We spent ages thinking about what to do for our project.

This project was the same as the last one... But we kinda had to mash them together into a video essay- thing...? I dunno, it's still confusing to me. Actually- a better way of explaining it is that we had to find something we both share an interest in and then do a video essay on that.

I should've just said it like that-- ehh...

By the time we figured out what to do, we started planning out how the video should be put together. Formatting is always best.

Motherinnit came in a little while afterward to drop off the toast spread with honey and butter. It looked pretty clean and neat of pieces of toast, which impressed me more and more about Tommy's mother. 'Who knew she was a clean cook...'

I was chowing down on the toast- quite a lot was made, and after my third or forth piece-I noticed Tommy hadn't eaten a single one.

He seemed to be focused looking down at the notebook we were sharing.

The two of us were sitting right besides eachother on the floor besides Tom's bed. The notebook was between the two of us, while the plate with the toast was on more of my side than his.

'He was the one who suggested having toast in the first place. It'd be rude not to share'

I picked up a piece of toast and turned my body to face Tommy more.

"Want some honey?" I asked him.

He seemed to freeze for a moment, then snapping his gaze from the notebook to me.

"Wha- what?"

"The honey on toast." I say, gesturing to the slice in my hand, "Do you want some..?"

"O-oh- uhh... no thanks" He mutters, averting his gaze from me with slightly redden cheeks.

I was confused for a quick moment, before realizing why Tommy acted the way he did just then.

Me and my stupid mouth- I don't think and phrase before I speak. But even then, I found the situation a little amusing.

"...Tommy, did you think I was calling you 'honey'?" I began to tease, grinning at the thought.

"What?? Fuck no-!" He stated, raising his voice more than he should've.

"Y'know... I wouldn't ever call someone 'honey' in a romantic sense. It just seems too weird." I shrugged off, "I'd rather call someone by their name..."

"You don't call me by my name"

I rolled my eyes.

"Isn't Tommy enough for you? Would you really rather me call you 'Tom' or 'Thomas' or--- 'Tomathy'."

"Anything but Tomathy"

"Aight- Living Tombstone it is"

"ANYTHING BUT THAT EITHER"

I begin to laugh again at his reaction.

I always loved Tommy's overreactions to things and situations. They really made my day.

After a while of us just chatting and completely forgetting about our project at hand, Tommy's phone goes off. He goes to check, and upon doing so his eyes widen.

"Oh fuck-"

Tommy then stands up from where he was sitting and rushed over to his computer set-up.

My eyes followed his figure.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" I questioned.

"I forgot I had to stream night." He then sits down in his gaming chair and slides his headset on before turning to face me. "Do you mind me streaming for at least an hour before we get back to the project?"

"I'm fine with you streaming, go ahead. As long as I'm not in it" I say, picking up the paper scattered across the ground and moving it to Tommy's bed.

"Yeah. yeah. I gotcha. Just stay on my bed until I'm done" Tommy says, turning back to his PC.

I shrugged his comment off, going to sit and chill on his bed for the next hour of my life.

After repositioning his camera, he starts his stream and ends up being his usual over-hyper self.

Even though he acts kinda the same when he's around friends... I still feel like him online and real him are still two completely different people. I mean- the real him talks to a woman on a daily basis...

I noticed all the little things about him without even thinking about it... I continuously kept glancing back over to him whenever my mind would get sidetracked or go blank when I couldn't think of anything to jot down on paper. His energy, his instant shifts of emotion and reactions when he streams, his short temper whenever he got into disagreements with people... I kept comparing him irl and him streaming over and over again when we started hanging out more... And I still can't believe it sometimes.

It's still strange to me.

I mean- how am I able to have someone like him in my life?

He's someone I don't deserve at all...

And probably at around the 20 minute mark, I got extremely bored. I couldn't use my brain anymore for thinking... So I did the one thing I always do as a last resort to cure my boredom.

I decided to draw.

Haven't done it in a while- plus I can't think of any ideas to jot down... so this was the next best thing.

Usually I'd draw the first thing that comes to mind... But the first thing that ended up coming to mind was... Tommy.

It seemed weird to think of Tommy first-- but I couldn't think of anything else without wanting to game end myself.

'eh- fuck it'

And for the next 40 minutes, I proceeded to draw and sketched Tommy while he streamed.

'for fucks sake- stop moving your head'

I was just the back of him and his set up- nothing too impressive really... But it was detailed enough to be able to compare the two side by side.

I'm not much for realism, cartoons were more of my forte- but it's been a while since I've picked up a pen or pencil and decided to draw.

Soon enough, an hour hit and Tommy ended his stream without much complaint from his chat.

He then walks over, sitting down on the edge of the bed besides me. I provide all my attention towards him.

Though- I got weirded out as soon as I noticed the smug look on his face.

"What's with the look?" I ask.

"Couldn't stop staring at my greatness?" Tommy joked, grinning like a moron.

"What are you talking about?" I quiz, confused a bit.

'surely he didn't see me staring that much-'

"Nothing... Nothing...!" He shrugged off, then taking a look over at the notebook I had on my lap, "Woah- holy shit. Is- is that me?"

