Internet Famous

by Danika Stone

  “Thank you!” Madi shouted to them as they finally headed their separate ways. “It was great meeting you all!”

  The small knot of friends tightened around Madi to block the rest out: Laurent at one side, Ava at the other, Chantal on her heels, and a few MadLibbers whose names Madi couldn’t recall making a human shield as they headed away from the Metrograph. Her mind buzzed with the excitement of finally meeting her fans firsthand.

  “That was crazy,” Madi said with a laugh.

  “Crazy awesome!” Chantal said. “Tonight was incredible! I still can’t believe you actually came.”

  “I can,” Laurent said, smiling. “But I’m glad all the same.”

  “Thank you—all of you—for helping me out,” Madi said. “It was a little overwhelming.”

  “Anytime,” Ava said. “It’s no problem.”

  “We’re here for you,” Laurent added.

  Madi grinned. “I know you are.”

  As they headed back toward the subway station, Madi fell to storytelling. This was her element, her forte, and her hands danced through the air as Laurent and the rest of the group listened. She found herself describing her reactions to Blade Runner much as she would on her blog. It surprised her how easy it was.

  Madi was amazed by how many details she had missed by watching Blade Runner on the small screen. There was a photograph she hadn’t noticed in one scene, and later, a small flicker of gold in one character’s eyes, which set her thinking of Laurent. She was almost certain of what the ending meant, whereas before she’d been a little confused as to whether or not the character had been human.

  Doing an impromptu “live” version of her MadLibs blog gave Madi a rush of energy. She felt completely at ease, so different from when she’d arrived mere hours before. Walking down New York’s nighttime streets felt more like home than home did, and she wondered why she’d never thought of reaching out to her online friends before. Barring the obvious challenge of coordination, it had been surprisingly easy.

  The first person to leave was Chantal. They waved her off as she headed into a nearby apartment. Next was Ava. She texted her good-byes as she disappeared at the end of Ludlow Street. The last few MadLibbers drifted off in different directions, and then only Laurent and Madi remained. They took the subway back to Penn Station, where Laurent insisted on waiting until her train arrived.

  “It’s fine, Laurent. I don’t want to waste your time.”

  “I don’t have to be anywhere.” He slid into the seat next to her, his knee brushing hers for a split second. “Unless you want me to go?”

  “No. No, it’s fine.” Madi felt a bout of nervous laughter bubbling to get out of her chest, but she forced it down. Play it cool, her mind warned. Unfortunately, “cool” had never been one of Madi’s skills. “Stay if you want.”

  “I’ve been thinking about that story you didn’t want to tell me the other night,” Laurent said.

  She stared at him in confusion. She’d been talking almost nonstop since leaving the Metrograph. “What story?”

  “When we were talking on Skype. You said that you sometimes get in trouble for saying whatever is on your mind.”

  Madi groaned. “Oh, right. I was kind of hoping you’d forgotten about that.”

  “Not a chance. I have a friends-fic in my mind for you.”

  “A fanfic?” Madi snorted. “What fandom?”

  “No, no. A friends-fic about you.”

  “A what?”

  “It’s like…” Laurent tapped his chin. “It’s like a story you make up about a friend when you don’t know what the real answer is.”

  “Like me thinking you were a girl?”

  He chuckled. “Something like that, I suppose. But friends-fic tends to be much more elaborate. It’s a fantasy. Un conte de fées.” He winked. “And this one is about you.”

  Madi felt the color creep up her neck to her cheeks. Even her forehead prickled. She looked away, trying to force her voice to be steady. “About me?” she said.

  “Uh-huh. Want to hear?”

  She wiped her hands on her pant legs. “I guess.”

  “You guess?” He laughed.

  “Well, yeah. But only if you want to.”

  Laurent grinned. “Oh-ho! But I’m only going to tell you my friends-fic under one condition.”

  “And that is…?”

  “That I get the real story about what got you in”—he did air quotes around the words—“‘serious trouble’ when I’m done.”

