Free Lost and Found by Laura Dower

across the ice. “It’s easy! Come on!”
    Madison laughed. She shot a look at Ivy. “Okay!” she said cheerily. Aimee grabbed her hand, and together they went out to the middle of the ice.
    Ivy stood there frozen, arms crossed, with an angry glare on her face.
    Rose skated by Madison and said, “No one is going to pick you for their team if you can’t skate, Madison.”
    Madison was shocked. How could she say something so mean in front of everyone else? But no one else was listening. Not even Aimee.
    Should she go back to the bench?
    Madison glanced over at Ivy, who had wiggled herself over a little closer to Hart. She looked so pretty. Ivy wore red velvet jeans, a blue turtleneck sweater, and a denim jacket with fleece inside. She was the best-dressed skater on the lake, for sure.
    The ice tag captains were Egg and Lance. Egg chose first.
    “I PICK MADISON!” Egg yelled at the top of his lungs.
    Ivy scoffed. But Madison smiled. Egg was such a good friend sometimes, usually when she least expected it. He came through for her when she needed support the most—like now.
    “I choose Aimee,” Lance said.
    Aimee skated over to his side, making a sad face at Madison. They wouldn’t be on the same team, but that was okay. Madison couldn’t help but laugh when she realized that out of everyone—boys and girls—she and her BFF were chosen first. That meant something.
    The rest of Egg’s team worked out to be Chet, Dan, Rose, and Hart. They were up against Lance, Aimee, Ivy, Suresh, Joanie, and Susie. Drew was “official game photographer.” He was more into his new Christmas present than skating.
    The way it worked was each team chose their “tagger,” and that person sped around the ice, tagging whomever he or she could catch. The goal was to tag people on the opposite team and send them to jail over by the tree.
    Madison figured she would get tagged right away, but no one came after her. She stood off to the side, pretending to be invisible while everyone else skated around each other, giggling and screaming. If she stayed under the radar, she’d stay safe. However, as soon as Ivy was It, the attention turned in her direction.
    Ivy sped over in Madison’s direction, and tagged her out, knocking her down on the ice.
    Madison saw Drew snap a digital photo at the exact moment of contact.
    Great shot.
    Ivy brushed off her hands and skated away. Madison was left alone at the tree, while everyone else seemed miles away.
    What she wanted to do was kick off her ice skates and run as fast as she could away from the lake, away from all these people, away!
    But she didn’t have to run. All at once Aimee skated toward her, much to the protests of her teammates.
    “Maddie,” Aimee whispered. “I’ll keep you company.”
    Madison shook her head. “That’s not fair, Aim, you’re not out.”
    A moment later, Hart’s neighbor Susie skated over, too. “I saw what that girl did, Madison,” Susie said. “I’ll get her back for you.”
    Aimee smiled. “We both will.”
    “But she’s on your team,” Madison said.
    “Maybe,” Susie said. “But she isn’t very nice. She was totally unfriendly to me until I told her that I live next to Hart.”
    “WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING?” Egg yelled from across the ice.
    Ivy yelled, too. “COME ON, AIMEE! SUSIE! GET BACK IN THE GAME!”
    Susie and Aimee skated back on the ice, and headed right in Ivy’s direction.
    “Wait just a minute! I’m on your team,” Ivy protested to them both.
    “Whoops!” Aimee said as she pretended to trip, skating right into Ivy.
    Susie skated at her from the other side. Just then Chet tagged Ivy to send her to jail.
    “YOU’RE OUT, IVY!” Egg yelped, laughing.
    Ivy looked around in all directions. She didn’t know where to go. Rose pointed across the ice at the jail by Madison. But Ivy saw Hart, goofing around with Drew on the other side. She took the long way to the tree, so she could pass by Hart.
    Madison watched as Ivy skated full