by Clare Hutton
Caitlin glanced at Natalia warily as they both took seats in front of their pizza crusts.
“What do you think, guys?” Zoe asked, eyeing the bowls of toppings. “Would olives, onions, mushrooms, and pineapple be a weird combination?”
Emma made a face. “Ugh. I’m not sure the pineapple goes with the other things. Pineapple and onion?”
“Nonsense, it’ll be terrific,” Zoe said loftily. “A little dull, perhaps, I’ll admit that. What if I added delicious fresh celery? There’s some in the refrigerator, right, Emma?”
Emma stared at her.
“Just to add some crunch,” Zoe explained.
Emma bit her lip. “How about pickles?” she offered, smirking. “We have sweet or dill. Maybe a little mustard?”
Clearly unable to resist, Natalia chimed in. “I always find that chocolate adds a certain flair to le pizza pie,” she informed them loftily. “Just sprinkle a few chocolate chips across the top to give it zest.”
Caitlin giggled. “Blueberry jam could be delightful, too,” she declared, and Natalia grinned.
Zoe shot Emma a look of relief. Caitlin and Natalia were joking around! They were having fun!
The rest of the pizza making went pretty smoothly—they did not add mustard, pickles, celery, chocolate, or jam, but Caitlin put some pineapple slices on hers along with the sausage and seemed to enjoy it—and by the time they were eating, Zoe felt like things were already beginning to get back to normal. Caitlin and Natalia weren’t talking to each other, but they were both talking to Emma and Zoe. Caitlin had smiled several times, and Natalia was grinning her big familiar grin that Zoe couldn’t remember seeing at all in the last few days.
It’s a good start, Zoe thought optimistically. The plan was going to work!
“Okay,” Emma said, putting down the crust of her last piece. “Shall we make caramel popcorn for dessert and watch a movie?”
Once they had a big bowl of drippy, sweet popcorn, they retreated to the living room. Emma suggested a weepy teen romance that had been a big hit the previous summer and the others agreed to her choice, although Zoe would have preferred something scary or funny. But she didn’t want to start trouble by arguing about the movie, not when things were going so well. They spread out comfortably over the two big couches in Emma’s family’s living room. Once again, Zoe moved fast and made sure to take up enough space beside Emma so that Caitlin and Natalia ended up sitting side by side.
As the girl and boy in the movie kissed on a beautiful golden beach, orchestral music swelling, Zoe let her mind wander.
Grown-up, urban, sophisticated Zoe sat at a conference table in her office beneath one of her most beautiful paintings, smiling at the worried-looking president on the other side of the table. Next to her, Emma shook the hand of another world leader.
“Now, let’s see if we can’t resolve this problem, Ms. President,” Zoe said, cheerfully but firmly. “There’s no need to get the United Nations involved, if you and His Excellency will only talk to each other. The first step to coming to a mutually acceptable agreement is a simple conversation. I’m sure that, by starting with a low-key, relaxed chat, we will soon be able to accomplish world peace.”
Zoe suddenly realized the end credits of the movie were playing.
Caitlin sniffed, wiping at her eyes. “That was so sad!”
“I know!” Emma agreed, reaching for another tissue. “I can’t believe she died, when he loved her so much. And it seemed like she was getting better!”
Natalia had her hands clasped against her chest. “I wonder if anyone will ever love me enough to take me on a road trip and then stay with me through a terminal illness?”
“Let’s hope we never find out,” Zoe said drily.
Natalia playfully stuck out her tongue at her. “You’re like the antiromantic,” she said. “If you were Juliet and you met Romeo, you’d probably—”
“Live to grow up?” Zoe suggested.
Caitlin wiped away another tear. “Thanks for picking this, Emma,” she said. “My mom won’t let me go to this kind of movie. She thinks they’re sappy and a waste of money. She says teen movies lead to brain rot.”
“Maybe you should talk to her about why you want to see them,” Zoe suggested. “She’s a psychologist; tell her you find it healthy for your emotional development to watch sad movies.”
Rolling her eyes, Caitlin laughed. “I don’t think she’ll go for that.”
