Lucky Caller(66)

A couple of people pressed further. But not most.

Lucas posed for pictures with us, with Dan, with Mr. Tucker and Mr. Tucker’s wife, who he had frantically texted before the start of the show, and their seven-year-old daughter, who was too shy to hug Lucas, but gave the biggest smile when he crouched next to her for their picture. The photo ops ended there; Mr. Tucker had the foresight to lock the backstage area down early on during the event, to prevent people from the audience from swarming to meet Lucas afterward.

Regardless, news of Lucas’s visit to Meridian North had gotten out online as soon as the talk began, and a large crowd of fans had formed outside the school by the time it ended. Future Manager Chris had arranged for a private car for Lucas, and asked if they could leave “from the back,” which may have worked in a restaurant or nightclub, but was somewhat more complicated in a school.

Mr. Tucker plotted a route to the loading dock on the south side of the building that took us through a series of basement passages I didn’t even know existed. The loading dock was near the athletic fields, and if the car could make its way back there, it would be the most discreet exit.

Sure enough, when we wound our way through the school—the Sounds of the Nineties team, Dan, Mr. Tucker, Lucas, and Chris—and emerged at the dock, a sleek black car was already waiting outside.

“Thank you guys,” Lucas said to us, shaking our hands one last time. “So much. This was awesome.”

Chris gave Dan’s hand a brisk shake before crossing around to the other side of the car. “We’ve got all your info. We’ll follow up tomorrow, all right?”

Lucas paused, holding the guitar case to his chest. “You’re sure you’re okay with me taking this now?”

“It’s yours,” Dan said.

“You’re the best. I’m gonna call you next time I’m in town, okay? We can jam.”

“Looking forward to it,” Dan replied.

With one last wave to us all, one last devastating smile, Lucas from TION was gone.

It was quiet, all of us standing at the open door to the loading dock watching the car retreat, the night sky clear and dazzling over the athletic fields beyond.

“We did it,” Joydeep said eventually, hushed. Stunned. “We actually fucking pulled it off.”

A beat, and then he looked toward Mr. Tucker, sheepish. “Sorry.”

Mr. Tucker grinned. “You can have that one.”





63.


LUCAS POSTED A PICTURE OF him and Dan the next day.

this dude is siccccccck! Nicest guy and great time with @soundsofthe90s!



We got several thousand followers within hours. Lucas also linked to The Artful Heart, and Mr. Paint got even more.

As it turns out, having a pop star randomly show up at your school event makes you into a bit of a viral thing, so viral we went in the days that followed. We were featured on the local news—Mr. Tucker went on to do the interviews—and even got mentioned by some national outlets. We did phone and email interviews with a number of different places—entertainment news sites and the like. An array of headlines followed, accompanied by shaky videos taken by audience members:

BOY-BANDER LUCAS KIRK SURPRISES HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

POP STAR DROP-IN SHOCKS STUDENTS AT SCHOOL RADIO EVENT

THIS IS OUR NOW MEMBER CAUSES FANGIRL FRENZY AT MIDWEST HIGH SCHOOL



Joydeep linked that one in particular in our group chat:

I mean I wouldn’t call it a FRENZY

Kind of reductive



* * *



While all of this was underway, there was another major event—the middle school play. After months of preparation, Sidney’s moment was finally here.

We got seats in the auditorium that were close but not too close to the stage—I don’t want to be able to see you, but I want to know you’re there, Sidney had told my mom.

So … where would that put us? Like center middle? Mom had replied.

Center middle it was. We had just settled in—Dan had a big bouquet of roses that he managed to tuck under his seat—when there was a tap on my shoulder.

I looked back. Jamie was taking a seat directly behind us, Sasha and Joydeep settling in on either side of him.

“What are you guys doing here?”

“I don’t know about the others, but I’m a big supporter of the theatrical arts,” Joydeep said.

Jamie smiled. “We thought we’d add to the cheer section for Sidney.”

All at once, I was flooded with the same feeling as when I opened the door back in eighth grade at the start of our Kingdom revival and saw Jamie in the hallway dressed in full Hapless garb. Like my heart couldn’t fit in my chest. “Thank you.”

He nodded.

Sidney was amazing. Star power is how Dan described it afterward. Sidney, still done up in her stage makeup, clutched her bouquet and beamed.





64.


MY DAD CALLED ON SUNDAY night, as always.

He talked to Sidney first, and then to Rose, very briefly. “You guys are all over the internet!” he said, when it was my turn on the phone. “All these people are sending me links to articles and stuff!”

“Yeah, it’s pretty amazing.”

“Tell me everything.”

I told Dad what happened. He exclaimed at all the right moments, asked all the right questions, like a good interviewer should.