Maybe

Maybe not 

Board to Dance.

Hi Maddie, I was just going down to get some groceries, and was wondering if you wanted to be dropped at the skate park for a bit?

Um. 

Andy might be there, I could see if Miriam wanted to go too. 

I don't know. Skateboard is being used by Santa at the moment and well he's got important business to take care of. 

Right, the 25th. But it's still November. 

Dry run maybe?

Hahahaha. 

Maybe later. 

Ok. 

I was thinking though of going down to the primary school, see about the ballet classes. You know for exercise and stuff. 

Ok then. 

And when she got there

Wow

Someone has decorated my room. 

Hey Leonie. 

Maddie, welcome home. 

Did you decorate my room for Xmas?

No, maybe it  was the twins from the leftovers from their flat. 

Hello, Bridget and Bryndl. 

Yay Maddie, you're home. 

Did you decorate my room?

Not us we've been busy baking. 

Yay Maddie. 

Have you girls been decorating my room?

No, I haven't seen anyone going up to your room. 

Maybe it was Mercedes, she pops in and out all the time it's a bit hard to know where she'll pop in next. 

No one home, I'll ask around, but if it was her I can leave a note on her white board. 

Maddie!

Oh there you are. 

Madam Pomfrey said to try the repair spell, so if you stand still...

No no Merce, I'm fixed, I'm fixed. 

Ooh you are too. Look at those wrists. Oh I would be able to flourish this wand so much better if I had wrists, see....

Aah, that's ok Merce, thank you, I guess you haven't been here since I saw you last, so you didn't decorate my room. 

Oooh that's something I'd like to try, hold still.....

Aaaah. 

H h h h h. 

Maddie , you're all out of breath. Are you okay?

Yes h h h h Antoinette, I was just escaping Merce and her kindness. 

Hahahaha, ooh I bet those bendy knees and ankles helped you some. 

Yes I think so. Hey Antoinette, I was wondering if you decorated my room. 

No, it wasn't me. Maybe a little fairy godmother had something to do with it. 

Huh? Oh, ok. Talking of fairy godmothers, the dance Andy invited me to is only 2 weeks away. If you had time would you come dress hunting with me? 

Yes, how lovely. How exciting. A big ball gown would be so nice, to swish around in, I'll make a list of all the places I know, pumpkin patch, and ooh where's some paper?

Hello Josefina and Mari. Oops and sombriita. 

Maddie, you're back. I'm so glad you're ok. 

Thanks Mari. 

Wow look at you, Maddie. I would have loved to have seen the operation. could you feel anything while it was happening?

Josefina! Mari rebuked. 

No no, thankfully. 

What? It happens. 

Yes but it's not nice to talk about it. 

Seeya girls. 

Tauralie, Pippa and Emily, hello. 

Maddie!!! 

We were just talking about you. 

How awesome are your new joints. 

Pretty awesome. 

Catherine said she got you a leotard. 

Yes, I might be joining you in ballet classes Pippa. 

Oh, you so need to try out her bike as well Maddie, suggested Emily. 

Hahshaha. I will won't i. 

Or air drums, Tauralie added. 

 I think I will a bit later. I'm just going round to say hi to everyone at the moment. 

Maddie! Oh it's do good to see you up and about. 

Thank you tzeitel. And you Trinity. 

Me?

Yes, you, for decorating my room. 

Oh, how'd you know it was me?

Hahahaha. 

I found this for you. 

Ooh, um, a sketchers mannequin?

Yes, so you can pose it and try to copy. 

Oh, that is so marvellous. 

Yes, but only until Monday, cos I borrowed it from school and I have to take it back. 

Ahahahahahahahaha.

Ready to go home

Maddie is awake.

Hey Maddie. 

Mum, Catherine. 

Good morning sweetie. How do you feel?

Hot, and thirsty. 

It's gonna be a warm one today, here I'll take the blanket off. 

Ah, thankyou. 

I'll just tidy up a bit, ok?

Um, Catherine, was um..,

Andy?

Yes, was he here?

Yes. 

I thought I might have dreamed it. 

No he was here. Kept watch for me. He's gone off to school now. Actually he left you something. 

Really?

Yeah, he put some more music on your iPod. Do you want a listen?

Yes. 

Hehehehe, it's Kiss. Do do do do do do do do do do do do.....

*********************

Ah, you can move your head. 

I think I might be able to move lots of things. 

Wow, that's great. 

What are those?

Some just in cases. 

Some what?

Well, just in case you were able to get up I thought you might want to look at yourself

And well, just in case you felt like going outside I thought you might like something to wear 

That didn't look like a mummy suit. 

A mummy suit?

Hmm when you see your bandages you'll know what I'm talking about. 

And what's in the box?

Well that's in case you wanted to try building some strength and awareness of your new body. 

Ballet shoes?

Well these are only soft shoes for starters. The pointe shoes can come later  if you like. The 100+ poses body was built for them. 

Oh my. Ballet? 

Yeah, if you want to. Hey it's just an option, your skateboard is waiting for you back at home. 

My skateboard, I, I've not fallen off of it before. Not like that. 

Well there were exceptional circumstances. 

I guess so, I might take a little while before getting back on though. 

You don't want to lose your nerve though Maddie.

I know, getting back on the horse and all that. I just might try something else for a little while. See what this body can do, slowly, without wheels on. Ballet hey?

It'd start like exercises, stretching and stuff, and well it doesn't have to be classical, there's all sorts. 

Flash dance, what a feelin. 

Yep, if you want, I'll find you a bucket. 

