Chapter 113: Was it Intentional or Accidental?
[Chapter 113: Was it Intentional or Accidental?]
Taylor walked past Ryan, wearing her robe, the belt loosely hanging. She hurried across the tiled floor barefoot, her fair skin glowing under the lights, making her veins visible.
As she turned back, she passed Ryan again. Her hair, which had been pulled up moments ago, now fell disheveled around her face, but she seemed too frazzled to fix it.
Pacing nervously in the living room, she exclaimed, "I'll never show my face again!"
She spun back to Ryan, her tone a bit dramatic to draw his attention. "You need to figure something out!" She grabbed his arm, desperation almost making her cry.
Ryan chuckled as he looked at the computer screen. "Isn't this what you wanted?"
What could he do? The video was already out there, circulating on Reddit and other discussion forums. "Ryan" was trending number one on Twitter.
"Taylor" was second.
"Ryan and Taylor" was in third.
"One hour and fifty minutes" was fourth.
"Ryan Live" came in fifth.
The entire top eight trends revolved around the incident, with only the ninth related to the election.
Ryan reminded her, "You weren't even seen in the shot. I only showed half my face, and there was no sound at all." He reopened the video that he had watched repeatedly.
This definitely wasn't like one of those clips featuring Paris Hilton or Kim Kardashian, where there was a clear front-facing camera view.
"How did they find out?" Taylor whispered, her mind racing and overwhelmed with shock.
"The news spread from the forums. As for how they knew..." Ryan scrolled through the chat logs, which were buzzing with activity.
He spent a good ten minutes going through the busy chat. From the moment he and Taylor celebrated the launch of the forum, everyone was discussing their "live progress." Some even used CAD to sketch out visual representations of the current scene.
People were posting about Taylor's "emotional resilience," while others were reporting Ryan's loading times. The most active participant, "5854," had turned the chat into a game, even sharing a picture of her kitten accidentally knocking over a water cup, causing a mess.
Participant "3" was also monitoring the chaos, expressing how remarkable it was that young people knew how to have fun.
Finally, Ryan discovered the source of the leak -- "13" had sent a series of random messages.
...
"I swear, I didn't touch the computer! Yours malfunctioned; just get rid of it," Taylor wailed softly, on the verge of tears.
"Have your parents called yet?" Ryan.
"Probably fast asleep. They will be furious in the morning," Taylor lamented, burying her face in Ryan's arm as she began to dry sob. She was pretty dehydrated earlier and didn't have tears left now.
Taylor's phone buzzed incessantly, clearly filled with messages from friends and colleagues.
"When things go public, you need to address them. First, call Paula and see what she says," Ryan advised, passing Taylor her phone.
"Do it. I can't bring myself to," she replied weakly.
Ryan opened her phone to find a string of text notifications, including messages from Abigail, Selena Gomez, and a few close friends, mostly urging her to check what was happening online.
...
"I'm monitoring the online buzz too," Paula said when Ryan reached her. "I think instead of making a public statement, it's better to address it head-on. This was just an accident. Plus, neither of you did anything wrong; you're both adults. People will understand."
Ryan had the call on speakerphone, and Taylor listened the whole time, still in shock and unable to process it all.
"Draft a statement and send it to me in the next hour. We'll post it on MySpace tonight," Ryan instructed.
"I'm halfway through it. I'll get it to you soon," Paula promised before hanging up.
...
Shortly after, Ryan received a call from Scott.
"Yes, she's fine. Just a little shaken up, but other than that, everything is on track for the second music video. We shouldn't make any changes, but since we have the discussion time now, let's start shooting the new MV right away..." Ryan kept it brief before hanging up.
...
Ryan wanted Taylor to call her parents, but she shook her head vehemently and hid behind him, making him explain the situation.
With no other choice, Ryan found Taylor's mother on the line.
"Did something happen? We just fell asleep," her mother's groggy voice answered.
"I'm with Taylor..." Ryan glanced at the blonde girl, who nodded, "We were just playing."
"Just messing around, but the computer was not turned off, and Taylor accidentally hit a key... so a portion of the footage leaked. But only a bit; Taylor didn't really show up, just me."
"Oh..." her mother sighed, clearly anticipating this day might arrive, then asked, "Was it intentional or accidental?"
"Totally accidental," Ryan raised his eyebrows while Taylor nervously gripped her hands, her palms sweating.
"Well, it's done. You both just need to be careful -- did you take precautions?" her mother inquired directly.
"Uh..." Ryan hesitated; he didn't have the habit of using rubbers.
"Ryan, you need to keep her safe... she's my only daughter," Taylor's mother said.
"Absolutely."
"Go downstairs and buy some medicine for her later."
"I am letting her take the call," he offered, handing Taylor the phone.
"Mom..." Taylor groaned, her face full of distress.
The two spoke for a moment, and after some initial panic, Taylor calmed down with her mother's comfort. She even talked to her father, and Ryan noticed her expression shift, likely enduring some reprimanding.
"I understand," Taylor said before hanging up.
"Get me some medicine," she nudged Ryan.
"We have supplies," Ryan replied.
"Who did you stock for?!" Taylor's voice rose.
"Who else but you?" Ryan pulled open the drawer under the coffee table to reveal four tablets. Previously, there had been seven, but three had been consumed by Daddario.
"Buying so much, this stuff is really harmful," Taylor took one tablet and unpacked it.
"You owe me this. I will remember this for the rest of my life," she said, popping a pill into her mouth before tossing the wrapper into the nearby trash can.
Ryan got up to fetch her some water, and when he returned, he found Taylor rummaging through cabinets. Aside from a few new tablets, there was nothing left. These medicines were individually packaged, and he had discarded the others.
"What are you looking for?" Ryan asked.
"Something to drink," Taylor answered.
"Is there anything to drink in the drawer?"
She shook her head and accepted the water he handed over.
...
About half an hour later, the statement was posted on their MySpace page. It was brief, explaining that due to an accidental operation, some footage was released. It ended with a note that if anyone infringed upon Ryan and Taylor's rights, they would face legal action.
Meanwhile, Taylor had retired to her room, likely already asleep. Ryan glanced at the trash can next to the coffee table and grabbed the garbage bag to head for the door.
Outside, he fumbled through the trash and found two small pill package wrappers.
After tossing out the trash and shutting the door, Ryan returned to the room to cuddle up next to Taylor.
*****
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