Chapter 12: How to hide that you’re a fanboy

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Mark's pov.

Mark regrets that his house is a mess, but he doesn't really regret bringing Junior to his house.

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Mark doesn’t know why he lets Junior follow him, because he’s one of the actors, but when Junior points out that it’s not like they can start filming without Mark, their main camera man, or with a second camera that’s running low on battery, Mark relents.

Mark remembers to call Amber to let her know he’s going home to grab the batteries for the second camera and that Junior’s with him, and Amber tells him not to worry since there’s still some time before lunch ends. If Mark doesn’t make it back in time, they can extend everyone’s lunch break slightly, she had added. Amber also shoots off a reminder for him to drive safely before Mark hangs up the call that was on speaker mode, and from the reflection in the rearview mirror, Mark can see that Junior’s smiling, for what seems like the first time today (unless you count the smiles he has during filming, which Mark doesn’t).

He makes it to his house in a little under 15 minutes because the traffic’s light. As Mark parks in his driveway, he sees the state his lawn is in and groans inwardly, because it might have been good to remember that before he had let Junior board his car; that his garden is either half dead or overgrown with weeds most of the time, and right now it’s both. It isn’t a sight he should be showing a guest, let alone Ju_ni_eo, his favourite youtuber.

Right now, Junior’s looking at the dull green mess of a lawn that Mark has, and Mark quickly gets out of the car while finding his house keys, hoping that Junior won’t see too much of his lack of gardening abilities if he can get them inside the house soon.

Once they’re in the house, Mark groans inwardly again, because of course, on the 1 day he happens to have Junior visit his house (an impromptu trip that hardly counts as a visit, but still), his house is in a greater mess than usual, with laundry day being tomorrow, and dishes unwashed in the sink. Mark ignores all that in favour of running upstairs to find the batteries he’s here for. He had expected Junior to stay in the living room while he searches for the batteries, which he thinks he might have placed in the study, or maybe his bedroom, but he’d guessed wrongly, because as Mark is opening the drawers of his desk to find the batteries, a shadow appears in front of him, and he looks up to see Junior holding a book he must have picked from Mark’s bookshelf.

Mark’s study isn’t very big, and his bookshelf is probably the neatest thing in the house right now, so Mark can tell which book Junior has removed and is now casually flipping through once his eyes finds the empty slot on his shelf.

“You read Chuck Palahniuk too, huh?”

“Uh, yeah, I do,” Mark manages to say, even though his brain is thinking, I only started because you like him so much and always did video reviews of his novels. He watches Junior trace a page of the book with his fingertips, giving what might be his second smile of the day, and Mark feels kind of giddy that he had gotten to see both smiles, in such a short span of time.

While Junior continues holding the book, eyes scanning the pages like he’s actually reading now, Mark hurries to find the batteries, pulling out the last drawer that he might have placed it, glad to see that the black plastic parts are inside. He can’t imagine what would happen if he has to go to his bedroom to find the batteries, assuming that since Junior has followed him into the study, he would probably also follow Mark into his bedroom (and that’s a thought that he does not need right now – Junior in his bedroom.)

“This is my favourite book of his, you know,” Junior suddenly says, and Mark looks up, knowing that Junior’s holding Rant in his hands even though he can’t see the cover very well from where he is.

“Rant is my favourite too, actually,” Mark admits, and is glad to see Junior’s face light up.

“Ooh, you really do know his books, and these aren’t just for decoration huh? Most people would just think of Fight Club when I mention Chuck Palahniuk, and only because I mention that Brad Pitt had acted in the movie adaptation of it.”

Junior’s tone is light and teasing, and Mark wants the moment to last, but he can feel the batteries he came for in his pocket, and he just says, “Yeah I do read them, and Fight Club’s good, but I like Rant a lot better, even if I can’t fully understand what I’m reading sometime.”

Mark motions for Junior to follow him downstairs, and Junior carefully places the novel back on the shelf before he follows. It’s only when they’re both in the car again, getting ready to drive back, that Junior says, “You know, you’re really truthful Mark. I’ll never have admitted that I didn’t fully understand my favourite novel from my f