Heart to Heart

by Laura Dower

  The dance was only two days away.

  Chapter 11

  “HERE YOU GO, MS. FINN,” MR. Books, the librarian, said as he handed Madison a book on the First Ladies of the American Revolution. Madison had hurried to the sixth-floor library the minute school was over. When Mr. Gibbons had asked everyone to discuss their paper topics in class, she and Fiona practically crawled under the desks. They HAD to do some real work—fast. Fiona was planning to meet Madison after soccer practice.

  Mr. Books handed Madison some more useful materials.

  “There is a good chapter on Abigail Adams in this text. And here is a book on both John and Abigail Adams, and another just on Abigail,” he added, pulling two more books down from the shelf. “I think you’ll find a lot of useful information.”

  Madison’s heart sank as he handed her three more thick books. There was no way she’d be able to read all of these today! “Um, thanks Mr. Books,” she said, “but—do you have a book with their letters? That’s really what I need.”

  “Sadly, no,” Mr. Books said. “Have you tried looking on the Internet?”

  Madison jerked her head toward her computer. “Yeah,” she said. “But I could only find a couple of the letters. The entire collection isn’t available online.”

  “Well,” Mr. Books said, stroking his long chin thoughtfully, “have you tried the Far Hills library?”

  Madison shook her head. “That’s a great idea. Thanks, Mr. Books.”

  The librarian smiled. “Any time,” he said.

  Madison took her books back to her carrel and shoved them into her book bag. Her shoulders slumped with its weight. When Madison folded up her laptop and placed it inside, she felt like a turtle walking into the hallway. These biographies would come in handy, but right now they felt like boulders.

  “Hey, Maddie!” a voice called as Madison stepped through the school’s front door. “Wait up!”

  Madison turned and saw Aimee chasing after her. Aimee ran like a dancer—each step seemed like an elegant leap. “Why aren’t you at after-school ballet practice?” Madison asked as her friend caught up to her. Aimee took ballet at Far Hills Junior High and at an outside studio in town.

  “It was canceled,” Aimee explained. “In fact, it’s canceled for the rest of the week. The dance teacher has the flu.”

  “That’s terrible,” Madison said.

  “Yeah,” Aimee agreed. “I guess I’ll have to put in some extra practice time at Madame Elaine’s studio. Are you headed home? Let’s walk together.”

  “Actually,” Madison said, “I’m going to the town library.”

  Aimee lifted her eyebrows. “You’re going to get more books?” she asked, staring at Madison’s already-stuffed bag.

  Madison laughed. “Just one more. Do you want to come?”

  “Sure,” Aimee said with a shrug. “I don’t have anything better to do except homework. I just need to call my mom.”

  “Me too,” Madison said as she and Aimee started walking toward the library. “We can use the pay phone at the library.”

  The Far Hills Town Library was the oldest building in town, and it was located just down the road from school. It was a beautiful old limestone building with tall Gothic towers, and—best of all—a stained-glass window that faced you as you walked in. As a little girl, Madison had called the library “the magic castle.”

  The front steps were slippery with ice, and Madison and Aimee had to hold on to the iron railing as they walked up to the heavy oak front door. Just inside, the wide gray doormat was soaked with ice and slush, some of which had melted over the slick marble floor. A yellow SLIPPERY WHEN WET sign stood nearby, the only evidence of modern times in sight. Madison looked up at the multicolored glass window, which glowed beautifully even in the dim February light, and wondered how long it had been since she had come here. At least two years, she guessed. Since before her parents split. Mom and Dad and Madison had used to come here together on weekends.

  Now that she was here, Madison realized just how much she had missed the place.

  Madison and Aimee descended a small set of stairs toward the phones and the rest rooms. Aimee called her mom and asked her to pick them up in half an hour. Then Madison left a message for her mom letting her know what time she’d be home.

  The girls trooped up to the lobby and Madison walked up to the massive oak reference desk. A slim African American woman with small oval glasses was sitting there, leafing through an enormous volume.

  “Excuse me,” Madison said in a whisper. “I’m looking for the letters of John and Abigail Adams.”

  The librarian looked up at her and smiled. “That’s wonderful,” she said warmly, as though Madison had chosen the best book in the whole library. “I’ll show you where you can find them.”

  Madison gestured to Aimee, and the two girls followed the librarian through the main room, where an assortment of Far Hills residents sat at long tables, bent over books of all shapes and sizes. The librarian led them to a dim corner at the far end of the room. The shelves were lined with volume after volume, reaching all the way to the ceiling. Madison felt like they were the first people to visit that part of the magic castle in a long time.

  “Let me see,” the librarian said as she peered at the titles on the shelves. “I think you’ll want the abridged version. That has only the best of the letters.” As Madison watched the librarian’s fingers trace along the spines of the books, she thought of her computer teacher, Mrs. Wing. Mrs. Wing always called herself a “cybrarian” when she helped her students with their online research. Madison thought about how different it was to look things up on the Internet. Even though you could search things more easily, sometimes the computer returned so many choices that it was hard to find what you were looking for. There was something nice about having a librarian who actually knew the books in the library, and could help you find what you wanted on the shelves.

  Finally, the librarian found what she wanted. “Ah—here you are,” she said, pulling the volume from the shelf. “Enjoy,” she said with a smile. “This should be very interesting reading.”

  Madison flipped open the book and started scanning the pages.

  “What is that?” Aimee asked, peering into Madison’s book. “Old letters, or something?”

  “Yeah,” Madison said. “John Adams was the second president of the United States, and the vice president under George Washington. He and his wife wrote a ton of letters. She kept begging him to give women rights, but he didn’t listen to her.”

  “No kidding?” Aimee said as Madison took off her book bag and settled cross-legged on the floor. She pulled a random book off the shelf and flipped through it absently. “Abigail Adams should have given her husband a piece of her mind.” She sat down next to Madison, and started to read.

  Madison pulled out a small pad of purple Post-it notes and began to mark pages with the best letters. That way, she could show them to Fiona when she came over later.

  “Hey, look at this,” Aimee said, leaning over to show Madison her book. It was a collection of letters from lots of famous people.

  “‘I cannot exist without you—I am forgetful of every thing but seeing you again—my life seems to stop there—I see no further,’” Madison read aloud. “Who wrote that?”

  “John Keats,” Aimee said, reading from the page. “He was a poet. It says here that he was in love with this woman named Fanny Browne.”

  “Wow,” Madison said. John Keats was way more romantic than John and Abigail Adams, that was for sure. She checked her watch. “We’d better get going,” she said, dragging her bag back up over her shoulders. It seemed to weigh a ton. “Your mom will be here soon.”

  “Okay,” Aimee said, sliding the book she was reading back into its place on the shelf. “This was fun. I have to come back here.”

  Madison and Aimee walked toward the front desk so that Madison could check out her book.

  “Hey!” Aimee said. “There’s Dan!” Sure enough, Dan was
standing at the front desk, checking out books. Madison gulped. Standing right next to Dan was Hart Jones, looking cuter than ever in a navy blue cap and a gray parka.

  Aimee hurried over to say hi.

  “Aimee—stop!” Madison hissed, but Aimee didn’t hear her. She had no choice but to follow.

  “Hey, Dan! Hey, Hart!” Aimee said as she walked up to the counter.

  Dan turned around and smiled at her. “Hey, look, it’s Aimee—and an orange camel,” he added, inspecting Madison’s overstuffed backpack.

  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.

  Chapter 12

  “YOU 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 BFFs 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 ph
otos. 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?”