Hey, guys! How are you guys doing?
Thank you sooo much for 200+ reads! I'm glad that this story continues to progress throughout the chapters. Feeling conflicted about the last chapter? Same, honestly.
Anyway, let's get to this chapter! Jade's point of view now. See you later!
-/-/-
Things have been better lately.
It's our third out of twelve weeks here at Smosh, and we're starting to get the hang of things. Chris just asked Jenna to marry him, and we did an entire episode on it, which had gotten both Smosh and Athens high ratings plus an explanation that media might force people to agree to things they don't want to do simply because they're on camera, so it is always proper to ask consent first. Thankfully, the Athens and Smosh teams both signed consent forms regarding this.
Jenna quite knew Chris was going to ask her, and she seemed prepared. Of course, readers, this has little to no relevance to the story, but there were some stuff that I noted during the filming.
"So you guys know our two lovely collaborators from Athens, Jenna and Chris, right?" Courtney says into the camera as Chris waves. "They're long-time partners now, and Chris will be asking Jenna to marry him."
"Don't worry, we had consent forms filled out from the beginning of this project, so Jenna is technically in," Shayne adds, raising his thumb before punching the air. "Now punch that bell! Let's get to it!"
We had to play this out carefully. Being the leader of the Athens team in Smosh, I was technically bait. "Hey, Jenna!" I greet my 32-year-old co-worker. "They're filming a Smoshcast episode in a few minutes, and Ian told me it would be great if you and Chris would do the talking this time."
"Sure," she says before sipping her coffee. We were on camera, but no one could hear our words because the door was closed. It was just going to be subtitles of what the editors assumed we were saying. "Hey, so how are you?"
"Doing nice," I tell her, even though I was supposed to go leave to help with the set-up.
"That's amazing," she says, patting my back. "You know, I've noticed that you and that Damien boy are really getting along. It's not my business, but you guys would be adorable together."
I laugh awkwardly. I didn't want to talk about Damien in the workplace, even though all of the Athens people knew that I liked him. It was weird, but I was still so unsure of how I'd look at him. He was not simply nice, because he was all sorts of incredible, and I didn't want him to feel like the only reason I liked him is because he made me feel nice. I didn't want him to think that he was a plot device, because he's the whole story. He's a book, and he's one that I'd love to read for hours on end, but I didn't know how to make it look like I liked him for who he was, because what everyone sees is that I like him because of what he did for me.
Even though I posted bail for him, I just felt like I couldn't equal what he did. I felt too inadequate for him.
"He's nice," is all I could say, smiling a bit. "Anyway, I'll see you in the studio. I just gotta... yeah. Bye!"
I immediately leave and raise my thumb at the hidden camera outside the break room. I go to the studio to find Ian and Chris seated at the table, idly waiting for Jenna. Everyone else pretended that they were doing some other work in the studio, and it seemed effected especially because since Chris and Jenna were doing the talking, we were going to do the technicals in their places.
"Hey, how'd it go?" Ian asks me as I stand near the camera, waiting for Jenna to arrive. "We might start in five, so I hope this goes well."
"It'll be great," I assure him.
"I wish I could have done something like this, to be honest," Shayne says, crossing his arms as he stands beside me. "I like... I like this."
"Same," I mutter under my breath before taking a deep breath and deciding to start. "Okay, people, places! We'll start the moment Jenna gets here, okay?"
It was five minutes of us just pretending to do work as we waited for the fiancée-to-be, and I just couldn't stop thinking about how I lacked effort in reciprocating Damien's own efforts. I was probably giving him all stop signs with what terrible attitude I've been giving him. I wanted him to feel that I felt the same way, but I felt terrible. It punched me in the gut.
"You okay?" Shayne asks as we wait.
I sigh. "Don't take this the wrong way, but don't you just want to be in love in front of everyone?"
"Ooh, interesting topic. Why?"
"I just miss being romantic, I guess," I answer, crossing my arms as we sit by the camera. "The last relationship I had didn't end badly, but I miss all the little things. I'm one for grand romantic gestures too."
