Save the Date (11 page)

“Prepare to lose,” Dad joked as he wrote their names onto the scoring sheet. An overhead projection with special effects welcomed them to their lane. Dad was joking, of course, but nonetheless, he loved competition. As soon as he hit the start button, a message popped up onto the screen: “Get ready to bowl, Madison!” He yelled out the words.

Maddie tried to act as if he hadn’t just screeched her name for the entire establishment to hear and walked over to pick out her own bowling ball. She found the smallest, lightest ball there, a sparkle-orange one with small holes for her fingers. Madison bent down and dropped the ball between her legs, watching as it rolled slowly down lane 13.

“We’re going to be here all night!” Dad yelled. He liked to tease Madison about the way she threw the ball. He expected her to run up and whip it down the alley, but Madison was too afraid her fingers would get stuck and she’d fly down toward the pins with the ball.

Her first ball knocked over three pins, which wasn’t so hot. Unfortunately, her next attempt was a gutter ball.

Dad told her not to worry and hopped up to grab a giant bowling ball for himself. He wound up his arms like he was doing some kind of chicken dance and did a few deep-knee bends. Then he launched his ball down lane 13.

Strike!

He cackled, clapping, when the pins fell. A few people next to them looked over at all the commotion, which embarrassed Madison a teeny bit. She casually glanced down toward lane 4 to make certain that Ivy Daly hadn’t heard any of Dad’s noisy display.

“Hot diggety!” he said, smacking his knee. He was getting more embarrassing by the moment.

“Dad?” Madison said softly. “Can you keep it down just a little? You’re so loud.”

He smiled. “Sure, honey,” he said, patting her shoulder. “Sure! Now it’s your turn. Go get ’em!” Despite what he’d just said, Dad started clapping and cheering
again.

Madison noticed the woman in the next lane—
staring.

It was one thing to suspect someone was overhearing Dad’s antics, but when that fact was confirmed, Madison wanted to run—far away.

“Go, Maddie, go!” Dad clapped again.

She threw two more gutter balls.

By the time the first game was completed, Madison’s bowling score was twenty-one. Dad had scored almost a hundred, just missing another strike in the last frame.

“Can we go?” Madison asked once he’d tabulated the scores.

“Already?” Dad said. He sounded disappointed. “I thought we’d stay for at least two games. I like being out on a father-daughter date with you!”

Madison glanced down the alley to see if anyone had heard him say that. Were Ivy and her family still playing? They were. Madison believed this was her one chance to escape without being seen by the enemy—and without getting more embarrassed. The grandmother in the next lane was eyeing them again.

Madison avoided her glance at all costs.

“I’m tired,” she lied to Dad. “And we should get back to walk Phinnie.”

They took off their bowling shoes and went back out to the car. Madison hustled along faster than usual just in case Ivy happened to glance back and see her there. She couldn’t see
anyone
she knew. This date was like one big gutter ball as far as Madison was concerned.

Run.

She wondered if Mom’s date was turning out any better.

When they pulled into the driveway back home and climbed the stoop, Madison heard Phin wailing. Dad offered to take him for a quick walk while Madison went inside. Dog and Dad were only gone for a minute.

“Hey, Maddie,” Dad said. “What do you call a cat who knows how to bowl?”

Madison groaned. “Oh, Dad.” She prepared herself for the punch line.

“An alley cat.” Dad chuckled to himself as he took off Phin’s leash.

Madison went into the other room and clicked on the television.

Lame-o.

“Let’s have some hot chocolate or something,” Dad suggested. He followed Madison into the den. “Hey, wait a minute, are you
still
sleeping down here?” he asked.

“Mom says the contractor is coming back to replace the roof shingles,” Madison said, clicking the channels without stopping. “And then I can go back into my room. Finally.”

Dad sat down on the sofa and wrapped his arm around Madison. “I wish your mother would just let me help her with repairs like that once in a while,” he said.