  “You haven’t forgotten about that part, huh?”

  “Not at all. It’ll be our little secret entre-nous.”

  A shiver ran the length of her spine. “Sounds fair.”

  Laurent dropped her gaze to look out at the waiting room. “Hmmm … Well, in my friends-fic, your name is Madeline Li—”

  “BRZZZZZZZ!” Madi interrupted him with a buzzer sound. “First mistake!” She laughed as he gave her a horrified look. “My full name isn’t Madeline, it’s Madison.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, really. Though I’m not named for Madison Square Garden; I’m named for the street.”

  “The street?”

  “When my mom was a kid, a movie called Splash came out,” Madi explained.

  “Never heard of it.”

  “Not surprised. It’s way before our time. Anyhow, my mom really loved that movie. She got kind of obsessed over it, and the story’s about this mermaid who—”

  “Hold on,” Laurent said, pulling out his phone and typing. “Mermaid. Ah! Une sirène.” He looked up. “Go on, please.”

  “So this movie takes a cute turn when the mermaid has to come up with a human name. She looks around and sees the sign for Madison—”

  “Wait. The mermaid can read?”

  “Yeah, I guess so,” she said with a shrug. “Anyhow, she names herself after Madison Avenue. So when I was born, my mom decided it was a cute name, and that’s why I’m Madison. Only a lot of other people got the same idea, and by the time I got to kindergarten, I was Madison N. Argh! To have that stupid little initial tacked onto my name every day for the next eleven years was the worst.”

  “But why? I like Madison.”

  “I guess I just wanted something unique. Different. Instead I got a leftover.” She shook her head. “Back to your friends-fic. I want to hear the rest of it.”

  “You sure?”

  “No more buzzers.” She raised a hand. “Scout’s honor.”

  “All right. Well, your name is…” He peeked over at her and smiled. “Madison, named after the epic tale of the New York mermaid, and your last name starts with N. And you hated being called ‘Madison N’ in school.”

  “It’s like you’re psychic.”

  “Oh, I’m not done,” he said. “You’re the eldest child of three children. That’s why you’re so strong-willed. So honest. Tu ne mâche pas tes mots.”

  “Two kids, actually. But close enough.”

  “You started your MadLibs blog because you needed a place to express your personal thoughts. I’ve read back to your older posts, you know. They don’t all sound as happy as you seem now.”

  Madi’s smile wobbled. “They weren’t.”

  Laurent stared out at the rapidly emptying waiting area. “And once you started your blog, you found you had to keep going. It became your link to the world, a place to say it as it is.…” He frowned and lifted his phone from his pocket, typing as he searched for a word. “A-a—”

  “Soapbox?” Madi suggested.

  “No, no. The thing like a table, but tall, like—like a—Ah! Quel mot? C’est ennuyant!” Laurent sputtered for a few seconds in French, cheeks flushing.

  From the speakers above, a voice announced the arrival of the train. Madi groaned. She and Laurent had been friends for almost two months, but having him face-to-face changed everything. She wanted so much more than texts and tweets.

  “There’s a word,” Laurent grumbled. “It means this place where you make a speech. A
table, but not a table, a—”

  “A podium?”

  “Yes! Exactly.” He put the phone back in his pocket. “So the blog became your podium, and that gave you a chance to connect with the world, but when you did that, it caused trouble with your family.” He winced. “I’m guessing your mother must have seen your blog at some point. She didn’t like it at all.”

  Madi’s smile dimmed until it was just a shape painted over her lips. Her heart began to pound. “It was my father who saw it, actually,” she said. “He cares a lot about what people think about him … about all of us. Our family.”

  Laurent wasn’t smiling anymore, and neither was she. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I didn’t mean to upset you, Madi.”

  “Don’t be. I’m the one who asked. And you’re right, you know. I—I said things to them I couldn’t take back.”

  “I could tell from your tweets and texts.” His knee bumped hers. “We’ve been friends for months. It’s not like you’ve never talked about it. I just wanted to know if I’d guessed right.”

