Page 94 of AMS.TER.strum

Luuk

I wait for Corrie to call after we hang up, wondering what happened at school this time. After ten minutes pass and I haven’t heard from her, I can’t sit waiting as fake news is being thrown left and right. Instead, I want to check whether my suspicions are true.

A surprised Aaron opens his door, phone in hand. At nine in the morning, he is still in his pyjamas, a set from a brand that’s my sponsor. He hurriedly hangs up after letting me in. I plonk my body on one of his couches, the size of a small football field, ignoring the breathtaking views to the city from the eighth floor. I aim for a deflated yet alarmed look and pause for a few seconds for effect, like a couple of beats of silence at the very beginning of a show for the audience to settle. He looks at me baffled.

‘Did we have an appointment here?’ He speaks as if I have invaded his sacred space, while he’s been treading all over my life.

I shake my head. ‘I…I needed to talk to you. Didn’t know who else to go to. Corrie is already upset about the pregnancy rumours…’

‘What’s going on?’ His concern looks genuine as he lowers himself on the other couch.

‘There…might be someone I slept with unprotected during the European tour…’

Aaron jumps up as if he sat on a loose spring. ‘What?’

I deliberately avoid his eyes to underline my guilt. ‘It was a drunk night…’

‘Geez, kid, always carry condoms, if you’re planning to be fucking all that breathes.’

There’s a hint of pride in his admonishing comment and it almost makes me gag. But I will use whatever to make the story believable, so now I lace my voice with agony when I ask, ‘What are we going to do?’

My manager’s look is that of the first day I went to his office, his protective wing once more ready to cover me from this adversity. ‘Don’t worry. I’ll handle it.’

‘Thank you, Aaron.’ I’m surprised at myself for sounding so grateful. ‘I knew I could count on you.’

After I leave his place, my first thought is to talk to Corrie.

Me

What was the deal with the call from school?

Me

I might have a lead as to who’s leaking the news.

Me

Call me when you can.

The message is delivered but not read. I don’t want to call and bother her, because she must already be at work.

Me

Just in case things escalate too fast…

Me

Please ignore whatever fresh shit surfaces, okay?

Me

I need to check someone out.

Me

Love you. xxx

Back home, I get on the treadmill and vent my frustration, ending up even more pissed off, because I can only push my body so much. I don’t want to cause more harm than the exercise is supposed to cure. I’d love for my suspicions to be far-fetched, to have been paranoid and to be proved wrong, but something at the back of my head is absolutely certain as to how things will go.