while others had plain old pine wreaths hanging on the front doors. As they drove along, Madison counted two plastic reindeer, four golden angels, and fourteen big red bows.
“Madison, you have to be patient about the concert,” Mom mumbled. She pointed to the house on the corner. “Hey, did you see what the Emersons did with their front lawn this year?”
Madison had seen it while walking Phin that week. In the yard, they set up a Santa’s workshop, complete with elves, Santa and Mrs. Claus, and a giant sleigh covered in gifts that lit up. Everything lit up.
“They must have to pay a lot for electricity,” Madison said.
“I heard that Jake Emerson hires an electrician to come every year and do special hookups,” Mom said.
Madison wondered why someone would spend so much money on decorations. At their house, Mom had put up a tree, a wreath, and a few candles in the windows. That was the extent of their decorating. They had yet to take the ornaments down from the attic to decorate the tree.
“When are we doing the tree?” Madison asked.
“We’ll decorate on Christmas Eve,” Mom said. “Just like always.”
“But it won’t really be like always, Mom,” Madison said. “Not really.”
Madison gazed out the window silently as Mom pulled up to the school parking lot.
“Well, have a nice day,” Mom said, trying to sound chipper. “You’d better hustle. It’s after eight. We’ll talk more later, okay?”
Madison kissed Mom on the cheek and ran toward the front steps so she would make it on time. She caught up with Fiona and Chet on the way inside.
“Yo, Maddie!” Chet bellowed. “What’s up?”
“Upstairs, upset, uptown …” Madison said.
It was a bad joke, but Fiona giggled.
“Yeah, later for you,” Chet said with a pretend look of disgust. He chuckled and rushed ahead to his homeroom.
Fiona followed him, waving back at Madison. “See you at lunch,” she said.
Madison entered her homeroom to find Ivy parked next to the seat where Madison usually sat.
“Hey,” Ivy said, acting a lot friendlier than the last time they had spoken.
Madison slid into her seat. “Hey, yourself,” she said.
“How was The Estates last Friday?” Ivy asked. “I was so bummed that I missed seeing Mrs. Wood. I called her up and said I had the flu.”
“Oh yeah?” Madison said, not sure whether or not she should believe Ivy. “Are you feeling better now?”
Ivy coughed for effect. “A little bit. I’m still on antibiotics though.”
A voice blared over the loudspeaker. It was Miss Goode, the assistant principal. She always seemed to have trouble making announcements. Egg called her Ol’ Yeller.
“ATTENTION, ATTENTION, MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION?”
A kid in the second row yelled back, “YES, YOU CAN!” and everyone burst out laughing. But Mr. Gibbons, Madison’s homeroom teacher, clapped his hands to quiet everyone down.
“ATTENTION! WOULD ALL MEMBERS OF SEVENTH GRADE PLEASE REPORT TO THE ASSEMBLY FOR A SPECIAL TALK FROM PRINCIPAL BERNARD. THANK YOU.”
The loudspeaker’s crackling static sent a shiver down Madison’s spine.
Mr. Gibbons clapped his hands together again. “Okay, everyone, let’s line up. You heard the announcement.”
Everyone filed into the hallway and then headed for the main assembly.
“Long time no see!” Fiona cried out when she spotted Madison. “Like five minutes ago.”
Aimee linked arms with Madison on the other side. “What is this assembly about?” she grumbled.
They sat in a row near Egg, Drew, and Hart. Madison found herself staring at Hart, who was sneezing into a tissue the entire time. Even sick he looked cute.
Principal Bernard took the stage wearing his usual, boring gray suit. He coughed into the microphone. Madison guessed that he had the flu, too.
“Students, I brought you here this morning to talk a little bit about this week’s seventh-grade festivities. As you know, this week is Winter Jubilee.”
Everyone burst into a round of
“Madison, you have to be patient about the concert,” Mom mumbled. She pointed to the house on the corner. “Hey, did you see what the Emersons did with their front lawn this year?”
Madison had seen it while walking Phin that week. In the yard, they set up a Santa’s workshop, complete with elves, Santa and Mrs. Claus, and a giant sleigh covered in gifts that lit up. Everything lit up.
“They must have to pay a lot for electricity,” Madison said.
“I heard that Jake Emerson hires an electrician to come every year and do special hookups,” Mom said.
Madison wondered why someone would spend so much money on decorations. At their house, Mom had put up a tree, a wreath, and a few candles in the windows. That was the extent of their decorating. They had yet to take the ornaments down from the attic to decorate the tree.
“When are we doing the tree?” Madison asked.
“We’ll decorate on Christmas Eve,” Mom said. “Just like always.”
“But it won’t really be like always, Mom,” Madison said. “Not really.”
Madison gazed out the window silently as Mom pulled up to the school parking lot.
“Well, have a nice day,” Mom said, trying to sound chipper. “You’d better hustle. It’s after eight. We’ll talk more later, okay?”
Madison kissed Mom on the cheek and ran toward the front steps so she would make it on time. She caught up with Fiona and Chet on the way inside.
“Yo, Maddie!” Chet bellowed. “What’s up?”
“Upstairs, upset, uptown …” Madison said.
It was a bad joke, but Fiona giggled.
“Yeah, later for you,” Chet said with a pretend look of disgust. He chuckled and rushed ahead to his homeroom.
Fiona followed him, waving back at Madison. “See you at lunch,” she said.
Madison entered her homeroom to find Ivy parked next to the seat where Madison usually sat.
“Hey,” Ivy said, acting a lot friendlier than the last time they had spoken.
Madison slid into her seat. “Hey, yourself,” she said.
“How was The Estates last Friday?” Ivy asked. “I was so bummed that I missed seeing Mrs. Wood. I called her up and said I had the flu.”
“Oh yeah?” Madison said, not sure whether or not she should believe Ivy. “Are you feeling better now?”
Ivy coughed for effect. “A little bit. I’m still on antibiotics though.”
A voice blared over the loudspeaker. It was Miss Goode, the assistant principal. She always seemed to have trouble making announcements. Egg called her Ol’ Yeller.
“ATTENTION, ATTENTION, MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION?”
A kid in the second row yelled back, “YES, YOU CAN!” and everyone burst out laughing. But Mr. Gibbons, Madison’s homeroom teacher, clapped his hands to quiet everyone down.
“ATTENTION! WOULD ALL MEMBERS OF SEVENTH GRADE PLEASE REPORT TO THE ASSEMBLY FOR A SPECIAL TALK FROM PRINCIPAL BERNARD. THANK YOU.”
The loudspeaker’s crackling static sent a shiver down Madison’s spine.
Mr. Gibbons clapped his hands together again. “Okay, everyone, let’s line up. You heard the announcement.”
Everyone filed into the hallway and then headed for the main assembly.
“Long time no see!” Fiona cried out when she spotted Madison. “Like five minutes ago.”
Aimee linked arms with Madison on the other side. “What is this assembly about?” she grumbled.
They sat in a row near Egg, Drew, and Hart. Madison found herself staring at Hart, who was sneezing into a tissue the entire time. Even sick he looked cute.
Principal Bernard took the stage wearing his usual, boring gray suit. He coughed into the microphone. Madison guessed that he had the flu, too.
“Students, I brought you here this morning to talk a little bit about this week’s seventh-grade festivities. As you know, this week is Winter Jubilee.”
Everyone burst into a round of
Similar Books
