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It started out inconspicuous enough. Things that can easily be explained away or ignored if you’re not paying enough attention.
“Oh they’ve always been like that” or “Yep they’re that close” were their friends’ go-to answers because to them, they really have always been like that. They were Angela and Amanda; attached at the hip and living in their own little world.
So when they finally crossed the line into something more, they both thought they could get away with it because people don’t question their actions anymore. If their years of questionable platonic behavior wasn’t read into, then surely continuing acting like that while being secretly together won’t be easily noticed, right? They’ve been doing the whole “just friends” routine for way too long for people to change how they see them.
They can still be inconspicuous. Just because they’re dating now doesn’t mean they can’t be casual about how they act. Nothing has really changed that much. They’re still them. They’re just together now. Together together.
The hope was to keep it to themselves for just a little while. Just to have this part of this relationship to themselves for a few months. Surely no one would notice that something has changed after years of not questioning their relationship.
Unfortunately, at Smosh, people are always paying attention.
Amanda and Angela have been dating for three weeks when The Change™️ started getting noticed.
It was the last day of the shoot week, and after shooting around 12 videos individually, 5 videos together, and videos for socials, both Amanda and Angela were more than exhausted. They had two more videos left to shoot for the day, but after that, they were free to go home and catch up on some much-needed sleep before Angela does her shows for the weekend.
For the last three weeks, Amanda had been constantly in the backstage of Angela’s shows, their other comedian friends barely even raising an eyebrow at her presence. They all knew the two were attached at the hip, and since Amanda was also a staple at UCB shows, it was easy to get away with being in her girlfriend’s shows by saying “We’re going out with friends after,” even though they were actually just heading to either one of their apartments, opening up a bottle of wine, and cuddling together on the sofa.
Which coincidentally, was kind of what they were kind of doing right now.
With some time to kill before their next videos, the couple decided to head to the green room and try to take a nap.
Well, that was the initial plan, at least.
Amanda stepped out of her shoes and laid on the sofa first, leaning on the cushion as she waited for Angela to do the same thing. They weren’t wary of being seen napping together at work, as it was something they’ve done several times before. They had been teased about it at first, their friends making fun of the fact that Angela had a six-foot human pillow. But after years of seeing them do it, the couple was more than sure that no one would call them out on it anymore.
Amanda couldn’t help but smile when she felt Angela scooting close, leaving no space between them. Her heart almost bursted with affection when her girlfriend leaned her head back against her chest, no hesitation whatsoever about them being this close.
They were just getting comfortable when the door to the green room opened, Trevor walking in with his head down, focused on his phone. He was halfway across the room when he noticed that he wasn’t alone, spotting his friends lying on the couch.
“Hey guys,” he chirped in greeting, smiling easily at his friends, unfazed by the lack of distance between them. Even though he was technically the newest cast member, he’s been around them long enough to know that them napping together wasn’t out of the norm. “Long day, huh?”
“‘Sup, dude,” Angela responded, her voice sounding a bit more gravelly than usual but remaining relaxed, barely even raising her head to greet him. “We just did Werewolf. You know how much energy that takes.”
“For you, maybe,” Amanda retorted, grinning from her position behind the younger woman. “I’ve never met such a small woman shout that loudly.”
Angela whipped her head to face her, frowning at her. “Shut up, Manda. You’re just pissed because you got killed off.”
“Stupid Shayne,” Amanda huffed. “I told him I wasn’t the werewolf!”
“Can you blame him? You were very suspicious.”
“I was not!”
Trevor chuckled as he listened to the women banter, taking his seat on the smaller couch across them. This was another thing he had gotten used to, and he knew that they were just playfighting.
Eventually, the banter died down, the three of them engaging in a more casual conversation.
“What time’s your next vid,” Trevor asked, trying to remember if the women in front of him would be in his next video. “I have Battle Bracket next.”
“Me too,” Angela replied, grinning excitedly. “I can’t wait to rank emojis.”
“Awesome! What about you, Manda?”
“Smosh Mouth,” Amanda replied, a yawn escaping from her mouth. “While you kids enjoy ranking emojis, I’ll do my very adult job of talking with Shayne and Olivia about weird subreddits.”
Angela couldn’t help but snicker, remembering how she helped Amanda come up with her subreddits. “I can’t wait to watch that when it airs.”
Amanda’s heart soared, having always found Angela’s insistence on watching all of Smosh Mouth’s episodes as soon as it airs adorable.
“Well if you don’t stop talking and let me sleep, I won’t be able to shoot the vid and you won’t have anything to watch.”
Angela’s eyes widened. “Go to sleep. Now,” she commanded. “No more talking. I’ll stare at you until you fall asleep. Close your eyes, Manda.”
Amanda’s eyes twinkled in amusement at her girlfriend, chuckling softly. “Hold on. I have to-”
“I’ll do it,” Angela said, interrupting her. Without even a second thought, she looked down, finding Amanda’s hand with ease. She lifted it, putting the watch close to her mouth. “Siri, set an alarm for 50 minutes.”
“Alarm set for 50 minutes.”
Trevor watched the scene unfold in silence, taken back to a memory from not so long ago when Angela did almost the exact same thing during a video, but Amanda recoiled almost immediately, withdrawing her hand from the other woman’s touch and complaining to Spencer about it.
Huh. Well, that’s new.
But the moment passed by entirely too quickly, and before he could think about it more, he realized that Angela was now facing him, her eyes closed like Amanda’s. A peaceful quiet fell over the room, the women’s faces relaxing as they fell asleep.
Trevor shrugged, deciding to chalk the moment up to his friends just being close. He let his head fall onto the pillow, finding a comfortable position himself.
Eventually, he turned over on his side, once again facing the direction where his friends were. His eyes felt heavy, his consciousness drifting as sleep took over him.
But he could swear that right before his eyes closed entirely, he saw Amanda leaning over Angela and placing a kiss on her cheek.
—
It was Taco Day at Smosh, and everyone knew that it was one of Angela's favorite days of the month. The cast group chat literally woke up to a barrage of messages all containing the word taco followed by gifs of people and animals in a taco costume.
Everyone who knew Angela in some capacity knew that she loved spicy tacos. Unfortunately for her but to the cast and crew’s amusement, spicy tacos did not love her back.
They have tried to talk her out of eating them multiple times, even offering to get something else delivered for her, but Angela has always refused. She wants her spicy tacos. No one would ever be able to keep them away from her.
