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stuff like, “u and clive! it’s meant to be!” and i was like, “mom, no. i love being single.” and she goes, “r u telling me ur a slut?”
zoegirl:
nuh uh
mad maddie:
then she calls out to all my aunts and uncles in this really loud voice, “someone bring me another drink—my little girl’s a slut!”
zoegirl:
i swear, maddie, your family is so incredibly different from mine. there is no way i would ever have a conversation like that with my mother.
mad maddie:
cuz your family is normal
mad maddie:
she was just joking, tho. she was just being wild.
zoegirl:
was chive around for all that? did he hear your mom call u a slut?
mad maddie:
yeah, and he laughed. that’s the cool thing about him.
zoegirl:
huh
mad maddie:
i had FUN, zo. the whole night was fun. i know it’s not your style, but i had a blast.
zoegirl:
are you going to see him again?
mad maddie:
who, chive? i hope so, but not in a date-y way if that’s what ur asking.
zoegirl:
why not in a date-y way?
mad maddie:
cuz i’m not looking for that. we don’t all have to GLOW, zo. we really don’t.
mad maddie:
hey, how was your first night at Kidding Around?
zoegirl:
i *love* it. the kids are so cute. there was this one little boy, he was maybe 3, and he had all these fake tattoos on his arm. i would point to one and say, “so what’s that?” and he’d say, “a snake, but not a *real* snake.” or “a bat, but not a *real* bat.” or “a lightning, but not a *real* lightning, because if it was real lightning, there would be thunder. only not here. somewhere else. where the indians are.”
mad maddie:
what indians?
zoegirl:
i do not know, to tell you the truth.
zoegirl:
oh—and guess who works there with me?!
mad maddie:
who?
zoegirl:
doug schmidt!
mad maddie:
doug? as in angela’s doug?
zoegirl:
he’s not really angela’s doug, seeing as how she’s not the slightest bit interested. but yeah. i was like, “doug! wow!”
mad maddie:
he’s gonna be all over u, i can c it now. he’s gonna use u as an inside link. angela may not be interested, but it’s a sure bet HE is.
zoegirl:
maybe. i just think it’s cool that a guy would take a job there in the first place.
mad maddie:
what’d angela say?
zoegirl:
we didn’t talk about it much, because she was kind of distracted. she thinks her parents are buying her a car.
mad maddie:
oh yeah, that’s right—and she says U planted the idea.
zoegirl:
i did not! i just said she shouldn’t assume that whatever’s going on with her parents is bad.
zoegirl:
although i may have to revise that opinion based on a new and not-so-good development. *don’t* tell angela.
mad maddie:
don’t tell angela what?
zoegirl:
well … i saw her dad at starbucks this morning. i was getting cappuccinos for my parents because i’m such a good daughter, and there was mr. silver. and he wasn’t alone.
mad maddie:
who was he with?
zoegirl:
a woman. a woman wearing a tailored skirt and blouse. the kind of woman who actually uses lip liner.
mad maddie:
lip liner, that’s hardcore.
mad maddie:
so what r u saying?
zoegirl:
nothing, i’m not saying anything
mad maddie:
u don’t think he’s having an affair, do u???
zoegirl:
no no no, i’m sure he’s not.
zoegirl:
i just got a weird vibe, that’s all.
mad maddie:
weird how?
zoegirl:
you know how normally mr. silver’s so friendly and buddy-buddy? well, today when i went over to say hi, he looked really uncomfortable. all brusque and at the same time blushing, like he’d been caught in the act.
mad maddie:
WHAT act?
zoegirl:
i don’t know. and he didn’t introduce me to lip liner woman, even though she was smiling very pleasantly like “oh, and who’s your little friend?” it was one of those moments where he *should* have introduced us, but he didn’t.
zoegirl:
there was