Heart to Heart (From the Files of Madison Finn, 11) (13 page)

Madison wanted to disappear when Dan said that. She didn’t want Hart to permanently associate her with a camel.

“Yeah, Finnster,” Hart said with a grin. “Looks like you’re doing a little bit of studying.”

“Just a little bit,” Madison said as the librarian scanned her book.

“Are you both ready for the dance Friday?” Dan asked. “I’m psyched to show off my moves.” He did a little wiggle, and Aimee and Madison cracked up laughing. The four friends walked out of the library together.

“There’s our ride,” Dan said, indicating the car parked at the curb. Eileen waved from behind the wheel, and Madison waved back. “Do you need a lift?” Dan asked.

“No thanks,” Aimee said. “My mom is picking us up.”

“See you later, then,” Hart said.

“See you,” Madison and Aimee said as Hart and Dan climbed into the car. Eileen gave the horn a friendly little tap.

“Dan is so hilarious,” Aimee said as the car pulled away.

“Yeah,” Madison agreed.

But she wasn’t thinking about Dan when she said it.

She was staring at the back of Hart’s head in the rear window of the car as they drove away.

Orange Crush, Madison thought. I hope it’s
you.

“Y
OU LOOK GREAT!” AIMEE SAID
as she and Madison walked into school on Friday.

Madison had curled her hair so that it was long and full. She’d applied some lip gloss, too, with an extra shimmer of seashell pink. Madison had on her favorite faded jeans and a black turtleneck sweater. Mom had loaned her a big, red heart pin, which she had attached to the sweater.

She had to look good at school now and at the dance later. Today was the day Orange Crush would reveal himself.

Aimee looked pretty, too. She wore a jean skirt with patches on it, including one that was shaped like a heart, and a long-sleeved pink T-shirt.

“Oh-em-gee!” Aimee cried as they walked in the doors at school.

The building had erupted in a volcano of red, white, and pink. Halls were hung with streamers and banners advertising the Heart to Heart Dance, and everyone was dressed in Valentine’s Day colors. Kids ran around, passing out valentine’s cards and bags of candy.

Fiona spotted her
BFF
s and ran over. She was wearing a pink sweater set and cargo pants.

“Hey, Maddie!” she said. “I got your e-card—thanks!” Madison wasn’t sure that paper valentines were a cool thing to send in junior high school, so she had sent all of her good friends e-cards.

Fiona handed one small envelope to Madison, and one to Aimee.

Madison pulled out her small card. On it was a picture of a bee in a mining hat. “Bee Mine,” the card read. On the inside, Fiona had written,

Madison, I’m so glad that we’ve gotten to be good friends this year. I can’t wait for us to have a blast at the dance!
BFF
4-ever! Hearts and kisses, Fiona

Madison gave Fiona a giant hug. “Thanks,” she said.

Aimee held up her card.

“Oh, Fiona, this is so totally sweet,” Aimee said as she finished reading her card. On the front was a picture of a little bear dressed up as a ballerina. The message read:
VALENTINE, YOU’RE TUTU SWEET
.

“Group hug!” Aimee squealed.

She wrapped her arms around Fiona and Madison, and pulled a Tupperware container out of a paper bag she was carrying.

“I wasn’t sure if we were doing cards, or what, so I made cookies,” she explained. “With all-natural honey and brown sugar, of course, courtesy of my Mom.”

She lifted the lid and Madison and Fiona each took a heart-shaped sugar cookie covered with red sprinkles.

“Yum!” Madison said, taking a bite. “Breakfast!”

“Who brought cookies?” Egg asked, butting in. Drew and Chet were standing right behind him.

“Want one?” Aimee asked, offering the container to the guys, who—of course—didn’t have to be asked twice. “Got enough, there, Chet?”

“I’m a growing boy,” Chet said, holding up the three cookies he’d snatched. “I need to keep my strength up!”

Egg pulled a large red envelope out of his backpack.

