Book Read Free

Ttyl

Page 13

by Lauren Myracle

zoegirl:

  that’s jana’s statement? be like germany?

  mad maddie:

  hold yer horses. here’s her idea: we’re gonna get a bunch of ppl to drive out to I-285. we’ll have at least 4 cars, 1 for each lane, and we’ll work it so that we’re all right next to each other. mad maddie: then we’ll set our speed at EXACTLY 65 mph, all at the same time. we’ll TOTALLY block traffic. won’t that be awesome?!!

  zoegirl:

  i don’t get it. how will you block traffic by going 65 mph?

  mad maddie:

  cuz no one goes 65 mph! but this time they’ll have to cuz no one will be able to pass us!

  zoegirl:

  you’ve got to be kidding zoegirl: you’re not actually gonna do this, r u?

  mad maddie:

  hell, yeah. it’s brilliant.

  zoegirl:

  haven’t you heard of road rage? you’re gonna get shot!

  mad maddie:

  that’s ridiculous

  mad maddie:

  i thought you would get it, since you care about issues and stuff.

  zoegirl:

  important issues, not rebelling against the speed limit.

  mad maddie:

  whatevs. we’re doing it this friday during rush hour if u wanna come.

  zoegirl:

  have you heard anything i’ve just said? NO, i don’t want to come. it makes me nervous just thinking about it.

  mad maddie:

  yeah, isn’t it great? that’s what i love about jana. when i’m with her, i get this excitement inside of me and an “i’m ready to do anything” attitude. it scares the shit out of me.

  zoegirl:

  and you like that?

  mad maddie:

  i love it mad

  maddie:

  speaking of excitement—have u asked your parents about cumberland island yet? u keep saying ur gonna, and then u never do!

  zoegirl:

  oh! i DID ask them, and they pretty much said no freakin way. mom’s exact words were “three 15-year-olds alone on the highway? are you out of your mind?”

  mad maddie:

  hey! i’m 16!!!

  zoegirl:

  i told her that. it didn’t make any difference.

  mad maddie:

  did u beg and plead and throw a fit?

  zoegirl:

  they’re not going to go for it, mads. it sucks, but they’re just not.

  mad maddie:

  well, i’m gonna figure something out. i’m not giving up yet!

  Wed, Oct 20, 7:14 14 E.D.T.

  mad maddie:

  i am on a hot streak, ladies. a hot streak, i’m telling u!

  SnowAngel:

  you are?

  zoegirl:

  tell us what’s going on!

  mad maddie:

  yay! ur both here. good girls for being textable *pats friends on heads*

  mad maddie:

  SO. i talked to the moms again about our cumberland island trip, and guess what she said?!!!

  SnowAngel:

  what?

  mad maddie:

  well… she and the pops agree with zoe’s mom that it’s not a good idea for us to go by ourselves, cuz she’s worried we’d get a flat or pick up a hitchhiker or something. whatevs.

  mad maddie:

  so i said “what if mark and erin came 2?” and she talked it over with pops, and they said YES!

  zoegirl:

  erin? who’s erin?

  mad maddie:

  mark’s girlfriend. pelt-woman. i made mark call her right then, and she’s all for it. wild horses, camping, remote little island—it’s totally up her alley.

  SnowAngel:

  maddie, that’s AWESOME!

  zoegirl:

  it is. it totally is. but wouldn’t it be weird, the three of us plus mark and erin?

  mad maddie:

  no, and here’s why. we’ll tail each other down there, but mark and erin’ll have their own car and we’ll have ours.

  mad maddie:

  once we get to the island, we won’t even have to see them. we can camp wherever we want, and so can they.

  SnowAngel:

  maddie, ur brilliant. now we just have to convince my parents and zoe’s parents.

  zoegirl:

  oh no. i’m going to be the one person who doesn’t get to go. i just know it.

  mad maddie:

  remind them that mark and erin r both 21, and we’ll be with them the whole time. (we really won’t, but they don’t have to know that. shhhh…)

  mad maddie:

  also tell them they can call u whenever they want.

  mad maddie:

  we HAVE to make it happen, you guys. it’s important. cuz sometimes i feel like we’re drifting away from each other, and we can’t let that happen.

  SnowAngel:

  we r not drifting away from each other. what r u talking about?

  SnowAngel:

  if anyone’s drifting away, it’s U

  mad maddie:

  wtf?

  zoegirl:

  you’re not drifting away, don’t worry. NO ONE is drifting away.

  mad maddie:

  cuz for the record, i am the one person who has stayed exactly the same. u two r the ones changing, not me.

  SnowAngel:

  change of subject: who wants to go bowling with me on friday?