1. Some daunting news.

Dear diary, Monday November 16. 

I am frightened. 

Catherine and I went to the doctors this morning. We were told that My elastic was giving out. The tests they did on Friday when I was unconscious showed the corrosion was showing on my other joints. I burst into tears. 

The doctor asked about my posture before the accident. I've always stooped a little bit I guess to keep my balance.  Catherine said she had noticed that, come to think of it when we were in Oahu last year, the picture of Llew and I that she uses for her profile pic, but didn't think it had any underlying cause as lots of different dolls balance differently.

Catherine asked Was there anything that could be done to repair the damage, or slow the process?

The doctor had consulted with a specialist over the weekend. Replacing the elastic would be tricky, each joint being separately strung and internally cupped with no obvious seams to use as access. It was also impossible to tell how long before my other joints would give way but any pains I started to get would be a sign. I don't know if Catherine could read my mind but I think she knew that I had started to feel pain in my right leg. 

There was always the option of a character transfer. The eternal goldfish method where you just replace one fish with another and pretend they are the same fish. Catherine didn't want this, i think it might be the easiest option though, if she still wanted me to exist. 

There was one other the doctor said. The specialist had successfully done it once only but it had been from their first attempt, which was a good sign, but it needed to be realised it was still in its experimental stage, and not yet approved by the medical board. It was a body transplant. Meaning I'd keep my head, there'd still be part of the original me, but I would have a new body. The body would have to be the later release 100+ poses. Meaning it'd be able to bend at the ankle, knee(and hold), elbow and wrist along with the other functions I already have (chest, arms, legs and neck). The 100+ poses body was not perfect either, but the elastic corrosion was eliminated, as there wasn't any. Catherine was optimistic. 

What if it didn't work though, I asked. 

But what if it did, she replied. Imagine the pose abilities, and if it didn't work the first time we would keep trying until it did. 

The doctor suggested we think about it. He would check into more about the elastic condition. He suggested I talk to the girl it had been successful on, and if I had any friends with the 100+ poses body as their original, maybe talk to them about it. 

What to do?

Maddie. 

What happened next.

Dear diary,

Gulp. So Friday the 13th did bring some bad luck. 

I'm in the beach house that Hanalei's family owns. They're currently in Hawaii and Catherine was minding it for them, and well I guess I'm now house sitting seeing as I can't really go up stairs or climb loft bed ladders at the moment. 

I don't really remember what happened much past realizing I'd broken my leg. 

Catherine says she was doing the shopping when Andy called to ask for help. She left a full trolley of groceries in the middle of the store somewhere and ran to the car and drove to the skate park. 

There's a doctor just down the road that takes emergencies seeing as the nearest hospital is at least 40 kilometers away, and Catherine took me there. 

Concussion and I've broken the thing that keeps my leg together. Sounds bad hey. Catherine didn't really say how long it would take to heal. She did say that we had an appointment to see the doctor on  Monday and we'd find out more. I think she's worried but she won't tell me why, other than they did some tests while I was passed out and the doctor was consulting with a specialist. I think that's what Mondays appointment Is about. Ooh, hh, in the meantime I have a jar of pink pills to help with the throbbing in my head and leg. 

Catherine said some of the girls wanted to come see me. I was kept in at the doctors overnight, and didn't get to go home. Catherine brought me straight here when they released me this afternoon. I do hope they're not worrying too much. Hehe it's  almost like I'm on holiday, except for this headache. She left me with sandwiches and some water, and a few of my favorite things, including tiger girl and skater boy, hmm. 

I did wonder about Andy and Lawrie. 

Catherine said Andy stayed with me almost the entire time yesterday (wow) there was a bit when the doctor would only let Catherine in the room with me, but he was there when he could. Lawrie was scared but fortunately Mari was with him and she's such a calming presence she should be candled.  

I  am really tired so I might go now. 

Write you soon

About a boy and an invitation.

Dear diary. 

Andy and Lawrie came over after school again today. Andy said Lawrie asked to and Andy said well that he didn't mind it. 

We went to my room again Andy and I, I think the captain and Llew were helping Trinity with something on the top floor and Lawrie really wanted to join them. 

Andy and I were looking through my mini figure folding at Xmas related thing

Like Santa

The gingerbread man and the elf

And santas little helper

I couldn't remember there being anything Xmas related in the Lego movie 

And we turned the page. What's this? I asked. Thinking maybe something had slipped in my folder by accident. 

Looks like the flyer to the year 10 dance, Andy observed. Is this your sneaky way of getting me to invite you?

What? I didn't ...

He was grinning from ear to ear. 

Cheeky thing, I chided. 

So will you go with me?

My only way to voicelessly express my surprise was to do the whole arms in the air thing. 

You really want to go?

Only if you'd go with me. 

Was I blushing? I, um, princes and princesses, would I have to wear a dress? And dance?

You do realise I have two left feet

I meant the other left. 

And Andy said he didn't care, and that waltzing looked like fun. 

Come I'll show you, and he pulled me to my feet. 

I felt all straight and awkward, my elbows don't bend and my knee joints are almost just for show. 

And I'm sure if I'd been any closer I would have knocked him out with my arms going up in the air. 

It might be safer if I Irish dance, I laughed. No arms required. 

Andy laughed too. It'll be alright, he said. Just say you'll come with me. We can always wall flower it together, or I'll wear a helmet. 

That made me laugh more. 

Ok, but I have to ask Catherine if I can. 

No problem. The fact that you've agreed is enough.

I had to consult with the expert. 

Maddie