Me too, Madison thought. She leaned into Dad’s side, and they watched TV together.

Madison assumed they must have fallen fast asleep, because the next thing she remembered was the sound of Mom’s voice. Mom was standing directly over Madison and Dad with a smirk on her face.

“Wake up, you two,” she whispered. “I’m home.”

Madison blinked. Phin jumped off the sofa. Dad shook off his sleep, waving his arms and jumping up.

“Whoooeee,” Dad said. “Some guardian I make! Falling asleep on the job. Sorry ’bout that, Frannie.”

“You two looked sweet,” Mom said, smiling. “I can’t thank you enough for coming, Jeff.”

Madison looked at her mom’s face—glowing. Her cheeks looked pink, like she’d been sunburned with happiness. Neither Madison nor Dad had seen that look in a long, long time.

Dad leaned over to give Madison a kiss good-bye. As he walked away, Madison felt her chest contract, like she’d just swallowed an ice cube or a big wad of gum. Something was stuck in her throat: a funny feeling, a weird sensation, and the realization that Mom and Dad were
never
getting back together.

“I am SO exhausted!” Mom said after he’d gone. She was still glowing from her date. “Bedtime for me.”

“You’re not even going to tell me about your date?” Madison said. She pulled Mom’s arm to come sit on the sofa, but Mom resisted.

“I really do have to get to bed now,” she said softly. She brushed the hair out of Madison’s eye. “You had a nice time on your date with Dad, though?”

Madison shrugged. “So-so. Bowling really stinks.”

“But I thought you liked it,” Mom said.

“What a bout
your
date, Mom?” Madison pleaded. “You haven’t even given me a little clue about your date.”

Mom laughed. “We got along very well,” she said.

Madison raised an eyebrow. “And?”

“Oh, Maddie, and I’ll tell you everything else tomorrow,” Mom said, walking away. “I promise.” She blew a kiss.

As soon as Mom left the den, Madison booted up her laptop computer and went into her files.

The Big D


Rude Awakening:
Better date than never.


I used to think that I couldn’t deal with Dad dating. But I got used to Stephanie. I even like her a lot now.


And just this week I thought the world would go to pieces if Mom went out with some stranger. But now she went. And she looks happy. Really and truly, she looks like someone put on a flashlight behind her eyes. Even Dad saw.


I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m glad Mom went on a date. I’m glad that she’s starting to feel pretty again.


I just wish I could I could figure out the boys in my life, too. Like I’ll probably be date-phobic with Hart forever. Not that he’d ever ask me out, of course.


Bigwheels would probably tell me that I have nothing to worry about … But I can’t help it!


Madison hit SAVE and turned off her computer. She was looking forward to tomorrow. Her mind buzzed with different questions. Would Ivy be nice in science class for the presentation? Why hadn’t Bigwheels written again?

After an overdose of parents, Madison needed a superdose of friends.

Girl
friends.

M
ADISON FINISHED HER ELEANOR
Roosevelt paper Saturday while Billy worked on repairing the wet ceiling in her bedroom. Thanks to his roof and chimney repairs, there were no more surprise leaks. She’d have her own room back like new very soon. Mom was busy working, too. Madison heard her talking on the phone to Paul more than once.

Sunday afternoon Madison and her friends spent some time together, but not as much as she wanted. Since Fiona was still a little nauseated after the bee sting, Madison went over to her house and hand-delivered the butterfly puzzle she’d purchased at the nature center. Fiona loved it.

By the time Monday morning rolled around, Madison was ready for things to get back to normal, whatever that was. Aimee and Fiona were ready, too.

“They gave me this cream to keep the swelling down,” Fiona explained to Madison and Aimee before classes that morning. “And I’ve been using it all weekend, but I still look puffy. I miss the old, nonpuffy me.”

“Your eyes are still kind of swollen, but everything else looks okay,” Aimee said, leaning in for a closer look. “I see little red spots, but not as many as the other day.”

