Behind the Screens

Chapter 1

Behind the screen, I was happy. I was funny. I was bouncing up and down, around and around. Everything seemed perfect.

Behind the screen, I was masking. It wasn't me. Not the real one, at least. Not me currently. Right now, I'm not happy.

I woke up, stretching my limbs as far as they would go. The bright sun lit up my room to its brightest. My television was reflecting the white light, and my dog's eyes were still closed.

I would have two dogs with closed eyes, but Nikki doesn't get alone well with Baby anymore. Not since Loco died.

My first instinct was to drink a sip of my Kool-Aid. It was already nine in the morning. My notifications automatically turn on at seven. When I turn to my Kool-Aid cup, I go to sip the straw when I realise it's empty.

Anytime I wake up, there's a ninty-nine percent chance that my Kool-Aid has been drunk. The other one percent is very rare, on occasion that I refill it early in the morning.

I turn my body to the edge of the bed and situate myself up to a sitting position. I grab my glasses and my Kool-Aid cup and stood up to walk to the kitchen. I place the glass on the counter and open the fridge for the Kool-Aid container. I hear my phone go off twice.

I've used it for years. Never even switched it out. Of course it's been washed. By hand. Non-thoroughly.

I pour my Kool-Aid into the cup and head back to my room. I put the cup on the nightstand, roll into bed, and grab my phone to check it.

Kevin had texted me. Saying he had something "important" and "exciting" for me. What is it, pirate Gman? GT 566 is done? What could it possibly-

Tyler: Can we call?

Elli: C-Call? You never want to call! You get super super angry.

I wasn't sure what he was going for. Call? He never calls me. He never lets me call him.

Tyler: Can. we. call.

Elli: Okay fine.

I press the call button and wait for him to pick up.

The ringing stopped and a dark, masculine voice was heard on the other side. "Hi!" they said. I could tell it was Tyler. His online name is Kevin.

"What is it, Kevin?" I asked, my curiosity spiking as to why he called me this early in the morning.

"The help wanted poster for Len and Abby has been made!" he said, sounding excited, "GT 8 might be soon!"

I knew it. Of course it was something about GT. He has a YouTube animated series called GT, and he had been trying to get a voice actor for two of his girl characters since August of 2022. Luckily, a girl named Angelina Eleketens was able to take the job for GT 5 and 7! Now that she quit, Kevin has been trying his hardest to find someone to replace her.

"Uh, good, I'm glad," I said, disappointed, "Though, what does this have to do with me?"

"You love GT 8!" Kevin reminded me. Of course I love GT 8. My favourite character stars in it. That doesn't mean I like it enough to want him to call me just because he got a wanted poster up.

"Yes, I know," I said, "But-" I stopped myself, "Whatever."

"Oh, come on! Be more enthusiastic about this!" Kevin begged.

"I am enthusiastic!" I told him. Of course I was.

"Doesn't sound like it," he replied.

I groaned, "Goodbye, Kevin."

I removed the phone from my ear and clicked the red button to hang up the call.

Suddenly, my Aunt busted through my room.

"We're moving somewhere," she said, "but the thing is you get to choose where."

Maybe this was my chance to finally see Kevin in real life.

"Uhmmm..." I replied, hesitant to reply quickly like I had been wanted to hear this question since 2019. That's when Kevin and I met. November 16, 2019 to be exact. "Hague, Connecticut!"

Hague is a strange city, but Kevin seems to like it. Why would they even pronounce "Hague" as "Hag"? That's just asking for trouble.

"Why there?" she asked.

"Because," I responded, "that's where Kevin lives."

"Any particular area?" she responded. Her name is Lisa.

"Uhm," I replied, trying to remember the street I stalked him in once. "Hamburg Avenue! Close to... Hague Burg High School 'cause that's his school."

"How do you know this?"

I know for multiple reasons.

"My friends say I should be an FBI agent because I know his address without him directly telling me."

Yeah, he doesn't like that I know that fact. 7781 Hamburg Avenue, Hague, Connecticut. Who doesn't like the fact that an online friend knows your address?

"How do you know that he isn't a 60 year old man?"

"Because he's an idiot," I said, smiling brightly, "And he talks young. I haven't heard any old person say 'I cooked some songs today!"

"Cook?" Lisa questioned.

"See?" I responded, "It's Gen Z lingo. Or Alpha. I don't know."

"Well, we'll be leaving soon so get ready," Lisa said.

"Today?" I asked.

"No," she replied, "Next week."

"So soon?" I panicked, "So sudden? Did you do something illegal again?!?!"

"No, I-" I could see the confusion in her face, "wait, what do you mean again?"

"Haha, nothing," I scratched my neck nervously..."

"Uh-huh..." Lisa replied, "Just make sure to start packing."

I nodded as she exited my room.

I was gonna see Kevin.

Kevingaming99.

Is this real?

Someone pinch me.

What if I see Angelina? And Fabian? Alex? Addy? All of the people I've heard so much about.

But if it goes wrong, and Kevin ends up hating me and fighting with me, .maybe I won't ever see my friends again.

Especially with how angry he gets online sometimes, I'm a risk.

A risk to his 100-year-streak of being happy. I wouldn't want to take that from him.