"Chapter Two: Gemini"
I WOKE WITH A START. Turning to look at the clock on the nightstand, I noticed that it was half-seven in the morning. I turned back to face the ceiling, before heaving a large sigh and then rummaging the sheets as I regrettably pulled myself from their warmth. I had left the window open last night in the midst of everything that had happened with Finn, and it had significantly cooled overnight.
Finn! I thought panicked. Memories from the night before flooded into my mind: Italian dishes, chlorinated pools, and the undeniable, unbelievable, and unforgettable kiss. I felt a rush of warmth pool into my cheeks, as I relived the last few moments with Finn:
His lips directly on mine, his hand coming up to rest on the side of my face. His lips tasted like strawberries from the Daiquiri he had been drinking by the pool earlier, cool and perfectly moist. He weaved his fingers in-between my hair for a split-second, enough to send my senses into overload. He managed to give my bottom lip a playful bite with his flawlessly white teeth, before pulling away.
"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.
I let out a yowl, shaking away my thoughts, as the cold water eased onto my skin as I entered the shower. The shower was quite large, with misted glass that sliced its way through the middle, masking my stark-naked body. Luckily the water warmed until it pelted over my skin with dazzling arrays of drops and streaks. I began to get carried away with my thoughts again, so much so that I lost track of time.
I'm going to be late! I hissed under my breath. Quickly turning the stainless steel handles of the shower until the water ceased to fall, I began to dry myself with a dark blue towel. My favorite color, I noted. Patting myself dry and stepping out into the bathroom foyer, I began to brush my teeth with Sensodyne Whitening toothpaste. While brushing my teeth, I reached over to apply some deodorant and some CK cologne. I quickly foraged for a good pair of boxer briefs, skinny dark wash blue jeans, a pair of black toms, a black t-shirt, and a silver necklace. I slid some of my bracelets onto my wrist that I'd received from fans for today's events. I threw some gel into my hair, spiking up the front, before messing it around to look like I'd just woke up but made a small effort. I didn't want Finn thinking that I'd gone over and above for just a breakfast between friends. Were we friends? I asked myself.
I made sure to grab my wallet, the hotel keycard, and some sunglasses, before heading out toward the lobby. I could smell the beach before I could see it. It was, of course, just outside my hut. I smiled; looking at the waves roll in as some surfers ran down to catch the latest swells. Passing by the pools, I continued toward the center of the resort, toward the breakfast buffet.
The resort was beautiful – much better than the weather in Canada currently – and the workers were very kind and attentive to our needs. I walked past some screaming girls who waited just outside the hotel lobby, and rushed toward the breakfast buffet. When I stepped through the doors, I looked around to see that there were only a few couples and families that had come down. I checked my watch and seen that it was just after eight. I was escorted to a seat where I checked my phone for texts. I had a few from Zoe, though the rest were from my friends back home.
I figured I'd just relax and check twitter for any notifications. Too many, I thought. I retweeted a few tweets, favourited others, and replied to some direct messages.
"All right?" I heard someone mutter. I looked up from my phone to see a very sleepy Finn. He'd actually dressed really nice, as per usual, but I could tell that he was exhausted. We had only managed to sleep for a few hours after such a long day yesterday, so I didn't blame him. I was tired, myself, actually.
"Good morning, Finn," I replied with a smile. I gave a nod toward the food, and Finn eagerly said "Yeah, mate!"
"Did you sleep well?" The question came out almost pre-thought. I wanted to make conversation really badly, but I was so flustered that that was the best that I could muster up in the time between getting out of my chair and walking over toward the buffet of fruits and pancakes.
" I was bladdered last night, mate. Slept worse than a dog," Finn replied. I winced a little at the statement, worried that perhaps he'd only kissed me out of intoxication. Maybe he doesn't even remember? Who knows how drunk he was? The questions circled around in my mind as I filled the rest of my plate in silence.
"Did you have a good time last night, at least?" I asked before sitting down.
"Mate, it was the dog's bollocks! I was chuffed to bits until now. My head feels like it's been put through the ringer," Finn confessed. I stared at him in confusion.
"The…dog's…bollocks?" My face contorted as I tried to understand its connotations. I'd never heard of that saying before, nor had it ever been used in Canada or the States.
"Basically, the party was amazing," Finn corrected, and I just sipped on my chocolate milk.
