Rotten Apple

by Rebecca Eckler

  “Yes,” gulped Apple. “She does.”

  “Well, if she looks good on air, and speaks well, who knows what will come out of this for her! Don’t tell anyone Guy said this, but viewers rarely remember what you say—they only remember if you looked good or not. You’ll have some idea of what Happy is going to talk about. You’re her best friend!” Guy said. “But what Guy did find out from her did sound pretty juicy!”

  “Yes, I think I may have some idea,” said Apple almost to herself. She looked at Guy again. “Did my mother say when she was coming back?”

  “She said she would come straight from the airport to the studio on Monday for the show,” Guy answered. He looked her up and down again. “God, girl. You should go take a hot bath with some essential oils and scented candles to relax you. You really do look like crap.” Then, with a “ta ta,” he sauntered out the door.

  pple’s eyes stung Monday morning. She wasn’t sure if it was because of all the crying or from the lack of sleep—both of which had lasted the entire weekend. She felt like a convict. She hadn’t left the house at all. Nobody had called, and no matter how many times she checked for a dial tone, her phone was still perfectly functional. The lives of everyone around her seemed to be fine and dandy. Crazy Aunt Hazel was seeing someone—at least she had made it to date three, which was pretty good for Aunt Hazel. Her parents were having the time of their lives in Vegas. From the sound of giddiness in her mother’s voice on her voice-mail messages, it sounded like she was the teenager and Apple was the sober mother, worrying over what those two were up to.

  She decided she couldn’t possibly go to school today, which wasn’t a problem for Crazy Aunt Hazel, who completely understood heartbreak. Her aunt was all about taking mental health days.

  “Sometimes a gal just needs to take a mental health day,” she had said, happily, as she prepared to go to work. “But I can’t tell you how good I feel right now. Life is just so much better when you have someone to share it with—when you know someone is on your side, no matter what,” she said.

  “Please, Aunt Hazel, not now,” begged Apple. “You’ve only been on three dates with this guy.”

  “Sorry, hon. I just haven’t been this happy in a long, long time. This is it. He’s the one! I’m so sure of it this time,” she rhapsodized.

  “And I’m happy for you. I am,” said Apple, trying to sound more convinced than she felt. Not only was she a ball of misery, but she hated seeing her aunt get so excited about men when they usually turned out to be nothing but a bust.

  After Hazel left, Apple headed back to her bedroom, planning on sleeping all day. But she couldn’t. In nine hours, once Happy went on The Queen of Hearts and shared her story, Apple would officially be finished. She would be the laughing stock of the entire school. And the laughing stock of the entire country. Maybe the world—who knew where else The Queen of Hearts aired? She slipped out of bed and headed downstairs in her pajamas to watch television. Maybe watching Minors in Malibu reruns would make her life seem even-keeled. Hottie Gabe was in the middle of sleeping with his ex-girlfriend’s mother. His life was way more complicated.

  The phone rang at exactly noon.

  “Apple!” said Brooklyn. “You’re there!”

  “Yes, I’m here,” said Apple despondently.

  “Why aren’t you at school? Are you sick? You sound tired. I have these vitamin B drops that really give you energy.”

  “You know why I’m not at school. My life is over. I didn’t even think that you were still talking to me,” Apple said anxiously.

  “Apple, of course I’m still talking to you. I think you just lost your way for a bit. And your life is so not over. Don’t be dramatic. My guru says that you should never be judgmental about anyone, including yourself. It’s just wasted energy,” Brooklyn whispered into her cell phone. Apparently, the Helicopter had given it back.

  “Yeah, well, I’m sure you’ve heard what happened. How can my life not be over? You know that Happy is going on my mother’s show today, right?”

  “Yeah, she told me,” said Brooklyn. “She didn’t really get into much detail. But at least her dream is finally coming true. You know she’s always wanted to be a guest on The Queen of Hearts! We should all be happy for her.”

  “Brooklyn!” Apple cried. “What about me? What am I going to do? Do you think I should be happy about it?”

  “Listen,” Brooklyn said seriously. “I really think you should try talking to Happy again.”