“Better not take Zoe’s advice,” Natalia said. She was smiling, but there was an edge in her voice. “We know how that turned out last time.”
“Hey!” Zoe said, hurt that Natalia had attacked her out of nowhere.
Natalia grimaced apologetically. “Sorry, Zoe, I didn’t mean your advice was bad, just that Caitlin shouldn’t take it. But it was just a joke.”
Caitlin wasn’t laughing anymore. “What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked coolly. “I shouldn’t take Zoe’s advice?”
“Well, she told you to be honest and instead you were really mean,” Natalia said. “Obviously, you can’t follow instructions very well.” She twisted a strand of her hair around her finger. “I’m just kidding,” she added.
No, she’s not, Zoe thought. Distracting them into talking to each other isn’t really working. She and Emma had wanted them to talk and have fun, not get into a fight.
“Look,” Caitlin said, folding her arms over her chest. “You asked me what I thought of your design. You kept asking, even when I didn’t want to tell you. I didn’t want to lie to you. We always said we’d be honest with each other. I’m sorry your feelings got hurt, but let’s be clear here. The problem wasn’t Zoe’s advice, and it wasn’t that I took Zoe’s advice and was honest with you. The problem is that you can’t take criticism!”
Natalia bristled. “Oh, it’s all me? You couldn’t even let me do my part of the Egypt project without changing it!”
“I’ve always neatened stuff up,” Caitlin said. “You never minded before. You’re just complaining about it now because I told you the truth when you asked me for it.”
“If I’m so horrible, why are you even hanging around with me?” Natalia asked.
“Come on, you guys,” Emma said, looking back and forth between them. “You’re blowing everything way out of proportion.”
“Emma, I’m going to call my dad,” Caitlin said. “I want to go home.” She was standing very stiff and straight, and her eyes looked shiny with tears. Turning on her heel, she headed for the bedroom.
Emma got up and followed her. “Caitlin, you don’t have to …”
“Yeah, I do. I want to.”
Zoe turned to her sister, who was staring down at the rug. “Natalia, stop her. Don’t let her leave.”
Natalia, without looking up, shrugged. “I’m not sure I want to stop her.”
Caitlin, carrying her sleeping bag and duffel bag, came out of the bedroom and walked straight out of the apartment without looking at them, Emma following her out. Zoe listened to their footsteps getting fainter as they walked down the stairs.
“Natalia, stop her,” she said more insistently. “She’s your best friend, and this isn’t worth ruining your friendship. You’re overreacting.”
Natalia blew out a big gusty sigh. “Stop trying to fix this, Zoe,” she said. “I don’t want your advice.” She got up and went into Emma’s bedroom, closing the door firmly behind her.
Zoe put her face in her hands. Everything had been going so well just a few minutes ago.
After a little while, Emma came back into the apartment and sat down on the couch beside her. “Caitlin’s dad picked her up,” she said. “She’s really upset. Where’s Natalia?”
Zoe jerked her head toward the bedroom. “I don’t think she wants to talk to us for a while.” Her hands were lying in her lap, and she stared down at them instead of looking at Emma.
Emma patted her cautiously on the shoulder. “It’s not your fault, you know,” she said. “I guess they just weren’t ready
for us to get them together.”
“Yeah, I guess not.” Zoe finally looked up at Emma. “Remember how I said yesterday that, if this went wrong, I was going to give up and stop trying to give people advice?”
“Oh, Zoe,” Emma said. “You don’t have to—”
“No, I’m serious,” Zoe insisted. “Everything I’ve tried has just made things worse. I’m not good at giving advice. I’m sorry, but I’m not going to do the last show. I’m done.”
“You’re being ridiculous; I hope you know that,” Natalia told Zoe the following Wednesday. “There’s no reason for you to quit the show.” They were walking up the steps outside the school with Emma. Heavy, dark clouds hung overhead, gloomy and ominous, and they matched Zoe’s mood. It was the last Wednesday of March, so it was supposed to be the final episode of Zoe and Emma to the Rescue. But, instead, it would be Emma to the Rescue.
