Get It Started

Chapter 4 The vibration in her pocket awoke Kirsten the next morning.In her dream she had been running through the neighborhood streets, but instead of Brandon chasing her it was rats, big disgusting sooty subway rats -- the animals she hated worst in the world --DZZZZZZZZZ.She screamed and sat up with a start, fumbling for her cell phone.That'swhat the vibration was.Her four-poster bed came into focus. She was still dressed in her clothes from last night. On the wall, Ashton Kutscher smiled his customary Good Morning to her. And she felt as if someone had peeled open her head and dropped in broken glass. This was going to be one gigantic hangover. How had she gotten from the sofa to her bed? Was last night -- the whole horrible thing -- one long, bad dream?She pulled out the phone, flipped it open, and saw Sam's home number on the screen. The time was 10:42 A.M.DZZZZZZZZZ."So," she said, putting the phone to her ear, "what's it like to do it with a Phish head?"There was a pause at the other end. "Hello? Is this Kirsten?" Bobbi Byrne asked.Shit. It was Sam'smom!Open mouth, insert filthy, New York City-grime-encrusted foot. "Oh! Hi, Bobbi! What I meant was -- ""It is you, thank goodness!" Sam's mom said. "Kirsten, would you tell Sam I need to speak to her right away?""Sam?" Kirsten repeated."Yes, Kirsten. I've been trying her and you all morning. Last night Sam mentioned that she might be sleeping at your house. Would you please put her on the phone?"Kirsten took a deep breath.This was bad form for Sam. Really breaking the Code, which was -- more or less -- (1) Always complain, always explain (2) Keep in touch (3) When in doubt, cover your girlfriend's butt.The problem was, you couldn't do (3) very well if you didn't do (2). And you couldn't do any of it well with a raging hangover."Well, um...," Kirsten said, "as a matter of fact...I can't put Sam on right now....""Oh...I see," Bobbi said. "I suppose she's with the Fish boy?""F-Fish boy?" Kirsten said."Kirsten, darling, I heard what you said. Fish Head. I wasn't born yesterday. That must be Spencer Fish's nickname, right? The boy in Model Congress? Is that who she's with?"Image assault.The thought of Sam Byrne with helmet-haired Spencer Fish, whose nose looked like a pork roast and whose wardrobe was last updated in 1997, nearly made Kirsten fall off the bed.In the background she heard a groggy male voice saying, "Do ve need to call nine-von-von?"Rolf from Dusseldorf. With his Teutonic sense of the world, which, if Kirsten didn't handle this situation right, would curdle in a minute. From the way Sam described him, Rolfwouldbe the type to call the cops. And that would be a catastrophe of Olympic proportions. Every sweaty, pencil-chomping, taped-together-eyeglasses reporter in New York City was salivating at the chance to find dirt on a New York Society girl. "Woodley Coed Home After a Two-Day Bender" --that'swhat Rolf's meddling would lead to, because at the moment Sam was probably passed out on the floor of some friend of a friend of a friend in Brooklyn Heights or Scarsdale and wouldn't be awake until half-past lunch. Only there wasno wayKirsten would tell that to Bobbi and Rolf."I meant -- she's not with me because she...got up early and left," Kirsten said."So she's not with the Fish boy?" Bobbi asked."I don't think so," Kirsten said. "She's probably on her way home right now...or maybe she stopped to get some breakfast or something. Her cell phone is dead, that's probably why she hasn't called you," she continued. She was on a roll. Sam and Julie would be proud."Oh," Bobbi said. "Okay.""Don't worry," Kirsten added. "I'm sure she'll be home any minute...if not sooner.""Thanks, Kirsten," Bobbi said. "I wish all her friends were like you."Oh, they are,Kirsten wanted to say.They've been coveringBurke, Morgan is the author of 'Get It Started', published 2005 under ISBN 9780689872259 and ISBN 0689872259.