him a cuddle.
Josh Turner. Josh Turner. Josh Turner.
Madison said his name over and over in her mind. Finally, they had made contact. He had made contact. With a sign!
For a person as superstitious as Madison, it was all about the signs.
She wondered what the next one would be.
Chapter 7
Sicker
Last night I went to sleep dreaming of dreamy Josh Turner. I was thinking about what will happen when I head back to school next week. Maybe I’ll see him in the hallway and he’ll ask me to have lunch with him at his table in the cafeteria. That would just burn Poison Ivy if I got to sit with the ninth graders at lunch!
While I was thinking about all this, I got SICKER! I had a massive coughing fit and spent half an hour trying to stop this awful tickle in my throat. Gramma had to make me hot peppermint tea with honey. That was really nice of her but it was A MAJOR DRAG because after coughing for soooo long, I started to get this thumping headache. And to think, I thought I was getting better!!! I have the cold sweats, too. Gross. And Gramma said (of course) all of this is because I tried to do too much before I was better. There’s nothing worse than someone who says, “I told you so.” Ugh. So why do moms and grandmoms always say that?
Rude Awakening:
Just when I thought I was off and running—major relapse. Now I’m just cough and running.
The funny thing is that I called up Fiona and Aim and they both had a relapse, too. Fiona said she’s not moving out of bed and her Dad moved the TV into her bedroom. And Aimee’s mom made her these all-natural health elixirs from stuff like alfalfa and wheatgrass and chamomile. Gross.
Maybe I better listen to Gramma Helen next time she tells me how to get better.
Madison looked over at her bedroom clock. She debated whether or not to call Fiona or Aimee again, but decided against it since she’d already spoken to her BFFs twice that day.
Madison was starting to feel claustrophobic. She still had not changed out of the confetti-print pajamas from the night before, and her hair felt a little greasy. Being sick
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