Just Friends (Dan Howell)

Chapter Fourteen

Jenny and I screamed like girls, rushed home, got in our pajamas, turned on some music, and danced around like there was no tomorrow. This is how we dealt with exciting things. Either ice cream or pajama dance parties.

"When do you meet with him?" Jenny shouted over Zac Barnett's voice.

"Friday!" I cried back. Today was Wednesday.

"That's so exciting!" Jenny honestly looked delighted.

"Oh my gosh!" I suddenly exclaimed. "Jenny, he said you could come with me!"

"He did?" Jenny gasped in shock. "That's-- but that's-- he's bloody mental! Why would he want me?"

"He's seen you on my videos!" I told her. "He must like your personality!"

I'm just a believer
That things will get better
Some will take it or leave it
But I don't wanna let it go.

We jumped around, stepping on the couch and the coffee table and swinging each other around as American Authors' song "Believer" played in the background.

I'm a little bit sheltered
I'm a little bit scared
I'm a little bit nervous
I'm going nowhere.

Jenny and I had similar taste in music, which was to say, there was no pattern. We had Fall Out Boy, American Authors, and Katy Perry all on the same playlist. Personally, I loved Fall Out Boy, almost as much as I loved American Authors. I thought that Fall Out Boy's lyrics were beautiful, but American Authors' songs were so much more relatable. Just like the next song to come on, "Love."

One day we're gonna come back
And laugh at it all
One day we'll look at the past
With love, love!

One day we're gonna come back
And relive those thoughts
One day we'll look at the past
With love, love!

We danced around for a long time. We'd gone shopping late, and gotten back even later. Around one in the morning, there was a knock on the front door of the flat.

I scooped up the remote in one swift movement and turned off the music. Then I went to open the door.

Our downstairs neighbor stood there, looking sheepish. He quickly explained that he had two kids that were trying to sleep, and politely asked us to turn down our music. Jenny and I apologized profusely and promised we would be quiet. He left looking a bit flustered.

It was then that I realized Jenny and I were both scantily clad.

Giggling, we both ran off to bed.

~~

Friday arrived, cold and dreary. It drizzled determinedly outside. It wasn't raining hard, just persistently. Jenny and I were walking to the Radio Station under an umbrella.

We both wore sweater dresses, leggings, boots, and scarves. Our breath hung heavy in the air in front of us. A drop of rain slid from the umbrella, landing in front of us with a loud plop!

We finally arrived at the Radio Station, and Jenny held the door open while I shook out the umbrella. Then, together, we entered the lobby.

The receptionist looked up and smiled warmly at us. "Hello, girls. Got an appointment?"

"Um, yes, actually," I said with a grin. "I'm here to see James Carlyle."

"Oh!" She exclaimed. "You must be miss Baker and miss Mason, correct?"

"That's us!" Jenny chirped.

The receptionist dialed a number on the phone on her desk. She pressed a button and said, "Lillette Baker and Jennifer Mason are here to see you, mister Carlyle sir."

There was a large quantity of static on the other line, then Mr Carlyle's voice. "Great! Send them in."

The Secretary grinned. "You heard him. Go on in through that door and into room 480B. It's the fourth door on the right."

"Thank you!" I said as we walked through the door beside the welcome desk.

Sure enough, the fourth door on the right read, 480B: Conferences.

I knocked once, then opened the door slowly, Jenny behind me. I saw a middle-aged man sitting at a table in the middle of the room. He looked up when we entered the room and smiled warmly. "Ah, hello, girls! Take a seat! I'm Mr Carlyle."

We walked over to the table and sat across from Mr Carlyle. He seemed nice enough.

He folded his hands and leaned on the table. "So, I bet you're wondering why I called you here today."

"Just a little," I mumbled.

He chuckled. "Well, as it just so happens, we've had a radio spot open for about eight months now. Ever since two of our radio lads, Dan Howell and Phil Lester, were promoted, their channel hasn't been occupied. We've been looking for some new radio talent." He grinned. "And we think we've found it in you two."

There was silence for a moment. Then Jenny burst out, "But sir, there must be a mistake! I understand if you want Lil, she's a famous YouTuber. But why me? I don't have any special gifts!"

"Ah, that's where you're wrong, my dear!" Mr Carlyle said, slapping the table and pointing at Jenny. "I know that you're working on your first novel. You're gonna be a writer! Which means, you have a knack for storytelling!" He leaned back in his chair. "Now, Lil here has the personality. She's witty, she's likeable, she's adorable. But you, Jen, have got the content! Just imagine-- the Jen and Lil show on BBC Radio 1! Lillette is relatable, and has many funny stories. Jenny can deliver these stories. You're the unstoppable duo!" He spread his hands in front of him, miming a sign. Then he grinned at us. "What do you say?"

I exchanged a look with Jenny. I could see the excitement in her eyes. What do we say? What do we say?

"Give us the details, Carlyle," I said, leaning forward.

Mr Carlyle chuckled. "Oh, I like you. Well, here's what I'm thinking. Every Monday evening you two get an hour on air! From 7:30 to 8:30 at night. You get to control what music plays, but you also get a sort of talk show. Banter, conversation, news and current events!" He spread his hands again, his smile wide. "That's your hour. We don't influence it. And if your YouTube views are anything to go by, the show will be a hit!"

I looked at Jenny again. She was practically wetting herself with excitement. I grinned. This sounded great.

I turned to Mr Carlyle. "Well, sir. You sell a good profit. Sounds like it's a deal! Where do we sign?"

~~

Little did I know at the time, but our Radio Show ended thirty minutes before Dan and Phil went on once a month. They had a radio show from 9 to 10 at night on the first Monday of each month. That worked out pretty well, actually. It meant that we got to spend time together at the station.

It also meant that a couple times we could get dinner together beforehand, or even that Mr Carlyle would allow Jenny and I to be part of Dan and Phil's show. Of course, I didn't know any of this when I signed the contract. But it certainly added to my list of reasons why I was glad I did.