How to Date a Nerd

Chapter 26 - How to Catch Bad Luck

Chuck just stared at me stupidly. “You’re asking me?” he grumbled. “Are you out of your mind? Thinking’s usually Nate’s job. Not mine. If I do the thinking, d’you think we’d still be alive today?”

“You’re right. Must be the acrophobia,” I breathed out and hurried up the steps.

Confused, Chuck looked around. “Very funny. There are no spiders here.”

The stairs seemed to be moving. So were the walls and the ground way down beneath us. In what seemed like ages, we finally reached the door with the EXIT sign. I virtually lunged at it. Solid ground was what I need or I’d pretty much throw up.

And Megan was there, her back against the waist-high railing. The guards were almost on her, except that she kept backing away. She looked terrified as she glanced over her shoulder to see how high we were. But she seemed to be more scared of the people in front of her. At first, she was hesitant. I just knew she’d jump as she held onto the ledge. But I couldn’t do anything. She was out of my reach. Just like that, she was gone.

My brain was in scrambles as we were escorted out of the building. The reporters swarmed towards us, bombarding us questions that I couldn’t even comprehend. The security kept them at a distance but it won’t stop them for long. All that ruckus was overwhelming. Chuck looked just as dazed as me. And for the first time he wasn’t grinning for the cameras. Police sirens drowned whatever the reporters were trying to ask us and that was all I could hear. The yellow tapes surrounding the front of the building were all I could see.

The police interrogation, the trip to the hospital, the meeting with the company bosses; they were all a blur to me. I was so lost in thought that I only noticed I hadn’t slept all night when it was getting light outside.

Megan was dead. I couldn’t help but think that maybe I had something to do with that. I wanted her to come to me. And that was why she came there.

My cell phone rang who knew how many times. But I didn’t move a muscle to pick it up. I just… listened. I was scared. No, terrified to talk about it to anyone. I couldn’t bring myself to put it in words. I won’t be able to answer if they asked me how I feel. Because then I’d have to accept that everything was real and I didn’t want it to be.

Someone kept banging on my door. I didn’t make a move to open it. I didn’t think I had the energy or the courage. It was like I’d been standing on the edge of the rooftop where Megan stood. Any wrong move and I’d fall straight to insanity. For hours, I mulled over thoughts that didn’t make any sense to me. They were just words that made me numb.

Finally, my door flung open. Reed came first with a serious look on his face. Behind him Chuck had this big freaky grin. All the while though, he looked distracted, staring into space. Only Ricky was himself—nervous and shaky.

“Nate called,” Reed started. “He said your Dad’s in the hospital. You need to go home now.”

It took a while before I figured out what he said to me. I blinked twice. “Why? What happened?”

After jumping off the bed, I began pacing the room, snatching the first shirt I found in the closet. Sidetracked, I threw the shirt on and pulled up the pair of denims lying about.

I noticed that the guys were carrying their own backpacks. Ricky cleared his throat.

“We’re going with you,” he told me, looking away.

“No. Stay here,” I insisted, grabbing my own knapsack. “The people have to know that the band’s still intact even after the… uh… accident.”

They didn’t move until I found my sneakers and was ready to go. I knew those looks. They were hiding something from me. But there wasn’t time for interrogation right now. No way I’d waste time talking them into staying. Together we got into a cab and headed for the airport. The whole trip was silent. It was a miracle.

Not until we reached the airport did I get a whiff of what was really happening. I kept getting curious looks from the other passengers from the ticket line to the business class seats. A few of them seemed to recognize me. Unbelievably, no one chased us or tried to get an autograph. They just stared.

The accident was all over the media. I was sure of it. As the plane took off, the guys kept nudging Ricky to speak up. I had a vague idea why.

 “Let me guess,” I started, taking my headphones off. “The TV people want to make it look like I coaxed Megan into jumping off that building. And now our recording contract, our should’ve-been careers and the whole Sonnet Records are in jeopardy. In short, we’re dead.”

Ricky gave me a hesitant look, his pale long fingers tapping on the corner of his laptop. “Yes… yes and yes,” he admitted.

“Plus, people are making it look like Moira’s neglected the girl,” Chuck added simply. “It’s stupid because she was like twenty-five.”

“Twenty-one,” Reed corrected glaring at him.

That didn’t put Chuck off. “And your cover’s totally blown, man. Probably by now, Sarah knows about your secret identity. You’ve gotta explain everything to her, remember? That is if Matt hasn’t made the first move already.”

“Shut up, Chuck,” Reed and Ricky said at exactly the same time.

“Just sayin’,” he murmured, zipping his mouth close.

I rummaged inside my bag for my phone. When I turned it on, eight of the nineteen missed calls were from Sarah. The others were from Nate, Jobs, Moira and Becky. I couldn’t decide if I should be relieved or sorry for not being able to get their calls. If it wasn’t for Dad, I won’t think of going back home. For the first time in my life, I wanted to run away from everything. Be alone. Cease to exist.

I thought of Sarah. That it won’t be too long before I see her again. I missed her. So much. At the same time, just the inevitable possibility of meeting her scared me. I was scared to have to explain myself. I was scared that she’d hate me. Scared that everything I did led to this catastrophe. For once, thinking about Sarah didn’t make my burden any better.

I came to wonder if any of the people on this plane were as problematic as me. Or was this landslide of problems intended only for me? Was my bad luck rubbing off on people around me? Come to think of it, maybe that was the case.

“It’s that messed up, huh?” I muttered mostly to myself.

I knew the answer but I just had to ask. Nothing could make it better.

The guys could only exchange looks and spend the rest of the flight in silence.

~~~~~~~~~

At last! An update. Next one's in 5 days. And while you're waiting, please check out my other stories :) Thanks so much. Later!

Not myself now,

~shim :)