"Chapter One: Concealed"


SCREAMS ECHOED IN THE OTHER ROOM. A large group of teenage girls and boys had gathered in the makeshift auditorium behind barricades. Their piercing cries currently boomed through the room, echoing back to those of us waiting eagerly just off-stage.

YouTubers.

A collection of video and vlogging enthusiasts from all over the country gathered here in Anaheim, California for VidCon.

Currently Marcus Butler, Joe Sugg, and Caspar Lee were booked for their annual meet-and-greet. My name should be called soon to join them, along with a few other YouTubers, some late, some having arrived too early. We waited for what seemed like seconds before our names were called out through large speakers, before the roar of the crowd erupted, engulfing the auditorium into a flux of cries, screams, and shrieks.

One by one our names were called: Brynden, Jim Chapman, Connor Franta, Tyler Oakley, and a handful of others. When we arrived on stage, I couldn't help but smile as I waved to the masses. They're here for us, I reminded myself coolly.

I took a seat beside Joe Sugg, heaving a large bough of nerves in a gust of breath. I couldn't believe I was here, much less sitting beside some of the biggest YouTubers in the entire world!

In my excitement and paranoia, I happened to miss the question thrown my way. I eagerly looked at the audience with a blank face, noticing the fellow YouTube sensations peering over at me in unison. Luckily, the adolescent teen proceeded to ask her question again. I noticed her standing toward he far right of the room, her hair dark, wearing a nice black sundress perfect for California's "tropical" weather.

"How excited are you to be sitting next to Joe Sugg right now? Did you ever think that starting a YouTube account would result in such a large fanbase and success?" she asked.

"To tell you the truth, I'm still letting it soak in!" I began, before a little bought of laughter and the crowd went crazy. I considered myself a good-looking guy, but nothing like those sitting beside me, but the fans seemed to think otherwise. "To answer your question, no, I never imagined I'd be at VidCon sitting next to Joe Sugg, who smells amazing might I add," and with a wink to the crowd, the girls went wild. I'm pretty sure one or two girls in the front row blacked-out.

"Not so bad yourself," Joe chimed in. He gave me a little nudge with his shoulder and we both laughed it off as the commentator began calling more fans for questions. To my surprise, he stopped mid-speech to announce that we had "two special late-arrivals that would undoubtedly be cause for celebration."

Each one of us looked at each other in surprise, some shaking heads, others grinning coyly.

"Presenting Jack & Finn Harries, better known under the pseudonym 'Jacksgap'" he announced with a shrill of excitement in his voice.

I felt my heart literally sink out of my chest. Before long, I felt my throat dry up, and the need for air became severely intense. The Harries Twins had always been my favorites, and I had a peculiar interest in Finn. So when the two boys came into view, I almost began screaming and thrashing like one of the infamous crazed fangirls.

I watched as the boys waved to the crowd, bowed, and walked over toward us on the platforms. If anxiety hadn't completely overcome me, it certainly did when Finn Harries plopped down beside me on the platform with a quick "Hey, mate."

"We're lucky to have Jacksgap with us today," Tyler Oakley proclaimed, before standing to take-over as interviewer for the latter half of the event.

The rest of the afternoon was a blur. Between answering questions, meeting fans, signing autographs, and trying desperately to steer clear of Finn in order to keep my mind straight, I was absolutely knackered. Before long, I was on my way back to the hotel where I could rest and maybe enjoy the hot tub a little before starting everything over tomorrow. I have two meet-and-greets, a signing, and an interview alongside Marcus Butler and Zoella tomorrow.

Much to my surprise, however, when I arrived back at the hotel I could see that many of the YouTubers were in the lobby. They were gathered in a group, lounging on burgundy and brown chairs. In between the "armada," I could see a grinning Finn who cheekily had his hand around the waist of an unrecognizable YouTuber. I'll have to ask around, I told myself.

I marched up to the group, who immediately erupted into an excited mass of howls and screeches. I heard Jim Chapman holler out "If it isn't the man, himself," followed by Joe's "Yo Brynden, that was sick!"