  “Yeah, you did.” Madi stared down at her lap, wondering why things felt weird all of a sudden. Laurent was someone she went to for support. Only she’d been thinking of Laurent as Lauren, at the time, and now there were other, more sticky emotions getting in the way. Crushing on someone made a cool façade a lot harder to manage.

  “Are you all right?” he asked.

  “I’m fine.”

  “You sure?”

  “I’m just remembering.”

  At the far side of the room, travelers began moving through the doors to the waiting train. They had minutes left.

  “Do you want to know what I said to them?” Madi asked, then looked away.

  “Only if you want to tell me.”

  “I told them what had happened to Sarah was their fault. I told them if Mom hadn’t taken off that summer, Sarah wouldn’t have had such trouble changing schools and things wouldn’t have fallen apart.” She flinched. “But that’s not entirely true. Sarah’s always had challenges. They’re just harder when schedules change.” She looked up, throat aching. “I said it because I knew they’d been thinking it. And because I knew it would hurt them.”

  “How’d they take it?”

  “My dad was fine. He laughed off my behavior as ‘teen angst,’ and that was the end of it.”

  “And your mom?”

  Madi sighed and closed her eyes. “She told me if that was how I felt, I should do more to help out.”

  5

  “I have had people walk out on me before, but not … when I was being so charming.”

  (Blade Runner, 1982)

  The door to the train sat open, though most of the other occupants had long since climbed inside. Only Madi and Laurent remained, half in and half out of the door, the occasional stranger stepping past them on their way inside.

  Madi peeked over her shoulder into the busy interior. “I should probably go.”

  “You should.” Laurent smiled sadly. “I’m happy you came out tonight, Madi. And I’m glad meeting the MadLibbers wasn’t weird for you.”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t go that far,” she said with a chuckle.

  “Well, I’m glad they weren’t too weird for you.”

  Madi smiled. “Me, too.”

  “You think you’ll come next time?”

  Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. She flicked her hair in what she hoped was a look of nonchalance. “I think there’s a good chance of that … if you’ll be there, too.”

  “Of course. I can’t wait!”

  A giggle broke free of Madi’s chest. He was too honest for his own good.

  Behind Laurent’s shoulder, a woman’s flushed face appeared. She had her purse clutched to her chest and was trying to get past, but Laurent blocked the way. “Are you getting in or out?” she snapped.

  “Ah! So sorry!”

  Laurent stepped back and the woman pushed her way inside, grumbling. The moment to go had arrived, but Madi clung to the last seconds. She’d been so hesitant when she’d stepped off the train, but now she was desperate to stay. Everything had changed.

  “Well,” she said. “This was fun, but I really should go.”

  “I know.”

  Madi lifted her fingers, meaning to shake Laurent’s hand, but he moved toward her at the same time, and suddenly they weren’t shaking hands, they were hugging in the doorway to the train. Madi’s face pressed against Laurent’s chest, the top of her head bumping under his chin as his arms wrapped her in a warm embrace. My God, he’s tall! Laurent smelled like aftershave, and cinnamon, and the hint of popcorn from the theater, the scents all mixing together into an intoxicating bouquet. This wasn’t a quick hug, like when she’d first arrived. This one lingered, slow and warm.

  She felt his stubbled cheek brush her forehead as he leaned down to whisper in her ear. “This was more than fun. It was merveilleux.”

  “I don’t know what that means, but I’m glad I came.”

  This wasn’t just friends saying good-bye, she realized—it was like a scene from a movie. Oh my God! What do I do? Moments like this didn’t happen online, and she was completely unprepared to deal with the emotions. Her smile wobbled as he released her.

  “Merveilleux means I liked it a lot.” He reached out and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “I liked meeting you, Madison.…” His smile grew softer. “Minette. I liked it so very much.”

  “M-me, too.”

  His fingers brushed her cheek, and for a heartbeat she was certain Laurent was going to kiss her. Madi couldn’t breathe.

  Suddenly, a voice interrupted from right beside them.