Not even her secret girlfriend, who has already expressed her worry about Angela getting a stomachache after lunch (like she always does when she eats spicy tacos) on the day that she wasn’t in the office because she had an audition, was able to deter her from eating her weight in spicy tacos.
It was approximately twenty minutes after lunch when Angela’s love for spicy tacos started betraying her.
She was in Bit City’s writer’s room, cooking up bit ideas for their next episode, when she felt a jolt deep inside her, her stomach rumbling its complaints about what she consumed.
She tried to ignore the throbbing pain and thought she was succeeding until a stabbing pain started on her lower right quadrant, and she groaned loudly, hunching over the table.
Tommy, who was sitting across the table from her, scrunched his eyebrows in concern. “Hey, bud. What’s up?”
“She ate like five tacos. That’s what’s up,” Erin piped up from the head of the table, not even turning her head and continuing writing their ideas on the board. “This happens literally every month. The little mouse got her cheese, let her learn her lesson.”
“Fuck off, Dougal!” Angela groaned, head still leaning on the table. “I’m fine.”
Chanse, lounging on the bean chair at the far end of the room, looked up from his laptop to study his best friend’s demeanor. Tsking, he said, “White girls should never eat that much spice.”
Angela, feeling the pain more intensely now, used one of her hands to cup her stomach while raising the other one in Chanse’s general direction, her middle finger sticking up in response to his teasing.
“Stop teasing the mouse,” Tommy stated, chiding his two younger friends. He stood up, walked over to Angela, and rubbed her back gently. “I’ll go get you some water and Tums. Please be alive when I get back, unless you want Amanda to go on a murder spree.”
Angela raised her head, looking at Tommy in confusion. Did her girlfriend accidentally let something slip about them? “What?”
“It’s a callback, bud. You know, when Amanda said she’ll be devastated when you go missing,” he explained, sounding casual despite noticing how she reacted. He pushed the thought all the way to the back of his head, saving it for later. “You look like you’re in a lot of pain, Ange. You want me to take you home?”
“Oh,” Angela breathed out, almost in relief. She forced a smile to appear on her face, hoping it distracts her friend enough. “It’s just a stomachache. It’ll pass, Tommy. I’ll be okay.”
“Famous last words,” Chanse piped up in a teasing tone, making Erin snicker.
“You’re such an ass,” Angela declared, which Chanse only responded to with a smirk.
“Children, enough,” Tommy chided. “Not one word out of you three. I’ll be back in a sec.”
Tommy headed straight to the kitchen, trying to remember where he last saw the Tums container. To his surprise, when he entered the kitchen, a familiar figure already had the Tums case displayed in front of them.
“You’re here!” Tommy gasped in surprise, startling the only other person in the kitchen. “I thought you had an audition?”
Amanda, who was making a cup of tea, whipped her head up in shock at getting found, quickly covering it with a beaming smile. “Hey, Tommy. I did. I do. I just uhhh… dropped by for lunchtime. Grabbed something to eat.”
“Huh,” was what came out of Tommy’s mouth, clearly skeptical. “You don’t even like tacos.”
“That’s right. I don’t. I made myself a sandwich actually,” Amanda responded, trying not to stumble over her words. She could feel Tommy’s gaze on her, like he’s trying to squeeze more information out of her. “But speaking of tacos, have you seen Angela?”
The sudden pivoting made Tommy more suspicious, but the mention of Angela reminded him that his friend was in pain.
“Yeah. In conference room B. Writers’ meeting.” Tommy let his sight drift onto the cup of tea. “I was actually just about to get her Tums and a bottle of water. She didn’t tell me she already asked you.”
Tommy watched as blush slowly creeped onto Amanda’s cheeks, obviously nervous about the ongoing conversation. “Oh. Uh, she didn’t. Just had a hunch,” she stammered. “Anyway,” she pivoted, carrying the cup of tea and Tums and walking towards Tommy, “I’m gonna take these to her and leave. I have an audition to get to. Get back to, I mean.” She mustered what she thought was a casual smile and said, “See you tomorrow, Tommy.”
Amanda held her breath until she was able to walk past her friend without asking any more questions. He was getting dangerously close to sussing her out, or at least suspecting that something was up, so she knew she had to get out of there as quickly as possible. She didn’t think she breathed again until she got to the conference room and saw Angela hunched over the table.
Suddenly, she forgot about the scene in the kitchen, all her thoughts now focused on helping her girlfriend feel better before she left again.
Right outside the conference room, just a few feet away, Tommy stood, watching the scene unfold with great curiosity.
Huh, he mused, watching a soft smile break out on Amanda’s lips when Angela lifted her head up and looked genuinely surprised to see her. Interesting.
—
Amanda and Angela playfight. A lot. Even back when they were just friends, it was never ending banter and fake arguing. Eventually, they figured out that for them, that was flirting.
That’s just how they were – are. They stick to the bit, until the very end. Their commitment to the bit is almost as intense as their commitment to each other.
Which is how, two months into their secret relationship, Amanda found herself in trouble because of something Angela was committed to that she didn’t want to do.
At first, she thought it was a bit. That her girlfriend was making a show of avoiding her because of her commitment to the bit. But then at lunchtime, Angela didn’t sit at the seat beside Amanda that had always been reserved for her.
“I don’t sit with people who lack whimsy,” Angela said loudly, looking Amanda in the eye before sitting one table away, choosing to eat lunch with the camera team instead of her girlfriend.
Amanda remembered rolling her eyes, muttering “You’re an idiot” just loud enough for Angela to hear, making sure to say it in a tone that conveyed she was joking. Because she was.
It was all supposed to be just teasing.
It was supposed to be just a bit.
It wasn’t supposed to be a big deal.
It wasn’t supposed to lead to Angela getting a ride home from Chanse instead of her, especially since they were supposed to have a sleepover that night.
It was especially not supposed to lead to Angela telling Amanda she’s not coming over anymore since she shouldn’t be hanging out with “stupid, childish people” and that she’ll see her at work tomorrow.
Hours later, Amanda could still feel the way her stomach turned when Angela ended the call before she could even get through the sentence “Baby, I was just kidding. I’m so-.”
Sleep eluded her, not used to silence from her girlfriend. They always talk. But Angela made it clear that she didn’t want to talk that night.
All because Amanda refused to let her put hairclips on her hair that morning because she thought they looked stupid and childish on her. She even said it while laughing, not thinking that it would lead to her upsetting her girlfriend. She really thought that when Angela frowned at her, it was just for the bit.
How was she supposed to know that Angela would take it to mean that hairclips looked stupid and childish on everyone?
