Annalise pulls herself closer to her desk, resting her chin on her hand as a sigh escapes her lips. Her YouTube channel stares back at her, video after video of her gaming exploits and fandom vents. She's amazed that anyone still cares about her half-baked ideas, that people like her videos or find her funny.
Still, here she is, waiting. The comments on her latest video start rolling in, but she's only looking out for one commenter in particular.
PizzaNunchucker is, to this day, the one subscriber who never says anything negative to her or anyone else. No matter who bashes him or who tries to argue with him, he never stops being the nicest guy ever. She hasn't figured out much about him aside from the fact that he's a boy and he's a teenager. That's the most he's revealed in past comments.
She twirls a lock of her blonde hair around her finger and lets out another sigh. Times like this, she wishes she could have meet-and-greets. When she wanted to start this channel, her mom made her promise that she would never reveal where she lives. She could say she was from the United States, but she absolutely cannot specify which state she's in. On top of that, she isn't allowed to give out a mailing address and can't have any fan meet-ups. It's all part of the privacy that Mrs. Hughes wanted to give her daughter, believing her to be far too young to deal with the Internet in such a way.
Annalise is grateful for it, most of the time. There are plenty of creeps on the Internet, after all, and she's a minor. Still, a meet and greet could give her the chance to meet PizzaNunchucker. All she has to identify him is the pepperoni pizza slice he has as his profile picture, but a part of her longs to know who he really is, to know the face behind the kindness he's shown in her comment section.
She feels her face heat up, and she hides her face in her hands, letting out a soft groan. She's such a creep, she thinks, sitting at her desk and mooning over some random stranger on the Internet. It's so silly of her to feel such an attraction to him, but his words warm her heart, and she can't help but wait for more every time she uploads. This is all she gets.
Annalise scrolls through the comments, still searching for him, cheek squished against her hand.
Omg, I LUV Harry Potter! And LEGO! Pls pls pls play more of this!!!
FIRST! Also I'm a Hufflepuff for sureeee >^<
I'm a huge fan, please like and pin my comment I will love you forever
I agree Slytherins aren't all evil. #SlytherinPride
The last comment starts getting replies with people agreeing and arguing, but Annalise ignores them. She's still waiting.
This channel has gone to shit. Seriously, who still watches this crap? Do something exciting or get off YouTube, talentless blonde bitch 😒
Annalise stops reading, swallowing hard as she flags the comment and moves on. Nothing will happen, but she feels better doing it. Still no PizzaNunchucker. Her heart starts to sink.
Just as she's about to click away and check later, a familiar icon appears, and she feels a smile spread across her face in an instant.
PizzaNunchucker: Dude, my comments almost didn't work! Talk about scary 😫 Anyways, loved the video! You're always so cute and funny! Never change, Annalise! <3 Donut Army forever!!! Booyakasha!
She leans harder onto her hand as she gazes dreamily at the comment. One little comment, one little subscriber among ten thousand others, and yet his alone makes her happier than anything else. It's like his comment is the only sincere one here, not just a cry out for her to notice him and give him something to brag about.
She likes his comment, moves her cursor to the exit button, but stops. Her mother also told her not to reply. Replying can be dangerous, what with talking to strangers and such, but she can't help it. She ignores her mother's warnings, just this one time.
DeepFriedDonutLisey: The comments almost didn't work? Oh the horror 😭 Thanks so much for your support! That means a lot <3
She sends it, fluffing her fringe as she chews her lip. Is it too weird? She stands up from her desk and heads for her fire escape, hoping that some air will calm her down. She hears her door creak open as her Jack Russell terrier puppy, Pepper, trots into the room and follows her out onto the landing.
Annalise shuts her window and settles down on the beanbag chair she left outside. She lies back and watches the New York City scenery, enjoying the cool breeze. Pepper settles down and rests her speckled muzzle on her owner's feet, one ear sticking up and the other floppy.
Annalise smiles and reaches over, scratching her dog's ears. Pepper sniffles her hand and lets out a soft "murf" noise. Annalise imagines that she's asking her about what's on her mind. She shrugs, not quite sure of the answer herself. Right now, her mind is as cluttered as her bedroom, which, no matter how hard she attempts to keep it tidy, always gets messed up again. She's come to be content with her state of organized chaos.
"Booyakasha," she repeats to herself. "What a funny word."
Pepper makes another snorting noise and crawls into her lap. She curls up against her stomach, nuzzling her head against her shirt, and Annalise hugs her puppy gently, grey-blue eyes squeezing shut as if to block out the world.
Like always, her channel stays at the forefront of her mind. Her subscriber count has stagnated, but a good chunk of her following has been around since close to the beginning, and maybe this is her chance to do something nice for them.
An idea pops into her head. Her Minecraft videos are pretty popular, and more than a few times, people on stream have expressed a desire to play with her. She could hold a contest for a few lucky subscribers to join her in a server for a stream, and maybe...just very sneaky-like, she could make PizzaNunchucker one of those winners.
She pets Pepper's fur, nodding as the idea takes further form. Yes, that could work. "Then, even if I can't meet him...we could chat a bit online," she says, letting the idea hit the open air. She likes it even more now.
Pepper stays fast asleep.
Annalise hums, tapping her finger against her chin. She'll just have to program an entry sheet, then post an announcement on her channel. It'll be a flash contest, something nice and quick, and then she'll get to play a game with her fans. If it goes well, maybe she can do it again, make it a monthly draw that anyone can try to win.
She grins. It's perfect. She can finally "meet" some of her subscribers, and she can maybe talk to PizzaNunchucker to boot! She could be going overboard with this, but it's the perfect time for it. She needs something new, something to get people invested, and most of all, she needs something to keep her going.
YOU ARE READING
Digital Mutation (Book Five)
FanfictionShe's a YouTuber with a small fanbase and big dreams, but lately, she catches herself wishing that things were different. She misses the privacy. She misses the simplicity that being a "nobody" brought. She misses the girl she used to be, but she ca...
