Maeve on the Red Carpet

by Annie Bryant

  I opened my mouth to ask her a more mature question. Something that would show her a true future-starlet destined for big things, and not just another fan. But then Mr. Von Krupcake opened his mouth first.

  “Now, Ross, how about we go somewhere and talk details,” Mr. Von Krupcake said, squeezing Dad’s shoulder.

  Katani leaned over and whispered in my ear, “In the business world, ‘details’ means moo-lah!” Kgirl was totally the business-savvy BSG. She was going to be CEO of her very own fashion empire one day—we all just knew it.

  Mr. Von Krupcake threw one arm over Artemia’s shoulder and the other over my dad’s. “I’ll book my usual table at the Four Seasons,” he said in a this-is-final type of voice and steered Dad and Artemia down the aisle.

  “Sounds good!” I heard Dad say. As he was being escorted out by the very-round Krupcake King, Dad turned, looked over his shoulder, and gave me a goofy smile with a thumbs-up. “Lunch at the Four Seasons!” he mouthed, looking completely ecstatic.

  The BSG and I giggled to each other. My dad could be too funny sometimes, especially when he acted like a kid trapped in an adult’s body.

  “Wow!” I breathed. “This is TOO MUCH! You guys, can you believe we actually met Artemia Aaron?”

  “Met her? Girl, you’re going to work with her!” Katani pointed out.

  “Now I wish I wasn’t going to Detroit! I’d love to help with set design,” Isabel said. “Just think, I could make a flying kung fu bird.” Isabel loved drawing birds—it was her passion.

  “Yeah, Iz, that would’ve been so fun … but Detroit and your dad—that’s too cool to pass up!” I tried to look very serious, but even using my very best acting skills I couldn’t keep the smile off my face. “I’M WORKING WITH ARTEMIA AARON!” I shouted.

  “I think Maeve is really going to miss us …” Avery joked, lightly punching my arm.

  “I will miss you,” I promised. I looked at each one of my best friends very seriously. Then I could feel it coming back—my uncontrollable smiling and laughing. “Just imagine! Hollywood stars … right here in Boston!”

  Charlotte put her arm around my shoulder. “Maeve, I know stars …” she began. (Charlotte did know stars. She loved astronomy and telescopes and stuff.) “And you know what? You’re already a star.”

  Katani, Avery, and Isabel nodded. Wow—did I have the most supportive friends ever, or what? Even though I loved that they all believed in me, I knew I wouldn’t feel like a real star until I was in a real movie. And now … my dream was so close to coming true I could almost taste it.

  CHAPTER

  3

  A Thinking Tiara

  How kind of you to let me come,” I recited, throwing a pink boa over my shoulders and batting my long eyelashes. I stood in front of the full-length mirror at Think Pink. “How kind of you to let me come!” I repeated, sounding so elegantly English! It was a line from the movie My Fair Lady, one of my all-time favorites.

  “I didn’t know Audrey Hepburn was going to be shopping here today!” Razzberry Pink, the proprietor of Think Pink, gushed. Audrey Hepburn was a classic Hollywood actress AND my idol (even though I didn’t look anything like her—she had short, straight black hair and mine was red and curly). It was a total compliment that Ms. Pink recognized exactly who I was pretending to be.

  “I’m looking for inspiration,” I explained, carefully wrapping the soft magenta boa back on one of the pink mannequins. “I’m starting the New York Film Academy Camp tomorrow, and I can’t think of any good movie ideas! I thought I’d try to get in touch with the Audrey in me.”

  “I see,” Ms. Pink replied. She stood behind me and admired her own reflection. I admired her reflection too! She was, as usual, a burst of colorful pink rosiness—right to her hair, which was dyed bright pink. What I loved most about Ms. Pink was her motto—surround yourself with what you love. Guess what Ms. Pink loved? Obviously … pink. Oh, and her dog, the beauteous pink poodle and Marty’s sweetheart, La Fanny.

  “My brother, Sam, left to visit my grandpa this morning, so I thought it would be easy for me to come up with an idea at my house … but now that I finally have some peace and quiet …”

  “Let me guess … the peace and quiet made it harder to think?” It was like Ms. Pink could read my mind.

  “So much harder,” I confessed. “It’s so frustrating! I really want to impress Artemia Aaron tomorrow. Oh, this is horrible. I think I have ack-tour’s block.”

