Internet Friends // Matthew Espinosa

Chapter 11

I get in a cab and dread the moment when I walk into the hotel. But, the driver pulls up anyway.

I call Cameron, because he's the only i feel like I can trust. I mean, I trust the others, but I think Cameron is the only one who understands.

"I'm outside."

"Come in!"

"I still don't know-"

"Come on, Nic. You leave tonight. It won't hurt anyone."

"Fine."

I hang up and walk in.

"Ticket?" The employee asks.

"Pass." I take the lanyard between my fingers and lift the pass.

"Go on in." She opens the door.

'where do i go' I text Cameron.

'backstage, behind the curtain.'

I walk up and show the security guard my pass.

I see Cameron and tap him.

"Hey!" he hugs me and picks me up.

"Hey." I hug back.

"What do you wanna do, when were on stage?" he says, pitting me down.

I look over his shoulder. Matt. Sitting on a couch, being quiet. It's not Matt, not him inside, at least. "I don't know."

"Then, you're coming onstage."

"You're kidding,"

He shakes his head.

"They hate me."

"Maybe they do, but we don't hate you. We'll defend you, if anything happens."

I nod.

I hear Mahogany's voice introducing the bpys. She adds, with a positive attitude, "Plus Nicooole!"

"BOOOOOOOOOOO." I hear from the crowd.

They walk on stage and I try to stay back, but Cameron pulls me.

"We're going to do questions, guys!" Nash says, when were all sitting on the stage, I'm in a corner. He points to a girl in the back.

"Did Matt and Nicole break up? If so, why?"

"They were never dating." Cameron says into his mic.

Hayes points to a fan in the front.

"Why would the fandom make edits of Matt and that slut?"

"1. She's not a slut. She hasn't dated any of us." Taylor walks to the front of the stage. "And 2. I don't know why they would make edits of Matt and 'that slut'" he does air quotes. "But Nicole, she has a name, and Matt never dated."

So we're acting like it DIDNT happen.

"Oh my god." I check my phone. "Cameron, I-I have to go, my-my flight's been rescheduled."

"To when?" Cameron asks.

"5." I check, it's 4:00. "Bye." I hug him.

"Will we see eachother again?" JJ gets up and says to me.

"I'll call you all of you, for sure, or you call me." I smile. "Tell everyone I said bye."

"Everybody wave bye to Nicole!" Jack G. says.

I hug everyone, even Matt.

"I'm sorry." he whispers.

"Bye, Matt."

I walk off and run to hail a taxi.

I get to my hotel and throw all my stuff into a bag, check out, and hail a taxi.

"Bye, New York." I whisper to myself as I'm walking into the airport.

"Terminal 26 to Utah, last call for boarding I run and find my seat.

'you left?' Autumn texts me.

'yeah, sorry imp couldn't get hold of you'

'it's fine, i'm going on that date with shawn tonight'

'tell me how it goes, gtg takeoff.'

'bye.'

I automatically fall asleep.

When I wake up, it's 6:00, Utah time. Time to get off.