Neon & Nets (Venom Next Gen #1)

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

Sofia

“Did you see how I did that?” I ask the camera. It’s a rhetorical question. My gyroscoping recording device is pretty good at picking up movements, but it can be hard to make sure that my hands are angled the right way when it comes to the more detailed wirework. “Here, let me do it again. Hold your round-nosed pliers like this, twist the metal this way, and… voila!” I hold up the pendant I’m working on. “Behold!”

It’s impossible to keep up with the flurry of responses I get on my livestream. Comments flood in so quickly that I can only read a few words of each before they scroll upward, lost in the sea of other comments. I’ve seen a lot more traffic on my site since the photoshoot, and I’ve started doing more lives as a result.

I’ve also started experimenting more with my techniques, including fabric and stitched beading in my work, as well as more resin casts. Metal stamps give me more flexibility. I’m reluctant to buy too many new tools, especially since I should be working on my thesis, but I figure it’s okay to have a hobby to help me relax. I can’t spend all my time thinking about my situationship with Knight or I will literally lose my mind.

I study the pendant from several angles before setting it to the side of my desk. “I think I’m done with that for now,” I tell the camera. “I’m not sure how I want to hang it yet, since a piece like that is too heavy for a chain. I’m going to keep working on the beaded collar I showed you earlier. As you know, this kind of beadwork isn’t difficult, but it’s really tedious, so feel free to ask me lots of questions while I work.”

I glance up at the screen every few seconds while I get set up. Part of me wants to turn off the live for now so that I can watch a show while I bead. I wouldn’t mind if there were only a handful of people on here, but there are almost two thousand people watching me right now. What the heck? No way did my follower count jump this much from Viv’s costume shoot alone.

It all falls into place when I see the next few questions roll through.

mistymntn: Are you really dating Knight Hale?

SweetGAPeach: how did u 2 meet?

RedRoxxGreenSoxx: wait is this the same chick from the Venom VIP seats the other night? instant follow!

“Yeah, that was me.” I manage a wry smile. “Knight and I are old friends, actually. Our dads used to play on the Venom together.”

IceIceBaby: nooooo wait are you Marco Rossi’s kid???

i_like_big_pucks: your dad was in the NHL?

mistymntn: WAIT FOR REAL?

“Yup, Marco’s my dad.” I avert my eyes from the screen and focus on my beadwork. People are being nice so far, but with this many people on the live, there’s guaranteed to be at least one troll in the mix. “And my mom’s name is Madison… she was a model back in the day. Now she works with an agency as a consultant and does advocacy work, so she’s pretty busy.”

SweetGAPeach: Madison Rossi is a fashion icon

SinkBug22: ur mom could step on my neck anytime

SinkBug22: respectfully

CraftyCathy: Could you show us how you’re going to attach the findings to this piece? I’m working on something similar and I’m not sure how to finish it off. I really love your color combo !

I shake my head at the comments about my mom, which continue to come in from multiple users and decide it’s best to ignore them. “Thanks, CraftyCathy! I’m not going to put them on until I’ve finished, but I’ll show you what I’m going to use.”

I pull out my box of findings and answer the jewelry-related questions first. I’d prefer if I could keep the comments on topic, but there’s been so much engagement that the number of viewers is up to almost three thousand, and a lot of those questions are coming from Venom fans. I can’t ignore them forever.

“Here’s the thing,” I say to the camera. “My parents were really protective. Which is another way of saying that I never really fit in. They never stuck me in the spotlight, and in some ways, that’s a relief.” In other ways, it made me feel small and inadequate, but I don’t need to share that with three thousand strangers. Nor do they need to know that I’ve always felt like the ugly duckling of the family. Hell, the ugly duckling of this whole neighborhood filled with beautiful people making more beautiful people.

I stick to the positive, repeating the version of the story that makes me sound the least pathetic, while I focus on my beadwork. “When you’re as famous as my parents, putting your kids out in the world can expose them to a lot of pressure and unwanted attention. Plus, you know, the internet is forever. Most of our friends made the conscious choice to give their kids some privacy, at least until we were old enough to decide things for ourselves.” None of this explains why my parents didn’t take me to events when I was younger. They had no problem showing off my brothers, though. As for me, I have half-formed memories of crying in public one time, the internet exploded with drama and opinions, and they decided I was too much of a liability .

Don’t trauma dump on the live, Sof, I scold myself.

