Free Three's a Crowd (From the Files of Madison Finn, 16) by Laura Dower Page A

into the air, Madison bounced up and off the bed. Mom had more packing left to do.
    Madison hadn’t been away from her own bedroom for very long. But in that short time, Gramma had refolded sweaters, straightened papers (including postcards tacked up on Madison’s bulletin board), and made Madison’s bed. She’d put Madison’s teddy bears on display in a row by the pillows.
    Madison hadn’t had her bears on display like that since she was ten.
    Mom poked her head into Madison’s room. “Did you hear the doorbell?”
    Madison shook her head. “No. Isn’t Gramma downstairs?”
    At that moment, Gramma appeared in the doorway, wearing a giant apron and yellow rubber gloves. “Isn’t it good luck that I brought these with me?” she asked.
    “I thought I heard a bell. Is someone at the door, Mother?” Mom asked.
    “Oh, yes, a boy,” Gramma announced. “For Madison.”
    “For me?” Madison said.
    Madison’s eyes bugged out. A boy? Josh Turner? It had to be. Who else would be in her neighborhood on a Saturday—except for her neighbor?
    “Are you expecting someone?” Gramma asked.
    “Oh, I’m sure it’s just Maddie’s legion of secret admirers.” Mom joked. She grinned and went back into her room to get ready.
    “Mom! I can’t believe you just said that!” Madison called out after her.
    Madison looked down at her ratty jeans and top. Her hair looked like spaghetti. How could she go to answer the door looking—and feeling—like a total mess?
    “Stall him, Gramma!” Madison said. “Please.”
    “I’ll see what I can do,” Gramma said, toddling back downstairs.
    Madison tried to run a comb through her hair but it didn’t help. She switched tops, too, but the second one looked as sloppy as the first. Madison’s nose was red again, too, from sneezing all morning. And the tickle in her throat had returned. She felt another coughing fit coming on.
    Maybe Josh wouldn’t notice?
    As she went downstairs and approached the front door, Madison thought to herself: this could be it. This could be IT.
    “The guy of my dreams could be standing right outside and I’m about to meet him,” she said softly to herself. “Hello, destiny.”
    Her heart thumped. She opened the door.
    As she pulled the door toward her, the person on the outside pushed in.
    Thunk.
    The door flew open. It was a boy, all right, but not the one she’d hoped it would be. Egg stood there, not Josh.
    She sighed. Egg was definitely not her destiny.
    Egg had his hands wrapped around a fat textbook. The title on the book’s spine read Classic Short Stories and Poems. He shoved it at her stomach.
    “Here. I forgot to bring this yesterday with the other homework,” Egg said. “It’s from Mr. Gibbons’s English class. We finished The Outsiders. Now we have to read some short stories in this.”
    Madison took the book.
    “You didn’t have to bring this over,” Madison said, feeling grateful and dejected at the same time. “But, thanks.”
    “No prob,” Egg said. “We were all over here in the neighborhood, anyhow.”
    “We?” Madison asked.
    “Yeah, me, Drew, and Hart,” Egg said. “We’re going to Chet’s.”
    “Huh?” Madison’s jaw dropped. She had not seen the other boys standing there. They’d been waiting off to the side.
    “How are you, Maddie?” Drew asked.
    “Yeah, Finnster, how are you feeling?” Hart asked.
    “Drew? Hart?” Madison’s voice squeaked. “Wow. What a surprise.”
    Madison couldn’t take her eyes off Hart. His hair was tousled and he had on a brown sweater that matched his eyes. She could only imagine what he thought of her outfit.
    Just then, Phin ran outside. Goofing around, Egg and Drew chased him to the opposite side of the porch.
    “Um … these are for you,” Hart said. He held out a tall vase of flowers.
    Madison stared.
    “At least, I think these belong to you,” Hart said with a grin.
    Flowers?
    “For me?” she asked, biting her lower lip.
    Had her crush really shown up at