Vlogmas: a YouTube Christmas Special [YouTube]

Day 6

On the sixth day of Vlogmas, YouTube gave to me:

A JACKet. Do You Get It? (Jack Howard [JackHoward/OMFGitsJackandDean])

******

All you can do is thank your lucky stars that the light snowfall melted in time for the movie premiere tonight. You can't imagine how you would've managed to toddle about in your tall heels which, although they look amazing, would not be overly functional on icy terrain. Gritting your teeth at your already less-than-weatherproof sleeveless dress, you smile aggressively at the huddled masses behind the barriers and remind yourself about how much worse it could be. Could be worse. Could be snowing.

You're talking to some subscribers on the edge when a wild Jack Howard appears at your side, smiling like the sun that couldn't be bothered to show today. He says hello to the girls you're chatting with and takes a selfie with one before hooking his hand in the crook of your elbow and gently pulling you away, waving goodbye to the girls.

"Sorry to do that," he apologises. "But Louise wanted to make sure we all took pictures before we went in. Look, I see something pink, that's probably her." He tugs you along in that direction.

Sure enough, the pink thing is Louise. "Oh, good, you found her!" she cries upon seeing you stumbling behind Jack. Dan and Hazel Hayes wave at you from behind Lou. "Let's take some pictures all together!"

You and Louise take a few selfies, and Jack takes a third picture so that your outfits can be featured, and then she continues round the group, collecting memories. Meanwhile, you stand to the side and wait for the inevitable group picture, arms crossed against the chill. After returning Lou's mobile to her, Jack joins you, hands in his pockets. You shiver despite your best efforts to keep still.

"Did you not bring a coat?" Jack asks, slipping his arms out of his tuxedo jacket. "Are you stupid? You do realise there's still snow on the ground in some places."

"You don't have to give me your jacket, I don't want you to be cold." You huff indignantly. "And of course I brought a coat. I just forgot it in my car."

He ignores your protests completely and places his jacket over your shoulders. The silk lining feels slippery against your skin when you put your bare arms through the sleeves. "Okay, you forgot it in the car. But did you not notice that it was cold when you stepped out of your car? That didn't give you a moment of pause, like 'hm, I wish I'd brought some sort of extra clothing that I could put on my torso to keep me warm. Oh wait!'"

You don't answer except for a sheepish grin. Jack laughs out loud and shakes his head.

"You're worse than Louise, you know that?"

******

Heels were definitely not your best idea. You're having trouble just navigating the tile floors inside the fancy cinema, and you're pretty sure you see slick marble stairs ahead. The group is already ahead of you, forgetting your heel handicap in the excitement, and you don't blame them. Why should it cross their minds that your footwear is slowing you up when Louise and Hazel are in the middle of the fray rocking those gorgeous pumps and keeping up with the best of them?

Someone bumps you and you stumble a bit, reaching out for the wall to steady you. You have to stop a moment to adjust the strap of your shoe and when you look up you can't see your friends anywhere. Tears well up in your eyes, and that embarrasses you, which makes your face heat up and more tears develop. Fanning yourself subtly, you do your best to calm down, but the more you try to focus on the positive, the more you think about how ridiculous and utterly unconfident you feel, tottering around like a troll on stilts in your stupid, ill-fitting dress and twenty layers of makeup on your face just to look vaguely symmetrical. Quickly, you duck into the nearest ladies' room, which is mercifully devoid of human life. You lock the door to keep it that way and lean against it in defeat, slowly sliding down to sit on the tile floor and dissolve into ugly sobs. One shoe is savagely chucked across the room, quickly followed by the other, and there you sit, listening to the echoing sound of your own pathetic crying.