Lost and Found Read Online Free PDF Page A

Mom yelled up to her.
    Madison rushed over to the attic stairs. “What?”
    “Honey bear, get down here quick. I just put on the weather, and it says we’re supposed to get more snow.” Mom was talking frantically. She always made fun when Gramma Helen talked that way, but the truth was that Mom talked faster than fast most of the time.
    She told Mom she’d be right down, then she went back to lock up the new-old flute. On her way back out, Madison tripped over a box that was marked BRAZIL, FILMING—NEW . It had a Budge Films yellow label, too.
    “Hey, Mom, I think I found your office stuff here,” Madison said.
    “Okay,” Mom yelled back. “Then we’ll get it after lunch. You have to come down and see this weather report, though. We’ve got some kind of cold front headed our way. Wowza. Their map of the United States is covered in clouds.”
    As Madison entered the kitchen, she could tell Mom was making grilled cheese sandwiches. The kitchen smelled like burned toast.
    “We should go get some supplies,” Mom said, eyes on the small television set in the kitchen.
    “Supplies?” Madison asked. “Are you worried we’re going to be buried in snow or something?”
    “You never know, and it is definitely—”
    “Better to be safe than sorry,” Madison interrupted. “That’s what Gramma always says.”
    “So eat up your sandwich and we’ll go to the store,” Mom said. She disappeared upstairs to put on different clothes and makeup. She usually had to “put on her face” before heading out.
    Madison turned the volume back up on the weather alert that the local news show kept replaying. MAJOR STORM WARNING kept scrolling across the bottom of the TV screen. This was serious.
    As she took a chewy bite of her grilled cheese, Madison once again reflected on the events of the past day.
    She had wished for a snowstorm, and a snowstorm had been provided. Now another snowstorm was coming.
    Did Madison wish one time too many?
    Once again the phone rang. Madison jumped up to answer, which was good since it was a call for her. Aimee was calling from Book Web.
    “Oh-em-gee, it is sooooo busy here,” Aimee blurted. “No wonder Daddy wanted some help. Even with my brothers and me we’re busy. You should really come down and see—”
    Aimee hadn’t even given Madison a chance to say hello before she started to talk…and talk…and talk. She did that a lot.
    Finally she asked how Madison was doing.
    “I’m okay, I guess,” Madison replied. “I’m helping my mom out, too, with her work.”
    “Cool!” Aimee said. “Can you believe all the snow we got? I’m sorry we can’t hang out. Maybe later?”
    “The weather lady says that there’s more on the way,” Madison said.
    “More?” Aimee yelled, so loudly, Madison had to pull the receiver away from her ear: “Did you say more ?”
    “Yes,” Madison said. “And would you stop screeching, please?”
    They both laughed.
    “The only bad part is that the whole skating thing is canceled,” Aimee said. She sighed. “They closed the whole area by the lake because someone drove their car into a ditch near there. That’s what my brother Roger said.”
    “Oh no…really?” Madison feigned disappointment. But she could feel her body hum. She didn’t mind if skating was canceled! That was what she’d been hoping! She tried to mask her excitement, to keep her truer-than-true feelings hidden from everyone else, even her best friend.
    But it was hard to fake out her best friend. Aimee already knew the truth.
    “Don’t act all sad, Maddie! I know you didn’t want to go to the lake,” Aimee said. “You don’t have to pretend like you’re bummed out or anything. I know how you feel about skating.”
    “You… what ?” Madison was embarrassed, but she grinned so wide, Aimee could probably hear the grin through the phone line. “You do?”
    “Yeah, I do,” Aimee said. “And it’s okay.”
    Madison felt so relieved.
    No skating—and no secrets from