Authors: Katie Finn
Top 8 (25 page)
JimmynLiz
That was both of us. ;)
Nate
I love my tortoise, and I want to thank you properly. Meet you at Gofer in 20 minutes? I'm buying the gelato.
Madison logged out
4/21 3:45
P.M.
Many thanks to my own Top 8:
Amalia Ellison, Jane Finn, Aimee Friedman,
Lucas Klauss, Abby McAden, Jason Matson,
Alex Scordelis, and Jessica Shields.
“You. Are out of your mind.”
My locker door clangs shut with a metallic clanking sound, and for a second Shelby almost looks like she feels bad for sneaking up on me.
Almost.
“Hey, Shelby. Love your jeansâ are they new?” I decide to ignore her comment and go straight for the girl talk. I think the jeans are Miss Sixty.
They're really cute, with whiskered thighs and full, wide legs.
She leans against my locker and shakes her head at me, her lips pursed tightly. “Flattery will get you nowhere. Don't try to change the subject.”
“Are you having PMS?” Zoe chimes in, peeking her head just over Shelby's shoulder. They're like the angel and the devil sitting on my shoulder, whispering in my ears. Except I'm not sure which is which. They seem to be ganging up on me. This is headed nowhere good, and fast.
“Wellâno,” I stammer. “But I hate it when people blame problems on that.”
“So this is a new-wave feminist thing you've got going,” Z says, puckering her mouth up at the taste of the word feminist.
I roll my eyes. “Right. Girls aren't supposed to be student council presidents.” I wave a sheet of paper in their direction. “But I've got six signatures here that say otherwise.”
“So you're really going through with this?” Zoe asks, looking increasingly grossed out.
I nod. Her reaction is only fueling my fire. “Absolutely. Logan's gotten cocky. He needs to know that he's not the only one who can lead the student body.”
“It's social suicide,” Zoe says, cracking down hard on a piece of gum.
I glance at Shelby. So far, she seems like the one more likely to be sympathetic. But the look in her eyes says that she's riding the same train as Zoe, and that both of them are seriously convinced I'm headed for self-destructionville.
For the second time in as many days, I falter. Ugh. “You'llâ¦vote for me, won't you?”
The back of my throat feels scratchy and hot. It's not possible that my girls would abandon me right now, is it?
Â
Katie Finn
grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut, and now lives, works, and writes in New York City.
Top 8
is her first novel. Friend request her at MySpace or Facebook and visit her online at www.katiefinn.com.
Trademarks used herein are owned by their respective trademark owners and are used without permission.
No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., Attention: Permissions Department, 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Finn, Katie.
Top 8: a novel / by Katie Finn.
p. cm.
Summary: When popular high school junior Madison's online profile is hacked, it sends her life into turmoil and forces her to reevaluate some important matters as she figures out who did it.
ISBN-13: 978-0-545-05362-4 (alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 0-545-05362-5 (alk. paper)
[1. Interpersonal relations â Fiction. 2. Friendship â Fiction. 3. High schools â Fiction. 4. Schools â Fiction. 5. Computer hackers â Fiction. 6. Mystery and detective stories.] I. Title. II. Title: Top eight.
PZ7.F4974To 2008
[Fic] â dc22 Â Â Â Â Â 2008001947
Copyright © 2008 by Katie Finn
Cover design by Steve Scott
PHOTO CREDITS: Front cover: Background and computer © Trinette Reed/Digital Vision/Getty Images; girl © David Loew
Cover back: “Madison MacDonald” and
Introduction 3x
© David Loew
“Justin”: Introduction 2x, Chapter 2 3x, Chapter 18 © ER Productions/Brand X/Corbis
“RueRue”: Introduction 4x, Chapter 2 2x, Chapter 18, Epilogue © Vicky Kasala/Digital Vision/Getty Images
“Dudeyouregettingame”: Introduction © Brooke Fasani/Corbis
“JimmynLiz”: Introduction 3x, Chapter 2 4x, Epilogue 3x © Plustwentysevenc/Digital Vision/Getty
“Nate”: Chapter 7, chapter 18, Epilogue 2x © Lecorre Productions/Digital Vision/Getty Images
“Brian (not Ed) McMahon”: Introduction, Chapter 2, Chapter 7 2x, Chapter 18, Epilogue 3x © Tim Pannell/Corbis
“Heart and Key”: Chapter 2 © Images/Photodisc/Getty Images
“Toaster”: Chapter 2 © Diamond Sky Images/Photodisc/Getty Images
“Guitarist”: Chapter 7 2x © Comstock/Corbis
“Evan”: Chapter 7 2x © Tim Pannell/Corbis
All other photographs Courtesy of the Author
All rights reserved. Published by Point, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.
SCHOLASTIC, POINT, and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.
First printing, October 2008
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.
eISBN: 978-0-545-32958-3