Page 15 of Subscriber Wars

Drew takes a sip of his drink and nods. “I agree, but it’s still a million dollars, Vee. You’ll be seen by millions of viewers. Who knows? Some studio or production company could be in the market for a makeup artist. It’s a big opportunity.”

I know and I’m on board three thousand percent, but the thing is, the rules weren’t exactly clear.

Drew grabs his phone and shoves it in my face. He’s like a little boy all excited to show me what he found. “This is what I’m talking about.” I take his phone and grin; this boy has always been my biggest fan. Scrolling through Malcolm’s page, I act like this is the first time I’ve seen the announcement. I haven’t seen Malcolm’s entry, so I snoop through his hashtags, clicking on the one #unicamflixcompetition. There I find the ad for the upcoming reality show.

I read aloud to Drew, “Looking for the next rising MyView star. Producers, actors, cameramen, and writers are all welcome. Use hashtag #unicamflixcompetition on your daily videos as entries. The top two accounts with the most subscribers will face off with a final fan vote. The winner will be awarded one million dollars and a one-year MyView reality series.”

I finally look up and meet Drew’s glassy eyes. I snatch the drink from his hand and toss a piece of ice at him. “Pace yourself, Drusilla. I’m not dragging you to your room again. I sprained my ankle last time.”

Drew catches the ice easily and tosses it into the blender, mixing another drink. “The competition is cool, huh?”

“Yeah, it’s cool. I just don’t know if my videos will qualify.” I’m not sure it’s a skill they are looking for.

“Message them and ask,” he says and shrugs. Nothing is ever a big deal to Drew. That’s one of the reasons I love his crazy ass.

“I hate that Malcolm is participating, though,” I say to myself. “He’ll be a nightmare to deal with.”

Drew takes another drink and cocks a brow. “Why is that?”

“About a month ago, this one guy claimed Malcolm copied his videos before he posted them. I don’t know exactly how it happened, but I don’t put it past Malcolm to cheat.”

I’m pretty sure Drew hasn’t heard a word I’ve said since something on his phone snagged his attention four sentences ago. “You got this, Vee-Dog,” he mumbles, giving me a thumbs up.

“Ugh.” I jump from the counter.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” His head jerks up quickly.

“Outside. I was going to see if Bennett and Fenn needed any help since you seem to have this managed.” Really, I just want to see if Bennett and Aspen are still arguing, and if not, maybe I can use the excuse to separate them and go back home and plot ways to get my chair back.

Okay fine, I really just want to stalk Sebastian. He didn’t wear those ugly shorts for no one. And the fact that he won’t tell me who only ramps up my curiosity.

“Alright but be careful out there.” He eyes my swimsuit one more time. “I’d hate for you to get dirty helping me bury a body tonight.”

This crazy fool.

I stand on my tiptoes, and he leans down, so I can kiss him on the cheek. “Will do. Happy birthday, Big Dog.”

Outside, Aspen is setting up the waterslide lanes with Fenn. Bennett, however, isn’t helping. “Happy Birthday,” I tell him, wrapping my arms around him and giving him a squeeze.

I know he’s pissed off at Aspen, but honestly, when is he not? Rarely does Aspen do as she’s told. She’s not one to take orders. She’d rather suffer the consequences than take the advice of others. If she wants to wear the cute bikini, then by God, she’s going to wear the cute bikini. The only way she’s changing it is if Bennett rips it off her body. And he would never do that. He’s a gentleman. An angry gentleman, but still a gentleman, nonetheless.

“Thanks, Vee,” he finally returns, squeezing me back, but still glaring at Aspen.

“You know,” I say, pointing at the Von Bremen siblings who are in a standoff with each other. “Yelling at her only feeds her desire to break that promise of yours.”

Bennett’s head whips around and down at me. I shrug. “We’re best friends. She tells me almost everything.”

At Bennett’s death stare, I hurry out. “Your father will forgive you,” I assure him. “It’s okay to let him down sometimes.”

Heaven only knows I’ve experimented with that aspect of my life.

“It’s non-negotiable,” he grits out. “And something that will never be discussed again, got it?”

I hold my palms up in a defensive gesture. “Whatever you want, big guy.”

I did my best friend duty. I tried to talk some sense into Bennett, and it went exactly how I thought it would. Terrible.

“Okay,” I say, forcing a smile and taking a step away from Bennett and toward the safety of Fenn and Aspen. “I’m going to break those two up before she makes him cry.”

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