  Ms. Pink daintily adjusted her pink wool beret in the mirror and smiled. “I have an idea.” She ran into the back room for a second and came back with both hands hidden behind her back.

  “What is it?” I asked Razzberry, my voice shaking a little with excitement.

  “Think pink!” Ms. Pink exclaimed and held up a sparkling pink tiara. “This is my own little treasure. I’ve had it forever, but haven’t had the heart to sell it. I couldn’t imagine just anyone taking it home.”

  “Oh it’s beautiful!” I gasped. “I couldn’t possibly … Thank you!”

  Ms. Pink’s smile got even wider. “I thought it could be your thinking cap.”

  I tucked the tiara into my red curls, loving how it made my hair sparkle. If Hollywood wasn’t my destiny, maybe royalty was! “I love it,” I breathed. “It’ll definitely help me think of some good ideas!”

  “Beeeeeep! Beeeeeep!”

  Ms. Pink and I jumped at the sound of the loud horn. “Oh no!” I moaned. My mom was parked outside, and I could see Mom frantically leaning out the window and yelling something to me.

  “What?” I shouted.

  “You’re LATE!” Mom yelled and tapped her watch. I glanced at my cell phone and saw that I’d missed four calls! All from Mom.

  “Yikes! Matt!” I forgot about my math and science tutor. Total disaster city. I promised Mom I would remember this time. I snatched my backpack from the floor and threw on my coat. “Thanks for the, um, thinking cap, Ms. Pink!” I cried as I sprinted out of the store.

  “You’re welcome!” she called after me. “Let me know how it works out.”

  The icy air bit my nose the moment I stepped outside. Thank goodness Mom was parked right in front. “Brrrr!” I said as I snuggled into the front seat of the car.

  “Maeve Kaplan-Taylor …” (I knew it was bad when Mom used my first AND last name.) “You have a lesson in … well … five MINUTES AGO. Where have you been? You were supposed to come straight home after school.”

  “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I sorta kinda accidentally forgot.”

  Mom shook her head as we sped down Beacon Street. “Forgot? How could you forget? I’ve been calling you for the past twenty minutes! Why didn’t you pick up your cell phone?”

  “I sorta kinda accidentally put it on silent …”

  “Silent?” Mom rolled her eyes. “Honestly, what’s the point of getting your daughter a cell phone if she doesn’t pick it up?”

  I reached into my pocket, pulled out my little pink cell phone, and waved it in the air. “Because … it matches perfectly with my new pink tiara!” I shook my ringlets at Mom so she’d notice my newest accessory.

  “Pink tiara …” Mom’s frown slowly turned into a half-smile. “Maeve, I hate to break it to you, but you’re not really a princess!”

  “Then why do I feel like a princess?” I asked as I twirled my hair and stared out the car window at the stores whizzing by.

  “You feel like a princess?” Mom glanced over at me like I’d absolutely lost my mind. “You’re on your way to meet with your math tutor. How do you feel like a princess?”

  I wedged my tiara snugly into my curls. “Well, first of all, I do have a totally dreamy math tutor … who could be my Prince Charming … maybe …” I giggled. My math tutor, Matt, went to Boston College. Because of the whole dyslexia thing, I had to work really hard in school, and having a tutor was pretty important. Even though I hated doing so much extra work, the fact that Matt was completely adorable and nice was definitely a bonus.

/>   “Oh boy, here we go …” Mom said, shaking her head. “I don’t know where your fascination with everything romantic comes from!”

  “Mom, you know that it comes from the movies. And everybody knows that being a princess means having to keep annoying appointments even though all you want to do is have fun!”

  Mom grinned. “Is that a fact?”

  “Of course it is! Haven’t you ever seen Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck? Audrey Hepburn plays Princess Ann—a princess who gets sick of having every minute of her life scheduled, and she runs away to have a holiday in Rome. Then Princess Ann meets an American reporter—that’s Gregory Peck—and she doesn’t tell him about her secret identity. But he discovers it anyway, and he takes her on a tour of Rome, and they go dancing, and ride around on mopeds, and fall in love, and oh, it’s soooo romantic!” I sighed as the car turned onto our street.

  “Well then, tell me this. Do princesses have to clean their rooms?” asked Mom.

  I shook my head. I knew what this was leading up to.

  “Are there any Vespas in Boston?” she asked.

  “What’s a Vespa?”

