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