  “I don’t think she’ll talk to me,” Apple whimpered.

  “Go to her. Go talk to her in person. Don’t be a coward and call her on the phone. Come on, Apple,” Brooklyn prodded. “I know you can do it. You just have to think positively. If you put out positive vibes, then only positive things will come your way. You should really talk to her in person.”

  “I’ll think about it,” Apple promised.

  “And remember, Apple, just breathe. If you concentrate on your breathing, you’ll stop obsessing about everything else in your life. Be zen about it all. Oops! Sorry, I didn’t mean to use that word. You know what I meant when I said be zen about it, right?”

  “Yes, Brooklyn. Don’t worry,” Apple laughed lightly. “I haven’t completely lost my mind. My best friend, maybe.”

  “Listen, Apple, I should go. I have to eat now and maybe get a few minutes of stretching in before classes start after lunch. I’ll call you later, okay?”

  “Thanks, Brooklyn.”

  “Remember, think positively! Peace and love,” Brooklyn said, hanging up.

  Maybe Brooklyn was right. Even though Apple had done a shitty thing, Brooklyn was still speaking to her. She still cared enough to check in on her.

  Maybe Apple should at least attempt to be zen. Her life could be worse, after all. She watched a couple more hours of Minors in Malibu, thinking about her conversation with Brooklyn.

  Brooklyn was probably right. She had to speak to Happy in person. But first there was one other person she knew she would eventually need to talk to. And what better time than the present? She picked up the phone and dialed the number.

  “Zen?” Apple wasn’t expecting Zen to answer. She had been expecting voice mail.

  “Yes, who’s this?” he asked.

  “It’s me. Apple.”

  “Oh, Apple, hi,” he said, sounding surprised but not unfriendly.

  “Am I catching you at a bad time?”

  “No, actually, I was just leaving Happy’s house. We skipped classes this afternoon.”

  “Oh. Well, I’m calling because I guess I just want to apologize from the bottom of my heart to you for what I did. I never meant to hurt anyone, especially not you or Happy. Things just got totally out of hand,” Apple said quickly. The words gushed out.

  “Why did you do it, Apple?” Zen asked. “I mean, if you want to tell me.”

  Was it better to tell Zen how she had felt? Was there any point? But she figured she had nothing to lose now.

  “I just liked you, you know,” Apple said.

  Zen didn’t respond. Apple wasn’t sure if he understood what she was getting at. Or maybe he hadn’t heard her.

  “I liked you liked you,” she said, trying again. “Are you still there?”

  “Yes, I’m still here,” he said. “I really had no idea.”

  “I guess I tried to show you in my own way, but I didn’t do a very good job.”

  “I guess not,” Zen said, giving a chuckle. Even Apple smiled.

  “For the longest time I’ve had a crush on you,” she confessed. “But every time I tried to talk to you about anything, it seemed to backfire. Remember when I tried to talk to you about basketball? Remember how awkward that was? And I could never be with someone who wasn’t addicted to television. And I hate all sports. And I hate cars.”

  “God, Apple, I really had no idea how you felt,” Zen said again, sounding confused. “So … you don’t feel that way about me anymore?”

  “No,” Apple said. She was
surprised. But she knew it was mostly true. “I realize we don’t have anything in common. I even volunteered for the clothing drive only to spend more time with you, not out of the goodness of my heart, like you did. But that failed too,” Apple said. “I’m sorry, Zen. I am. It’s like my mother always says, ‘Never underestimate what heartbreak can do to a girl.’”

  “Does your mother really say that, or are you making that one up too?” Zen asked, but Apple could hear the smile in his voice. She started to relax.

  “No, she really does say that,” she answered, laughing.

  “Well, thanks for calling, Apple. I just got home and I have to be somewhere pretty soon. So, I guess I’ll speak to you later?” he said.

  “Wait. So will you forgive me?” Apple pressed.

  “Sure, I’ll forgive you. Just don’t ever let it happen again.”

  “Do you think Happy will forgive me?” Apple asked, more self-consciously.

  “I’m not sure, Apple. The only one who knows that is Happy.”

