was squish herself up against the door while her cheek got extra cold from the glass.
Dad pulled the car into the garage of his apartment building and parked alongside an oversized white SUV with tricked-out hubcaps and a big spoiler on the back.
“What a waste,” Dad mumbled when he saw the huge car. “Those things shouldn’t be allowed on the road.”
Madison wasn’t listening. She was too busy staying mad about their earlier conversation. As they exited the car, she had a single-minded plan: to go online. She needed to write down some of the feelings that were swirling around inside her head.
Stephanie wasn’t at the apartment when Madison got there, so Madison went directly into the room reserved for her at Dad’s and booted up the laptop.
The e-mailbox was blinking.
FROM SUBJECT
GoGramma Winter Scarf
GoGramma Winter Scarf
Wetwinz Re: My Teacher
Bigwheels JSS
BalletGrl My Teacher
Gramma Helen had sent the same e-mail twice. She did that sometimes. Once, she’d sent Madison seven copies of the same e-mail.
Today she wanted to know what colors Madison was wearing. Every winter, Gramma knitted a scarf for her granddaughter—and she wanted to make sure that it matched whatever was in Madison’s closet.
After the double e-mail from GoGramma, Madison opened the message from Fiona—a response to an e-mail that Aimee had forwarded to both of them, and to Lindsay, earlier that afternoon.
From: Wetwinz
To: BalletGrl; MadFinn; LINDSAY
Subject: Re: My Teacher
Date: Sun 17 Oct 4:12
PM
OMG Aim I am sososoSO sorry about your teacher. And I’m sorry 2 b/c we’re having guests for dinner and Mom says I can’t go out. Maybe we can all go and visit ur teacher this week? Let me know. I’m thinking of you.
xoxo
Fiona
p.s.: Will u be walking 2 school tomorrow? Chet’s getting sick and Maddie I know ur @ yr dad’s right? LYLAs!
--Original Message--
From: BalletGrl
To: MadFinn; Wetwinz; LINDSAY
Subject: My Teacher
Date: Sun 17 Oct 2:46
PM
I have incredibly bad news and that is my dance teacher is in the hospital again. I guess she had a side effect or something I’m not sure. N e way I’m going to make her a card today and I was wondering if u guys would come over l8r to help me make it. My brothers are being so annoying to me. They just don’t understand what I feel like to know someone so close to me who is sick like this. I don’t know if I will ever be able to dance the same again.
:*;
Aim
Madison hit REPLY .
From: MadFinn
To: BalletGrl; Wetwinz; LINDSAY
Subject: Re: My Teacher
Date: Sun 17 Oct 5:38
PM
Wow that is bad news Aim. But I’m @ Dad’s place and can’t come over. Maybe we should talk tonight? I feel so bad. I wish there was someone u could talk 2 who understood what u felt
Madison paused before finishing her sentence. Of course there was someone Aimee could talk to—Ivy. If Aimee only knew! Madison typed up something else for the end of her e-mail and hit SEND . Then she opened the one remaining unopened e-mail, from her keypal.
At last.
From: Bigwheels
To: MadFinn
Subject: JSS
Date: Sun 17 Oct 4:59
PM
JSS 4 everything. I know u wanted me to talk about the whole blog thing this week and I wasn’t really up for talking. I don’t want u 2 be mad or upset or left out. I WANT to keep it real with you. I do. That’s why I’m writing now.
The thing is--the reason I was writing about all that on the blog--well, it’s because we found out that my brother has been diagnosed with autism. My parents have known for a while but they weren’t talking about it that much. And they say it’s “mild” which makes it seem like it’s not so bad, but it’s hard to be around him sometimes--SO hard.
I know I’m not the only person on earth who has a brother with autism, but I feel like I am sometimes. Most people stare when my brother acts all weird in public and I want to
Dad pulled the car into the garage of his apartment building and parked alongside an oversized white SUV with tricked-out hubcaps and a big spoiler on the back.
“What a waste,” Dad mumbled when he saw the huge car. “Those things shouldn’t be allowed on the road.”
Madison wasn’t listening. She was too busy staying mad about their earlier conversation. As they exited the car, she had a single-minded plan: to go online. She needed to write down some of the feelings that were swirling around inside her head.
Stephanie wasn’t at the apartment when Madison got there, so Madison went directly into the room reserved for her at Dad’s and booted up the laptop.
The e-mailbox was blinking.
FROM SUBJECT
GoGramma Winter Scarf
GoGramma Winter Scarf
Wetwinz Re: My Teacher
Bigwheels JSS
BalletGrl My Teacher
Gramma Helen had sent the same e-mail twice. She did that sometimes. Once, she’d sent Madison seven copies of the same e-mail.
Today she wanted to know what colors Madison was wearing. Every winter, Gramma knitted a scarf for her granddaughter—and she wanted to make sure that it matched whatever was in Madison’s closet.
After the double e-mail from GoGramma, Madison opened the message from Fiona—a response to an e-mail that Aimee had forwarded to both of them, and to Lindsay, earlier that afternoon.
From: Wetwinz
To: BalletGrl; MadFinn; LINDSAY
Subject: Re: My Teacher
Date: Sun 17 Oct 4:12
PM
OMG Aim I am sososoSO sorry about your teacher. And I’m sorry 2 b/c we’re having guests for dinner and Mom says I can’t go out. Maybe we can all go and visit ur teacher this week? Let me know. I’m thinking of you.
xoxo
Fiona
p.s.: Will u be walking 2 school tomorrow? Chet’s getting sick and Maddie I know ur @ yr dad’s right? LYLAs!
--Original Message--
From: BalletGrl
To: MadFinn; Wetwinz; LINDSAY
Subject: My Teacher
Date: Sun 17 Oct 2:46
PM
I have incredibly bad news and that is my dance teacher is in the hospital again. I guess she had a side effect or something I’m not sure. N e way I’m going to make her a card today and I was wondering if u guys would come over l8r to help me make it. My brothers are being so annoying to me. They just don’t understand what I feel like to know someone so close to me who is sick like this. I don’t know if I will ever be able to dance the same again.
:*;
Aim
Madison hit REPLY .
From: MadFinn
To: BalletGrl; Wetwinz; LINDSAY
Subject: Re: My Teacher
Date: Sun 17 Oct 5:38
PM
Wow that is bad news Aim. But I’m @ Dad’s place and can’t come over. Maybe we should talk tonight? I feel so bad. I wish there was someone u could talk 2 who understood what u felt
Madison paused before finishing her sentence. Of course there was someone Aimee could talk to—Ivy. If Aimee only knew! Madison typed up something else for the end of her e-mail and hit SEND . Then she opened the one remaining unopened e-mail, from her keypal.
At last.
From: Bigwheels
To: MadFinn
Subject: JSS
Date: Sun 17 Oct 4:59
PM
JSS 4 everything. I know u wanted me to talk about the whole blog thing this week and I wasn’t really up for talking. I don’t want u 2 be mad or upset or left out. I WANT to keep it real with you. I do. That’s why I’m writing now.
The thing is--the reason I was writing about all that on the blog--well, it’s because we found out that my brother has been diagnosed with autism. My parents have known for a while but they weren’t talking about it that much. And they say it’s “mild” which makes it seem like it’s not so bad, but it’s hard to be around him sometimes--SO hard.
I know I’m not the only person on earth who has a brother with autism, but I feel like I am sometimes. Most people stare when my brother acts all weird in public and I want to
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