“Uh … here,” he said, handing the card to Fiona. “You can open it later.”

Fiona blushed and stuffed it into her bag. “Okay,” she whispered.

Madison couldn’t believe that Egg had picked out a romantic card—and given it to Fiona right there in the hallway! Wow, they really
are
a couple, she thought.

Chet rolled his eyes and elbowed Egg in the side. He looked like he was about to say something sarcastic, but Drew stepped in quickly.

“Hey, I almost forgot,” Drew interrupted. “I got us all tickets for the dance.” He pulled the tickets out of his pocket. “It was cheaper to buy four sets of two so I just went ahead and got them,” Drew explained. “I already gave Hart and Dan their tickets. Now you each owe me four bucks. Just pay me back at the dance.”

“That was nice of you,” Aimee said.

“Yeah, thanks,” Egg said, grabbing two. He handed a ticket to Fiona.

“You didn’t have to—” Madison said, a little perplexed.

“I know,” Drew said. “But we’re friends, so …”

“Weren’t you going with someone else?” Chet asked Madison.

“Yeah, well, that fell through,” Madison said, trying to cover for her excuse.

“Should we all just meet at the dance?” Drew asked, changing the subject.

“That’s a good idea,” Egg said. “I was thinking we could all show up in front at the same time and walk in together.”

“Good idea,” Fiona agreed. “Lindsay Frost told me that she wants to come with us. She already has her ticket.”

“And Ben, too,” Aimee said, her voice lifting a little.”

“Ben Buckley?” Egg said, making a face. He poked Aimee in the side. “With
you?”

Aimee smirked. “Maybe …”

Madison and Fiona giggled.

“Does seven o’clock sound good to everyone?” Drew asked.

Madison grinned. Now the dance really was turning into a group thing. She’d spent all of that time worrying about being dateless for nothing. And Drew was being so nice.

All the suspects would be there—so Orange Crush was bound to reveal himself.

The bell rang, and Madison waved good-bye and headed off to the computer lab. She needed to do a quick spelling and grammar check on the paper she and Fiona worked on. They’d spent Thursday night working on their biography project for Mr. Gibbons. Madison had found all the letters from John Adams that they needed.

The lab was empty and Madison headed over to one of the computers and popped her disk into the drive. It didn’t take long for her to correct the paper—there were only a few mistakes. She printed it out and stuffed the paper into her backpack. On the same disk, she opened a personal file she’d been working on. n

Valentine’s Day


Rude Awakening
: This Valentine’s Day dance is full of heart and soul for so many of my friends. But is it just heart and solo for me?


I’ve got less than five hours until the Valentine’s Day dance—and I’m still dateless. Sigh. At least all of my friends will be there. And it looks as though they’ve decided not to pair off like animals on the ark.


I’m glad that I’ll have my dad’s newest digital camera. It fits in the palm of my hand! I can just roam around, and stay busy snapping photos. I can’t wait to see everyone all dressed up. I wonder what the guys will wear? Maybe Egg will show up in a tuxedo.
HA
!


My only consolation is that I’m probably not the only person who’s dateless. As far as I know, Hart doesn’t have a date. So maybe he will ask me to dance with him when we get there?


If he does I think I’ll have a heart attack. Or is that a Hart attack?
LOL
.


Madison closed her file, and looked at the clock above Mrs. Wing’s desk. She still had ten minutes before the bell, so she decided to write to Bigwheels, too. She’d save the message and send it later.

From: MadFinn


To: Bigwheels


Subject: Hi!


Date: Fri 14 Feb 8:35 AM


Just wanted to say Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope I wasn’t too strange when we chatted the other night. I’ve just been going through this kind of insecure phase because it seems like everyone around me is totally in love, including
YOU
. And I’m not. N e way, I want you to know that I don’t mind hearing about Reggie. I’m glad that you’re so psyched. I’m psyched 4 u.


