Still no Olly.

Night Six.

The Bundt is lying on a white sheet. An upside-down plastic water bottle is attached to what looks like a coat hanger and is hanging above the cake. A string hangs from the bottle to the Bundt like an IV. Olly appears wearing a white jacket and stethoscope. He's frowning down at the Bundt and listening for a heartbeat. I want to laugh but I don't let myself. Olly looks up and shakes his head solemnly. I close my curtains, suppressing a smile, and walk away.

Night Seven.

I tell myself that I won't look, but as soon as the first ping sounds I'm at the window. Olly is wearing a black bathrobe with an oversized silver cross around his neck. He's performing last rites on the Bundt.

Finally I cannot help it. I laugh and laugh and laugh. He looks up and grins back. He takes a black marker from his pocket and writes on the window:

FIRST CONTACT, PART TWO.

From: Madeline F. Whittier.

To: [email protected]

Subject: h.e.l.lo.

Sent: June 4, 8:03 PM.

h.e.l.lo. I guess we should start with introductions? My name is Madeline Whittier, but you can tell that from my e-mail address. What's yours?

- Madeline Whittier P.S. You don't have anything to apologize for.

P.P.S. What is that Bundt made of?

From: genericuser033 To: Madeline F. Whittier Subject: RE: h.e.l.lo Sent: June 4, 8:07 PM you are a terrible spy madeline whittier if you haven't already figured out my name. my sister and i tried to meet you last week, but your mom wasn't having it. i really don't know what the bundt is made of. rocks?From: Madeline F. Whittier To: Subject: RE: RE: h.e.l.lo Sent: June 4, 8:11 PM Hi, Bundt Cake Recipe 3 cups all-purpose cement mix 1 1/4 cup fine grain sawdust 1 cup gravel (various sizes for added interest) 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup Elmer's Glue 2 sticks unsalted b.u.t.ter 3 tsp paint thinner 4 large eggs (room temperature) DIRECTIONS.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Grease Bundt pan For the cake 1. In medium bowl, whisk together cement mix, salt, and gravel.2. In large bowl whisk together b.u.t.ter, Elmer's Glue, paint thinner, and eggs. Do not over mix.3. Gradually whisk in dry ingredients in small batches.4. Spoon batter into Bundt mold.5. Bake until a tester inserted in cake refuses to come out. Cool in pan on rack.For the glaze: 1. Whisk together sawdust and enough water to form a thick yet pourable glaze.2. Set rack with cake over a piece of wax paper (for easy cleanup).3. Drizzle cake with glaze and let solidify before serving.(Serves 0) - Madeline Whittier P.S. I'm not a spy!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 j.a.panese American. I'm half j.a.panese.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 s.e.xy 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 Sat.u.r.day, 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?