The restaurant was popping cause obviously, Harry knows his shit. The waitress finished taking their order and left to put them in. "That took you a while," Danny laughed. Kate shrugged. "There were a lot of choices," Kate replied.

Their surroundings were buzzing, especially for a chain-restaurant. The convention must've been doing wonders for this town, because the waiters and cooks looked like they've never been this busy before. "So what's up?" Kate asked, clasping her hands and leaning forward. Danny smiled. He could always count on Kate to give him completely undivided attention; granted it may be just because it's his birthday, but it still felt nice. "Enjoying Florida?" Kate asked.

"Hotter than expected, but nice," Danny replied.

"Are you talking about the girls or the weather?" Kate asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

Kate's joking remarks always put Danny to ease. As much as he hated to admit it, they made it seem like they were long-time friends that were just having their monthly catch-up. Every time she made a corny joke or something unintentionally funny, he smiled that sheepish smile that only managed to come out when he was with her.

"The weather," Danny laughed.

"Well, you did quite the crowd earlier," Kate informed with a sly grin appearing on her face.

"Oh you saw that?" Danny asked. He awkwardly smiled as he dialed his head down to the table, wishing he still had his menu to play with. So instead, Danny began messing with a dried up ketchup stain on the table.

Thankfully, Kate didn't even notice his sudden shy demeanor. "How could I not? They were practically the talk of the convention!" Kate exclaimed. Danny kept itching the stain at the table as he let out a polite laugh. The stain was becoming quite interesting at this point. There were all sorts of questions surrounding it. Why wasn't it coming off? Why did everyone think singing "Happy Birthday" outloud would be a good idea? How long has this stain been here? How did those people even find him? These thoughts circled around Danny's mind.

The attention was something Danny wasn't used to, and quite frankly, something he doubted he'd ever get used to. Sure, he'd love to be a household name one day after venturing out of the YouTube creative space, but by then he'd be ridiculously prepared for the press tours and the red carpets and the paparazzis. Right now, he was just a random Brit that started off by making videos in his room. He grew right in front of his audience- from filming on an old family camcorder, to his own DSLR, to now having people film whatever he directs them to. But he was still that same kid with the whimsical, chill music in the background and the ambient lighting that seemed a bit off but worked and the unmade bed in the background. That was Danny. That'd always be Danny, no matter how much attention he would receive.

He really did appreciate the thoughtfulness of the performance at the convention, but there were only a handful of other moments in his life that he'd felt that embarrassed. And they were all when he was about 10 years old. "You're practically a stud here, Danny," Kate teased. She leaned onto her folded hands and smirked. Seeing Danny squirm was actually quite hilarious. It wasn't often that she got to make cute boys feel this uncomfortable (at least not since the last Hot Guys video). No wonder those videos did so well; seeing cute boys sweat was definitely quite entertaining.

"It's...well, it's flattering," Danny managed to reply. Honestly, was it getting warm in here or was it just him? Kate laughed. "I'm only teasing, Danny. Besides, I'm sure the fans aren't only there for your pretty face." Danny finally stopped scratching at the blasted stain and looked up. He was met by Kate's signature smile and a playful wink. A heartbreaking wink that brought him back to reality. He was at a diner with a life-long friend, catching up. Nothing more. Probably less. But at least she distracted him from the stain for the rest of lunch. He inwardly sighed his acceptance of the situation.

"So how are you holding up?" Danny asked.

"Fine, why wouldn't I be?" Kate asked, perplexed.

"Well, dinner last night must've been weird."

"Oh, yeah…Actually, it wasn't too bad," Kate said smugly.

"Really?" Danny asked, genuinely surprised. Not too bad? Kate had just gone to dinner with her ex-flame, her best friend's ex-boyfriend, their current girlfriends, and their friends. And need I remind you that the last time Danny saw Kate, she was still completely traumatized from just making eye contact with Jordan. So to say that an entire evening being in Jordan's presence was "not bad" was saying something.

"Yes, Danny. I can take care of myself," Kate proclaimed, raising her chin up. Kate was satisfied with the strides she made last night. Not only was she able to be near Jordan and not freeze up, but she even talked to him. Hell, she made a joke! If her progress continued like this, she'd be back to her normal self in no time.

Danny raised an eyebrow at the confident girl across the table. Take care of herself? Yeah, cause she did such a good job the last time she saw him. Nicole had to shove her off the damn bus! Danny smirked at the thought. "I can take care of myself, Daniel," Kate reiterated.

Danny held up his hands in surrender, "I know! I know!" Kate pouted resignedly. Danny's mouth was saying that he knew, but his eyes were saying "yeah right, you're a giant wuss and we all know it". But since it was his birthday, Kate figured that she might as well let it go.

