𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐃𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒, k. jacobs¹

Chapter XXVII

I quietly get up and try to sneak away to get my phone, but I'm not even a step away before I'm caught.

"Hey, Y/n, where are you going?" Karl asks and glances back at me.

I look between him and the door, my escape from this confusing place. "I'm just going to grab my phone, chill. I'll be back" I smile to soften the blow.

"Oh. Okay," He looks so innocent it's almost making me aw. But only almost, because he is still live and I don't know how I'd cope with that shit. People shipping us, that is.

I nod and slip out of the room, walking down the corridor to my temporary room. I head for the right corner, a spot just next to the window facing the backyard. There, on the wall, just an inch above the floor, is where my charger is. I bend down to pick up my phone from the wooden floor, checking how much charge it has.

Eighty-seven percent. That'll do. I unplug the cable and open up my phone, using face ID. I start walking while I open my phone app and scroll down to find Alex's number. This is just completely brainless of me, considering his name starts with an A. I scroll back up and click on it, but don't dial it. Not yet. I'll do that when I'm back in Karl's room.

I open the door and gently close it again behind me, sitting down on the floor in one swift motion, my legs crisscrossed.

"I'm calling Al- Quackity" I inform the duo in front of me, as kind of a question.

"Okay" That Is all I get for an answer, so I'm guessing it's fine. I press the call button.

Three signals go through before he picks up. 'Not bad' I comment quietly. Maybe I was right to think that he likes me. As a friend of course.

"Hello?" His greeting sounds more like a question than an actual greeting. I grin.

"Hi, I'm bored. These morons are talking about stuff I don't understand again" I go straight to the point. No sugar coating allowed.

He laughs. "Really? Is that so?" I can sense his smile through the phone. Fuck, why didn't I call him through FaceTime? "Hey, guys! Stop being boring pieces of shit!" He screams and my mouth falls open in shock.

I quickly cover it by slapping my hand over it though, just as Karl semi-turns in his chair. "What did Quackity just say?" He asks confused.

"I said-" Alex starts loudly but I interrupt him quickly.

"He said that the stream is going great and that you should keep it up" I smile, but even I can feel that it's strained. Karl sees it too and just nods at me, not believing me for a second.

"Mhm. Okay sure," He says the last part cheerfully, turning back to the screen.

"Hey, what the fuck was that?" Alex asks me. I try not to pull any faces that would give away our conversation to chat.

"That was me saving your butt you dumb..." I take a deep breath. I am not getting angry today. "Sorry, sorry. I will not be insulting anyone anymore today" I say, softer now. I nod thoughtfully and think of nice things. Like skating. And crying children. Okay, maybe the last one isn't exactly "nice", but it's funny, so it counts. At least for me, it does.

"No, no, it's fine" Alex reassures and I smile gently at my screen, reading his contact name over and over again. "I was actually watching the stream before you called me," He says out of the blue.

I slightly raise my eyebrows, not very surprised, but a bit. "Really?"

"Yeah" He breathes the word. I'm suddenly aware of how the wall behind me is pushing through my skin and onto my bones in a very uncomfortable way. I groan softly as I readjust myself on the floor.

"Are you okay?" He sounds like he can't decide whether to laugh or actually be concerned.

"Yeah, the wall is just so.. hard," I say, not sounding that smart. Not that it matters anyway.

He laughs loud enough for Karl and Sapnap to turn in their chairs. "Yeah, that's the fucking point of walks, you stupid-" He cuts himself off with more laughter and I just roll my eyes.

Karl furrows his eyebrows questioningly my way. I just shake my head at him before answering Alex. He shrugs and turns back to my brother and the stream.

"Okay, you nitwit, point taken. Walls are hard and I'm dumb" I take a deep breath and roll my eyes again. "Can we move on now please?" I pinch my lips and stare meaningly at my phone even though he can't see me.

The evening continues like that. Karl and my brother streaming, not paying much attention to me except for when Alex makes too much noise, me and Alex going from talking like normal people to fighting within seconds, just to go back to talking soon again.

Then Karl says he'll be ending the stream and I come up to the desk and turn up my volume to make sure the microphone can pick up what Alex says.

"Bye guys!" He screams through the phone and I smile at his childish enthusiasm. I think he and Karl are more alike than they realize.

"Bye!" Karl yells, making me wince. I furrow my eyebrows but don't say anything. I just say goodbye to Alex and end the call.

My brother just waved enthusiastically at the camera as a farewell before Karl ends the stream. I just give a small smile and an even smaller wave, and then straighten my back. Then it's over, leaving just the three of us again.

"So..." I start after a few seconds of silence. "Who wants dinner?"

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