by Evan Jacobs
“That’s a great idea,” his mom said.
His dad started to make plans. “He can do it live on YouTube.”
His mom was nodding. “People love drama like that.”
“Stop!” Kevin said. “I want to tell Brad in person. It’s not for ratings. It’s the right thing to do.”
His parents were staring at him.
“You know how it works,” his dad said. “This thing with Harris will get old. You need to do something online. Or it will all go away. Is that what you want?”
“Yes!” Kevin said. “I’m sick of people hating on me. No one knows the real story. Why I did what I did. Yeah, my online status matters. But I’m not just a brand. I care about people. And this is no joke.”
CHAPTER 13
Followers
Kyla and Kevin were at the mall. They were walking through a store. “You’re so quiet,” Kevin said. “What’s wrong?”
“I was just thinking,” Kyla said. “You have millions of followers. That must be so cool. But they’re not real friends. Don’t you miss that? And I know what you’re going to say. I’m just jealous.”
“Well, aren’t you?” Kevin asked. He smiled.
“No,” Kyla said. “Be serious for a second.”
“I guess I think of my followers as friends. We have our own little world. We’re in it together.”
“What if you never get them back? Will you be okay with that?”
Kevin noticed two girls. They were looking in his direction. Their phones were aimed at him.
Kyla had seen them too. “What are you thinking?” she asked.
He didn’t answer her.
“You might as well deal with it,” she said. “Before things go too far.”
He knew Kyla was right. “Hey, ladies,” he called out.
“You’re Kevin Sanders,” one of them said.
“I figured that’s why you were filming me.”
“I’m Tara. This is Chloe. Can we take a selfie with you?”
“Sure,” Kevin said. He stepped between them.
Chloe reached into her shopping bag. She pulled out a pie. “Would you mind holding this?”
“I’d rather not,” he said. “That prank is old. It’s something I’m not proud of.”
“Oh, sorry,” Tara said. “We didn’t mean—”
“It’s okay.” Kevin wasn’t mad at the girls. He knew they didn’t mean any harm. They were just trying to build their brand. The photos would drive some traffic to their page.
The girls got their selfies. Then Tara asked if they could interview him. “We’re making a show for YouTube. You’d be our first online celebrity.”
“Cool,” he said.
He was surprised by the questions. They didn’t ask about Brad Harris. Instead, they focused on his early career. They asked him what it was like to work with Bryan Lowe. Their old shows were still on YouTube. The pranks were still funny.
It felt good to talk about it. Those were great times. Kevin would be seeing Bryan later that day. He’d have to tell him.
CHAPTER 14
Sorry
I’m glad you came over,” Bryan said. “It’s good to hang out again. Are your basketball skills any better?”
Kevin went for the shot. Bryan grabbed the ball midair and slammed it.
“You’ve still got it!” Kevin said. “You should play with Kyla sometime. She’d kick your butt.”
Bryan loved basketball. He’d once been on his high school’s team. But then he and Kevin started getting famous. Doing pranks took up all their time. When Bryan’s anxiety got bad, he quit everything. Basketball included.
Kevin wanted to talk about it. There had been chances. The two had gotten together a few times. But somehow the topic was always Kevin. What he was going through.
Bryan passed Kevin the ball. “How’s it going with Instagram?”
“It’s not,” Kevin said. He took a shot and missed.
“You never were good at sports.” Bryan smiled. “Not like you were at being online. Remember all those events we’d do? You were a beast. For me, it was such hard work. There was never a break. I was afraid I couldn’t keep up. Then it finally happened.”
“I thought you were on board. Why didn’t you say something? We could have slowed down.”
“How? We were so tied to that world. And to each other. If we slowed down, we would have been out. I couldn’t let you fail because of me. Besides, I’d always been half of Lowe and Lower. Who was I without that?”
