lunchroom lady had stepped away, so no one would be caught for this particular lunchroom violation. Egg was in charge of the miniature vegetable shooting. Of course.
Just seeing Egg, Drew, and Chet together made her stomach flip-flop. Madison sat as far away from them as she could. Chet was laughing really loudly too, which made the whole scene even worse. He sounded like a siren.
“My brother is such a geek,” Fiona whispered. “I don’t know how I can possibly be related to him.”
“Didn’t you say your birthdays were coming up soon?” Aimee asked.
“Yeah, a reminder that we are twins,” Fiona groaned. She rolled her eyes. “And it’s not too exciting, believe me. We’ll just do what we usually do. Eat a boring family dinner. Blow out the candles on a plain vanilla cake with chocolate-cream frosting. Try to keep sane as all my aunts and uncles call and ask the same things. Mom will buy us some dumb twin gift, like a matching outfit or something. She’s been doing that since we were babies.”
“That sounds kind of cool to me,” Madison said. Since she was an only child with divorced parents, any kind of major “family” event sounded cool to her. She’d always wished for a brother or sister.
“I know what you mean about family events, Fiona,” Aimee said. “I get so sick of my brothers when it’s my birthday. They tease me a lot.”
From the other end of the table, Chet let out another loud laugh. Fiona yelled at him to shut up, which got the entire table into a shouting match.
Madison stared off into space, watching and listening to everything like it was in slo-mo. She stared down at her slab of vegetable lasagna, which tasted like wet paper with tomato sauce, and turned once more to look at Ivy. Her enemy stood flipping her hair before a group of girls. Poison Ivy would figure out a way to create a winning webpage, Madison thought. If only—
“Maddie?” Fiona interrupted. “Are you entering that computer contest?”
“What?” Madison turned to Fiona, a little surprised. “What did you say?”
“My brother, Chet, told me about the contest last night. He told me that he’s doing it with Egg. Like he even has a chance! I mean, it sounds way more like your thing than his—”
Madison smiled. “Thanks. I just wish I had someone to enter the contest with me.”
Fiona grinned. “Um … hello ?”
Aimee laughed out loud. “Yeah, Maddie. Duh. Double duh.”
“What?” Madison cried, looking at her friends. She didn’t know why they were teasing her.
“Think, Maddie,” Aimee said. She motioned toward Fiona.
Madison bit her lip and looked over at Fiona. “Would you want to do it? I thought with soccer practice you wouldn’t have time.”
“It’s true, soccer is my life,” Fiona said, giggling. “But I still love computers!”
“Problem solved,” Aimee said emphatically.
“Do you really want to enter … with me?” Madison said.
“Are you kidding? Chet keeps bragging about how he and Egg are going to win. I would love the chance to show him up. Ha!”
From across the table, Fiona made a face at her twin brother. He blew a raspberry back at her.
“Hey, Chet!” Fiona yelled. “Maddie and I were just talking, and I’m entering that computer contest too. SO THERE!”
Chet squinted back with disbelief. “What are you talking about, Fiona?”
“Since you and Egg went ahead and signed on together, Maddie and I are doing the same. And we’re going to win.”
Egg piped up. “You guys … uh, excuse me … girls don’t have a chance.”
“I can’t believe you’d say that!” Madison gasped. She knew he was showing off in front of his friends.
“I dare you to enter,” Egg teased. The other boys at the table laughed.
“You’re so conceited, Egg,” Madison said.
“I double-dare you!” Chet said, still laughing.
Aimee leaned over to Madison. “Why are you guys getting so worked up about this? It’s just a dumb computer contest,” she
Just seeing Egg, Drew, and Chet together made her stomach flip-flop. Madison sat as far away from them as she could. Chet was laughing really loudly too, which made the whole scene even worse. He sounded like a siren.
“My brother is such a geek,” Fiona whispered. “I don’t know how I can possibly be related to him.”
“Didn’t you say your birthdays were coming up soon?” Aimee asked.
“Yeah, a reminder that we are twins,” Fiona groaned. She rolled her eyes. “And it’s not too exciting, believe me. We’ll just do what we usually do. Eat a boring family dinner. Blow out the candles on a plain vanilla cake with chocolate-cream frosting. Try to keep sane as all my aunts and uncles call and ask the same things. Mom will buy us some dumb twin gift, like a matching outfit or something. She’s been doing that since we were babies.”
“That sounds kind of cool to me,” Madison said. Since she was an only child with divorced parents, any kind of major “family” event sounded cool to her. She’d always wished for a brother or sister.
“I know what you mean about family events, Fiona,” Aimee said. “I get so sick of my brothers when it’s my birthday. They tease me a lot.”
From the other end of the table, Chet let out another loud laugh. Fiona yelled at him to shut up, which got the entire table into a shouting match.
Madison stared off into space, watching and listening to everything like it was in slo-mo. She stared down at her slab of vegetable lasagna, which tasted like wet paper with tomato sauce, and turned once more to look at Ivy. Her enemy stood flipping her hair before a group of girls. Poison Ivy would figure out a way to create a winning webpage, Madison thought. If only—
“Maddie?” Fiona interrupted. “Are you entering that computer contest?”
“What?” Madison turned to Fiona, a little surprised. “What did you say?”
“My brother, Chet, told me about the contest last night. He told me that he’s doing it with Egg. Like he even has a chance! I mean, it sounds way more like your thing than his—”
Madison smiled. “Thanks. I just wish I had someone to enter the contest with me.”
Fiona grinned. “Um … hello ?”
Aimee laughed out loud. “Yeah, Maddie. Duh. Double duh.”
“What?” Madison cried, looking at her friends. She didn’t know why they were teasing her.
“Think, Maddie,” Aimee said. She motioned toward Fiona.
Madison bit her lip and looked over at Fiona. “Would you want to do it? I thought with soccer practice you wouldn’t have time.”
“It’s true, soccer is my life,” Fiona said, giggling. “But I still love computers!”
“Problem solved,” Aimee said emphatically.
“Do you really want to enter … with me?” Madison said.
“Are you kidding? Chet keeps bragging about how he and Egg are going to win. I would love the chance to show him up. Ha!”
From across the table, Fiona made a face at her twin brother. He blew a raspberry back at her.
“Hey, Chet!” Fiona yelled. “Maddie and I were just talking, and I’m entering that computer contest too. SO THERE!”
Chet squinted back with disbelief. “What are you talking about, Fiona?”
“Since you and Egg went ahead and signed on together, Maddie and I are doing the same. And we’re going to win.”
Egg piped up. “You guys … uh, excuse me … girls don’t have a chance.”
“I can’t believe you’d say that!” Madison gasped. She knew he was showing off in front of his friends.
“I dare you to enter,” Egg teased. The other boys at the table laughed.
“You’re so conceited, Egg,” Madison said.
“I double-dare you!” Chet said, still laughing.
Aimee leaned over to Madison. “Why are you guys getting so worked up about this? It’s just a dumb computer contest,” she
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