by Evan Jacobs
“Sup?” Alex said.
“Look, I’m working right now. I’ll talk to you later.” Kevin walked into the crowd. But he could still hear Chase.
“That pie thing really shook him up.”
Kevin fought the urge to turn around. He wanted to say that Chase was wrong. But that would be a lie. Kevin was shook up.
CHAPTER 7
Saving Face
That Sunday, Kevin did a photo shoot. It was for a brand of watches. Afterward, he texted Kyla. He reminded her about dinner. “Pick U up in 30.”
“Can’t wait!” she texted.
As Kevin left the set, something made him stop. He looked back. A guy from the crew was on a laptop. There was a meme on the screen. It was Kevin with pie on his face. He moved closer to read the caption. “Can’t take what he dishes out.”
Kevin’s head was spinning. Did the watch company know about this? He could be fired. Word would get around. It would ruin everything.
Until now, Kevin had tried to forget the pie prank. But it wasn’t going away. Brad Harris had pushed Kevin too far. He texted Chase. “Need help with a revenge prank.”
Kevin and Chase met the next day. They were at a fast food place.
“What’s the plan?” Chase asked.
“I need someone to scare Brad Harris. Know anyone who will do it?”
“Yeah. For a price.”
“A shout-out on social media?”
“No. Cash only.”
Kevin never came to the West Hills Mall. It was a little out of his way. But he’d heard that Brad would be here.
Now he peered out from behind a tall potted plant. A ball cap was pulled down over his eyes. He was trying to keep a low profile. That wasn’t easy for him. He was so well known. But today the mall was packed. That would help him blend in.
Then Kevin saw him. Brad was with his girlfriend. They sat at a table inside the food court. Once Chase’s friend got here, the prank would begin.
Kevin looked around. A guy was coming his way. He wore a tight black T-shirt. His muscles bulged through the thin material. As he got closer, Kevin looked at him. He lifted up the brim of his cap. The guy stopped.
“Kevin Sanders,” he said.
“Luke?”
“Yeah, man. Love your pranks.”
“Thanks,” Kevin said. He nodded toward the food court. “That’s him. The guy with the red jacket.”
Luke looked over at Brad. “You want me to scare him. But not hurt him.”
“Right. But take it as far as you can.”
Luke headed to the food court. Kevin started filming. The scene was of Brad and his girlfriend. They were talking and laughing. Luke stopped at the table. Brad looked up. He had a smile on his face. Luke was speaking.
After a few seconds, Brad stopped smiling. He started to get up. That’s when Luke pushed him down. Kevin moved the camera to Brad’s girlfriend. She looked upset. Then he panned around the food court. People just watched.
The camera was back on Brad. He said something to his girlfriend. Then he stood and walked away. As he left the food court, he stumbled.
That’s when Luke grabbed him. He drew back his fist. Kevin zoomed in on Brad’s face. His eyes were wide with fear. It looked like he was about to cry. This was Kevin’s cue.
Still filming, he walked toward Luke and Brad. The camera was focused on Brad’s face. Then suddenly he wasn’t in the shot.
Kevin lowered the phone. He saw Brad lying on the ground. Then he looked at Luke. “Did you push him down?”
CHAPTER 8
Revenge
The guy fell,” Luke said. “Look. He’s shaking.”
“I have to get a shot of it!” Before Kevin could film, a guard headed their way. “Let’s get out of here,” he said. They left the mall.
Outside, Kevin was watching the video back. “You had him so scared, he was shaking.”
“It wasn’t like that,” Luke said. “He fell. Then he started shaking. It could have been a seizure.”
“What do you mean?”
“My brother has them. It can happen when you have epilepsy. Maybe you shouldn’t post that.”
“Don’t worry about it. Here’s your money.”
Who was this loser to tell Kevin not to do something? Luke had been the one to practically scare a kid to death. It didn’t matter. Kevin had what he needed.
