Chapter 20

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It was Tyler's idea at first, and eventually even Evan was roped into it. Craig and Tyler had been lying next to each other in their room, both on their laptops, and that's when he found it.

Tyler had been on a gaming news website that he frequented when he was bored, and a colourful pop up in the side bar had caught his eye. He clicked on it, and was immediately entranced.

He had spent all night researching, even as his SO had fallen asleep beside him. The more he read, the more he liked the idea, and so after a few days he had gotten each person interested and gathered them all in Evan's living room.

"This is it boys, this is how we're going to have the best year of our lives."

He unfurled a poster, and an underlying air of excitement filled the room.

Destiny
A convention like no other

Tyler grabbed his laptop and started reading off the description.

"Destiny isn't your normal PAX or E3. Any gamer or YouTuber can go, but there's a game you have to play, a game of Destiny."

Brock started reading over his shoulder.

"The rules are simple. Follow the quests and get the key. Only those with the key can enter the convention, and any cheating will result in a permanent ban. You can form teams of up to 20, and different skills unlock different parts of each quests. To enter, simply fill out the form below to receive your call to action. Are you ready to follow your destiny?"

"YEAH!"

Lui screamed in his squeaker voice, falling off his seat and startling everyone. They all laughed a bit as Nogla helped him up.

"How long do we have to complete the quests?"

"One year starting tomorrow. Is everyone in?"

There was a pause as they glanced at each other, eyes glinting like mirrors reflecting each other, and they all grinned. Tyler raised a triumphant fist and sat down in the middle of the room to start the entry form, linking all of their names and YouTube channels.

He paused over the last one, mouse hovering over the blank he had yet to fill in. Turning around, he gave a small, lopsided quirk of his lips.

"Hey Ev. Wanna come back to the scene?"

The CanAsian met his eyes as the group held their breaths. He glanced down, moving a hand to ruffle through his faux hawk, and thought.

Was he really ready to reintroduce himself to the world? It had been so long, and the internet had probably tracked down...'the incident' and figured out what happened.

But a part of him yearned and craved the very thing that had drawn him to YouTube in the first place. With his friends all supporting him he was finally getting his life back, and his channel was a large part of who he used to be.

It was hard, and he wouldn't deny that it scared him. He had always been sensitive to the way others saw him, and behind a screen people could be a million times more brutal. A thousand hate comments could ruin the sanctity he had established, and Evan wasn't sure if he could risk that.

Mulling it over, he considered his options.

Making his decision, he took in a dramatic breath as his friends sat on the edge of their seats, trying to hold back and let him think for himself.

"I'll do it."

The room got infinitely loud as they all cheered, and the laptop was tossed to the side as Tyler tackled Evan in a playful hug, the other joining in soon after.

This is what I love, Evan thought, surrounded by those he cared for with his best friend's arms around his shoulders. This 'Destiny' seemed to be just what he needed.

A can of excitement, a pinch of the unknown, and the stir of his friends around him was the recipe for his new life, his new Evan.

After a long afternoon and night of waiting for their application to be reviewed and approved, Evan lay in his bed, blinking tiredly at his computer screen. His channels logo stared back at him.

His sub count had barely dropped, and his views had still increased exponentially. What shook him the lost, however, we're the comments and posts on his message boards.

From the time when he had unexpectedly left, there were hundreds of thousands of messages ranging from 'love your videos' to 'I don't know what happened but your fans wish you well!".

His eyes stung as he scrolled through the supportive words, some even from fans just telling him about their day. It lit a soft warmth that travelled all the way across his body, making him even more tired than before.

Now, though, it was a peaceful lull. He scrolled through videos from other YouTubers, some that he recognized and some that he didn't, who had posted about the new convention.

The colour of the logo and the excitement of what it represented filled him, mixing with the warmth of appreciation, and he fell asleep to the peppy voices of the videos.

Tyler lay with Craig in his arms, asleep and dreaming of the unknown that was to come. His SO was awake though, staring up at the ceiling.

A weird emotion played over in his head, keeping him awake. He was happy to have Evan back, and he was glad Tyler didn't have to leave every minute to go to a mental facility.

But something in him almost wanted things to go back, and he couldn't fathom why. He pulled himself closer into Tyler, relishing in the warmth of their sheets, and tried to ignore the way his mind pictured Tyler jumping on Evan earlier in the day.

He sighed, and after a long night drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

The next day marked the beginning of a new chapter in their lives, and a new beginning for each and every one of them.

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