As Finn sliced his way through his crepe, I admired his beautiful brown hair, short on the sides but lengthy on the top. I also managed to take a peek at those beautiful green eyes as they looked up to meet my gaze every so often, followed by a cheeky grin.
"Are you going to eat?" Finn asked, curiously.
"I'm actually kind of full already," I admitted with a little laugh. Finn smiled, nearly done his plate.
"Finn…can I ask you something?" He looked surprised as the words slipped out of my mouth. Then, his expression changed to one of worry. But he laughed, almost nervously, and then told me that I could ask him anything. "It's about last night. Well, specifically, it's about the—"
"Kiss?" Finn interjected.
"Yes," I admitted, sure of a blush reddening my cheeks. I was a bundle of nerves and embarrassment, myself. I didn't know whether or not Finn recalled last nights events or if he did and was attempting to forget about it. But I wanted to know. I knew it was early and there was so much we had to do today, but I want to get this out-of-the-way. So I nodded again, as Finn took a small sip of his orange juice.
"I've really done myself in, haven't I?" Finn said. I was going to respond, but it seems that his question is rhetorical because he begins to continue. "I mean…it's a real dog's dinner." I stare again, but this time he corrects himself. "I've made a mess of things."
"Do you regret it?" I asked, a sadness tingeing my voice. I cleared my throat before taking another sip of my chocolate milk, watching as some of the other YouTubers entered the room: Jim, Tanya, Joe, Zoe, and Jack.
"Hey mates!" I hollered out, breaking the tension between us. Finn eagerly turned around to look at the incoming crowd.
"You're really becoming a real Brit, aren't you Brynden?" Jim teased, grabbing a nearby chair and pulling it over to our small table.
"Now he just needs the accent," Zoe commented, her hair as beautiful as ever.
I watched as Jack pull up a chair beside Finn, and nudged his shoulder, hands raised. I think I see him mouth, "Where the hell have you been?" I glimpse a very uncomfortable Finn immediately morph into his usual cheeky self, brushing off questions and cracking a joke. I spend the next twenty minutes watching the others come and go as they grab a plate of food, and rush to finish it, before we're called to our limo. Rising out of my chair and heading out beside Jack, I turn to Finn and whisper, "Because I don't," and leave him behind.
The ride to VidCon was anything but relaxed. I spent half the time trying to avoid Finn's gaze and the other half vlogging. I was sure that I'd ruined my chances with the boy of my dreams, and now I was ironically talking up a storm with his twin brother, Jack. I was bound to get a lot of views on this dailyvlog because of the amount of YouTubers cramped into such a small space, each coming into view in the lens of the camera.
The car door opened and the crowds of screaming girls and boys could be heard in every which direction. I darted to join Marcus and Zoe for our interview together. It was along the far side of the building, which meant that we'd have to pass by screaming fans, other YouTubers, and several other people to get there. But we finally managed to get there, surprised to be interviewed by Hollywire.
"So tell me, Marcus, how do you come up with your material on a weekly-basis?" the blonde-woman asked. He responded with a very polished answer, his accent encircling the small room.
"Brynden, is there a special someone in your life right now?" the woman asked, this time to me. Figures she'd ask me that, I thought. I reminisced about Finn and how I'd pined over him for years, last nights kiss near the beach, and now the confusion surrounding our relationship.
"I'm still a single lad!" I said, knowing the girls would go crazy for it. It's what we'd all done at one time or another; lied about our relationship status so that fans wouldn't get upset or unsubscribe. But that wasn't enough for the woman, who I now knew as Leslie, because she continued searching for answers:
"There isn't anyone you're remotely interested in? Would you date a fellow YouTuber? What about dating a fan?" The questions kept coming in, primarily in my direction, and I stammered as I tried to respond to her questions, my mind a mix of emotions.
"I'm keeping my options open, but there is someone out there that's got my attention. And of course I'd date a fan!" I decided to keep things short and sweet and turn it over to Zoe so she could talk about her love story with Alfie.
Luckily the interview went smoothly after that and before long we were rushing out to join the other YouTubers for a panel. Even luckier, the panel went smoothly and around six in the evening we were headed back to the hotel, exhausted and excited for tonight.
"Did you see that hot girl in the first row?" Caspar asked me out-of-the-blue, his hair a mass of gelled blonde peaks.
"Which one?" I replied in question.
"Come on, man! You couldn't have missed her! She looked exactly like Zoe. She was fit!" Caspar continued. Joe teasingly threatened to punch him if he continued hitting on his sister. We all laughed and the limousine pulled up to Fluxx – a nightclub.