Bryan picked up the ball and dribbled it. “Then there was that first panic attack. It decided things for me. I thought I’d feel better. Instead, I questioned everything. Who I was. What my life was about. In some ways, I wished I could be back in your world. But I was stuck. No way back. And no way forward.”
“I’m sorry, Bry. I didn’t get it.”
One apology down. One to go.
Kevin was at Southland Park to meet Brad. The plan was for just the two of them to meet. But Mr. Harris was there too. What would Kevin say to the sub he made fun of?
Mr. Harris scowled as Kevin walked up to them.
“Hey, Brad,” Kevin said. Then he looked at Mr. Harris. “I’m sorry, sir, for the prank I pulled on you. I don’t expect you to forgive me.”
“I’m only here to support my son,” he said.
Kevin looked at Brad. “Can we talk alone?”
They stepped away from Mr. Harris.
“Look,” Kevin said. “I’m sorry about what happened. I never should’ve done that to your dad. It was messed up.”
“It would have been funny if it wasn’t my dad. You know, I used to follow you. But then I just wanted to teach you a lesson.”
“But what I did to you was even—” Kevin stopped talking. Brad was smiling. “I’m being serious,” he said. “What I did was wrong.”
“I know. But I was wrong too.”
“Why? What did you do besides the pie?”
“Look, dude. The seizure wasn’t real. I faked it. It was the only way to get that guy to back off. Then I saw you talking to him. That’s when I knew. You were behind the whole thing. It was too good to pass up. I turned your prank around. The great Kevin Sanders wasn’t so great anymore.”
This was a lot for Kevin to take in. He thought about the negative posts and everything he’d lost. Followers. Product deals. His agent. It was all because of something fake. It never had to happen.
Maybe he should have been angry. But all he felt was relief. People thought he was a monster. But there were two sides.
“No one else knows you faked it?” Kevin asked.
“No. I guess I wouldn’t blame you if you said something.”
“I’m not going to. And I’m still sorry. I don’t care if you faked it or not.”
“I do have epilepsy,” Brad said. “But I haven’t had a seizure in years. It wasn’t cool to lie about it.”
“We both messed up,” Kevin said.
CHAPTER 15
Are You Pranking me?
So we talked and it’s all good. You can stop hating on him.”
That was the end of an Instagram post. It was from Brad Harris to his followers. He was letting them know that Kevin was cool. The current number of likes was over 400,000.
Kevin had watched it twice. Brad didn’t admit he messed up. He didn’t say the seizure was fake. But that was okay. Kevin got it. Brad didn’t get popular by being Kevin’s friend. The truth might have made his followers mad. They could turn on him.
Of all the comments, most were negative. But some were actually good.
“Kevin Sanders is legit.”
“It takes a big person to say they’re sorry.”
Kevin closed the app and started his homework. It was almost six o’clock when he got a call. The number wasn’t familiar.
“Hey, Kev.”
It was Bryan. “Dude, what’s up?” This was a big deal. Bryan never called. For a long time, he kept his phone off. Then he got rid of it. He mu
st have gotten a new one.
“Not much. My sister showed me Brad’s post. I think it’s great that you guys talked.”
“Yeah.” He started to tell Bryan the real story. But he stopped. All that negative stuff was a waste of time.
The two talked about what they had going on. Kevin was still off social media. Bryan was thinking about going somewhere. It would be a place close by, like the grocery store.
“Kyla and I are going out to eat later. You should come.” It had been more of a question. Kevin knew the answer would be no. But he wanted to make it an option. One of these days Bryan would say yes.
“Oh, well, no. Not tonight. Maybe next time.”
“You got it,” Kevin said. “Hey, remember Native? The clothing company. They used to send us shirts?”
“I remember,” Bryan said. “I didn’t like their earlier styles. But some of the newer designs are cool.”
“They sent me a shirt. I think I’ll wear it tonight. I’ll send you a picture.”
“Post it on Instagram too. I might even comment.”
