Only the Lonely by Laura Dower

Wetwinz. Fiona had sent mail— finally! Fiona and Chet both had screen names that were variations on the words “we twins.” Chet’s screen identity ended in s and Fiona’s ended in z.
From: Wetwinz
    To: MadFinn
    Subject: is this you???
    Date: Mon,4 Sept 9:31 AM
    Happy day before school, Maddie.
    Can I call you that now that we’re friends?
    I have a lot to do w/mom and Chet before school but I’ll see you tomorrow at Far Hills okay? I am so SCARED for everything that’s new but I am also so excited. Do you know what I mean? I am more excited because we are friends now, too. Have fun with Aimee and Egg tonight. You said you guys always celebrate together on the night before school, right? Sorry I can’t be there with you!
    Bye, Maddie!!!
    Love, Fiona
    Madison wished Fiona could be here, even if that meant breaking tradition a little bit. She wondered how Egg and Aimee would react if Fiona turned their threesome into a foursome. It wouldn’t be fair, of course. Egg had wanted his pal Drew officially included in a lot of things, too, but Drew usually got left out. The three best friends wanted to hang on to their trio for as long as possible with no strangers included or invited.
    Was seventh grade going to change all that?
    Madison’s last message was from Bigwheels.
From: Bigwheels
    To: MadFinn
    Subject: school
    Date: Mon, 4 Sept 10:32 AM
    I think maybe you sent me a message too last week and it got zapped. Sorry. Lemme know. And resend it if you still have it.
    BTW I start school government next week so I may actually be a little busy so please don’t mind if I can’t e-m right away. I promise will write ASAP. Bye!
    p.s. pls. Are you angry about something? Why is your screen name MAD? Bye!
    p.p.s. Oh, did I tell you that I like to write poems? Ok, here is one for you for the first day of school. I’m always scared about new things. RU?
    Scared
    When toes curl
    When hands sweat
    When eyes twitch
    When you’re not set
    Scared of people making fun
    Scared of summer being done
Scared of new
    Scared of old
    Scared of always being told
    What to do and who to see
Do you agree?
    Are you scared like me?
    Madison couldn’t believe that other people out there in the middle of the world were as freaked out about starting junior high as she was.
    Was Far Hills Junior High just a bunch of scaredy-cats like her?
    She closed the window on her computer. She couldn’t think about being scared now. She was sure Aimee and Egg weren’t scared! She made a mental note to send Bigwheels an e-mail later on. She wanted to thank her for the poem.
    Ever since they had gotten out of kindergarten, Madison, Aimee, and Egg had been celebrating together on the night right before school and here it was all over again. Their moms were the ones who had really started the tradition and the three friends had picked it up a few years back.
    One year they went roller-skating. Another time they camped out in a tent in the backyard. After such a long tradition, they had gotten superstitious about the whole thing. And there was no wrestling TV allowed.
    Egg got to the Finn house first tonight. The dog jumped him.
    “Phin you are a bad, bad doggy! Get back!” Egg joked, but then he tickled the spot behind Phin’s sensitive ears and Phin turned to Jell-O.
    Egg definitely had a love-hate-love relationship with Phinnie.
    “Hello there, Walter Diaz!” Madison greeted Egg at the door with a smack on the back.
    “Hello there, Madison Finn.”
    Egg was about to smack back, even harder, when Aimee rushed up and threw her arms around him instead.
    “Get off me!” Egg screamed. Of course, he was happy to see her, he just wasn’t into any kind of squeezing or hugging. “You’re sick,” he added.
    Aimee laughed and hugged Madison instead. Then she twirled around, waving her arms down toward the ground. She was wearing her pointe shoes.
    Madison gasped. “That’s them?”
    “Aren’t they magic?” Aimee got up on pointe and showed off her balance