Page 29 of Goodbye Note

I nodded, but it all felt like a weight and an obstacle holding me back. Keeping me in college.

“Every day?” I asked, getting out my school planner. It was half ripped, with pages torn and dog-eared, but it was the only way I remembered when anything was due. I grabbed the pencil from behind Ser’s ear and licked my finger to flip through the pages and find the right date. I’d have to set an alarm too.

“Yes, daily. They are talking about sending you on your own tour after Warped with the way your album is doing. We have to show them you’re serious.”

I nodded, seeing another note I’d left myself. “A couple of those radio interviews screw with my class schedule.”

“You’re going to have to ditch. We can’t have our frontman missing from the album promo. This is part of your contract with the record company. We have to do it.”

I nodded, not sure how I was going to explain this to my teachers. ‘Sorry I’m not taking Impact of Globalization seriously, I have to go on the radio.’ ‘I know I’ve missed three Game Theory lectures, but don’t worry, I’ll get notes.’ It just didn’t work like that. Maybe it would have with basic hundred-level shit, but this wasn’t fucking around. I was supposed to be competing with every kid for one of the few spots in T14, and the pressure was unbearable.

Something had to give, and all I cared about was Varian coming to our show.

“Time to get on the live. Chop chop.” Kiernan took the planner out of my hands, replacing it with the MacBook again.

I’d just started answering questions when a new screen name popped into the comments.

ChemicalSmuggler has joined the chat.

EIGHT

ARIK

All the air went out of the room.

I typed: Is that you?

Then, I erased it.

I tapped my fingers on the keyboard and then typed: Varian, are you sneaking in under cover?

Then, I erased it.

What if he didn’t want it known he was in here? His band was bigger than mine, and it might cause some shit.

It might not even be him. But it fit. If he was Dopamine-Fiend, it would make sense he was smuggling chemicals. Maybe it was just a fan of them. Or like a My Chem fan. That would make more sense. I was being stupid.

Finally, I posted.

Arik Vesper: Welcome, Smuggler.

Arik Vesper: Do you have chemicals to share with the class?

That earned me a lot of lolz and LMFAOs.

ChemicalSmuggler: What if I don’t want to share?

Arik Vesper: You can’t just bring chemicals in here and not share with the class.

ChemicalSmuggler: Can I share with just you?

Arik Vesper: This seems so personal. But I’m not going to say no.

The chat went wild.

DannyB: Are they flirting?

HotterThanU: I’m jealous.

---