It's All About You

July 10th 2013

July 10th 2013

Meri felt her heart sinking and tears forming in her eyes as she watched Zoe's new vlog. It was from last week, when they had all been staying at Zoe and Joe's. The clip playing out in front of her was from when her and Joe had been behind everyone else and they had said they loved each other.

Zoe obviously hadn't noticed when she was editing because she was talking quite a bit to Tyler. But it was obvious. Meri put her hand over her mouth and tried to hide her little sob from Jim and Tanya, who were sleeping next door.

She closed her eyes as she saw herself lean in and kiss Joe. For five seconds. That's a long time. And then again. This time for eight. She counted them. Every second felt like a lifetime. It wasn't a big deal though, right? Sure, her and Joe had agreed not to do anything couple-y online but... it was just a kiss... maybe no one would notice.

But Meri was already getting hundreds of mentions on her twitter with screenshots and gifs and fangirling about it. Everyone had seen.

She could ask Zoe to remove it but what would that do? Thousands of people had already seen the vlog and screenshotted it and posted it everywhere. It was too late. Meri wondered if Joe had noticed...

...

Zoe turned her laptop off and got into bed. She had just uploaded her new vlog from last week and tomorrow she was going to LA with all her friends. She was happy. She was smiling. And then Joe stormed into her room.

"What the fuck Zoe?" he shouted. Zoe jumped and sat up.

"What?" she asked, worried.

"Are you fucking joking? What do you mean, what?" Joe yelled. Graham rushed into her bedroom to see why Joe was shouting.

"Joe, what's happened?" Zoe asked.

"You! You just... you're so stupid Zoe! What the hell is wrong with you? Do you not have eyes?" Joe yelled. He had seen the vlog. He had seen the kisses that Zoe had left in. But he thought Zoe had seen them too.

"Joe, stop shouting," Graham said calmly.

"What have I done?" Zoe exclaimed.

"You've ruined everything! You and your stupid, stupid vlog! That was a private moment that we don't want all over the fucking internet!" Joe shouted in her face.

"What are you talking about, Joe?" Zoe asked, her voice high-pitched. Instead of replying, Joe threw his phone at her. "Ouch," she said as it hit her shoulder. "What?"

"Read those comments Zoe, and tell me there's nothing wrong with them," he ordered angrily. She rolled her eyes and then scrolled through the comments on her new vlog. The majority – no, all of them – said something along the lines of: "OMFG! JERI FREAKING KISSED AT 7:39-8:00! LIFE COMPLETE. THAT WAS SOOO CUTE. THANK YOU ZOE!"

Zoe's stomach knotted and she played that part of the vlog, looking at the background rather than at herself and Tyler. Sure enough, Joe and Meri were having a pretty intimate moment. And she had vlogged it all.

"Joe... I'm so sorry. I didn't notice..." Zoe muttered.

"Yeah, I figured," Joe snapped in anger.

"I'll delete it, don't worry," she tried.

"Don't bother. It's been screenshotted and retweeted so many fucking times already that it wouldn't make a difference. Just leave it," Joe spat.

Zoe nodded uncertainly and Joe snatched his phone off her. "I'm really sorry, Joe," Zoe repeated.

"Whatever, Zoe. Just go to bed," he snapped. And then he left. Zoe put her head in her hands and started to cry.

"Zo... it's okay, don't cry," Graham tried. He sat on her bed and rubbed her back.

"I messed up so much dad. Everyone else is being so careful not to get me and Alfie in their videos and I didn't even bother looking," she sobbed.

"Joe will understand. He just needed to vent," Graham assured her.

"But what about Meri? She gets embarrassed when her and Joe kiss in front of us!" Zoe sobbed in despair.

"She'll understand as well. She will know you didn't mean to do that," he replied. "Why don't you get some sleep? You can talk to her tomorrow, you're seeing her again,"

"Yeah... okay," Zoe sniffed. "Thanks dad,"

"And if Joe gives you any trouble when you're in LA, just smack him one," Graham joked. Zoe laughed and her dad kissed her forehead. "I'll see you in the morning, love," he said and then he went as well.