Ttfn Read online

  SnowAngel:

  chive’s surprise was that the 2 of u were gonna smoke pot?!

  mad maddie:

  and his friend brannen, which was a mistake. not the fact that i smoked pot, but the fact that brannen was there too.

  SnowAngel:

  brannen from the kissy-kissy night?

  mad maddie:

  if i’d known he was gonna be there, i might not have gone. cuz the pot, like, intensified everything, and partly that was cool, but partly it was uncool, especially in regards to brannen.

  SnowAngel:

  why?

  mad maddie:

  i dunno, cuz he kept staring at me with this “i’m interested in u” smile. it was gross.

  SnowAngel:

  what about chive?

  mad maddie:

  he was in his own world listening to music with earbuds in. i wish i could be more like that, just do whatever i feel like doing and be confident in myself. but no. i had to deal with brannen making pop-eyes at me.

  SnowAngel:

  where were u guys this whole time?

  mad maddie:

  we sneaked into a housing development called cross creek condominiums. there’s this big stretch of forest behind the condos, and that’s where we went.

  SnowAngel:

  oh

  mad maddie:

  we called ourselves the cross creek crusaders. it was pretty funny.

  SnowAngel:

  i can’t believe u smoked pot. i mean, i know ppl do, but i can’t believe that U did.

  SnowAngel:

  what was it like?

  mad maddie:

  kinda a mixed bag

  mad maddie:

  ha, that’s funny. a mixed BAG, get it?

  SnowAngel:

  no

  mad maddie:

  as in, a bag of pot. that’s what u call it.

  SnowAngel:

  fascinating, now tell me what it was like

  mad maddie:

  well, it hurt sucking it in. and then ur supposed to hold it for as long as u can, but i kept coughing. and it made my eyes water.

  SnowAngel:

  sounds fun. NOT!

  mad maddie:

  chive says i’ll get better with practice. he says the paranoid feelings will go away too.

  SnowAngel:

  huh

  SnowAngel:

  um, i know this’ll sound kinda stupid, but what’s the GOOD part about smoking pot? besides the fact that it was something u did with chive.

  mad maddie:

  well … i seriously had some wild sensations. it made everything blurry around the edges, like the boundaries of the world were melting away, and all these undercurrents of life were swirling around us. and i could SEE them. that’s what made it so cool.

  SnowAngel:

  u could see what? the undercurrents of life?

  mad maddie:

  i know it sounds weird. i guess there’s no way to explain it unless u’ve tried it yourself.

  SnowAngel:

  my life is blurry enough, thx

  SnowAngel:

  u gonna do it again?

  mad maddie:

  dunno. wish it didn’t burn so much.

  mad maddie:

  but chive mentioned something about hooking up tonight, so maybe. wanna come?

  SnowAngel:

  er … doesn’t really sound like my scene.

  mad maddie:

  yr always saying u want to get to know chive better, and zoe’s working tonight so u have no excuse. u don’t have to smoke if u don’t want to.

  SnowAngel:

  i don’t wanna sneak into that golf course, either

  mad maddie:

  it’s not a golf course! it’s just the woods behind some condos.

  mad maddie:

  how about this: why don’t i call chive and see what’s up, and then i’ll give u more details. we’ll do something legal if that’s what u want.

  SnowAngel:

  uh … ok, i guess

  mad maddie:

  hey, that just gave me a good idea for a googlewhack.

  SnowAngel:

  qu’est-ce que c’est un googlewhack?

  mad maddie:

  i haven’t told u about googlewhacks?

  mad maddie:

  oh yeah, that was zoe i told

  SnowAngel:

  *taps foot on floor*

  mad maddie:

  a googlewhack is an extremely delightful way to pass the time where u type in words on google and try to get only one hit. the “perfect 1,” it’s called.

  SnowAngel:

  sounds boring

  SnowAngel:

  or rather, sounds like something u should do ON YOUR OWN and not while your friend is twiddling away her toes.

  mad maddie:

  i’m gonna try “legal chive,” whaddaya think? let me just do a little multitasking here …

  mad maddie:

  tarnation. 20,100 hits.

  SnowAngel:

  oh well

  mad maddie:

  maybe “illegal chive” is the way to go, eh?

  SnowAngel:

  maddie, i do not wanna sit here while u googlewhack!

  mad maddie:

  716 hits. still shabby. wouldn’t it be funny if all 716 were actually about chive and his illegal activities?

  SnowAngel:

  wouldn’t it be even funnier if u actually talked to ME instead of googlewhacking off in the corner?

  mad maddie:

  ooo, u make me sound so perverted

  SnowAngel:

  good-bye, i’m leaving

  mad maddie:

  what? WHY?