It only hit Amanda that she fucked up really badly when she tried dialling Angela’s number and the latter didn’t pick up, signalling that she got really upset.
Amanda wanted to kick herself in the ass for being careless. She knew Angela took statements like that to heart, and she should have known better than to say something bad about something that her girlfriend liked.
Wish I learned that before I upset my baby, she thought, annoyed at herself. Somehow, I don’t think the excuse of me not knowing what I’m doing because she’s my first girlfriend will go over well for this one. I need to apologize and show her that I’m actually sorry.
Amanda spent hours rolling around in bed that night trying to come up with a gesture that she hoped would get Angela to see how sorry she was. It wasn’t until past 1 in the morning when the idea hit her, dreading how she’d manage it but knowing that she’ll try anything to get her girlfriend to forgive her.
Cheesy as it might sound, she already missed Angela. She wasn’t going to act like she had pride when it came to her. She’d even take looking stupid if it meant Angela wouldn’t be upset with her anymore.
She was horrendously down bad for Angela Giarratana, and even keeping their relationship a secret for now wouldn’t be able to cover that fact up.
So she got up ridiculously early the next morning, even earlier than she usually did just to be able to execute her plan. She took her time getting ready, curling her hair and putting on a dress that she knew Angela loved. Then, she headed to Target at 6 am, spent close to 30 minutes getting what she needed, and drove all the way downtown to pick up coffee and pastries from Angela’s favorite bakery.
She figured that if she was going to try and ask for forgiveness, she had to do it in a way that Angela wouldn’t be able to resist.
Even if she ran the risk of her looking just a tiny bit stupid. But screw that. She was going to suck it up for the woman she loved.
The journey to the Smosh office took longer than usual, so Amanda had to readjust the first part of her plan when she got to the parking lot and saw Angela’s car already parked in its spot.
Sighing, she took the bag from Target and started getting ready in her car, hoping that she didn’t come across anyone on her way to the office and run the risk of someone telling Angela before she even saw her.
By sheer luck, the office was still mostly empty when Amanda got inside, the few employees who were in there busy with their phones or getting ready for the morning meeting. She walked a little quicker than usual, wanting to see Angela as soon as possible and end their little squabble.
Luckily, she found the woman easily. After years of working together, she was sure that she’d find Angela in the prep area, putting on whatever she was in the mood for that day and spending the rest of the time talking to their friends. That day, the lucky victim was Arasha, and Amanda could hear the laughter coming from their corner from a few feet away.
Not wasting any time, she headed straight towards Angela, her heels clacking on the floor in her haste, making Arasha lift her head when she heard her coming over.
“Hey, Amanda!” the younger girl greeted cheerily, waving her over. “I was just about to make coffee. You can sit here if you want.” She stood up, offering her the chair before looking at Angela. “How about you, Ange? Are you gonna make coffee? I’m not used to your hands empty.”
“No. I got it,” Amanda piped up before Angela could even answer. “Got her coffee right here,” she explained, walking to where Angela was sitting. She tapped the younger girl on the shoulder, hoping she would at least look at her, but Angela stayed put, not turning her head or even acknowledging Amanda’s presence. “Ange, come on. Please. I drove all the way downtown for this.”
Arasha watched the scene unfold with an amused expression. She didn’t know what was happening, but it was obvious that Angela was trying hard to ignore Amanda, leading her to believe that the taller woman messed up.
It wasn’t unusual to see Amanda trying to get Angela’s attention, so Arasha didn’t think much of it. To be honest, they fought more often than couples did, and over time, she just got used to seeing Amanda “woo” Angela after a fight. Not that Angela hasn’t done it before either. It’s just that Amanda ended up asking for forgiveness more than Angela did.
It’s also not unusual for Angela to give in easily, usually after just an offer of coffee or a hug. This time though, she was holding steady, refusing to look at Amanda even when offered her favorite pastry and coffee.
Arasha wanted to walk away and give them privacy, but the show was just too entertaining to stop watching. So she stood there quietly and watched as Amanda huffed and put down the coffee and pastry on the make-up table before reaching for Angela’s chair and turning it around, forcing the latter to look at her.
Angela stood up, fully prepared to walk away when she accidentally raised her head and caught a glimpse of Amanda’s face, her eyes landing on the shiny plastic clips decorating her perfect, glorious hair.
“No, my god. You didn’t…” Angela gushed, her eyes wide and twinkling as she reached for Amanda’s hair, her fingers poking at the hairclips. “Amanda!” Angela squealed giddily, clapping in glee at the sight of bright and sparkly hairclips on her girlfriend’s hair, a brilliant contrast to the formal-leaning black dress she was wearing. “You look adorable!”
Amanda tried not to grimace at the word Angela used. It was something she used often to describe Amanda, but usually when she was wearing old ratty shirts at home. In the office, Angela always used much-more sophisticated words to describe her outfits, which always sent thrills down Amanda’s spine after hearing them.
But given the situation, Amanda knew that it was the perfect word for Angela to use. It was what her girlfriend wanted, for Amanda to wear something Angela did and felt good in. She wanted Amanda to sport something that would subtly allude to Angela. It was only really a bonus that she knew her girlfriend would look absolutely endearing wearing hairclips. She had a vision in her mind, but nothing beat the real version in front of her.
“I love you,” Angela couldn’t help but say, throwing herself onto Amanda as she pulled her into a hug.
Amanda froze for a second, barely remembering to breathe when she heard Angela say those words with so much affection and loud enough for others to hear. She found herself wrapping her arms around her girlfriend’s waist a moment later. “I love you, too, angel. I missed you.”
Arasha, whom the couple seemed to have forgotten was standing right there, slowly took a few steps back, tiptoeing so she wouldn’t disturb her friends’ moment. She wasn’t really sure what the fight was about, but them making up felt entirely too personal to witness.
Unfortunately, with her averting her gaze from Amanda and Angela, she failed to notice that Spencer was walking towards her, bumping into him in her quest to give their friends privacy.
“Woah, Rash. It’s 8 am. Are you drunk or something?”
Arasha quickly straightened herself and held onto Spencer’s shirt, dragging him away before he could say something that would disturb Angela and Amanda.
“Hey!” Spencer complained, because of course he does. “I was going to talk to Angela about a meme I sent her last night.”
“Shh!” Arasha hissed, using her hand to cover Spencer’s mouth before he could say anything else. She then dragged him a few feet more, positioning them both where they could see Amanda and Angela without necessarily being spotted by them.
Immediately, Arasha dropped her hand from Spencer’s mouth.
