Chapter Six
Gayle
I change my stream title to ‘Killer Vibes’ before hitting the ‘go live’ button. I look over at my second monitor, making sure my ‘starting stream’ screen is up. Then I walk out of my room and head into the kitchen, wanting to have a full bottle of water before I properly start.
Calloway is sitting on the couch with his laptop in his lap.
He’s typing away with a giant grin on his face.
The blankets we recently picked up are tucked around his lap.
My heart does a funny little flip inside my chest at the sight.
He’s trying to nest. It’s not the best, but it’s his and that’s what matters.
“You excited for today?”
I fill up my water before coming to stand behind the couch, watching chat from over Calloway’s shoulder.
“Yeah,” I say honestly. “I think it’ll be a lot of fun. Hopefully we all vibe well.”
“I’m not worried about that,” Calloway says, leaning his head back against the couch, looking up at me upside down. “You guys all got along during that random run in.”
“I know. I’m just kinda nervous. Playing with new people can be weird sometimes.”
Calloway hums. “It’ll be fine. If nothing else, at least Bills will have some clips she can pull for QuickVid. Plus, it gives you an excuse to spend more time with Rodney.”
I cover Calloway’s face with my hands, groaning loudly. “Not you too.” Calloway just giggles in response. “Isn’t it weird?”
Calloway pushes my hands away in order to look up at me better.
He turns around so we’re actually facing each other, his brows wrinkled.
“It’s weird to watch my dad flirt but that would be weird for any teenager.
Is it weird that you’re actually interested in someone?
Only because you’ve never been before. Rodney seems nice and as long as you guys are being safe while having fun, then I think it’s great.
It’s been like ten years since everything happened, it’s okay if you’re finally ready to move on or whatever. ”
I blink at my son, processing the words. “When the fuck did you get so mature?”
Instead of responding, he makes a fart noise at me before going back to his laptop. I can’t help but chuckle. I ruffle his hair before darting away and back into my streaming room.
I sit down and set my water beside my computer. I stare at the screen for a long time, just thinking about what Calloway said. Am I ready to move on? I’m tired of always holding myself back. I’m ready to take a chance but do I want that person I take a chance on to be Rodney?
Rubbing at my eyes, I can’t help but hope that maybe he is the right person. At the very least, I’m not opposed to seeing where this all goes. Maybe it’s just innocent flirting for the cameras? Maybe it’s just a bit of fun? Either way, I don’t plan on shutting it down.
I think I might actually like Rodney.
Gods, that’s a terrifying thought.
After taking a steadying breath, I flip my stream over so that my main screen and my face cam are on. Then I unmute myself, waving at the camera.
“Hello everyone! Welcome to the stream! Thanks so much for being here. As you probably saw, we’re going to be playing Halloween tonight with a few people that some of you probably already know.
In case you haven’t met them, they’re an awesome bunch of streamers.
RodKneeonComs, BlueStreamer, and PourSomeSuga. It’s going to be an awesome time.”
SnowsOffspring(vip): Let’s goooooo
SnowboardKid(vip): This is gonna be awesome!
billstopay(mod): I can’t wait to see you guys scream
SkateboardKid(vip): …is this a bad time to tell you that I don’t handle horror very well
SnowboardKid(vip): Don’t worry bae I’ll protect you
SkateboardKid(vip): My hero!
SnowsOffspring(vip): Stop filling the chat with your flirting!
Angelic405(mod): *sighs and gets the hose out*
I chuckle at my chat, watching as they all yell at Snowboard and Skateboard to stop flirting. I wonder if they know each other in real life and if they made their usernames at the same time or if it’s just a coincidence.
“Thank you to all the subs already today.” I look over at my notifications. “Shout out to DebbyDowner49, ClassAct23, 45 dildos in a trenchcoat. Jesus Christ, okay. Sure. Thank you, used condom wrapper. Okay, seriously? Y’all please. We attempt to keep things PG-13 here!”
SnowsOffspring(vip): Hey Dad? What’s a condom?
“We are not having this conversation. You’re sixteen years old. You know what a condom is. Chat, this is all your fault.”
I look over at Discord, making sure everyone else is ready before pulling up the game and hitting start. We’ll be able to talk with each other inside the game’s built in voice chat feature. Once the game starts up, there’s a little message that pops up, inviting me to Rodney’s lobby. I hit accept.
It only takes a minute before my character is standing inside a warehouse with three other characters. I run over to them, testing all the controls, hopping up and down before crouching.
