Maeve on the Red Carpet

by Annie Bryant

  He looked back at me.

  “Thanks,” I whispered.

  “Hey, de nada.” Apollo shrugged, smiled, and went back to the camera. I sighed. Some people were so naturally cool. How they managed it was beyond moi.

  “Now from the top,” Artemia instructed as she sat down in her director’s chair. “Scene one, take two. Aaaaaaaand ACTION!”

  CHAPTER

  17

  The Trouble with Eavesdropping

  Ten minutes ‘til shooting, Ms. Kaplan-Taylor,” calls a voice.

  Shooting? But I’m not ready yet! My hair is a mess … “Renaldo! And where is Julia—my makeup artist? And the gown—it’s blue … I hate blue.” Suddenly the trailer door flies open. “Ms. Kaplan-Taylor, Ms. Kaplan-Taylor. We’re here, we’re here!”

  I sigh, feeling calm and cared for. “You guys are too good to me. I should buy you a gift. How would you like your own convertible?”

  “TOTALLY, DUDE!”

  I sat up with a start and blinked. I was in the back seat of Dad’s car, and … oh no. I wiped my eyes and groaned. “Sam, you didn’t …”

  Sam lowered his camera. There was a big, silly smile plastered on his face. “Did you know that you talk in your sleep, Maeve? And did you know that you say some pretty funny stuff too?” Sam pinched his nose and squawked, “Where is Renaldo? Where is Julia?” He started to giggle. “You know, you’re a better actress sleeping than you are when you’re awake. I mean, you sounded just like Maddie.”

  “I was dreaming,” I huffed, feeling my cheeks burn. Why did my brother always seem to catch me right in the middle of my favorite Maeve in Hollywood dreams? “Can you drop the camera already … pleeeeease, Sam?” I couldn’t help whining, I was so tired.

  “Sure. But first, who’s Renaldo?” Sam asked, using the same high-pitched voice. I reached over and grabbed his jacket.

  “I SAID drop it,” I warned, shooting him my best impression of Mom’s I-am-really-not-amused look.

  We were parked outside the Boston Common, and it was the last day of Boston Holiday shooting. After filming for days, I was totally zonked. There was a big difference between my dream of being in a movie and my reality of being in a movie. It was more work than I had ever imagined.

  Artemia made sure that all the campers got a taste of the different tasks that came with making a movie—set design, schlepping stuff, running lines, shooting the same scene over and over again, more schlepping, moving stuff—I wanted to sleep for a week. No wonder it cost so much for a movie ticket!

  But I couldn’t sleep. I had to make Sufoo shine … over and over again. And then I had to do my second job, which was to count and gather ALL the props after every shoot. When she noticed how tired we were, Artemia declared, “Welcome to the world of independent film.”

  “Artemia made sure that all the campers got a taste of the different tasks … design, schlepping stuff …”

  I’ll take the world of Hollywood with limos and stuff, thank you very much! I thought.

  Today we were filming the very last scene of the movie: the Parasol Fight Scene. It was the trickiest one yet. I had to learn how to fake sword fight with my pink umbrella against Nanny Nuna and her red umbrella. David, with a green umbrella, got to fight the Evil Assistant with a blue one. “Think Singing in the Rain meets Kung Fu Crazy,” Apollo told us. “It’ll be awesome.”

  I was excited, but still I yawned. “They haven’t started filming yet, have they?” I asked Sam.

  He shook his head. “Nope. Maddie isn’t even done setting up the props. It takes her forever.”

  Even the Krupcake Princess had another job—putting all the props exactly where they were supposed to be before the scenes. That was called continuity. If someone didn’t do that, then when you went to film again, things could be out of place and the audience would see it. Maddie had asked Artemia if she could be in charge of bringing Maddiecakes as refreshments instead, but Artemia said no—no way. “Maddiecakes aren’t going to give you young people enough energy to shoot this movie,” Artemia had told her.

  “But Artemia,” Maddie said with a smile, “everyone knows that Maddiecakes are filled with Vitamin L-O-V-E.” Everyone could tell that Maddie was mad, but she was really good at pretending she wasn’t. She knew better than to talk back to Artemia. In fact, Artemia was the one person who kind of mellowed Maddie out. Artemia was like a general … a nice general who made sure everyone did their jobs. Katani would have loved her. Katani loved people who were organized and got the job done.