“Arasha, what the hell?”
“Shut up,” she said in a commanding tone, pointing to their friends who were still in their own world. “Look at them.”
Spencer followed Arasha’s finger, his eyes landing on Angela pulling Amanda closer to her by the cheek as she took multiple selfies, clearly showing off the taller woman’s hairclip-clad head.
“Huh.”
“Right?” Arasha asked, understanding Spencer’s reaction even though he didn’t actually say anything. “They forgot I was standing right there.”
Spencer shrugged, being used to his friends’ shenanigans that nothing they did could surprise him anymore. “And they wonder why they’ve got all of Twitter shipping them.”
“Screw those people. I’m shipping them now!”
Spencer snorted in amusement. “They’re just friends, bro.”
“Maybe. But they’re both single. It could happen.”
“Okay, now you totally sound like a shipper.”
“I am!”
—
Going to the farmer’s market at least once a month was a part of Shayne and Courtney’s couple’s routine, both of them enjoying browsing through the selections and finding new organic food to try. While they usually go on Saturdays, because of a work commitment they had, they had to push their monthly farmer’s market trip to Sunday, which as it turned out, had fewer people so you could explore more leisurely.
Shayne was smelling artisanal soap when Courtney tapped him multiple times on his upper arm, trying to get his attention. He quickly turned to them.
However, his wife’s eyes weren’t on him. Instead, they were trained on something a few feet away.
“Everything okay? What are you looking at?”
Courtney raised their finger, pointing at a person Shayne had yet to see. “Isn’t that Angela? Kinda looks like her from this side.”
Shayne chuckled, shaking his head. “It’s Sunday, Court. She’s probably still asleep. Didn’t she say she wakes up at like 11 on weekends?”
Courtney considered this for a moment, but quickly changed their mind when the woman she was looking at turned towards their direction, her face no longer hidden by bouquets of flowers. “It is her,” they gasped. “Angela!”
A few feet away, in front of a stall selling gorgeous flower bouquets, Angela froze, recognizing the voice calling her.
Fuck.
Before she could even pretend to not see them, Angela saw Courtney and Shayne walking towards her, leaving her with no choice but to stay put and plaster a smile on her face.
“‘Sup, guys,” she greeted in a forced casual tone, smiling much wider than normal. “What are you doing here?”
Court looked at her with their eyebrows scrunched together. “Uh-uh. What are you doing here? It’s 7 o’clock on a Sunday!”
As if she wasn’t a well-known improv comedian, Angela just spouted the first words that came into her mind. “I was just passing through.”
“In a farmer’s market,” Shayne clarified. “This early in the morning.”
“I’m always up at this time. I’m a morning person.” Angela grimaced at the last word, knowing she had screwed up. It was a straight-up lie, and she knew that her friends knew it.
“No, you’re really not,” Court and Shayne chorused, raising their eyebrows at Angela in suspicion.
“You’ve been known to be late to our 8 am calltime. You are not a morning person, bud,” Court added.
“Fine. You’re right,” Angela sighed. “But I’m trying to be. I need some faith in the room.”
“We’re outside, dumbass,” Shayne responded, trying to make the atmosphere more casual and less interrogation-leaning with humor.
“Fuck off, Topp,” Angela replied, catching onto what Shayne was doing. Most of the time, she was really thankful for his tendency to act like her older brother. “I can’t believe I bumped into you guys here.”
Court, still suspicious, took the opportunity to pry just a little bit more. “We always go here, Ange. We’re the ones surprised that you’re here. You’ve never mentioned going here before,” they stated, lulling Angela into a sense of ease by smiling at her. “So are you here alone or…”
“I’m alone!” Angela blurted out, then after seeing the suspicious looks on their faces, tried to recover by faking a cough and repeating her statement. “I’m alone. I told you. I was just passing through.”
“Cool. So did you see anything interesting?”
Just as she was about to make up some shit about cheese, she saw the owner of the flower stall wrapping up the bouquet she bought for Amanda.
Oh no. Oh fucking hell.
“No. Yeah. I ummm… Why don’t we guys walk together? I think I saw some wine-”
“Here you go, Ange. I’m sure Amanda would love-” The woman stopped abruptly when she saw that Angela was with other people. “Oh. Hi there! You guys look familiar.”
Angela watched as recognition dawned on Courtney and Shayne’s faces, sure that they heard the woman say that the bouquet was for Amanda.
Fun-fucking-tastic.
She had a choice. She can walk away now and make up an excuse, which she’s about 90% sure Courtney wouldn’t believe anyway. But that would mean not taking the bouquet that she really wanted to give to Amanda because it was their third monthsary that day. It was the exact reason she got up at 6, leaving a sleeping Amanda in bed, and driving all the way to the farmer’s market. They go here at least twice a month, and this stall is one of their favorite places to buy from, the elderly lady who owns it taking a liking to Amanda because of how much she loved flowers.
Or she could stand her ground, act casual, and come up with an excuse about why she was buying flowers for her best friend.
Buying flowers for friends is not that weird, right, she thought to herself. Hiding our relationship suddenly feels more trouble than its worth.
Angela closed her eyes and steadied herself. She chose the option that would end up with Amanda feeling loved.
She ignored her friends’ reactions for the time being, turned to the owner of the stall, and reached out to take the bouquet out of her hands.
“Thank you so much, Mary Ann. It looks beautiful,” she said sincerely, giving the elderly woman a bright smile. “I’ll go with my friends now,” she added, giving her a little wave. Luckily, the older woman could read social cues better than Angela did, and she waved goodbye to her and her friends before disappearing to the back of her stall.
Could have gone worse, Angela mumbled before turning to her friends, a feigned innocent smile plastered on her lips. She hoped it would disarm the couple in front of her just enough to distract them.
She really should have known that it wouldn’t work. Not on Shayne, who could easily guess how she was feeling after years of being friends. And definitely not on Courtney, who she had confided in about girls she liked many times in the past. She bit her lower lip in hesitation, hating the thought of not being able to tell them about Amanda, their friend and her girlfriend.
“Did I hear her right, Ange? Are those for Amanda?”
Angela could feel her heart beating in her throat. Could she really lie outright to her friends’ faces?
She could.
But she won’t. At least, not entirely.
Knowing she couldn’t say that she bought them for Amanda because they finally admitted to each other how they felt three months ago, she chose the simplest lie she could come up with, one pulling from real life.
“Yeah. They’re for her. She had a long week. I just wanted to make her smile,” Angela divulged, the last part being entirely true. “She loves flowers.”
