Uploads and Updates.

Chapter One

"Thanks for tuning in guys, you can like it, if you liked it, if you like, and you can subscribe by pressing that big red button over there! I'll see you next week! Byeeeee" I say, pushing my hand towards the camera lens until I'm completely out of shot. I switch off the record button, the little red light at the top turning dark. I sigh, smiling to myself that I finally finished recording. I knew there was still so much work to do on the video, all the editing, cutting out the mistakes where I fumbled my words making no sense at all, the times I kept laughing because Trish had decided to barge into the room to try and scare me, not that she succeeded. Adding in effects like my end screen, the links. But I had finished, I had the recording over and for the rest of the night I could be free.

I had been creating videos on Youtube for around a year now, starting off with a crappy little camera my dad had found in the attic, but it worked and that's all that mattered. My first ever video was a little sketch I had made back at home with my little brother Matty, he was only 9 but he had so much confidence that he instantly wanted to be apart of the video. I look back at it now and its so cringe worthy, the crappy quality, how out of focus it is throughout most of the video. The sound quality is the worst though, you can barely make out what either of us were saying. The video didn't blow up or anything, it wasn't one of those moments where you gained subscribers instantly. But it was a start. From there I carried on creating videos, I saved up some of my money from work and bought a new camera, my parents bought me a microphone for my 21st birthday and things kind of took off from there. Subscribers grew and grew, people actually wanted to listen to me sit in front of a camera and talk about some stupid story from my childhood, follow me around as I went shopping or to a concert, they listened.

I got signed a few months ago, it meant I could actually make Youtube my full time job, not that a quit my other job though. I worked at this little restaurant right by flat, I didn't want to quit there, not yet at least. The owners were like family to me, I felt secure there, I wanted to keep it for a bit longer.

"Ally!" Trish shouts from the next room, banging lightly on the wall as she shouts. Trish was my best friend. We'd known each other for years, since kindergarden. This guy stole my crayons and she argued with him until he gave them back, we've been best friends ever since. Well… that's the story she tells me, I don't remember that far back. We moved in together 3 months ago, after I got signed I could finally afford to move out from my parents house, I didn't move far, just down the street really, but it was a start at least. She wasn't a Youtuber, but she loved to be in my videos, she was my best friend, so I loved her being in them as well, our videos seemed so natural, so effortless.

"Have you finished filming yet? We need to get ready to go"

"Yes! I've finished. We could have been getting ready sooner if you hadn't have tried to scare me so many times. I had to keep stop, start recording because of you" I laugh, standing up from my cross legged position on the floor in front of the camera.

"Don't get cheeky." she laughs back. "I thought it would be funny"

"But you should have realised if I didn't jump the first time, it was kind of predictable the 7th time"

"Fineeee" she says exasperated, dramatically slumping her way into the living room where I was stood, packing my camera away. I notice that she's already done her make up and her hair, I don't know why she was rushing to get ready, she's practically ready to walk out the door. "Have you booked the Uber for 7?"

"Yep, its all sorted, which means we have an hour and a half to get ready"

"Okay, lets get going" she says playfully tugging my arm towards the door. I laugh at her, pulling back to finish packing up all my equipment. "That can wait till later! We need to get you looking fabulous"

"I need to pack this up Trish, last time I left it out and we came home from a party you tripped over one of my lights"

"Ugh, fine. But do it quickly! I want to do you make up for you" Trish was a make up artist, well technically she worked at the MAC counter, but she did train to be a make up artist and she was damn good at it.

I pack away my equipment safely, no risk of breakages tonight, before going to my room where Trish was sat on my bed, spilling out her make up kit, scanning over the different products and colours. I could see the concentration on her face, picking out what would go with what, what colours match certain skin tones, what products mix well and which don't, all the things I never seem to understand. I usually just end up wearing a simple powder, eyeliner and mascara, sometimes eye shadow when I have the time, or can be bothered.

"Okay, lets get started" she says excitedly as I sit down. She pulls out a MAC foundation and started to open the bottle.

"Hold up. One I don't want too much make up, I want to still look like me please. Two, no MAC, you know how I feel about them."

"Ugh, fine" she sighs, closing the bottle. She pulls out another bottle, checking it with me so she knows I'm okay with it. I refuse to use any product brands that are even rumoured to test on animals, its just something I refuse to do for myself.

We sit there for what feels like forever, some product is brushed onto my cheeks. My eyes are done with eye shadow. I can feel a cat eye being draw on my eyes before she puts on mascara. Some setting spray is spritzed across my face before I can finally look in the mirror. I love it! My eyes are done with a cat eye look which looks sophisticated, but my eye shadow is a beautiful rose gold colour which screams party. The rest of my make up is quite subtle, more me.

"What do you think? And if you hate it you don't really have a choice because we've got to go in like 20 minutes!"

"It's a good thing I love it then! Thank you so much!" I say, practically leaping on her, hugging her.

"NO!" she screams. "Don't ruin the make up!"

"Fine" I laugh, sitting up and walking over to my railing. I don't have a wardrobe in my room, just a little railing like they have in stores. I didn't want a wardrobe to take up to much space, plus I found out that having this meant I kept less clothes which meant me spending less money, which is always a bonus.

