storyline in The Super Ones where The Bright Frenzy was introduced. He knows I’ll get the reference.
I almost jump off my bed and hug the stereo.
“And on that note, we’ll end the show just as we began it.”
My song starts again, and I flop back on my bed, breathless. This is one of those moments you live life for, I’m sure of it.
…
The next day, I give Terra a call because things just feel weird since we didn’t have our nightly phone call last night. I feel like I’ve betrayed the Soul-Sisters. This is unacceptable.
“Hey, where were you last night?” she asks right off the bat.
“Huh? Oh, that’s right. I saw you called after I got out of the shower, but I was so tired I went right to bed. Mom forced me to help her in the garden most of the day. Do you realize how much water it takes to make things grow? It’s ridiculous. Anyway, how much are tickets for the Allison concert?” I know anytime the A-word is mentioned, all other thoughts leave Terra’s head.
“Depends on the seats. I’ve been looking at the floor plan, and the ones I really want are a couple hundred dollars, but the fifty dollar seats are okay. Why? Did you ask them?”
“I’m about to. I just wanted to have all my facts straight.”
“Oh my God, I hope they say yes. Rayann’s parents said yes, but I don’t want to go without you.”
Awwww. The girl has such a big heart. The first time we met was in ninth grade biology. We had this really old teacher, Mr. McCoy, who was basically bug-nuts crazy. He was really passionate about biology, but his hearing wasn’t great so he’d mumble. A lot. Plus, he’d hop from subject to subject every class, trying to shove as much knowledge into our young, malleable brains as possible. Photosynthesis to osmosis to cell structure to the Genome Project, all in one class period. It was seriously confusing. By the third day of class, most of the students had given up on even attempting to take notes. I, on the other hand, was determined to write down every topic Mr. McCoy touched on because if I got straight As, I could try out for the cheerleading squad.
Terra and I were seated next to each other. One day, she struck up a conversation with me about crazy Mr. McCoy, and we decided to band together. We made a great team, too. When old McCoy would start moving too fast, I’d nudge Terra’s foot, and she’d distract him. Sometimes she’d ask him a question pertaining to what he was supposed to be talking about. Sometimes she’d just point out the window and yell something like, “Mr. McCoy, isn’t that one of those super-rare butterflies that eats its young?” This would give me plenty of time to catch up on my notes. Then, he’d always ask, “Now where was I?” and I could always make him pick up with whatever I wanted him to. By the end of the second week of school, Terra and I were inseparable.
If I could ever build up the guts to tell anyone about my little secret, she’d be the first person I’d go to, but that’ll never happen because there is no way I’d risk losing her. At first, I saw her as my ticket to popularity. Pretty shallow, I know. But now…life would seriously suck without her goofy hand talking and unparalleled knowledge of everything Allison Blair.
So, I guess that’s why, after getting off the phone with Terra, I go directly to Mom and Dad to ask if I can go to the Allison Blair concert and come back to my room with fifty dollars in my pocket.
…
During the next few days, I develop a routine: wake up, kill time, listen to Logan’s Show of Awesome, go to bed. It’s a pretty boring existence, I know, but things start to get interesting when, on his Monday night show, Logan throws down the gauntlet.
“Before I say good night, there’s one last thing I need to send out into the universe, folks,” he says, his voice echoing through my bedroom. “To Wonderful Wendy, I hope you’re listening, because tomorrow I’ll be you-know-where with something I think your #400 heart won’t be able to resist.”
He’s completely and totally right, of course. There’s no way I can resist.
#8
Me: I’m here.
Awesome Logan: I don’t see you. Where are you?
Me: In the back.
Awesome Logan: You have to come in the front