TTFN (21 page)

zoegirl:

hey, angela. i have something i want to tell u, but
i'm not sure i should, only i really want to because it's making me all smiley inside.

zoegirl:

can i tell you, or will it secretly make you sad?

SnowAngel:

what r u blithering about? does this have to do with doug?

zoegirl:

yeah, and i can't tell maddie because she'd make fun of me. so can i tell you, or would you rather i not?

SnowAngel:

OMG, DID U HAVE SEX??????

zoegirl:

angela, shhhhh!

SnowAngel:

what, u think everyone in cyberland can hear?

SnowAngel:

SO DID U????

zoegirl:

no! of course not!

SnowAngel:

darn

SnowAngel:

altho not really cuz i don't think i'm ready for that

zoegirl:

*you're* not ready? what about *me*?

SnowAngel:

not everything is about U, zoe

SnowAngel:

do u remember saying that to me, back when u first started lying? now u know what it feels like!

zoegirl:

why are you snapping at me? are you in a bad mood?

zoegirl:

talking to you isn't as fun as i thought it was going to be.

SnowAngel:

i'm sorry, i'm sorry *drops to knees and hugs friend's legs*

SnowAngel:

PLEASE tell me. i'll stop being obnoxious, i promise.

zoegirl:

well … now it doesn't even seem like a big deal anymore. only, it is.

zoegirl:

doug wrote a poem for me—isn't that sweet?

SnowAngel:

awww! can i read it?

zoegirl:

yes, because he posted it on
poetry.com
, which means anyone can read it. i think that's so cool, because it means he's not hiding it or anything. he wants the whole world to know.

SnowAngel:

shld i go to the site right now?

zoegirl:

i can just paste it in. but later you should visit the site and see for yourself how official it looks.

zoegirl:

here it is. it's called “Miraculous Thing.”

 

Miraculous Thing

 

Today all of the news is good news.

 

This morning a robin lands on my porch and beeps her hip hop until dark.

 

I can't help tapping my foot.

 

I take her by the wing and we dance into flight.

 

It is you, Zoe, lifting me higher and higher into the starry night that reminds me of your eyes and the sparkling touch of your skin.

 

I may never sleep again.

zoegirl:

isn't it beautiful and wonderful and perfect??? or do i just think so because it's about me?

SnowAngel:

it's different from the poem he read at the poetry slam last year, that's for sure. that 1 was about dirty underwear.

zoegirl:

no one's ever written me a poem before.

SnowAngel:

no one's written me one either.

SnowAngel:

ur lucky, zo

zoegirl:

i know. thanks for being so cool about it.

zoegirl:

but when it comes to maddie, mum's the word!

mad maddie:

hey, a-boogie. chumley the psycho kitty scratched the hell out of my leg, and now i have three long gashes on my thigh. they look really cool.

mad maddie:

is that sick, that i like the look of pain?

SnowAngel:

yes

mad maddie:

tell me ur not the same, tho. like when u get a bruise, don't u feel tough?

SnowAngel:

i've always secretly wanted a black eye, to tell the truth

mad maddie:

YES! that's exactly what i mean!

SnowAngel:

we r sick little freaks, aren't we?

mad maddie:

never said we weren't

mad maddie:

so wassup?

SnowAngel:

nothing much. i txted zoe earlier—she's doing well.

mad maddie:

oh yeah?

SnowAngel:

in fact i shouldn't tell u this, but i'm going to anyway.

SnowAngel:

doug wrote her a poem.

mad maddie:

oh good lord

SnowAngel:

it's called “miraculous thing.”

mad maddie:

“miraculous thing”? what, now zoe's a bona fide miracle?

SnowAngel:

it's sweet. it really is. it's posted under his name on
poetry.com
if u wanna check it out.

mad maddie:

heck yeah, i'm gonna pull it up right now.

SnowAngel:

did u find it? is it there?

mad maddie:

“i take her by the wing and we dance into flight”??? we're not the freaks—he is!

