mad maddie:
her blood will be on my SHOULDERS? god, ur dramatic.
SnowAngel:
maddie! *weeps with gladness*
SnowAngel:
thank god!
mad maddie:
anywayz, her blood would be on my HANDS, not dripping down my shoulders. why wld her blood be on my *shoulders*?
SnowAngel:
whatever. what r we gonna do?
mad maddie:
u said they’re going to the kravitzes’?
SnowAngel:
uh huh
mad maddie:
then so r we. i’ll pick u up in ten minutes.
SnowAngel:
yes yes yes!
mad maddie:
and grab your swimsuit. dunno about u, but i’m in the mood to go hot-tubbing.
Sat, Nov 20, 10:35 AM E.S.T.
SnowAngel:
hi, dear, sweet maddie
mad maddie:
hi, angela
SnowAngel:
have i told u how awesome u r yet this morning?
mad maddie:
not unless u airmailed it.
SnowAngel:
well, u r. *warm fuzzies for the mads, queen of heroic rescues*
mad maddie:
whatevs
mad maddie:
we pulled it off, tho, huh?
SnowAngel:
hell yeah! i keep seeing mr. h’s face when we came through the back gate. how he went from shocked to scared to “i’m cool, i’m cool” in, like, five seconds.
mad maddie:
it was classic
SnowAngel:
and zoe!
SnowAngel:
how her eyes were total saucers, especially when u stepped into the hot tub in that hideous purple tank.
mad maddie:
i ordered it from j.crew last summer, but i never wore it cuz it’s so ugly.
SnowAngel:
it made u look like a bruise
mad maddie:
well i, for one, had a marvelous time. so nice, lounging in a hot tub in the middle of november.
SnowAngel:
oh yes, we should do it more often.
mad maddie:
i’ll mention it to mr. h. maybe we can squeeze something in next weekend.
SnowAngel:
hahahahaha! the winsome threesome strikes again!
SnowAngel:
i say we go to shoney’s breakfast bar to celebrate. u game?
mad maddie:
well…
SnowAngel:
mmm, bacon. mmm, those fiendishly good french toast sticks.
mad maddie:
ok, u convinced me
SnowAngel:
*pirouettes gleefully*
mad maddie:
u gonna text zoe?
SnowAngel:
u do it
mad maddie:
why me?
SnowAngel:
u know why. last night was all razzle-dazzle and hysteria—and it was glorious—but i could tell there was still weirdness b/w u two. zoe loves u and u luv zoe, but u need to officially clear the air.
mad maddie:
oh, plz
SnowAngel:
r u scared?
mad maddie:
no, i’m not scared. god.
SnowAngel:
so u’ll do it, then. atta girl!
mad maddie:
whatevs. i’ll pick u up in half an hour!
Sat, Nov 20, 11:04 AM E.S.T.
mad maddie:
hey, zo. it’s me, maddie.
mad maddie:
well, duh. obviously it’s me, unless someone stole my phone.
zoegirl:
maddie!!!! i was just going to call you!
mad maddie:
yeah, sure
zoegirl:
what do you mean? i was!
mad maddie:
if u say so. so… what’s up?
zoegirl:
nothing much. i just wanted to thank you again. for last night.
mad maddie:
tell me about it. i saved your butt good didn’t i? i can’t believe u let yourself be alone with him—and in a HOT TUB no less.
zoegirl:
maddie!
zoegirl:
i tell you thanks and your response is to tell me how stupid i was?
mad maddie:
u have to admit u were. what the hell were u thinking?
zoegirl:
i don’t know what i was thinking!
zoegirl:
anyway, i would think that you of all people would understand.
mad maddie:
huh? what is THAT supposed to mean?
mad maddie:
i think that *you* of all ppl would be grateful for being rescued! i wasn’t that lucky, but U were!
zoegirl:
stops.
zoegirl:
breathes.
zoegirl:
oh my gosh. why are we doing this?
mad maddie:
honestly? i have no idea.
mad maddie:
angela said things were weird between us, and i guess she was right.
zoegirl:
i guess so
mad maddie:
fine
zoegirl:
fine
mad maddie:
FINE!
