How is it realistically possible that AbigialClover, girlfriend of SillyNate, is in the same Uni course as me?
I thought I was mistaken at first - actually, I was sure of it.
Obviously, I knew she was studying for an undergraduate at University of London – same as me. But out of all the damn courses that we can take, what are the odds we're in the very same business course at the same time?
I'd always been fast at making friends. I sought out being the life of the party. I loved hanging around people and was an extrovert with a capital E. Making new friends were almost a hobby of mine but I was hesitant to approach her.
She was sat crouched down in the back, scribbling away eagerly. She hardly ever raised her hand in class but she was muttering under her breath every time the professor asked a question, as if she knew the answer.
I wasn't afraid to raise my hand and attempt to answer everything, even if I sometimes wasn't sure of the answer.
I let her be for the first couple of weeks because she honestly seemed like she would rather be left alone. She seemed comfortable that way and I was more than busy making friends with all the other new people in that course.
I wondered if some of the other students knew who she was and that we had an amazing photographer and excellent blogger amongst us. Maybe not, you'd only really know her if you followed SillyNate's vlogs closely, which I did.
While I was very open, honest and talkative with new people I always felt a bit odd asking them if they also spent hours a day watching YouTube or even more hours on Tumblr engaging in all the fandom discussions.
I loved my Internet friends a bit more than people I met in person for that very reason. I could get a sense of them in a different way, looking at what they reblogged or tweeted about. I could find common interests that you typically didn't discuss too much "offline".
I didn't want to bother her. While my Tumblr could be considered famous; most people didn't care to know my face, though I occasionally updated my "Face" page. Abbey had been exposed to the YouTube viewers hesitantly and I felt it was probably because she wasn't too comfortable with people knowing who she was.
However on the 12th of February, I made the decision to go talk to her. I had been over the moon when I had gotten tickets for the BBC Radio 1 Internet Takeover Special, which would be packed with a bunch of my favourite YouTubers. Unfortunately, my friend I had invited along had decided to bail on me so I was now going alone.
I knew with a quick message to Tumblr I could hand over the ticket to a dedicated follower but right now I wanted to use it as an excuse to approach Abbey.
She stayed behind to finish writing something down as the class ended.
Now was my chance. I felt oddly nervous.
"Hi Abigail," I said and made her jump visibly.
There was something so timid and shy about her and that's how she came across in Nate's vlogs as well.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Do you need to get past?" she questioned me and got out of her seat swiftly.
"No, I just wanted to talk to you for a sec," I admitted and scratched the back of my head. She made me feel oddly nervous.
It probably didn't help that she was really pretty but in a very subtle way. The videos didn't do her justice, she was stunning in real life and that threw me off completely. Damn straight taken girl for looking so effing cute.
"Excuse my manners, I'm Megan. I hope I didn't bother you," I said.
"No, I was just finishing," she assured me and seemed to glance my way uncertainly like she couldn't grasp why I wanted to talk to her. "What's up?" she asked when I didn't make any move to leave.
"I was just wondering if you were going to the Internet Takeover special this afternoon? I was lucky enough to get tickets but my friend bailed last minute. I was just wondering if you'd be there?" I asked speaking quickly, getting slightly nervous.
She made a confused sound and looked almost offended. Clearly, this was not going well.
"I'm not going unfortunately. I'm not involved with the special and I don't have tickets," she answered bluntly.
That was a surprise. If I was dating Nate, I think I would do everything in my power to go along to cool events like this. She was so privileged and didn't even realise.
But it sort of made sense, she wasn't really a YouTube fan at least according to her sister. I had started watching Emma's videos when Nate had introduced her in that beach photography vlog and she had mentioned her sister's apprehension towards YouTube before.
"Oh, I thought you'd be involved but that's perfect," I said, feeling slightly embarrassed. "I've got an extra ticket since my friend skipped out. Do you want to join me?"
I felt a sudden urge to take care of the shy girl in front of me.
"I'm sorry, I don't know you..." she began to say.
I wouldn't hear of it.
"Don't worry, I'm a hoot and besides don't you want to go see it? I can't believe you hadn't secured tickets. I'm sure you would be able to do so," I continued, realising my words didn't come out very well and could easily be misinterpreted. I had a massive tendency to word vomit.
She shook her head. "I don't know if you realise but I'm not a YouTuber. I'm not involved with a lot of the exciting stuff Nate or my friends do. Just knowing them doesn't make me a part of their careers like that."
She was actually getting angry. It was such a fresh breath of air from her timid side.
"No, I just figured since..."
"I'm not," she snapped and I felt an instant urge to apologise.
"I'm sorry, Megan. It's just you're acting very forward and it's intimidating. So is the fact that you seem to know me without acknowledging it," she rushed to say, seeming genuinely apologetic.
"I ramble when I'm nervous," I explained, "that's kind of my way with dealing with things. I didn't mean to freak you out. I've been an avid reader of your blog ever since Nate introduced it last May and I was so happy when the two of you got together."
I was full on word-vomiting now. I needed to get back on track and explain myself to her. I hadn't meant to make her as uncomfortable as she clearly was.
"I just figured that you really needed to go to the special. I know you just got Twitter and Instragram last month and figured that you had experience some negativity. I'm trying to be a friend and it's terrifying going up to you in person but I feel like I know you already. I feel like we're old friends, does that make sense? Of course, you don't have to go. It was just an offer. I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry. I'll be on my way," I said and made a move to leave.
I was clearly overwhelming her and that had not been my intention. I only wanted to make a new friend but for whatever reason I seemed horrible at it, even though I was usual brilliant.
"Megan, wait," I called out after me.
I stopped in my tracks and turned towards her with a hopeful smile.
"I'd love to go," she said with the tiniest shadow of a smile.
I probably looked beyond ecstatic, and potentially crazy, but it felt big to get her to agree to come along.
"Yay!" I yelled and started jumping around. If she was going to be my friend she might as well get to see my crazy side right away.
"Let's go. We'll be late."
YOU ARE READING
Tumblr Fangirl turned YouTuber Girlfriend?!
FanficMegan had never thought she'd properly meet her favourite YouTubers. Sure, she'd bumped into a couple on the streets of London or attended their events and seen them perform. But she preferred her Tumblr world of GIFs and fanfictions where she ruled...