Apple's Angst (34 page)

“Where's Mom?” Apple wondered.

Aunt Hazel directed her eyes toward the restroom.

“Can you believe this day is here?” her aunt said, grabbing Apple's hand.

“I tell you not to move, and you move!” scolded Celia.

Apple couldn't believe that her aunt's wedding day had arrived. Everything in the past few weeks, from her great rise at
Angst
to her great fall, had seemed to happen so fast. Apple felt like she had been through a tornado.

She looked at herself in the mirror. The light green bridesmaid's dress wasn't actually that bad. It was actually pretty sophisticated for her aunt's taste. Apple was pleasantly surprised. Though she felt horrible inside, at least she didn't look it. Her aunt could see this.

“Happy helped pick out the style and color,” said her aunt. “So now you don't have to be embarrassed in front of your friends.”

Apple couldn't believe that she would have to face her friends at her aunt's wedding either.

“Great. So you invited all my friends?” muttered Apple.

Apple had sworn Aunt Hazel to secrecy after telling her that she had lost her unpaid job at
Angst
. Her aunt had been surprisingly understanding, probably because she had lost many jobs in her life. Apple hadn't mentioned her fight with her friends, though, because she didn't want to ruin the day for her aunt.

“Of course I did,” Aunt Hazel said. “Your friends are like family. And you're my family, which makes them my family.”

“Are they all coming?” muttered Apple.

“Of course they are! They love me. What is up with you?” her aunt asked, looking perplexed.

“Nothing,” Apple muttered. “Nothing at all.”

“Do I look all right?” her aunt asked, standing up from the makeup chair. Celia looked like she was about to cry, taking in the sight of the blushing bride.

“You look beautiful,” Apple told her aunt.

It was true. She hadn't seen her aunt look so stunning in her entire life. She had a glow. Apple felt her tears well up.

“This is the happiest day of my life,” her aunt moaned.

Apple didn't want to ruin the day for her aunt. It was just one more day Apple had to get through. Just one day, Apple thought to herself. And it was a once-in-a-lifetime moment for her aunt. Apple was trying to be
in the present
, as Brooklyn always told her to be. She could get through this. And she would try her best to enjoy herself as well.

Luckily, her mother had been so caught up with Crazy Aunt Hazel's wedding, she hadn't seemed to notice that Apple wasn't going out, or barely even leaving her room.

Apple cried with her mother as, from the front row, they watched her aunt walk down the aisle and marry Apple's math teacher.

For a brief moment, Apple felt joy. At least things were looking good for her aunt. If things could turn
out for Crazy Aunt Hazel, surely they could turn around for Apple. They had to.

Apple was seated with her friends for the post-wedding dinner. She couldn't believe how uncomfortable it was. Luckily, there were speeches, and Apple made sure to sit down at the table right before they began. Her aunt couldn't have made a worse seating plan if she had tried. Not that her aunt knew what was going on.

Happy refused to look at Apple. Zen refused to look at Happy. Lyon was looking at his date, a girl Apple vaguely recognized from school. Her aunt really had invited everyone. Brooklyn was ignoring Hopper. And everyone was ignoring Apple.

It was a mess. Apple sat down. “Hey,” Lyon said. “This is Sara,” he said.

“Hey.”

Lyon rubbed Sara's back. Apple missed that.

“What? No date?” Happy whispered to Apple as they watched her aunt get up to make her speech.

“Shut up, Happy!” Apple said. “Do
you
have a date?”

“She'll have a date when she decides she can be with one person,” said Zen.

“You should talk,” said Lyon. “Aren't you the one with all the foolie friends?”

“Yeah, you should talk,” Happy repeated to Zen.

“Who are
you
to talk?” Hopper asked Happy. “Don't you have a therapy guy as a foolie friend?”

“Don't talk to her like that,” Brooklyn told Hopper.

And then it all blew up. Everyone was suddenly yelling at everyone. Hopper and Brooklyn were going at it. Zen and Happy were going at it. Lyon was shooting Apple dirty looks, and Apple was yelling at Zen for fooling around with Evil Emme.

“SHUT UP, ALL OF YOU,” screamed Hazel into the microphone. “This is my special day! This is not about you! I repeat, this is not about you! It's about me! It's about ME!”

They all turned, along with the three hundred other guests, to where her aunt was standing, on a stage, at the front of the room. Her aunt looked crazy, her eyes wild, and she was bashing her bouquet around. Apple hadn't realized how loud they were. The guests, along with her parents and Mr. Kelly, all looked toward Apple's table.

It may have been Guy, it may have been Happy, but someone in the room started to laugh. The laugh was contagious. Someone else started to laugh along, then someone else. Soon enough Apple felt herself doubling over in laughter.

“I'm glad you find this all so funny. What's so funny?” her aunt demanded into the microphone, which made everyone just laugh harder. Mr. Kelly walked to her, whispered something in her ear. Her aunt looked appeased and told the crowd that she'd come back to speak soon.

“I was such a bitch,” said Happy, wrapping her arm around Apple, laughing hard.

“No, I was!” Apple said, laughing so hard she felt tears come to her eyes. “I was fired!” Apple screamed out.

“You were WHAT?” screeched her mother from the other side of the room. She should have known that her mother had ears, along with eyes, at the back of her head.

“I was fired,” Apple repeated. “I was fired.”