  SnowAngel:

  doug schmidt asked me to go, and i couldn’t bear to turn him down. but i don’t want it to be a date-type thing, so i told him i’d see if anyone else wanted to come along.

  zoegirl:

  he wants to go BOWLING? that’s so cute!

  mad maddie:

  hold on. doug schmidt asked u out—for the forty millionth time—and u said, “sure, and hey, here’s a thought: why don’t i bring my friends along?”

  SnowAngel:

  it’s better than saying no, isn’t it?

  mad maddie:

  not much.

  SnowAngel:

  so will you come? please, please, please?

  mad maddie:

  can’t, sorry

  SnowAngel:

  why not?

  mad maddie:

  i’ve got plans

  SnowAngel:

  with ian?

  mad maddie:

  with some ppl from school

  zoegirl:

  some people from school? could you be more vague?

  SnowAngel:

  omg. do u have plans with JANA?

  zoegirl:

  she does. dangerous stupid plans that could get her killed or arrested or flattened on the highway.

  mad maddie:

  thanks, zo

  zoegirl:

  it’s true!

  SnowAngel:

  *stomps foot* somebody better tell me RIGHT NOW what ur doing with jana!

  mad maddie:

  we’re doing a social psychology experiment. it’s no big deal.

  SnowAngel:

  what kind of “social psychology experiment”? what IS a social psychology experiment?

  zoegirl:

  yes, maddie. please educate us.

  mad maddie:

  screw you both. i say that in the nicest possible way, but really.

  mad maddie:

  screw you.

  SnowAngel:

  maddie, why r u so mad?

  SnowAngel:

  maddie!

  SnowAngel:

  where’d she go? I AM SO CONFUSED.

  SnowAngel:

  zoe, wld u plz tell me what just happened?

  zoegirl:

  i’m going to let her tell you. I don’t mean to add to the drama. it’s just, i want HER to see YOUR reaction when you first hear, not after you’ve already had it explained to you.

  SnowAngel:

  zoe?

  zoegirl:

  yes?

  SnowAngel:

  um, that totally adds to the drama.

  zoegirl:


  tell you what. if i go bowling with you and doug, will that make it up to u?

  SnowAngel:

  no. yes. i don’t know.

  SnowAngel:

  but thx at least for that.

  Thu, Oct 21, 5:51 PM E.D.T.

  SnowAngel:

  zo! i told doug ur coming with us on friday and he’s psyched.

  zoegirl:

  er… actually…

  SnowAngel:

  doug’s gonna ask steve brinks to come too. it can be like a double date!

  zoegirl:

  aaiee. i can’t go after all, angela. don’t hate me! *cringes in corner*

  SnowAngel:

  WHAT?

  SnowAngel:

  is it cuz of the double-date thing? doug really is gonna invite steve, but it doesn’t have to be a double date. it can just be a group of friends.

  zoegirl:

  it’s not that. it’s just that i stayed for mr. h’s backwork today, and he kind of asked if i wanted to play bingo with him on friday night.

  SnowAngel:

  WHAT?!!!

  zoegirl:

  not just the two of us—his mother’ll be there too. she lives in a nursing home, and once a month they have bingo night.

  zoegirl:

  he asked if i wanted to go.

  SnowAngel:

  let me get this straight: ur ditching me to play bingo with mr. h and his mother?

  zoegirl:

  please don’t hate me. it’s just that i kind of forgot about our bowling plans till it was too late. and… i don’t want to tell mr. h no.

  SnowAngel:

  i don’t get it. how can mr. h ask u to go play bingo with him as if it’s a totally normal thing? doesn’t he know ur his student?

  zoegirl:

  we’ll be with a bunch of old people, angela. i think it’s really sweet.

  SnowAngel:

  *shakes head* unbelievable

  zoegirl:

  but, on the other hand, he wants me to meet his mother. that’s kind of a big deal… isn’t it?

  SnowAngel:

  it’s kind of INSANE

  SnowAngel:

  have u told maddie?

  zoegirl:

  just you

  SnowAngel:

  good, cuz maddie would have a heyday.

  zoegirl:

  r u mad?

  SnowAngel:

  yes *sticks out tongue*

  SnowAngel:

  but i suppose i’ll forgive u eventually.

  zoegirl:

  thank you, thank you, thank you

  SnowAngel:

  EVENTUALLY, i said. right now i’m gonna call megan and kristin and c if either of them can go. or i’ll tell maddie that she has to forget that idiotic driving thing and be my escort since u turned traitor.

  zoegirl:

  so she told you?

  zoegirl:

  i thought it was weird how at first she didn’t want you to know.

