Geek Magnet

by Kieran Scott

  There was a huge communal gasp. The music stopped. I looked up into the spotlight, blinking back humiliated tears.

  Let me die now, please. Please just let this be the end.

  And then, Jeffrey started playing again. Be-bopping away on his piano. Did he really expect me to get up and keep singing? A million pairs of eyes stared in curious awe, unable to avert their gaze from the rampaging train wreck my performance had become.

  I hated Tama. I hated Tama in that moment with a venom so deadly it could have brought down a killer whale. She’d done this to me. She’d brought me to this moment. And now that everyone could see I was conscious, they were starting to laugh.

  I didn’t know where I was. I had no idea what the words were. I envisioned myself getting up and running off the stage and not stopping until I reached my bedroom, where I would burrow under my covers and await the coming of my death or my eighteenth birthday, whichever came first. The laughter grew louder.

  “Come on! Do something!” someone yelled.

  Help me, I thought. Somebody just help me!

  And then, suddenly, all went dark. I blinked for a second, stunned, and realized someone else was singing. Carrie. It was Carrie’s voice. She was continuing the song from right where I’d left off. The spotlight had swung over to her at stage right, where she’d been sitting in shadow. But now . . . now she was front and center, singing my song. Jeffrey and the rest of the orchestra caught up to her and clicked into gear, and suddenly no one was looking at me anymore. They were all focused on Carrie.

  I looked up into the far reaches of the auditorium. Glenn stood with his hands on the spotlight. It was him. He had saved me. By turning the spotlight on Carrie, he’d forced her into the act. Even after everything that had happened between us, Glenn Marlowe had saved me.

  “Are you okay?” he mouthed to me from afar.

  I nodded. “ Thank you,” I mouthed back, tears in my eyes.

  Then I got up and joined Carrie and we finished the song, together.

  ACT FIVE, SCENE TEN

  In which:

  I SAVE MYSELF

  THE SECOND THE CURTAIN FELL ON THE FIRST ACT, I RAN INTO the dressing room and locked the door behind me. Looking around wildly, I grabbed someone’s fleece robe, bunched it up and screamed into it as loudly as I possibly could. I felt marginally better after that. And someone was pounding on the door.

  I opened it, expecting Cory or Carrie to shove me aside so they could get changed. Instead, standing before me in a low hat and sunglasses was Tama Gold.

  “Nice work out there. Physical comedy really is your thing.” I grabbed her wrist and yanked her inside. Possibly a little harder than necessary.

  “Ow!”

  I slammed the door. I turned the lock but it slipped out of my sweaty grasp and bounced back.

  “You’re here!?” I demanded, whirling on her.

  “I can’t believe you didn’t cancel,” she said. She moved across the room so that her back was to the mirror, and took her sunglasses off. “What were you thinking?”

  “What was I thinking? What was I thinking?” I blurted. “You’re the one who totally screwed us all over. I’d like to know what you were thinking!”

  Tama looked away from me and shrugged. “I was sick.”

  “Oh, please! You’re fine! You just wanted everyone to come crawling to you, begging you to come back! You just wanted to prove that we couldn’t do this without you!” I shouted. “Well, guess what? You were right! Goody for you! You’ve found out that you were, in fact, the star.”

  “God, KJ. What’s your problem?” Tama said, looking at me like she was afraid I might explode and shower her with little KJ parts.

  “My problem is you! You are so self-centered you don’t even realize how many people you’ve hurt here! You weren’t the only one working on this musical the last couple of months! We all were! We all worked our asses off. But did you ever consider any of us when you staged your little walkout? No-o-o! You only care about yourself! All you think about is how you can get what you want!”

  “You have no idea what I think!” Tama spat.

  “Oh yes I do. Hate to disappoint you, Tama, but you’re not that complicated,” I said venomously.

  “Shut up, KJ. Stop acting like you know me. You don’t know me. We’re not even really friends!”

  That stung for a split second, but I already knew the answer. “You’re wrong. It’s your little popular posse who aren’t really your friends. I’m the one you’ve told all about your mom and your problems with Leo and your after-school appointments. I’m the one who’s been driving you to the doctor and listening to all your crap.” I yanked the Pink Ladies jacket off while I ranted and balled it up. “Whether you know it or not, I’m your only true friend in this school. But if you don’t get your butt into costume and get out there and start acting like a human being who cares about this production, I’m done. I mean it. For good.”

  Tama’s mouth hung open slightly. Had I actually gotten through to her? Did she actually realize I was right?

  Then her eyes flicked past me and stared. Suddenly I realized that, reflected in the mirror behind her, were Carrie and Cory and Ashley. They were all standing in the doorway, and they’d all heard at least part of what I’d just said. For a long moment, no one moved.

  Then, finally, Tama sniffed and lifted her chin. “Fine.”

  It took the world a moment to stop spinning. “Fine?”