  “Right.”

  “I’ll see you around, Apple,” he said, and hung up.

  She got off the phone, slightly wounded but relieved. It hadn’t been so bad. Then she saw that there was a voice-mail message. It was her mother again, telling her she was back in town, heading directly from the airport to the studio.

  Apple knew she had to speak to Happy in person before the show. And she knew the one place she would definitely find her. She had to rush and get ready if she was going to make it on time to face Happy once and for all.

  ow quickly can you get a car here?” Apple asked the lady on the phone.

  “How quickly do you need one?” the lady said sleepily.

  “Like, in thirty minutes or less?” Apple said impatiently.

  “That’s cutting it a little short.”

  “Well, it’s for Dr. Bee Bee Berg,” Apple said. “And we have an account with you. She uses you guys all the time to take her to the airport and pick her up.”

  “The Queen of Hearts?” the lady said, suddenly perking up.

  “Yes, well, I’m her daughter, and she just called and told me she forgot some very important files and she needs me to bring them to her to the studio. The show starts very soon.”

  “Give me a second,” said the woman, and clicked at her computer keyboard. “Okay, I can do it.”

  “Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!” squealed Apple. “My mother will be thrilled.” She gave the woman her address, and told her to put it on her mother’s account. Then she slammed down the phone, ran upstairs, ripped off her pajamas, and jumped in the shower. Her body wasn’t even fully dry as she threw on some clothes.

  The driver picked her up exactly thirty minutes after the call. The drive to the studio took twenty-five minutes, most of which Apple spent biting her nails. Maybe she should get her license as soon as she could after all.

  When the driver dropped her off, Apple ran to the front doors.

  “Do you have a pass?” asked a security guard.

  “I’m Dr. Berg’s daughter,” she said confidently, as if he should already know this.

  “Well, then, go ahead,” he said, and waved her in.

  She walked down the hallways and tried to remember where her mother’s dressing room was. It was kind of like riding a bike—she did remember. As a child, she used to come to the studio regularly and get her makeup put on by the professionals for fun. She popped her head through a door marked “The Queen.”

  “Apple! Oh my goodness. What are you doing here?” her mother asked excitedly, turning around in her swivel chair. She had been getting her makeup done and was reading her notes for the show. “Hey, everyone. Have you all met my daughter, Apple?” her mother asked proudly, looking to the makeup person, the hair person, and the wardrobe lady.

  Her mother’s smiled suddenly disappeared. “Apple, is everything okay? How did you get here? Are you all right? Did something happen?”

  “Mom! Calm down. I’ll explain later how I got here.”

  “It’s just that you never come here anymore. So something must be wrong. What’s wrong?” her mother asked, clearly alarmed.

  “Can we get a minute alone, Mom?” Apple whispered, leaning close to her mother’s ear.

  “Sure. Everyone, I need a minute alone with my daughter,” Dr. Berg said loudly yet calmly.

  The room cleared out in seconds, and Apple suddenly found that her mother intimidated her. For a moment she saw her as the rest of the world did—as an important, powerful woman and role model. And she suddenly felt like one of the thousands of viewers who wrote desperately to the Queen of Hearts. Actually, now she was one of them.

  “What is it, Apple?” Dr. Berg asked.

  Breathe, Apple, breathe.

  “I just… I just want to say how sorry I am for how I spoke to you and how I’ve been treating you. I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you about my problems. I’m sorry I snuck into your computer and pretended to be you. I’m sorry I thought you were the one who broke into my computer. And I’m sorry, most of all, that I didn’t ask for your advice. I’m sorry, Mom. I’m sorry about everything.”

  Apple was shocked to see her mother’s eyes tear up. She sat down on her mother’s chair, almost on her lap, resting her head on her mother’s shoulder. It was the closest she’d been to her mother in God knew how long.

  “Oh, Apple,” her mother started to say. “You’re going to make me cry, and Deirdre just finished my eyes.”

  Apple gave a soft laugh. “I am truly sorry, Mom,” she said.

