by Annie Bryant
“Maeve, this is going to look darling on you. It’s just like the dress Audrey Hepburn wore in Breakfast at Tiffany’s… and I know Audrey’s your idol.”
I felt positively tickled. Maddie was such an amazing friend. She even remembered who my all-time favorite actress was. With her perfect, pearly nails, Maddie unzipped the bag and out fell … a black, checkered piece of fabric. The material looked totally dull, and there wasn’t even a waist on it. This dress did NOT look anything like Breakfast at Tiffany’s … except for maybe the breakfast tablecloth at Tiffany’s.
“Voilà! Isn’t it darling?” Maddie gushed and thrust the dress at me.
“Um, it’s okay …” I began hesitantly. I didn’t want to be rude, but this dress was so not my style.
“Try it on!” Maddie insisted.
“Well, it looks a little long actually. I was thinking maybe I could try that pink dress over there …” I pointed nervously at the fab gown with the ginormous bow.
Maddie threw her hand over her mouth and laughed—hard. “Oh, Maeve, you are just the most adorable thing! That pink dress is a collector’s item. It’s from a famous movie. Oh dear, of course you can’t wear that to dinner, silly. Now be a lamb and put this on. It’s a genuine Chanel.”
I didn’t care who it was. The dress was absolutely hideous. I looked over and saw Maddie’s concerned face. I knew she was only trying to be helpful so I swallowed and slipped the dress over my shoulders. Maddie buttoned the back and sighed. “There. Perfect. Go look in my mirror.”
I tiptoed across the room. I had to tiptoe, because the dress was so narrow that I couldn’t take normal-size steps. Finally, I reached the little platform in front of a three-way mirror. I suddenly felt dizzy.
“You see? Classic glamour,” Maddie declared.
Classic glamour? No way! It was a classic glamour DON’T. I could just see me now in the back of Glam-girl magazine in this drape-y disaster with a black line covering my eyes (that’s what the editors did to protect the innocent). And I WAS totally innocent … how was I supposed to know comfy-casual meant black tie? But I just swallowed and echoed, “Classic glamour.”
“Come now. Let’s go to dinner!” Maddie flounced over to her intercom and pressed the button. “Kenneth, we’re ready now. Announce us to Mummy and Daddy.”
The intercom buzzed and Kenneth’s voice crackled through: “Of course, Miss Madeline.”
Krupcake Dining Etiquette 101
The dining room was gorgeous—like, castle gorgeous—with a long table that could’ve sat thirty-ish people … maybe more. The centerpiece in the middle was a marble sculpture of a plate of Krupcake’s Pies and Cakes. The table looked especially empty because only four people were there—Maddie, her parents, and me—the girl in the tablecloth dress. Kenneth pulled out my chair and I sat down, but I wasn’t sure what to think of the bowl of green liquid in front of me.
“Cold cucumber soup,” Kenneth whispered when he saw my confused look.
I nodded. Now I really wasn’t sure what to think. Cold soup? We didn’t eat cold soup in the Kaplan-Taylor house, but my parents always told me try new things at least once to see if I liked them. I wouldn’t let Mom and Dad down, even if this soup did look like my face cream.
Mr. Von Krupcake was at the head of the table with Mrs. Von Krupcake beside him. Lucky for Maddie she looked just like her mom … who could have doubled for Grace Kelly with her pretty blond hair and sparkling almond eyes.
“Darling, this is Mr. Taylor’s daughter, Maeve,” Mr. Von Krupcake said. “She’s the one I was telling you about … the girl with the big red curls.”
Without thinking, I reached up and stroked my hair. Was that supposed to be a good thing or a bad thing? I wondered, finally taking a tiny sip of the soup. It wasn’t bad, but the whole “cold” part kind of freaked me out.
“You’re right, Walter. She looks just a bit like a precious Little Orphan Annie. How charming. Maeve, I’m Maddie’s mother, Clarissa Von Krupcake. Maddie tells me you want to be an actress too.”
“Oh my gosh, yes. It’s been my dream for as long as I can remember. My dad owns the Movie House so—”
“How fortunate for you that you can have a mentor like my Maddie around,” Mr. Von Krupcake interrupted. “You must feel lucky to have the opportunity to work with a real professional.”
