Coming Clean by Ross Jeff Page A

Seriously.”
    The next thing I did was call Matt.
    â€œHe’s probably dicking you around, Rob,” Matt said.
    â€œReally? What’s he going to do, suddenly tell me it was a joke when I show up with my gear?” I opened my curtains and was surprised to find it sunny out. I guess I did spend too much time in this small, dark room.
    â€œLike that would be a surprise?” Adam had tied Matt to a tree with a skipping rope once, when we were all kids. Matt had been unable to ever forgive him. On a fairly regular basis, I heard about what an ass my brother was. Though after I punched Matt in the gut once, he tended to keep it to himself unless we were on the phone.
    â€œWhy do you have to be such a douche?”
    â€œI’ll believe it when you’re in the DJ booth. Not a second before,” Matt said.
    â€œIt’s going to happen, Matt. And by the way, you’re driving me.”
    â€œI don’t go to The Disco. That place is way too lame.”
    â€œAnd what great plans do you have for Friday night?” I asked.
    â€œNothing yet, but something will come around.”
    â€œNothing ever comes around, Matt. You’re driving me. I’ll get you backstage.”
    â€œBackstage at The Disco? Oh, my prayers have been answered! Christmas has come early! My next five birthdays have been squished into a little ball and rolled down the hallway of happiness. Backstage at The Disco!”
    â€œShut up. Maybe I’ll let you up in the booth. You can flick a light on and off all night.”
    â€œCan it be a green light?” Matt said.
    â€œThink you can handle two lights? I might let you at a red one as well.”
    â€œIt is Christmas!” Matt said. “Hey, I just had a thought.”
    â€œJesus, man, hold on to it. In your head, a thought is as rare as a diamond.” Matt ignored my comment. He’s useless at comebacks.
    â€œYou know who has recently been spotted at The Disco?”
    â€œWho?” I said. I hadn’t been to the club in over a month.
    â€œMary Jane McNally.”
    â€œHow do you know that?” I said way too quickly.
    â€œI hear things. Apparently, she dresses far less reserved than at school.”
    â€œMary Jane McNally is God’s gift to Resurrection Falls, Matt. Whatever she decides to clothe herself in has been preordained from on high. And those lips. Those beautiful, thick lips. They look as though they’ve been inflated.”
    â€œYou have it bad, man.”
    â€œYou are my ride. This is going to happen.” I hung up before he could say another word.

Chapter Two
    â€œThat’s my name,” I said. “Can you see it?” Matt’s dilapidated Jetta was one of only four cars in The Disco’s parking lot.
    â€œIt’s covered in crud,” Matt said. Which it was. Whoever had put the letters in the billboard had dropped one and neglected to clean it off. “It looks like it says Rob olo.”
    â€œIt says Rob Solo,” I said. Before I had clued into the fact that once you have a DJ name you have to keep it, I’d called myself Rob Solo after Han Solo in Star Wars . I guess it was a cool enough name. But even if it wasn’t, I was stuck with it.
    â€œYou have selected a beautiful evening to make your debut,” Matt said. The snow had been coming down for hours. Though it did make this otherwise dull gray city look halfway nice.
    â€œI have,” I said, opening the car door.
    â€œNow help me get this junk inside.”
    â€œWhat’s all this shit?” Ernie, the owner of The Disco, asked.
    â€œMy records,” I said. “And turntables.” Matt was trying to keep his portion of the load upright, but his arms were like twigs.
    â€œI gotta put this down,” he said.
    â€œI have turntables,” Ernie said. He seemed really annoyed with me. “Have you never played a club before? Everyone else shows up with a computer or a little hard