Princess in Pink by Meg Cabot

Tina will be
    staring at me all night, willing me to ask Michael about the prom. Great. Thanks.
    Lilly just handed me this giant sign. It says, LES HAUTES MANGER IS UN-AMERICAN!
    I pointed out to Lilly that everyone already knows Les Hautes Manger is un-American. It is a French restaurant. To which
    Lilly replied, 'Just because its owner was born in France is no reason for him to think he does not have to abide by our
    nation's laws and social customs.'
    I said I thought it was one of our laws that people could pretty much hire and fire who they wanted to. You know, within certain parameters.
    'Just whose side are you on in this, anyway, Mia?' Lilly wanted to know.
    I said, 'Yours, of course. I mean, Jangbu's.'
    But doesn't Lilly realize I have way too many problems of my own to take on an itinerant busboy's as well? I mean, I have
    the summer to worry about, not to mention my Algebra grade, and an African orphan to support. And I really don't think I
    can be expected to help get Jangbu's job back when I can't even get my own boyfriend to ask me to the prom.
    I gave Lilly her sign back, explaining that I won't be able to come to the protest after school, as I have a princess lesson to attend. Lilly accused me of being more concerned for myself than for Jangbu's three starving children. I asked her how she knew Jangbu even had kids, because so far as I knew this had not been mentioned in any of the newspaper articles about the incident, and Lilly still hadn't managed to get hold of him. But she just said she meant figuratively, not literally.
    I am very concerned about Jangbu and his figurative children, it is true. But it is a dog-eat-dog world out there, and right now, I've got problems of my own. I'm almost positive Jangbu would understand.
    But I told Lilly I'd try to talk Grandmere into talking the owner of Les Hautes Manger into hiring Jangbu back. I guess it's the least I can do, considering my presence on earth is the reason the poor guy's livelihood was destroyed.
    Homework
    Algebra: Who knows
    English: Who cares
    Biology: Whatever
    Health and Safety: Please
    Gifted and Talented: As if
    French: Something
    World Civ.: Something else
    Friday, May 2, in the limo on the way home from Grandmere's
    Grandmere has decided to act like nothing happened last night. Like she didn't bring her poodle to my birthday dinner and
    get an innocent busboy fired. Like her face wasn't plastered all over the front of every newspaper in Manhattan, minus the Times. She was just going on about how in Japan it is considered terrifically rude to poke your chopstick into your rice bowl. Apparently, if you do this, it is a sign of disrespect to the dead, or something.
    Whatever. Like I am going to Japan anytime soon. Hello, apparently I am not even going to my own PROM.
    'Grandmere,' I said, when I couldn't take it any more. 'Are we going to talk about what happened at dinner last night, or are you just going to pretend like it didn't happen?'
    Grandmere looked all innocent. 'I'm sorry, Amelia. I can't think what you mean.'
    'Last night,' I said. 'My birthday dinner. At Les Hautes Manger. You got the busboy fired. It was all over the papers this morning.'
    'Oh, that.' Grandmere innocently stirred her Sidecar.
    'Well?' I asked her. 'What are you going to do about it?'
    'Do?' Grandmere looked genuinely surprised. 'Why, nothing. What is there to do?'
    I guess I shouldn't have been so shocked. Grandmere can be pretty self-absorbed, when she wants to be.
    'Grandmere, a man lost his job because of you,' I cried. 'You've got to do something! He could starve.'
    Grandmere looked at the ceiling. 'Good heavens, Amelia. I already got you an orphan. Are you saying you want to adopt a busboy, as well?'
    'No. But, Grandmere, it wasn't Jangbu's fault that he spilt soup on you. It was an accident. But it was caused by your dog.'
    Grandmere shielded Rommel's ears.
    'Not so loud,' she said. 'He's very sensitive. The vet said—'
    'I don't care what the vet said,' I