Adult Responsibilities

Chapter 1

"Well, that's it, I'm done with dating, I just can't deal anymore," Andrew declared, a hand raking nervously through his red mane as he flopped on the couch at Shane and Ryland's house. Shane looked at him with interest as Ryland brought him a bottle of water.

"What happened this time?" Shane asked, rolling his eyes slightly, and Andrew frowned.

"Nothing. Nothing happened. It's just... all she wanted to do was talk about Instagram filters and ask me what you eat for dinner and whether Morgan really got lip injections. I mean, I just can't," Andrew said with a groan. He'd just come back from a date with a girl named Callie, who he'd met through his friend Zane Hijazi. Callie was a 23 year old Instagram "model," and while she was beautiful and sexy and all the things people would assume one would want in a date, Andrew wasn't feeling her. He didn't know what it was, but after a string of failed dates, short relationships and casual hook ups with girls his friends thought would be "perfect" for him, he was ready to throw in the towel.

"You know, buddy, I hate to tell you this, but could it be that you're... growing up?" Shane said with a gleam in his eye, and Andrew rolled his chocolate brown eyes with exasperation. "I mean, yeah, obviously, I'm getting older. I'll be 28 in a few months." Ryland nodded, patting his shoulder. "Look, maybe you need to look for a more adult relationship. You know, a nice girl with a real job who you have more in common with," the shorter brunette man said, trying to encourage his red-headed pal who himself was the most supportive and encouraging friend ever.

"You need to have stricter criteria," Shane said with a shrug, and Andrew looked at him curiously. "What do you mean?" the red-headed cameraman asked, and Shane grinned. "Well, right now, your only requirements for these girls are that they're hot, they're young, and they're not nearly as smart as you," Shane argued, and Ryland groaned. "Shane! That's so rude!" Andrew shook his head, hands up in protest. "It's not true, either, Shane. I don't care about that stuff," he insisted, and Shane laughed. "Could have fooled me, because every girl you've talked to in the last year fit the exact same profile," his boss told him with a nonchalant shrug.

Andrew scratched his stubbled jaw, thinking a bit to himself. "Well, I mean, this is L.A., and I'm surrounded by a bunch of internet celebrities. I never come into contact with any nice regular girls," he complained, and Ryland nodded. "Yeah, I mean, for most of these Instagram baddies, you are the regular one, Andrew." The red-head scrunched his lips together, thinking of all the awful dating he'd done in the past year, and he groaned a little. "I really do want to find a nice girl, but like... where? I never meet anyone interesting. I'm not a jerk, I'm really not," he said, starting to feel like his patten had become something he wasn't super proud of. Ryland patted his shoulder. "Of course you're not!" he cried. "You're the nicest guy in the world Andrew. Maybe you should do a dating app or something?" Ryland suggested, and Shane immediately shook his head briskly.

"No way, he can't do that. This might come as a surprise to you, Andrew, since you refuse to admit it, but people know who you are now. If you think you're attracting the wrong kind of girls now, when your friends are literally setting you up, just imagine what would happen if you put that handsome recognizable mug on Bumble," Shane joked, and both Ryland and Andrew sighed.

"Well, great. I guess I'm just gonna die alone. I'll be the weird single dude that your kids will call "Uncle Andrew" who lives in the back shed where Shane used to work out with Coach Jess while you guys live happily ever after," Andrew grumbled, head in his hands, and Ryland laughed. "You're insane," he said, and Shane nodded in agreement. "You really are. First of all, we'd never make you live in the shed," the YouTuber said with a devilish gleam in his eyes. "But seriously, I didn't even meet Ryland til I was almost 30," he said with a shrug, and Andrew nodded.