Chapter Three

It is in New York city I get recognized the most. My plane touched down a day before yesterday, and from that point to now I've had more than a dozen of my subscribers approach me. Some of them want to chat on their opinions on some movies I've reviewed in the past, the majority of them just want autographs, which is always the most shocking part.

That people actually want my autograph, like I'm some celebrity.

I didn't really imagine this would be my life when I first started YouTube. I was just a very angry, very bittered, and an extremely depressed teenager

who had too much knowledge on what made a movie either good or bad. Courtesy of my late grandma.

At first I had started off by writing Critical pieces, online, then I had slowly shifted into YouTube after several of my readers suggested I do. My channel remained relatively unknown.

Until a very popular movie critic on the platform reacted to a video of mine, after praising me for having such an observant eye, that video pushed me into the limelight.

My channel grew rapidly after then, I think a lot of people were just happy to see a woman dominate in a male invested niche on youtube, and the fact that I was kind of an enigma intrigued a lot of people.

I hadn't done a face reveal up until I hit 500 thousand subscribers, I used the voice over approach on my channel. I hadn't really done it to be mysterious. I just didn't want people to focus on my features that my mother had deemed "plain" all my life. I didn't want random strangers on the internet calling me ugly.

Eventually when I did do a face reveal, people would call me ugly. Internet trolls on the internet went as far as to say that I had gaslight them into believing I was way more attractive than I actually was.

I had no idea how to handle the immense hate and cyber attacks. All over social media I was getting dragged, people that hadn't even heard of me joined in on the bullying.

It was Aurora that suggested I join ITENS. She insisted that the organization was what I needed at the time. They had a lot of years handling content creators on social media. I was a little hesitant at first. All the years I had spent making YouTube videos I had done it independently. I didn't really know how signing with an agency-especially one as big as ITENS- would influence my creative freedom.

In the end it was one of the best decisions I ever got to make. Not only did the PR team manage to handle my dilemma online and make things turn around in my favour, my subscriber count online grew massively and my best friends got to sign in as well. The rest as they say is history.

"Say hi Yasmine." Tk prods, as his twin sister Nadia points her camera my way.

I'm currently in their Soho apartment, with one other influencer, and their stylist. After the twins coerced me to go with them to some exclusive new club, we are all getting ready. According to them the club is apparently a hotspot for the rich and famous, the Crem dela Crem of new York city always go there. It must be exclusive if you need an invite to get in. Everyone's trying to look their best because Tk and Nadia will be adding our outfits choices on their vlogg.

Tk and Nadia are what Libby, Hannah and I would refer to as Social-media-friends. There are the perfect, good looking people you hang around with whenever you're in each other's cities, you can create content with them, take cute pictures, have fun- but you never share personal information that you don't want the public finding out about with them, because they will gossip about you.

"Girl your hair is to die for!" Tk compliments.

"Thanks hun!" I reply touching my butterfly locs that I got done yesterday before the interview, I'm slightly flustered. I'm really anti going out. I prefer my own space and quiet. I'm extremely nervous just thinking about how I'll be out if my comfort zone tonight.

Especially since I'll be mingling with socialites and celebrities all night. it's a good thing I upped my game tonight, I think as I check out my outfit in the full length mirror by Nadias dresser.

I am wearing a pair of cream colored cargo pants, with multiple pockets, and a light pink halter top with a very revealing back, the platform shoes I have on are almost the same shade with my pants, and my Telfar mini bag is also the same shade with my top.

The look compliments my chestnut skin tone, I conclude. Just then I get a text from Libby.

She sends me a funny gif, then asks how I am.

Me: I'm aight, about to head out with the twins.

Libby: Where are y'all going?

Me: An exclusive underground night club, TK says it's owned by some rich guy. He got invites last night so now all four of us r going.

Libby: 4, who's the fourth person?

I smirk as the fourth person walks into the living room from the bathroom, where she's been changing for the past one hour. Imani struts into the room like she knows she's gonna turn heads tonight.

And with that tight, mini leather dress that emphasizes all her generous curves, and high heeled stilettos, that add atleast 4inches to her 5foot 4 inch frame- she's definitely gonna turn heads tonight.

Imani is the walking definition of an I*******m baddie; she's got the ambiguous features courtesy of her being half black and half Filipino.

She's got curly hair, slightly slanted eyes, full pouty lips- that I suspect fillers have helped her achieve.

I text Libby who it is.

Libby: Cool, have fun you hear?

I tell her I will, and she seems to hesitate before replying to me.

Libby: So, some rumours have been flying around, apparently ITENS is getting a new CEO.

Me: For reals?

Libby: Yeah, but it's just rumours for now Nothing's been confirmed yet. Btw, when do you get back?

I tell her that I'll be back by Monday, which is early tomorrow. Today is my last night in New York.

Libby: Cool, cause like if the rumours r true we'll definitely be having a meeting at head quaters. Make sure to be back early just in case.

Me: I will, take care of yourself ok?

Libby: You too. love you, bye.

Me: love you too, bye.

