The Assistant (Jacksepticeye) (Markiplier) (Pewdiepie)

Chapter Twelve

MARK

As I wait for Amanda to arrive I start to get a little nervous, I hadn't outright told her this was a date but it kind of was on the sly. Marzia had told me where we could go to get some food before returning to the park because the sun was out and the weather was pretty nice.

"Hey, Mark."

Amanda appears to my right and goes to hug me, and I quickly hug her smaller frame back.

"Hi. I hope you don't mind me asking you to meet me, after all, we only met last night,"

Amanda giggles, "You're kind of cute when you're nervous Mark. Shall we get some food and enjoy this beautiful day?"

Usually, I was smooth and collected around people, but Amanda was different and had me acting like a fool. She offers me her hand wearing a friendly smile on her lips.

"Let's go then, Amanda. Marzia recommended a little cafe we can get food to go."

I take her hand casually and the two of us walk down the street.

AMANDA

The little cafe was cute, I could see how Marzia knew this place existed. We order some sandwiches, cakes and a couple of drinks. Mark paying despite my protests before we grab our food and walk back onto the street.

"Luckily the weathers nice Mark."

He smiles, "yeah. How do you like Brighton so far?"

I shrug my shoulders, "it's different from Manchester, it's more tranquil and less noisy but I do love cities and noise."

"Have you ever been to LA?"

I shake my head at his question, "I've never been outside of England Mark. But LA is a place I'd very much like to visit one day."

Mark grins as we cross the street, "I'll happily be your tour guide, Amanda."

We get back to the park which was kind of full with other people on lunch breaks and just hanging out and having fun. I see a free spot beneath a tree keeping us shaded from the noon sun.

"Let's sit over there."

I drag Mark towards the spot and the two of us fall down on the grass laughing. A few people around us shoot us glares, obviously people on their lunch break wanting to relax and eat their food.

"I don't think we're making any friends today Amanda."

"Who needs friends when we have each other and of course food Mark."

We tuck into our food, the silence surrounding us not awkward but comfortable. Neither of us knew what to say to the other and we were okay with that. If I hadn't moved to Brighton I wouldn't be here right now, I'd still be job hunting in Manchester trying to play the sympathy ex-student card.

"What made you pick Film as a degree?"

Mark's question catches me off guard but in a good way.

"I love film and TV, it was always a tradition between me and my dad that at the weekend we'd find an art house cinema and watch a film. It didn't matter what genre, or which country it was from because it was our thing. Then I would rant about how I could make a better film and my dad told me to prove it so I chose film and they were the best three years of my life."

Just talking about that memory was enough to bring a tear to my eye, but I'm pretty sure I could brush it off as hay fever.

"Amanda are you okay?" Mark questions, concern laced in every syllable.

I wipe my eye, "I'm fine, just allergies. Hay fever can be a bitch."

Mark doesn't look convinced but doesn't push me any further. I wasn't ready to share my past with him, I didn't want to scare him off before we even got to know each other.

"Come on let's go on the swings, relive our childhood."

I clamber up off the grass and offer Mark a hand which he accepts and pulls himself up. We throw our rubbish in the bin and race each other over to the playground and the swings which were empty because kids were in school.

Of course, I win because I ran cross country back in high school, so I fist pump the air victoriously as Mark sits on the swing next to me looking defeated.

"How can someone so small run so fast?" he jokes.

"I'm magic Mark, sold my soul to be able to run really fast. What about you Mr? What did you sell your soul for?"

We start to swing and I wait for Mark to give me an answer. Coming to the playground as a kid was one of my favourite things, I remember my brother pushing me on the swing because I couldn't go high and I wanted to swing the highest out of all my friends. Let's just say with his help I swung the highest.

Mark clears his throat, "I sold my soul to be the king of Five Nights At Freddy's. Yeah, I know my parents are 'really' proud of me."

I stop swinging, letting my feet drag in the sand, "I only played the game once on Twitch but got bored."

"What about your parents Amanda? Are they proud to have a daughter who plays video games on Twitch and now YouTube?"

MARK

I watch as Amanda's face goes through the motions. Had I said something wrong? All I asked about was her family, which was just a normal conversation piece. Next thing I know she's getting off the swing and shaking her head, a few tears fall down her cheeks and I know it wasn't hay fever like she said earlier.

"I'm sorry Mark, I don't know what's come over me. But I have to go, I had a really nice time with you."

She runs off, and I mean literally running away from me leaving me alone on the swings. Why had she run off? If this was a film I'd run after her, but we didn't know each other well enough for that. I kind of wanted to leave the park now because some people were watching me and it started to make me feel uncomfortable.

~Time Skip~

Marzia and Felix were cuddled together under a blanket on the sofa watching some documentary on the TV when I trudged in with my head down and fell onto the sofa opposite them. Marzia pauses the TV, an excited look on her face.

"How did it go? Did she like the cafe? Wait, why do you look sad?"

I chew my lip, "it was going okay, but then I must have said something which made her upset and she kind of ran off."

Felix who had been on his phone up to this point looks up, locking eyes with me wearing a serious look.

"What did you say?"

"We were talking about selling our souls, then I said how proud my parents were of me on YouTube. I then asked her what her parents thought of her, and that's when she freaked out and ran off."

Marzia pats Felix on the knee and stands up, grabbing her phone off the arm of the chair, "I'm going to ring her."

Once Marzia leaves I turn my full attention to Felix giving him a 'what the hell' look. He sighs loudly and runs his fingers through his hair, what did he know that I didn't?

"Mark, Amanda doesn't have a family. Her mum, dad and brother were killed in a car crash and she was in the system for a couple of years before putting herself through university. She doesn't let many people in and it appears to be a touchy subject."

My whole face drops, I was over on the swing not intentionally bragging about my parents and family being proud of me while Amanda didn't have a family to support her through her achievements.

"Now I feel like an ass Felix."

"It will all blow over, and you have a few more days here to win Amanda back."

Felix was right; I only had a few days before I was flying back to LA to get ready for the tour. I didn't want to leave on a sour note with Amanda because I actually really liked her, but I had no clue how to approach this subject if it was touchy for her. Since when did my life get so complicated?