Thanks for Nothing (From the Files of Madison Finn, 5) (16 page)
Read Thanks for Nothing (From the Files of Madison Finn, 5) Online
Authors: Laura Dower
“Yum, waffles,” Madison said softly.
Mom kissed the top of her head and grabbed Phin, who was getting frisky like he wanted to go out. “I’m going to walk Phin before it gets any snowier. You close your eyes and go back to dreaming, Maddie.”
Unfortunately, the last thing Madison could do right now was sleep. As soon as Mom disappeared with Phin, Madison wriggled out of her mummy wrap and began tossing. The light was getting brighter and brighter because outside was getting whiter and whiter.
Madison jumped up and ran to the window.
Wow!
While she was sleeping, someone had dumped powdered sugar all over the neighborhood—or at least that’s what it looked like. No one from the city had plowed or driven on the street yet, so every patch of pavement was covered in white. And snow was still falling.
“Mooooooom!” Madison yelped as she tugged on her jeans and socks. She pulled them on right under her Lisa Simpson nightshirt and then threw a sweater on over that. “Mooooom!”
But Mom didn’t answer. She was outside with Phinnie.
Madison went into the back hallway to get her winter snow boots and laced them up tight, put on her green gloves and jacket, wrapped a scarf around her nose and mouth, tugged on her rainbow-striped woolen cap, and opened the front door.
Madison could see one set of people prints (Mom’s) and another set of pooch prints (Phin’s) going down the path toward the street.
“Mom? Phinnie?” Madison called out. Her voice echoed in the still morning air.
“Quiet, Maddie! Everyone can hear you!” Mom shushed her from up the street, hustling back home. She let go of the leash, and Phin ran as fast as his chubby little body would take him, all the way to Madison.
They wandered around outside for a little while longer, skidding across the soft snow. Madison brushed clumps of white off the tops of bushes. The snow was too soft to make snowballs. It disintegrated in her hands like flour.
Around the neighborhood, people had begun to wake up. Madison could see yellow lights burning in a few windows. The retired fireman who lived across the street was already up, shoveling his driveway. Way off in the distance, Madison could hear the vroom of a plow making its rounds. Soon the powdery street snow would be packed up against the curb.
“I can’t believe we don’t have school!” Madison said, grinning from ear to ear. She rubbed the bottoms of Phin’s paws, which were icy and wet. He was shivering.
“We should go inside,” Mom suggested.
Madison followed her up to the house. Along the way, she saw a row of icicles on their porch post and pulled one off. Clutching the icicle made her remember. Sucking on ice was something she used to do all the time in second grade, when she and Ivy Daly were best friends.
Second grade.
That time seemed so long ago from right now.
Madison moved an icicle into her mouth carefully so it wouldn’t stick to her lip. She remembered how Ivy once put two small icicles on her lips, letting them stick there and pretending to be a walrus.
Ivy used to be so good at making Madison laugh.
It’s a bad storm, folks.
Yes, indeed, up to two feet inland and a foot along the coast.
And we’re not done yet! Expect more snow this afternoon
.
Madison flipped the channels to see what other stations were saying about the weather. She couldn’t believe this snowstorm had dropped so much snow—and wasn’t over yet.
“It’s cold out there!” Mom said, moving the boots from a slushy puddle in the hall to the porch. “Let’s make some cocoa, too.”
“Mmm—yummy,” Madison said, nodding. She went to the cupboard and got the hot chocolate and the waffle mix. “Mom, it’s almost eight. Do you think it’s too early to call Aimee?”
“Not at all. Her father is probably over at the bookstore already,” Mom said. She was talking about Book Web, a bookstore and cybercafé that Aimee’s parents owned in downtown Far Hills.
Madison dialed, but the Gillespie line was busy.
She tried Fiona’s house next, but Mrs. Waters answered and said her daughter was still sleeping. “May I please leave a message?” Madison asked sweetly. Mrs. Waters said Fiona would call as soon as she woke up.
Madison dialed Aimee’s house for a second time. It was still busy.
There was a chance that Aimee was online, so Madison dashed upstairs to get her laptop computer. She’d get in touch with her BFF this way. Madison checked to make sure the wireless router had not conked out in the big snowstorm. Then she logged onto the TweenBlurt.com Web site.
The site home page was
swimming
with members.
Hotstuff76
Jessica_01
Qtpiegal2
BryanSarah
Peacenluvll
BalletGrl
Aimee
was
there! For someone who had only just learned about using computers, Aimee was on the Web more than anyone else Madison knew.
Madison sent a surprise message to her friend.
^
D
After Madison signed out of the conversation, she returned to the home page to check her e-mail. But before she could even select the MAIL key, someone else popped up on the screen to chat. Fiona!
<Wetwinz>: Hi Maddie
Madison saw that she had mail. Maybe she had a note back from Bigwheels.
Bigwheels hadn’t written, but there
was
e-mail from Dad.
From: JeffFinn
To: MadFinn
Subject: SNOW
Date: Tues 16 Jan 7:11
AM
What do you get when you cross Dracula with the snowstorm in Far Hills? Frostbite!
Hey, sweetheart, I’m here in Denver with Stephanie. Oh, boy, there’s so much snow there and here, I can’t even get a flight out until tomorrow. How is it there? How is Phinnie? He always hated walking in the snow because his feet got frozen.
Needless to say, I’m stuck here in Colorado. I will try to call or e-mail later on today. As soon as I get back, I’m taking you out for dinner and a movie, too. How does that sound? Write back to me.
Love,
Dad
Madison was a little sad about Dad’s not being able to see her this week, but the joy of the lucky snow day was taking over.
Nothing could get her down today. Madison was free as a bird. She’d watch a video for starters. Then she’d catch up with her friends later.
“Maddie?” Mom called to her from the other room.
Madison bit her lip. Something in the tone of Mom’s voice told her that she wouldn’t want to hear what Mom had to say.
“Maddie,” Mom said again, appearing at the bedroom door. “There you are! I’ve been calling you for five minutes.”
“I was online,” Madison mumbled.
“Well, I got this terrific idea and I need your help.”
There was that word Madison dreaded most:
Help.
“Help for what, Mom?” Madison asked cautiously.
Mom chuckled. “It’s nothing bad, so you can get that look off your face. I think it’ll be fun. I want you to come up to the attic with me and look around in the old boxes. I need some backup materials for the documentary I’m working on. I can’t find some of the paperwork, and I’m sure it’s up there.”
Madison buried her face into a pillow on her bed and then lifted her head up quickly again. “Help go through boxes? Today?” Madison asked.
Mom crossed her arms and smiled. “Today,” she said simply.
Madison knew what that meant.
No escape.
Buy
Lost and Found
Now!
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 © 2001 by Laura Dower
Cover design by Connie Gabbert
978-1-4804-2289-6
This edition published in 2013 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.
345 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
MADISON FINN
FROM OPEN ROAD MEDIA
Available wherever ebooks are sold
