Highlight Tour • Matthew Espinosa

CHAPTER 2-Larry

That was supposed to be a gif attached but my computer won't let me attach gifs from tumblr. Hope you like the chappie:)

ARCHER'S POV

"Okay that's a wrap," Andrea rushed into the mic as she sped onto the stage.

Thank you Andrea, you're a life saver.

My cheeks were still flushed and my lips sort of tingled but I followed Matt off the stage, keeping my eyes glued to the ground. I was planning on doing a little dance before going offstage like I usually did but I couldn't seem to remove myself from my shocked state because of what had just happened.

This is going to be so awkward tonight.

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"I can't believe we kissed!" I was currently in mine, Andrea, and Lia's hotel room, pacing as I absentmindedly spun my hair around my finger.

"I know! Do you like Matt? Honestly you guys would be so cute together" My other girl best friend Lia Marie Johnson, who was also apart of the tour, gushed.

"No!" I yelled defensively before continuing in a softer voice, "We had a plan! I kiss his nose and he kisses my chin. Or it was the other way around. But one of us forgot and the sad part is, I have no clue which one of us messed up!" Pulling at my hair I muttered to myself, "It's going to be so awkward now."

After walking off stage earlier, Matt and I had been separated in the crowd of Youtubers and I hadn't seen him since. The Highlight Tour is a new tour this year and they wanted to break the record of most Youtubers at events. With so many people behind the platform we were able to lose each other very easily. I was also walking with my head down, adding to the reason why I so quickly lost sight of him.

After the whole event, some of the Youtubers went to their hotel room to relax before dinner, while others went and explored the city. I was born in Virginia and so was Matt, so I didn't know LA too well yet. However, Matt and I were planning to move to this sunny city soon. In separate living quarters of course.

"Don't freak out Archer, it's just Matt. You guys have been best friends since forever, so I'm sure this isn't the first awkward thing you two have been through together. Soon enough it will be like nothing ever happened," my best friend with the brown hair and beautiful mixture on brown and green eyes said.

I smiled at Andrea's speech and sucked in a deep breath before exhaling.

Everything would be fine.

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My hands were being wrung nervously in front of me as I awaited the elevator doors to open. Us three girls had just left our hotel room and were heading down to the lobby to meet with a few friends for dinner. I was really nervous because Matt was going to be there and I didn't want to face him just yet after the previous incident.

The elevator doors slid open to reveal Matthew, Cameron, Nash, and Hayes in the lobby. I let out a sigh of relief, knowing that Cameron Dallas was there.

"Cameron!" I yelled before running at him and squeezing him into a tight hug.

"Hey Arch," Cam said, using my nickname that a lot of people call me.

"I haven't seen you in forever!" I was exaggerating of course because I had seen him this afternoon before the event. Cameron and I were really close and liked to over exaggerate everything. However, out of everyone I was closest to Matt.

"Ooh girl I see how it is," Nash spoke in a sassy girl voice before going over and hugging Matt. "Hashtag Mash forever," he fake cried into Matt's shoulder and Hayes just looked at us like we were crazy even though he was used to this behavior and usually was a part of it.
I released Cam from my hold and went up to Hayes before I pat his head like a dog. The youngest Grier boy fake glared at me before running his fingers down his hair even though I didn't mess it up.

"Okay you two, break it up, I'm hungry" Cam went to the hugging boys pulling them apart.

"So are we still planning on going to that diner around the corner?" Andrea asked and we all looked at each other nodding and shrugging.

"Alright then the diner it is! Let's go eat food!" Lia yelled and I laughed before we started to follow her out the surprisingly empty lobby, except for the workers that is.

I glanced to the side at Cam and he caught my eye before winking and mouthing "Marcher for life."

That boy.

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Of course with my luck- and friends, I got stuck squished in a booth at the restaurant, right next to Matt. Cameron, Andrea, and Lia sat opposite of us, leaving Matt, Hayes, Nash and I to squeeze into a side of a booth meant only for three, if that. One of us could have pulled up a chair from an empty table and sat at the end of our table but Cameron and Nash insisted that it would only make it harder for our waiter to take our orders since we would be blocking their way and Lia agreed, adding in her own thoughts on the topic. In the end, I was stuck against the wall, my side touching Matts.

Not awkward at all.

Matt and I still hadn't said a word to each other. I wasn't mad at him or anything. Im just not sure how I feel about what happened, and I'm not so sure how he feels about it either. I decided to break the silence between us two as the rest of the table was caught up in their own discussions among themselves.

"So Matt, uh, how are your parents doing?" I already knew how his parents were of course because what Matt didn't know was that I regularly call his mom and dad to check up on them. They were, after all, my second family.

His brown eyes met mine, a small smile on his face and I let out a small sigh of relief after he answered with no awkwardness, "They're good how are yours?"

I smiled, "They're great."

"Wanna know what's not great?" He asked with one eyebrow raised and a half smile sat at his lips.

"What?" My eyebrows drew together in confusion but I wasn't worried because I could tell Matt was playing around.

He took a deep breath and paused, obviously wanting to keep me in suspense before he answered, "Your marriage with Larry."

I broke out in laughter, glad I didn't have a drink in my mouth because I would have spat it out. I wouldn't have been surprised if a bit of spit flew out of my mouth as I laughed.

"M-my marriage with Larry is not going good at all," I replied, trying to hold back my smile and keep a mock serious face.

You see, when I was little I used to have a little duckling that me and Matt had named Larry. I was so in love with the little duck that my parents had adopted for me, that Matt and I set up a fake marriage so I could marry the animal. I was dressed in a poofy blue dress, big red old fashioned sun hat, earrings that were also too big, and a pearl necklace. I said my vows (which were all made up in my young mind), kissed Larry on his head, and Matt slipped a Ring Pop on my finger. After all, being around six years old we didn't exactly know how weddings worked. I only knew that weddings revolved around love and that was something I felt for the little duckling.

However, we only had Larry for a few months because one day I lost him when I snuck him into my backpack for a trip to the park with my mom. I set the little guy down by the pond at the park and while I was playing on the playground he must have ran away. I was pretty sad when I got back to the water and saw he was gone but being only six I quickly forgot about that sadness.
A few years ago in our early teens, Matt started to talk about how he remembered the fake wedding and it's been a little joke between us ever since.

"Why isn't your marriage working out this time?" He asked sighing and faking a concerned face.

"He just keeps running away. I always chase after him and cry out for his little heart telling him I am nothing without his beak and feathers but he just squawks at me as if I'm some clingy, creepy person."

The rest of the time at the diner Matt and I were both all smiles and laughs. I was glad I had my best friend back.