I smiled shyly, noticeably aware of Jack and Finn's intense glares on me. When I caught Jack's eye, he edged out of his seat and marched over.

"The name's Jack, nice to meet you," he said, extending his hand.

"I already knew that," I began nervously, obvious embarrassment in my tone as I realized what I was saying far too late. "I mean, who doesn't know about Jacksgap." The group laughed, and I caught a few weird glances, but I brushed it off and introduced myself.

"Brynden. I make weekly videos about a wide-variety of genres, anywhere from conservation to the latest craze or challenge. I've done a few collabs with Marcus, Zoella, and Connor."

"Man, I know who you are," Jack replied between laughter. My face must have immediately gone red, because Marcus and Jim stood-up anxiously and changed the conversation.

"Is everyone in for dinner tonight?" Jim asked. Marcus chimed in next with "Before anyone suggests it: there's no Nandos." A few people laughed, and I took the moment to take a quick glance in Finn's direction. He was still sitting down in the same chair as when I'd first arrived, though the mysterious girl had disappeared. His gaze was focused directly on Grace Helbig when she suggested we go to a place called "Baci di Firenze Trattoria." I'd never heard of it, as I'm from Canada, but Mamrie Hart said the pasta was always delicious.

In the span of an hour or so, we'd decided that we'd eat there, diverged into smaller groups (I left on my own), went back to our hotel rooms to change and throw on something appealing, and headed for the restaurant. Crowds of girls screamed and banged up against the limo as we pulled off into the sunset.


Dinner was amazing. I'd had a vegetarian-style Linguine Tetrazzini with garlic bread. I couldn't have made a better choice. It was now around half-eleven, and we'd planned to break into the pool in the courtyard. It closed at ten, the hot tub closing around eleven, so we'd have to climb the fence to get in. Before long, however, we were over the fence, swim trunks in tow, girls already basking in the warm water of the hot tub.

Marcus and Caspar started a competition to see who could create the biggest splashes, while Connor, Tyler, and Troye headed for the sauna. Jim, Joe, the Twins, and I decided we'd go swimming.

As I jumped into the water, expecting it to be warm from the hot weather or artificially heated, I immediately regretted it. The water was freezing. It made sense considering how hot it was during the day – guests would need the relief from the humidity.

I swam along with the other guys; Mamrie Hart came over with Zoella carrying a bunch of beers.

"I'll take two," Joe stated cheekily. I watched as the other guys each took one in-hand, so I did the same. Eventually the girls and guys started intermixing: some headed for the Jacuzzi, others headed for the sauna, some staying in the pool, others for the slide, and some for their rooms.

I decided that it would be best to hang around in the pool for a little to see what all would happen. To my surprise, I made the right decision.

"Hey." The voice was quite deep, mixed with a British accent, and shallow breaths. It could have been anybody, but it wasn't just anyone. It was Finn.

"Oh, hey," I said, excited yet confused. He had seemingly avoided me all day, or at least hadn't bothered to talk to me since the panel this afternoon. Even during supper, he had sat directly beside me, but spent most of his time texting or talking with Jack. They were inseparable.

"Sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier. I'm Finn. I make videos with my brother on our chann—"

"Trust me, Finn, I know who you are. I'm Brynden." Thankfully, the reply didn't sound as creepy this time. It actually felt natural. I took a moment to look around. I guess I didn't notice but basically everyone had exited the pool and could now be seen laughing, drinking, and splashing in the hot tub. A small number must have gone back to their rooms too, I thought.

"Don't feel like joining the others?" Finn inquired, a small grin rising to show those beautiful teeth of his. His eyes gleamed in the moonlight; they reflected the water in the mesmerizing green of his irises. His hair, now dripping from being soaked underwater, was now messily overturned to his left side.

"It's just been a long day, but I wasn't exactly ready to call it a night," I replied with a chuckle. I'm so nervous. This is Finn Harries. Not only is he beautiful and funny, but he's half-naked, I reminded myself.