Meanwhile, across the room, another couple was discussing last night as well. "I don't know who they think they are. I mean, why did they have to make out in the middle of the hallway? PDA isn't so bad, but that was just plain disgusting," Ella ranted. She popped another bite of arugula in her mouth. The whole situation was leaving a bitter taste in her mouth, and it wasn't from her salad. Ethan told her this was going to be a fun and chill convention, not an excuse for people to make out with strangers. How close were these two anyways?

That was a question that was on both Ella and Ethan Banks's mind. As fucked up as it sounded, he still expected her to be moping around and heartbroken. That's the Nicole he figured he'd meet if he ever saw her again. Not this- whoever this was. How could she change so quickly?

"And where did he even come from? I don't understand how she could just get a guy in less than 24 hours," Ella continued. She's not even that pretty anyways. Ella looked around the room. It's not like that guy was ugly either. Maybe the boys here just had weird taste. Most of the guys at the restaurant weren't even half decent. They were either old, young and on a date with a girl, or just straight up unattractive.

Ella continued with the sly digs in between each bite of her salad. Eventually she got the hint that Ethan wasn't fully paying attention and began keeping the comments more to herself.

Ethan couldn't help but be so wrapped up in his own thoughts. Nicole used to take up every inch of his mind back in the day. There were times when he couldn't stop talking to her. It wasn't always just one-sided right? She must've felt the same way. But even if she did, those feelings were obviously by now and if he needed any evidence of this, all he would have to do is think back to that hallway kiss.

Ethan shook his head in an attempt to knock that memory out of his head. No. He didn't want to think about that. Nicole had to have cared about him. She's just hiding it so well. But maybe if he could get some answers, he could stop torturing himself. If he could just talk to her, just this once and never again. He wanted to understand what's going on in her head, how she's feeling, why she kissed him back, if she ever felt the same way about him that he did about her.

Ethan shoved his plate of food away from himself and distracted himself with the patrons in the restaurant. There were quite a bit of couples at this restaurant; apparently it was a popular dating area. Would that guy bring Nicole here? This didn't seem like her kind of dinner. She would've wanted something a little more intimate and laid back, with a youthful vibe. Or at least, that's what she liked about that one place he took her to in London. Yeah, if anything, this place would be more along the lines of- Kate.

There she was; speak of the devil. Kate was sitting at a table across the room. She was with a guy that Ethan couldn't recognize. They seemed to be having a great conversation though, because their eyes were smiling. There didn't seem to be any intimidation or fear, just signs of the enjoyment of each other's company with no defenses or walls built up. Since Kate was in such a good mood, Ethan figured that maybe he could use this opportunity to get some much-needed information on Nicole.

The conversation at Danny and Kate's table had turned to different topics. It ranged from their new favorite bands all the way to their video history. "Really? I think some of your best work showcased your acting skills," Kate complimented.

"Much appreciated, but I just feel like it could be better," Danny confessed.

"How so? Any ideas?"

"Well, punching up the plotline would definitely help. But that requires a bigger budget and-"

"Well what else is this convention for!? I heard Ron Howard's going to do something with YouTubers; it'll probably be sponsored too. I'll ask around and see what's up," Kate replied with a grin.

This girl was too good to be true sometimes. She genuinely wanted him to succeed because she truly cared for him. Danny couldn't believe that Kate could be this sincerely invested into him. Honestly, who does that? They chatted for a few more minutes before he excused himself to the bathroom to check his phone. 14 missed calls from John and Julian, but none from Harry. This meant trouble.

This was Ethan's chance! Kate was all on her own. Ella was busily stabbing various pieces of lettuce before delicately placing it in her mouth. And Kate seemed to be happily nibbling at her own food. This was the perfect moment. Banksy McBanks Banks better ask fast. "I've got to go to the bathroom," Ethan Banks excused. Ella opened her mouth to protest, but it was too late. He quickly stood up from his chair and walked as fast as he could before Ella could even give him a glare.

Kate was enjoying herself through and through. The conversation was flowing, Danny didn't seem so down or embarrassed over his birthday, life was good. And it really was. Thinking back to last night, she would've never been able to be in the same room as Jordan and his crew but she survived an entire night at a table with them. Even though attending the convention was her idea, she had her doubts that they wouldn't be welcomed as warmly as they did. YouTube did get a bad rep of being too cliquey sometimes. But she's felt at ease and in her zone the last couple of days and nothing was going to change that anytime soon.

"Hey Kate!" Ethan Banks cheerfully greeted. Kate turned around to face the little bastard. He seemed to be all alone, very unlike Mister Banky McBanks. Kate scanned the room before returning her gaze onto him and sneered, "Where's your guard dog?"

