Queens of Geek

CHAPTER SIX: CHARLIE

Charlie: Survived interviews with The Douche. YES! Where r u? I've got a free hour.

I send the text to our group chat, but Jamie replies in a private message.

Jamie: @ diner across the street. I think Tay's panicking. She's been in the bathroom for 10 mins.

"Shit," I say as I pick up my pace.

Charlie: B there asap.

Just then, Tay replies in the group chat.

Taylor: Hey! We're at the diner across the street. Come hang out with us! :D

Classic Tay. Pretending she's totally cool even when she's melting down on the inside.

Jamie sends me another private message: She's back now. I think she's okay. I tried to say sorry but she waved it off. Said she's fine. I dunno.

Charlie: On my way.

I hurry down the hall, wanting to get as far away from Jase as possible. He had been his usual charming self all afternoon, and it was making me sick.

I look down at my phone and open twitter to catch up on the day's tweets. I raise an eyebrow when I see a familiar name trending worldwide: Alyssa Huntington.

Curious, I tap on it. The first thing that pops up is a photo of Alyssa standing on a stage and waving. The caption reads: Alyssa Huntington surprises fans at SupaCon. The star is there to promote her new film, Lionhart.

I smile like an idiot at the thought of being in the same building as her.

I'm so engrossed by all the excited tweets and photos of Alyssa that I don't watch where I'm going, and slam right into someone when I turn a corner.

My phone drops to the floor and I crouch down to pick it up, apologising profusely.

"It's fine," the woman says, her hand reaching my phone first and handing it to me. But when I try to take it, she doesn't let go. "Oh," she says.

I look up, choking on a gasp when I see her face.

Alyssa Huntington.

She's staring straight at my phone.

The phone with pictures of her on the screen.

"Is that me?"

I play it cool even though I'm dying of embarrassment. "Oh, yeah. You're trending on twitter."

I take my phone and lock the screen faster than I ever have before.

Alyssa raises her eyebrows. "Oh, cool! I don't think I've ever trended before. Wait, trended? Is that even a word?"

I laugh awkwardly. "I think so. Maybe?"

I'm not even sure what she asked me. I'm too busy thinking, be cool. Be cool. BE COOL!

A spark of recognition flashes in her eyes. "Hey, it's you! Charlie!" She points at me and I try not to implode at the fact that she remembers me. "I didn't realise it was you. Your hair is awesome!"

"Thanks! Yeah, it's me." I feel my cheeks turning the same colour as my hair. "I love your hair, too!"

She runs a hand over her newly shaved head. "Thanks! I did it for a new movie I'm doing. So, how've you been?"

I nod. "Yeah, pretty good. You?"

"I'm really good. What's it been, like, a year?"

"Yeah," I say. "I think you were in Melbourne for a premiere. That afterparty for Dear Ruby?"