mad maddie:
so why’d u do it?
SnowAngel:
i dunno! cuz everybody just … did. AND cuz i didn’t have any choice after the whole “angela’s after doug” debacle. not that i’m still obsessing over that.
mad maddie:
paranoia will destroy ya …
SnowAngel:
it’s like, i had to make even more of an effort than normal to be all rah-rah about logan, while at the same time NOT act in any possible way that could be considered flirty toward doug.
SnowAngel:
but i also had to be jokey and normal with doug, cuz otherwise it would be like admitting that those rumors had actually existed. oh, and that i cared.
SnowAngel:
it was exhausting.
mad maddie:
so to counteract those rumors, you said, “what the hell, let’s have an orgy”?
SnowAngel:
at one point i heard doug whisper something to zoe about “lower, lower,” and zoe giggled in an aren’t-we-naughty kind of way. it was some random private joke, obviously, but it gave logan ideas, and i had to take his hand and move it higher higher higher. i was like. “logan, NO. we r not doing that in zoe’s house with zoe and doug five feet away!!!”
mad maddie:
u realize yr oversharing
SnowAngel:
and of course it made me think about your “hot and bothered” comment, which pissed me off.
SnowAngel:
so then zoe messaged me on facebook this morning to do a post-op on the date, and she was all glowing and giddy and a LITTLE embarrassed, but not nearly embarrassed enuff. it just made me think, what is my life coming to?
mad maddie:
zoe’s in love. it’s sweet.
mad maddie:
altho they do need to get their own room.
SnowAngel:
*shakes off whole experience*
SnowAngel:
i’m going to have a purging ritual, that’s what i’m gonna do. aunt sadie bought this high-tech body wash yesterday with glycolic acid in it, and she said i could try it out. supposedly it makes you itch like crazy, but afterward yr all silky and soft.
mad maddie:
uh, sure, dude. enjoy your acid bath. as for me, i’m gonna park my butt in front of the TV and have a Netflix marathon. i’m talking all day and deep into the night … cuz tomorrow senior privileges kick in!!! yeah!!!
SnowAngel:
aunt sadie is so confused about that, btw. she was like, “you mean, until now you COULDN’T sleep in? even if you had a free period 1st thing in the morning?” she thinks high school is like college or something.
mad maddie:
or maybe she just doesn’t get the idea of NOT sleeping in. maybe she doesn’t realize that other ppl have bosses/teachers who care.
SnowAngel:
i am very jealous that you’ll be in your warm cozy bed while i’m in 1st period french.
mad maddie:
oh, babe. i feel for ya!
Mon, Feb 13, 4:15 PM E.S.T.
zoegirl:
hey, angela. i’m at java joe’s… and guess who’s working the counter?
SnowAngel:
who?
zoegirl:
margo pedersen! i’m the only customer, so she came over and hung out for a while. and angela, she broke up with ian!!!
SnowAngel:
ian??? maddie’s ian?
zoegirl:
well, ian who *used* to be maddie’s ian.
SnowAngel:
but he never got over her, so i can still call him that.
SnowAngel:
when did margo break up with him? and why?
zoegirl:
today—and the reason she gave is cuz she doesn’t want “a long-term commitment” when she goes to college.
zoegirl:
she said she figured that since they were gonna break up anyway, they might as well do it now. she was all, “i don’t want to be tied down. i wanna enjoy my senior year.”
SnowAngel:
she cldn’t enjoy it with ian?
zoegirl:
that’s what i said. and she said, “look, zoe. you and doug, if that’s what you want, that’s great. but i’m 18 yrs old, i’m not ready to settle down.”
zoegirl:
she was pretty condescending, actually. like she felt sorry for me because i *was* settled down.
SnowAngel:
i’m sure she didn’t mean it that way
zoegirl:
no, she did. but that just means that what she and ian had wasn’t as real as what doug and i have.
SnowAngel:
so ian’s a free agent, huh? *taps chin*
zoegirl:
but to break up with him the day before valentine’s day, isn’t that harsh?
SnowAngel:
crap—valentine’s day!
zoegirl:
why “crap”?
SnowAngel:
nothing, nvm
zoegirl:
???
SnowAngel:
i don’t have anything for logan, that’s all. i thought saturday nite was our valentine’s day deal. i thought that was our whole celebration. but yesterday logan said something about a “valentine’s surprise,” which means he’s planning something else, which means i have to too. crap!
zoegirl:
go out and get him something. it’s not hard.