Kevin was on his computer when Kyla called. He told her about the video. “Brad was scared out of his mind. It was seriously funny.”
“Listen, babe. Maybe you shouldn’t post it.”
The video was uploading to YouTube. “Why not?” Kevin said. “He did it to me.”
“It’s not the same thing. What if Brad has a disability? It will look like you’re making fun of him. That’s not cool.”
“He started this.” As Kevin said the words, he knew how it sounded. But revenge was so close.
Kyla was silent. She didn’t like to argue with him. Deep down he had to know this was wrong. And he’d do the right thing. At least she hoped so.
Before uploading, He typed in a title. “Revenge Is Sweet.”
It was after 1:00 a.m. Kevin couldn’t sleep. He checked how the video was doing. YouTube had put it on the front page. There were over one million views.
Kevin felt good. It was the first time since the pie prank. Nobody messes with Kevin Sanders.
Too bad no one was around. Kevin started to text Kyla. But he stopped. It was late. And she wouldn’t approve anyway. He’d tell his parents later. They would be pleased.
CHAPTER 9
Backfired
Kevin woke Monday to his phone buzzing. He looked at the screen. Oh crap! The interview. He’d forgotten about it.
What was her name? Kevin looked at his notes. Carly. Social media expert. Carly had a weekly podcast. She gave advice on how to be instafamous. Her show had a great title. “Don’t Ask Me.” The advice must have been good. Her show had millions of viewers.
“All set?” Carly asked.
“Shoot,” Kevin said.
He was tired. But he knew how to turn it on. And he was a good talker. Besides, the questions were always the same. How did you get started? Who inspired you? What’s your best prank? What advice do you have? This interview was like that.
Kevin checked the time. It was almost over.
“One more thing,” Carly said. “It’s about your latest video. Did you think so many people would hate it?”
“Huh?” What was she saying? Kevin hadn’t checked YouTube lately.
“Well . . . um. . .” Kevin grabbed his laptop. He opened YouTube.
“You had to see it coming,” she said.
A new video was up. He read the title. “What Sanders Didn’t Show You.” Kevin clicked on it. He nearly dropped the phone.
“I’m sorry,” he said to Carly. “I need to end this.”
The video started with Brad on the ground. His arms and legs made jerking motions. It looked like he couldn’t breathe. His girlfriend was beside him. People crowded around. Some shouted for help. Then the camera panned to Kevin. He was leaving the mall.
Kevin called Ron. He’d seen the video. “What should I do?” Kevin asked. “Post an apology?”
“Do nothing,” Ron said. “Not right now.”
“How can you be so calm? People think I hurt that kid. They think he has a disability. I need to do something.”
“And lose everything you’ve built? All the buzz and traffic? Go ahead. But this will all turn around. Then you’ll have nothing. Nada.”
It was ten o’clock when Kevin got to school. He told the office he’d overslept.
“R U OK?” Kyla texted him.
“Yeah, why?”
“Check IG.”
Kevin’s feed was filled with memes. One showed Brad. He was on the ground. There was a caption too. “Kevin Sanders did this!” He scanned the comments. One caught his eye.
“Sanders disses the disabled! #wasteofspace.”
Kevin felt
sick. At lunch, he sat with Adam and Nick. He’d just checked Instagram.
“Hey, guys. I’m down 2,000. Do you think it will hit zero?”
The two kept talking. It was as if he wasn’t there.
On his way home, he called Ron. “Am I still on for True Stars?”
The deal was with Omni Sneakers. Kevin was set to do a meet and greet. It paid $6,000.
“No. I killed it. They lowered their offer at the last minute. It was an insult. Your parents said you wanted time off,” Ron said. “Take this as a good thing.”
“Yeah,” Kevin said. But he knew it wasn’t good.
He texted Kyla. “Can’t meet tonight. See U tomorrow.”
CHAPTER 10
Going Nowhere
It was Tuesday after school. Kevin and Kyla were meeting for coffee. Kevin was outside the shop waiting. He was on his phone when she pulled up.