"I guess I must have missed her," I said, hoping to quickly change the topic.
"Anyways, let's head-out. The Harries' are inside," Caspar suggested.
"Jack and Finn are here?" I had noticed them leave the hotel before us in a small car. I thought they'd planned to go out shooting some new footage for one of their quality videos, so I immediately buckled into a mix of anxiety and anticipation. Caspar just shook his head, and the lot of us jumped out of the limousine and we were instantly ushered into the club under the Guest List.
We found the twins in the V.I.P. section. Bottles of champagne lined the table, which sat across from beautiful women now resting on the couches. Jack and Finn each had two girls on either side of them as the lot of us were let in. I took a seat next to Jim, eyeing Finn who was looking directly at me in his peripherals. The club was dark, with hues of blue and purple, and hundreds of people lined the dance floor. The air was smoky, and the room sweaty from dancing. It was a nice club, after all. Mamrie had suggested it after she had went with Grace and Hannah last Friday night.
Caspar, Marcus, the girls and some of the others went out to the dance floor, but I wasn't much of a dancer. Unfortunately, Jack was in the mood to dance, so he pulled me along with him to scout the territory and have some fun. We'd already had a few drinks at this point, so I was feeling great. We danced to EDR, grinding up against people, at times each other for pure fun. I like Jack. He's fun to be around, I thought to myself. And when I was with him, I didn't think about Finn. No matter how much they look alike. Jack just has a way of making you feel comfortable with yourself.
I don't know how long we danced for, or how many drinks I'd had before we called it quits. But I do remember the look on Finn's face when I left with Jack.
Jack and I decided to have our own party back at the hotel with Grace, Mamrie, and Hannah, who'd stayed behind. We were in the pool for most of the night, while the girls laughed incessantly in the Jacuzzi.
"So, I couldn't help but notice the sexual tension between you and Tyler today," I joked. Jack and I were now in the shallow end of the pool, resting up against the side with our two beers.
"Shut up, mate," Jack laughed, "he's a good mate, though." Jack took another swig of his beer, before turning to me.
"Fancy anyone, yourself?"
I let out a grunt before answering, "Why do people keep asking me that today?" I could see Jack's eyes in the moonlight, as green as Finn's the night before, reminding me of our kiss.
"Hey, I was just asking man. You're a good looking guy, I'm just surprised you haven't hooked up with anyone yet," Jack said. His face gleamed with a smile as he went for another beer.
"I could ask you the same," I replied when he returned to the edge of the pool, trunks drenched. He dipped his feet in, while I continued to rest my arms over the side.
"Ah stop pissing about," Jack retorted, teasingly. His smile was one of his best features. It lit up his entire face. Just like Finn's, I contemplated.
"Can I ask you something, Jack?"
"I think I already know your question," he answered, looking down at me. "And the truth is, I don't know." He started laughing uncontrollably, and I couldn't help but laugh with him. It was one of those nervous laughs, as I didn't understand what he was talking about.
"Are you pissed?" I teased.
"Yeah, man" he slurred in response, laughing again. But then something came over him, and he turned to me and said, "My brother doesn't usually act like this." The statement surprised me, but before I could interject, Jack continued: "In England, he's constantly working on his graphic designs and editing videos with me. But something's changed since VidCon. Something's changed since he met you. I shouldn't say anything, but you're really all he ever talks about – even when we're filming or in our hotel room."
I was speechless. I literally could not say anything. I had pulled myself out of the water and was now sitting next to Jack as he relentlessly slurred words in attempt to tell me about Finn.
"Look, mate. I didn't say anything, and my opinion might not mean anything to you, but I think there's more to my brother, Finn, than he's letting on. It's up to you to find out what that is. If you want it…Or if you don't." I had never seen Jack like this. Fortunately, his intensity quickly ended, and he abruptly called out "skinny dipping!"
It was only a matter of moments before he jumped into the pool bare-naked. I laughed at his paleness, and figured why the hell not. Stripping down, I jumped in the water to join him. The water wasn't as cold this time, as I'd barely had time to dry.
I made up my mind: I'd get my answers from Finn tomorrow morning. But for now, I'd get a little wild with Jack.
*A.N. I decided to do another chapter anyways! Please let me know if you're enjoying the storyline so far, what you'd like to see more of, etc.! Thank you x