CHAPTER 7
MicahBarrett
Monday, November 23
My callwith Kiki ends abruptly, leaving me staring at my phone like it might give me more information. Cricket looks at me with wide eyes.
“What’s wrong?” she asks.
I’m already pacing the floor. “I have to go home. Something’s happening.” My hands are shaking as I stuff my phone into my pocket. “There are people at my house looking for me. Lots of people.”
Cricket jumps up. “I’m coming with you.”
“You don’t have to?—”
“I’m coming.” Her voice is firm in that way that means arguing is pointless. She slips on her sandals and grabs my hand. All traces of her tears are gone.
We look out the window to get a view of the situation. There have to be at least thirty people crowded on my front lawn and spilling onto the sidewalk. Some are holdingphones, recording videos. Others have signs. I can’t read what they say from here, but my stomach drops anyway. There’s even one with a microphone who looks like a reporter.
“What do they want?” Cricket asks.
My heart is racing so fast I can hear it in my ears. A woman turns, and I finally see her sign. It says Midnight Velocity.
Cricket gasps. “They’re here because of your YouTube channel.”
“Oh my gosh. They know who I am. They know my address.” I know I need to go in there and deal with things, but I can’t move. I’m staring at all those people, and my skin feels like it’s crawling. My chest is getting tight, and I can’t get enough air.
Cricket squeezes my hand. “Okay. We’ll figure this out.”
I can’t breathe. This is exactly what happened at the dorm party but worse. So much worse.
“I can’t,” I say, my voice coming out all shaky. “I can’t do this, Cricket. Look at them all.”
She takes my shoulders and turns me to face her fully. “Hey. Focus on me.”
I force myself to meet her eyes instead of staring at the crowd.
“Take a deep breath,” she says, then she demonstrates.
I try to copy her, but it comes out shaky.
“Another one. Slower this time.”
I follow her breathing, and my heart rate starts to slow a tiny bit.
“That’s better,” she says softly. “Now, we don’t have to go over there right now. We can take as long as you need.”
“But Tobias?—”
“Tobias will be fine. Don’t think about him.” She keeps her voice calm and steady. “What do you need right now?”
I run my hands through my hair. “I don’t know. I just… all those people. They’re going to want to talk to me and ask me questions, and I don’t even know what they want.”
“Okay. So we’ll figure out what they want first. Then we’ll make a plan.”
Cricket pulls out her phone and calls Kiki. I can hear Kiki’s voice but can’t make out the words.
“Hey, it’s Cricket. We’re coming, but Micah needs to know what’s going on before he comes to the house… Okay… autographs?… Okay, we’ll be there in a few minutes.”
