TTFN (34 page)

zoegirl:

that's what *i* said. because it's such an oxymoron, the image of jana—mistress of death and destruction—clutching a teddy bear.

mad maddie:

ooo, nice use of the word “oxymoron.” i KNEW i should have taken that SAT prep course.

zoegirl:

but terri goes, “for real, jana has this mangy old teddy bear that smells like spit. she takes it with her everywhere.”

mad maddie:

???

mad maddie:

i've never seen jana with a teddy bear

zoegirl:

she leaves it in her car. that's what terri says. which is entirely possible. have you seen all the crap in the back of jana's station wagon?

mad maddie:

it's a mobile junk heap. it's disgusting.

zoegirl:

according to terri, jana's dad gave her the teddy bear when she was little, and she's unhealthily attached to it.

zoegirl:

its name is Boo Boo Bear.

mad maddie:

Boo Boo Bear???

mad maddie:

omfg, i am loving this so much. Boo Boo Bear!

zoegirl:

terri was like, “i can't believe i'm telling you—jana would *die*.”

mad maddie:

heh heh heh, jana whitaker is unhealthily attached to Boo Boo Bear. suddenly the world is a MUCH brighter place!!!

zoegirl:

er … not necessarily. because 2 seconds later, jana herself stormed into the bathroom. “*there*
you are,” she says to terri, all fuming. “you're not even going to let me apologize?”

zoegirl:

then she noticed me, and her jaw dropped. she was like, “what are YOU doing here?”

mad maddie:

plz, it's a public bathroom. does she think it's her private office?

zoegirl:

my heart got all poundy, because—as you know—i'm a wimp, although jana had already switched to ignoring me. she said to terri, “get up, we're leaving.”

mad maddie:

ok, that is the perfect example of the evilness of jana. she's bossy and she's mean.

zoegirl:

but amazingly, terri didn't obey. she said, “you can't treat me like dirt and then expect me to be your slave.”

zoegirl:

“terri, get up,” jana said, still very pointedly not looking at me. “we can talk about your ‘issues' later.”

mad maddie:

oh god

zoegirl:

so terri goes, “*my* issues? you're the one with issues! keep acting the way you're acting, and you won't have any friends left!”

mad maddie:

which is exactly what YOU said!

zoegirl:

i know! and for some reason that made me get all stupidly brave, and under my breath i said, “no one but Boo Boo Bear.”

mad maddie:

holy shit! u da BOMB!

zoegirl:

i shouldn't have, though! it was totally unlike me!

mad maddie:

that's what's so great!

mad maddie:

did jana hear?

zoegirl:

she whipped her head toward me and was like, “WHAT did you say?” and terri goes, “she SAID, no one but Boo Boo Bear.”

mad maddie:

gee, thx, terri

zoegirl:

jana was speechless. i've never in my life seen her speechless, but for that single moment she was. big splotches of color bloomed on her cheeks. it was freaky.

mad maddie:

cuz she IS a freak

zoegirl:

then she pulled herself together and said to me, “you've got nerve, sticking your nose up. not all of us live in a perfect plastic bubble, you know.”

mad maddie:

exsqueeze me? what is that supposed to mean?!

zoegirl:

she was trying to make me feel like a spoiled little baby, in comparison to her, the jaded and worldly jana.

mad maddie:

who has a teddy bear.

zoegirl:

her tone said 1 thing—see how cool and detached i am? i couldn't care less that you know about my stupid bear—but her eyes said something else entirely. she looked like she wanted to kill me. i'm not kidding.

mad maddie:

well, duh. if anyone had to be there for that lovely moment, i'm sure you were the last person she'd pick. you or me or angela, that is.

zoegirl:

that thought crossed my mind, but i tried to tell myself, “no, you're being silly.”

mad maddie:

except yr not. we have what jana doesn't have—actual true friends who lift each other up instead of tear each other down—and it's like a knife inside her heart.

mad maddie:

think of it like this: jana's a dragon (SO not a stretch) and terri exposed her secret piece of weakness. so now jana's screwed twice: 1st cuz u know about Boo Boo Bear, and 2nd cuz u know how easily terri would betray her.

zoegirl:

jana the dragon. i just hope she doesn't flame me.

mad maddie:

if she does, she'll have ME to deal with.

mad maddie:

now isn't it time to pick up your long-lost boyfriend? it's 5:15.

zoegirl:

it is? EEEEEK! IT IS!!!!!

zoegirl:

go pick up angela from her aunt's house and then swing by here. i'll be the 1 gnawing my fingernails to the quick!

mad maddie:

i'm heading out the door. l8r, g8r!