'Ah- I thought I flipped the book over'

"I got bored" I answered calmly, flipping the book over as I was meant to.

"...And you decided to draw me?" Tommy questions, chuckling at the end.

"Okay- okay- I know-- SUS. But I really was bored" I assured him.

Tommy then decided to snatch the book from me and turn over to the drawing of him at his desk. All he did was stare at it in silence.

The more he observed it, the more I started dying inside.

I really hate other people seeing my personal works-- school work and other shit like that, I'm fine with. But when it comes from my own personal thoughts, feelings and desires-- it makes me feel completely weird.

"You're pretty good at art..." Tom compliments me, not taking his eyes off the drawing.

I shrugged once again and let out a sigh.

"I don't try to be"

"You're saying that this was effortless?" He says, turning and gesturing the book to me, "bullshit."

"What can I say? The gods love me" I say in a joking tone with another one of my star grins.

I really don't try. As much as I would like to say I do- I really don't.

"Anyway- how about we continue the project?" I suggest, "You said we would, right?"

"Uh- yeah, yeah. Right..." He mutters, scratching the back of his neck.

The two of us then continued to think up the rest of our projects baseline.

After a few hours though, my phone was the next to go off.

Checking it, I saw it was a message from my mother.

I read the message, and felt my mind started to go more blank as I read it.

'that's too bad...' was all I was able to think before returning my phone to its homepage.

Getting off of Tommy's bed, I turned to face him.

"I gotta get going, Tommy"

"Oh, already?" He says a little disappointed.

"Yeah, it's almost six...." I pointed out, showing him the time displayed on my phone, "Time goes fast, right?"

He only nods in response.

"Well- I'll see myself out" I tell him, going to leave his room.

"H-hey! Wait-!" I hear Tommy's voice exclaim as he stands up and follows behind me.

I really badly wanted to comment of his actions, but I knew we'd get into another stupid argument like we always do.

The two of us headed downstairs, and as soon as we got down there- we saw Tommy's mother.

'ah-'

"You're finally leaving?" Motherinnit questions.

I nodded.

"That's a shame..." She ends up sighing out, "You were probably one of the nicest people Tommy has ever brought over in a long time..."

I smiled at this fact as Tommy gave his mother a look of disbelief. He was obviously baffled to hear his mother say those words about me.

Even I was kinda surprised.

"Is that so..?" I chuckled, "Anyways... Dad and mom will get worried if I stay out too long again. I should really get going"

My legs started moving towards the exit.

"Thanks for having me" I said to both Tommy and his mother, "Goodbye"

I turned the doorknob, intending to leave. But a voice stopped me.

"Wait- wait- Y/N." Motherinnit says, making me stop what I was doing. I turned back to Mrs. Simons, "Do you want a ride back home?" She ends up offering me.

"I'm fine, thanks. My house isn't actually that far from here surprisingly... I can just walk" I tell her.

"Oh- in that case. How about Tom walks back with you?" She suggests.

"What?!?" Tommy exclaimed.

Motherinnit then turns to face her son.

"It's the least you can do- You're the one who invited her over. Might as well take her home" She then turns back to me to await my answer.

"I'm fine- really" I insist.

"It's never good to be alone when it gets dark." She told me, turning back to her son, "Thomas, you're going with her" she says in a demanding manner.

Tom just stared for a moment before replying.

"...Fine" was his answer.

"Uh- alright..." I murmur, "Well, thanks for having me once again. See you another time, Mrs. Simons!" I proceeded to open the front door.

"Goodbye, have a safe trip back" She waved goodbye.

By the time Tommy joined me outside and as soon as I shut the door to his house, everything was dead silent.

I thought to make small talk.

"...Your mum was surely insistent" I ended up laughing a bit.

"Yep." Tommy says. He then adjusts his gaze and fixes it onto me, "Also- were you lying about your house being close by?"

He really did seem curious... Almost a little too curious about this information.

"maybe- maybe not" I shrug, beginning to walk away.

"Wait- what--???"

My laugh began to roar out at his reaction.

"Nonono-- no- you tell me now. I'm not about to walk in the dark for longer than needed to" He states in a slightly hostile tone, catching up to me and keeping my face.

"What? worried you'll get mugged?" I question, eyeing him up, "Don't worry. You don't look to have much on you"

"Are you saying I look poor???" He shouts, "I'll have you know---"

"Yeah, yeah. I know... World class gamer and streamer. We get it- but you shouldn't flex it out in the open. You might actually get mugged" I tell him.

He rolled his eyes at my mention.

My mind began to wander back at the message my mom sent me. And then to the current situation and opportunity I have.

So, I decided to take the opportunity given to me and exploit it.

I grabbed onto Tommy's hoodie sleeve and started to walk down the opposite way we first came here.

"Tommy... Let's enjoy the night while we still can" I smile.

"Huh?? wait--"

He was surprised by my actions and tried to stop me from dragging him, but he wasn't able to. We continued walking in the direction I lead him down.

"What are you doing, Y/N?! I'm supposed to take you home!!" He yells at me.

I kept at my current pace. Then turning to stare at Tommy after a while of his shouting.

"Let me show you the world from my eyes, sir Innit"