  I opened the car door to get out. “Where’s Dad, Sam?”

  “Let me see …” Sam reached into his backpack and pulled out a pair of binoculars. I had to admit—he could be pretty handy to have around. “Hmm … Dad is at two o’clock. Precisely.”

  I folded my arms. “Translation please … for those of us who don’t speak Army geek?”

  Sam pointed. “Right over there by the Frog Pond. He’s talking to Artemia.”

  “Good job, Sam. Let’s go.”

  Artemia and Dad were in the middle of the park by the Frog Pond, which was my favorite part of the Boston Common. The Swan Boats—these boats that look like huge swans—were across the street in the Boston Public Garden. Sam and I used to ride them all the time when we were little. They were another Maeve-approved favorite landmark.

  Sam and I walked around the little shack where you could rent skates or use the bathroom. Artemia and Dad were standing on the other side, so busy talking they didn’t notice us.

  “I’m telling you, Ross,” Artemia was saying, “she’s really making this film come to life.”

  I put one finger over my lips and reached out my arm to block Sam from walking. “Shh!” I crouched down outside the ladies’ room. I wasn’t eavesdropping on purpose this time … well, maybe a little. But I was too curious. Who’s making this film come to life? I had to know.

  “That is very nice to hear. You’re not just saying that?” Dad asked.

  “Why would I just say that?” asked Artemia.

  “Well, you know, her father happens to be a pretty important guy around here,” Dad remarked. “Kind of a big deal.”

  Sam nudged me. “They must be talking about the Von Krupcakes,” he whispered. With a sinking heart, I realized he was right. No father was a bigger deal than Maddie’s.

  “That’s true,” Artemia was saying with a laugh. “But no, I am very serious. Giving her that role turned out to be the best thing we could’ve done for this movie. What a lovely surprise, right?”

  “Absolutely,” Dad agreed. “Remember how worried we were at first?”

  “I know! It seems so foolish now. With all her knowledge and experience, I can’t believe we doubted for even a moment that she would be anything less than a real pro,” Artemia declared.

  I looked at Sam and gulped. So Maddie had been the right choice for Princess Sophia all along. How could the universe be so cruel? I almost cried. I had wanted to be Princess Sophia so badly. And now I was just a funny maid who was good at kung fu and dancing. This was a real tragedy.

  “I have worked with a lot of actors in my day, Ross,” Artemia continued. “And Maeve has been not only an amazing talent but also a delight. She’s a great sport.”

  “No way!” I breathed. “They’re talking about me!” I started to do a silent victory dance. “Go Maeve, it’s your birthday. Go Maeve, it’s your birthday …” I whispered as I boogied around in a circle.

  “Ugh!” Sam gulped. “You better stop or I’ll laugh and then we’ll blow our cover!”

  But I couldn’t stop. I was too elated. I grabbed Sam’s hands and swung him around with me. “C’mon, this is HUGE! Go Maeve, it’s your birthday, Go Maeve, it’s—”

  The door of the ladies’ room suddenly rattled and we heard the scampering of feet running away. Sam and I froze. We weren’t alone.

  CHAPTER

  18

  The Saboteur

  Hey, Kaplan-Taylor dudes!” Apollo jogged over to us. “I
’ve been looking everywhere for you guys. It’s time to start. Maeve, are you okay? You look a little … pale.”

  “Who me? Pale? Nope. I am A-okay. Swell. Fantastic. Cool as a cucumber. See?” I did my best kung fu chop. “Lights, camera, action. Let’s get rolling!”

  Apollo looked worriedly at Sam as if he didn’t know what to make of my little performance. “I think your sister might need a vacation.”

  We followed Apollo back to where the rest of the campers were getting ready for the shoot. Maddie was sitting in a chair running lines. She wouldn’t would even look in my direction—big surprise there. (True confession—I was a tiny bit jealous of her Princess Sophia wardrobe.) I looked down at my cheesy kung fu clothes and over again at Maddie’s special, sparkly, spanking-new designer dress … courtesy of Krupcake’s Pies and Cakes Incorporated, of course. Artemia said the extravagant clothes were not necessary. Maddie said they most definitely WERE. She told Artemia they helped her get in character. The princess clothes were in.

