by Laura Dower
“You have an older brother?” Madison was intrigued. She didn’t know too much about Drew’s family except that he was super rich.
“Ben’s from my dad’s first marriage,” Drew said. “He’s in college now. We’re not close, really.”
“Oh,” Madison said. Something in Drew’s voice said to stop asking questions.
“Why don’t you work backstage, too?” Drew suggested. “Why don’t you ask Mr. Gibbons?”
Maybe Madison could work on the play and still be part of the group?
She smiled. “You think?”
“Yeah. Well. I gotta go.” Drew shoved his hands inside his pockets and walked back inside the auditorium.
Madison followed. She could barely see her way down the aisle the moment the darkness enveloped her again. The only light now was a yellowish beam onstage, where one girl sat singing on a stool, holding a single high note. She sounded like an angel. Madison took a seat and watched until the girl had finished her song.
She was Lindsay Frost, and she’d been in Madison’s class since first grade, but Madison rarely noticed her. The only time Lindsay spoke out in class was to ask for a bathroom pass.
Right now, however, Lindsay and her voice were making quite an impression on everyone.
“Thank you. Miss Frost,” Mr. Gibbons said when Lindsay had finished her song. “I think I can speak for everyone when I say that was delightful.”
“Even if she can sing, she’s still a freak,” someone whispered in the row directly ahead. Madison knew the voice. Ivy Daly.
“I can’t believe she crawled out of her hole to try out,” Rose Thorn whispered back. “As if she thinks she’ll get in.”
“As if,” Phony Joanie said.
“Fat chance, right?” Ivy laughed at her own stupid joke. She always made cracks about the way people looked. It was one of the things that put her on the top of Madison’s enemy list.
Before Madison knew what she was doing, she leaned forward. “Why don’t you guys just shut up?”
Ivy whirled around. “Why don’t you make me?”
“Shhhhhhhhhh!” Mr. Gibbons shushed them from down in front. “Keep it down, ladies, or you’re out of here.”
“Yeah, keep it down, Madison,” Ivy said so everyone else heard. Rose and Joanie laughed.
Madison clenched her fists. She wanted to grab Ivy’s pretty red hair and yank it out handful by curly handful until Ivy Daly was as bald as a big old bowling ball.
But Madison kept her cool.
She had something very important to discuss with Mr. Gibbons.
After Lindsay’s song, a few other kids got up onstage and tried to outdo one another. One kid even got up there and juggled while he sang.
Madison could feel the pound of a pulse behind her knees and on her wrists. It pounded more with each audition—the idea of her getting up there. It was like someone had turned her treble dial all the way up to the highest setting.
By the time she approached Mr. Gibbons, Madison was afraid she might not even be able to speak. Her mouth was dry, too.
“Not everyone is cut out for singing,” Mr. Gibbons told her when they spoke. “I think I know what would be just perfect for you, though….”
Madison’s body hummed when he told her what she’d be doing.
She was bursting to tell someone her good news.
From: MadFinn
To: Bigwheels
Subject: Something Important to Tell You
Date: Thurs 28 Sept 5:31 PM
Me again. Where are you? I know you are probably just busy again or your server is down again. But I still wish you would write! I was hoping that you would pick up the e-mail I sent yesterday and write back. Did you get it? Are you ok? Didn’t you tell me once you hated acting? You didn’t like people pretending and being fake. Well, after today, I totally agree. What do you think about stage managers?
THAT’S ME!
I just walked up to the advisor and told him I was too nervous to go onstage, and he said there was other stuff for me to do. I have to collect a few props and help with line readings in case people forget and organize their costumes.
It should be a blast, don’t ya think?
Please write. I’m waiting!
Yours till the stage manages,
MadFinn
As Madison was signing off on her e-mail, an Insta-Message popped up.
It was Fiona, a.k.a. Wetwinz. The pair ducked into a private room to chat.
Madison realized how happy she was not to be in Fiona’s shoes right now.
She was happy not to be nervous anymore.
Madison had started the school day feeling like such a mess, but she was a long way away from “mess” now. She felt the same kind of calm that comes when a rainbow appears after a storm.
After the computer hummed and shut down, Madison crawled right back into the safest place in the world, under her quilted blankets. Phinnie crawled in beside her. Madison could feel his wet nose on her arm.
Soon she’d be asleep, and she’d be that much closer to tomorrow.
Closer to her debut as stage manager of The Wiz.
Chapter 3
“DON’T PUSH ME!” Aimee shrieked when some kid with a backpack nearly mowed her over. They were standing in the hallway before seventh-grade lunch.
“Sorry,” the kid said, pushing his way through anyhow. “You’re the one in the way.”
A very large crowd was trying to see the bulletin board on the second floor by the faculty elevator. There, on a piece of Mr. Gibbons’s light blue paper, was posted the official cast of “Selections from The Wiz.”
