Ruby Parker Hits the Small Time by Rowan Coleman

Anne-Marie’s face was somewhere between disbelieving hysteria and horror. After all, I more or less felt like that, and I wasn’t even her .
    â€œMe? Coach Little Miss I’m So- Brilliant-and Famous?” Anne-Marie barked out a harsh laugh. “No way. If she’d ever wanted any help from me she should have gotten off her high horse years ago and stopped acting so snotty about being on TV. She’s got everything! She doesn’t need me! And even if she did, I certainly wouldn’t help her. I mean, she’s so high and mighty that she can’t even ring and ask me herself; she has to get her little servant to do it.”
    My jaw dropped and I looked at Nydia. Anne-Marie calling me snooty? Me stuck-up? I tried to grab the phone from Nydia to tell Anne-Marie exactly what I thought of her, but she tussled it out of my hands, held me at arm’s length, and glared at me until I signaled that I would listen quietly again.
    â€œI know,” Nydia said with surprising calm. “You’re right. She can come across as a snob sometimes, but it’s basically only to cover up her many insecurities. She didn’t phone you tonight because, well, I haven’t told her I’m calling you. I wanted to see if you’d help us before I raised her hopes. She really does respect you, Anne-Marie. More than you know. She actually looks up to you.”
    I stuck my finger down my throat and mimed vomiting onto the floor.
    Nydia motioned for me to shush. “And just think, if you help Ruby now, maybe she’ll be able to get you some introductions on the show like she did for Danny Harvey—”
    â€œ Danny’s got a part on Kensington Heights ?” Anne-Marie exclaimed. “I knew she fancied him; it was so obvious! God, how sick is that, trying to buy a boyfriend? If it wasn’t for the fact you’ve got no other friends and no one else would even talk to you, I’d tell you to drop her, Nydia.”
    Nydia winced as if Anne-Marie had slapped her face and, taking a deep breath, put on her stage smile.
    I felt horrible. She was only putting herself through all of this for me. She really was the world’s best friend.
    â€œNo! No, she doesn’t fancy Danny. Not at all,” Nydia exclaimed. “They just talked a bit during the school play last year and she decided to help him out. She could help you out too—get you on the set and introduce you to a few important people.” She paused for a moment to let the idea sink in before adding, “Apparently they’re looking for a new teenager …”
    Anne-Marie was silent again for what seemed like forever.
    â€œHow do I know you’re not just feeding me a pack of lies?” she said, her voice as cold as ice.
    Nydia and I exchanged looks. That was a tricky one because, after all, that’s exactly what we were doing.
    Nydia steeled herself. “Because we need you to help us,” she said evenly, looking at me and crossing her fingers. “And because you can trust us.”
    â€œTrust you two? The original stupid twins?” Anne-Marie snorted, sounding like a pig. “As if !”
    â€œOK, then,” Nydia said quickly. “Fine. We’ll drop it. But when you see someone else with the part, don’t go blaming us.”
    Anne-Marie sighed. “No, no …hang on a minute. Tell me exactly what I’d have to do and I’ll think about it.”
    â€œEr, we can’t tell you exactly how you’re helping us until we meet you tomorrow, and you must never tell anyone anything about this. Ruby will arrange for you to get on the set and meet all the right people, but that will only happen after completion of the agreement. So what do you say? Will you do it?” Nydia held my hand so tightly the tips of my fingers went white.
    â€œYou know, Nydia, it’s lucky for you that you know Ruby, isn’t it? Otherwise your fat little life would be really