As the cast and crew exchanged their goodbyes, a melancholy Lucas hugged each of his fellow cast members. Amidst the farewells, Nina suddenly tapped him on the shoulder, "Hey, Lucas, can you follow my Twitter?"
Lucas's eyebrows furrowed in surprise. "You're on Twitter?"
Nina chuckled, a glint of pride in her eyes. "Of course! I've got around 700K followers, you know." She grinned, her achievement palpable despite the modest number compared to Lucas's whopping 9 million followers.
Lucy gasped, clearly impressed by the feat.
"It's all thanks to the Vampire Diaries fanbase," Nina explained, her chest puffing with pride. She then turned her attention to Lucy, "What about you, do you have a Twitter?"
Lucy shook her head, her cheeks tinting with a blush. "No, I haven't created one yet."
Lucas glanced between the two. "Well, I guess I can't say no to that. I'll follow you, Nina."
Nina beamed. "Thanks, that means a lot!"
---
Lucas stepped out of the car at the airport, ready to board his flight back to New York. Waiting for him were his manager, Neil, and his security detail, Jack, and Simon. Simon, the new addition to Lucas's security team, stood out among the crowd. Burly and towering over most heads, he had an intimidating presence that made others keep their distance. However, as Lucas approached, he noticed the gentle sparkle in Simon's eyes and the warm smile that disarmed his intimidating demeanor.
"My daughter is a huge fan!" Simon blurted out, extending his meaty hand towards Lucas. His voice, deep and rumbly like the famous boxer Mike Tyson's, caught the actor by surprise.
Neil, sensing the awkwardness, quickly introduced them. "Lucas, this is your new security, Simon Troy."
Lucas grinned and shook Simon's hand. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Troy. Glad to have you on board."
Simon blushed, his thick neck reddening under his dark skin. "It's an honor, sir. I'm sorry to ask this, but... do you mind signing an autograph and taking a selfie for my daughter?"
The others around them chuckled, but Lucas smiled sincerely. "Of course, no problem at all."
Simon's face lit up like a child's on Christmas morning as he fished a pen and a small notebook from his jacket pocket.
Jack, another security guard, chuckled and patted Simon on the back. "Prepared as always, huh?"
Simon's cheeks flushed, but he only chuckled. "Hey, gotta be ready for these moments."
Lucas took the pen and notebook, carefully inscribing a heartfelt message for Simon's daughter. As he handed it back, Simon's eyes sparkled with joy.
"Thank you so much, man," he said, fumbling with his phone to take a selfie with the actor.
With the fanboy moment over, they boarded the waiting airplane, ready to jet off to New York.
As the plane took off, Neil settled into the seat next to Lucas. "By the way, did you see the YouTube channel I made for you?"
Lucas nodded, a light chuckle escaping his lips. "Yeah, I did."
Neil shifted in his seat, a bit uneasy. "I know most actors don't have one, but you're different. You're also a musician, after all. I thought it'd be good for your fans to connect with that side of you." He paused, his eyes meeting Lucas's. "I hope you're not mad I did that without asking."
Lucas shook his head, his smile genuine. "It's fine, Neil. I understand your intentions."
Neil exhaled in relief. "Great. Speaking of which, I've already set up the 30% profit from your songs to go to your charity for children's medical care, just as per your request."
Lucas's gaze drifted to the plane window, eyes lost in the vast expanse of the sky. "That's good to hear. Thank you, Neil."
Neil just smiled, "No problem." before continuing, "By the way, the music video you filmed a few weeks ago is set to release tomorrow on YouTube."
Lucas tilted his head, brows furrowed. "Wait, which one? 'Let Her Go' or 'Viva La Vida'?"
"The one with Taylor Swift", Neil clarified, referring to their recent collaboration.
"Ah, 'Let Her Go', I see." Lucas said, nodding in understanding.
Neil continued, "Apparently, your record label chose to publish it on Vevo. It's a music video platform that started a year ago. Not widely known yet, but it's gaining ground…"
---
On August 5, 2011, the music video for "Let Her Go" by Lucas Knight featuring Taylor Swift was finally uploaded on Lucas's YouTube channel. The channel, which already boasted an impressive 3 million subscribers, continued to grow at an astounding pace. Within minutes of the video's release, it garnered tens of thousands of views, likes, and a deluge of comments.
The song and its accompanying music video took the internet by storm. Fans couldn't get enough of the unexpected collaboration between the two stars. As they gushed over their chemistry on-screen, speculations about their real-life relationship started to surface.