“Don’t be nervous,” Madison reminded Fiona as she locked arms with her. They gently nudged their way to the front.
Madison tugged Fiona’s hand. “I can’t believe it—look!”
“I can’t believe it, either.” Ivy groaned as she read the list. Her drones groaned, too.
Fiona just giggled.
Selections from THE WIZ
FIRST REHEARSAL: FRIDAY, SEPT. 29
3:00 PM in MAIN AUDITORIUM
CAST
Auntie Em
Roseanne Snyder
Toto
Chocolate (Mr. Gibbons’s dog)
Dorothy
Lindsay Frost
Uncle Henry/Gatekeeper
Suresh Dhir
Evillene the Wicked Witch
Fiona Waters
Addaperle the Good Witch
Aimee Gillespie
Scarecrow
Thomas Kwong
Tin Man
Walter Diaz
Lion
Dan Ginsburg
Glinda the Good Witch
Ivy Daly
The Wiz
Hart Jones
Munchkins and Winkies
Zoe Bell, Beth Dunfey, Douglas Eklund, Lance Gregson, Joan Kenyon, Rashida Lawrence, Chet Waters, Tim Weinstein, Joshua Streger, Samantha
CREW
Lights and Sound
Wayne Walsh and Class 9 Tech Club
Tech Assistants
Andrew Maxwell, Joey O’Neill
Choreography Assistant
Aimee Gillespie
Dance and Music
Mrs. Montefiore
Piano
Mr. Montefiore
Sets and Scenes
Mariah Diaz and Class 9 Art Club
Stage Manager
Madison Finn
Faculty Advisor
Mr. Gibbons
Ivy looked at the list. “Well, I didn’t get Dorothy, but at least I got a big part. Glinda’s a big part, right?”
Poison Ivy got the goody-goody princess role, Madison thought. It figured.
“I have to go talk to Mrs. Montefiore right away,” Ivy said. She flipped her hair and walked away.
Fiona was still giggling. She’d gotten a good part, too. Better than she’d expected. “I like the way Evillene sounds.”
Aimee waltzed over. “Oh my God, this is amazing—you got a lead! You totally rock, Fiona! And I get Addaperle! And a dance solo! And choreography assistant! I am sooooo psyched.”
Fiona looked a little embarrassed by the attention, but she couldn’t stop herself from beaming. Madison thought she looked more like a model than ever at that moment.
Egg, Drew, Chet, Hart, and even Tommy Kwong, king of drama club, bellied up to the bulletin board next. Madison watched them searching for their names on the blue list. Chet picked at his ear nervously. Egg bounced up and down like a jack-in-the-box. Drew, of course, played it quieter than quiet because he already knew what he was doing, just like Madison.
“Hey,” Drew whispered, catching Madison’s eye. “Congrats.”
Madison grinned. “Yeah.”
Drew slunk over to Egg, and the two of them pretended to bow down to Hart Jones. He’d been cast as none other than The Wiz himself, so he deserved the royal treatment.
Across the hall, Tommy Kwong celebrated his part with just as much fanfare. He was already practicing floppy-armed scarecrow antics, to the amusement of a group of girls who’d gotten chorus parts. As they oohed and aahed, Madison shimmied closer to Aimee and Fiona.
“I can’t believe Poison Ivy is Glinda the Good Witch!” Aimee said.
Fiona’s smile was wider than ever. “And I’m the evil witch,” she said dreamily. “It’s all pretty kooky.”
They all laughed, and Madison gave Fiona a giant hug, one of those hugs where you don’t let go right away.
“I am so glad you came to Far Hills,” Madison told her.
“Excuse me.” A girl walked up to the trio of friends and tapped Fiona on the shoulder. “Congratulations. You were so good at auditions.”
“Thank you for saying that,” Fiona said gently. “I’m sorry, I don’t know you. I’m new. I’m Fiona Waters.”
Madison recognized her right away. She was Lindsay Frost—the girl on the stool with the angel voice. Lindsay introduced herself. She wore an oversized black sweater and chunky barrettes shaped like hearts.
“You were great at auditions,” Madison said. “Everyone was mesmerized.” She glanced up at the list again. Lindsay had been cast as Dorothy.
“Gee, thanks,” Lindsay said. “I’ve been taking singing lessons and singing in choir since I was in first grade. And I love L. Frank Baum’s books more than anything.”
“Frank who?” Aimee and Fiona asked at the same time.
“Duh, you guys know,” Madison said. “The guy who wrote the real Oz books.”
“Don’t you know them? In Ozma of Oz, Dorothy helps to save a queen. It’s great,” Lindsay said. “And there’s this character named Princess Langwidere who wears a different head each day. I can loan you my copies if you want.”
“Oh,” Aimee said, still not knowing what they were really talking about but pretending that she did. “Oh yeah. Those books.”
“Oh yeah,” Fiona added. “Those books are kooky.”
Aimee snickered when Fiona used that word again.