zoegirl:
FINE!
zoegirl:
this is ridiculous.
mad maddie:
so why don’t u stop?
zoegirl:
why don’t U?
mad maddie:
ok, i’m outta here
zoegirl:
wait!
mad maddie:
what?
zoegirl:
thank you. i DO mean it.
zoegirl:
it’s just that you must think i’m so pathetic.
mad maddie:
i’m listening
zoegirl:
because… you know. because it was all so awful. because i was, like, paralyzed, just sitting there clenching my toes while mr. h kept inching his way toward me. you would have never have let something like that happen.
mad maddie:
uh, no, i’d just whip off my shirt instead. IF there were a hundred drunk frat boys there to appreciate it.
zoegirl:
agh
zoegirl:
what is WRONG with us?
mad maddie:
i have no idea
zoegirl:
i am so embarrassed, maddie.
mad maddie:
join the club
zoegirl:
you know what? maybe i need a little bit of you—like your “screw u” ballsiness—and you need a little bit of me, like my lame scaredy-cat-ness. only in a good way (if that is possible).
mad maddie:
you’re not a lame scaredy-cat.
zoegirl:
oh?
mad maddie:
well, maybe last night u were.
mad maddie:
but unlike me, u never would have screwed up so royally at that frat party. and NOT cuz u would have been scared, but just cuz u don’t get sucked in by the whole popularity game.
mad maddie:
and that’s great! don’t get me wrong! but it’s one of the reasons i felt so stupid about what happened, cuz i knew u were thinking u were so much better than me.
zoegirl:
no i wasn’t! we *all* make mistakes—obviously.
mad maddie:
hmmm
mad maddie:
no comment
zoegirl:
why wouldn’t you talk to us about it? we were totally there for you, but it’s like you didn’t want us.
mad maddie:
i DIDN’T, at first, cuz i was so pissed. and then the more time that went by, the harder it got.
mad maddie:
it just sucked, basically.
&nbs
p; zoegirl:
it sucked for us too
zoegirl:
and i know i already told you this, but i AM sorry that angela and i talked about you behind your back.
zoegirl:
but honestly, we didn’t mean to.
mad maddie:
i know. i’m sorry for overreacting.
zoegirl:
it’s okay. i’m sorry for not being a better friend!
mad maddie:
should we be like playing violins and shit? angela would be bawling her eyes out.
zoegirl:
and you’re not? kidding!
mad maddie:
speaking of angela, what would we throw in from her? if we were creating the perfect mix of the three of us, that is.
zoegirl:
i don’t know. her love of makeup?
mad maddie:
her love of boys?
zoegirl:
her love of… what’s that drama guy’s name? her love of schlankers?
mad maddie:
ZOE! i can’t believe u said that!
zoegirl:
see? i’m not such a saint.
mad maddie:
i’d say u proved that last night, sister.
zoegirl:
*covers head*
zoegirl:
noooo! i don’t want to think about it!
zoegirl:
i’m just teasing about angela, though. you know i love her.
mad maddie:
and you know i do too. and she loves us, and maybe that’s what part of her we’d add in—her complete and full loyalty to her besties.
zoegirl:
zoegirl:
and fine, i admit it. it *was* pretty awesome when you two showed up last night.
mad maddie:
yeah?
zoegirl:
how you strolled through the kravitzes’ back gate, gabbing about what a fabulous night it was for hot-tubbing?
mad maddie:
heh heh heh
zoegirl:
omigosh, and when you dropped down between me and mr. h, stretching out your legs and taking up as much room as possible? i about died.
mad maddie:
just doing my duty, ma’am
zoegirl:
you were practically in his lap!
mad maddie:
AND he was wearing a speedo, which made it doubly horrific.
mad maddie:
shit, zoe, what r u gonna do when u c him on monday?!!
zoegirl:
i have no idea
mad maddie:
what is HE gonna do?
zoegirl:
i *seriously* have no idea
zoegirl:
i wish i could switch out of his class, but i know it’s impossible.
mad maddie:
cldn’t u get your mom to request it?