  “Apple, it’s okay. I forgive you. I was fifteen once too, you know. I know it’s hard to believe, but I was,” her mother said. “So you know what the show is about today, I’m assuming. And you know who’s going to be on?”

  “I know, Mom. I know,” Apple said gloomily.

  “Well, I can put a stop to this right now, Apple. I can do that.”

  “Forget it. I deserve it,” Apple said.

  “I’m not sure you deserve this,” Dr. Berg said giving her daughter a pointed look.

  “Well, Happy has wanted to be a guest on your show forever. This is her dream come true,” Apple said. “I really can’t take that away from her. Especially after everything I did to her.”

  Just then, there was a sharp knock at the door and Guy walked in.

  “Apple! What are you doing here? Are you here to give your friend support? That’s sweet. And Guy sees that your very presence here has shocked your mother into tears! That’s not good, Apple. She’s got to look television perfect. So, are we ready to go on air, Mrs. Queen of Hearts?” Guy asked. “Guy’s going to get Deirdre back in here to fix that mascara mess of yours. You don’t want to look like a raccoon!”

  “No, no. I’m fine. I’m more than fine,” Dr. Berg said. “And, Guy, it’s waterproof mascara! I could go swimming and it wouldn’t run.” She turned to face her daughter. “Are you okay, Apple?”

  “I’m feeling a bit better,” Apple said.

  “All right then, showtime!” Guy said, clapping his hands like a boot camp instructor. “Apple, why don’t you wait in the green room? Have some of those chocolate chip cookies. They are to die for.”

  Dr. Berg hugged her daughter and let Guy lead her out to the stage. In a few minutes, Apple thought, my life will be officially over. She felt strangely calm. What Happy would say was out of her hands, but at least her mother knew that she hadn’t meant to be rotten. All I can do now is watch, she thought. She walked back to the green room and sat down on a couch facing the television.

  Dr. Berg introduced the show topic—“Why Teenagers’ Love Lives Are Just as Complicated as Ours”—and then invited her first guest out onstage. Apple watched Happy, her ex-best friend, walk out onstage. Apple had always known that Happy was beautiful, but she’d had no idea how super-photogenic she was until she saw her on screen.

  “So, Happy, you are in tenth grade. Do you have a boyfriend?” asked Dr. Berg.

  “Yes, I do. He’s great,
” Happy said.

  Apple leaned closer to the television. Had Happy just said Zen was her boyfriend? She’d had no idea their relationship had progressed so quickly.

  “And how long have you two been dating?” Apple’s mother asked Happy.

  “Well, not very long. But we had some complications,” Happy said.

  “And what do you mean by that?” Dr. Bee Bee Berg asked.

  “Well, another girl at my school tried to sabotage my relationship,” Happy answered, looking straight into the camera. Happy was born to be on television.

  Apple felt her heart sink as the studio audience booed. Everything Apple had feared would happen was happening. It was like watching a car accident in progress. She blinked back tears. It was all going down. Right now.

  “And it was my so-called best friend who tried to sabotage my relationship,” Happy added. Again the audience booed. Clearly, Happy, who had watched Queen of Hearts with Dr. Bee Bee Berg a thousand times, knew what to say to push the audience’s buttons. Even Apple couldn’t help but be impressed through her own mortification. Happy was really good at this TV thing.

  “What exactly do you mean by ‘sabotage?’” Dr. Berg asked.

  “Well, I told my friend that I liked this guy and I asked her to ask him some things to find out if he liked me too,” Happy began. “And instead of doing that, she led him to believe that I wasn’t a serious relationship person. Then she gave him bad advice about how to impress me. And other things like that.”

  “What else, dear?” Dr. Berg asked. Even though her mother knew it was Apple that Happy was talking about, she was still a professional.

  “Well, she told him to not ask me to the school dance,” Happy explained.

  Again the audience booed, which just egged Happy on. She was on fire.

  “She told him that he should wait and that he would seem over-eager if he asked me. Meanwhile, she knew that I wanted him to ask me. Then another guy asked me, and I so did not want to go with him, but my friend—sorry, my ex-friend—told me I should accept his invitation.”

  “Nooo!” the audience yelled out.