Rotten Apple by Rebecca Eckler

about Happy than to not talk about anything and sit in this uncomfortable silence. It wasn’t the kind of silence she enjoyed.
    “Isn’t Happy so pretty?” Apple found herself asking.
    She saw Zen perk up. She was torn. At least he seemed to be interested in talking to her now, but why did he have to perk up when the conversation was about her best friend? Once she got him interested, though, she could move on to other things, things that didn’t have to focus around Happy.
    “She’s beautiful! I never knew how beautiful she really was,” Zen said. “She makes me laugh, too.”
    “Yeah, she can be really funny,” agreed Apple.
    “And sweet,” Zen added. “I always thought she was kind of spoiled. But she’s not, really. I mean she is, but she doesn’t act like it, you know?”
    “Of course I know. I’m her best friend!”
    “And she seems like she’d be fun,” he went on. Was he asking a question?
    “Oh, she is,” Apple said. “You’re not the only one who thinks so. She’s a live-for-the-moment kind of girl, you know what I mean?” She knew she was entering uncool territory—because she already knew what she was planning on saying.
    “Not exactly. Maybe. What do you mean?” Zen asked.
    “Well, take the lifeguard for example,” Apple said, leaning in toward Zen. She was close enough to smell him. Happy was right—he did smell good.
    “The lifeguard?” Zen asked, confused.
    “Yeah, the lifeguard she had a fling with over winter break in Mexico. Didn’t she tell you?” Apple asked. “I mean, that’s what I was talking about.”
    Apple felt horrible. She knew she was somehow betraying Happy, but it wasn’t like Happy had ever told her that the lifeguard fling was a secret or anything. And, Apple figured, Happy was the one who had asked her to talk about her, to bring her up in conversation. She was just doing as told. Happy had, after all, practically forced Apple to talk about her to Zen. How else was she to do it?
    “Um, I don’t think so,” Zen said. “She never mentioned anything about a lifeguard.”
    “Well, she had this wild fling with this super-sexy lifeguard. She didn’t even ask his last name! But that’sHappy for you. Like you said, she’s really into having a good time,” Apple said nonchalantly.
    “I see,” Zen said, more slowly now.
    “Yeah, she likes her flings. Nothing too, too serious. She’s sweet, though, isn’t she?”
    “Yeah.”
    “And she’s really funny, like you said,” Apple continued.
    “Yeah.”
    “And she’s super good-looking, like you said.”
    “Yeah.”
    She could tell Zen’s mind was working overtime on what she had just told him.
    “Just forget what I said about the lifeguard,” she said now. “It was just a fling! She really did it just to piss off her sister. I don’t think it meant anything to her. No, I’m
sure
it didn’t,” she added, trying to cheer him up.
    Apple knew she needed to change the subject. “I think this is really good you’re helping out like this,” she told Zen. “I just think you have the best heart.”
    “Well, you’re here too,” said Zen, but sullenly.
    The guilt! It was killing her. She was supposed to talk up her friend, not talk her down.
    “You know, I’m really not feeling well all of a sudden,” Zen said. “Maybe I’m coming down with something. Let’s continue this another time. I think I really need to get out of here.”
    “Really? But what about the clothing that people are going to drop off?” Apple asked. She hoped he didn’t hear the whine in her voice, like she did.
    “Oh, don’t worry about it. I’m sure you can handle it on your own,” he said, pushing back his chair loudly and getting up.
    How could Apple save this disastrous turnaround? What was it she had read in her mother’s book? Something about giving out compliments?
    “Well, like I said, I really think you are great for doing this, even if you’re not feeling well and need to go. I totally