All That Glitters (From the Files of Madison Finn, 20) (12 page)

“It’s so great that he showed,” Aimee said.

“I know,” Lindsay said. “My mom is still mad at him, though.”

“That’s okay,” Madison said. “That’s how moms get.”

“Lindsay, thank you for letting us be here,” Fiona said.

“You keep saying that!” Lindsay said. She turned toward the DVD player. “Want to watch a movie?”

Aimee nodded emphatically. “Yeah, let’s watch something scary.”

“What?” Madison cried. “Aim, you get scared if someone goes, ‘Boo’! Let’s watch something mushy.”

“A romantic movie will make me think of Egg,” Fiona said sweetly.

Everyone pretended to gag.

“Cut it out!” Fiona cried. “I can’t help it if I like him. Aim, you like Ben. Maddie, you like Hart.”

“You know, I like someone, too,” Lindsay admitted. Her three BFFs shot her a look.

“Who?” they asked.

Lindsay pressed her palms together and took a deep breath. “You promise you won’t tell?”

Aimee laughed. “Tell who? We’re it.”

“Okay,” Lindsay said. “I hardly ever think about guys this way. But…”

“Start talking!” Fiona said.

“I have this crush on…well…just a little crush, really…on…” she looked flustered as she tried to get the name out. “Dan. Ginsburg. I mean, he’s always funny and nice, and he talks about books with me sometimes in the library.”

There was total silence in the room.

Then Madison grinned. “Dan?”

Madison remembered a time when Dan had admitted that he liked
her
—during a school dance. But she’d wanted to stay just friends. It had been at that exact moment that Madison had admitted to herself just how much she liked Hart Jones.

“I can’t believe you never told me that, Lindsay,” Madison added.

“Well, no one ever really asked me whom I like…” Lindsay said.

“I’m sorry!” Fiona blurted. “We’re supposed to do that. I feel so silly. We’re your friends, and we didn’t ask…”

“I’m sorry, too,” Aimee said. “And I was going on about Ben yesterday.”

“You never told me any of this?” Madison said to Lindsay. “Not even after all of our long talks. Whoa. I’m really surprised.”

“It’s really not a big deal, Maddie,” Lindsay said. “But, since everyone seems to have someone to like, well, I just don’t want to be left out, especially not on my birthday.”

There was more to that statement, Madison knew, than just the fact that Lindsay liked Dan. She knew Lindsay didn’t want to be left out by her dad or her mom, either, especially not during the Big D. Madison went over to Lindsay, grabbed her by the shoulders, and looked her square in the eye.

“Lindsay, you are not left out. Not ever. You are always super nice, and you’re the queen of gossip, and your Aunt Mimi is the coolest aunt
ever
, and your dad showed up to celebrate your birthday. Your life is golden.”

“Well…” Lindsay stammered. “My mom says all that glitters is not gold.”

“Says who?” Aimee cried.

“Yeah!” Madison threw her arms into the air in a funny imitation of Aunt Mimi. “All that glitters
is
gold, gold, gold. Abso-tootly!” she cried.

Everyone collapsed, laughing, onto the floor in front of the TV set.

“Let’s watch the movie,” Aimee said, holding up a DVD and then sliding it into the machine.

“A little romance it is,” Lindsay said as she pushed
PLAY
.

From: Bigwheels


To: MadFinn


Subject: How’s the Party???


Date: Sat 12 Dec 11:01
PM


Hey there. Sorry I didn’t write again sooner than now. It has been an insane wk @ school and home like I said in my blog & my last E-M. I am so jealous that ur in NYC right now w/yr BFFs having the best TOYL! I’m stuck here in the cold and it really stinks. Ugh.


BUT did I tell u that the guy I like, Reggie, gave me a stuffed bear? He did last wk. I forgot to say that. It’s purple with this ribbon on its neck that sparkles and a silver satin flower on its belly. I LOVE IT. Is it possible to be in real love even though we’re in seventh grade? I wonder stuff like that all the time. I know u do 2. Like from everything you say it sounds like Hart is THE one. But how can we say that when we’re only 12? Is that a scary thought or cool 4 u? My friend Lainie would freak at the thought. She doesn’t even really LIKE boys. She never has gone out with one or followed one in school or even said much about thinking they’re cute. She’d rather go to the stables with her horse. Of course that’s cool too. We hung out yesterday and I helped her groom her horse Tuck. Have u ever ridden a horse? We don’t go that much b/c my mom is allergic.


