13

                                    

                                          
And I'm thinking bout' your lips
Two Months Later
The night had settled in with a crisp chill and Alana was cocooned in the comfort of her soft, white sheets; the glow of her phone casting a warm light on her face as she idly flicked through TikTok. The digital world was providing her a temporary escape from the battleground of her thoughts at the minute. As well as her life had been going at the minute, she couldn't seem to get one small thing off her mind.
She hadn't seen Jay since he dropped by her apartment and caught her in the middle of some very intense stress baking, the memory of her emotional turmoil still lingering like a faint shadow. She sensed an undeniable distance growing between them and had convinced herself she had finally scared him off for good. Alana understood, she knew her personality was often draining, and she couldn't expect anyone else to put up with her irregular emotions if she couldn't herself.
She did want to see him though, she wanted to see him really badly. She wanted to ask him what he'd been up to, how he had been, laugh at all his jokes and roll her eyes at his promiscuous and rude comments. But she knew better than to impose, to force a connection that she believed wasn't welcome.
Yet, admits the solitude, Alana had found solace in a new found friendships an business. A vivacious blonde girl named Juliet had come into her bakery a few weeks ago requesting two hundred plain vanilla cupcakes adorned with icing breasts for a local feminist conference she was hosting and Alana couldn't help but be intrigued. The pair of them got on very well while designing the cupcakes, and now they meet every Wednesday night to cook together, their shared passion of culinary arts weaving a bond between them.
Moreover, Alana's Twitch account, 'AlanaEct', had seen a surge in popularity after appearing on Nihachu's stream. The influx of viewers, at least 10,000 strong, has transformed her streaming career, bringing with it a sense of validation and excitement.
Alana was just about to finally finish her doom-scrolling sesh when she received a notification from Twitter, she couldn't see the message yet but saw the name, 'AustinShow'. Immediately she threw the phone to the side of the bed and covered her mouth, frozen in complete shock and excitement. She didn't want to get her hopes up but knew this couldn't be anything bad, was she about to be invited on his channel? That would really put her out there, he gets around 100k per stream!
'Shut up!' Alana screamed at her thoughts, she couldn't get ahead of herself, she couldn't get her hopes up. Alana could not deal with another disappointment right now. With bated breath, she opened the message, her heart racing with a mix of hope and fear.
AustinShow
Hi there! I saw you on Niki's stream and was wondering if you'd like to join in on one of my streams in the near future, I'm always looking for fresh faces and you really seem to be able to keep the audience entertained! No pressure though, get back to me when you can!
Before she could think she was typing out her reply, trying not to seem too desperate or excited. It was hard to hide, a big, gaping smile was plastered onto her face as she tried not to jump up and run around her room in glee. This week could not get any better.
AlanaEct
I would be absolutely delighted to be in one of your streams! Thank you so much for this opportunity.
The following morning, Alana's excitement was reignited by another message from Austin.
AustinShow
Awesome! I am doing a Love or Host on Wednesday next week and would love you to be one of the contestants. Please send me your Discord and I'll add you to our official server which contains all the rules and details.
AlanaEct
Thank you so much! My discord is Alana#8257, also if you wouldn't mind is there any way I can know who I will be contending for?
AustinShow
No problem, You will be competing for the love of the creator JSchlatt. I'll need you to let me know if you pick Love or Host before Wednesday, so no rush!
Alana pursed her lips at the screen, 'JSchlatt' She'd heard the name before but had never seen any of his videos. The decision was strictly strategic; choosing 'Love' over 'Host'. On one hand, 'Host' would bring her in an abundant amount of viewers, but the vast majority would leave before she had even said her first word. However 'Love' not only promised a fake but romantic storyline Alana knew viewers loved but also a significant boost in viewership and industry connections. It was a no-brainer.
However, just in case he was the worst person she'd ever met, she took a quick scroll through his Twitter. He seemed slightly obnoxious but undeniably charismatic. With a decisive nod to herself, she confirmed her choice to Austin, ready to embrace the adventure that lay ahead.
-
This Chapters god awful and so short so my apologies you're forgiven if you just scanned through it, please vote anyway though or ill never upload again :)))))