اولین تماس بخش سوم

FIRST CONTACT, PART THREE.

Wednesday, 8:15 P.M.

Olly: i was going to email you back, but saw you were online. your recipe cracked me up. has there ever been a spy in the whole history of spying that’s admitted to being a spy? i think not. i’m olly and it’s nice to meet you.

Olly: what’s the “f” stand for?

Madeline: Furukawa. My mom is 3rd generation Japanese American. I’m half Japanese.

Olly: what’s the other half?

Madeline: African American.

Olly: do you have a nickname madeline furukawa whittier or am i expected to call you madeline furukawa whittier?

Madeline: I don’t have a nickname. Everyone calls me Madeline. Sometimes my mom calls me honey or sweetie. Does that count?

Olly: no of course it doesn’t count. no one calls you m or maddy or mad or maddy-mad-mad-mad? i’ll pick one for you.

Olly: we’re gonna be friends Thursday, 8:19 P.M.

Madeline: Since we’re going to be friends, I have questions: Where are you from? Why do you wear a cap all the time? Is your head oddly shaped? Why do you only ever wear black? Related question: Are you aware that clothing comes in other colors? I have suggestions if you need them. What do you do on the roof? What’s the tattoo on your right arm?

Olly: i have answers: we’re from all over, but mostly the east coast. i shaved my head before we moved here (big mistake). yes. i’m dead sexy in black. yes. none needed, thanks. nothing. barcode Madeline: What have you got against capital letters and proper punctuation?

Olly: who says that i do Madeline: I have to go. Sorry!

Friday, 8:34 P.M.

Olly: so how grounded are you?

Madeline: I’m not grounded. Why do you think I’m grounded?

Olly: well something made you log off in a hurry last night. i’m guessing it was your mom. trust me i know all about being grounded. and you never leave the house. i haven’t seen you outside once since we got here Madeline: I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say. I’m not grounded, but I can’t leave the house.

Olly: very mysterious. are you a ghost? that’s what i thought the day we moved in and i saw you at the window. and it would be my luck that the pretty girl next door is not actually alive Madeline: First I was a spy and now I’m a ghost!

Olly: not a ghost? a fairytale princess then. which one are you? cinderella? will you turn into a pumpkin if you leave the house?

Olly: or rapunzel? your hair’s pretty long. just let it down and i’ll climb up and rescue you Madeline: That has always sounded impractical and painful don’t you think?

Olly: yes. so not cinderella and not rapunzel. snow white then. your evil stepmom put you under a spell so that you can’t leave the house and the world will never know how fair you are Madeline: That’s not how the story goes. Did you know that in the original version it wasn’t an evil stepmother, it was an evil mother? Can you believe that? Also, there were no dwarves. Interesting, no?

Olly: definitely no

Madeline: I’m not a princess.

Madeline: And I don’t need rescuing.

Olly: that’s ok. i’m no prince Madeline: You think I’m pretty?

Olly: for a fairytale ghost spy princess? definitely Saturday, 8:01 P.M.

Olly: how come you don’t log on until after 8?

Madeline: I’m usually not alone until then.

Olly: someone’s with you all day?

Madeline: Can we please not talk about this?

Olly: curiouser and curiouser madeline whittier Sunday, 8:22 P.M.

Olly: here’s a game. fast five favorites. book word color vice person Olly: come on come on. type faster woman. don’t think just type Madeline: Sheesh. The Little Prince. Uxorious. Aquamarine. I don’t have any vices. My mom.

Olly: everyone’s got vices Madeline: Not me. Why? How many do you have?

Olly: enough to choose a favorite one Madeline: Ok, your turn.

Olly: same list?

Madeline: Yes

Olly: lord of the flies, macabre, black, stealing silverware, my sister Madeline: Ugh. Lord of the Flies? I don’t think we can be friends anymore. That book is awful.

Olly: what’s so awful about it?

Madeline: Everything!

Olly: you just don’t like it because it’s true Madeline: What’s true? Left to our own devices we would kill each other?

Olly: yes

Madeline: Do you really believe that?

Olly: yes

Madeline: Well, I don’t. I definitely don’t.

Madeline: Do you really steal silverware?

Olly: you should see my spoon collection Monday, 8:07 P.M.

Olly: what’d you do to get so grounded?

Madeline: I’m not grounded and I don’t want to talk about this.

Olly: does it involve a guy?

Olly: are you knocked up? do you have a boyfriend?

Madeline: Oh my god, you’re insane! I’m not pregnant and I don’t have a boyfriend! What kind of girl do you think I am?

Olly: a mysterious one Madeline: Have you spent all day thinking that I was pregnant?

Madeline: Have you?

Olly: it crossed my mind once or twice or fifteen times Madeline: Unbelievable.

Olly: don’t you want to know if i have a girlfriend?

Madeline: No.

Tuesday, 8:18 P.M.

Madeline: Hi.

Olly: hey

Madeline: I didn’t know if you’d log on tonight. Are you OK?

Olly: fine

Madeline: What happened? Why was he so angry?

Olly: i don’t know what you’re talking about Madeline: Your dad, Olly. Why was he so angry?

Olly: you’ve got your secrets. i’ve got mine Madeline: OK.

Olly: ok

Wednesday, 3:31 A.M.

Olly: couldn’t sleep?

Madeline: No.

Olly: me too. fast five favorites movie food body-part class Madeline: That’s only four. Besides, it’s too late for this. I can’t think.

