waffle ice-cream cone at the same time. Madison couldn’t.
As usual, the line for Freeze Palace was out the door on a warm summer night, but Madison didn’t mind waiting. She’d only been standing there for a few moments when Aimee appeared with two of her brothers, Dean and Billy.
“Maddie!” Aimee squealed as soon as she saw her best friend. She greeted Madison’s dad, too. “Hey, Mr. Finn!”
Madison gave her BFF a big squeeze. “What are you doing here?”
“Pigging out!” Aimee said, laughing. She was always going on and off diets, but in the summer even ballerina Aimee couldn’t resist ice cream. And Freeze Palace made the best chocolate cow (aka superthick mocha milk shake) in town.
“Did you guys walk here all the way from your house?” Madison asked.
“Yes, and …” Aimee pulled Madison a little off to one side. “Do you know who I just saw on the way?”
Aimee broke into giggles.
“Who?” Madison asked, impatient. “Tell me. TELL ME!”
“Ben Buckley!” Aimee squealed. She covered up her mouth to pretend that no one could hear.
Madison smiled. “I thought you stopped crushing on him!” she said.
Aimee blushed. “Me, too. But then he stopped to say hello to me even though he was with his friends. That means something, right? My brothers even said he seemed extra nice, and they never say stuff like that.”
Boys liked Aimee and Aimee loved boys, especially brainiacs. Ben was the smartest kid in the seventh grade. Up until now, he hadn’t really shown an interest in her.
“So are you two going out this summer or something?” Madison teased.
“No way!” Aimee cut her off. “OH-EM-GEE! We just said hello, Maddie—it was really no biggie,” Aimee cried, blushing some more.
The ice-cream line started moving faster now.
Madison’s dad, who had been chatting with the Gillespie brothers, put his arm around Madison and moved them all forward a few paces.
“So what’s your family doing for Independence Day?” Dad asked Aimee.
Madison elbowed him. “Dad!” she said.
He realized immediately that he’d asked the wrong question.
Aimee replied instantly. “Oh-em-gee! My friend Sasha from dance camp is coming into town,” she explained, talking a mile a minute. “And you know she’s from Russia … well, she lives in New York … but oh, we’re so excited to hang out together and Maddie, I can’t wait for you guys to meet each other! We will have sooo much fun at the carnival and the fireworks and—”
“Aimee,” Madison interrupted. “I think I may be going away next week. Change of plans.”
“What?” Aimee asked. “You can’t go somewhere else!”
Madison sighed. “Yeah, it’s a bummer. I’m going to miss the Fourth of July parade and carnival.”
Aimee frowned. “I can’t believe it!” she cried. “That is totally unfair. Mr. Finn, why can’t she stay here?”
Dad made a helpless face as if he didn’t know how to answer anything that twelve-year-old girls asked him tonight.
By now the ice-cream line had moved inside the store, but Madison didn’t feel much like a frozen treat anymore. She just felt frozen.
“Hey, move it, weasel!” Aimee’s brother Dean said, gently shoving Madison up to the counter. He and Billy laughed. Aimee punched them both on behalf of her BFF.
Normally Madison would have laughed too, and shoved back. But tonight, she wanted to run away. Not even Aimee could make her feel better.
Dad got the message loud and clear.
He ordered two supersize chocolate cows—to go.
Later, after dropping off Madison at home, Dad stood on the porch talking to Mom for almost half an hour.
Wasn’t there a way to let Madison stay home for the Fourth of July?
Madison eavesdropped on them both through the living-room window, but she didn’t hear anything encouraging. Neither parent could afford to change his or her work plans. Everyone else in town was busy with their own houseguests.
So it was decided once and for all.
The Far
As usual, the line for Freeze Palace was out the door on a warm summer night, but Madison didn’t mind waiting. She’d only been standing there for a few moments when Aimee appeared with two of her brothers, Dean and Billy.
“Maddie!” Aimee squealed as soon as she saw her best friend. She greeted Madison’s dad, too. “Hey, Mr. Finn!”
Madison gave her BFF a big squeeze. “What are you doing here?”
“Pigging out!” Aimee said, laughing. She was always going on and off diets, but in the summer even ballerina Aimee couldn’t resist ice cream. And Freeze Palace made the best chocolate cow (aka superthick mocha milk shake) in town.
“Did you guys walk here all the way from your house?” Madison asked.
“Yes, and …” Aimee pulled Madison a little off to one side. “Do you know who I just saw on the way?”
Aimee broke into giggles.
“Who?” Madison asked, impatient. “Tell me. TELL ME!”
“Ben Buckley!” Aimee squealed. She covered up her mouth to pretend that no one could hear.
Madison smiled. “I thought you stopped crushing on him!” she said.
Aimee blushed. “Me, too. But then he stopped to say hello to me even though he was with his friends. That means something, right? My brothers even said he seemed extra nice, and they never say stuff like that.”
Boys liked Aimee and Aimee loved boys, especially brainiacs. Ben was the smartest kid in the seventh grade. Up until now, he hadn’t really shown an interest in her.
“So are you two going out this summer or something?” Madison teased.
“No way!” Aimee cut her off. “OH-EM-GEE! We just said hello, Maddie—it was really no biggie,” Aimee cried, blushing some more.
The ice-cream line started moving faster now.
Madison’s dad, who had been chatting with the Gillespie brothers, put his arm around Madison and moved them all forward a few paces.
“So what’s your family doing for Independence Day?” Dad asked Aimee.
Madison elbowed him. “Dad!” she said.
He realized immediately that he’d asked the wrong question.
Aimee replied instantly. “Oh-em-gee! My friend Sasha from dance camp is coming into town,” she explained, talking a mile a minute. “And you know she’s from Russia … well, she lives in New York … but oh, we’re so excited to hang out together and Maddie, I can’t wait for you guys to meet each other! We will have sooo much fun at the carnival and the fireworks and—”
“Aimee,” Madison interrupted. “I think I may be going away next week. Change of plans.”
“What?” Aimee asked. “You can’t go somewhere else!”
Madison sighed. “Yeah, it’s a bummer. I’m going to miss the Fourth of July parade and carnival.”
Aimee frowned. “I can’t believe it!” she cried. “That is totally unfair. Mr. Finn, why can’t she stay here?”
Dad made a helpless face as if he didn’t know how to answer anything that twelve-year-old girls asked him tonight.
By now the ice-cream line had moved inside the store, but Madison didn’t feel much like a frozen treat anymore. She just felt frozen.
“Hey, move it, weasel!” Aimee’s brother Dean said, gently shoving Madison up to the counter. He and Billy laughed. Aimee punched them both on behalf of her BFF.
Normally Madison would have laughed too, and shoved back. But tonight, she wanted to run away. Not even Aimee could make her feel better.
Dad got the message loud and clear.
He ordered two supersize chocolate cows—to go.
Later, after dropping off Madison at home, Dad stood on the porch talking to Mom for almost half an hour.
Wasn’t there a way to let Madison stay home for the Fourth of July?
Madison eavesdropped on them both through the living-room window, but she didn’t hear anything encouraging. Neither parent could afford to change his or her work plans. Everyone else in town was busy with their own houseguests.
So it was decided once and for all.
The Far
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