Apple watched as Mr. Kelly, her new uncle, whisked her aunt onto the dance floor. He was the only one, it seemed, who could make her aunt look so dreamy, even if Apple and her friends had ruined her perfect day. Maybe they
were
meant to be, thought Apple. Other guests started to dance alongside them, and Apple felt the pang of having no one to dance with. Well, there was Guy, who was hovering around.

“I can talk to Fancy Nancy for you,” said Michael, coming up behind Apple. “She listens to me. I can convince her to give you another chance.”

“That's so sweet of you. Guy says thanks, that's so nice,” said Guy, looking at Michael, then sticking out his hand. “I'm Guy.”

“Oh, I'm sorry. Guy, this is Michael. My boss … well, former boss at
Angst,”
said Apple. Guy had run up to Apple, wanting to know what happened, and had remained at their table.

“Apple!” her mother said, coming toward Apple's table. “I need to speak to you right now!” Apple grabbed Happy's hand, and Happy squeezed back.

“Would you like to come to my table for a drink?” Guy asked Michael.

“Good idea. I think we should leave them alone,” Michael said, nodding toward Apple and her mother. Apple watched as Guy and Michael took off together, laughing their way to the bar.

“And you thought our relationship was confusing,” whispered Hopper to Brooklyn. “You know, all of this makes me appreciate you all that much more.”

“Ah, that's so sweet,” said Brooklyn. “I appreciate you too.”

“Happy,” said Apple. “You know I appreciate you, right?”

“Yes, I appreciate you too,” laughed Happy.

“L
et me just get dressed,” Apple said. “I have a day before summer school starts, and what better way to spend it than with my friends?”

Happy and Brooklyn were in her bedroom, waiting for Apple.

Happy threw the copy of
Angst
magazine that she had been reading on Apple's bedroom floor with disgust. On the cover was a photograph of Emme. “Ask Emme!” read the headline. Happy then picked up the magazine and tossed it into the trash. “Where it belongs!” she announced.

“Hear, hear!” said Brooklyn. “I've never wished evil on anyone before, but I wish evil on Emme.”

“Oh, don't worry, Brooklyn,” said Happy. “She'll get hers. What goes around comes around. And no one messes with my best friend.”

Michael had filled in Guy—they were a couple immediately after Hazel's wedding and now barely left each
other's sides—who had filled in her mother, who had told her aunt, who had told Apple what happened.

Emme told Nancy that she had been doing Apple's job. And Fancy Nancy just gave it to her. She apparently liked Emme's “work ethic.”

Michael said Fancy Nancy would have Apple back, but Apple couldn't bear to face Emme or Fancy Nancy, nor did she want to walk into those offices ever again.

Apple knew her mother would, eventually, start talking to her again. She had to. Apple had apologized profusely to her, after listening to her rant about getting caught up in fame, not doing her job, and almost failing school. Plus, her aunt was on her honeymoon, so her mother would need someone to talk to. Apple had sent a handwritten letter of apology to Fancy Nancy, as she did Lyon. Lyon had called and actually apologized to Apple.

“I really was overbearing,” he had said. “I just wasn't mature enough to handle a girlfriend so in the spotlight, you know. I really did get all clingy and jealous. I'm sorry too.”

They had said they would remain friends, though Apple thought this was doubtful.

Apple didn't imagine she'd ever hear from Sloan Starr again. The last time Apple checked the celebrity website, he was hanging out with a friend of Emme's.

Apple was never going to look at the gossip websites again. Or at least she was going to try not to. At least not until they featured Happy, which could happen sooner than later.

Happy had gotten a call to audition for a television
show. An agent had seen her photos in the paper and on websites, and had asked to represent her.

“If I get this role, you have to come with me,” Happy said to her friends.

“Right! If my mother lets me,” said Apple. “If she ever speaks to me again.”

“Oh, she will. Come on! So many more people watch her show now because of you,” Brooklyn said.

“That's true!” Happy agreed. “I read somewhere that she's never been more popular. Did you notice that she's even changed her wardrobe? Yesterday she was wearing pink! Didn't you see?” Happy asked.

“No,” said Apple. “I was studying all day, remember?”

“Oh, it was brilliant. It was all about backstabbing co-workers,” said a gleeful Happy. “Don't worry. She didn't mention you, Emme, or
Angst
by name, but if they're watching, they'll know.”

“Yeah, that's their karma coming back,” said Brooklyn.

Wow, thought Apple. Her mother may not be talking to her, but she was loyal. She was sticking up for Apple in the only way she knew how: on her talk show.

“Can you believe that
both
of you guys AND Emme kissed Zen,” Brooklyn said.

“Don't remind us!” screeched Apple and Happy in unison. The thought of Zen kissing Emme made Apple's stomach turn. Emme had ditched Zen the same day she had ruined Apple's career at
Angst
. Zen, apparently, didn't really care. He had enjoyed her only as a foolie friend.

“What did I ever see in him?” asked Happy.

“I was just thinking that, about me!” said Apple. “But he was a better kisser than Sloan.”

“Really?” gushed Happy.

“Really,” said Apple.

“Do you mind if I post that somewhere online?” laughed Happy. “That's juicy stuff!”

“Go ahead!” said Apple.

Apple knew that Happy would get the job. She knew, as Brooklyn said, that it was Happy's fate to be on a television show.

“I think I've had enough with celebrities,” moaned Apple. “I want you to be a star, but I don't think I can deal with everything else that comes with it,” Apple said. It was true. Unlike her mother, she wasn't cut out for more than fifteen minutes of fame. She didn't want to be in the spotlight. She felt as if she had been holding her breath for the past couple of months and now could finally breathe again. It was nice.