  “We’re on a schedule here!” the stranger announced. “You gonna kiss this guy or what? ’Cause I want to leave.” Madi looked up to discover a middle-aged man glaring at her. Her gaze lifted to the train’s interior. A wide-eyed boy near the door stared at them from the front seat, his finger half up his nose.

  “Oh my God!” Madi jumped away from Laurent, face in flames. If there’d ever been a chance of an “accidental kiss,” the man’s prompting had effectively ended it. “Sorry,” she said. “But I’ve gotta go, Laurent.”

  “Next time, then?”

  She didn’t know whether he meant the visit or the almost kiss, but she couldn’t wait to find out. “Definitely next time.”

  Laurent waved as she stepped into the train and found her way to her seat. She expected he’d leave at that point, but he waited until the train pulled away, his hand upraised until she lost sight of him in the flicker of lights and darkness. Madi’s lashes fluttered closed, and she let the wide grin she’d been holding back release, her cheeks aching as it spread ear to ear. This had been—bar none—the most exciting night in her entire life. It felt like a movie, and she wasn’t ready for the credits to run.

  A few minutes into the ride, her phone rang. She pulled it from her pocket with shaking hands, certain an unexpected phone call must mean she wasn’t the only one who’d felt the growing connection between them. She slid the release without checking the caller ID and put the phone to her ear.

  “Hello?” she said breathlessly.

  “Madi?” her father’s worried voice echoed in her ear. “Where are you?”

  It felt like the train had gone off the rails. Her stomach dropped. “I-I’m on the train,” she stammered. “I told you I was going to New York to see—”

  “Yes, but where? Where are you right now?”

  Madi looked out the windows at the fading lights of the city. Somewhere out there, Laurent was taking the subway home. “On the way to Millburn. The train left the station a couple minutes ago.”

  “And when will you be home?”

  She blinked in shock. “In about an hour, I think.” Her fingers tightened around the phone as her mother’s face flashed to mind. She was on a plane right now, somewhere over the Atlantic. “Why? What’s going on, Dad?”

  “Your mother and I sat down to explain things to Sarah. She seemed
fine, but when the cab arrived to take your mother to the airport, Sarah started asking for you.…” His words faded. Images from the year Sarah started high school filled Madi’s mind. She could see her sister’s face wracked with tears, the keening scream behind locked doors. Chaos had engulfed the household in the days after their mother had left. And though that event had been two years ago, the echoes of it carried through to today.

  “What happened?!”

  “Sarah ran away.”

  “She what?!”

  “The police think she’s probably fine, but they have patrol cars out, checking the roads. The whole neighborhood is out searching for her, but so far, no luck. I think she might be hiding, refusing to answer the searchers.”

  “Oh my God!”

  “I need you to come home as soon as you can. We need your help to find her.”

  “Of course, Dad. I’m on my way.”

  “Thanks, Madi. Just call my cell when you get here.”

  “Right.”

  And with that, the line went dead. She stared down at the phone in her hand, barely able to keep the fear at bay. This, right here, was what she’d been waiting for. It had happened.

  A post appeared on-screen, and her phone chimed happily. Distracted, Madi pulled it up. She cringed.

  “Isn’t that the truth.”

  Madi closed her eyes and let her head fall back against the seat. Her life was coming to pieces, and she didn’t know how to put it back together.

  *   *   *

  The Millburn subdivision where the Nakamas lived was a secluded enclave left over from the previous century. Retrofitted Victorian homes backed onto a small tract of treed land that made up the South Mountain Reservation. The streets were quiet, the pace slow. It should have been easy to locate Sarah, but if there was one thing Madi knew about her sister, it was that if she didn’t want to be found, she wouldn’t be. Her father wasn’t answering his phone when the train arrived, so she walked the twelve blocks from the station. Finding the house deserted, she headed to the park beyond the last line of houses. Flashlights moved through the trees.

  “We’ve already done a sweep of the area,” the officer told her. “Your sister’s not there.”