N E WAY!


U have 2 write me ALL the details about yr city trip. Can u send me a New York E-card? Did u take digital photos? I know yr mom and dad are not too cool w/sending those online so LMK. My teacher at school always sez BSTS!


Write back soooooooon!


Yours till the birth days,
Vicki aka Bigwheels


Madison clicked
REPLY
and sent Bigwheels a quick note back. Bigwheels had been right about the photographs. Mom had told Madison that she didn’t want personal photos published online unless Madison could confirm the fact that the site was protected, and Madison couldn’t very well do that from here. Maybe her dad could help her print out some of the photos that Aunt Mimi had taken at Serendipity and everywhere else—and Madison could make a collage later?

She looked over at the bed where Lindsay was snoring, fast asleep, with her feet poking out from under the blanket.

She tapped another few keys and opened a file.

Heading Home


I want to come to New York for MY birthday party. Of course it would be great to rent Aunt Mimi for it, too, but I don’t know if she’s available. LOL.


Mom called this morning. She wanted to know when our train was getting back to Far Hills today. Aimee’s mom is coming to pick up me and her. Fiona’s dad is picking her up at the station with Chet b/c they have to go to church or something. I asked Lindsay if she wanted to sleep over @ my house tonight and she can’t. But she’s coming next weekend. I want to be here for her as much as possible so she doesn’t get all sad and stressed out too much. I realize that I had Aimee and Lindsay around when MY parents went through the Big D, but no one was going through exactly what I was. That would have made a diff.


“Oh, no!”

Madison jumped. Lindsay had awakened with a shout. She turned to the side of the bed and scrambled onto the floor.

“Oh, no, Maddie! Oh, no!
Oh, no!
”

“What’s the matter?” Madison was worried. She had expected Lindsay to wake up happy that morning. But instead, she seemed more freaked out than before.

“The test!” Lindsay cried. “With all my birthday-party stuff and worrying about my dad and watching movies, I forgot all about the standardized test at school!”

Madison clicked her laptop shut. Lindsay was right; Madison had forgotten about the test, too.

“We still have time to study,” Madison said, “don’t we?”

Aimee and Fiona stumbled into the bedroom, rubbing their eyes.

“Who screamed?” Aimee said. “I can’t believe I slept this late.”

Fiona yawned. “What happened?”

“The test,” Lindsay said quickly. “We forgot to study.” By now she was fishing in her bag for the books she’d brought along to study. “These books were right here the whole weekend. How could I have forgotten to even take them out and look at them once? Oh, no, what are we going to do?”

“Calm down, Lindsay,” Aimee said, rushing over to her friend. “We can study today. And it doesn’t matter, anyway. It’s only a practice test.”

“How are we supposed to study today?” Lindsay said, still sounding panicked. “We have to get ready and take the train back to Far Hills and…” She dissolved into tears.

“What’s going on in here?” Aunt Mimi appeared at the doorway to the bedroom. In her hand was a large cake with lit candles.

“Look at that!” Fiona screeched.

Lindsay sniffled and looked at the cake. She wiped her eyes as everyone began to sing.

“Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you…”

“Make a wish, sweetheart,” Mrs. Frost said, stepping into the room and taking Lindsay’s hands in hers.

“You already did this last night,” Lindsay said.

“But you never made a wish,” Fiona said.

Lindsay leaned over the cake, blinked, and blew out the candles.

“Happy Birthday to our BFF!” Aimee shouted, clapping loudly.

“What was your wish?” Fiona asked.

“She can’t tell!” Madison cried. Ultrasuperstitious, Madison was certain that if a person revealed a wish out loud, then it would not happen. “Lindsay, you have to keep your wish a secret until some time passes and it has an opportunity to come true.”

Lindsay, who had stopped crying completely by then, took a deep breath. “Maddie,” she said. “It’s not like my wish is really any big secret. I just wished that we all got a good grade on the standardized test.”