  Maddie’s dress today was a strappy gown in robin’segg blue satin, bespeckled with rhinestones. I had to admit, she looked really, truly gorgeous … and also—without a jacket—really, truly cold. In fact, her lips were blue, and she was shivering. I took pity on her. After all, the show must go on and I wouldn’t want our leading lady to turn into an ice sculpture. “I have an extra sweater in my bag if you want it,” I offered.

  Maddie glared at me but didn’t say a word.

  “Maeve-a-licious!” Rebeccah greeted me with a wave. “I missed you, girlfriend.” I spun around, happy to see my friend. My fellow campers had started to call me “Maevea-licious” ever since I had brought in a super-sized bag of my favorite candy—Swedish fish.

  “Snappy Turtle!” I waved back. “Love the costume.” Rebeccah was wearing a swirly red skirt with a crisp white blouse with her trademark pearls. Her golden curls had been pinned into two Danish buns on either side of her head. It was Princess Leia meets wicked Nanny Nuna—totally fabulous.

  Mickey was in a black tuxedo and he had a fake goatee glued to his face. He pretended to buzz in on an intercom. “Attention: Call off the search party. The Sufoo is alive. Repeat, the Sufoo is alive.”

  The kids giggled, but Artemia, who was walking toward us, wasn’t pleased. Unfortunately, Mickey’s joke wasn’t the problem. “Maeve, where have you been?” she asked, folding her arms. “You know how important it is to be punctual for your shoot. This is the last day of filming, and everyone else has been waiting here in the park …” Artemia tapped her foot. “Do you have something you’d like to say?”

  I felt my cheeks burn. I didn’t mean to be disrespectful or anything. This Maddie situation was just really getting to me. I cleared my throat and said as graciously as I could, “I’m very sorry, everyone. It won’t happen again.”

  “Okay, we’ve lost enough time. Let’s get started. Places!” Artemia ordered.

  Rebeccah and Mickey, as Nanny Nuna and the Evil Assistant, hustled over to their marks behind trees.

  I took my place on top of the hill, right next to Maddie and David. “Sorry, guys,” I mumbled. “I guess I blew it.”

  “Don’t sweat it, Maeve. Artemia’s been in General mode all day,” David told me.

  “Last day of filming is always the worst. It’s like crunch time panic,” Apollo agreed. “Everyone goes kind of nutty … even the director of Kung Fu Crazy.”

  I turned to Maddie and offered a smile. Maddie glared at me so hard I was afraid daggers might come out of her eyes. “Well, well, well. Look who it is … the best thing that ever happened to this movie.”

  My stomach flipped.

  “Maddie, are all the props where they need to be?” Artemia shouted from across the path. “Parasols in place?”

  “Of course, Artemia,” Maddie yelled. “They’ve been exactly where they need to be for ages. Unlike certain maids.” Maddie looked at me like I was mold on cheese. I felt very grateful that my BFFs were Katani, Charlotte, Avery, and Isabel. They never made me feel like cheese mold. I hate feeling like cheese mold.

  “And ACTION!” Apollo clicked the black-and-white scene board and the cameras started rolling.

  Maddie ran down the hill, stumbling in her sparkling ball gown. Just as planned, Nanny Nuna and the Evil Assistant popped out from behind the trees with their colorful umbrellas outstretched. “I knew it!” Nannie Nuna cried. “She IS the real Princess Sophia!”

  “I can’t believe we ever confused her with that weird little maid in her tacky imitations!” cried Mickey, the Evil Assistant. “They were so obviously designer knockoffs.”

  I almost shouted, “Sufoo is not tacky!” I was becoming quite fond of Sufoo. She had spunk, that little maid.

  “Now is the perfect chance to kidnap Princess Sophia for good!” Nanny Nuna tossed her umbrella in the air like a baton, caught it, and jabbed the air. “En garde! Let the games begin!” she shouted and then promptly fell backward and rolled down the hill. Artemia yelled cut as everyone on the crew laughed. I felt bad for Rebeccah, but a whirling twirling Princess Leia clone with a Mary Poppins parasol was actually a pretty funny sight. Artemia thought it was so cool that she decided to keep it in the film.

  Finally it was Maddie’s/Princess Sophia’s turn. She let out a blood-curdling shriek and fainted right in the middle of the park. I had to give Maddiecakes credit—she was superb at fainting. She looked like a real damsel in distress.