After the twins finish vlogging in the elevator ride downstairs to the parking garage, they finally put their camera down. My guard instantly drops back down. Whenever ther'e filming I always feel like I need to put up a front.

Be extra cheerful, extra happy, extra excited, extra you- it just all feels fake. And this isn't my first time of being on their vlog, or any vlog, but somehow it never gets easy for me.

When we got into our uber, Imani begins to go on and on about how psyched she is to finally get the opportunity to finally be going to the hottest club in all of the state.

Apparently this place is so exclusive that even the athlete she'd casually been hooking up with, couldn't get either of them invites.

"We honestly don't know," Says Nadia when Imani asks how they managed to score invitations. "Our manager just called randomly and asked if we'd be interested to go to The Basement."

"I guess Yasmine is our good luck charm." Tk calls out from the front sit. The rest of us girls are at the back.

Imani gives me a really tight smile, before continuing to scroll on her phone. For some reason Imani has barely ever struck up conversation with me, and well I've never really bothered to figure out why.

We are all mostly silent on the 40 minute ride from Soho to Mid town Manhattan. When we step out the car, Imani refuses to stand in line and instead cuts to the front, while she drags TK along. When they get to the really buff security she flashes him a seductive smile and TK proceeds to show him our invites.

Nadia looks at me, and rolls her eyes with humor at Imani tactics, as we stride to catch up with them.

All thanks to Imani we are spared the long wait outside, as the security winks at her and instructs us to head inside.

As we take the staircase down to the entrance, my heart races with anticipation. The heavy bass reverberated through the walls, drawing us deeper into the hidden world of the underground night club.

The dimly lit corridors led us to a heavy door guarded by another bouncer. With a nod and a flash of our VIP pass, we stepped inside, welcomed by a pulsating wave of electrifying energy.

For a second I am frozen, this place is incredible. Not that word doesn't do it justice It is absolutely sublime, out of this world even.

In all my years I had never been to a club that held the same level of prestige as it did raunchiness.

People grinded on each other, to some trendy hip hop song, just as it appeared some men in suits where actively discussing buisness.

How are the ceilings so high in an underground nightclub?

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm finna turn up!"

Tk says this as he and Imani get lost in the sea of bodies dancing.

Nadia grabs unto my hand, until we too drown in the crowd of people dancing.

OkI'll admit I didn't want to come tonight, but I am having a ton of fun, the vibrations here is immaculate, the music is out of this world, I am beginning to be grateful that I decided to come.

That is until some idiot bumps in me so hard, i almost loose my balance and trip to the floor. Nadia catches me just in time, before my body can make impact with the ground.

"Hey asshole!" She calls out angrily to the culprit who continues to walk by us as if he'd done nothing.

He turns around when he manages to hear her over the pulsating music.

"What did you just call me?" Asks the pimple faced boy blonde guy, he looks like he's either a senior in high school or a junior in college.

"An asshole, that's what I called you." She steps up to his face and points at my direction. "Apologize to my friend, you almost pushed her."

He takes a look at me, his eyes roaming up and down my body, as if deliberating whether or not I deserve an apology.

Two other guys that I assume are his friends come up to him, one of them that looks very high takes one glance at me, and his eyes light up in recognition.

He whispers something to the blonde guy, and in a matter of seconds his demeanor goes from defensive to friendly.

"My bad, I'm sorry about that. You know I've got a section at the vvip, why dont you two join us."

He knows we are influencers and that's why he's being nice.

"Thanks, but no thanks." I decline. I tug at Nadias arm to lead her away. But the blonde guy walks in front of us. Blocking our way.

"Could you like fuck off!" Nadia looks pissed, and seconds away from punching this guy.

"I'm just trying to be nice." At this point several people have stopped dancing and are now looking our way. If there's anything I hate more than going out, it's causing a scene.

"But we've already told you we don't wanna join, leave us alone." Again we go to leave, but he's in our path again.

"C'mon." He says. "I could show you a good time."

I have had it with this guy! "I would go with you." I start knowing that there's no way in hell I would ever hang out with someone like him. "But I wouldn't wanna catch a charge for fratenizing with a minor."

The people that heard me start to snicker, as the guy turns red. Finally feeling embarrassed enough he let's us walk pass him.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" He yells from behind us. We ignore him and continue going, until I hear heavy footsteps behind us, Nadia and I turn around just in time to see that the guy is now holding a drink, and from the look in his eyes he has every intention of pouring it on me.

Before I can react, he throws his drink towards me. Time seemed to slow down as droplets of liquid sailes through the air. A collective gasp escapes the onlookers as they watched the spectacle unfold. But just as i am about to be drenched with alcohol, a strong arm wraps around my waist.

Pulling me flush against who ever it is that just saved me, I can feel his hard body envelope me as I cling unto his white t-shirt, he smells absolutely divine.

And I know, I just know. Even before I look way up to meet his liquid gray eyes, even before his full lips draws into that familiar firm expression.

I know that the man that saved me, is Aaron Ashgroove.