  Mom looked smug. “That’s what you call those ‘mopeds’ from the movie.”

  “Ha! So you have seen it!” I cried.

  “Don’t think that you and your dad are the only movie buffs in this family. It just so happens I also know a thing or two about the classics.” She looked at me and winked. I forgot that before Mom and Dad separated, they used to watch movies together all the time. Especially when I was younger.

  We stopped in front of our apartment building and I noticed there was already a car parked in the driveway. But it wasn’t Matt’s.

  “Hey, speaking of Dad, what’s he doing here?” I asked.

  “Huh?” Mom said, just as shocked as I was.

  There, sitting on the steps, were Dad and Sam, surrounded by two huge suitcases. I felt my stomach flip-flop. This was not good. Not good at all.

  “And WHAT’S SAM DOING HERE?” I said louder, slamming the car door. So much for the peace and quiet.

  Sam folded his arms. “Hey! You guys locked me out!” he grumbled.

  Mom looked totally confused and stroked Sam’s hair. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I didn’t know you were going to be here.” She glanced at Dad. “Ross? What’s going on?”

  “Slight change of plans,” Dad said, ruffling Sam’s hair. “We were halfway through Connecticut when my mother called. Grandpa’s come down with the flu. Sam’s going to have to do the Gettysburg trip another time.”

  “Nooooo … Sam has to go!” I blurted out. Suddenly all eyes were on me. “I mean, poor Grandpa …”

  “Grandpa will be fine in about a week. Not that you were worried about THAT …” Dad raised his eyebrows.

  “Yeah,” Sam agreed. “It’s so obvious, Maeve. You just don’t want me around.”

  I suddenly felt bad that I’d been so mean. “No, Sam. It’s just … this week is New York Film Academy Camp. And film camp is supposed to be my thing.”

  Mom unlocked the house and hoisted Sam’s suitcase inside. “Film camp still IS your thing …” she assured me.

  “Well, actually …” Dad interrupted.

  “Ross?” Mom had a panicky look in her eyes.

  “Dad?” I was a million times more panicky than Mom.

  “I thought Sam might like to be an assistant to me,” Dad said sheepishly.

  “Yeah! I’m going to be a filmotographer!” Sam shouted.

  “There’s no such thing as a filmotographer,” I informed my brother.

  “There is now. And it’s me. So there. I’m going to be the best filmotographer ever! Lights, camera, action!” Sam pretended to tape me as I followed Mom and Dad into the house.

  “Daaaaaad! Are you serious?” I could hear the whininess in my voice but I just couldn’t help it. Sam plus film camp would surely equal absolute disaster.

  “I think Sam will be excellent at the technical elements. He’s very good with computers. And Maeve, I’d appreciate it if you’d be a little supportive. Remember, Sam was really looking forward to his Gettysburg vacation. I’m sure this is very disappointing for him.”

  “No, it’s not disappointing!” Sam continued to pretend taping me while I grabbed an Oreo from the cookie jar. “I’m going to be a filmotographer!”

  “There’s no such thing …” I mumbled again.

  “Film history in the making”

  “Maeve,” Mom warned. “Be nice to your brother. And get your homework ready for Matt. He’s waiting for you.”

  “Ugh! Now I really feel like Princess Ann!” I moaned. “Only I don’t get to ride on a Vespa. Oh, and I’m totally not on a Roman Holiday.”

  “No, because you’re in Boston,” Sam noted. “But you can be on a Boston Holiday!”

  “Yeah, and there’s no such thing as a Boston Holiday—” I began … then suddenly I had a brilliant beyond brilliant idea. “Unless …”

  “Unless what?” asked Sam.

  “Hold on. No time to chat. I have my inspiration!” I cried and bolted out of the kitchen.

  “Maeve!” Mom called. “Math. Tutor. Chop-chop. Matt’s waiting in the dining room.”

  I knew that Mom was right, but how was I supposed to think about doing boring old math when I had the best movie idea in the history of the world? Okay, well at least in the history of Boston. Matt would just have to wait a few more minutes. Film history was in the making.

  CHAPTER

  4

  Brides of Frankenstein Caught on Tape!

  And then they’d go on the swan boats, and see Newbury Street, and Beacon Hill, and oh, the Wang Center, and the whole time the princess would have to keep her identity a secret! How fabulous does that sound?”

