Lucky Caller(25)

“So there seemed to be a problem with the file for your last show,” he said. “I couldn’t find it anywhere.”

Joydeep was the quickest with a response. “Yeah, we must’ve … I think we, uh, probably … forgot to record.”

“It’s a good thing I caught part of it live.”

Jamie sputtered, “What?”

Sasha, at the same time: “You did?”

Joydeep grimaced. “Soooo … Does that mean we get credit?”



* * *



“It won’t happen again,” Joydeep assured Mr. Tucker after a lecture that wasn’t as long as it should’ve been, but definitely longer than I would’ve preferred. I would’ve preferred no lecture at all. “We’ll be way more careful.”

“I’ll take you at your word,” Mr. Tucker said, and I thought that was the end of it, but he didn’t stand, didn’t dismiss us. “There’s something else I wanted to discuss with you while I have you here. A little … critique of your show.”

“Here it comes,” Joydeep murmured.

“I want to know about your decision to have just one on-air host.”

We looked at each other. We couldn’t say, None of us wanted to talk except Joydeep. I shrugged in hopes of pushing the answer off onto someone else.

“I know there are some single-host shows among the station volunteers—Maddie is a champ, if you’ve heard her stuff in the mornings—but since this is an elective class, it’s often chosen by people who are interested in getting on-air. It’s pretty rare to get a group where the majority of people want to stay behind-the-scenes. As it stands, you all are the only group with just one host.”

Jamie responded for us. “Um, I guess we just thought it would be more … streamlined that way? I’m doing the music programming, Sasha is doing publicity and stuff, and Nina is running the board and producing. So we’re all … contributing, just … in different ways. And all that stuff needs to get done anyway, right? We’re just sort of … putting more emphasis on it … individually?”

“Hm” was Mr. Tucker’s reply.

“It’s been working out so far,” Joydeep said.

“Has it?”

None of us spoke.

“I’m just saying, it’s something to consider. I heard some interesting things—albeit things I wasn’t supposed to be hearing—because of your misbroadcast. I heard some fun conversation. Stuff like that can get people to tune in. And as it stands … I’d say your show is in a bit of trouble at the moment.”

“We have a plan, though,” Joydeep said suddenly. “A … substantial plan. To make the show better.”

I looked over at him, but he studiously ignored everyone’s gaze.

“Really,” Mr. Tucker said.

Joydeep nodded. “We’re going to do something big. To boost listenership.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” He was still bobbing his head. “Of course. Hence the … substantial plan.”

“Care to let me in on that plan?”

“It still needs some … refinement. But we’re gonna … We’ll fix this. We’re gonna get things … tightened up. And we’re gonna get people listening. Like, so many people. You’ll see.”

“No more technical malfunctions?”

“No, sir,” Joydeep said, and I shook my head.

“No. Sorry.”

“Okay. Well, I’m looking forward to seeing this … substantial plan in action.”

“Me too,” Sasha muttered as Mr. Tucker headed away.





21.


WE ALL MET IN THE student gallery after last period for an emergency Sounds of the Nineties team meeting.

“So what can we do?” Joydeep paced back and forth, looping between the pottery stands. He touched each stand as he passed—blue vase, purple-and-white cup, green plate, and back again. “Something major to get people listening.”

“We didn’t have to do anything until you opened your big mouth and said that we had a plan,” Sasha said. “Who even talks like that? We have a substantial plan? What is that? What’s next?”

“Synergy,” Jamie said. “Optics. Data streams. Fully optimized content.”

Joydeep pointed at him. “I like all those words.”

“You’ve both left the rails,” Sasha said.

“How about we brainstorm?” Jamie suggested.

“How about Joydeep goes back to Mr. Tucker, tells him there is no plan, and we go on living our lives,” I replied.

Now Sasha pointed my way. “I like her plan.”

“Is it substantial enough for you?” I said.

“It’s not insubstantial,” she replied.

“We’ve gotta do something.” Joydeep stopped abruptly at the blue vase. “We have to turn this shit around. Like, we have to.” He began pacing again. “It won’t be hard. We just have to, like, do some kind of big giveaway or interview someone famous or something.” He nodded to himself, caught up in his own Joydeep energy stream. “That’s good, though. How about we have a special guest? A celebrity or something?”