  “Yes, fine.” She snatched the jacket out of my hand and held it out to Ashley. “Get out of my skirt and into your own costume,” she said. “I’ll go on for the second act.”

  Outside, dozens of voices cheered and I sank into the nearest chair, weak with relief. It was over. The nightmare was over. This time, I’d actually saved myself.

  ACT FIVE, SCENE ELEVEN

  In which:

  THERE’S A NEW FIRST KISS

  WHEN I STEPPED OUT OF THE DRESSING ROOM MOMENTS LATER, IT was to a round of ecstatic cheers. Maybe I’d been an even worse Rizzo than I thought. The entire cast and crew was as giddy as the crowd on a parade route. But I just didn’t care. I was back in my own clothes, makeup free and cleavageless. I had gone out on stage in front of the entire school and I’d survived. And now, I would never have to do it again. I was the happiest I’d ever been. Ever.

  “That was incredible!” Robbie cheered, grabbing me up in his arms. He twirled me around and I didn’t even notice that my boobs were pressed up to his neck. Well, I noticed, but I didn’t care.

  “I know, wasn’t it?” I said as he replaced me on the ground.

  “All right, people! Let’s break it up!” Andy shouted, walking through and clapping his hands. “We only have ten minutes to curtain!”

  The crowd quickly dispersed, running off to dressing rooms and the wings. I smiled at Andy. “You’ve really gotten the hang of this.”

  “I’m ready to give you back the clipboard,” Andy said, holding it out.

  “You keep it.”

  His eyes lighted up. “Really?”

  “Yeah. Take it home,” I told him. “I’ll take over tomorrow night.”

  Andy nodded and hugged the clipboard. “Thank you, KJ, for this opportunity. You won’t be disappointed.”

  I laughed. “As long as I’m not disappointed on that other front,” I said with a wink.

  Andy blushed. “Oh, I got that covered, too,” he said, winking back.

  “What was that all about?” Robbie asked as Andy walked off.

  “Long story,” I told him.

  “Does it have anything to do with you and him . . . ?”

  It took me a second to figure out what he was saying. “Me and Andy? You mean me and Andy? No. Uh . . . no. There’s no me and Andy.”

  “Good.”

  “Good?”

  “Good, I mean . . . it’s just . . . there are always so many guys mooning over you—”

  “Mooning?” I said with a laugh.

  “It’s a song in the
play.” Robbie pointed toward the stage for emphasis.

  “Right.” I blushed.

  Robbie reached out and took my hand. He lifted it so that our palms were touching, then laced his fingers through mine. Slowly, he did the same with the other hand. I looked into his eyes; he gazed back into mine. Suddenly, my heart was pounding, if possible, even harder than it had been when I’d first taken the stage.

  “Anyway, there’s always so many guys mooning over you it’s sometimes hard to tell if you have, you know, a boyfriend or not,” he said hopefully. Adorably.

  I grinned. “I don’t.”

  “Not even Cameron?” he said.

  “Cameron is done,” I said.

  His eyebrows shot up. “Done?”

  I nodded once. “Done.”

  And with that, he jerked me forward and I tripped into him and he caught me and we kissed. We kissed with our hands clasped and my feet on top of his and our whole bodies touching. His lips were soft and sweet and full and perfect and there was no excess saliva to speak of. We kissed until I was so giddy I started to giggle, and then Robbie finally pulled away.

  “Something funny?” he said. He was out of breath. His eyes were closed. Like he was so overwhelmed he couldn’t open them yet.

  “My first kiss,” I murmured.

  His eyes widened at that and he grinned. “Really?”

  “No. Not really. But it felt like it,” I said.

  He shook his head, but kept smiling. “KJ Miller. A true original.”

  I tipped my head back and breathed in the perfection. “You’d better believe it.”

  ACT FIVE, SCENE TWELVE

  In which:

  WE CELEBRATE

  “I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S OVER,” ROBBIE SAID, SQUEEZING MY HAND AS Cory and Carrie ran out from the wings to take their bows.

  “Hey, you’ve still got three more performances,” I reminded him. “Don’t get lazy on me now.”

  “Me? Never!”

  Ashley and Jonathan were up next. The crowd jumped to their feet, giving them a standing ovation. Ashley preened and waved. After playing two different roles in one night, she definitely deserved her moment. The second act had gone off without a hitch, and it was mostly her professionalism that had kept the first act from going nuclear. I certainly hadn’t helped matters. I was impressed she hadn’t shoved me off the stage and started putting on a one-woman show.

  “You’re up, Robbie!” Andy said, shoving Robbie in the back. “Go, go, go!”

  “Okay, Mein Stage Manager,” Robbie said. He leaned down to kiss me and whispered in my ear. “Can’t wait till you’re back in charge.”

  My heart was full to bursting as he ran out to center stage and met Tama there to take their bows. I couldn’t have been prouder of the two of them. They had done an excellent job in the second act, even managing to look like they were in love. I suppose Tama was imagining that Robbie was Leo and . . . maybe Robbie was imagining Tama was me? I couldn’t even fathom the idea that anyone would want to replace that tall, willowy gorgeousness with my squat, freckled self, but it made me giggle.