A moment of silence passes, Courtney absorbing Angela’s words and processing them. She recognized the layer of sincerity wrapped around the words and decided that her friend was telling the truth. Or at least what she believed was the truth.
“That’s so cute,” Courtney wheezed, the suspicion on her face melting into an adoring look. “Shayne, look. Those are for Amanda!”
Shayne let out a chuckle, endeared by the quick switch in his wife’s emotions. He then flashed a smile at Angela. “She’s gonna love them,” he commented. “Are you guys meeting for brunch?”
“Uh, kind of? I’m heading to her place now actually.” She scratched her head, feeling unmoored by the half-truth of it. Leaving out the part that she slept over last night wasn’t a lie, was it? “ It was really nice to see you guys,” Angela said suddenly, remembering that she took Amanda’s car to drive here. If they spent any more time together, they’d surely offer to walk her to her parking spot and they’d find out she was fibbing. She figured cutting the conversation abruptly would be the best move here. Maybe they’d think it was her just being chaotic again instead of brushing them off.
Clutching the bouquet with one hand, she leaned forward and pulled Court into a one-armed side hug before turning to Shayne and raising her hand for a high-five. “I’m gonna go ahead, but I’ll see you guys tomorrow. Enjoy your date. Love you!” she rambled before scrambling off, jogging away before neither Courtney nor Shayne could stop her.
The couple watched in awe as Angela sprinted off, leaving them behind without much explanation. Not that she needed to, but it would have been nice to know what was going on with her. Why she looked so freaked out to be seen buying flowers for Amanda.
Unless….
Courtney’s eyes widened, swatting Shayne’s arm as an idea took root in their head.
“Oh my god…”
“Ouch!” Shayne reacted, puzzled by the sudden change in Courtney’s demeanor. “What the hell, dude?”
“She’s buying her flowers.”
“Okay… and?” Shayne prompted, knowing they were talking about Angela. “Amanda loves flowers.”
“Exactly.”
The realization of what Courtney was insinuating dawned on Shayne almost immediately. “Court, come on. They’re just friends.”
“Oh, right. Just like we were friends five years ago.”
Shayne let the thought float around in his brain for a second, comparing how their relationship then to how Angela and Amanda were acting now. I can totally see it. Everyone thinking we were dating until we eventually did.
Still, Courtney and him were given the time and space to figure that out on their own.
He gave them a knowing smile, choosing not to comment on that. Instead, he reached for their hand, lacing their fingers together and tugging them towards the opposite direction of where Angela ran off to.
“Come on, babe. Bones and Birdie are waiting for us.”
“But Angela and Amanda…”
“Are smart, functional adults. Mostly. Let them be.”
Courtney harrumphed but let them be dragged by Shayne anyway. “You’re no fun.”
“You married me,” he reminded her, chuckling.
They huffed. “Don’t thank your lucky stars yet, Topp. If they don’t stop being stupid, I might marry one of them instead.”
—
Chanse rolled his eyes before pressing the doorbell again. It was unnaturally cold for an April morning, and standing on Amanda’s porch in nothing but a muscle shirt and sweats meant he was very, very cold.
Tired of pressing the doorbell and being ignored, he changed direction and started knocking on the door instead. “Amanda Lehan-Canto, open the door or I’ll kick it down and then kick your ass.”
He was about to knock again when the door swung open, revealing an obviously freshly-showered Amanda, her hair dripping and her robe hugging her curves amazingly well.
For a second, Chanse just stared.
Well if Angela wasn’t sure about being gay before, one look at a dripping-wet Amanda would surely awaken something in her.
And then Amanda started talking.
“Chanse, come in, please. I’m so sorry,” she said, apologizing sincerely. She led him towards the living room, pointing at the unusually cluttered sofa. “I know it’s messy. I haven’t had a chance to clean this week,” she explained as she gathered the clothes strewn all over the sofa. Chanse watched in silence as Amanda moved through the living room like a hurricane, dividing her time between tidying up and putting items in her bag. “I had a coffee late last night and couldn’t sleep until like 2 in the morning. Then someone called and we just stayed on the phone for an hour.”
“Your mom?”
Amanda turned around, puzzled. “Huh?”
Chanse figured it was just sleep deprivation. “You said someone called. Was it your mom?”
“Oh,” Amanda squeaked, a pink hue suddenly appearing on her cheeks. “Yeah, my mom. Time difference, you know.”
In truth, it was Angela who called Amanda at 2 in the morning, telling her how much she missed her and how timezones sucked. She was currently in Italy on a family trip, which was the main reason she couldn’t go on the Chicago show of Reddit Stories. Amanda could only hold out for an hour longer before promptly falling asleep while on call, not even able to say goodbye to her girlfriend properly.
Chanse noted the change in Amanda’s expression. Huh. Maybe it was a good thing that he was going to Chicago instead of Angela. Amanda seemed to be hiding something personal, and for some reason, she refuses to talk about her love life when Angela is around. Maybe he could pry some information out of her on this trip and sus out whether Amanda was still single or not.
He was rooting for the first one, wanting Amanda single because it increases the chance of Angela and her actually figuring the sexual tension between them. Not that he would outwardly tell either of them that. Both were too deep into the platonicness of it all that he doubted they were aware that they were crushing on each other.
Little did Chanse know, his friends actually did figure their shit out months ago and have even talked about the next step, which was telling other people about them.
“I’m gonna go get dressed so we can leave,” Amanda said eventually, cleaning up as much as she could in her limited time. “There’s food in the fridge if you’re hungry. Give me like ten minutes,” she instructed before dashing off to her bedroom, clutching tightly onto her robe like it would fall off if she wasn’t holding it. Which now that Chanse thought about it, wasn’t entirely impossible.
Yep. Angela would probably be having a panic attack right now if she was here.
Heeding Amanda’s advice, Chanse walked towards the kitchen, wanting to see what was inside her fridge mostly because he was nosy and less because he was hungry.
He was a foot away from the fridge when he caught sight of the array of pictures put up on its door. He stepped closer, curious because the last time he was here, the door didn’t have any pictures on it. Granted, it had been quite a while since he visited Amanda’s place. Their hang-outs happening mostly in bars or at Angela’s.
His eyes scanned every picture, knowing most of the people in them as Amanda’s friends and family members. There was one person, however, who appeared more often in the pictures than any other person. Chanse’s finger hovers over the polaroid of Angela placed in the center of the collage. There was a little heart drawn at the bottom, but what drew Chanse to it was Angela herself. She was captured mid-laughter, holding Spork up to her face, his tongue actually touching her nose. His lips curled up into a smile as he stared at the picture longer, overjoyed to see his best friend exuding happiness even through the lens.
