Sink or Swim (11 page)
Authors: Laura Dower
Everything Stephanie was saying was like what Mom had said. Although Madison didn’t like to admit it, Stephanie really
was
a little like a fill-in mom while the real one was in Australia. She took time to really listen.
“Madison Finn!” Dad shouted from the doorway. His shirt was ironed, buttoned, and cuff-linked, and he was wearing the red tie. “We have to go, young lady. You’re due at Mrs. Reed’s in ten minutes.”
Madison leaped up from where she’d been sitting and lunged for Stephanie. She held on tight.
“Thanks, Steph,” Madison said. “I know sometimes I’m not so patient with you, either, and—”
“Madison, go to work and forget about me. Focus on Eliot.” Stephanie patted Madison on the shoulder. “I’ll see you later.”
“What’s going on?” Dad asked.
“Girl talk,” Stephanie said with a wink.
“What’s this? I go to iron one shirt and suddenly you two are having some secret conversation?”
Madison kissed Dad on the cheek. “We were talking about YOU, Dad,” she teased, racing out of the room to fix her hair and stuff a bathing suit and towel into her bag. They’d be hanging out at the Lake Dora pool today. The sun was shining hot, and the temperature outside was at least seventy-five degrees at eight-thirty in the morning.
Believing in the karma of the universe was how Madison explained Eliot’s mood that day. He was happier than she’d ever seen him, and Madison became convinced that was all because of her talk with Stephanie that morning.
Madison had prepared herself for another battle of wills, expecting Eliot to be running around the pool like he’d done before. But today he was content to stay close to the chairs where Madison sat with Mrs. Reed and Becka.
Sometime around noon, Madison took him for a long walk. He was quiet and curious. It made it easier to have a real conversation.
“Are you excited about Pool Day?” Madison asked.
“Yah, yah.” Eliot nodded. “I can thwim! Mama says.”
Madison nodded right back. “And you’re a good swimmer with your horsey on, right, Eliot?”
“Right, Maddie,” he said with a smile.
They walked down by Lake Dora and watched some kids testing out a couple of new remote-control sailboats. Eliot liked standing down by the lake water and squishing sand through his fingers and toes. Madison let him wade into the wake of the water a little bit until he got nervous. Then they decided—together—to head back to the pool.
Mrs. Reed was sitting around the pool with a good friend who also had an infant. They were stretched out in the shade under a striped umbrella with the babies fast asleep on their bellies. Madison waved from way across the pool and waited for a wave back.
That’s when it happened.
Eliot, who had been walking slowly next to Madison, ran ahead toward the pool. Madison let out a little gasp. He wasn’t wearing his inflatable horsey and she could see him not looking and running too fast toward the edge….
“Eliot!” Madison called out.
Thwoomp!
Before he could reach the edge, Eliot tripped on the pool deck.
Splat!
Madison saw Mrs. Reed stand up across the way, one hand holding Becka and the other hand covering her mouth like she was gasping. She’d heard Madison’s cry.
By now a few other kids ran over toward Eliot.
“Hey!” someone shouted. A whistle blew. “No running!”
It was Hart yelling. The lifeguard director sent him over.
Madison raced over to Eliot, who pushed himself up onto his knees.
“AAAAAAAAH!” he wailed.
He had a small scrape on his shin and a teeny little bump on his knee. There was no real bleeding. He would probably get a bruise.
Mrs. Reed came running.
Hart leaned down to made sure that nothing else had happened to Eliot. He was crying loudly by now.
“Eliot, are you okay?” Madison asked.
She expected him to look at her with that usual crabby stare, the kind he’d been giving her since their relationship began. Or at least for Eliot to scream, “I want my mama.”
But he didn’t—at least not at that moment.
As Hart helped Eliot to get up, Eliot turned right toward
Madison
and extended his arms.
“Maddie!” he cried. Was he looking for a hug? Madison grabbed and held close.
Mrs. Reed arrived on the scene moments later. “Is everything okay?” she asked. “Oh, poor Eliot. Mama told you not to run at the pool.”
Eliot sniffled. “Maddie! Maddie!” he said, burying his face in Madison’s neck.
Mrs. Reed leaned in. “Well, at least he’s okay,” she said, taking Eliot into her own arms. He was still crying, but “Maddie” had changed to “Mama.”
“I’m so sorry, Mrs. Reed,” Madison said.
“Accidents happen,” Mrs. Reed replied. “Just as long as he’s okay. We’re all okay. Right?”
When the crowd had left and the pool medic checked out Eliot’s scrapes, Madison and Mrs. Reed took him back over to the chairs. Mrs. Reed’s friend was still watching Becka.
“Boo-boo,” Eliot said, trying to pick at his Band-Aid.
“Don’t touch,” Mrs. Reed said, swatting at his little hand. “I know it hurts, sweetie. But that will make it all better.”
Eliot looked up at Madison. “Boo-boo,” he said.
Madison went to rub his back, but he pulled away.
“Mama!” Eliot wailed.
Mrs. Reed turned to him. “What, honey? Why don’t you play with Madison?”
“No, I don’t wanna!” Eliot said.
Madison sat back in her chair and took a deep breath. She could feel the perspiration rolling down her back. It was more than the heat. It was nerves.
“I’m sorry,” she said to Mrs. Reed again. “It’s all my fault.”
“Oh, Madison,” Mrs. Reed said. “He’ll get over it. Don’t worry. Like I said, it was an accident. You’ll be more careful next time. Tomorrow is another day.”
Madison wasn’t sure she’d even make it to tomorrow.
She’d been baby-sitting for less than a week, and she already had page after page of disaster files.
What could possibly happen next?
Madison didn’t tell Dad about the pool incident right away when she got home. She wanted to chat with someone else about it first.
Amazingly, Bigwheels was online and she could chat, too, from camp.
