ethan & emma: talking with you.

The Birthday Party

September 2018.

Emma was lounging in Ethan's living room with her computer on her lap, completely focused and in her zone, when she felt a warm body plop down next to her. She didn't have to look up to know who it was.

"Ready to go?" Ethan asked. His voice was distorted over the sound of her music. Reluctantly, Emma tugged out her AirPods.

"I'm almost done editing this clip. 5 more minutes?"

"We don't have time!" Ethan said. He had a black t-shirt and white swim trunks on, the phone in his hand opened to a long text conversation. "Grayson said he's already on his way to the yacht with Bryant's gifts. We'll have to meet him there."

"RIP to my uploading schedule," Emma said mournfully, kissing two of her fingers and pressing them to her computer screen.

"Just leave your computer here. You can edit later tonight when we get back."

"It's too late. I should just delete my YouTube channel. I'm a failure. Goodbye, world. I'm gonna have to go to college, and stay there for four years, and by the time I graduate most of my young life will be over."

"Emma, we have to go," Ethan laughed, standing from the couch and pulling his car keys from his pocket. "You'll have time to have another crisis later."

"You mean time to spiral into a pit of despair and wonder why I try if failure is the inevitable result?"

"Yep, that's the one! C'mon."

Reluctantly, Emma let him pull her up, leaving her computer behind. She'd been holed up on his couch for the past three days straight trying to finish editing a Q&A for her channel. It was the most basic video and concept but half of her footage got corrupted from the start. What followed was a tragic reenactment of a Shakespearian drama, with Emma on the phone to customer service in an attempt to revive the footage and them repeatedly telling her there was nothing they could do.

Last week Emma had uploaded a new video trying meat for the first time, and since Ethan, Grayson, and Bryant were already over at her apartment they had all offered to help her film it. She thought her and Ethan were acting pretty lowkey, and it's not like they'd kissed on camera, but when she skimmed through the comments almost every one was about them together. Ethma, they were calling it. It was possibly the most unappealing ship name she had ever heard and she refused to say it out loud.

The reaction to that video had been overwhelming so Emma decided to dial it back a bit. She avoided even mentioning other YouTubers in this new Q&A. Her subscribers would have to stay subscribed for her, not to over-analyze and pick apart her personal relationships.

Well, after this week they might not have anyone to subscribe to.

Emma thought she might be able to finish editing before Bryant's 19th birthday party today, but it didn't look like that was going to end up working out.

On their drive to the beach, Emma propped her feet up on the dashboard.

Ethan stared at them for a second and then looked expectantly at her.

"What?" Emma asked innocently.

"Your shoes."

"What about them?"

"They're pressing against the windshield."

"Grayson does this all the time," Emma said. She was feeling particularly sassy today.

"Yeah, and I always get mad at him for it."

"Okay, I'll make you a deal. I'll move my feet if you promise that we'll take my Subaru next time we go somewhere."