Chapter 22

Two more days till his break was over. The videos deleted, Owen sat in the living room, watching a video with Ophelia leaning on his shoulder.

"Can we…can we just delete them?"

"I'm sorry, I know I made you put in so much effort, but…"

"I hate not succeeding."

Everything Isabella said struck him. She was right, after all. Never once did he find results in his pursuit of online fame. It wasn't just him. Out of the millions that attempted, only a select hundred succeeded.

The game was naturally stacked against them. These days, money was necessary to climb the WuTube algorithm, something he sorely lacked. The unfairness was frustrating. He barely paid attention to the video, his eyes a dead colour. They were watching a certain WuTuber and her long running series on WacDonald. There were days worth of video essays on the WuTuber's channel and Ophelia was at the peak of her addiction. Watching, watching, watching, and giggling at the humour that seemingly mirrored her own.

The channel was run by a woman known by the moniker of MissBear, who apparently had a degree in Food Studies at an Ivy university. MissBear didn't just cover serious topics. As a matter of fact, most of her food video essays were akin to jokes. Silly topics such as "Why WacDonald Chicken Nuggets Are Shaped Like Amoong Us" or "Why You Should Never Order Ice Cream at Fairy Queen". Humour with a slight pinch of conspiracy, make belief, and facts.

Her voice was, admittedly, very soothing and quiet. She spoke as if she was prepared to do ASMR but gave up halfway. The softness in her voice reminded him of Isabella.

Huh.

Suddenly, Owen was paying attention. MissBear's research and script was phenomenal, no question about it. However, the type of jokes she invoked weren't universal, they were mostly intended for millennials. For example:

"I can haz cheeseburger?"

Owen shuddered. 'Very much millennial humour. But…clearly, she's doing it on purpose. She knows her audience and is adapting to it.'

He continued to watch until the end. He asked Ophelia to pick out an older video of MissBear's.

'Hm…she's less millennial here. Very basic.' He pressed the X-button on the controller to check the views. 'Barely broke a hundred thousand. Her recent videos get millions though.'

A storm of ideas was beginning to form in his head. He put an arm on Ophelia and pulled her close, finding a smile on his face. 'Maybe, just maybe…'

***

It was almost nine and the sky was dark. Knocking on Isabella's door, he earned a confused look.

"What's up?"

"Let's take a walk," Owen said, leaving no room for argument. "It'll be brief."

Her eyes flashed, obviously not wanting to go. She wanted to stay cooped up in her room forever. "Do I…" Owen's look hardened and Isabella pursed her lips. "...okay, fine."

Owen wound up waiting for her at the front foyer. The elevator opened up and Isabella walked in wearing a dark blue wool sweater and jeans. Something quick she put on to look presentable. Exchanging looks, they went outside and Isabella followed him to the bicycle rack.

"Where are we going?" she asked as he hopped on.

"The market," he answered. She didn't say anything as she climbed onto the back rack, her arms slipping around his waist. "Hold on tight."

Isabella wasn't fazed in the slightest when he began biking. She had done this before, after all, hundreds upon hundreds of times during the summer. The night sky was devoid of light. No moon in sight and no stars. The wind rushed past their faces and they were able to taste nostalgia.

Isabella, pressed to his back, whispered, "This reminds me of when we were kids."

"Right." The night sky and its taste was always the same. "Remember when we used to sit on those white plastic chairs?"

"The mosquitoes and flies were everywhere," Isabella said, laughing.

"The glassy table," Owen added, causing another laugh. "Or the dozens of diet soda drinks."

"That was mostly Lola."

"Haha, true."

They arrived at the market and went in and out in five minutes, with Owen carrying three cans of diet soda.

He tried to hand a can over but Isabella looked worried and raised a hand. "Shouldn't we be saving up? I feel like these rash financial decisions—"

"I can afford to go into overdraft," Owen replied. "Come on, take it."

After a hard look, she did.

Pssssch! Pop!

Two cans opened up. The couple stood outside the market and sipped on the delicious cola. The caffeine gave them the boost they needed and they broke away from the can with quiet sighs.

"I missed this."

"Caffeine?"

"I haven't had Mountain Pew in over two weeks. I was dying in there," Isabella said, sighing. "Being outside…is also annoyingly refreshing."

"Annoying, huh?"

"Yeah." Sip. "It's like…really? Exercising, eating healthy, and going outside actually makes a difference in your life? Well, damn!"

She laughed but she was a bit too loose with it. His lips flattened. 'She was drinking before this.'

Owen turned to her, resolved. "Isabella?"

She didn't turn back. She drank the soda silently.

"One last push," Owen said. "That's all I'm asking."

"One last push," she repeated in a low mutter. "Is that really going to change anything?"

"Maybe, maybe not. But this will probably be my last chance to edit without distraction. The day after tomorrow. I'll be at work again. My schedule isn't going to let me edit for hours on end." Owen kept his eyes locked on her while Isabella stared at the parking lot ahead. "So please. Just one last attempt."

Isabella didn't immediately reply, taking the time to drink the last of her can. "Gah!" She exhaled and tossed the can into the nearby garbage without looking. She sighed once, twice, and then looked down. "...do you know what I hate more than anything, Owen?"

"What?"

Isabella turned to him at last, lips quivering. "Having no purpose."