He sifted through the other pictures, Angela’s constant presence in Amanda’s life laid out so obviously for everyone to see. There were a few other photos of Angela that he hadn't seen before, all of them in places that weren’t familiar to Chanse. He expected to feel a pang of jealousy at the thought of Amanda and Angela going to places together without him, but instead what he felt was something else entirely. He felt as though he was peeking at someone’s diary. Like he was reading someone’s most private thoughts. Amanda’s fridge door felt like a collection of her most treasured memories, with Angela being the lead star in half of them.
It’s like she documents every moment they spend together, Chanse mused, his eyes glossing over the rest of the pictures. While there were pictures of the other Smosh cast members as well (there were even one or two of him), it was very clear that Angela’s presence loomed over everyone else.
And sure, he could see that as something friends would normally do, but there was something different about the way Amanda captured Angela, like she was seeing her in an entirely different way. Like she was given access to Angela in a way that most people weren’t.
And the truth is, she probably was. Their connection had always been inexplicable; the two of them clicking the moment they met. No one has ever made Angela laugh the way Amanda did, not even him. While him and Angela were best friends, her and Amanda were soulmates; their connection woven by the stars themselves.
But what if they were meant to be more than that?
Chanse shook his head before the though even settled in his brain. He was probably giving meaning to things in the way that he wanted to see. Friends could certainly be as committed to each other as Angela and Amanda were. They could love each other this much and still not be in love.
Woah. What am I even talking about? This is because I’ve been seeing so much Amangela content on TikTok, he told himself, tearing his eyes away from the pictures on the door and finally opening the fridge to see what was inside.
He settled for a can of diet Dr. Pepper, walking over to the sink to get a glass from the cabinet. He pulled at the tab of the can to open it, his attention solely on the can, not paying attention to what could be on the floor.
Chanse immediately knew he should have been looking at where he was going when his toes hit a metal surface, yelping as he nearly tripped. He held onto the can tightly, breathing a sigh of relief when he realized that nothing spilled, before looking at the floor to see what tripped him.
His mind froze for a second, not processing what was in front of him until he stared at it for close to a minute. He put down the can of Dr. Pepper on the counter, reaching instead for the item on the floor.
He turned it over, wanting to make sure that he wasn’t imagining it. He wasn’t.
In Chanse’s hands, stood a metal food bowl with the name Spork printed on it in a glittery font that he had seen way too often over the years to not immediately know who it belonged to.
The realization that Spork, Angela’s adorable but very sickly dog, the one that she was so protective of that she barely takes him anywhere, was here often enough that he had his own food bowl here hit Chanse like a freight train, nearly dropping it on the floor.
He looked around, his eyes searching for other items that were tangentially related to Angela. On the cupboard, front and center, was a mug that he swore he used in Angela’s apartment a few months ago. Right beside the coffeemaker was Angela’s favorite brand of pour-over. On top of the fridge was the brand of pasta Angela uses when cooking, a niche brand that she buys from a tiny Italian grocery 40 minutes away.
His eyes then darted towards the living room, looking for more evidence of Angela’s existence. He saw what looked like one of Angela’s cardigans hanging on the coat rack. His eyes landed on the knitted blanket strewn over the back of the sofa, a vague memory of Angela dragging him to a farmer’s market one early Saturday morning to pick it up. Finally, on a side table tucked away on a corner, a pair of glasses sat untouched. Glasses that Chanse was pretty sure Angela was wearing in the selfie she sent yesterday, except that she has been in Italy for three days, and the only plausible explanation was that she had a second pair of glasses in Amanda’s apartment; one meant for this place specifically.
But the most distinct evidence of Angela’s presence in Amanda’s life, the thing that Chanse noticed immediately when he walked into the door, was the huge painting on her living room wall. It was a huge canvas that bore two seals on a zoomed out beach, sitting close together with the sun setting at the corner. He remembered Angela blabbing about painting again, feeling inspired by something he now knew was closer than he thought.
Angela was thousands of miles away, and yet, in Amanda’s apartment, her presence was warm, loud, and permanent.
It was a loud ringing in Chanse’s ears that he couldn’t ignore: the realization setting in that his friends were so far over the friend zone that the line felt more like a dot at this point.
This wasn’t just friendship. This was being in each other’s lives in a consuming away, their presence blending together in ways that they might not even be aware of.
It was a quiet whisper of dedication to each other, a clear evidence of consideration meant for a person who mattered more than anyone else.
They’re so fucked, Chanse thought quietly, putting down the food bowl before Amanda came out of her room and saw him holding it. He picked up his can, trying not to look at the fridge door full of pictures again as he walked by, trying hard not to get sucked into a rabbit hole he inadvertently started digging for himself because he was nosy.
It had been years of him being around Amanda and Angela, knowing both of them individually and together, and being slapped with the realization that there are things between them that cannot be explained under the guise of friendship. It wasn’t just an intense closeness. It was an unspoken commitment.
He sat back down on the sofa, trying to ignore the prickling feeling of knowing on his skin.
It felt very untethering, realizing that your friends were in love with each other before they even did.
Chanse had no idea just how very, very wrong he was.
Because at that point, they did very well know. Oh they knew.
—
The air in the games studio crackled with its usual mix of chaotic screaming and uncontrollable laughter coming from every direction. The cast members in the video’s banter was electric, and the jokes were flying off, making everyone in the room double over in laughter, including the cast members currently not in the video.
Angela and Courtney sat on the floor, cackling every time one of their friends did something silly. They just finished a pit video with Shayne and Trevor and decided to peek in at the games studio. They planned to go on a coffee run before their next video, but once they saw Arasha trying to make the sound of a ghost, they unilaterally decided that staying and sitting on the floor was the better choice.
Angela felt giddy, seeing Amanda giving her knowing smiles and even outright winking at her once. They were having secret conversations through eye contact, and no one around them was the wiser.
She could sense that her girlfriend was in a great mood, clearly enjoying herself despite being so far off from winning. It was a trait Angela hoped to emulate in the future, not being so competitive that she forgot that enjoying herself should be the priority.
Her girlfriend might be kind of a chronic loser in games videos, but she was an amazing team player and always finished a video with a huge smile on her face. She does get her bouts of competitiveness, but her goal was to first and foremost have fun.