“Yeah, it’s cool.” I gave Maddie a smile.
“Our little Krupcake Princess!” Mrs. Von Krupcake squeezed Maddie’s hand. “Darling, how do you deal with all the autographs? It must be so exhausting.”
Maddie nodded sadly. “I despise the paparazzi. They are soooo intrusive,” she lamented.
Wow! I hadn’t seen any kids ask Maddie for her autograph, but I didn’t say anything. Maybe I had missed all of that while I was helping Apollo move the couch.
“Maddie’s agent is going to have so many auditions lined up for Maddie after they see her work in film camp. You know what would be the perfect part for you, darling?”
“What?” Maddie asked in a pouting voice, still acting wounded over the hounding hoards of paparazzi.
“Regally Blonde—you could play Elle Woods’s more beautiful and wealthier younger sister,” Mrs. Von Krupcake decided. “Walter, you should call Reese and see if she’d be interested in collaborating. Matt Damon could write the script and set it right here in Boston.”
“Hee hee, ha ha, how divine!” Mr. Von Krupcake clapped enthusiastically.
I was speechless. The Von Krupcakes just threw names around as if they could make this stuff actually happen. Maybe they could. All of a sudden, I was starting to feel like the most boring, ordinary person in the world. Maybe becoming an actress wasn’t about hard work, talent, and dedication. What you really needed to make a movie wasn’t a dad who owned a movie house—it was a dad who could buy a movie empire. After all, I was just Little Orphan Annie with the big red curls … while Maddie was a princess who could sail right through to Hollywood. Suddenly, all I wanted was to go home and snuggle into my bed in my own very pink palace … even if it was more like a pink shoe box compared to Maddie’s room.
“Speaking of divine,” Maddie began, “Maeve, you simply must visit our cottage in the Hamptons over the summer!”
Suddenly the gray cloud that had formed over my head totally disappeared. Did somebody say the Hamp-tons? Beaches and movie stars and shells … oh my!
“… Oh, it’s sooo fabulous, Maeve. You have NO idea. All we do is swim, play tennis, go to parties, sunbathe on the gorgeous beaches, and eat at the most expensive restaurants. Plus, it’s where all the big celebs go on vacay.” (Of course, I already knew that. I always kept up with my celebrity gossip magazines.)
As Kenneth served the main course (a delicious beef tenderloin with roasted potatoes and grilled asparagus), I imagined lying on the beach wearing a pink, polka-dot bathing suit, a big straw beach hat, and my oversized Jackie O glasses, all while sipping a strawberry smoothie. I would so enjoy the life of luxury. The photographers would flock to get a snapshot of the blonde and red-haired society girls—and future movie stars extraordinaire. Count me in.
Maddie took a bite of her beef tenderloin. She was so dainty and graceful, I wondered if she’d ever been to one of those fancy finishing schools, like rich girls in the movies. I tried my best to copy how she was eating … it was good practice for my future Hollywood galas.
“Last year Apollo and Artemia stayed with us during July and Apollo taught me to surf. I was a natural. Maybe he’d teach you too, Maeve,” said Maddie.
“Oh, I don’t know.” I remembered how disappointed Apollo was in me today. His idea of a life of glamour was very different from Maddie’s … but Maddie’s seemed way more fun. I was all about meeting famous people and sunbathing and going to parties with former child stars! The BSG were never going to believe this. Never.
When we finished up with dinner, Kenneth wheeled in a tray with a three-tiered cake. “Chocolate fudge,” he announced to Mr. Von Krupcake. “As you
requested.”
“Marvelous!” Mr. Von Krupcake exclaimed, cutting a hefty slice, and placing it in front of himself as he licked his lips. “Hee hee, ha ha! This looks delicious.”
Mrs. Von Krupcake grabbed the plate from his hands. “Darling, you forgot your manners. Guests first.” Mrs. Von Krupcake smiled fondly at me and pushed the huge piece of cake in my direction. “Here you go, Maeve. It’s our own family speciality. The Von Krupcake signature Über Duber Decadent Chocolate Cake!” she whispered.
I took a small bite of the purest, richest morsel I had ever tasted in my life. “Oh my goodness!” I gasped. “This is the best chocolate cake I have ever had.”
