How to Date a Nerd

Chapter 32 - We Rocked the Whole Town

I was set up and it sucked. If there’s something I hate the most, it’d be when I lose control of everything. Nate, Ricky, Chuck, Reed… Maybe even Sarah. They all tricked me. But there was no use—no time—to think about it right now. I was sure all these people in front of me thought I was such a flustered idiot. I had to do something, anything to save face.

Resignedly, I turned to my band mates. “Guys, we’ll do track number three. You know the drill.”

Ricky groaned. “Aww... I thought we’re going to do Insane. I just came up with a super awesome intro for it. Plus, it’s our carrier song.”

“Yeah, but this is different,” I explained. “This’ll be like our last song ass a band. Just… help me on this, will you?”

“Gotcha,” Chuck spun the drum sticks on his fingers, nodding back at me.

Ricky and Reed just answered me with a somewhat A-okay look. Seemed like they were all ready for this. Anticipating, almost. My stomach cringed as I let out shaky breath, facing the impatient crowd. It was like I’d forgotten everything I knew about performing. This crowd was different.

I might’ve bumped into some of them one time or another during my stay in Hopkinton. I recognized some of them from my school. The others were neighbors. They knew me in real life. It was as if I could already hear their boos through the nerve-racking silence.

I cleared my throat, swallowed and stepped uneasily behind the microphone.

“Hey, there. Uh… Behind the keyboards is Roderick Burns. On lead guitar, Reed Ferguson and on drums, Charles Ferguson.” From behind me, I heard disgruntled groans from Ricky and Chuck as they heard me mention their full names. “I’m Leon Walden and we’re 4 O’clock Deadline. This song is called, Boomerang.”

Rolling his droopy eyes, Ricky started with the intro. He was doing Freddy’s arrangement which was a bit of a rock mode than the one we’d recorded in Sonnet. It was a supposed to be a fun song. It should sound fun. Soon, Reed and Chuck joined him. They did a short pause, allowing me to start off with the lyrics.

“I would swear forever was in your eyes the first time I saw you smile

If you do the Math from A to Z, you’ll get that it should be you and me,

You said go, I say no,

Nothing can change this so…”

It was so silent I could’ve sworn out loud and walk out of the whole situation. But I focused on strumming my guitar and remembering my words. I tried to scan the crowd for Sarah but it was getting dark.

“Don’t drive me away, I’ll come back running

Push me off a cliff, I’ll come back flying

I’m no superman but I’ll keep tryin’

Lead me astray, no matter what you say

If this heart’s still beating, I am here to stay

It doesn’t matter how you throw me

I’ll bounce right back in no time, baby,”

Was she watching me? I’d feel better if she wasn’t. I’d written this song for her. And at the moment, it felt like every word was tearing a piece out of me. They’d mean nothing to her or to anyone else but me now.

A lump slowly surged in my throat I had to sing louder, force the words out so my voice won’t shake. But no matter how hard I tried to sound perfect, my voice eventually cracked. I sounded weak and my lines were barely a whisper. That was when I let go of my guitar and turned around so no one could see me this vulnerable.