Antagonizing their friends was just a bonus. And since Angela wasn’t in this video, Chanse was Amanda’s unwilling victim. A fact that Angela found delightfully amusing. She cheered way too loudly every time Amanda teased Chanse, earning him dirty glares from her other best friend.
Sooner than expected, Spencer called cut, giving the cast five minutes to breathe or drink water while they fixed the set. Angela found herself holding her breath when she saw that Amanda was heading her way, looking head-spinningly gorgeous. She still couldn’t get her heart to beat normally whenever she sees Amanda’s new hairstyle, the bangs and the curled tips almost throwing her into a stroke the first time she saw them.
Once in front of her, Amanda held out her hand, flashing her girlfriend a sweet smile. Angela, finally remembering how to breathe again, rolled her eyes before handing over her drink without resisting.
Behind them, remaining at the table, Chanse hollered, “Fucking whipped,” with a smirk on his face.
Almost in sync, Amanda and Angela turned around and raised their middle fingers at Chanse, making the people in the room burst out laughing.
Amanda spent the rest of her break talking to Angela about things that were safe to discuss in public, pouting when Spencer called the shoot to start again.
“I have to leave in a few minutes anyway,” Angela told her in a slightly comforting tone, careful not to use the voice she had recently been made aware she only uses with Amanda. “I have a SmoshAlike vid, so I’m gonna need my tumbler back, Manda.”
Amanda tilted her head at her girlfriend’s conscious effort not to give away how affectionate she is in secret, her eyes glinting in amusement. She barely saw Angela today, their schedules very different, so she couldn’t help but crave her attention.
She took another sip from Angela’s tumbler, this time doing it slowly so her girlfriend had to watch as her lips closed around the spout.
Amanda grinned before holding her hand out, offering the tumbler back to her.
Angela could see the glint in her girlfriend’s eyes. She knew that she was teasing her, trying to make her lose her cool in public. With a shaky hand, she reached for the tumbler, acting like she didn’t notice when Amanda purposely made their fingers touch.
“Amanda,” Spencer called out again.
Amanda, feeling bold for whatever reason, winked at Angela before turning around and walking back to the games table, moving her hips seductively in a very subtle way that unless you were Angela, who was watching her intently, you wouldn’t even notice that she was doing it.
Angela only felt air flowing back in her lungs once Amanda was back at the table, a safe distance away from her and the less-than-chaste thoughts in her head that would definitely get them busted.
By this point, they have been dating for close to six months, and multiple conversations have been had about not keeping their relationship a secret anymore. At least not from their friends and the people they work with.
They were the only ones left to tell, Amanda and Angela both telling their respective families about their relationship a month ago. It led to Amanda having dinner with Angela’s family two weeks later and an upcoming trip to Boston for Thanksgiving. It went surprisingly well, which actually fueled the desire to finally let their friends know that they were actually and officially together.
In the end, they decided that they did not want to make such a big fuss about telling them. The plan was to drop casual hints, let people see them together more, and then if someone happened to ask them while they were in the same place, just outright admit it. As long as they can tell people together, neither Angela nor Amanda really cared about the time or the place.
Unfortunately, their friends seemed to have gotten used to them being this close, no one even batting an eye to the sometimes too obvious display of domesticity between them.
Amanda and Angela left it up to fate. Figured that it would happen when it was meant to happen.
The game started again, and the energy that Amanda brought to the table was electrifying. Angela watched as her girlfriend transformed back into the innocent, fun-loving, adorable loser she was. She couldn’t help but watch her for a few more minutes, entranced by her like she has been for years now.
“Ange, we gotta go,” Courtney whispered as the game was wrapping, elbowing her lightly and snapping her out of her trance. “Think we can squeeze in a quick trip to the pantry before we get lav’d up?”
“How much time do we have?”
“Like 20. But if you wanna stay and finish the shoot…”
Angela took one last glance at her girlfriend who was busy shouting her guesses at Ian. “Nah,” she whispered to Court, following them as they stood up. “I gotta make my afternoon coffee.”
A few feet away, at the games table, Amanda, who was supposed to be focusing on Spencer’s directions for the outro, saw Angela walking over to Anders to say goodbye from her periphery. She waited for her to turn back around and look at her, but to no avail.
Her energy dimmed a little bit, bummed at missing out on spending a few minutes with Angela. She nodded at Spencer, having only heard like half of his instructions.
Just as Angela and Court were about to leave the set, Shayne walked into the studio with a can of Celsius in his hand, surprised to see the two women about to go.
“There’s a slight delay in the sched. I came in here to tell you two. Oh, and I got you this,” he said, offering the can to Court. “I know you’re kinda sleepy.”
“Awww, Shayne,” Court cooed before hooking an arm around their husband’s waist before pressing a kiss on his cheek. “You’re the best.”
Angela’s lips curled up at the affectionate display of their friends. She feels a slight pang of jealousy, wondering when she’d be able to do that to Amanda in public.
Just as she was about to tell them she’s heading to the kitchen, she heard her girlfriend’s voice announcing the winner of their game, meaning she was about to do the outro. Unable to resist seeing Amanda in her element, Angela turned around and watched her girlfriend end the video.
Amanda was breezing through the announcement of the winner, her mind only focused on finishing this video and maybe catching Angela as she’s getting lav’d up. She kept her eyes on the camera, not wanting to screw it up and repeat the outro.
However, beside her, Chanse said something distracting, making her laugh and pulling her focus. She was about to turn to him when her eyes accidentally landed on the far side of the room, immediately spotting her girlfriend watching her.
Angela knew she caught Amanda’s attention, so she gave her a little wave and mouthed for her to keep going.
And so Amanda did, even if she did have to contain her giddiness by maintaining the energy she had at the start of the outro.
“Let us know for next time if you want us to do an elevated version of this where we do our custom cards. That means that one card could say…” Amanda paused, her eyes shifting around the room as if she was looking for the person whose name she wanted to say. Seeing that she was still there, she continued, “... Angela.”
Chanse made a face beside Amanda because of course she would pick Angela’s name as an example. These days, she couldn’t seem to get through a conversation without namedropping the other woman. He geared himself up to tease her about it, wanting to get his revenge when a familiar voice spoke out of nowhere, interrupting his train of thought.
“Message Angela open parenthesis love of my life burning heart emoji close parenthesis.”
The room halted, everyone freezing in their spots when Siri finished. Angela’s jaw dropped, watching in horror as blood drained from Amanda’s face when she realized what was happening. Panicked, her girlfriend scrambled to get her phone out of her pocket, attempting to stop it somehow.
