Back Online

by Laura Dower

  Her inbox was overflowing. At first glance, Madison figured she’d find it crammed with spam. But upon closer inspection, she realized it was filled with messages from nearly everyone she knew.

  FROM

  TO

  SUBJECT

  BalletGrl

  Wetwinz; MadFinn

  Re: My NEW SHOWWW

  WingVet

  MadFinn; JeffFinn

  Phin

  GoGramma

  MadFinn

  Checking in

  Dantheman

  MadFinn

  PHINNSTER

  Wetwinz

  MadFinn; BalletGrl

  Homework p88???

  SSF

  MadFinn

  CHEER UPS

  Bigwheels

  MadFinn

  XOX

  PurpleLey

  MadFinn

  Pooches!!!

  Wow! This may have been the most emails ever.

  Madison clicked on the WingVet message right away.

  From: WingVet

  To: Madison Finn, Francine Finn, Stephanie Finn

  Subject: Phin

  Date: Fri 13 Oct 5:24 PM

  This is a confirmation notification to remind you that your pet, Phin Finn, will need to undergo tests at the clinic. Some of the symptoms you reported:

  • Seizure

  • Fever

  • Disorientation

  • Breathing Difficulty

  Based on our observations, we think there may be a problem at this time. We ordered the following tests:

  CBC/Chem screen

  Urinalysis

  Ultrasound (abdomen)

  Additional

  We will be keeping your animal for observation for at least two more days. Thank you for your commitment to your pet care. If you have questions, please call our offices.

  Dr. Wing and Associates

  Far Hills Veterinary Clinic

  Grandbell Plaza

  Far Hills, NY

  Was it really this serious? She knew Phin was probably scared being there again, missing her and all his squeak toys. And it was Friday the Thirteenth! That couldn’t be a good omen.

  Aimee’s message was marked “priority” and had bad news. The mani-pedi sleepover was “indefinitely postponed.” Fiona had warned Maddie that might happen. Aimee’s reality: The reality show wasn’t happening. She was so bummed out when her mom got the official call that she was seriously considering a Harvest Fest boycott.

  Had Madison ever gotten this many emails at once?

  There was one from Bigwheels, her keypal, who had a bad (and, quite frankly, boring) case of the flu. Madison clicked REPLY and sent a get-well-soon e-card with a dancing elephant on the front.

  Another one had been emailed from a mystery spammer who sent a crazy-long Spanish message for MaddyFinn that looked like the real deal. Luckily, Madison did not click on the link. She did not want a computer virus.

  They don’t make e-cards to get well from that.

  Dan sent his own funny email from the clinic attached to a comic strip of a dancing dog that looked just like Phinnie! Madison chuckled when she saw that. She and Dan always shared inside jokes about animals in the clinic. Thankfully, Dan wasn’t as all-out goofy as Egg was, but he thought nothing of embarrassing himself for the sake of generating a good laugh. He would trip over his own feet to cheer up someone else.

  Everyone who emailed knew Phinnie was sick and wanted him to get well. Gramma Helen wrote, “Tell that dog I will knit him some special booties and a vest for winter this year. Maybe that will cheer him up?” There was even a note from Leyli.

  From: PurpleLey

  To: Madison Finn

  Subject: Pooches!!!!!

  Date: Fri 13 Oct 7:20 PM

  I can’t believe your doggy is so sick. I am soooo sorry. How are you? Did you finish all that science homework? It is KILLER. I wish I’d paid more attention in class. LOL. Is it still OK if I come and hang out with you, Fiona, and Aimee tomorrow at the fest? I don’t want them to feel like I am moving in on your turf or whatever, do you know what I mean? Is anyone else going to be there? Is Dan coming?

  Plus I leave next week for a few days. We’re going to Texas for a gymnastics meet. We are heading into major competitive season, so I might be away a lot :( :( :( IWMY xox byeeeeeeee

  Madison hit REPLY and told Leyli she was awesome because she just was. Deep down, Madison had a hunch things might get a little awkward at some point. She kept asking about Dan. It was getting harder to ignore that—and Madison’s feelings about it.