  There was silence on the other end of the phone.

  “Hellooooo?”

  Finally, I heard Isabel sigh. “So wait. I don’t get it. Does the cute guy know she’s a princess or not?”

  “Yeah, he knows. But she doesn’t know he knows,” I explained. I was holding the phone with my shoulder as I painted my nails—“Silver Star” was the name of the shade. How perfect for film camp!

  “And does she know who he is?”

  “Nope! She thinks he’s just a mysterious stranger, but really he’s a kung fu fighting reporter who was sent on a secret mission to protect her! I think it’ll be terribly romantic, don’t you?”

  “Yeah I guess. I’m just still confused about why they’re kung fu fighting in Boston.”

  “Because kung fu is like totally Artemia Aaron’s thing. And it’s exciting! AND this is a Boston Holiday!”

  “So does the princess know kung fu too?”

  I paused. “Hmm … I still need to figure that part out.”

  “Knock knock,” Mom interrupted, tapping on my already open door.

  “Ooh, Iz, I gotta go. Miss you … have fun!” I closed my cell phone, careful not to smudge my wet nails. “Enter!” I said to Mom, in my royal-est and proper-est voice.

  “Maeve, what on Earth are you wearing?”

  “Excuse me. Don’t you mean, Your Royal Highness Princess Sophia?” I joked. I was trying to get into character—that is, the character I made up. That character was Princess Sophia of Tazmundo. I was totally decked out in a long lavender nightgown with my pink tiara still in my hair. I’d been wearing it all night except for when I sat with Matt and did my absolutely annoying pre-algebra equations. I couldn’t have Matt thinking I was babyish.

  Mom folded her arms and shook her head. “You need your rest, young lady. Tomorrow’s a big day!”

  “I know. I know. Film camp in the morning. Destiny awaits!” I stared at my Kung Fu Crazy poster and felt shivers down my spine. “Hiiiiii-YAA!” I cried and did a sharp, serious kung fu kick.

  “Now, wait a minute. Are you a princess or a kung fu fighter?” Mom asked.

  “I’m both!” I replied. “Check it out.” I spun around in a double kick and with all my might
did a kung fu chop (or maybe it was a karate chop—I still wasn’t sure) right in the middle of my dresser. As soon as my pinky hit the wood, I knew that I’d made a gigantic mistake. “OUCH!” I cried. (“Note to self: The desk is definitely stronger than my hand.”)

  “Okay, kung fu princess. Enough. You don’t want start film camp in a cast.”

  I sucked on my sore pinky and nodded. Sometimes I got sort of carried away with my ideas. I ran over and gave Mom a light kiss the cheek. “Night, Mom.”

  “Goodnight, sweetie,” Mom said. “Lights out in ten minutes, okay?”

  I nodded but didn’t say anything because my fingers hurt so much. Mom was right—it was really important to be as rested as possible for the first day of film camp. And I had to do my whole beauty regime before I could get my beauty sleep.

  I grabbed a hair elastic and piled my curls on top of my head. My hair was so thick and crazy that it practically stood straight up. Actually, it was toppling a little. The Leaning Tower of Hair, I thought with a giggle. Talk about sight-seeing in Boston! “And here she is now … Boston’s own Maeve Kaplan-Taylor … and her Leaning Tower of Hair. Let’s have a big round of applause.” Just as I bent to do my bow, Sam ran by my door, stuck his tongue out, and blew a huge raspberry. If I wasn’t so tired I would have chased him down and sprayed him with perfume. He totally hated the smell of Pink Hearts, my favorite new spray.

  But I had to put my hair in a silly ’do so I wouldn’t get any goop on it. Well, not goop, really, but my sea algae mud mask. It sure felt like goop though! I took a huge scoop and smeared it aaaaall over my cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead. It looked soooo gross but it smelled absolutely divine! By the time I was done, the only spots that weren’t slimy and green were my eyes and lips. Now my reflection was seriously ridiculous. I mean, I looked like a creature from a Dr. Seuss book.

  First thing I did was put the music on. I had to get my favorite jam pumping ASAP—“Girl Authority Theme” by Girl Authority. Girl Authority was a group of girls my age from the Boston area, and they totally rocked out. Talk about living the dream, I sighed. I got up from my dresser and did a few yoga stretches to warm up. Then I started to practice my kung fu moves. After my little pinky accident, I definitely had some work to do.