“Please don’t quit,” Emma begged Zoe again, clasping her hands together and giving her big, sad eyes. “It’s the very last show, and I’ll feel awkward doing it by myself. There’s nothing wrong with the advice you give.”
Zoe felt a pang of guilt. It really wasn’t fair to leave Emma to do the last show all by herself, after they’d spent the whole month doing them together. But she didn’t feel like she could trust herself to give the right advice.
“I’m scared,” she admitted to Emma, pausing outside the school doors. “My advice to Caitlin started the fight between Natalia and her. And my advice to Charlotte ended up making Malcolm and her both unhappy. What if I give more bad advice? I wanted to help people fix their problems, not make them worse. I trust you to give good advice a lot more than I trust myself right now.”
“You gave reasonable answers to Charlotte’s and Caitlin’s problems,” Emma said, frowning. “What happened afterward isn’t all your fault.”
Natalia spoke up. “Emma’s right. Your advice was fine, Zoe,” she said earnestly. “Yeah, Caitlin and I fought. But that was our fault, not yours. You told her to be honest. And …” She looked away, squinting against the wind. “It’s possible that I overreacted. I just might be a little oversensitive about my drawing skills. And our fights after that? It was completely Caitlin’s and my decision how to act.”
Zoe sighed. “Maybe,” she said. “But I can’t help feeling like a lot of things that went wrong started with my advice. Not just with you guys, either. Think about Charlotte and Malcolm.”
“Emma? Zoe?” A new voice broke into their conversation. Zoe looked up and saw a dark-haired seventh-grade girl coming up the stairs toward them. Zoe recognized Isabel Rosario, although she didn’t think they’d ever actually spoken to each other before.
“Oh, hey, Isabel,” she said, curious about why Isabel was suddenly coming up to her. “What’s up?”
“I’m glad I saw you guys,” Isabel said, smiling. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you.”
“I’ll catch you both later. It’s cold out here,” Natalia said to Emma and Zoe. “Bye, Isabel.” She swung the school door open and disappeared inside.
“What’s up?” Emma asked. “What did you want to talk to us about?”
“Well,” Isabel said, and hesitated. She fiddled with her backpack strap, looking slightly embarrassed. “I was the one who wrote in to you guys about the slumber party I had? And my parents would only let me invite three people, so I had to leave one of my really good friends out?”
“Oh, yeah,” Zoe said. “That was you?” Now that she thought about it, she could picture the four girls Isabel was always hanging out with.
“Yeah.” Isabel shoved her gloved hands into her coat pockets. “My friend Alice was really mad at me for leaving her out. But I took your advice. I wrote her an apology letter, and we spent Saturday down in Chestertown together, shopping and having lunch, just the two of us.” She looked at Zoe. “I showed her how much she mattered to me as a friend, like you suggested, and now neither of us cares about the whole thing with the slumber party anymore.”
“Really?” Zoe said, glancing at Emma. Was she listening to this?
“Anyway, I feel like you saved our friendship, and I just wanted to say thanks,” Isabel said.
“Wow. Thanks, Isabel,” said Zoe. She felt really touched.
“No, thank you guys,” Isabel said, smiling.
Emma gave a little wave as Isabel headed inside. “Bye, Isabel,” she said, then turned to stare meaningfully at Zoe, her eyebrows raised. “So?” she asked expectantly.
“So?” Zoe echoed.
“So, your advice really helped someone!” Emma waved her hands in the air excitedly. “Yay! Good advice!”
“Our advice really helped someone,” Zoe reminded her.
“Yes, okay—our advice really made a difference for Isabel. It fixed her problem and made her life better. And it helped her friend Alice, too, because her feelings aren’t hurt anymore.”
“Yeah,” said Zoe, pleased warmth spreading through her. Their advice really had helped Isabel.
“And, so, your whole point about how your advice always causes terrible trouble is just plain wrong,” Emma told her. “Come on, don’t make me do our very last show by myself. I’d hate it, and I don’t want us to end like that.”
Zoe swallowed. Emma was right. They had helped, and maybe most of their other advice wasn’t terrible, despite what had happened to Charlotte and Caitlin. People liked their show. And Zoe realized she didn’t want the show to end that way, either.