The Krupcake King beamed as I took another bite.
“Me next!” Maddie pleaded.
Mrs. Von Krupcake shot her a stern look. “Madeline, you know you can’t have this. Chocolate cake gives you headaches, remember.”
“But, Mummy …” Madeline whined.
“Darling, we must watch our health now,” Mrs. Von Krupcake said with a smile.
Maddie looked sad. I didn’t blame her. I took one more big bite and then put my fork down. I didn’t want Maddie to feel bad that she couldn’t have any cake. It must be horrible to be allergic to something so heavenly.
“Stop pouting, Maddie.” Mrs. Von Krupcake raised her eyebrows.
Suddenly my delicious chocolate cake didn’t taste that delicious anymore. Especially when I saw how Mr. Von Krupcake was digging enthusiastically into his piece while Maddie sat looking at him sadly.
“Come on, Maeve. Let’s go!” Maddie huffed. She pushed her chair into the table and grabbed my arm … kind of hard.
“Now, darling, don’t be that way!” Mrs. Von Krupcake called. “Kenneth will bring you some grapes.” But Maddie was already stomping out of the room with me hopping around in the world’s ugliest dress to keep up. I looked back at Maddie’s parents. Mr. Von Krupcake was still eating and Mrs. Von Krupcake was still picking. Neither of them seemed bothered by the weirdness at all.
CHAPTER
9
The Princess and the Pea(brain)
Guess what, Maeve?” Maddie whispered. We were finally in our pjs, all cozy in Maddie’s king-sized bed with the glorious lace veil around it. It was like being in another world.
“What?” I asked.
“Well I’ve been giving this a lot of thought, and I realized that you and I have more in common than anyone else I’ve ever known,” Maddie confessed.
I felt so touched. “Wow, Maddie. I know. We DO have tons in common. I mean, we both want to be movie stars …” I started, but then I wasn’t sure what to say. Besides the movie star thing, what else do Maddie and I have in common?
Maddie continued. “So I decided that you, Maeve Kaplan-Taylor, are my new best friend!”
I was silent.
“Well … how cool is that?” Maddie pressed.
Okay, on one hand it was pretty cool that a famous person like the Krupcake Princess wanted to be my best friend. But on the other hand, I already had best friends … four to be exact. I didn’t want to be disloyal. But on the other hand, if there was one thing that the BSG taught me, it was that you can always open your heart to new friends. The more the merrier … right?
“That’s awesome!” I said. “You really want to be best friends … with me?”
“Well, of course, silly! We’re practically soul mates already.” Maddie giggled.
I smiled my kindest smile. “Cool.”
“Do you know the first thing best friends do?” Maddie asked, her eyes gleaming.
My throat felt dry. “What?”
“Tell each other all their secrets!” Maddie exclaimed. “So let’s start with an easy one. Who do you like?”
My heart fluttered a bit. “Who do I like?”
“Yeah. And not just as a friend. Who do you like like?”
I took a deep breath and thought about all the boys I’d had mini-crushes on this past year—Nick, Dillon, Riley, Matt the tutor … There were a lot, but there honestly wasn’t one totally special person I could name at the moment.
“I dunno,” I said. “There’s not really anyone right now.”
“Come on, that’s not true!” Maddie accused. “Do you like Apollo? ’Cause if you do, that’s okay. But you should know that he and I … well … we kind of have a thing.”
That was sure news to me. Apollo was obviously cute, but hello? I barely knew him! “Maddie, I don’t like Apollo,” I promised. “Not like that … besides he’s older than I am.”
“Swear on our friendship?” Maddie asked, holding out her pinky for me to shake.
“Swear on our friendship,” I assured her.
“Good. Then I know you’re telling the truth. So next question. What’s your fabulous idea for the film?”
Talk about flattering! “You really want to know?” I asked, suddenly wondering if my idea—that last week had seemed soooo brilliant—would sound silly to the worldly and sophisticated Madeline Von Krupcake.
“Of course I want to know, Maeve! That’s what best friends are for …” She squeezed my hand reassuringly.
“What best friends are for,” I repeated.
Maddie nodded enthusiastically. “So come on … spill it,” she ordered.
