Burp, Flap, Shelly, and Donna VII (26)

Burp, Flap, Shelly, and Donna VII (26)

    As Burp and the others walked down the aisle, Burp immediately recognized the face of one of the men sitting in the front row of pews. He grabbed Flap by the arm and pointed.

    "Look!" he exclaimed.

    "What?" Flap asked, looking towards where Burp was pointing.

    "Do you know who that is?" 

    "Who?" Donna asked. "The dude with the chick in the green dress?"

    "Yeah!"

    "Not a clue," Flap shook his head.

    "It's Geiger Nelson!" Burp grinned from ear to ear while the others just looked at him, their faces masks of confusion. "Oh don't tell me you don't know who I'm talking about!" Burp sighed in exasperation. "Come on, Shelly, you know who Geiger Nelson is."

    "Oh yeah," Shelly nodded with sudden realization. "The guy who writes all those books you like."

    "What's he doing here?" Flap asked.

Burp shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe he's staying up at the Cabins like us?"

    "Well, why don't you go talk to him?" Shelly asked, gently pushing her boyfriend forward. "Looks like there's some seats up there by him and his girlfriend."

    Burp thought about protesting, after all it was Geiger Nelson, but he nodded and walked forward, his legs feeling like rubber. He approached the front pew on the right and coughed, trying to get the writer's attention. The man looked up and smiled.

    "Can I help you?" He asked.

    "Um, gee, I, uh," Burp stammered, standing in front of his idol. 

    "Slow down, kid," Geiger Nelson laughed. "Take it easy."

    "It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Nelson," Burp grinned. He held out his hand and the writer shook it. "My name is Charlie Martin. I'm such a fan of your books."

    "It's nice to meet you, Charlie," Geiger Nelson smiled. 

    "Actually, he goes by Burp."

Burp turned around and saw Flap, Shelly, and Donna standing there. Donna was the one who had spoken.

    Geiger laughed and said, "My apologies. Nice to meet you, Burp. Who are your friends here?"

The smile seemed permanently stitched to Burp's face as he introduced his friends and girlfriend.

    "Well, it's nice to meet all of you." Geiger said, shaking each young adults' hand. He turned to the woman in green next to him and said, "This is Angela Hornsby. She runs the town's library."

    Everyone greeted each other amiably and Geiger offered, "Why don't you kids sit with us?"

    "Really?" Burp asked.

    "Sure," the writer grinned. "You seem like good kids."

    "Thank you, sir." Burp smiled.

    "Please, call me Geiger," 

    "Uh, um, thanks, Geiger,"

Burp's friends and the writer and Angela gave a friendly laugh at Burp's starstruck stammer and then everyone sat down.

    "When Burp says he's a fan of yours," Shelly said, leaning over her boyfriend to look at Geiger. "He's being modest. He's got every one of your books on his shelf at home."

    "Is that so?" Geiger asked.

    "Uh, yeah," Burp nodded, his cheeks blushing with embarrassment.

    "Well, then it's an honor to be sitting with you, Burp," Geiger smiled. "Which book do you like best, if you don't mind my asking?"

    "Probably The Digger," Burp said. "It had such a feeling of reality that I couldn't sleep for days."

He and Geiger laughed and the writer replied, "Well, I don't know if that's a compliment or not, but thanks! Anyway, what did you think of..."

    As Burp and his idol talked, Donna looked around the church. It sure wasn't like the one back at home, with it's high-vaulted ceilings and beautiful-yet-gory stained glass windows. It was a white room with cross hanging over the windows and large, silk tapestries of doves and crosses with red flames. It was nice and cozy and friendly.

    Donna's eyes scanned the room and approached the altar where, behind a parted curtain, stood an incredibly pale dude. Sweat rolled down his face as though he'd just splashed it with water and he coughed into a purple rag. Donna knew that you only looked like that if you were running a fever and sick. 

    She turned to tell Flap that maybe they should go, not wanting to get a bug herself, but he, too, was wrapped up in conversation with Burp and that writer dude. Shelly, however, was looking nervously toward the front of the room, at the man. She and Donna locked eyes and both had a look that said 'he doesn't look so hot'.