Suddenly, Zoe had an idea. “Okay, I’ll do the show,” she told Emma, whose face lit up with happiness and relief. “But I want to put in a new letter.”
“Move your head back a little bit,” Ava said, attaching a microphone to Zoe’s collar as Zoe bent over the desk at the side of the room, quickly writing on a piece of paper. “Shouldn’t you have finished getting your letters for the show together a while ago?”
“This one’s a special last-minute addition,” Zoe told her. She wrote one more sentence and then read the whole thing over. Yep, it said what she wanted to say. “Hey, Emma, will you read this one on the show?” she asked, handing the paper to her cousin.
“Quiet, everybody,” Mark called, and Zoe mimed zipping her lips.
“Happy Wednesday, Waverly Oysters!” Charlotte shouted. She was grinning widely, and she had been laughing with Oliver and Shoshanna just before the show began. Even though her relationship with Malcolm hadn’t worked out, Charlotte didn’t seem too upset about it anymore. I guess my advice didn’t ruin her life after all, Zoe thought. It didn’t even ruin her week.
Charlotte and Oliver led the Pledge of Allegiance, then began to go through the morning news. As she listened, Zoe felt an unexpected wave of wistfulness. She was going to miss these Wednesday mornings. Whether the new letter she had for them to answer today did any good or not, she was glad she hadn’t skipped the last show.
“We have the winner of the school T-shirt contest,” Oliver announced. “And the winner is …” He did a drumroll on the desk, and Zoe tensed in anticipation. “… Elise George. Congratulations, Elise. We’ll be seeing your T-shirt soon. The design will be up on the bulletin boards, and shirts will be available starting in April.”
Zoe felt a little twinge of disappointment. Natalia’s and her design hadn’t won. She hadn’t necessarily expected it to, but it had turned out pretty well in the end. She’d thought there’d been a chance they might win.
“Honorable mentions in the contest go to Naveen Moore, Emily McCann, and Natalia and Zoe Martinez,” Charlotte said. “Congratulations to everybody.”
They liked our T-shirt idea, Zoe realized. A honorable mention is pretty great. Natalia was going to be so happy!
Emma squeezed her arm tight. “Congratulations,” she whispered.
“And now, today is the final day of our March Wednesday show, Zoe and Emma to the Rescue,” Oliver went on. “If you’re interested in starring in our April show, please remember to submit your proposal by Monday.”
Anoth
er show, Zoe thought as she and Emma switched places with Charlotte and Oliver. It was hard to believe that next week, someone else would be taking Emma’s and her place behind this table on Wednesday mornings.
“Hi, everybody,” Emma said. “I’m Emma.”
“And I’m Zoe, and this is Zoe and Emma to the Rescue,” Zoe chimed in.
“Today, we’ve got a special letter about friendship and about trying to help your friends when their friendship is falling apart,” Emma said. She glanced at Zoe, and Zoe nodded encouragingly. Emma read aloud.
“Dear Zoe and Emma, Two of my really good friends—who used to be each other’s best friends—aren’t speaking to each other. One of them asked the other what she thought about something important, and the friend gave her some honest criticism. So, the first friend had her feelings hurt, and she got mad. And that made the other friend mad, too. I’ve tried to get them to talk to each other and realize that they still care about each other and should just forgive and forget. But everything I’ve done has backfired, and one of them is mad at me now, too. How can I make them be friends again?”
She put down the piece of paper. “Tough question,” she said. “Zoe, what do you think?”
Zoe took a deep breath. Treat it like it’s any other question, she told herself. Act like it’s got nothing to do with you.
“Well, I don’t think you can ‘make them be friends again,’” she said seriously, looking into the camera. “One thing I’ve learned recently is that people are going to make their own choices. All you can do is support them both. Try not to take sides.” She hoped that Caitlin and Natalia were both listening, especially to the next thing she was going to say. “True friends will come back together eventually. If you give them time and space to think, maybe they’ll remember how much they like each other. Maybe they’ll realize that their friend wouldn’t hurt them on purpose. But you can’t fix this for them. All you can do is be a good friend to each of them.”
