PHEME: The Ultimate Celebrity System

Chapter 3

Asher’s POV 

I had been forced to sit all alone in the car while Theo went in to take the test. It felt like the longest hour I had ever spent. Just me and my restrained tears in the car. 

People would occasionally look at me as they walked past the car window. I had fallen for the temptation of going online to see the videos of me that had been all over the internet. 

And that made me even more miserable. 

I was still shocked at how Neil had been able to get the professor to do his bidding. It looked like anyone could do anything in the school if they became a pop star.

A call disrupted the silence I had been enjoying in the car. I looked at the screen to see it was my boss at the mall I worked. At that point, I was reminded of all I had given up just for Cheryl’s birthday.

From the moment I answered the call, I could tell that my day was about to go from bad to worse. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Fletcher… I got caught up in a lot last night.”

“Of course you did…” he almost cut me off with his sharp response. That meant trouble. “And that’s part of the reasons I called you.”

I swallowed hard while bracing up for whatever punishment he was about to give for my absence. He was surely going to cut my pay for the rest of the month, and that was bad as I had spent it all on Cheryl. 

“You’re fired, Asher…” the silence before that made it seem like he had given up on trying to find a polite way to say that. “I will have to let you go, Asher.”

“What…?” I didn’t understand if that was Neil at it again. Could he have gone as far as poisoning my boss’s mind like he had done the professor.

“Did last night make you go deaf as well? I said you’re fired.” He spoke with no form of pity in his tone. “I can’t have people walk into my store and see you at my cash register. With all these videos of you flying everywhere, you’re going to be bad news.”

“No…please… you can’t do this to me.” I was pleading with a really shaky voice as I was about to witness another part of my life get taken away from me. 

“You think I can’t? You just watch me…” he hung up after that.

I felt like the rug had been pulled off from under my feet. The tears that had been building up since morning finally found a good place to escape my eyelids. They rolled down my cheeks freely as I couldn’t figure out what my next move would be. My mind was an empty page as I stared down at my feet.

Yet again, my phone went off to distract me from the deafening silence. I looked to see it was my sister and at once, I knew what it was. My heart sank as I recalled I had to send money for my sick mother’s upkeep.

At that point, I just wanted to run away and escape my harsh reality for a moment. I tossed my phone in the backseat, but it kept ringing. It had to be something that had gone terribly wrong. But what could have been more terribly wrong than last night?

“Hey man…” Theo tapped on the glass before he stepped into the car and sat at the driver’s seat. “It was a horrible test. I can’t wait to get home and…” he stopped as he noticed my tears and the phone ringing at the back. “What’s going on?”

“I just got fired.” I said tiredly through the tears. It was hard to breathe as there were just too many thoughts running through my head.

“Who’s on the phone?” 

“My…sister…” I felt like I was using up the last bit of strength in my body while speaking to him. “I’m just…” I pushed the door open and ran out as i just couldn’t breathe anymore.

“Asher… where are you going?” Theo called, but I just kept running like all of my misfortune was running behind me. 

I was looking for anywhere that I could hide from everyone and everything. Neil was surely laughing hard wherever he was watching my misery from. Along with Cheryl. 

No other place came to my mind besides the basketball court. I was sure it would be empty by then. I'd never been a fan of suicidal thoughts but right there I was beginning to understand why people kill themselves. For the first time in my life I just wanted to stop existing.

By the time I got to the door leading to the basketball court I could hear the sound of people in there and that had me turning around at one. 

Unfortunately I turned around to see people who seemed like they knew me and what had happened last night. Immediately I took off into one of the restrooms and closed the door behind me. 

I turned on the tap and washed my face in a frantic attempt to make myself calm down. But it didn't work at all. 

As I got tired of looking at my bruised face in the mirror, I looked at the watch on my wrist which was my father's gift to me before he died. 

Then I began to seriously wonder why he had bothered bringing me into such a cruel existence. What the heck was I meant to do with my mother?

I closed my eyes, as the tap ran, reminding me of how quickly I was running out of time and options. 

“Asher Coleman…” a feminine voice called out and for the third time my solitude was interrupted. 

But when I opened my eyes, I was met by a bright blinding light that forced my eyes to close again. The light was just too close and it seemed to be coming out of my wristwatch.

“I am Pheme…” 

“What the heck is going on?”