Not All YouTubers Are Human {1}

Chapter 8

After the little, 'incident' none of the guys would leave me alone. And I don't mean that they would constantly bug me, they just have to be in the same room as me or at least 6 feet or less away.

Except when I needed my privacy, like when I'm in the bathroom or when I'm changing. The first few days, I was fine with that and sure, I was still traumatized but they made me feel safe. Days turned into weeks and eventually I wasn't as 'okay' with it.

"Guys, we need to talk." I announced walking into the back lounge were they were playing on the X-box, on their phones, ect.

They all looked up from what they were doing at me. I steadied my breathing until I knew I could talk without making a fool out of myself.

"It's really sweet of how protective you guys are, but I'm not a tiny teenager anymore. I can take care of myself." I explained, reciting my little speech I had prepared. I had even thought of what to say to all of the possible responses.

"But remember what happened a couple weeks ago?" Bob said, speaking for the guys.

I nodded slowly, "And remembered how I handled it? How I escaped, using nothing to help me? My dad, being one of the bravest men I know has never stopped hiring trainers that were veterans."
Before I even knew it, I started pacing across the room. "He even sent me to a military camp this one summer. He's a war dog basically, he breathes, eats, and lives this stuff. He's a decorated officer in the armed forces. What I'm saying is, I think you guys can trust me to at least be by myself for an hour right?"

I received blank stares from everyone, then everyone stood up and applauded giving me a standing ovation.

"Wow Echo, where'd you get the acting skills? You almost had me there." Mark said placing his hand on my shoulder.

I scowled at him, grabbed his arm and flipped him onto the couch, storming out of the room and to the dinning area. I sat on the wrap-around couch. I was sitting on the part that was facing away from James driving.

"Have you ever experienced something so scary, so... So scarring... That the people who love you try to hide you, to shield you so that it would never happen to you again?" I asked, playing with my fingers.

"Yes, my oldest brother had been stabbed and killed by a group of terrorists. My mama and papa never let me out of the house unless I was supervised. I hated it for so long." He answered.

"I'm so sorry. So, how did you manage to... You know...?"

"I didn't convince them to let me out alone. My parents and my brother died in a house fire that happened overnight. Only my sister and I lived, only because we weren't at the house. My sister went over to her friends house for the night and I went to help out at the church like I always did Friday nights."

I stopped playing with my fingers and turned around. "I'm so sorry. When did this happen?"

"Long ago, when I was nine and my sister was seven."

"How is she now?"

"She's dead. Had been for almost three years now. She had a loving husband and four children. She died of a serious illness and heart failure. She died at the age of 46." The sadness in his voice was almost unbearable.

"Sorry I brought it up. You probably didn't want to talk about it."

"Don't worry. Someone as young as you shouldn't have a worry in the world. But, I heard you practicing your speech to the boys. Was your dad really in the army?"

"Still is. He had a huge thing about serving his country. He actually left for Afghanistan a couple years ago. He hasn't come back yet, but he's not dead. Representatives would have come an told us."