Save the Date (17 page)

“Line up in alphabetical order!” their homeroom teacher demanded.

It turned out that Carmen’s last name was Forrest; and she ended up right behind Madison Finn for the duration of the fire drill. No one was supposed to talk, but Madison leaned in to talk anyway.

“Do you like Nikki?” Madison asked after a moment or two of silence.

Carmen shook her head. “Not really.”

“Oh,” Madison said. “How come? I think she’s the coolest—”

“She’s okay,” Carmen said, cutting her off.

“Oh,” Madison snapped back. She didn’t understand why Carmen had to be rude all of a sudden like that. Carmen was obviously like all the pretty girls. The prettiest girls in school always acted supersnobby.

Madison decided right there that Carmen was a supersnob.

“Okay,” the teacher said. “We’re going to file back into the school quietly, and you should all report directly to your next period class. Is that clear?”

Everyone pushed a little as they headed back into school. Madison’s eyes scanned the crowd for signs of Aimee or Fiona.

Did they know Carmen?

Did they have any more ideas about the chaperone for the concert?

Where were they?

Up ahead, Madison saw a familiar, brown, curly head.

Hart Jones.

She hurried to catch up with him, but other kids kept getting in the way. Hart was probably headed up to art class, the same destination as Madison. She’d chosen art as a spring elective, and luckily Hart had ended up in the same section. They’d only met for class once before, so they hadn’t picked final seats yet. Madison hoped that she’d be seated near her crush.

As they headed into the school lobby, Madison nearly went flying. Egg caught her elbow. He’d been right behind her the whole time.

He was chattering on and on about some stupid new video game that he’d bought. He was obsessed with computers. Of course Madison loved them just as much, in a different way. But listening to Egg could get so boring—so fast.

Up ahead, Madison still had her eye on Hart, plowing through the crowd with his backpack on his back. But as he turned to head up the stairwell toward the art classroom on the fifth floor, Madison noticed something she hadn’t seen before.

Hart was walking with another girl.

And that girl was Carmen.

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Author Laura Dower has a lot in common with Madison Finn: They’re both only children and they both love dogs, the color orange, and books! Laura has written more than ninety kids’ books to date, including twenty-five in the series From the Files of Madison Finn. Her other books include the new Palace Puppies series and
For Girls Only
, a guide to girl stuff. When she’s not writing, Laura loves to garden, sing (loudly), and volunteer as a scout leader for her daughter and two sons. She and her family live in New York. Want to be keypals? Drop her a note at
www.lauradower.com.

All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Text copyright © 2002 by Laura Dower

Cover design by Connie Gabbert

978-1-4804-2258-2

This edition published in 2013 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.

345 Hudson Street

New York, NY 10014

www.openroadmedia.com