"Tell me about it," he says. "There's this girl I'm absolutely in love with, but the world just can't know, you know? It would make things difficult for us."
"Stupid relationships...," I mumble. "I just wish I could be as in love as Jenna and Chris right now."
"Well, hey, maybe the right guy's just nearby, waiting," he says, patting my back. "Someday, you'll be in love again. Who knows when, right? Maybe it's just a matter of timing and being in the right place."
I glance at Damien, who's helping Chris memorize the script they wrote to lead to the proposal. He's all smiling and goofing out, excited as much as we all are. It's these glances at the people we like that show others how much they mean to us. I thought, in that room, I was the only one who looked at a person in that way. When I turn to Shayne, though, I notice his eyes are peeled to someone I always liked him with.
"Matter of timing and place, huh?" I tell him.
He looks at me, his eyes widened. "Uh..."
"It's okay," I assure him, and his shoulders relax. "I won't tell anyone."
"She's everything to me, and the world doesn't know it," he whispers. "Who knew I'd meet her in that audition, right? In all the places at all times possible, it had to be there. That's how I knew that she's my BPD."
"Did you just compare the love of your life to bird poop?"
"Yeah."
Jenna walks in the room, and we slowly act natural while working. It was Mari who secretly trailed behind her to film the event, while Lily was the one behind the Smosh camera. The three of them sit down, and Damien and Courtney stand near me and Shayne as the filming began.
It was twenty minutes' worth of talking about working in Athens and media and information literacy before we got to the part of how they loved being a working couple. "Chris here is one of the most reliable people in and out of work," Jenna says. "He's basically the greatest thing that's ever happened to me, and if you see us at work in Athens, it's just all sorts of awesome. He thought me so much of what I know now."
"How's it like having the love of your life at work, Chris?" Ian asks. This was the cue for Chris to pop the question, so we were all waiting on him expectantly.
"It's the best," he answers, holding her hand. "She's the best. Jenna, you're the best. I don't think I can ever ask for anything more. You take all my stress away. You make me feel like I can always do better. You make work feel easy. You make everything better as long as you're there. I feel like a lost horse without a rider whenever you're around, and sometimes you just rescue me. But you're no rescue. You're a show-stopper."
"I wish I'm Jenna right now, to be honest," Courtney whispers to me as Shayne glances at her. "I hope the love of my life looks at me like that too."
"Maybe he's just nearby, waiting," I assure her, smiling. "It's just a matter of time and place."
"I want you to know that you complete me the way I stress you out sometimes: just right," Chris continues. "And for that, well, there's something... can you stand up?"
Jenna reluctantly and confusedly stands up as Ian slowly walks backwards and out of the set. Chris takes the small red box from his pocket, and she puts her hands on her mouth in shock. He then kneels down in front of her, and we could all see the tears in their eyes as everything happened right in front of us.
Time and place, indeed.
"Jenna, I want to spend all my days with you," Chris says, sniffling. "Do you want to spend the rest of yours with me?"
"Oh my God, Chris, I love you," Jenna answers, crying now. "Yes! Absolutely." He puts the ring on her finger and they kiss before embracing, all caught on camera as we applaud them.
This is where it's noticeable: Ian looks at Lily as she rubs her eyes to get rid of her tears. Courtney embraces me before embracing Shayne for a much longer time. When I face Damien, he's smiling and excited looking at the couple before looking at me and saying, "I'm so happy for them."
"Likewise," I tell him as the crew members start to embrace them.
Ian enters the set again and faces the camera. "You thought this was a Smoshcast episode, didn't you?" he asks Jenna, who nods, laughing. "Anyway, thank you so much for this. Athens News and Smosh have a wedding to attend to, and we simply cannot wait any longer! To Chris Davis and Jenna Davis-to-be!"
I discovered a few months later at their wedding, readers, that, the moment Chris was saying everything he loved about Jenna right before he proposed, Damien was looking at me as I watched.