  SnowAngel:

  cuz ur making my eyes glaze over. anyway, i’ve gotta clean up my room for an open house today. UGH.

  mad maddie:

  in that case maybe i’ll go hunt down some breakfast—maybe some more of that pizza i had last night. u know, pizza hut pizza is truly amazing. it’s been in our fridge for 2 weeks, but it tastes as good as ever.

  SnowAngel:

  did u say two weeks? *goes pale*

  mad maddie:

  i didn’t even heat it up. mmm-mmm good!

  Sat, Dec 4, 11:52 AM E.S.T.

  SnowAngel:

  omg, i just realized! chive IS a stoner!!!

  mad maddie:

  huh?

  SnowAngel:

  i said he was a stoner at dylan’s party, and u were like, “nooooo.” but he’s TOTALLY a stoner boy.

  SnowAngel:

  u knew it all along, didn’t u?

  mad maddie:

  well …

  mad maddie:

  he’s more than that, tho. he’s not JUST a stoner boy.

  SnowAngel:

  i’m just saying. *looks knowingly at friend*

  SnowAngel:

  u can’t pull 1 over on me, madderoo!

  Sun, Dec 5, 9:18 AM E.S.T.

  SnowAngel:

  mornin’, sunshine. did u have fun at work last night?

  SnowAngel:

  zoe?

  SnowAngel:

  wow, it must have been REALLY good if you can’t even take the time to text back yr dearest friend. either that or really bad …

  zoegirl:

  sorry, sorry, texting someone else

  SnowAngel:

  who?

  zoegirl:

  just someone

  SnowAngel:

  okay. WHO?

  zoegirl:

  it was doug, that’s all. he texted me, i didn’t text him.

  SnowAngel:

  doug texted u? why?

  SnowAngel:

  did he ask about me?

  zoegirl:

  you know, angela, it’s not *always* about you.

  zoegirl:

  we were talking about work, that’s all. about that little kid who cracks us up, graham cracker. last night graham kept presenting his cheek to me and saying, “you can kiss me if you want. little
boys need lots of kisses.”

  SnowAngel:

  aww, i love little kids. they’re so pure.

  SnowAngel:

  wanna know what i did last night? and just to give u a hint, “pure” would not be the way to describe it.

  zoegirl:

  that’s right, you went out with maddie and chive! how’d it go?

  SnowAngel:

  AND meade AND brannen AND whitney.

  SnowAngel:

  i have to tell u, zoe, i’m feeling weird about it.

  zoegirl:

  how come?

  SnowAngel:

  i dunno. i’ve been trying to figure it out. i’ve been trying to figure out chive, mainly. maddie really likes him, u know.

  zoegirl:

  do you not?

  SnowAngel:

  no, i DO like him—at least when i’m around him. he’s smart, even tho he talks so s-l-o-w-l-y. and he’s funny. he was totally cracking me up last night, calling everyone “boogie.” as in, “m-boogie, what’s happening?” or “c’mon over here, a-boogie, and get yo-self some chips.”

  zoegirl:

  he is pretty charming, isn’t he? i remember that from dylan’s party.

  SnowAngel:

  AND he’s extremely hot

  SnowAngel:

  i can see why maddie’s into him. i just think he holds too much power over her.

  zoegirl:

  like jana last year?

  SnowAngel:

  maybe … but different. chive isn’t trying to use maddie, i don’t think. and he DOES care about her, i can tell. he just doesn’t care about her ENOUGH.

  zoegirl:

  maybe he doesn’t care about anyone enough.

  zoegirl:

  you know he kissed whitney, right? but maddie was all, “it’s no big deal, bodies are bodies, blah blah blah.”

  SnowAngel:

  last night chive was giving maddie all kinds of attention—laughing at her jokes, looking at her in that lazy, bemused way of his—but he was sitting next to whitney and stroking her forearm the whole time.

  zoegirl:

  ick. *so* uncool.

  SnowAngel:

  i’m sure maddie can’t be too thrilled about that, but of course she won’t admit it.

  zoegirl:

  i don’t get it. there’s no way i could watch the guy i like fool around with another girl.

  SnowAngel:

  “the guy u like”? who’s the guy u like?

  zoegirl:

  what? nobody!

  SnowAngel:

  then why would u say that?

  zoegirl:

  why would i say what?

  SnowAngel:

  zoe, r u hiding something?

  zoegirl:

  angela, please. we’re talking about chive, remember?

  SnowAngel:

  oh yeah

  SnowAngel:

  u know he’s a stoner, right? well, guess what: now maddie’s becoming one too.

  zoegirl:

  becoming a *stoner*?

  zoegirl:

  no way

  SnowAngel:

  she’s tried it, tho. she really has.

  zoegirl:

  hold on. maddie tried *pot*?

