Chapter 5: The Friendship Begins

(PJ's POV)

The days leading up to the weekend could not have passed any slower. I'd been assigned a new project in my video editing class, missed my visual effects class because my alarm didn't go off, and needed to make a new video for my cinematic storytelling class (which, in all honestly, would feel more like an activity than an obligation).

Besides the assignments, my mates seemed to have me running all over town with them; picking up new props and equipment for assignments and projects they had. It's not like I didn't like helping them, anytime one of them asked I was more than happy to lend a hand, it just seemed like it was happening more this week than it had in months.

Friday, after an hour and a half of listening to my cinema systems professor discuss the finer points of them new HD equipment we would be studying, I headed across campus with several thoughts swirling through my head. 'I should use the new editing program I just downloaded on my next project. Maybe I'll call Chris, I haven't spoken to him in a while and he is always good with expanding ideas I have. Should I upload the video I have to do for cinematic storytelling as my next Youtube video? No, I already have half a video recorded and it would be a waste to not use. I'll just finish recording it tonight, edit it this weekend, and upload it on Monday."

Back at the house I called to my roommate that I would be recording in my room for the next few hours. Jamie grunted in reply; it was a normal occurrence around our house, but I still warned him because he'd walked in on me recording a couple times and it's awkward to say the least. Though, after talking to a camera for several hours can make anyone look like a lunatic.

I'd been recording for no more than 2 hours when there was a commotion in the living room. I ignored it, Jamie tended to be loud the later at night it got, and since my camera was set up to miss background noise under a certain volume, it wasn't something to worry about.

I began to speak again and not a minute later there was a knock at my door. I sighed and paused the camera, "Yeah?" I called as I went over and opened the door, looking at Jamie, "Tara's here," he responded, quirking an eyebrow, "Says you invited her over."

'What is he-' I wondered before it clicked and I smacked myself on the head, 'How could I have forgotten I'd invited her over today?' "Yeah, of course," I managed, trying to act nonchalant, but Jamie could tell I had forgotten just by the way I'd reacted, "Thanks mate."

I walked out to the sitting room and saw Tara leaned over a side table, her face looking concentrated as she snapped a picture. "Do you like to take pictures of knick-knacks," I inquired, making her stand upright and look at me. "Oh, uh, I just got a new lens for my camera," she explained, blushing slightly at the sudden interruption, "And I like to take pictures of things people consider small and pointless. They say life is about the little things, right?"

I beamed at her; her simplistic beauty never ceased to amaze me. "You should put your photography in a gallery and call the exhibit a 'The Little Things in Life' or something," I mused, taking her back to my room. "That'd certainly be nice," she mumbled quietly, stopping in my door way for a few moments, looking around, "Do you always leave your equipment set up in your room?"

I laughed, "No, I was just recording a video." I picked up the tripod and lighting equipment and set it in my closet before turning back to her. She was perched comfortably at the end of my low bed. "You're the only person I know that doesn't have to sit back to be comfortable on my bed," I joked, taking a seat next to her. She shrugged, pick at frayed ends on my duvet, "I know, I know, I'm short. But it doesn't help that you're like a giant!" She smiled over at me, but the smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "Six two is not a giant," I shot back playfully, but she still looked a little distracted, "Well, hey, if you want to play video games we need to go out to the sitting room because I don't have a TV in here."

She nodded and stood up, holding her hand out for me. Accepting it I pulled myself up and we made our way back to the sitting room where I set up Ocarina of Time and handed her the controller. "Did you end up finding your Nintendo?" "No, Isabelle still won't tell me," she grumbled, "She's been watching your videos a whole lot more, too, now that she knows we're friends."

"Lovely," I responded sarcastically, "Do you watch them with her?" "Not often, but I did know who you were before we met," she admitted, blush tinting her cheeks, "She'd shown me a couple videos a few months back, so I did a bit of research on you on Tumblr. You're fairly popular among teenage girls. You're also not nearly as excitable in real life as you are on camera."

"It's a character choice, mostly," I explained, taking the remote from her when she died, "It's me, obviously, just a crazier version of me. The person I'd like to be known for, not some odd curly haired kid who likes to tell weird stories."

"I like the PJ I know," she responded with a small smile, "You've been incredibly kind to me and we hardly even know each other. You're a good person, PJ."

I bit my lip for a moment. "You don't know me well enough," I semi-joked, making her laugh lightly.

We went on this way for a while, taking turns every time one of us died. When Jamie entered the room at 7:30 we were both lounging across the couch, her legs overtop mine. He raised his eyebrow at me, but he didn't say anything.

He didn't need to; his eyes said it all.

I shook my head and he snorted some before turning to Tara and asking her if she were staying for dinner. She paused the game and looked up at him, "If it isn't an inconvenience," she answered, smiling. "Not at all," he smiled back and headed into the kitchen.

She shifted some then, taking her legs off of mine. I glanced at her and a look of discomfort seemed stuck on her face. "Everything ok," I asked, sitting up. "Huh, oh yeah," she mumbled, grabbing the controller and resuming the game. She relaxed back on the couch, folding her legs under her and making a joke a few moments later about how ridiculous the expression Link made were.

I stared at her for a moment longer. Something about what had just happened with Jamie changed her composure, but what?

Wooo, posted a chapter on time!

Alright, I know it seems like a filler chapter, but it ends with a good hook, so please don't hurt me!(;

In all actuality it isn't a filler chapter. I really like the idea of putting them into a close friendship before making them date. Going for the whole 'everyone else thinks you're dating, so why aren't you?' angle. To me it seems more realistic than just throwing them into a relationship after a few days of knowing each other.

Also, I realize that PJ is a lot more mellow in this fic than he is in his videos and I tried to explain that in this chapter, but I would like to add a quick note. RPF is really, really hard to do, especially when you're using a person who let's out so little about who they are.

I'm actually playing a Link into the Past right now. What you thought I was going to make my character love video games without knowing anything about them?! Impossible! PJ's love of video games is one of the main reasons he is my favorite Youtuber.

So here's a question for all the lovely viewers and followers of the fic, do you play any video games? If so which ones? Just leave a review telling me! I'd love to know who else on this website is an avid gamer!

You can't really own people anymore, because slaverly is illegal, so PJ isn't mine.

-Boots