Page 58 of Falling Off Script

Fifteen minutes later, I’m mid Q&A, basking in the glow of a 12k viewer count and a comment section full of praise hands and "YES, QUEEN" energy. I’ve just finished a bit on emotional mimicry—how “healing language” gets co-opted by men who’ve never been within 500 feet of a feeling—when a new video question request pings in.

Username:@GrowthInProgress

New account. Blurred profile pic. Verified.

Hmm. Slightly sus, but the submitted question is pure earnest energy:

“What would you say to someone who followed all the emotional growth advice, tried really hard, but still got judged when they showed their real self?”

I sigh, warmed. “This,” I say into the mic, “is exactly the kind of question we need to normalize.”

I click “Accept.”

The screen glitches once.

Then clears.

@HotGirlData: “Wait. WAIT. Is that—?”

@FeministButThirsty: “ADRIAN ZAYNE???”

Yes, it’s him.

The man whose videos have more views than the CDC’s COVID page.

Smiling like a cat in a mouse costume.

The chat detonates.

@JennieComeGetHim: “NOOOOOOO”

@TherapizeMeDaddy: “I KNEW ‘growthinprogress’ was sus”

I slam the mod panel.

“You used a burner account.”

“I used a curiosity-forward alias,” he says.

“You ambushed my stream.”

“I joined your community circle. Calmly.”

“You’re trending already.”

He grins. “A man’s gotta eat.”

The chat is chaos.

@ZetaGate: “WE NEED MODS AND AN OIL CLEANSE”

@HotGirlAcademic: “this is now a case study in gendered sabotage”

@ShipOrShred: “...I hate them. Also I need them to kiss.”

I stare him down. “Fine. What’s your actual question?”

He leans back. “It’s more of a case study. About a student of mine. Let’s call him... Trevor.”

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