Kevin finished getting dressed and went downstairs. He was surprised to see his parents watching TV. For once they weren’t on their devices.
“I’m going to Kyla’s,” Kevin said. He went to the door. Then he turned to look at his parents. “Are you guys okay? I mean with me just wanting to be myself?”
His mom and dad looked at each other.
“Well,” his dad said. “The dream was to quit working early. While we’re still sort of young. Now we’ll just have to go get real jobs.”
Kevin knew that his dad was only half joking.
“Sure, we’ve gotten used to the money. But this is your life. You have to do what’s right for you.”
“If you could just do it online?” his mom said.
Kevin’s eyes got wide.
“I’m kidding!” she said. “Go on. We’ll talk later.”
CHAPTER 16
Real Time
The restaurant Kyla chose was packed. The only open table was on the patio. But the fall air was still warm, so they took it.
After a few minutes of talking and laughing, Kevin got serious. “I made such a mess of things,” he said. “A lot of girls wouldn’t have stuck around.”
“That’s why I’m awesome,” Kyla said. Then she smiled. “You know I’ll always tell you the truth. Even when you don’t want to hear it. I’m not some random follower. Sometimes you have a big ego. It turns you into a jerk. This experience has been good for you in a way. You’re more like the Kevin I first knew.”
“I just . . .”
Kevin and Kyla had always been able to talk to each other. Kevin was never afraid to show his feelings. But right now, what could he say? “You’re great.” “Thanks for loving me.” It wasn’t enough. But he trusted her to get it.
Now Kyla was leaning forward. She looked into Kevin’s eyes.
“You always knew the real me. Even when I didn’t,” Kevin said.
He saw the look in her eyes. She got it. Kevin didn’t need to say a bunch of words.
Kyla continued to look at him. She took his hand. “What you did was lame. But it wasn’t the worst thing in the world. No one died.”
This was what he needed to hear. She didn’t think he was a bad person.
“You look really good in that shirt,” she said. “Green is a good color on you.” She held up her phone.
“Hold on. Let me fix my hair.” He brushed it back from his eyes. “Here, I’ll hold up this soda.”
It was too late. She had taken the picture. It was him in the moment. She looked at the photo. “Wow. I’m a pretty good photographer.”
“Let me see.” He took the phone. The photo was simple. He wasn’t in some awkward pose. There was no slick filter to make his features pop. It just looked like him.
“We have to send this to Bryan. I promised I would.” Kevin typed a message. It read, “Hey, Lowe. Like the shirt?” He texted the picture. Then he sent it to himself.
“Are you going to post it?” Kyla asked.
“Yeah. The Insta-world needs a new picture of me.”
A day after it posted, Kyla’s photo of Kevin had over 200,000 likes. Kevin had gained followers. On Instagram and his YouTube channel. He wondered if his parents knew about it. When he went downstairs, they were waiting for him.
“Sit down,” his dad said.
“Why?” Kevin asked. “What did I do now?”
“We got a call from Native clothing,” his dad said. “It’s about that picture you posted. You’re wearing their shirt.”
“Yeah? Let me guess. They want me to take it down. It’s bad for their brand.”
“Hardly,” his mom said. “That photo has gone viral for them.”
He felt his heart beat a little faster. This was good news. The Insta-world had finally shifted. Kevin Sanders was no longer a joke.
“Native’s CEO called with an offer,” his dad said.
“Oh yeah?” Kevin asked. He was trying to play it cool.
“Wait before you say anything. It’s not great. But it’s a chance to be at Talent Icon. Native will pay you $1,500 to represent them.”
Kevin was silent.
“I know,” his dad said. “You used to get three times that amount. But remember. That was with a huge fan base and an agent.”
“Can I think about it?” Kevin asked.
“I wouldn’t wait too long,” his mom said. “Why not do this? See if you can build a relationship. Once your brand is back on top, we’ll ask for more money.”