  They clasped hands, and Robbie swept his arm out and down as he bowed, while Tama curtsied. Then she did something I never would have imagined in a million years she would do. She stepped back and thrust her hands out at Robbie so he could take another bow. The crowd went absolutely nuts for him. Then the entire cast came together in one long line and took their bows as a whole. I cheered louder than anyone, proud of all that we’d accomplished. We’d done it. We’d made it through opening night. The curtain dropped, and the celebration began.

  ACT FIVE, SCENE THIRTEEN

  In which:

  EVERYONE COMES TOGETHER

  SECONDS LATER, THE BACKSTAGE AREA LOOKED LIKE TIMES Square on New Year’s Eve. Parents in dresses and ties hugged kids in full makeup, offering up plastic-wrapped flowers and kisses and congratulations. Ashley’s parents gave her the classic two dozen red roses, and Jonathan’s mom had helium balloons that took up half the guys’ dressing room. Stephanie and I were chatting with her mom when I felt a distinct presence behind me. I whirled around and found Glenn standing there with a small bouquet of daisies.

  “Hi, KJ,” he said awkwardly. He took a step back, like he was afraid to get too close, and thrust the flowers out. “These are for you.”

  “Glenn! I should be giving you flowers! You saved my life out there!”

  Glenn blushed and shrugged. “All I did was move the spotlight.”

  “It was so much more than that,” I said.

  “KJ! KJ!” My mother busted through the crowd with a bouquet of roses.

  “Mom! You’re here!” I cried, hugging her with all my might. I felt like I could cry. It meant so much to me that she was there, considering everything that was going on at home.

  “These are for you. For your big debut,” she said, handing me the flowers. Then she turned to Stephanie and gave her another bouquet. “And for the fabulous Miss Lynch.”

  “Oh, Mrs. Miller! You didn’t have to do that!” Stephanie said, smelling the roses.

  “Well, you were both wonderful,” my mother said.

  “I second that,” Stephanie’s mom added.

  “And I third it,” her dad put in. “If you can third something.”

  “Please. Stephanie was great, but only a mother could say that about me,” I replied, rolling my eyes.

  “I thought you were incredible,” Glenn replied. “Well, I mean, if you don’t count the fall.”

  “He’s right, you know, KJ,” Mrs. Frontz added, joining our little group with Fred. “For no rehearsal and no prep time, you did quite well.”

  “You should try out next year!” Fred said, bending at the knees and thrusting his arms out. “I bet you get the lead!”

  I was mid-laugh when Robbie slipped his arm around my shoulders. “I bet you do, too.”

  “Well, I couldn’t have done it without you guys,” I said. There were a bunch of “aw’s” and protests, but I wasn’t having it. “I’m serious. All of you. If it hadn’t been for you guys, I never would have gotten it together and gone out there,” I said, looking from Fred to Steph to Robbie, and wishing like anything that Andy were there, too. “And if it wasn’t for Glenn I might still be prostrate on the stage.”

  Glenn snorted and ducked his head while Robbie knocked his arm with a fist.

  “So, I just wanted to say thanks,” I said, a lump rising up in my throat. “I’m really lucky to have friends like you.”

  Fred and Glenn beamed, and I could tell Stephanie was proud of me. I was proud of myself, too. I felt like at some point tonight I had actually learned something. I had actually grown. And it felt good.

  “Good speech,” Robbie said, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek.

  I blushed as my mother arched her eyebrows. “What’s this?”

  “Nothing!” I replied.

  “It better not be nothing. I don’t want boys kissing my daughter if it’s nothing,” my mom joked.

  “Mother! Please!” I said, mortified.

  “Watch out, people! Coming through! Coming through! Special delivery!”

  A couple of cast members dodged out of the way as a huge gift basket wrapped in cellophane appeared in the center of our small crowd.

  “Wow, KJ. You really made out tonight!” Stephanie said.

  The basket dropped to the ground, revealing a flushed Andy. “It’s not for KJ,” he announced. “It’s for you!”

  Stephanie’s jaw dropped, and I cuddled happily into Robbie’s side. “For me?” she said. “What is it?”

  “It’s all your favorite things,” Andy said proudly. “I’ve got cheddar popcorn and green pears and chocolate-covered pretzels and several romantic comedies on DVD. Oh! And I got you the new Texas Instruments scientific calculator!” he said. “It’s so good. You have to see—”

  He dropped to his knees and started to tear into the cellophane. Stephanie grabbed the back of his sweater to stop him.

&nbs
p; “Whoa, whoa, whoa. What’s going on here?” she asked.

  “I kind of answered all Andy’s survey questions pretending I was you,” I confessed.

  “And we have a ninety-one percent compatibility!” Andy announced. “That’s unprecedented.”