Save the Date by Laura Dower Read Free Book Online Page B

me.”
    Hart smacked Egg on the back from the seat behind. “Nice going, Walt.” Sometimes kids would use Egg’s real name to irritate or make fun of him.
    Egg shot a look toward Madison. “Nice going, Finnster, ” he said.
    Madison stuck out her tongue at him.
    “QUIT IT!” someone else yelled from the back of the bus.
    A bunch of kids whipped around to see Joanie, one of Ivy’s drones, kneeling on her seat with her hands in the air. She was leaning forward, trying to grab something one of the boys had stolen from her.
    Chet tossed something to Drew. He held it over his head. Madison could see that it was a small bottle of nail polish. It looked a lot like the color Aimee had painted onto her nails.
    “GIVE IT!” Joanie yelled.
    Mr. Danehy didn’t hear them, though—yet.
    “Don’t be a loser,” Ivy said. “Give it back. Drew.”
    But Drew tossed it into the row in front of him. It landed in Hart’s lap.
    “GIVE IT!” Joanie yelled again.
    Hart quickly passed the bottle to Egg.
    Before Egg could pass it along to anyone else, Mr. Danehy turned around. Luckily he didn’t see anything wrong.
    Ivy got up and stood in front of Egg’s seat. “Hand it over,” she said.
    Egg crossed his arms and made a face. “I don’t think so.” He held the bottle to the side where she couldn’t reach.
    Unfortunately for him, he reached out directly in front of Madison. She leaned over and grabbed the bottle. Then she handed it to Ivy.
    “Traitor!” Egg said to Madison, standing up. “What did you do that for?”
    “Do what?” Madison said, acting like she didn’t know what was going on.
    Meanwhile Mr. Danehy had turned around again. This time he heard and saw everything. He rushed over and grabbed Egg by the collar.
    “Get your things, young man,” Mr. Danehy said. Egg would have a brand-new, front-row seat for the remainder of the bus ride—right next to Mr. Danehy. While he was standing there, Mr. Danehy confiscated the bottle of nail polish, too.
    “I’m going to get you for this, Maddie,” Egg said.
    Madison looked the other way.
    Ivy glanced at Hart before returning to her own seat. “I didn’t know you played stupid games,” she said, acting all huffy.
    Score one for Ivy.
    Sometimes it seemed like Madison’s best enemy had an answer for everything.
    Hart didn’t seem to care one bit about Ivy’s comment, as obnoxious as it was. He turned backward and gave Chet a high five. But boys always stuck together like that.
    After ten more minutes of loud talk and commotion, their bus pulled onto a dirt road. A large sign read FAR HILLS NATURE TRAIL AHEAD. Another sign, a few feet beyond that, read SLOW DOWN.
    As the bus slowed, it bumped along more, and everyone held on to the seats in front of them. Lindsay said she felt like throwing up. But strangely, Madison felt calmer than calm.
    It was so quiet and green.
    Once the bus stopped, everyone pushed and shoved to get out. Although they were sitting all the way in the back, Ivy and her drones acted like they deserved to get off the bus first. Fiona stepped in front of Ivy before she could go any farther.
    Ivy tapped her foot and sighed loudly so everyone could hear. “Nice glasses,” she said under her breath.
    Fiona smiled. “Thanks, Ivy. I like them, too.” Then she took an extra-long time getting her backpack and even let Lindsay go ahead. Ivy would have to wait. And wait. And wait some more.
    Fiona was so good at getting revenge quietly.
    “Way to go,” Madison whispered as they got off the bus.
    “That was inspired,” Lindsay said.
    Mr. Danehy blew a loud whistle, and a bunch of birds flew out of one tree. Everyone milling around outside the three buses shut up fast. They piled up their backpacks and lunch sacks by the nature center’s main lodge. These would be retrieved later.
    Egg wandered over to Hart, Chet, Drew, and Dan, who were standing next to Aimee and the other girls. He pointed his finger directly at Madison and said, “I’m