“I’m just not sure I want to do it,” he said.
CHAPTER 17
Rebound
Why wouldn’t you do it?” Bryan asked. Kevin and Bryan were shooting hoops at Bryan’s house. “You used to love going to Talent Icon.” Bryan put the ball up. It bounced off the rim.
Kevin grabbed it. He dribbled toward the hoop and made a one-handed shot. “One minute I want to do it,” Kevin said. “The next minute I don’t. I mean, everyone hated me. And now suddenly they love me again?” He shook his head. “It just seems kind of lame.”
“It makes sense to me. They hated you because they loved you so much.”
“That’s too deep for me, man.”
“You were their hero. Then you let them down. So they found a new hero. That was Brad. Now Brad is cool with you. Then what? You’re the hero again.”
“I guess. It seems kind of sick.”
“Ya think?” Bryan said. “Sorry, but none of it’s real. Those people don’t really know you. They just think they do.”
“Would you come?” Kevin asked.
Bryan laughed. “To Talent Icon?”
Kevin had a serious look on his face.
“Come on, dude. You know the answer to that. I’m just saying. If you want to do it, you should.” He tossed Kevin the ball. “But this time, do it on your terms.”
Dave Morris was on speakerphone. The CEO of Native Clothing sounded excited. Kevin and his parents were listening.
“Kevin, you really got our attention. That photo of you in our shirt went crazy on social media. In fact, when people search Native, your picture comes up.”
“Cool,” Kevin said.
“Our Instagram has blown up because of you. It just makes sense that you be in our booth at Talent Icon. We are so psyched to have you represent us.”
“Thank you,” Kevin said.
“Dave,” Kevin’s dad said. “About the appearance. Kevin has a few points he’d like to go over.”
“Of course. Go ahead, Kevin.”
“Hey, Dave,” Kevin said. “First off, thank you for this chance you’re offering me. I’m totally down for it. There are just a few things. I want to make sure you’re okay with it.”
“Sure, Kevin. Let’s hear it,” Dave said.
“I don’t want to do any pranks. That’s not my focus right now. I just want to be myself. I’m only agreeing to work the booth. Anything beyond that we’ll discuss. Last, y
ou get me for three hours.”
There was a pause on the other end of the phone. Kevin and his parents looked at each other. Finally Dave spoke. “Kevin, I accept your terms. You have nothing to worry about. Native wants you to be you.”
After the call ended, Kevin texted Bryan. “Going to Talent Icon! My terms!”
Bryan texted back a thumbs-up.
CHAPTER 18
Talent Icon
It was a few days later. Kevin and Kyla were headed to San Diego. Kevin drove in silence.
“Are you okay?” Kyla finally said.
“Sorry,” he said. “I don’t mean to shut you out.”
“It’s not that. I know you’re thinking about the event.”
It was like Kyla had read his mind. His stomach was in knots. Every scene played out in his head. No one noticed him. Everyone noticed him. Native’s booth was empty. Maybe people would laugh at him. They’d throw pies. There would be a blitz of negative posts.
“Here’s what I don’t get,” Kyla said. “Why do you want to go through this? Do you miss the fame that much? I’ve never had it. Maybe I’d want it back too if I lost it.”
“I’m not sure what I want. I just feel like I need to be there.”
“Are you afraid?”
“What do you mean?”
“That if you don’t go, you’ll end up like Bryan.”
Kevin looked over at Kyla.
“Like you’ll be too scared to do anything,” she said.
“No. I think that would have happened to Bryan anyway. He was living with fear for a long time. For me, it was one bad experience. I don’t want to pass things up because of it.”
The event was held in two buildings. Lines of people waited to get inside. Hall A was where the biggest stars were. They were doing a meet and greet with fans. Kevin and Kyla went to Hall B. That’s where the Native booth was.
The hall was packed. People were elbow to elbow. Once in a while there would be screams. Fans had seen an online star.
