Free Keep It Real (From the Files of Madison Finn, 19) by Laura Dower Page A

and television.
    “I think that chemo is part of her treatment, yes,” Mom answered. “Unfortunately, Mrs. Daly has been suffering some side effects that aren’t too pleasant. She’s losing her hair. That’s why she was at the salon—to get her head shaved.”
    “But her hair will grow back, right? She’ll get better soon, right?”
    “She won’t know if the cancer is gone until she has had all the treatments. And that takes some time. But for now she’s hoping for the best.”
    “Poor Ivy,” Madison said. She felt her chest start to heave a little, a wave of emotion building inside her.
    “Exactly,” Mom said. “Ivy must be going through a lot right now.”
    “So maybe that’s why she’s…” Madison stopped in midsentence. “Oh, Mom, I can’t believe I said all of those things about her.”
    “Well, I know you and Ivy haven’t been friends for some time,” Mom said. “It’s understandable. We all say things we don’t mean sometimes.”
    “But wait a minute…” Madison said, her whole face lighting up with a bright idea. “If her mom is so sick, then why is Ivy writing in her journal about how perfect her life is?”
    “Sometimes when life is not so perfect, it’s nice to pretend that things are better. Maybe she feels she needs to put on a brave front,” Mom said with a shrug. “Only Ivy can answer that question, Maddie. Perhaps you should speak to her about it.”
    “Yeah, right,” Madison said.
    Mom frowned. “Madison Francesca Finn…” she said in that voice that she used when she was disappointed or upset.
    “I know,” Madison said. “I really should be more considerate.”
    Mom nodded. “Don’t you think Ivy would do the same for you?”
    Madison raised an eyebrow. “Um…is that a trick question?”
    “Well,” Mom said, “you get my point.”
    They talked for a few more minutes about cancer and what it meant to get radiation treatments and how hard life at the Daly house must be right then. Madison began to feel worse and worse about all the nasty things she’d written in her journal. She thought back to the entries that she’d spied in Ivy’s journal, in particular the page that had the initials M. , H. , and J. on it. Madison realized that those letters probably never stood for Madison or anyone else in their class at all. That M must have been for “Mom” and the J for Ivy’s older sister, Janet.
    “You know, Maddie,” Mom said, “everyone has different ways of coping with change and stressful situations. Maybe Ivy’s journal is the one place where she can really express herself right now. Isn’t that what you do in your files?”
    “Yes, but that’s different,” Madison said.
    “How?” Mom asked.
    Madison didn’t have an answer. She shifted the subject.
    “What about Ivy dating a high-school sophomore?” Madison asked. “Don’t you think that is weird?”
    “Oh, Maddie,” Mom said with a shake of her head. “I think you’d better check your facts before you go spreading rumors. I do know from Mrs. Daly that Ivy has been spending time with a high-school boy from Dunn Manor…”
    “Aha!” Madison said.
    “But it’s not because they’re dating. It’s because the boy’s mother is also sick. Mrs. Daly told me that Ivy and he met each other at a Far Hills Hospital cancer support group. There are about five or six kids in the area who know each other from the group.”
    “Why is she keeping everything a secret?” Madison asked.
    Mom shrugged. “Embarrassed? Afraid? I can think of a lot of good reasons not to talk about it.”
    Madison wondered what she would do if she were the one with the sick mother.
    “Rowwowoorrroooooo!”
    From across the room, Phinnie came running toward Madison for no reason. His little claws click-clacked on the polished floor, and then he slid right over to Madison’s shoes.
    “Hello, Phinnie,” Madison said as she scooped him up.
    Mom put on the kettle. “Do you want some tea?” she asked Madison. “I