One Hell Of A Life

chapter twenty two: four months skipped.

Four Months Later

Em POV:

"Freya, I need your help." Was my first sentence as I came face to face with my best friend at her apartment.
"Sure. What with?" She led me inside.
"So, I've known Josh for - what - like, six years now?" I shut her front door.
"Yeah..." Freya nodded.
"And I still don't know what to get him for his birthday." I sighed, flopping down on her sofa.

Four months had passed since my twentieth birthday. Since then, I'd been to New York, went to Cyprus and then to Mykonos with the girls. My channel had grown to a massive fifteen million subscribers, and, of course, August 25th had been and gone.

No matter what, I will always be proud of my brothers.

Jed, Kon, the Sidemen and I had had loads of fun making the Sidemen Sunday videos every week; my role was usually played in goal, reading out questions... Something along those lines.

I'd been to Dan and Phil's Interactive Introverts show in Canada, and been very recognised. Also, my hair had grown, just like any normal human being's would have. It was bigger and fluffier and longer than ever. But at that point, it was in brown box braids, just like most of the time.

"You don't know what to get him..." Freya repeated.
"Not a clue." I confessed.
"Dr. Pepper?" She offered. "Oh wait, he's on a diet..."

After a while of negotiation - ruling out things that there was no point in getting him - I decided on a pair of slippers, and a cup that said 'World's Best Dad'.

I thought it was quite sweet.

I mean, I did consider a new pair of headphones for him, but he's very particular in which headset he wears...

Hence how he's never had a change up in literally three years.

Freya received a call from Lewis, telling her that she was needed at the warehouse. That was my cue to go home.
"It's been lovely having you - sorry about that call, by the way. Doesn't usually happen." Freya apologised.
"It's fine! No worries. I'll see you later." I exited her place, making my way to where I'd parked my car, and drove home.

-

My phone lit up with a text message soon after I turned my alarm off.

iMessage: Simon
What time are you coming round the house to film?

Something in my brain must've clicked at that point, so much so, that I actually released a deflated "ohhh."

Last week, when JJ and I visited home for a few nights, we (and Deji) found some old photo albums in Dad's office. I mean, like, old photos. As in from 1993 all of the way to 2010. Almost twenty years of bare memories was buried in those things.

We found one album that contained photographs of Simon, JJ and I and a few with Deji when we were younger. And when I say younger, I mean when I was, like, seven years old and JJ was twelve and Simon was thirteen. Once we realised that it was full of goodies, I immediately let Simon know, and JJ and I didn't look at the rest of the photographs for the purpose of our reactions in the video.

With Deji unfortunately unavailable to come to the Sidemen House and film with us as he had a scheduled livestream, it would be Simon, JJ and I reacting to the photos that we found. It'd be a section of a vlog on Simon's channel, as there is only one album and so much that we can explain and react to. The rest would probably be a day around the house.

Thinking of dressing appropriately for the day, I took a peek through my curtains.

Black clouds.