SnowAngel:

*chortle chortle*

SnowAngel:

i take it that chive hasn't written U any love poems …

mad maddie:

NO, thank god

SnowAngel:

doug must really like her a lot. *deflates a little, like a balloon* i'm embarrassed to say it, but it makes me the TINIEST bit jealous.

mad maddie:

why??? cuz u wanna be compared to a robin?

SnowAngel:

ha, i knew u'd make me feel better.

SnowAngel:

seriously, tho, u can't tell zoe i told u.

mad maddie:

excuse me, but it's on the world wide web. it's fair game.

SnowAngel:

i know, but don't mention it anyway.

mad maddie:

she should have told me. i hate it when she keeps secrets.

mad maddie:

but don't worry, i know how to keep my mouth shut!

mad maddie:

hey, zo. have u noticed mary kate's new way of talking? it's driving me up the wall.

zoegirl:

what's she doing?

mad maddie:

she, like, makes all her vowels long, like “agane” instead of “again.” and she calls her mom “mum.” i wanna vomit every time she opens her mouth.

zoegirl:

i don't get it. is she trying to be British?

mad maddie:

god only knows. it is nauseatingly pretentious.

mad maddie:

anywayz, that's all i've got. i'm off to meet chive at the awful waffle.

zoegirl:

wait! that's it?

mad maddie:

yeah, so?

zoegirl:

nothing, it's just that we haven't talked in forever.

mad maddie:

cuz u've been busy with doug

zoegirl:

and *u've* been busy with chive, only you've told me hardly any details

mad maddie:

whereas u, on the other hand, make it a point to tell me everything?

zoegirl:

huh? what's that supposed to mean?

mad maddie:

i've gtg, i'm supposed to be at the waffle house in 15 minutes.

zoegirl:

then call me when u get back. or txt.

mad maddie:

it'll probably be late, but fine. but you'll probably be asleep!

mad maddie:

zo-ster! here i am txting u, just like i promised. u awake?

zoegirl:

maddie, hi!

mad maddie:

oh yeah? how high r u?

zoegirl:

???

zoegirl:

so how'd the night go? did you have fun?

mad maddie:

mmmm, waffles. i could eat five more right now. and chive played the jukebox and the jukebox played him. hehehehe.

zoegirl:

what do u mean, the jukebox played him?

mad maddie:

i mean what i say and i say what i mean.

mad maddie:

aren't jukeboxes COOL, tho? i mean, it's like back in the good ol' days. a blast from the last.

zoegirl:

i think you mean a blast from the *past*

mad maddie:

oh man, do u ever feel like your teeth r too sharp? my teeth r really, really sharp.

zoegirl:

what are you talking about? are you ok, maddie?

mad maddie:

special lady! waitin on me at the waffle house. she's amazin! calling all those orders out. special lady!

zoegirl:

omg, are you stoned?!

mad maddie:

hey, i resemble that remark! hehehehehe

zoegirl:

i'm serious. are you????

mad maddie:

it's a song from the waffle house jukebox. am i chive's special lady? i wanna be chive's special lady.

mad maddie:

and no, i'm not stoned. the word i could easily
write to show u that i'm not would be trilogy. or in stone in frye in capsula. or i could go to bed even tho i know i'll be in big trouble.

zoegirl:

why r u gonna be in trouble?

mad maddie:

cuz the moms thought that too, ya know. about being stoned.

mad maddie:

oh man, i just realized something! u and the moms, ur like twins! u were separated at birth!

zoegirl:

maddie, i don't see the point in talking to you right now unless you're going to start acting normal.

mad maddie:

define normal. what's normal, zoe? r U normal?

zoegirl:

bye, mads. you're making me feel really sad.

mad maddie:

sad mad glad. how weird that they all rhyme.

mad maddie:

u should go eat a waffle! u can't be sad if u eat a waffle!!!