SnowAngel:
what are you giving doug?
zoegirl:
a unicycle
SnowAngel:
a UNICYCLE?
zoegirl:
i found it on craigslist. isn’t that the perfect doug gift?
SnowAngel:
great, a unicycle
SnowAngel:
yr gonna make me look bad here, zo
zoegirl:
make logan something homemade, like certificates for one free snuggle. i’m doing that too. i cut the certificates out of fancy stationery and decorated them with love stickers.
SnowAngel:
i can’t do that. he’d think i copied you
zoegirl:
you don’t have to get him something big, just give him something from the heart.
zoegirl:
want me to go shopping with you?
SnowAngel:
no, that’s ok
zoegirl:
you sure? i’d be happy to.
SnowAngel:
i’m sure.
Mon, Feb 13, 4:46 PM E.S.T.
SnowAngel:
maddie, i’m a bad person!!!!
mad maddie:
why, what’d you do?
SnowAngel:
tomorrow’s valentine’s day, and logan has a “surprise” for me. but i have nothing for him!
mad maddie:
u need a ride to the mall?
SnowAngel:
zoe already offered, and i turned her down. wanna know why?
mad maddie:
why?
SnowAngel:
cuz i didn’t WANT to go valentine’s day shopping with zoe. i didn’t want to hear her go on and on about how in love she is when … when …
mad maddie:
when what?
mad maddie:
once and for all, just say it.
SnowAngel:
*turns into a tiny person with a very tiny voice*
SnowAngel:
when maybe i’m not. in love. *crawls under a rock and puts hands over head*
mad maddie:
bravo, angela. clap, clap, clap.
SnowAngel:
you’ve known it all along, i know. and maybe i have too—or maybe it took seeing how truly head-over-heels zoe is to realize how un-head-over-heels i am.
SnowAngel:
know what the worst part is? all this tension over not feeling in love with logan is making it hard to even have fun with him. when normally i DO have fun with him, lots of fun. just … more as a fr
iend.
mad maddie:
i’m soooo proud of you, a. if i were there, i’d give you a shiny gold star.
SnowAngel:
the whole stupid rumor thing didn’t help either, cuz it was like everybody could c what i couldn’t. not that i was lusting after doug, just that i WASN’T lusting after logan.
SnowAngel:
altho i think it finally died out, don’t you? the rumors?
mad maddie:
uh …
SnowAngel:
ok, if you have to say “uh,” don’t answer.
SnowAngel:
but about logan—what am i gonna do? just this afternoon he left a cherry mash for me in my locker, cuz he knows they’re my fave. he’s such a good guy. i don’t wanna hurt him!!!
mad maddie:
you gotta cut him loose, angela. you have no choice.
SnowAngel:
but not the day before valentine’s day! then i’d be just like
SnowAngel:
OMG, I FORGOT TO TELL YOU! MARGO PEDERSEN BROKE UP WITH IAN!!!
mad maddie:
whoa, tone it down
SnowAngel:
isn’t that great? *happy dance, happy dance*
SnowAngel:
now you two can get back together!
mad maddie:
angela, yr un-frickin-believable! one second yr moaning and groaning over logan, and the next yr jumping up and down about ian?
SnowAngel:
i feel better now that i’ve gotten the logan thing off my chest.
SnowAngel:
*pats self in the chesty region* i do! i feel so much better!
mad maddie:
well lucky u, but what about logan?
SnowAngel:
i guess yr right—i have to break up with him. just not today, that would be heartless.
SnowAngel:
altho it prolly won’t be as awful as i think. cuz when one person isn’t into it anymore, usually the other person isn’t either, right?
mad maddie:
no
SnowAngel:
what do you mean, no? the correct answer is yes, you blockhead!
mad maddie:
uh huh. that’s why there’s so many songs about broken hearts. that’s why ppl shoot their exes out of jealousy. cuz everyone’s like, “oh, you want to break up? great! no problem! that’s what i want too!”
SnowAngel:
oh shut up *scowls at friend*
SnowAngel:
i can’t believe you suggested that logan might SHOOT me!
mad maddie:
i did not just suggest
mad maddie:
grrrr
SnowAngel:
logan is not going to shoot me. logan might be sad, but logan’ll be ok, and ultimately he’ll be better off with someone who appreciates him.
SnowAngel:
and now enuff about logan. aren’t you excited to hear about ian?
mad maddie:
angela … don’t, k?
SnowAngel:
but why????
mad maddie:
i know it’s this huge fantasy of yours that ian and i get back together, but whatever we once had … it was a long time ago.