Amidst the sea of comments, a few stood out:
"OMG! I never expected Lucas and Taylor to collab on a music video! I literally screamed in class right now! And the song is the most beautiful thing I've ever heard! No kidding!!!" one fan exclaimed.
Another fan couldn't contain their emotions, "This song made me cry! Also, Lucas did an outstanding job with his acting as usual, and Taylor Swift was amazing too!"
The shippers didn't miss their chance to voice their opinions, "Lucas and Taylor would make such a cute couple! Maybe there's a chance they'll date or something?"
Ten minutes after Lucas's music video for "Let Her Go" featuring Taylor Swift was uploaded on his YouTube channel, Twitter was abuzz with excitement. Fans couldn't contain their joy and flooded the platform with their reactions:
"At last, Lucas Knight has his own music video! I've been waiting for this moment!" one user enthusiastically tweeted.
Another fan raved, "You HAVE to watch his new music video, 'Let Her Go'! It's AMAZING! And he even collaborated with the rising star Taylor Swift. Trust me, you won't regret it!"
Some Twitter users, however, were late to the party and expressed their dismay:
"Music video? How did I miss this?"
Quick to provide assistance, other users chimed in, "Just search for 'Lucas Knight' or 'Let Her Go - featuring Taylor Swift' on YouTube, and you'll find it!"
"You can just look at the trending tab, it's all over there!" another user helpfully added, as the hashtag
#LucasKnight #TaylorSwift soon began trending.
---
Lucas finally arrived at his spacious New York apartment, utterly spent from the grueling weeks of filming the indie project, "The Perks of Being A Wallflower." All he craved for was to unwind with a cup of coffee, a bowl of popcorn, and a movie on the TV. As he settled in for some much-needed me-time, his mind couldn't shake off the day's events, including a call from his financial manager, Gaylord, about tax-related issues with the IRS. Thankfully, he had an accountant to handle the nitty-gritty of it all.
Lucas poured himself a steaming mug of coffee and popped a classic film on the TV, while he munched on popcorn. As he reclined on his plush sofa, he couldn't help but marvel at how far he'd come since the Modern Family days. The steady stream of work had been both exhilarating and draining, but the love and hate from his fans or haters provided kept him grounded.
As Lucas was about to doze off, his phone rang, jolting him awake. Glancing at the screen, he saw it was Jennifer, and he immediately picked up. "Hey babe, what's up?"
"I just called to congratulate you," Jennifer cooed, her voice tinted with pride.
Lucas rubbed his eyes, still half-asleep. "Congratulate me for what?"
"Oh, come on, Lucas! Your music video is a huge hit! It's everywhere!" Jennifer exclaimed, unable to contain her amusement.
"Oh, right." Lucas chuckled, finally remembering. "I guess I'm just really tired from the indie project."
"You're too modest for your own good, you know that?" Jennifer teased. "How's the filming going, by the way? Wrapped it up already?"
"I did, just yesterday. I'm currently in my apartment, catching my breath."
"Oh, that's great! I'm glad you're taking a well-deserved break," Jennifer said, her voice tinged with a hint of jealousy. "I'm still stuck here, drowning in work. I really miss you..."
Lucas could hear the exhaustion in her voice, but he knew she loved what she did. "I miss you too,"
Jennifer's tone playfully shifted, "So, you've been working with Taylor Swift, huh? You didn't think to tell me you're collaborating with such a beautiful woman?"
Lucas couldn't help but smile. "Come on, Jen, it's just for the music video. We're both professionals!"
Jennifer laughed, "I'm just messing with you, babe. I know you're not like that."
As their conversation continued, they chatted about their respective projects and the craziness that ensued with their careers. Eventually, Jennifer broached the subject of meeting up. "So, if you're free next week, I was thinking we could see each other?"
Lucas's eyes lit up, "Of course, I'm free. I can't wait to see you too."
They exchanged I love you's and hung up, both of them with a renewed spring in their steps.
Lucas decided to check his YouTube channel, and he couldn't believe his eyes as he checked his YouTube channel's analytics. His MV, "Let Her Go", had already amassed 9 million views in just 8 hours, and the numbers were still growing. "Holy cow, this is insane." he breathed, feeling both elated and overwhelmed by the response.
He knew Taylor's fanbase played a huge part in the initial spike, but the positive comments and reception from his own subscribers and new fans alike was a different high altogether.