zoegirl:
and tell her WHAT?
mad maddie:
ah. good point.
mad maddie:
at least u won’t have to waste your time with that religious crap anymore.
zoegirl:
it wasn’t the church’s fault. i LIKED the church.
mad maddie:
oh, lord
zoegirl:
but i’m not worried about that. i’m worried about HIM.
mad maddie:
well, we’ll figure something out together, u and me and angela. cuz, u know, all three of us r such pros when it comes to guys.
zoegirl:
yeah, right
zoegirl:
so whatever happened with ian? did you straighten things out with him?
mad maddie:
i’ve only seen him once since halloween, and that was last saturday when we worked together. at first he was all aloof, but we were thrown together so much that it was pretty much impossible NOT to talk.
zoegirl:
are you too a thing again, then?
mad maddie:
i wouldn’t say we’re a “thing.” i’d say we’re a “maybe.” i didn’t tell him exactly what happened on halloween night, but he knows i ditched him for jana, and he wasn’t exactly thrilled.
zoegirl:
i can see that
zoegirl:
and speaking of, what about jana? are you going to patch things up?
mad maddie:
u have to ASK?
mad maddie:
u and angela were right—jana’s a bitch. case closed.
zoegirl:
oh. well, sorry. except also—good!
mad maddie:
let’s drop it. she’s not worth talking about.
zoegirl:
you’re so right
zoegirl:
here’s a thought. if things work out with you and ian, then you two could double-date with angela and doug. (hee, hee)
mad maddie:
angela and doug? as in doug schmidt?
zoegirl:
the one and only
mad maddie:
what happened to the schlank-master?
zoegirl:
geez, ur behind the times. this is what u get when u drop off the face of the earth for two weeks.
mad maddie:
fine, i guess i deserved that.
zoegirl:
angela hung out with doug at a coffeehouse the other night, and i guess they had a really good conversation. she CLAIMS she’s not going to start crushing on him, but you know angela.
mad maddie:
good grief. will the madness ever stop?
mad maddie:
GOD it’s good to talk to u. seriously, the last two weeks have been hell. without u and angela, i didn’t know who i was anymore.
zoegirl:
you’re maddie, that’s who. madigan kinnick, who swoops in like wonder woman to rescue me from sex-crazed english teachers, and who thinks up terrific ideas that angela or i would never come up with, like taking a road trip to cumberland island.
zoegirl:
are we still on???
mad maddie:
u mean u still want to?
zoegirl:
of course, you goof!
mad maddie:
what about your parents?
zoegirl:
what about them? as far as they know, the trip was never off. is that a problem?
mad maddie:
no! it’s just that i never thought
mad maddie:
i mean, i just assumed
zoegirl:
what, that angela and i would let u bail on what’s bound to be the most exciting thanksgiving vacation of our lives?
mad maddie:
ah, crap. now i really am getting teary, can u believe it? i can’t believe i’m getting teary over this.
zoegirl:
we’ve GOT to call angela. she would kill us if she missed this historic moment.
mad maddie:
crap again! angela! i’m supposed to pick her up so we can go to shoney’s breakfast bar!
zoegirl:
who’s “we”?
mad maddie:
*facepalm*
mad maddie:
all three of us, of course
zoegirl:
all three of us meaning you, angela, and me? yay!
mad maddie:
wh-hoo!
zoegirl:
but before we stop texting—does this mean things r good between us again?!
mad maddie:
totally
zoegirl:
thank goodness. i’m glad.
mad maddie:
it’s funny how some things r easier to say thru texting, isn’t it?
zoegirl:
but other things—like our road trip—are much more exciting to talk about in person. so get off your butt and come get me!
mad maddie:
right on. to shoney’s, my comrade!
zoegirl:
talk to u soon!!!
Sat, Nov 20, 4:45 PM
E.S.T
SnowAngel:
hey there, zoe-cakes. r we studs or what?
zoegirl:
yahootie!
SnowAngel:
i have a total adrenaline buzz going, even tho i am completely and thoroughly exhausted. my muscles r gonna be crazy sore tomorrow.