Free Friends till the End by Laura Dower

Although she expected continued enemy resistance, Ivy seemed okay with the “Why Is the Sky Blue?” topic. She looked and listened and…who says miracles can’t happen in science classrooms? She started acting like a partner.
    Shocking.
    Actually, the pair didn’t have much of a choice as to whether or not to agree. Mr. Danehy made their minds up for them. He roamed the classroom like a lion on the prowl, asking for topics or offering ultimatums. If the students didn’t choose a subject on their own, he chose one for them with a loud, king-of-the-jungle roar, naturally. Madison knew there was no fate worse than letting a teacher pick your project topic. If it were up to Mr. Danehy, Madison figured that she and Ivy would end up doing some complex physics equation that was impossible to decipher. They’d both be sunk.
    Of course, agreeing on the topic as partners didn’t keep Ivy from making dumb, obnoxious comments throughout the class.
    “This is the stupidest plan I’ve ever planned.”
    “Is the sky the only thing that’s considered sky blue?”
    “Come on! I can see gamma rays. Can’t you?”
    Madison tried to ignore most of Ivy’s lame remarks. She huddled close to the enemy, sketching the electromagnetic spectrum and angles of refracted light—all things that helped to explain the question at hand.
    “According to Mr. Danehy’s directions, we need to use the scientific method to answer our question,” Madison explained.
    “What’s the scientific method? Wait a minute, we totally did not cover this in class,” Ivy groaned.
    “Chapter twelve,” Madison insisted. “We just talked about it last week.”
    “Well, I must have been absent,” Ivy said, making one of her typical excuses. “I would have remembered this.”
    Yeah, right.
    “How are we doing over here?” Mr. Danehy asked, coming up behind Madison and Ivy.
    “Greater than great,” Madison said with a sigh. “We’re working together in perfect harmony.”
    “Harmony, huh?” Mr. Danehy repeated. He didn’t look convinced, so Madison added, “We were just covering some hot topics.”
    “Yes, I was just telling Madison about the electromagnetic spectrum and visible light,” Ivy said.
    Madison’s jaw dropped. She wanted to kick Ivy.
    “Visible light? That sounds quite good,” Mr. Danehy said, sounding semi-impressed by Ivy’s comments.
    “And that’s not all. We have this major experiment planned to prove how the color blue appears and how light is refracted.”
    Madison felt the tips of her ears turn scarlet with anger. What a sucker punch. Ivy had totally read her notes and then recited them like they were her own. The nerve!
    For the remainder of class, Ivy and Madison “shared” more ideas and notes. Ivy, of course, continued to gloat. At one point, she even passed a note over to her drones. Madison guessed that it said something unkind about Madison.
    When the end-of-class bell rang, Hart ambled over. Ivy spoke to him as she got up from her stool. “Hello, Hart,” she said.
    “Hello,” Hart replied, trying to move out of her path.
    “Did you get my invitation?” Ivy asked.
    Hart shrugged. “No. What invitation?”
    Ivy rolled her eyes and leaned toward him. “My mother is throwing this mega event at the end of school. Everyone will be there.”
    She shot a look at Madison.
    “Well,” Ivy said softly, “almost everyone.”
    “I have plans,” Hart said without missing a beat.
    “But…you don’t even know the time or place. Look, just read my invitation and let me know,” Ivy said, as if she hadn’t even heard him say no.
    As soon as Ivy had strutted out of the room, Madison mimed throwing up.
    “She makes me so, so sick,” Madison said, rubbing her tummy.
    “Me, too,” Hart said.
    “Are you going to the soccer game today?” Madison asked.
    Hart shook his head. “No can do. I have to meet my dad after school. Wish Fiona luck for me, okay? And E me or text me later.”
    “Okay,” Madison said,