SnowAngel:
but
mad maddie:
shush
SnowAngel:
if only you’d
mad maddie:
LET. IT. GO.
SnowAngel:
is it cuz of vincent?
mad maddie:
omg, yr unbelievable
mad maddie:
no, angela, it’s not cuz of vincent. it’s just that we don’t ALL need a boyfriend to make our lives feel complete.
SnowAngel:
you’re no fun at all
mad maddie:
sure i am. i’m tons of fun.
SnowAngel:
guess i better go buy logan a v-day present since yr being such a poop. tootles!
Tues, Feb 14, 5:02 PM E.S.T.
mad maddie:
happy valentine’s day, zo! wasn’t that sweet what the senior guys did?
zoegirl:
soooo sweet. totally sweet!
mad maddie:
i wonder who came up with it? can you imagine a bunch of guys sitting around and one of them saying, “hey, here’s a thought: let’s deliver a bag of candy hearts to every girl in the senior class!”
zoegirl:
what *i* can’t believe is that doug managed to keep it a secret from me. he told me later that he made sure my bag had extra candy, though. because he is a big sweetie.
mad maddie:
how’d the big sweetie like his unicycle?
zoegirl:
he’s out in my backyard right now, trying to get the hang of it. i can see him clinging to a tree branch, attempting to get his balance.
mad maddie:
ha
mad maddie:
what’d he get u?
zoegirl:
a pair of hand-crafted earrings from somalia. he bought them when they docked there and saved them all this time. they’re gorgeous.
mad maddie:
uh huh. well, isn’t that nice.
mad maddie:
wanna know what i got for v-day? go ahead. ask.
zoegirl:
uh oh …
mad maddie:
A FRICKIN EMAIL CHAIN LETTER! FROM GLENDY!!!
zoegirl:
oh no! what did this 1 say?
mad maddie:
the subject line was “have a heart” (cuz it’s v-day, get it?) and the message said, “hi, i am a 29-yr-old father whose baby has some terrible gut-wrenching disease. please forward this to your 2 million closest friends, cuz if you do then we’ll get 32 cents a message and we can pay for our poor baby’s operation.” it ends with, “if you delete this … you seriously don’t have a heart.”
zoegirl:
ouch
zoegirl:
you deleted it, didn’t you?
mad maddie:
on the bottom was a picture of a naked baby, butt in the air. there was a ribbon wrapped around the baby with a tag that said “from god.”
zoegirl:
oh no!
mad maddie:
yr laffing, aren’t u?
zoegirl:
i just think it’s hysterical that you get chain letter thingies from glendy and you actually read them. you get what you deserve.
mad maddie:
gee, thx for your sympathy
zoegirl:
i get glendy’s emails too, but they go straight to “junk” and i delete them. i don’t understand why you don’t.
mad maddie:
i dunno, cuz i’m perversely curious to c what horror she’s dredged up next?
zoegirl:
then you can’t complain about them.
mad maddie:
yes i can. that’s the whole point.
zoegirl:
maybe she’ll apply to santa cruz, since she’s in-state. maybe you guys can room together.
mad maddie:
should i kill myself now?
mad maddie:
one of these days i’m gonna write her back. i’m just waiting for the right moment.
zoegirl:
be sure to tell me when you do. *that* i want to see.
zoegirl:
hey, have you heard from angela? i called her, but she didn’t pick up—probably she’s with logan. he found me today after french and told me he’s got some great surprise for her. he was verrrrrrrry excited.
mad maddie:
oh man
mad maddie:
you know she wants to break up with him, right?
zoegirl:
WHAT?
zoegirl:
why???
mad maddie:
cuz she finally admitted that he’s more like a brother than a lover. ooo, that would make a good country song, wldn’t it?
zoegirl:
/> but that’s not true! if you’d seen them on saturday … she sure wasn’t *kissing* him like a brother!
mad maddie:
cuz she was faking, and deep down you know it. you just want her to be in love with logan so that angela and logan can be twinsies with you and doug.
zoegirl:
that’s ridiculous
mad maddie:
plus it made it easier for you to blow off those rumors, cuz if she was firmly with logan then of course she wasn’t flirting with your bf.
zoegirl:
oh god, maddie
zoegirl:
you should have seen logan when he was telling me about her v-day surprise. he was like, “she likes blue, doesn’t she? i know pink’s her favorite color, but pink wasn’t an option. but blue’s good too, don’t you think?”