“Well,” Lindsay said. She tugged down on her sweater. It was all stretched out and baggy around her middle. “I have to go to my next class now. You’re in English with Ms. Quill, right, Aimee? Maybe I’ll see you around.”
“Maybe,” Aimee said as she walked away.
“Thanks again, Lindsay!” Fiona called out. She turned back to Aimee and Madison. “She seems nice.”
“For a geek,” Aimee said.
“Aimee!” Madison yelled at her. “Sometimes you can be so harsh.”
“Well, it’s the truth, isn’t it?” she defended herself. “Isn’t it?”
“The truth is,” Fiona chimed in, “you sound like Ivy when you say stuff like that.”
Aimee looked a little hurt. She didn’t want to be like Poison Ivy.
“How well do you know Lindsay, Maddie?” Fiona asked.
“Well, she’s been in our grade forever,” Madison said.
“But we’re not really friends,” Aimee clarified.
Fiona and Aimee wandered off to their next classes, but Madison went in a different direction. She thought about how someone who had seemed so invisible could suddenly steal the spotlight from Ivy Daly and her drones.
It was an interesting development.
That night was Madison’s weekly dinner with Dad, a night she looked forward to all week long. Ever since Mom and Dad had gotten the “Big D” last year, Madison had reserved Thursdays just for him—except for the one dinner when he brought his new girlfriend, Stephanie, along.
Tonight she couldn’t wait to spill the beans about the show.
Dad picked Madison up a little bit late, as usual. Being late usually made Mom rant and rave about how inconsiderate he was, which Madison hated. Mom didn’t seem to be bothered tonight.
“He’s here! I’m going!” Madison cried out when she saw Dad pull into the driveway. Phinnie wailed, “Wawoooooo,” as Madison closed the front door. He hated good-byes even more than Madison did.
“So,” Dad said the moment Madison hopped into the front seat and buckled up. “Tell me all about the auditions for the play and don’t leave anything out, not one detail.”
As Madison explained. Dad shook his head and chuckled lightly to himself.
“What’s so funny?” Madison asked.
“You’re a chip off the old block, you know that?” Dad said. “When I was a kid, I remember getting so sick whenever I had to do anything in front of other people. I had a terrible case of stage fright. I couldn’t even stand up in the classroom. All the kids would laugh at me…. It was bad news. Puke city.”
“Puke? Gross, Dad. You? Really?”
“You bet. So I guess you can chalk this one up to genes, Maddie. Blame your old dad for your case of nerves. Sorry, kid.”
Madison reached over and touched his shoulder. “I don’t mind, Dad. Not really. Besides, now I’m stage manager.”
They arrived at Dad’s downtown Far Hills loft just in time to see the last innings of a baseball game between the Mets and the Braves. Next to computers and collages, Madison loved baseball. She got that from her dad.
“Did you see that?” Dad yelled at the television set. “That was a strike! What? Is the ump blind?”
Madison was setting the dinner table for two while “Finn’s Fantastic Meatballs” heated up in the oven. It was really just Swedish meatballs with noodles, but Dad named all his recipes. He even baked Madison Muffins once. They were supersweet.
“Hey, Dad, I forgot to ask—can you help me with my computer assignment tonight? I have a test coming up.”
“Yeah, well. Time flies when you’re in junior high. Will you help?”
Dad laughed and walked into the kitchen. “Of course I’ll help.” He kissed Madison’s head. “I’m really proud of you, young lady. Have I told you that lately? You are a bright, smart …”
“Dad,” Madison moaned. “Don’t start. Please.”
“Start what? Isn’t it acceptable for a father to be proud of his little girl?”
“Yeah, but you get so sappy. You and Mom both do that. Anyway, sit down. Dinner’s served.” Madison set the serving dish on the dining room table. “Oh and for the record, Dad, I’m not a little girl.”
Dad laughed. “I know that, honey,” he said. “Believe me, I know.”
When the baseball game ended in overtime, they finally logged on to Dad’s computer. It was fancy, streamlined with a flat-screen monitor edged in polished steel. Dad always had the highest-quality equipment. Plus he upgraded a lot.
“Let me quickly show you my new Web site,” Dad said as he punched a few keys. When the computer turned on, a photograph appeared.
Unfortunately it was Stephanie, Dad’s new and annoying girlfriend.
“Oh,” Madison said, staring at the screen. “It’s her.”
Just then, the screen dissolved into another picture. This one showed Madison and Phinnie. It was taken last year during a snowstorm.
“It’s not just her. Look, Maddie.” Dad punched a few more keys. “Most of my screen savers are photos of you.”
Madison watched as the picture of her and Phin in the snow dissolved into her school photo from last year, which then dissolved into a photo of Dad on water skis, and then into a photo of Madison waving from the inside of Dad’s car.
The screen finally dissolved for the last time into wavy lines, and Dad’s site booted up. A giant blue logo appeared with the words FINN FRONTIERS.