But it was too late.
For a moment, no one else reacted but Amanda and Angela, their eyes meeting from opposite corners of the room. No words were exchanged, but both knew what the other one was thinking.
The time has finally come.
It was Spencer who snapped out of his stupor first. “Cut!” he yelled, his voice louder and gruffer than usual. “Cut that!”
The words seemed to have the same effect on everyone else in the room, collectively breaking out of their shock like they were activated by a sleeper phrase. For a moment, everyone just stared at each other, checking to see if they too heard what they heard. Eventually, their focus shifted to Amanda and Angela, looking back and forth between the two who remained frozen, just staring at each other as if no one else was here but them.
That was when chaos ensued.
It was Chanse who reacted first, jumping out of his chair as he pointed his finger back and forth between the two of them as he yelled, “You gay fucking bitches. I knew you were hiding something from me. I knew it!”
Arasha reacted next, turning to Spencer with a smug smile on her face. “I told you. I told you they’re not just friends! Who’s the crazy shipper now?”
Shayne, who seemed to want to hold on to his “chillest guy at Smosh” award, could only mutter a surprised “Huh.”
It was the exact opposite of Courtney’s reaction, who felt so giddy that they thought they might hyperventilate. “Holy shit,” they wheezed, pushing Shayne off so they could reach for Angela. “Holy fucking shit.” They tugged on their friend’s arm, making her face them. “You two… You’re together? Together together?!”
Angela felt like her tongue was stuck in her throat, rendering her speechless. They did not plan for this, figuring they could just wing it since they were improv comedians by profession. How hard could telling their friends be?
But no one warned them how intense the reactions would be.
Angela’s heart was about to hammer off her chest, the yelling and reacting all around her overloading her nervous system.
She knew that there was only one thing she could do to make everyone stop before she devolved into a panic attack.
“Give me a sec,” she managed to croak out to a confused Courtney before turning around, her eyes locking in on Amanda.
Amanda recognized the look in Angela’s eyes, immediately standing up when she realized that her girlfriend was walking towards her.
The noises faded to a muted background as Angela crossed the room, nothing on her mind but getting to the woman she loved.
Amanda didn’t waste any time, her hands immediately pulling at Angela once she got close to her. The touch was enough to silence the noise around them, but there was only one thing that could make Angela’s heart go still.
The two met each other’s gaze, holding a silent conversation as the rest of the world around them melted into nothingness. The when and the where never mattered to them anyway. The only important thing was that they were with each other.
“Now,” Amanda asked softly, looking into her girlfriend’s eyes, seeking permission. “Are you sure?”
Angela’s breath hitched, unmoored by the hint of doubt in Amanda’s voice. She was sure she never wanted anything more. Her hands made their way onto Amanda’s sides, and in a steady voice, she whispers, “Now.”
Amanda knew what the word meant, knew what her girlfriend was agreeing to. She even knew how decided Angela was. Still, she leaned in slowly, giving her girlfriend time to change her mind.
Angela didn’t plan on changing her mind. In a move that completely surprised the whole room, including her girlfriend, Angela hooked her arms around Amanda’s neck and tugged forcefully, pulling her into a searing kiss.
Months of secret domesticity and hidden desire exploded in the air around Amanda and Angela, their lips crashing together as a profession of their love; a wordless announcement of what they are now.
For the second time that day, everyone was stunned in silence as they watched Amanda and Angela casted themselves in the roles that everyone have been expecting them to play for a long time. Roles that they were meant to play, not for the cameras but for themselves, an admission that this wasn’t acting anymore.
It wasn’t a written joke or a bit they were overly committed to. This was them. Angela and Amanda; in love and finally aware of it. Together and not in secret.
The corner of Amanda’s lips curled up in an automatic smile when Angela finally pulled back and she saw the blush coloring her cheeks beautifully. Needing a moment to collect herself, she let her eyes remain on Angela’s face for a second longer, reaching for her lower lip to wipe away the remnant of their hardlaunch kiss.
The gesture made Angela blush further, her lips getting pulled into a stupid grin. Kissing Amanda in front of everyone to confirm their relationship was probably the most reckless thing she had ever done, but she could see now how fitting it was for how their relationship started in the first place. A split-second decision to just be brave and risk it all for a shot at a forever with Amanda.
In some way, it felt like a full-circle moment, their secret starting and ending at Smosh. And when she felt Amanda intertwining their fingers before tugging at her so they could face everyone together, she knew she made the right choice.
“Okay, so I know you guys have a lot of questions, but we all have videos to shoot so I’ll give you a quick rundown of everything,” Amanda prompted, wanting to get everything out of the way. Spencer attempted to say something, but was quickly shut down by a deathly glare from Amanda. “First, yes, Angela and I are together. As girlfriends. Like formally introduced each other as girlfriends to our families together. Second, yes, we both kinda thought you’d find out about us sooner, but I guess you were too used to us being that domestic? Which was crazy, by the way. We got away with some insane shit.” Angela giggled beside her, remembering the day she accidentally posted a picture of Amanda while they were on a date. “What else? Ummm… We’ve been together for almost six months and are considering moving together when Angela’s lease is up, but we really don’t want to make a big deal out of this and want you guys to keep treating us the same way. We’re still us. Just less platonic friends and more… girlfriends.”
“Ewww,” Chanse couldn’t help but mutter. Everyone turned to him with shocked look on their faces. “Not at the them being together part. But the way Amanda said the word “girlfriends” so lovingly was nauseating.”
“Fuck off, Chanse. We’re in love.”
His face scrunched in feigned disapproval. “That’s disgusting, Angela!”
The banter between Chanse and Angela elicited its usual response, the cast and crew shaking their heads at their childishness but laughing at how silly the exchange was.
“Alright, alright. Everyone back to work,” Spencer announced, snapping back into director mode. “Our boss is literally right there,” he said, pointing to Ian at the table, a fact that Angela and Amanda both conveniently forgot.
Ian raised his finger, shushing Spencer before turning back towards Amanda and Angela. “Yeah, yeah. Hold that thought. I have a question.”
Curiousity filled the room, the giddy conversations halting once more as everyone waited for Ian to continue.
Amanda, whose fingers are currently being crushed by her very lovely but very anxious girlfriend, decided to take the plunge. “Yes, Ian?”
“You two have only been dating for six months?”
“Yes. We made it official December last year.”
Ian huffed, looking around the room before looking back at the couple and throwing his arms up in disbelief. “Then what the fuck do you call what you two have been doing for the last three years?”