“You wasted a perfectly good wish on
that
?” Aimee said.

Fiona laughed. “I thought you’d wish that Dan would like you back.”

Lindsay’s eyes bugged out.

“Dan?” Mrs. Frost asked. “Who’s Dan?”

Lindsay froze. She didn’t know what to say. No one did.

“Lindsay, is there some boy you’re not telling me about?” Mrs. Frost asked sternly.

“Aw, it’s probably just some movie star,” Aunt Mimi said quickly, winking at Lindsay and her friends. “You know how it is with these gals…”

“Oh?” Mrs. Frost said.

Madison reached over to squeeze Lindsay’s hand. “Dan is this guy on TV…” Madison started to say.

“Yeah, Mom,” Lindsay said. “He’s on this cable show I like. Remember?”

“He is? You told me?” Mrs. Frost asked, a bit flustered. “I see.”

“Well, time to cut the cake,” Aunt Mimi said, carting it back toward the door. “Meet me in the kitchen, everyone, so we can have cake for breakfast—just like I promised.”

Mrs. Frost grabbed her daughter and gave her a warm embrace. “I love you, Lindsay,” she said. “I’m sorry about last night. If I seemed angry, I apologize. I was just mad at your father for…”

“Mom, it’s okay,” Lindsay said. “Dad said he was sorry, too. I know things are weird right now. I understand.”

Madison was happy to hear Lindsay say that. She was also happy to know that in exactly five minutes she would be taking a big, moist bite of white cake with purple icing. Birthday cake was a great way to start the new day.

Of course, Madison had to chuckle when she saw Lindsay grab the test-review book before heading toward the kitchen. Her friend was determined to study that morning—birthday celebration or not.

At Grand Central Station, everyone lugged their bags down the ramp toward the train. Aunt Mimi and Mrs. Frost had come along to help—and to say their good-byes. Mrs. Frost was going to drive back, but Lindsay wanted to take the train with her friends. She was going to hang out with Madison for a little while until her mom got back to Far Hills.

“Thank you so much for a fab weekend,” Fiona said as she stepped aboard the train, blowing Aunt Mimi and Mrs. Frost a giant kiss.

“From me, too,” Aimee said, leaning in for her own kiss.

“Don’t forget to let me know if you want to bring your mom, and we can get a group together for the ballet,” Aunt Mimi said.

Aimee smiled. “Sure thing,” she said.

Madison hobbled over with her bags to say good-bye.

“Thanks, Mrs. Frost,” she said, her voice practically a whisper. “And Aunt Mimi, thank you, too. I’ve never enjoyed New York City so much as I did this weekend.”

“I know how much Lindsay values your friendship,” Mrs. Frost said. “She always has.”

Madison nodded. “Me, too. I like being sort-of sisters.”

“Sisters are de-lish,” Aunt Mimi said, taking Mrs. Frost by the arm. “Just look at us. Girlfriends till the end!”

Mrs. Frost laughed. “When I can keep up with her, that is.”

“Bye!” Madison called out.

Madison, Aimee, and Fiona found seats very close to the door. They watched through the window as Lindsay said a more private good-bye to her mother and Aunt Mimi. Outside the train, more and more people began to gather. It was getting closer to departure time.

The air inside the train car had a coffee aroma. Madison loved that smell. It made her think of rainy Sundays at Dad’s apartment, waking up late to eat Dad’s famous breakfast of scrambled eggs and raisin toast and then go for a long, wet walk with Phinnie. She was glad that Dad had agreed to pick her up at the train station when they got back to Far Hills. Madison had told him on the telephone that she wanted to sleep over at his house that night.

The train lights flashed. A loud ping meant the doors were about to shut.

“Lindsay! Lindsay!” Madison, Aimee, and Fiona banged on the window at the same time. She couldn’t hear them, but she was coming. Of course, Lindsay had heard the ping, too.

The friends watched as Lindsay kissed and hugged her mom and aunt once each. Then she hugged them again. She grabbed her one small bag (Mrs. Frost had taken the rest, including the birthday gifts, to bring by car). Then she hopped on, in the nick of time.