That
was a good omen.
Madison wrote quickly, explaining what had happened at Lake Dora that afternoon. Bigwheels was very understanding.
Madison said her good-byes and was about to log off completely when her computer pinged. Someone else sent her a message.
Madison couldn’t believe it. She hit
REPLY
and sent a message right back.
She disconnected and dashed to her closet. She would have to change out of her clothes. She yanked a sleeveless ruffled blouse and a patchwork skirt off a hanger. She hardly ever wore skirts anymore.
But Madison wanted to look extra pretty, just in case a certain someone else was at Freeze Palace, too.
D
AD SUGGESTED THAT HE
take Phin for walk
and
drop off Madison at Freeze Palace along the way.
“We can stop at Vito’s Italian Ristorante for a slice of pizza, too,” he said. “A girl has to eat some dinner before her ice cream, right?”
The night was perfect, with a tiny, warm breeze. Madison could smell garlic in the air outside the pizzeria. She waited with Phin at an outdoor table while Dad got the food.
Across the street, Madison spied her least-favorite person on the planet walking along with her parents. But Poison Ivy wasn’t dressed in short shorts and a halter top now. She had on a modest sundress instead. Her mom probably picked it out for her, Madison thought. She wondered if Ivy was headed toward Freeze Palace, too. She hoped not.
“Two slices coming right up!” Dad announced. He ran back inside to get two cans of root beer, too.
“Thanks for dinner, Dad,” Madison said.
“Did I mention that you look ravishing this evening?” Dad said. “I’m the luckiest guy in all of Far Hills.”
“Daddy!” Madison said, giving him a tap across the table. “Quit it. You’re embarrassing me.”
Dad smirked. “I’m just so proud of you,” he said.
The pizza was delicious, and Madison loved her outside picnic pizza meal with Dad. When she took her last bite, she smiled at him.
Dad smiled back and checked his watch. “Let’s go. Your friends are waiting.”
The line outside Freeze Palace was down the block, as usual. But they had set up extra tables and picnic benches in the back courtyard. Dad and Phin left Madison at the door. He said he would pick her up again at eight.
A crowd of her friends was gathered at one of the picnic tables way in the back. Everyone was squished together on the benches. Egg and Fiona were sitting together on two chairs off to the side of the table, and Hart was standing.
“Hey, Maddie!” Fiona said. “We were wondering if you’d come.”
“How’s your boyfriend?” Egg teased.
Madison growled. “Very funny, Egg.”
“Hey, Finnster,” Hart said. His teeth flashed perfect white as he smiled.
Madison smiled back, shaking off the goose bumps she felt as he looked at her with his brown eyes. His skin was nut colored from the sun.
“You!” Aimee jumped up and gave Madison a fake punch. “I miss you, Maddie! We never see you anymore.”
“That’s not true,” Madison said. “Is it?”
“I had something to tell you…” Aimee started to say. But then she got distracted. “Oh! He’s here.”
Madison turned to see Ben Buckley walking into Freeze Palace. The other guys at the table grunted their hellos. Ben put up a hand as if to say, “Hey.”
“Hi, Madison,” Ben said.
Aimee was having a hard time keeping her feet on the ground.
“I’m so glad you came. Wait, come over here, I saved you a seat.” Aimee grabbed Ben’s elbow, and they went over to the other side of the picnic table.
Madison couldn’t believe that Aimee would have saved him a seat and not saved
her
a seat. Meanwhile Hart and Drew were arm wrestling at the table. Madison stood there alone.
“Don’t just stand there. Pull up a chair,” Chet said. He and Dan Ginsburg were stuffing their faces with ice-cream sundaes.
Unfortunately, there were no more chairs around. Freeze Palace was packed.
“I’m okay,” Madison said, rocking from one foot to the other. Fiona and Egg were giggling about something. Everyone seemed to be having their own private conversations.
“I’m going for another milk shake,” Drew announced. He stood up from his seat and offered it to Madison, who sat down in the middle of everyone.
“So, did you guys see what happened at the pool today?” Egg asked the table.
Everyone shook their heads. Madison knew they were talking about little Eliot’s fall near the pool edge.
But they weren’t.
“Ivy Daly almost lost her top,” Egg cracked. “Again. She is so weird.”
“And hot,” Chet added. “I think she does it on purpose.”
“Eeeeew, gross me,” Aimee said. “She is not hot. She is so fake.”
Madison couldn’t believe they were talking about Ivy and not her. She looked over at Hart, but he was still too busy arm wrestling to notice.
“I was at the pool today,” Madison said.
“Yo, I didn’t see you,” Egg said. “Oh, wait. Maybe I did. I can’t remember.”
Hart still said nothing.
Madison shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Her skirt felt tight all of a sudden. She was dressed up more than the rest of the group, too. The patchwork skirt had been a bad idea. She should have stayed in shorts.
“Are you guys ready for Pool Day?” Egg asked.
“I’m diving,” Dan said. He was a good swimmer.
“Me too,” said Fiona. She was always up for an athletic challenge. “And I’m doing the crawl against my brother.”
“Breaststroke-and-backstroke combo is my swim,” Hart said. “And the lifeguard swim, too, of course.”
“I’ll watch,” Aimee said. She still wasn’t ready to get her hair wet.
Madison sat back and listened to the table talk about Pool Day. There was nothing to add. She wouldn’t be participating like they would be, thanks to Eliot. Not only was he causing her anxiety because of what she did—but he also caused her anxiety because of what she
couldn’t
do!
“What about you, Maddie?” Dan asked. “Aren’t you swimming? You almost won the crawl last year.”
Madison shrugged. “I can’t do Pool Day. I have to baby-sit.”
“Isn’t that a bummer?” Aimee said. “It won’t be the same without you.”