  As she scrolled down the list saving and deleting, yet another new email popped up. Madison did a double take.

  This email was from Hart.

  From: Sk8ingboy

  To: Madison Finn

  Subject: US

  Date: Fri 13 Oct 10:04 PM

  Finnster

  I am sitting here thinking about you for some reason. I forgot to email you but I am def in Far Hills tomrw for the harvest festival and I hope you’ll be there too. Let’s talk then.

  Hart

  Madison stared at the screen, reread it, and snapped the laptop shut.

  Hart Jones, what are you doing?

  This was probably going to complicate the harvest festival—just a teeny little bit.

  Chapter Eight

  Madison awoke on Saturday to the sound of barking. Of course it wasn’t actual dogs—it was her clock. Maybe it was time to trash that thing. Phin didn’t like it. Now Madison wasn’t sure she did, either. And it was a little babyish. She knew it was time for another smartphone request to Dad or Mom. She could set its alarm to her favorite tunes—a much cooler way to wake up.

  She looked over at the chair in the corner of her room and smiled. With the help of Mom, Aimee, and Fiona, Madison had pulled together a killer outfit to wear today: corduroys that were just-the-right-amount-of-faded and not too hot; a peasant shirt and baggy sweater that she swiped from Mom; and cowboy boots that made her a whole inch taller. If this didn’t capture at least one boy’s attention, she didn’t know what would.

  But whose attention was she craving more? Madison was still so mad at Hart for the way he’d treated her. She didn’t even want to talk to him.

  Or did she? Could her feelings be shifting back to old times with just one email? The whole crew was going to be back together again. But was that like hitting REPLAY?

  Madison’s head was whirring.

  Dan was going to be there, too—and she wanted him to notice her. She had been thinking about Dan way more than Hart. And she had to look better than Leyli so he wouldn’t fall for all her flirting. Could Madison really compete with a supergymnast whose middle name should have been Nice?

  Leyli would probably find a way to stay close to Dan at the festival. That would be so awkward. What if Madison figured out a way to spend all her time with Leyli thereby keeping Leyli away from Dan and successfully removing the threat of total awkwardness?

  Maybe Madison was beginning to obsess. …

  And besides, Hart and Dan at the Harvest Fest was only the beginning of potential drama. Madison realized that she hadn’t asked Ivy if she was going! Old seventh-grade Poison Ivy would probably stick her nose in where it wasn’t invited, and once she saw Hart show up … Then
again, this year’s Ivy wasn’t all that poisonous. What craziness would eighth-grade Ivy bring to the mix? Would she pursue Hart all over again just because? Would she compete for the stupid Harvest Fest crown and embarrass herself in some overly fancy outfit? Madison knew old Ivy would bring the poison, but new Ivy seemed genuinely ready to move on.

  Maybe, Madison mused, Ivy would surprise them all and join her group of BFFs. It was too much to think about. There were so many possibilities!

  Sure, Madison was excited to hang with her pals today, but there was also a teensy-weensy part of her that was really over these fall fests. She’d been to three just this month already! There was hay permanently stuck in the sole of her boot and the smell of burning firewood and apples in her hair. And not to be forgotten: the state of Madison’s sunburn. She was peeling like crazy!

  Peeling skin was not a fashion-forward thing at all.

  Fiona’s dad, Mr. Waters, was in charge of the carpool to get the girl crew—Madison, Aimee, Fiona, and Leyli—over to the festival around noon. Lindsay was still away. Madhur got sick, so she was stuck at home—or else she was lying and was doing the science lab Maddie still hadn’t finished. Drew’s dad took the boys—Egg, Chet, Dan, Drew, and Hart. When Madison stepped into Mr. Waters’s van, she was happy to see everyone looking so happy. Fiona had on skinny jeans and a long-sleeved shirt under a tunic sweater. Aimee had on her skinny jeans, too, with a T-shirt and a faded denim work-shirt. Madison guessed that Aimee stole clothes from one of her brothers’ closets. Leyli looked cool in her gold, orange, and red tribal print harem pants—perfect colors for fall. Was there any day when she didn’t look drop-dead awesome?

