Read All That Glitters (From the Files of Madison Finn, 20) for Free Online Page B

that the key to being a fashion diva was options, which was funny, considering the fact that sometimes Aimee would wear the same ballet tights and shoes for four days in a row.
    Madison had no idea what kind of special restaurant Lindsay’s Aunt Mimi would be taking them to, but she assumed it would be fancy-schmancy. That was what Madison’s Gramma Helen always called places where they had a special waiter just for pouring water and refilling the bread basket, and at least three different forks per place setting. With this in mind, Madison packed a couple of pairs of earrings, including a moonstone pair that matched her favorite moonstone ring, the one that Dad had bought her.
    Dad liked to buy Madison presents for no reason. He called them “little kisses, all wrapped up.” Sometimes when they were out together, he would stop in front of a jewelry store and make Madison choose the top five things she would have purchased if she had been a multimillionaire. They always played games like that when they shopped. And without fail (and just as a joke) Madison would select the most expensive item—for example, a diamond necklace. Of course, Madison didn’t really like flashy pieces like that. She liked jewelry that looked as though it told a story: necklaces with lots of beads, or earrings with oddly shaped opalescent stones.
    This week, with the trip into the city for Lindsay’s party, Madison would be missing her weekend visit with Dad. She’d almost forgotten, because she had been so focused on missing the date with Hart. Dad would have to wait, just like her crush. Madison couldn’t ever remember having so many choices—and being less sure of which was the right one.
    But the party was the number-one pick. And tomorrow after school, Madison, Aimee, Fiona, and Lindsay would be driven to the train station by Lindsay’s mother. They would board the four o’clock train into New York City, loaded down with duffel bags and backpacks, their heads filled with big ideas about skyscrapers and shopping.
    Madison zipped her suitcase shut and clapped her hands to get Phinnie’s attention. At last, she was ready to walk the dog.
    She was ready for anything .

Chapter 6
    B EFORE THE RENOVATION, THE elevator of the Far Hills train station had been out of order, on and off, for at least a year. There was only one small ticket window and one crabby ticket agent. Madison had been there a few times to take trains into the city with Mom or Dad or her stepmother, Stephanie. She remembered a funny smell coming from the waiting area, where the benches were covered with old newspapers and graffiti.
    But today, as the girls arrived at the station, there was a completely different sight to behold. Everything gleamed. The elevator had been overhauled and the benches replaced. The lone ticket agent had been replaced, too, by three shiny machines where tickets could be purchased automatically.
    Madison took the renovation as a good omen for the weekend. She believed that the sight of the bright stairs and seats inside the station meant one thing: she had made the correct decision about Lindsay’s party. Hart could wait. Dad could wait. She was doing the one thing that couldn’t wait—and that she couldn’t possibly miss. As Bigwheels said, FCF (friends come first)!
    “I can’t believe this place.” Madison’s eyes widened as the group ambled into the main part of the station.
    But no one else was particularly surprised. Madison was the only one who hadn’t taken the train into the city lately. Aimee often took the train into New York to see a ballet performance and meet up with one of her friends from ballet camp. Fiona and Chet sometimes traveled into Manhattan with their dad. And Lindsay was always shuttling back and forth into the city to see Aunt Mimi or to dine with one of her parents at some trendy spot.
    Madison headed for the ticket machine, but Lindsay grabbed her arm.
    “We can chill out until the train comes. I already