"IX. Do not covet your neighbor's spouse!"
(Ten Commandments)
Forgive me, O God, for I have sinned; my greatest sin is greed for money.
"The thing is, I've never been on a date with a girl, I don't know how awkward that is, but that's how it is," I lean back in my chair, taking a sip of my zero coke. A barrage of questions floods the chat window. My eyes are tired from ten hours of screen time, but I can't help it; today's Live was scheduled. The editing of Saturday's video took longer than I thought, so it all got delayed by half an hour. - "Thank you for subscribing, Vanda, you're really kind. Oh, am I a hundred percent gay? I know a lot of girls will cry tonight, but that hundred percent is not enough... I would vote for a thousand percent," I laugh.
I remember when I first announced that I'm gay. Man, did it stir up a hornet's nest. Almost every newspaper published it, Facebook, Insta, TikTok were full of my coming out photo... Some were not surprised at all, girls removed my heart-marked name from their Instagram bios, and hundreds of guys asked for my hand in DMs... But I still have to explain myself the same way, and it's getting boring.
A "what's your favorite sex position?" question appears, but my moderator immediately deletes it. I owe a lot to Lena.. She usually blocks most of these questions, as well as those that invade my privacy, like when I was still a little kid in elementary school or when they saw me shopping at Pepco... Just the usual. Every famous person has to endure these paparazzi things.
-"No, chris2001, I'm not going to run twenty-five kilometers just to meet you, you're cute, but with that name and profile picture, I don't think we should get to know each other, although I love Pokémon," I add as I sweep my black hair from my eyes. - "Who is your favorite Pokemon? Write it down while I post an Insta story, there are not many of us, let others join too," I take out my phone, about to open Instagram, when suddenly an SMS appears in my notifications.
I look at the screen in confusion. Unknown number.
-"Hold on, guys. You can continue with the names in the meantime," I glance at the popping bubbles. - "Let me see, oh, most of you write Pikachu, I love you guys, you have good taste!
UNKNOWN NUMBER
Do you want to hear something crazy, Atticus Clay? - A viewer.
I forget to breathe. Excuse me...? I've never shared my name publicly; everyone knows me as Ati. No matter how many times they asked about my real name, I never gave it, not even if Brad Pitt himself asked for it.
My fingers move rapidly on the screen.
Who are you?
The answer comes quickly:
Just look at the screen, dude.
At that moment, I receive a Messenger message from Lena: Stop the damn live, Ati!
Slowly, with trembling hands, I look at the screen.
It's me on the screen.
And the man... With whom I was at the bar last night.
In one of the rooms at Alfie's bar.
He's on top of me, and I'm underneath.
He bites my neck, and I arch my head back.
I stare at the recording in shock. I can't speak; not a single sound escapes my throat.
anita_
this is awful!
notyourlevi
dude, this is fucking embarrassing!
Tonia
and I was in love with this guy, lol
mybel2004
that man could be your grandpa, ati!
Without thinking, I close the laptop lid. Sudden silence fills the room. The silence touches my mind as a relief, but at the same time, my hand acts automatically. I reach for my phone, and the Unknown number starts typing, but I beat them to it.
What the hell was the point of this? Who are you?
My heart pounds in my throat, waiting for the answer. Damn it, this is so embarrassing... What should I do? How do I clear my name? What the hell did I do to deserve this? There will probably be a hundred articles about this tomorrow... Minus a hundred viewers.
UNKNOWN NUMBER
The guy was actually my dad. It's terrible how much you could manipulate him. He gave you money too, right? Oh, but you're hunting sugar daddies. I get it, but you're only embarrassing yourself, dude. Your viewers must be disappointed in you now. Listen, I used to be a fan, I liked you, but you've fallen big time in my eyes. See you at Jeremiah school. :) - Christopher
No. No! This is simply impossible!
I throw the phone against the wall. My scream echoes through the house. Then the honking starts. The honking that will forever stick in my memories.
There's a photo of Atticus: https://th.bing.com/th/id/OIG.vUOZGAKvDIsfU8gq9dK8?pid=ImgGn