  Everything about Leyli seemed easy, too. Madison liked that so much. She never seemed as if she was trying too hard.

  “So you guys remember that Hart is gonna be here, right?” Madison announced.

  “How could we forget?” Fiona rolled her eyes.

  “I guess he remembered to tell everyone except me.” Madison moaned.

  “Hart the fart,” Aimee said. “Some boys never change.”

  Madison giggled. Aimee wasn’t wrong. Madison still had these feelings for Hart, deep down. She thought they’d gone. But here they were.

  “Ooooh, Hart,” Leyli said, smiling. She’d picked up bits and pieces about Madison and Hart.

  “Yeah, well”—Madison giggled—“since Hart moved away and switched schools, things cooled off. … I don’t like-like him at all.”

  “Get real, Maddie!” Aimee said. “Hart and Madison were like the cutest couple ever. If he came back to Far Hills, they’d totally hang. …”

  “A couple,” Leyli said, brightening.

  Madison groaned. “That’s old news,” she grumbled. “As in past tense.”

  “We all decided that Hart is lame. He didn’t even email Maddie back this summer when she emailed him like a million times,” Aimee explained.

  “But then I found out last week that I had the wrong email address, so it was sort of my fault, too,” Madison said.

  “No excuses, Maddie,” Fiona said sternly. “It was his fault.”

  “Gee,” Leyli said. “I’m sorry that happened. It sounds messed up. But I can’t wait to meet him, I guess. I’m excited to see Dan, too.”

  Aimee and Fiona snickered.

  “Yeah, he’s nice. I hope I get to see him and maybe do the corn maze or something,” Leyli said. “I want to hang with him. He makes me laugh.”

  Fiona elbowed Madison quietly. “What’s that about? Pork-O? Is she serious?”

  “Peterson’s Farm up ahead!” cried Fiona’s dad. Mr. Waters honked his horn, too. Everyone excitedly leaned a little out of his or her seat.

  As soon as they arrived at the parking lot, Madison spotted a large sign listing all the activities. The girls quickly hopped out of the van and eyeballed the list.

  “What’s first?” Madison asked her pals, because, as usual, they wanted to do everything.

  WELCOME TO OUR 5th ANNUAL HARVEST FEST

  Peterson’s Farm, Route 100

  What would you like to do on the farm? Look around!

  Pumpkin Picking—the north and west patches are open.

  Have you visited our Yellow Raspberry Bushes?

  Apple Picking, too—grab a bag, buy a bushel. Macouns are ripe now!

  Dunk Tank, Bean Toss, and Fly Around

  Get lost in our Corn Maze

  Scarecrow Decorating

  “Find the Sheep” Hayride

  Enter the Hungry Apple Pie–Eating Contest.

  Treasure Hunt—have you asked for a map?

  Don’t forget to visit our Veggie Stand for home-baked goods and jam.

  Live Bluegrass Music 2–6 pm

  And don’t miss our Pig Races, for all ages.

  Thanks for stopping by!

  “Look!” Fiona called out after a few minutes. “Everyone is over there. I see my brother, but I don’t see Hart yet. He must have come separately.”

  And there it was: the Maxwell limousine with real-life chauffeur and all. Mr. Maxwell owned a fleet of cars, so whenever the boys hung out, they tried to travel in style.

  “Drew cracks me up,” Madison said. “He’s such a show-off but in a good way.”

  She turned to Leyli.

  “You know, Drew is cute, too,” Madison said, thinking maybe she could divert Leyli’s attention away from someone else.

  “You think?” Leyli frowned. “Nah, not my type. Not as cute as someone else. You know what I mean.”

  Madison let out a sigh. Affection deflection attempt: fail. But at least she tried.