I scan through my clothes, black jeans, black and white striped tops, one red crop top, my denim jacket, the odd jumper. Nothing which really suited a party. I pull out a mustard yellow jumper dress which is quite short, way about knee length but not short enough to show off every part of my body. I take it off the railing and turn it to Trish, giving her a questioning look. Me and Trish have completely different styles. She's very into pink, bright colours and tight dresses. She loves looking like a model, and she pulls it off so well. Me on the other hand, I like to be different. Most of my clothes are from thrift stores, I see no problem with second hand clothes, waste not want not is the saying my mom always tells me. Trish often called me an indie hipster because of the way I look, she makes it sound like an insult, I've never understood why.

She nods towards the dress, knowing it's the closest think I have to a party look before she rushes off to her room to get changed. I pull off my black jeans and old Arctic Monkeys shirt, I had on a matching set of lacy black panties and bra, not that I was expecting anyone else to see them tonight, they were comfy, plus they made me feel a bit more confident. I slip on my dress before looking around my room, finally finding some fishnets I had bought the other day, (not from a thrift shop, that's one of the few things I don't buy second hand). I slip on the fishnets, remembering the first time I bought a pair my mom had said I looked like a stripper. I smile to myself as I remember her laughing, making up stripper names for me, "Dirty Dawson, Anytime, Anyplace Ally" they were terrible stripper names, but she was so proud of herself for the thought.

I slip on a pair of Doc Martins, my favourite pair of shoes, so comfortable, go with practically everything, perfect. I quickly turn on my curling wand, curling the ends of my hair, making it delicately flick out in places, the purposefully messy. Grabbing my black porkpie hat, I place it tilted back on my head, finishing off the look. I look in my mirror, happy with how I looked I take a picture before posting it to Instagram. Instantly some followers start to like it and I stand there amazed, I still cant get over how people liked to watch me be my stupid self in front of a camera.

"Ally come on, I think the Ubers here!" Trish shouts, peaking round my door, stopping to look at me. "You look HOT my friend" she smiles cheekily.

"Look at you, your SMOKING!" I reply, she really was. She was dressed in a tight black dress which had lace sleeves in the shape of flowers, pearl detail in the centre of some of them. She had high black heels which I knew she would abandon after her first drink, but she looked amazing.

"I know" she laugh, smirking at me before flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Now come on miss, our carriage awaits" she says rushing out the door. I'm right behind her, shutting my door, turning off all the lights along the way before reaching the front door, closing it behind me and rushing it to lock it as I heard Trish calling for me again.

Miami was beautiful at night during the summer. It wasn't dark yet but the sun was close to setting. Our flat was so close to the beach so when our car drove past it was the most beautiful sight you've ever seen. The sun reflecting on the water, some children still playing in the sand, refusing to admit it was time to go home.

"Off anywhere nice tonight girls?" the driver asks, looking back at us using his mirror.

"Just a celebration party." I reply. It was true, we were on our way to Youtube's 10th birthday party so a party was being held here in Miami for some American Youtubers, there was one in London as well for British Youtubers. My management had got me an invite as they thought that I could meet some important people, other Youtubers to maybe collaborate with to get me more views. I didn't want to go, I've never really been a fan of parties, but I had a plus one, Trish saw there was a free bar, the decision was made for me. But I didn't want to explain all this to the driver, people already looked at me funny when I said Youtube was my job, I didn't want to go through this process again tonight.

"Well, can I say you both look very pretty tonight" he says, winking through the mirror. He was a nice guy, he probably meant the best, but there was something a bit odd about him. I say thank you and look down at my phone to distract myself. I look at my Instagram and the selfie I posted before leaving the flat. It already had over 1000 likes, people were commenting such lovely things, telling me how nice I looked. They were all too kind, I didn't deserve such lovely things said about me.

Scrolling through the comments I notice one in particular.

" AustinMoonMusic Ally! Looking beautiful my dear! Hopefully I'll see you tonight?"

I had heard of him before, he was another Youtuber. One who was based more on music and singing, he was really talented. I remember watching him cover a Libertines song before, good music taste I must say. He had become really popular lately, he was clearly an attractive guy, people seemed to love him. But why would he comment on me? We've never even spoken before, no mention of each other, I didn't think he even knew who I was.

"What?" Trish says, nudging me, pulling me out of my trance.

"What?" I ask, looking up from my phone at her.

"Your scrunching your face, what's wrong?"

"Oh, no, nothing. The sun was glaring off my phone, I was trying to make out a comment on my Twitter" I lie. As much as I loved Trish, she was good at over reacting. I got a tweet from a guy once and she went on for days about how we were destined to be together and get married. I wasn't going to tell her this, she'd take it and run with it, which would be extremely bad in case I do actually meet this guy tonight. Something need to be kept private, at least for now.

"Here we are girls" the driver says, pulling up in front of the venue. It was one of my favourite places, the Miami Academy, quite a large venue known for hosting gigs. I had been there several times, I'd seen The 1975 here just last month. But tonight it was the venue for Youtubes birthday, and my nerves were larger then ever before.