"Glad you stayed out longer," he said softly. He turned around to look at the others, before turning back to face me, blowing a bit of water out of his mouth. "You're Canadian, right? This must be a completely different kind of weather for you. I mean, isn't it winter up there?"

"I could say the same for you and the other Brits," I laughed. "And how'd you know? Did my 'accent' give it away?" I teased.

"I watch your videos all the time when I'm in England," he admitted. I could feel my jaw drop, but I managed to recover but giving him a smile that showed my obvious content.

"Should we go and join the others?"

"Yeah, might as well," Finn replied.

I started swimming over to the others, but Finn turned around in his wake, sending a gush of water at me, before saying, "you up for breakfast tomorrow?"

"Couldn't imagine anything better." I smiled, my cheeks immediately growing red. I had to act cool, and not screw this up. He was inviting me to breakfast, not back to his room.

"Thought you guys were going to become part-fish," Jack teased.

"Yeah, what the hell were you two talking about anyways?" Tyler asked, studying both our faces.

"Just getting to know each other," Finn answered for me. He gave me a cool smile, and proceeded to jump in next to Tyler in the water.

"So what are you guys up too?" I asked.

"We're playing Questions/Truth as you Canadians call it," Joe said with mixed laughter and torment.

"Finny, you're up," Jack chanted. Once, twice, a third time.

"Alright, Finn, simple question: who do you find the most fit here?" Jack asked.

"I'm going to have to go with Brynden," he replied. There was silence. Then there were hollers and large boughs of laughter.

"Come on, mate, seriously! Who do you fancy?" Marcus taunted.

With a cheeky laugh, Finn turned to Zoella and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. The boys erupted into a fit of laughter and chanting. Joe looked upset. His obvious discomfort expressed what I began to feel inside. I watched as the boys huddled around Finn and were patting his back while Zoe dashed to join the other girls in the sauna.

I knew I was being stupid. It was only a day since I'd first met Finn, but in some distant universe I feel like I know him. Maybe it's because of the videos he posts with his brother on Jacksgap, or maybe there was something there. But now, I know that I'm absolutely mistaken.

With a few small goodbyes and the final swig of my beer, I jumped off the ledge of the hot tub and started trekking for my room. The gate was now open, so I could easily leave the courtyard without potentially breaking something from climbing the fence and plummeting to the rocky ground. I managed to make my way across the courtyard, past the lobby, and toward the beach where my hotel room was, when I heard footsteps behind me. Running, to be precise.

I turned to see Finn. He had somehow managed to change into his black skinny jeans and navy blue t-shirt with black flip-flops. He's participated in marathons and cycling before, so it was to no surprise that he wasn't out of breath when he finally made it down to the beach.

"Why'd you leave?" he asked, his gorgeous green eyes carefully exploring my own blue ones.

"I'm just really tired, and tomorrow's going to be a big day, so I figured I'd get some sleep. Besides, it's half-three in the morning," I replied, heartbroken at how today's events had played out. I had just met the guy of my dreams, the reason for my start on YouTube, and the guy I'd been pinning after for three years. And I was blowing him off out of what…jealousy?

"If I upset you back there, I didn't mean too, it was all just a cheeky gimmick," Finn said, worried. He looked cute when he was upset. "Are we still okay for breakfast at least?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way," I said, before shuffling in my pocket to try and find the keycard for the door.

"I hope your not trying to be the typical key shuffling girl at the door on a first date," Finn said quietly.

I turned to ask why he would say something like that, only to find his lips directly on mine, his hand coming up to rest on the side of my face. He weaved his fingers in-between my hair for a split-second before pulling himself off of the door and me.

"Or else I'd have to do that," Finn replied, before taking off. The last I could see of him was his tight black skinny jeans; racing up the beach with sand accumulating on the cuffs of his ankles.


A.N. Hope you all enjoyed it! Please let me know if you'd like to read more by dropping a comment below or favouriting the story! Thanks so much, have a great week.

*The information, products, names, and places are all used in a fictitious and narrative-based form for the purpose of literary entertainment for others. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only and none of the above or subsequent writings intend to criticize or provide real accounts of any YouTubers actions.*