“Hi,” she said as she got out of the car.
Kevin didn’t say anything. He was still staring at his phone. She walked past him and went inside. Kevin followed. They sat at a table in the back.
“I know you’re bummed,” Kyla said. “So a few people are hating on you. Who cares? It won’t last.”
“Who cares?” Anger welled up inside him. “This is my career. My life.”
“What about Brad?” Kyla asked. “He’s the one who got hurt. Have you reached out to him? No.”
“He started this!”
“Stop saying that. You sound like a spoiled brat. All you care about is your fame.”
“Maybe if you had more followers, you’d get it.”
They sat in silence for a few minutes. Then Kevin got up. “I’ll be right back.” He headed for the bathroom.
In the hallway, two girls came up to him. They stood on either side. One of the girls held up her phone. They leaned in for a selfie.
“Perfect!” the other one said.
Kevin stepped out from between them. He turned to thank them for being fans. Even in a bad mood, he could be nice. That’s when he saw it. One girl had been holding a pie.
He went back to the table and sat down. “Everyone hates me,” he said.
Kyla rolled her eyes. “No wonder Bryan stopped pranking with you.”
“What do you mean?” He kept scrolling through his phone.
“I think he knew the truth about fame. Your followers only love you when you’re on top.”
“You’re saying I’m not on top? My followers don’t love me?” It hurt Kevin to hear it.
“You’re more than your fame, Kev. You’re a great guy.”
Kevin hadn’t heard her. He’d gotten a text from Ron. It was more bad news.
“Show List is off. Motto Clothing pulled out.”
His mind was racing. It was another event where Kevin Sanders wouldn’t be seen. Unless he went on his own.
Kevin spent the rest of the week planning. He’d go to Show List, and his fans would be happy.
It was Saturday. Kevin drove to the fairgrounds. Show List was being held in one of the big halls. He parked and walked up to the entrance. There was a long line of people waiting to get in.
A guy Kevin knew was working the door. His name was Jay.
“What’s up, Kev?” Jay said.
“Hey, Jay.”
“How have you been?”
“Good,” Kevin lied.
A man brushed past Kevin. He wore an ID badge. It said “All Access.” Jay opened the door for him, and he went inside.
“You’ve got a pass?” Jay asked Kevin.
“Um, no,” Kevin said.
“No pass?”
This had been a bad idea. It was embarrassing to be questioned like this.
Jay smiled. “No pass. No problem.” He handed Kevin a pass. It was gold with the letters VIP.
“Only top status for my man Kevin Sanders.”
Kevin shook Jay’s hand and hurried inside. The first thing he saw was the Motto booth. It was huge. They hadn’t pulled out of Show List. The company had pulled out of working with Kevin. It felt like a punch in the gut. Suddenly he felt like all eyes were on him. The look on their faces was the same. Disgust.
A crowd of people was coming. As they passed, Kevin saw Chase. Their eyes met for a second. Then Chase walked right by. He didn’t even say hi. It was like Kevin was poison.
CHAPTER 11
Dropped
He should have called by now,” Kevin said.
He and his parents were waiting to hear from Ron. Please let it be about a job, Kevin thought. This could all turn around. Even Ron thought so at one point.
Finally Ron called. His face came up on the computer screen. He got right to the point.
“This Brad thing has gotten too big. It’s hard to get Kevin work.”
Kevin knew what was coming. Ron was dropping him. He glanced at his parents. They looked shocked.
“You’ve seen the numbers,” Ron said. “Your followers are way down.”
“You can’t drop him,” Kevin’s dad said. “This can be fixed. Kevin can post an apology.”
This plea seemed weak to Kevin. His dad wasn’t thinking about him. He was thinking about the money.
“It’s too late for that,” Ron said.
“Too late?” Kevin said. “I wanted to take it down a long time ago. You said not to.”