Now, Ethan Banks may look like Jordan Banks, but there was definite difference between the two. For one, Ethan eyes had absolutely no effect on her, they were too blue. Secondly, Kate did have the rather comforting knowledge that she could probably take him down if there was ever an actual fight. Not that it'd ever come to that. All Kate would have to do is bruise his ego enough for him to back off and that would be the end of it. In short, Ethan Banks presented absolutely no threat whatsoever, which allowed her to be as rude and condescending as he deserved.

Ethan Banks looked at her confusingly, unsure as to who Kate was referring to. After seeing that his mind wasn't going to connect the dots anytime soon, she clarified the remark. "Ella?" Kate explained. His eyes shot up upon the realization. "Ohh, she's back at the table," he informed. Kate humphed and took a sip of her water. This was his cue to leave the table and return back to the ice queen, but, as usual, Ethan just didn't seem to get the hint. Or rather, he did get the hint but wasn't leaving until he did what he came for. The awkward silence let Ethan know that getting any kind of information out of her wasn't going to be easy. Giving up his small talk approach, he went straight in for the kill.

"So where's Nicole?" Ethan spat out. No sense in beating around the bush right? Kate's head slowly turned towards him. Her eyes narrowed. "Why do you want to know?" Kate retorted.

Ethan laughed nervously. "Just curious," he shrugged. Kate continued to glare at Ethan. Jordan was one thing, but Ethan had no right to be anywhere close to Nicole. Especially when she was finally starting to make progress and socialize again. Whatever plan Ethan may have concocted, Kate was determined to put an end to it as soon as possible.

Kate got up from her chair and stood in front of him; her face only a foot away from his. "You so much as even try to talk to her and you'll be vlogging from the nearest hospital," Kate threatened.

"Whoa, Kate. I'm not-"

"Nicole's just recovering from that mess you put her through all those years ago and I'm not about to let you just waltz in there and make her start over. Do you have any idea how hard it was for her to even acknowledge this new guy? She hasn't been on a date in 2 years. She hardly wears anything other than black. And the only reason she started YouTube was to drown out the real world. So don't you dare come in here and throw away everything she's built so far. You stay away from her, Ethan Banks. And if I even see you walking in her direction-"

"Ok!" Ethan agreed, cutting Kate off.

Kate leaned back, arms crossed. She sized up her opponent before being satisfied with his answer. Kate turned back to her seat, leaving Ethan standing there like a fool. "You'd better get back before she comes looking for you. Wouldn't want to have another argument," Kate informed as she took another sip of water. Ethan was stunned, shellshocked, actually terrified. He believed every word Kate said about what would happen if he ever approached Nicole. He opened his mouth to try and help his case, but quickly closed it when he realized that the conversation was pretty much dead. No use in poking the beast. Ethan turned around and did the walk of shame back to his booth. So much for that plan...

Meanwhile...

Nicole was wandering around the convention site, trying to clear her mind, trying to think properly again. The last 24 hours hasn't even seemed real, but it all happened. The invite, the dinner, the kiss. It was too much for anyone to handle, but especially frustrating for Nicole to go through.

Walking was always the best way for her to clear her mind. It was healthy and symbolic all at the same time. She had been in the best shape of her life after the breakup. She must've walked/ran 100 miles. She used it as an outlet to let go of her problems. And if she couldn't get over them, she'd run away from them. Literally. The convention center wasn't the most convenient place to start running, so walking without thinking of where you're going would suffice.

Nicole knew she would have to face Ethan soon. His events must be over and he'd probably be trying to find her right now. But she didn't have an answer for him, whatever that question was going to be.

Why didn't she have an answer? If she'd just go with her gut, she wouldn't be frustrated with herself. But if she went with her gut, there was a high chance she'd regret it in the end. Ugh. This was all too hard!

"Nicole!" someone screamed, making her jump and yelp. People around her gave her confused looks as she tried figuring out who called her so excitedly. Then she realized, there could only be two people in this city that had that effect on her.

"Oh, thank the Lord it's just you, Harry," she said. He approached her with a wide grin and a friendly wave. "I've been looking for you everywhere, where've you been?"

Nicole politely shrugged, after figuring it'd be best to not let him know everything that's going on in her head, especially if he was so close to "the problem".

"I've just been wandering around, looking at all of the booths that's around here. Why?"

"Well, I personally haven't been looking for you. It's just that you haven't spoken to Ethan since last night and he's been-"

"Oh, I completely forgot I had to meet a friend for lunch!" Nicole suddenly cut him off and began to backtrack. Mentally, she was ready to run straight out of here and never stop until she reached California again. 2,508 miles should be enough space.

Harry opened his mouth to say more, but Nicole was already speed walking too far away for her to hear him. In a matter of seconds, Nicole briskly strut out of the convention center, leaving Harry standing there confused. "That girl definitely needs a flash mob in her life."