CRYPTID

Chapter 12

I believe PARANELOPE! came another.

Daevon is such an f-boy, someone said.

Penelope couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face.

Okay, she thought, so not everyone believes me... but some do. And that was more than enough.

She kept refreshing, watching as comment after comment was added to the growing pile. Overall, it seemed the reaction was mixed: some believed her, some didn't, and the rest weren't ready to decide—they were just here to see if she threw more fuel on the fire.

I'm not sure who I believe, said one comment, but I'm going to keep watching.

I'm just staying for the drama lol, someone replied.

Penelope didn't mind that. If these people needed proof that she was telling the truth, they'd get it.

And besides, views were views.

What a coincidence, added another snide commenter. Penelope could almost hear the sarcasm through the screen. She posted this video right after Daevon's new one.

That comment sent chills up Penelope's neck, especially the last bit...

Daevon had posted a new video.

Her first thought was to just close the app and pretend like she didn't know. She didn't need to see it, didn't need to hear what he had to say. It would only make it worse. But her curiosity was too strong. She tapped on her subscriptions tab, kicking herself for her weakness as the screen loaded up the list of videos.

Just as the commenter had said, there it was: a brand new video on DAEVONIC posted just one hour ago. What timing.

She stared at the thumbnail, debating whether or not to open the video. In the thumb, Daevon was standing in what looked like a graffitied alley. He looked back to his usual self. His hair looked freshly bleached and cut, and though his outfit looked casual, she knew it had all been carefully chosen.

Seeing him through new eyes, Penelope wondered what she had ever liked about him. He was so full of himself and his smug face was so punchable.

There's still time to click away, she reminded herself. You don't have to watch...

But the title of the video pulled her in:

What's next for DAEVONIC

She smashed her thumb over his face, hoping he'd somehow feel it.

In this new video, Daevon's tears were gone. He looked just as he always did, carrying himself with undeserved swagger. He looked well-rested, like he was no longer losing sleep over the things he had done.

"Hey guys," Daevon said to the camera, with a devilish grin. "I wanted to give you a quick update. Big things are coming, but first I wanted to say thank you for all the support you've given me these past few days. You can't know what it means to me. It was so hard to come clean but I'm so glad that you guys were willing to listen. You guys are like my family—you mean the world to me. Thank you."

Penelope waited for him to say something—anything—about how he misled their fans about her involvement, but nothing came. He quickly moved on to the next topic.

"So, since we're tight, I wanted you to be the first to know... Something big is coming. Your boy is gonna be breaking out beyond YouTube." Daevon's smile spread so wide you could almost see every one of his shiny white teeth. "I can't say too much more, but... Be ready, guys. When the news officially drops, it's gonna blow your minds!"