“Let’s stay in touch,” Ron said. “Kevin, keep thinking up new pranks. Get people excited again. Your followers may come back.”
Brand. Likes. Followers. They’d never been a problem for Kevin. Now his world was falling apart. He needed some air. A walk would help him think.
First he put on sunglasses and a cap. Before he’d done this to keep fans from swarming him. Now it was to hide from his haters.
Where was he going? Nowhere. He just walked. Out of habit, he checked his social media accounts. He’d lost even more followers. It was all because of a prank. A really stupid prank. There was nothing he could do. He felt defeated.
What if he just let go of it all? What would it feel like? He took a long breath. Then he closed the apps. After that, he turned off his phone. What a surprise. He felt relief.
What did it mean to be instafamous anyway? Looking perfect? That wasn’t real. Besides the money, there was nothing meaningful about it. The world wasn’t a better place because of it.
The next day Kevin still hadn’t turned his phone on.
“It’s weird talking to you on a landline,” Kyla said. “What happened to your phone?”
“It broke.” That wasn’t true. He was too scared to turn it back on.
CHAPTER 12
Rewind
After Kevin studied, he went for a walk. He hadn’t planned to go to Bryan’s. But that’s where he ended up.
As young boys, the two hung out here. Kevin and his parents had lived in a tiny apartment at the time. Bryan’s parents had a big backyard with a pool. There was room to run and play. They could be as loud as they wanted. Some of their first pranks started right here.
As teens they got into video games. That led them to social media. Soon they got popular doing pranks. They were always in YouTube’s top ten. Then Bryan lost his nerve. He couldn’t do pranks anymore.
“Get over it!” Kevin had yelled. But it wasn’t that simple.
After that they talked less and less. And then not at all. Being at different high schools didn’t help.
Kevin crossed the street. He was nervous, but he stepped up to the door and knocked.
Bryan’s mom opened the door. “Kevin!” she cried. There was a big smile on her face.
“Hi, Mrs. Lowe.” He gave her a hug.
Kevin had always liked Bryan’s parents. They were like a second mom and dad. Sometimes he wished his own parents were like them. Not caught up in fame.
Both of Bryan’s parents worked. Mrs. Lowe was an author. She also homeschooled Bryan when his fear of going places got too bad. His dad was a chef at a top restaurant. But work never got in the way of family.
“
Let me get Bryan,” she said.
As she turned, Bryan came up behind her.
“Hey, Bry!” Kevin said.
Bryan smiled. “Been a while.”
They sat in the living room.
“I heard what people are saying about you,” Bryan said.
“So you’re back on social media?”
“No. My little sister told me. What are you going to do? I know how much it means to you.”
“My little problems aren’t important. Besides, I’m done,” Kevin said. “I even turned my phone off.” He held it up to show his friend.
Bryan laughed. “There’s no way. You were on that thing 24/7.”
They both got quiet. After a minute, Kevin started to speak. “Hey, Bry. I’m really sorry about—”
“Dude, don’t get all serious on me.”
“I just—”
“It’s cool. I couldn’t do social media anymore. You had to go on. There was too much to lose.”
“Are you okay now?”
“The meds help. I don’t care so much about getting people’s approval. And I’m not as worried all the time.”
On his way home, Kevin reached for his phone. He started to turn it on. A week ago he would have already posted pics of himself and Bryan. Instead, he just kept walking.
Two hours later, he was back on Instagram. It was like a bad accident. He had to look. Most comments were negative.
“Who picks on a person with a disability?”
“So low even for Kevin Sanders.”
“This guy is garbage.”
Kevin was about to close Instagram. That’s when he saw an ad. It was for Talent Icon. It was the biggest social media event of the year. Last year it was held in another state. A company flew him there. They paid for everything. This year it was in California. And he had not been invited.
Kevin went to talk to his parents. “I’ve been thinking,” he said. “I want to tell Brad that I’m sorry.”
His dad looked up. “You mean make a video.”