Olly: waiting

Madeline: Pride and Prejudice—the BBC version, toast, hands, architecture.

Olly: jesus. is there a girl on this planet who doesn’t love mr. darcy Madeline: All girls love Mr. Darcy?

Olly: are you kidding? even my sister loves darcy and she doesn’t love anybody.

Madeline: She must love somebody. I’m sure she loves you.

Olly: what’s so great about darcy?

Madeline: That is not a serious question.

Olly: he’s a snob

Madeline: But he overcomes it and eventually realizes that character matters more than class! He’s a man open to learning life’s lessons! Also, he’s completely gorgeous and noble and dark and brooding and poetic. Did I mention gorgeous? Also, he loves Elizabeth beyond all reason.

Olly: huh

Madeline: Yeah.

Olly: my turn?

Madeline: Proceed.

Olly: Godzilla, toast, eyes, math. wait, is the body part your favorite on yourself or on someone else?

Madeline: I don’t know! It’s your list.

Olly: o yeah. all right, i’m sticking with eyes Madeline: What color are your eyes?

Olly: blue

Madeline: Be more specific, please.

Olly: jesus. girls. ocean blue Madeline: Atlantic or Pacific?

Olly: atlantic. What color are yours?

Madeline: Chocolate brown.

Olly: more specific please Madeline: 75% cacao butter dark chocolate brown.

Olly: hehe. nice.

Madeline: That was still only four favorites. We need one more.

Olly: i leave it to you Madeline: Form of poetry.

Olly: that assumes that I have one Madeline: You’re not a heathen.

Olly: limericks

Madeline: You are a heathen. I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that.

Olly: what’s wrong with a good limerick?

Madeline: “Good limerick” is a contradiction in terms.

Olly: what’s your favorite?

Madeline: Haiku.

Olly: haikus are awful. they’re just less fun limericks Madeline: You’ve been downgraded from heathen to heretic.

Olly: noted

Madeline: OK. I should be asleep.

Olly: ok me too.

Thursday, 8:00 P.M.

Madeline: I wouldn’t have guessed that math was your favorite class.

Olly: why not?

Madeline: I don’t know. You climb buildings and leap over things. Most people are good with their bodies or their minds but not both.

Olly: is that a nice way of saying you think i’m dumb?

Madeline: No! I mean that … I don’t know what I mean.

Olly: you mean i’m too sexy to be good at it. that’s ok. i get that a lot Madeline: . . .

Olly: it just takes practice like anything else. i was a mathlete two high schools ago i’ll have you know. got a probability and stats question? i’m your guy Madeline: No!

Olly: yes!

Madeline: So sexy.

Olly: i sense insincerity Madeline: No!

Olly: yes!

Madeline: :) So are you going to be a Mathlete at SFV High?

Olly: probably not

Olly: my dad made me quit. he wanted me to do something more manly like football Madeline: You play football?

Olly: no. he made me quit the mathletes, but he couldn’t bully the coach into taking me midseason. he let it go eventually Madeline: What if he brings it up again now?

Olly: i’m a little harder to bully now than i was 2 years ago Olly: i’m meaner now. bigger too Madeline: You don’t seem mean.

Olly: you don’t know me that well yet Friday, 3:03 A.M.

Madeline: You’re awake again.

Olly: yeah

Madeline: I know you don’t want to talk about this.

Olly: and yet

Madeline: I saw what happened today. Is your mom ok?

Olly: she’s ok. it’s not the first time. it’s not the last time Madeline: Oh, Olly.

Olly: please don’t oh olly me Olly: tell me something, anything. tell me something funny Madeline: OK. Why was the boy surprised to find celery growing out of his ears?

Olly: why?

Madeline: Because he’d planted corn!

Madeline: Hello?

Olly: oh jesus. that is not a good joke Madeline: Made you smile though.

Olly: yeah it did

Olly: thanks

Madeline: Anytime.

Saturday, 8:01 P.M.

Olly: i guess i won’t get to meet you in person until school starts Madeline: I don’t go to school.

Olly: you mean you don’t go to SF Valley High? where do you go?

Madeline: I mean I don’t go to regular school. I go online.

Olly: why?

Madeline: I really can’t talk about this.

Olly: come on. you gotta give me something here Madeline: I want us to be friends. I don’t want you to feel sorry for me.

Olly: just tell me. we’re still gonna be friends Madeline: I’m sick.

Olly: how sick?

Madeline: Really sick. Can’t leave the house sick.

Olly: jesus

Olly: are you dying?

Madeline: Not right now, no.

Olly: soon?

Madeline: If I left the house, yes.

Olly: ok

Olly: we’re still friends. i don’t feel sorry for you Madeline: Thank you.

Olly: how does the school thing work?

Madeline: All my classes are over Skype. I have homework and quizzes and grades. Lots of people are homeschooled.

Olly: huh. cool

Olly: ever notice how a lot of the national spelling bee finalists are all homeschooled?

Madeline: I’ve never noticed that.

Olly: it’s a thing

Olly: i wish we could meet Madeline: Me too.

Madeline: OK, I need to go now.

Olly: go then

Olly: you still there?

Madeline: Yes.

Olly: come to the window Madeline: Now? I’m wearing my nightgown.

Olly: put on a robe. come to the window so that I can see you Madeline: OK, I’ll be right there. Goodnight, Olly.

Olly: goodnight maddy