“Well have you ever heard of Roman Holiday?”
Maddie shook her head.
I smiled. “Okay, let me explain …” I told Maddie all about the classic film and my idea for Boston Holiday—right down to the secret romance between Princess Sophia and the reporter. “And listen, here’s the best part of all. The reporter would secretly be a kung fu champion who has to protect Princess Sophia from kung fu fighting bad guys. We could have awesome kung fu choreography around all the famous Boston landmarks.” I took a deep breath and looked up nervously. “Well … what do you think?”
Maddie put her hand to her chest. “Oh, Maeve. It’s a fabulous idea!”
“Really?”
“Of course, darling! A classic movie set right here in our very own Boston? It’s brilliant—just brilliant. Artemia will love it.”
I almost wanted to cry out of joy. Maddie seemed to know all there was to know about movies. This was definitely a good sign.
“Hey can I ask you a question now?”
Maddie sat up and twirled a strand of golden hair around her finger. “Of course. Anything.”
I smiled and leaned in. There was something I had been wondering about ever since the first day of camp. “So what’s the big surprise your dad planned?”
Maddie opened her mouth when suddenly the intercom buzzed. “Ten o’clock. Bedtime, Miss Madeline,” said Kenneth.
Maddie sighed. “Oh well. Looks like that’ll have to wait ’til the morning.” She yawned, clapped her hands together, and the lights in her room instantly went off.
“But,” I began.
Maddie giggled and put one finger over her lips. “Shh! We’re very strict about bedtime at my house. Sweet dreams, darling.”
I didn’t want to disobey the rules, so I snuggled into her feather-stuffed comforter and pillows, feeling very much like the princess from Boston Holiday. “Sweet dreams, Maddie,” I whispered. “I’m glad we’re friends.”
“Best friends,” Maddie added. “Good night.”
“Oh Wouldn’t It Be Lovely?”
All night long I had the most wonderful dreams about what the surprise would be. My imagination was going crazy. One dream was about a week-long cruise after camp was over. Another was that Maddie and I were cast in a real Hollywood movie, with Artemia directing. I woke up to the sound of a little dog barking. “Mmm … Marty … shh …” I mumbled as I groped around to give my furry little buddy a good morning hug.
“Who’s Marty? Is he your secret crush?”
I bolted upright. Maddie Von Krupcake was sitting next to me with her hair in curlers stroking Fitzy the Pomeranian. For a split second I forgot that I was sleeping over at the Von Krupcakes’ and thought I was back in the
Tower with the BSG. Maddie pressed the clicker and Kenneth’s voice sounded through the intercom. “Ready for breakfast?”
“Yes, Kenneth. Now. I’m starving. So tell me, Maeve, who is Marty?”
I laughed. “Marty’s my dog. Well, me and all my friends’ dog. He’s the BSG mascot.”
“What’s the BSG?” Maddie gave me a weird look. If she wasn’t one of my best friends, I would’ve been afraid to answer.
“Um … the Beacon Street Girls …” I said softly.
Maddie suddenly burst out laughing. “You are just too cute Maeve—I can’t even stand it.”
I wiped the sleep out of my eyes. “How am I cute?”
“I don’t know. You’re just so … commonplace … with your little club and your little sleepover parties.”
I was beginning to get that horrible boring and ordinary feeling again.
“We aren’t that cute,” I said quietly. “Hey, Maddie … now can you maybe tell me about the surprise?”
“Well … maybe I can give you a clue. Tell me honestly, have you ever been to a real red carpet event?”
“Um, besides the first day of camp … no.”
Maddie threw a satin robe over her shoulders and squeezed some lotion on her hands. “The first day of camp doesn’t count,” Maddie pronounced as she walked over to the bookshelf that went all the way up to the ceiling. Maddie climbed a ladder to reach whatever it was that she was looking for. “All right, Maeve, since we’re best friends, I’m going to show you my most prized possession,” she said, climbing back down.
In her hands was a giant black book. “I’ve been going to red carpet events my entire life. Every socialite and actress absolutely must keep a scrapbook of all the amazing things she does and all the fabulous people she meets.” Maddie threw the book on her bed and plopped down beside it. “It’s like a portfolio, sort of.”