“I think you look GREAT,” Madison said, trying to be encouraging. She pulled Aimee backward and elbowed her in the side. “Don’t you think she looks mostly
good,
Aimee?”

“Yeah, I guess now you do,” Aimee said. “I thought you were going to go into a coma or something right on the field trip. I mean, can you imagine? What would they have done?”

“Aimee!” Madison said.

Fiona giggled. “Thanks for your encouragement, Aim. And I do feel fine. Except for the puffy eyes, the itching, and this,” she said. She produced an inhaler and held it up for a hallway show-and-tell.

Egg and Drew rushed over to where they were standing. The girls immediately crossed their arms, like they were waiting for the boys to go away.

“Hey, Fiona,” Egg said, not going anywhere. “How are you feeling? Chet said you’re on all this medicine. Are you feeling better? I hope so.”

Aimee snickered a little at all of his attention, but Fiona smiled sweetly. “Thanks, Egg. I’m feeling fine.”

“How are you guys doing?” Drew asked Madison and Aimee.

Aimee just rolled her eyes.

“If you need help with that math assignment, Fiona, call me.” Egg grabbed Drew’s sleeve and headed back down the hall. “See you later, okay?”

Aimee’s mouth was flapping open. “Oh-em-gee! What was THAT?” She let out a huge laugh.

“What?” Fiona said, still scratching her arms. “Why are you looking at me like that? Stop laughing. And please don’t say anything about—”

“Did you give Egg some kind of nice potion or what? He’s being so sweet, it’s enough to make me gag.” Aimee covered her mouth in another overdramatic pose. “You sure you’ve been telling us
everything
about you and Egg?”

Madison opened her locker and grabbed books for English class. “Yeah, Fiona,” she said. “You guys aren’t going out or anything, are you?”

No one had ever really asked Fiona point-blank if she and Egg were dating. Had they ever held hands? Had they ever
kissed
?

Brrrrring.

“See you after science,” Fiona said to Madison, heading in the opposite direction. She escaped without answering the most important question.

Aimee chased after Fiona down the hall. “Yeah, see you, Maddie!”

Madison slammed her locker shut.

“FINNSTER!” Hart blurted. He was standing right there behind the locker door. “Going to science?”

“Where did you come from?” Madison asked, a little startled.

“I was down the hall. But I’m going to science, too,” he said. He rotated his neck to the side, and his tousled brown hair fell softly over his forehead. Madison felt an urge to move it away with her hand but was grateful that she didn’t do anything embarrassing like that. He would be
completely
surprised if she touched his head. And what if someone saw?

What was she thinking?

Chet came rushing over. He broke Madison’s train of thought.

“Hey, man, I was looking for you down the hall,” Chet said to Hart. “Where did you go?”

Madison stared at the floor, and the three walked down the corridor together. Once again she had lost her ability to speak in front of Hart, a momentary condition that struck her in the strangest places. The only good thing about its happening right now was the fact that Chet took up the lull in conversation. With two guy friends nattering on and on in their own personal code language, Madison didn’t really even have to speak.

Mr. Danehy was on time. And the trio barely made it to their seats before the second bell rang—and he slammed the door.

“Now!”
he announced with great authority.

The whole class hushed.

“That’s better,” Mr. Danehy continued. “Now, preceding our bee scare last week, the science-center trip appeared to be going very well. Would you agree?”

No one said a word.

“Hello?” Mr. Danehy asked again. “Is everyone awake out there?”

“That trip was mad fun,” Chet said, looking around to his other guy friends for corroboration of how he saw the trip.

Ivy just sat there, twirling one of her loop earrings. “And we learned things,” she said. She looked over at Madison.

“
Lots
of things,” Madison said, without thinking.

Mr. Danehy appeared impressed.

“So when we started our little field-trip experiment, I assigned you into groups of girls versus boys. I noticed a little anxiety about this while we were out in the field. Is this still true?”