Yours till the Hershey’s kisses,


Madison


Madison felt better just writing down her apology to Bigwheels. She needed to be more understanding. After all, Madison wrote about Hart in practically every e-mail and Bigwheels only ever had good things to say. And Bigwheels always gave the best advice whenever Madison had other problems or questions, too.

Madison hit
SAVE
just as the bell rang. She popped out the disk and headed down the hall toward her science class.

“Hello, Madison,” Ivy said with a smug little smile as Madison took her seat beside her lab partner. “Ready for the dance?” Ivy was wearing a tight red sweater with a black skirt, and her fingernails had little heart decals on them.

“I guess,” Madison said. She didn’t feel like talking to Ivy, but didn’t want to be rude, either.

“I can’t wait to go,” Ivy went on, giving her hair a flip. “It should be so much fun—Hart and I are going together. Isn’t that great?”

Madison glared at Ivy.

Was it true? Had Hart really asked Ivy to the dance?

Just then, he strolled into the classroom, trailing a silver balloon in the shape of a heart. He looked around the classroom. When he spotted Madison, he waved.

He’s coming this way, Madison thought. Time seemed to slow down as Hart approached. Is he bringing that balloon to
me?

Madison had to grip the edge of the lab table to steady herself.

Every detail of Hart’s face seemed cuter than ever. Madison took in his dimples, the slight spray of freckles across his nose, the way the light shone on his hair …

“Finnster,” Hart said as he walked up to her. “This is for you.”

Madison opened her mouth to speak. No words came out.

On the other side of Madison, Ivy groaned.

“Uh … but the thing is … it’s not from me,” Hart added.

“W-w-what?” Madison asked.

Madison stared at him for a moment. It was as though he had spoken to her in a foreign language—her brain simply refused to understand what he had just said. It wasn’t from him?

“Someone asked me to give it to you,” Hart explained.

Hart handed Madison the balloon, and she wrapped its string around her wrist.

“Yeah, someone asked me,” Hart said with an enormous smile on his face. “There’s a note, I think.” He pointed to a small white envelope. A hole had been punched in the corner. It was tied to the balloon.

Madison pulled out the card. It was typed, just like the others.

You’ve got my heart on a string.

Tonight all will be revealed

signed, Your Secret ‘Admirer.

Madison blushed, confused.

Hart smiled again. “It’s nice, huh?” he said.

Madison smiled back. “Yeah. Who is it from?”

Hart stalled. “I can’t reveal my sources.”

Madison crinkled her eyebrows in deep thought.

Had Hart just pretended the balloon was from someone else to throw Madison off his trail? He still could be Orange Crush …right?

“Uh, Ivy,” Hart said, “my mom says that if you still need that ride to the dance, we’ll have to pick you up at seven. She’s got her book group tonight.”

“For sure,” Ivy said, nodding. “I have to be there early to help set up, anyway.”

Madison stared over at Ivy, who snapped, “I told you Hart and I are going to the dance.”

“Right,” Madison said. Now she knew the real story. Ivy and Hart
were
going to the dance together—but not in the way that Ivy had first implied.

“See you at the dance, too, Finnster?” Hart said as he turned toward his own lab table.

Madison’s bit her lip to keep from screaming.
What is going on?
she thought.
Why can’t he just admit that he’s Orange Crush?

“Nice balloon. So who sent it to you?” Ivy asked. “Egg?”

“Very funny,” Madison said. She nodded in the direction of Hart. “I think you know who sent this to me, Ivy.”

“You don’t really think that balloon is from Hart,” Ivy said nastily. “Not in this lifetime, Madison. He just told you it was from someone else!”

Madison didn’t respond to that remark. She turned and tied the balloon to the back of her chair.

Of course she
did
think the balloon was from Hart. He was being sneakier than sneaky, that’s all.

And tonight all would be revealed once and for all.

Ivy just wishes Hart had given the balloon to
her,
Madison thought. She laughed quietly from behind her science textbook.

Not in this lifetime, Poison Ivy.