All Shook Up (From the Files of Madison Finn, 22) Read Free Page B

dramatically, terribly uncool.”
    “What are you talking about?” Madison asked. “She is cool.”
    “You must be joking. She has no sense of style.”
    “And you do?” Madison said.
    “You are kidding, right?” Ivy said.
    “Here,” Madison said firmly as she pressed a tattered science notebook into Ivy’s hands.
    “It’s about time,” Ivy said.
    Madison sighed and headed off to the study hall. She found a comfortable seat in the back and logged on to a library computer. Her laptop battery was running low, and she’d forgotten to recharge.
    Reaching into her bag, Madison pulled out a pen. Naturally, the cap was off. Just my luck, Madison thought. The entire vessel of ink spurted onto her favorite sky-blue, collared T-shirt. She looked as though she’d been attacked by a squid.
    “My, my, what happened to you?” someone said from behind one of the stacks.
    It was Mr. Books, the librarian.
    “Pen catastrophe,” Madison said, trying to look chipper.
    “Never fight a pen,” Mr. Books said. “The pen will always win.”
    Madison knew she should laugh, but she just didn’t think the joke was funny. She’d been splattered! What was funny about that ?
    “Are you signed up for that conference at the school next week?” Mr. Books asked Madison.
    “In two weeks,” Madison corrected him. “Yeah, I signed up.”
    “I’ll be running the projectors,” Mr. Books said. “It’s going to be a doozy of a day. Good for you for participating. All of Far Hills Junior High’s best and brightest will be there.”
    “Thanks,” Madison said awkwardly. It often felt more awkward but somehow more satisfying when a teacher (or, in this case, a librarian) gave her a compliment. Usually Mr. Books was growling or chasing the kids out of the library for talking too much, and Madison tried to avoid him wherever possible.
    But today, Mr. Books was actually being friendly.
    He walked away with a smile on his face, and Madison couldn’t help thinking that there was something strangely significant about that moment.
    Something big was about to happen.
    Madison just couldn’t put her finger on what it was.

Chapter 3
    B Y THE TIME MADISON returned home from school, her brain was whizzing with all of the things she had to do. First, there was math and reading homework. Then there was Internet research on Punjab—just to impress Madhur. Then she needed to log on to TweenBlurt to check e-mails, and then she had to see if anyone had posted something interesting on The Wall. After that, she needed to—
    Madison stopped short on her porch. A note was taped to the door.
Maddie,
    Had to dash into the city for a MAJOR meeting with another film co. This is a really big deal, honey bear. Dad is picking you up for dinner. Told him to call you after 4. Sorry for the short notice! Use your spare key to get inside. Phin is down the street w/ Blossom and the Gillespies, so you don’t have to worry about him.
    Love,
    Mom
    Madison dropped her orange messenger bag on the porch and sat down. Mom had to work again ? Outside, the sky began to darken, and there was a chill in the air. She fished around in the pocket of her bag for the spare house key. It wasn’t there; it wasn’t wedged in between two books; it wasn’t anywhere! Even after Madison had dumped out the entire contents of the bag, including her laptop computer, a collection of Hello Kitty! pencils, a half-eaten granola bar, a package of pink-polka-dotted tissues, a stick of gum, several pennies, and her math textbook, she still had not located the key.
    She didn’t even have the sound of Phin barking at the front door to comfort her. Madison was all alone out there.
    Just then she remembered where her spare key was—upstairs on her dresser. She’d left it there by mistake when she last cleaned out her bag.
    “But there’s another one!” Madison said aloud. She remembered the spare , spare key Mom hid in the garden.
    She scrambled to her feet and went over to the windowsill.