“Hi!”
“Hey, Snow!” Rodney says right away, crouching up and down in front of me in greeting. It’s adorable!
“How did you customize your outfit?”
“Over here,” he says before running over to a random mirror hanging up in the warehouse. I click on it, opening up the customization menu.
“Chat! Help me decide on an outfit quick!”
I hear someone behind me chuckle. “He’s gonna be busy for the next hour.” That’s Kei.
“Like you’re any better,” Rin says. “You joined the lobby like thirty minutes early so you could pick out the perfect outfit.”
“This ain’t about me,” Kei says before running off to a different corner of the warehouse.
With chat’s help, I put my character in a little pair of jean shorts and a crop top with a flannel overtop. I give them a purple mohawk as well. Then I’m allowed to pick a custom mask when it’s my turn to be the killer. I decide to pick the trans pride mask. Perfect.
“Sorry about that,” I say when I’m all done, jumping over where the other three are crowded together and waiting. They’re carefully setting up dominos but when I jump over, Rodney lets out a squeak of surprise before running right into the dominos, scattering them all over.
“Balls! Sorry!” Rodney says, crouching down and picking some of them back up.
“It’s fine. I think we’re ready to start the first match,” Rin says excitedly. “Care to make things more interesting?”
“How so?” Kei asks, his character moving all around us as we talk, like he can’t sit still. It’s kind of adorable if I didn’t know the character belonged to someone with such a menacing scowl.
“If you’re the killer and you win, the other three have to gift you five subs.”
“I’m down,” I say right away. I’m not usually someone who enjoys bets or gambling, but these three bring it out in me.
“Count me in,” Kei says.
“Yeah, okay,” Rodney says with a sigh. “Sounds like I’ll be paying you all for the pleasure of playing with me tonight.”
“Don’t be like that,” I say right away, hopping right in front of Rodney. “You have to believe! Be the killer you were destined to be!”
“Alright, alright,” Rodney says, “I’ll be the best killer. Just for you, Snow!”
I can’t help but grin at his sudden excitement.
Someone starts gagging and I’m pretty sure it’s Kei. “Get a room,” he says before the game starts, whisking us away from the warehouse. The loading screen pops up and I take a moment to check on chat.
CJforMayor(mod): They’re adorable your honor
WhiskermeAway: Is Snow blushing??
JumpingforJoy: Win us those subs Snow!
SnowboardKid(vip): Here we gooooo
A screen pops up, letting me know that I’m not a killer. That means, it’s going to be my job to hide from whoever the killer is, and two, find the supplies needed to leave the house. I can try to find the other two and work together or I can just go off on my own and try to find everything myself.
Another part of this game that’s really fun is that there’s no muting your mic. Once the round starts, your mic is on, meaning the killer can hear you if you’re in close proximity. I’m sure Rodney loves not having to worry about muting his mic.
I’m dropping into the living room of the house.
Immediately, I crouch behind the couch, looking around for any of the supplies we might need.
In this game, we’ll need to find a crowbar, a gas tank, and a pair of pliers.
Once we have the crowbar and pliers, we can head to the basement, pop open a safe box which will have a pair of keys in them.
Once we get the keys we can unlock the front door.
Once outside, we have to head to the shed and use the pliers to cut the lock off the door.
Inside the shed, we’ll find the car keys.
Finally, when we have the keys, we can fill up the car’s gas tank and leave the property.
If we manage all that, we beat the killer.
Easy peasy, right?
I don’t see anything in the living room, even after looking through all the shelves. I start to creep through the hallway, hoping my nervous breathing isn’t being picked up by my mic. I look at chat, huffing with amusement as they all pretend there’s someone right behind me.
As I step through the hallway, I let out a noise of surprise when someone else comes running around the corner. I’m about to turn around and run away when I realize the person isn’t wearing a mask. Not the killer!
“Ball sack, ball sack, ball sack,” Rodney says as he runs in my direction. At the last second, he darts into the closet. “Get in, get in!”
I run into the closet, closing the door behind me.
“Shhh,” he whispers, our characters face to face as we wait in the closet. That’s when I hear another voice.
“I know you came this way,” Kei is saying, his voice distorted from a voice mod, making him sound demonic and evil.
That’s such a hilariously asshole move. I kinda hate that I didn’t think of something like that.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are. It’s only a matter of time before I find you, Rodney. ”