  SnowAngel:

  yes, pot. weed, ganja, doobage, gank.

  zoegirl:

  gank? gank is an extremely stupid word.

  zoegirl:

  and no, i didn’t know she tried it, because of course she didn’t tell me.

  SnowAngel:

  cuz she thinks ur a nun

  zoegirl:

  that is so irritating. and she shouldn’t be smoking pot. it kills brain cells. doesn’t she know that?

  SnowAngel:

  i’m not even sure she liked it that much, from what she said.

  zoegirl:

  but i bet she pretends she does in front of chive. am i right? to protect her tough-girl image?

  SnowAngel:

  well … possibly. i was afraid they were gonna light up last night, but they didn’t. brannen was like, “we’re out of pot, dude. who’s gonna go on a pot run?” but nobody ever did anything about it.

  zoegirl:

  lovely

  SnowAngel:

  crap, i g2g. my mom’s yelling at me from downstairs—some family is here for a 2nd showing of the house.

  zoegirl:

  a 2nd showing? oh no!

  SnowAngel:

  don’t worry, i have a plan. i heard the evil realtor say that the man wants to know about our neighbors, cuz his current neighbors r really loud. so as i leave, i’m gonna happen to mention the thoroughly bitchin garage band that practices two doors down. *snickers*

  zoegirl:

  what garage band?

  SnowAngel:

  exactly

  SnowAngel:

  ttfn!

  Mon, Dec 6, 10:15 AM E.S.T.

  mad maddie:

  z-boogie! i saw u hanging out with doug at his locker, and unless i am mistaken (which i sincerely hope i am), i heard him saying something very disturbing.

  zoegirl:

  what are you talking about?

  mad maddie:

  ahem. and i quote, “u can kiss me if you want. little boys need lots of kisses.” !!!

  zoegirl:

  oh gosh. you heard that?

  mad maddie:

  what kind of twisted games r u playing, zo? PLEASE tell me u don’t pretend to be his mommy. PLEASE tell me u don’t spank his iddle-widdle bottom.

  zoegirl:

  maddie, gross!!!

  mad maddie:

  WELL?

  zoegirl:

  it’s an inside joke, from saturday night when we worked together. he wasn’t being himself. he was just being … cute.

  mad maddie:

  “little boys need lots of kisses”?!!!

  zoegirl:

  please stop. you’re making me blush.

  mad maddie:

  have u told angela yet? cuz i gotta say, if ur gonna be flirting with him in the hall, she’s gonna find out.

  zoegirl:

  i know, i know … but there’s so much going on with her right now. i don’t want to make things more complicated. and i don’t want to make her mad at me.

  mad maddie:

  ha—i would love it if she got mad at u. she NEVER gets mad at u.

  zoegirl:

  maddie, that’s a terrible thing to say! why would you even say that?

  mad maddie:

  that’s why u have to TELL her, u idiot. on every single sitcom in the world, this is how problems start. some idiot plays dumb and doesn’t tell someone else what’s really going on, and then there’s mass confusion and mistaken assumptions and everything ends in chaos. u shld know this, zoe.

  zoegirl:

  i *do* know. i do. but when you’re in the middle of it—in real life, not tv—it’s completely different. it’s harder than you think to tell the truth.

  mad maddie:

  not for me

  zoegirl:

  then you tell her!

  mad maddie:

  no ma’am, miss zoe. i’m having too much fun watching you squirm.

  mad maddie:

  but i do want u to swear to me that u’ll straighten this whole mess out, mmmkay?

  zoegirl:

  fine. i will, i really will.

  mad maddie:

  when?

  zoegirl:

  tomorrow, i promise

  mad maddie:

  i’m doing this for your own good!

  Tues, Dec 7, 9:09 AM E.S.T.

  mad maddie:

  dude! i know yr in class, but i’m bored!

  zoegirl:

  maddie, go away

  mad maddie:

  if you want me to go away, why’d you respond?

  zoegirl:

  because my phone’s on vibrate. otherwise i wouldn’t have.

  mad maddie:

  ooo, vibrate. is it as good as your special chair?

>   zoegirl:

  mad maddie:

  have u told angela about doug?

  zoegirl:

  not yet

  mad maddie:

  u better!

  Tues, Dec 7, 10:53 AM E.S.T.

  mad maddie:

  how about now? have u told her by now?

  zoegirl:

  stop texting me during class!

  mad maddie:

  so u haven’t?

  zoegirl:

  ms. aiken is staring. i’m turning you off.