  This was going to be an interesting day.

  Aimee did a pirouette, and her hair went flying. “I love fall!” she cooed. “I’m sad about the show still, but I love being at the farm. You guys make me happiest.”

  “Me too,” said Fiona.

  “I’d fall for you anytime, guys,” Madison said, dredging up her corniest one-liner.

  The girls all laughed.

  By now they had trudged through some grass and mud to get to the big hay bales where a crowd had gathered. Madison spotted Drew and the boys. Her eyes scanned the group for Dan. She knew Leyli was doing the same. Fiona made a beeline for Egg, of course. And then Aimee leaned into Madison and pinched her arm. Coming across the field from another parking lot was none other than Hart Jones.

  “No way! He really is here,” Aimee whispered.

  Madison went silent.

  “Whoa, that’s Hart?” Leyli whispered. “You weren’t kidding. Cute with a big C.”

  She looped her arm inside Madison’s, which was a very good thing because Madison was pretty sure she was about to fall right over. Seeing Hart made her heart pound, and she couldn’t stop staring.

  Hart Jones looked the same except he had grown taller than all the other boys in just one summer and his hair was cut short. And he had braces. The gang rushed toward him so fast he nearly fell over.

  “Dude!” Egg said, smacking Hart on the back. They did a circle of cheesy high-fives and shoulder bumps. Dan and Hart did a belly bump like Sumo wrestlers. It was the same dumb boy stuff as usual.

  How overwhelming for Madison to see Hart like this, all of a sudden, right here. Everything felt a little fuzzy.

  “Weird, huh?” Leyli whispered, smiling.

  Madison smiled back. “Deep breath, deep breath.”

  Hart was on his way over.

  “Hey, Finnster.” He leaned in like he was going to hug Madison, but she leaned back and they sort of bumped at the same time. “Good to see you.”

  Madison nodded. “Yeah? Yeah, good to see you, too. You got braces, huh? I didn’t know that.”

  “Two months ago. They feel so weird. Like my teeth are moving,” Hart said.

  “Yeah, well …”

 
“Pig races in five minutes!” howled Chet, jumping up and down. He yanked Hart’s arm. “Come on man, we have to be near the front row for this.”

  Fiona and Aimee took off with the boys, but Leyli stayed back and walked with Madison.

  “Do you guys still talk? I mean, you and Hart?” Leyli asked. “I mean … are you still together?”

  Madison shrugged. “I don’t know. I think he still likes me. …”

  “I could totally tell,” Leyli said.

  “You could?” Madison asked.

  “He smiled differently at you.”

  “He did? I can’t believe he has braces. It makes him look so …”

  “So … what?” Leyli giggled. “You so still like him, Maddie. Cute.”

  “A lot of boys are cute,” Madison said.

  “Yeah, like Dan.” Leyli sighed.

  Madison couldn’t believe Leyli said that out loud. Again. But there it was.

  “It’s complicated, I guess,” Madison said. “We should get to the pig races.” Maybe a few cute little piggies could clear the fog in her brain.

  At the racetrack, the pigs were lined up and ready in a four-part cage with four little doors. Each pig had its own colored vest: orange, blue, green, or yellow. When the whistle sounded and the announcer called out, “SUUEEEEEEY!” the doors to the cages went up, and all the little piggies shot out like rockets. They blasted around the circular course, knocking and waddling together with their little tails twisting.

  Madison and Leyli cheered for the green piggy to win. He was the littlest one, but Madison had a hunch he would be faster than fast. She always rooted for the underdog—or, in this case, the underpig.

  They were surprisingly quick. Their pink ears stood up and blew back with the wind as they scampered around that course. And they didn’t stop snorting for a minute! One was covered with wood shavings and fell right onto its little face. Another one, the yellow pig, leaped up into the air and crash-landed on all four hooves. As they made the final turn, the green pig squealed loudly. He knew he was going to win. And he did! Then the orange pig turned around and started running in the opposite direction.