With Whom We Spend Our Lives [septiplier]

ARE - week nine

It's funny how much can change in three months.

Words escaped him, problems followed him, comments went wrong. In three months Jack had managed to wreck his reputation, lose over a quarter of his subscribers, and watch his income get slashed. Great. Awesome. That's exactly what he needed.

It was Friday, and he was sitting on Mark's couch. The thing had felt amazing a couple of weeks ago, but since he was no longer jet lagged and had gotten used to the comfort of his own bed, he was beginning to see the couch for what it really was - pretty damn uncomfortable.

The thing was, with his money already on low supply and his income cut in half, Jack was getting desperate. Specifically, Jack was getting desperate with rent. He lived in a pretty upscale apartment, and he couldn't afford to live there much longer. He would need to find a smaller place. Not much was available right now, and he'd need to find somewhere to stay before he got kicked out. The landlord was getting irritated, he could tell. He would need at least five months to find a new apartment, and he didn't have that kind of time.

So that's why he sat on Mark's couch, hands curled in his lap and staring at his best friend, waiting for a response.

"So you want to move in. With me," Mark said. Jack shifted in the already uncomfortable seat, avoiding Mark's gaze. What he didn't notice was that Mark was beaming ear to ear from across the room, sitting on the ottoman. Mark had been waiting for an excuse to find a roommate, and who could fill the position better than a close friend like Jack?

"Well, just for a little bit," Jack said. "Th' rent on me apartment is startin' to raise a little, and I haven't got the pocket change anymore to really meet that standard."

"Oh my gosh, this'll be great. It's like a sleepover every night," Mark said.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, I- what?" Jack said. Mark laughed at that.

"Like, totally. A sleepover. We could braid each others hair, talk about boys, the best," Mark joked. Jack paused for a second before a grin seeped over his cheeks.

"You bastard, I was actually concerned about this!" Jack said, but Mark's laughter was infectious.

"Should've known better, Jackaboy," Mark said, "I would never make you sleep on the streets like the homeless people you oh-so-despise."

"Oh, not this again. Bloody hell, I know you're jokin', but some people actually think I have a thing against hob- homeless people. And now Asian people too? I'm sorry, I really do need to read a little more, but Jesus. That's so damn unnecessary," Jack said.

"You never know how people might react. But hey, I know you'll build it back, take over the internet again. You're pretty difficult to resist," Mark said with an over-exaggerated wink.

"I sure as fuck hope so. Oh, speaking of, yer channel just hit 15 mil, right? Congrats," Jack said with a smile.

"Thanks! As you said though, it's just a number. Individuals and all that," Mark said. "Last time we spoke about it you were at 10.5. Have you hit 11 yet?" Jack's smile faltered. He paused for a second before looking towards his shoes.

"It doesn't matter."

"I know it doesn't matter, but c'mon! Don't you get a little curious?" Mark said. Jack just shrugged. "Just tell me. Did you hit ele-"

"It dropped."

"I- What?"

"It dropped. I'm at seven," Jack said. Mark's mouth fell open for a second before he he snapped it shut. Four million people just spontaneously decided Jack wasn't worth their time. Sure, channels ebb and flow, but to lose so many people so quickly... "But as I said, it doesn't matter. I started YouTube as a guy filming videos of games in his bedroom, and I'm still in the same position, just with more people watchin' me now. Just because it was a bigger number a couple of months ago doesn't change how I am as of now. I'm me, it's who I am. It's us- you and me and Ken and Felix and Wade and Bob and so many other people- it's who we are, and people's opinions can't change that. Besides, it's not like I expect people to subscribe to me, it's just an added bonus sorta," Jack said. Mark nodded, giving his friend a quick once over. What wasn't there to like about Jack? He was one of the nicest guys under the sun, and he had best laugh Mark had ever heard. He was hilarious. He was amazing. He was Jack. He was Sean.