Lucky Caller(45)
* * *
We were under-thinking it. Over the course of the next week, Mr. Tucker set up a webpage for the event, scheduled for the Thursday evening of Dad’s visit in April. We linked it on all our social media pages.
98.9 THE JAM: SPECIAL DISCUSSION WITH MYSTERY GUEST!
Sounds of the Nineties (Thursdays from 5–7 p.m.) is hosting a special discussion with a mystery guest familiar to the airwaves of Indianapolis. Join us for a live interview with this radio legend at Meridian North High School on April 11!
We sold thirty-two tickets in one day.
It’s chill, Jamie said in the group chat. It’s not too many, and it’s good money for the charity.
Joydeep replied: No offense, Nina, but if people knew it was your dad, would we sell that many right off the bat?
Probably, I said, and then kept typing:
Yeah
I mean
Maybe?
* * *
The next day, we only sold only twelve tickets. The day after that, just five.
“See?” Jamie said before class started. “Totally chill. The first wave was probably just…”
“What? Bots and stuff?” Joydeep said skeptically.
“The hardcore fans. Of our show.”
“Of Tyler,” Joydeep corrected.
“It’ll be fine,” I replied.
* * *
It was fine. Until Friday, when Sasha logged on before class started and saw that we had sold fifty-four tickets so far that day.
“What the hell?” Joydeep said, standing to peer over her shoulder at her laptop screen, like visual confirmation was necessary.
“I don’t know,” Sasha replied. “It just spiked.”
“Check the Deadnoughts. See if they’re saying anything about us.”
Nothing came up besides the usual:
Omg @soundsofthe90s please play Velvet Flycatcher #bestalbum #no contest
#threedeepcansuckit
TB DOING A LIVE INTERVIEW APPARENTLY????
did u see? classic ExD denial tho lol
“We’ll just have to … monitor it,” Jamie said. “Over the break. We’ll just keep an eye on it.”
* * *
After radio class that day, only one more period stood between us and spring break. There would be no show next week. We had reached 1999 with this week’s episode and had resolved to start the theme over again when classes started back up.
“Got any plans for break?” Sasha asked as we filed out of the classroom into the hall.
Jamie shrugged. “Just working.”
“Me too,” I said.
“Tomorrow?” Jamie asked.
I nodded.
“Cool, same.”
“I’m planning on doing nothing, literally nothing, and I’m gonna enjoy the hell out of it,” Joydeep said. “How about you, Wonder Woman? Fighting for truth and justice?”
“I’ll be around,” Sasha said.
“Good. Our planet is safe in your hands,” Joydeep replied with a salute, and then headed off down the hall.
“Have a good break,” Jamie added, and then he took off as well, leaving Sasha and me standing alone.
“Where are you headed?” Sasha asked.
“World Lit.”
“I’ve got AP English that way,” she said, and we started to walk together. “So you and Jamie work at the same place?”
“Uh, yeah. This catering company. It’s in our apartment building, so it’s pretty convenient. Don’t even have to walk outside to get to work.”
“Nice. You guys knew each other before, right?”
“Yeah, we kind of grew up together.”
She cut a glance over at me. “You know, I actually knew Jamie before the show too.”
“Oh. Really?”
She nodded. “Not well or anything. But we both worked on the musical last spring. Did you see it?”
I had seen the last six Meridian North musicals, courtesy of Sidney’s obsession. Last spring’s show was Bring It On: The Musical.
“Yeah.” I had no idea Jamie did theater. And I couldn’t remember seeing Sasha up there either, but admittedly the musicals were always jam-packed. I think it was a prerequisite of every high school musical that they had to cram as many people onstage as possible. In the production of Godspell my sophomore year, Jesus had no less than eighteen disciples. “I didn’t know you were into theater.”
“Nah, I just wanted an arts extracurricular. In case the sports scholarships didn’t pan out, I wanted to be as well-rounded as possible, you know? So I did a crew thing. Specifically, I ran lights. More specifically, I ran the spotlight.”
“Oh … cool.”
“Did you happen to see opening night?” she said ruefully.
I shook my head. We went to the weekend matinee. Dan came too and entered the silent raffle, bidding on and winning about five tons of kettle corn.
Aren’t you supposed to stop us from eating stuff like this? Sidney had asked.
I’m a dentist, not a monster, he’d replied with a grin.
“I was scared of messing up,” Sasha said now. “So scared, actually, that my hands were shaking really badly. To the point where I could barely keep the spotlight trained in the right spot, and when I did, you could still see it shaking. Like, violently shaking.” A pause. “You know Alyssa Charles, the lead girl? She had this huge solo song early on in the first act, and I totally messed it up. She apparently threw a fit backstage afterward. Said the show needed a seizure warning because of me.” She shook her head, expression a little bit sheepish. “Jamie was helping run the light board. He was up in the booth too. I remember being like, What do I do? What should I do? and he said, so serious: Pray for an earthquake.”