“Anyway, all this to say… Knight and I grew up in the same neighborhood. I was in the same grade as the Hales and Viktor Abbott. Of course, we didn’t all get along back then…”

IceIceBaby: Knova Hale’s rivalry with Viktor Abbott is legendary!

mistymntn: That’s sooooo cute omg childhood sweethearts

CaramelFrappeHo: right I was gonna say

CaramelFrappeHo: where has this wholesome love story been hiding?

I clear my throat. “We’re not actually dating. Like I said, we’re childhood friends.” With benefits. But still.

mistymntn: Um no!?!? Have you seen how he looks at you?

SweetGAPeach: boy is so thirsty he’s dehydrated

RedRoxxGreenSoxx: I saw the way he was making googly eyes at you! He’s so into you!

SinkBug22: shut up it’s so obvious he wants to smash

SinkBug22: respectfully

I laugh and shake my head. “You’re imagining things. We’re talking about the guy who defended me from bullies in elementary school. The only time we tried to go ice skating together, I fell on my butt. Now he’s this big athlete and—”

Pucksickle: he’s out of your league, clout chaser

Pucksickle: so what if you two knew each other back then, you’re nobody now

My hands fall still on my beading board. I only have a few seconds to read the comment before it’s chased off the screen by other user’s responses.

RedRoxxGreenSoxx: troll

SinkBug22: TR0LL

SweetGAPeach: @pucksickle who asked your opinion?

mistymntn: reporte d

CraftyCathy: @pucksickle I don’t even care about hockey but that was uncalled for

@PUCKSICLE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE LIVESTREAM

CaramelFrappeHo: You don’t even have a profile photo on your account, it’s just some generic logo. Who’s the nobody now?

I lay my work back on the desk and try to still my shaking hands. As far as internet trolls go, that could have been worse. I should be glad that other people stuck up for me so that I didn’t have to do it myself. God, what if they’d all piled on?

I manage a shaky laugh. “Well, folks, that’s enough excitement for one night. I’m going to log off now.”

CaramelFrappeHo: Nooooo don’t do it, the troll is gone!

SweetGAPeach: don’t let the h8r get under ur skin

SinkBug22: that wannabe puck-sucker can go straight to hell

SinkBug22: respectfully

SinkBug22: show us the beads!!!

“Thanks, guys, but it’s getting late, and I still have to work on my thesis. But I’ll be back on Sunday night for another livestream, and we can finish up one of these projects, okay?” I wave at the screen. “See you later. Have a good night!”

The goodbyes are still sounding off in the comments when I end the live and slump back into my comfy desk chair. I feel drained. And now I have to go from that fiasco right into thinking about my thesis, which means thinking about Knight. Fan-fucking-tastic.

I decide that I deserve a little treat, so I hop up and head for my tiny kitchen. A hot drink will help me focus. Chamomile tea with honey will calm my jangling nerves, and I think I have half a bar of chocolate squirreled away in the cupboard.

I’m still heating the water for my tea when my watch jingles with a message from Knight. Did he somehow see the live? Or, worse, did someone record it and slap it online for the blogs to tear apart?

His message doesn’t tell me much; he’s just texted to request a call. I slap on a grin, flip my palm up, and tap his contact listing in my holowatch. It only takes three rings for him to answer.

“Hey, Sofia!” he exclaims. “Any chance you’re free tomorrow?”

“Um, I could be.” You’re nobody.

Knight’s smile makes my stomach ache. He’s so handsome. And popular. And successful. And to top it all off, he’s a good man with a kind heart who was raised right by two people I love and admire. And I’m glad that he’s successful, but part of me wishes he’d gone into something else. Something like… data analytics. Or accounting. Engineering. Something average and specific that wouldn’t attract attention. That way, I wouldn’t have to worry about living up to some expectation I’ll never meet.

We could be nobodies together.

“Great. Mind if I pick you up around…” He checks something offscreen. “Ten? Or I could come over earlier and we could grab breakfast on the way downtown.”

“Ten’s good, actually. I have to get some work done tonight, and I’m a little behind.”

“Ten it is. It’s a date! I’ll see you then, babe.” Knight blows me a kiss before signing off.

I take my tea and my chocolate bar back to my desk and shove my jewelry-making crap aside. It’s time to have deep thoughts about the psychology of dating. I pull my keyboard closer, crack my knuckles, and start typing.