---
That evening, just before I left Smosh HQ, I wanted to talk to someone about Damien, but it just couldn't be Lily nor Shayne, because they probably know too much already. I needed a safe space to talk about having a crush, and of course, the best place to get many pieces of advice is not a place but somewhere semi-concrete and semi-abstract.
Jade Greene @Jade_Greene • 5s
Chris and Jenna are getting married a few months from now! Do I want to cry? Yes. Do I want to have a boyfriend? Yes. Do I need a suggestion? Uh...?
To which Courtney replies after some minutes:
Courtney Miller @Co_Mill • 1m
@DamienHaas *aggressive coughing*
To which Lily replies almost immediately:
Lily Hello-Why? @LilyHAthens • 5s
Seconded.
To which Ian replies:
Ian Hecox @SmoshIan • 1m
He's taking a nap, you guys are so noisy his phone just vibrated off the table.
To which Damien replies after a few minutes:
Damien Haas @DamienHaas • 1m
Hi
To which Shayne replies:
Shayne Topp @supershayne • 5s
Hi there, Damien! It's me, Future Damien. You have finally found yourself a wife. Astounding work!
To which Courtney replies:
Courtney Miller @Co_Mill • 5s
Did you just use his account as he slept
To which the real Damien replies:
Damien Haas @DamienHaas • 1m
Yep. Just woke up from a nice nap! What's your deleted tweet? @Jade_Greene
To which I reply:
Jade Greene @Jade_Greene • 5s
It's a mystery you'll never solve. Thanks for reading this thread, Twitter! #AthensxSmosh
To which Ian replies a bit later:
Ian Hecox @SmoshIan • 1m
Booooo
"I'm going to HQ for a bit," I tell Lily as we ride the elevator down.
"Advance work for tomorrow?"
"Yeah." I wasn't planning on doing any work. I only wanted to set my priorities straight, because I was letting the thought of Damien and love and marriage and everything cloud my vision of getting my brothers healed from the stupid sickness that made me spin out of control. That evening, I decided to walk my way to HQ instead of taking a cab.
It was the greatest decision of my life.
For the first time in a while, I saw a horse carriage. This, of course, was not a marvelous discovery because that was kinda common and not a great sight either for the horse who's thirsty. The rider's a kind man, having the horse drink some water before continuing. It was a sight that I never thought I'd ever see for a while now, because I was so confused about so many things. The stupid thing is, I heard it all in Chris' speech for Jenna today.
A horse without a rider. That's how I felt. I felt lost and confused, maybe a bit thirsty, but I was really out of my place there. I missed all the little things that made Los Angeles the way it is because I kept boxing myself in three places: Athens, Smosh, and the hospital. Somehow, the sight of that horse and its rider had made things fall right back into place, and I just knew what to do. I take my phone and dial a number, just a few blocks from Smosh.
"Hello?"
"Damien, hi," I mumble, watching the horse carriage leave. "Where are you?"
"Hey!" he greets me. "Just getting down the elevator at HQ. Why? What's up?"
I slowly walk back towards Mythical. "Are you free tonight?"
He seems quiet for a moment before saying, "Yeah. Of course."
"Where's a good place to eat?" I ask, now walking quickly towards Mythical. "I know this place with cats that we can cuddle with all evening long, but maybe you want to have dinner."
"Do you like Japanese?"
"Yes!"
"Where are you?" he asks as I get nearer Mythical. "I'm just signing out."
The moment he gets out of the building is the moment I arrive at the front door, and he greets me with a smile, his semi-blue hair looking all ruffled and crazy, his eyes sparkling. The Damien that I liked didn't care one bit about how I did things. He's bird poop, wind, and position. I'm the horse, rider, and water.
Right time, right place.
"What's up?" he asks.
"You like cats and Japanese food?" I reply with a question.
"I absolutely do," he answers. "What happened to you? You look like you've been running. Is everything alright?"
I could only smile at him as we walked towards the nearby Japanese restaurant next to the Cat Coffee Shop. "Everything's just perfect."
I could have sworn I saw him smile twice as big as I did.
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