  SnowAngel:

  did she actually say “please don’t tell angela”?

  zoegirl:

  pretty much

  SnowAngel:

  how annoying

  zoegirl:

  she gets hurt if i tell u something and not her—like about that wellspring party—but she thinks it’s fine to tell me stuff and not u.

  SnowAngel:

  so what was the deal, did she think i’d disapprove cuz it involved jana?

  zoegirl:

  something like that

  SnowAngel:

  well, i *do* disapprove, and that’s even more reason she should ditch jana and come with me. anyway, i need her more than jana does.

  SnowAngel:

  i’m gonna text her and tell her that now. i hope she listens.

  Thu, Oct 21, 6:13 PM E.D.T.

  SnowAngel:

  maddie! oh, maaaaddiel

  mad maddie:

  yes?

  SnowAngel:

  u have to listen to what i’m about to say. now i know ur all excited about your ridiculous speed limit thingie, but u HAVE to change your plans. ok? ok. great!

  mad maddie:

  huh? what?

  SnowAngel:

  stupid zoe backed out on me. U CAN’T LEAVE ME ALONE WITH DOUG!!!

  mad maddie:

  sorry, doll. if i don’t go with jana, they won’t have enough drivers.

  SnowAngel:

  but this is important!

  mad maddie:

  so is this. jana’s counting on me. she’s gonna ride in my car and everything. hey, i know—forget doug and come with us!

  SnowAngel:

  i can’t, that would be cruel. plus, he already invited steve brinks to come too.

  mad maddie:

  u, doug, and steve, hmmm? ooh-la-la.

  SnowAngel:

  *stomps foot* this is serious!

  mad maddie:

  oh, it is not. invite some other girl to come.

  SnowAngel:

  i already tried megan AND kristin AND mary kate, and they’re all busy. ur my only hope, obi-one kenobi!!!

  mad maddie:

  i’m pretty sure that’s not how u spell it, but points for making a star wars reference at all.

  mad maddie:

  i’m not gonna break my word to jana. sorry. but luckily, i have just the thing to cheer u up.

  SnowAngel:

  what?

  mad maddie:

  it’s the “my little pony” quiz! after 15 long years u can finally find out which little pony u r!

  SnowAngel:

  i’m having a crisis, and u want me to take one of your stupid quizzes?!! no thx.

  mad maddie:

  why, r u scared?

  SnowAngel:

  scared of what?

  mad maddie:

  scared that my inner dragon might eat your little pony?

  SnowAngel:

  omg. u’ve been waiting to say that, haven’t u? u’ve been, like, really excited to use that line.

  mad maddie:

  cuz it’s funny. admit it.

  SnowAngel:

  u r no help at all.

  mad maddie:

  but i’m amusing, which is even better!

  Fri, Oct 22, 6:00 PM E.D.T.

  zoegirl:

  mr. h is gonna be here any minute… but i just wanted to give u moral support before your date.

  SnowAngel:

  it’s not a date!!!

  zoegirl:

  right, right. sorry.

  SnowAngel:

  change your mind and come with me. plz????

  zoegirl:

  i can’t. i already told u!

  SnowAngel:

  *pouts*

  SnowAngel:

  do i have time to tell u what i’m wearing, at least?

  zoegirl:

  go for it

  SnowAngel:

  attire: baggy overalls with long-sleeved white t-shirt underneath (NOT tight), fugly “sensible” shoes my mom made me buy when we went hiking last summer, hair in ponytail.

  zoegirl:

  baggy overalls and a ponytail. are you trying to send a message here, by any chance?

  SnowAngel:

  i am being polite to doug. i see no reason to get him all worked up for nothing.

  zoegirl:

  how considerate.

  zoegirl:

  well, seriously, have fun.

  Sat, Oct 23, 1:52 PM E.D.T.

  mad maddie:

  woo-eee! i’m at starbucks and i’m on my fifth breve bomb cuz i was already so wired i figged i might as well add to the adrenaline.

  SnowAngel:

  yr fifth…?

  SnowAngel:

  what’s a breve bomb?

  mad maddie:

  not important. ready to hear about my fabulous I-285 adventure?

  SnowAngel:

  no, cuz i wanna tell u something first. MY PARENTS SAID YES ABOUT CUMBERLAND ISLAND!!!

  mad maddie:

  no way!
<
br />   SnowAngel:

  way! as long as mark and erin will be there to “chaperone” us, they said i could go. *punches the air in wild excitement* i can’t believe they actually said yes!

  mad maddie:

  angela, that is awesome. we r gonna have so much fun!

  SnowAngel:

  i know!!!

  SnowAngel:

  what about zoe’s parents—any word?

  mad maddie:

  her mom’s gonna call my mom. that’s a step, anywayz.

 

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