  Nanny Nuna and the Evil Assistant ran out, picked Maddie up by her arms, and dragged her away. That was my cue.

  “Not so fast, Nuna!” I hollered.

  “Drop the lady!” David/Grego commanded. He picked up his green umbrella from behind a bench. “Or else.”

  “Hah!” the Evil Assistant replied. “Or else what? You’re just a reporter. You don’t stand a chance.”

  “That’s what you think!” I shouted and charged down the hill, straight toward the bush where my pink umbrella was stashed. I reached down into the bush and groped for the umbrella handle, but strangely, there was nothing plasticky to be found. Finally, I felt something smooth. I grabbed and yanked with all my might. Instead of pulling out my trusty pink parasol, I found myself tugging at a sticky plant root. “Eeek” I yelled as my feet went out from under me and the bush snapped back like a boomerang.

  “CUT!” shouted Artemia. “Maeve, WHAT are you doing?”

  I pushed myself off the ground and tried to pick the leaves out of my curls. “This can’t be right. My umbrella …” I walked around the entire bush. “It’s not here …”

  Maddie re-awakened from her faint, pointed at me and laughed. “Silly, forgetful little Maeve. I JUST told you. Artemia wanted your umbrella in that bush over there. The one closer to Nanny Nuna. It makes for better choreography.”

  My mouth hung open in shock. Maddie NEVER TOLD ME about the prop change. I looked at Artemia with desperation. Surely there had to be some mistake.

  “I did tell Maddie to switch bushes.” Artemia crossed her arms. “Maeve, let’s get going now.”

  “But—” I felt horrible. I could tell she was annoyed.

  “No excuses. Now we’re just going to have to take it from the top. And Maeve … try to be more professional.”

  I glared at Maddie and trudged back up the hill. “It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know,” David said sweetly.

  “Try telling Artemia that,” I sighed. “And to think … before this she thought I was good!”

  David rolled his eyes. “Maeve, you are good. Artemia knows that. See … look.”

  Apollo Aaron had put down his camera and was giving me two thumbs up. As the cameraman he was very good at hand signals. He pointed to Artemia and waved his hand. I knew what that meant: “Forget about it.” Then he slowly rotated his finger around the side of his head—the universal sign for “cuckoo, cuckoo.”

  David grinned. “One little slip-up doesn’t mean you don’t rock, MKT. Now let’s finish making this movie.”

  And when
Artemia yelled ACTION, that’s exactly what we did.

  CHAPTER

  19

  It’s a Wrap … with a Surprise Ingredient!

  Here we are. Home sweet home … right, Maeve?” Mom joked. We were pulling into the Von Krupcakes’ driveway for what I hoped would be the last time.

  “It’s not as sweet as it looks.” I mumbled. I was glad my mom didn’t hear me. She hated when I made catty remarks, but I’d had just about enough of Maddie Von Krupcake and her mansion, and her way too sweet (even for me) Krupcakes.

  The driveway was crowded with cars full of parents and kids. All my friends from camp were taking pictures in front of the Maddiecake fountain. They seemed to be having a lot of fun as they huddled together saying cheese for the cameras. Mom parked and she and Sam eagerly hopped out. I sat in the back seat of the car and took a deep breath.

  “Maeve, come on. It’s freeeeezing out, and I want to see the mansion!” Sam shouted. “Wow! Check out that gargoyle on the top.”

  I almost said, “It’s a warning—keep away—danger within.” But I didn’t. I held up a finger. “I’ll be there in a sec.”

  Mom blew me a kiss and she and Sam disappeared into the crowd.

  “Okay. Deep yoga breath,” I whispered out loud. “This is going to be fun. Parties are always fun. You’re Maeve Kaplan-Taylor, the queen of parties.” But no matter how many times I reminded myself, I was still too freaked to get out of the car. After everything that happened between me and Maddie, going back to her ginormous house just didn’t feel right … even if I was technically invited. Maybe I can just stay in the car until this whole wrap party thing is over, I thought. Then I shook my head. Snap out of it, Maeve! This attitude is soooo not you!

  Suddenly, a gloved hand tapped on my window, startling me so much I jumped in my seat. “Hey, Sufoo. You don’t expect me to go in there without my weird little kung fu fighting compadre?”