A few days later, Zoey was live again.
This time, however, there was no game on the screen.
Instead, her camera showed a carefully arranged table covered with skincare products, a folded towel, and enough nervous energy to power her entire setup.
Layla was supposed to arrive any minute, and Zoey had spent enough time rearranging the table to make it obvious how well she was handling that information.
Zoey crouched beneath her desk and disappeared from view.
"Okay-okay, okay, okay. We are ALMOST ready."
Something clattered underneath the desk.
"She said she'd be here like... now."
"Or five minutes ago."
Zoey's voice became slightly higher.
"Which is fine. It's totally fine. I'm not spiraling."
Zoey finally emerged with a glossy white tray, several jars rattling against one another as she carried it to the table. She lowered it with considerably more care than she'd shown anything else in the last few minutes, then stood back to inspect the result.
"This is the tray."
She pointed at it.
"These are the products."
Then she pointed proudly at the towel.
"And this is the towel I definitely folded on purpose and didn't just throw there because I panicked."
The chat immediately came for her.
CHAT:
why is she out of breath
girl breathe
YOU IRONED NOTHING
Zoey looked personally offended.
"YES I DID."
"...Kind of."
Zoey looked at the towel again, with a frown this time before moving it a couple of centimeters to the right. It made absolutely no difference, but she seemed marginally happier with it there.
Her confidence weakened.
"Okay, not with heat."
"But I shook it really hard."
She stuck her tongue out at the webcam.
"It's the thought that counts."
The chat continued flying past.
Zoey stepped back and narrowed her eyes at the table. Everything looked fine. More than fine, actually. There was no reasonable reason to touch anything else.
Her attention settled on one of the serum bottles.
She crouched down and rotated it approximately two degrees to the left.
"There."
She stood up.
"Perfect."
Zoey gestured toward the chair on one side of the table.
"She's gonna sit here..."
Then she pointed vaguely toward the other side.
"And... ahem... I'll be over here."
She glanced at the camera.
"Unless I spontaneously combust and have to roll off-screen."
She shrugged.
"Which is also fine. That's part of the skincare experience."
CHAT:
you're sweating already
DO NOT KNOCK OVER THAT SERUM
this setup is giving last-minute science fair
Zoey shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Apparently, arranging the table had only occupied the part of her brain concerned with the table. The part responsible for worrying about what she was actually going to say to Layla remained completely available.
"Okay, but seriously..."
"Do you think I should offer her tea?"
She frowned.
"Or would that make me look too try-hard?"
Zoey was already rehearsing the interaction by the time she finished asking.
"Hi. Would you like some tea while I scream internally?"
She looked back at the chat.
CHAT:
offer her a glacier or nothing
tea is fine but don't spill it on her
she's gonna smell fear
Zoey's smile disappeared.
She stared directly into the camera.
"...Do you think she can tell when people are nervous?"
Her voice dropped.
"Like, do her eyes just scan you and go..."
Zoey lowered her voice dramatically.
"'Hmm. Unworthy.'"
The chat answered immediately.
CHAT:
yes
absolutely
she's behind you
Zoey shrieked.
"WHAT?!"
Zoey shrieked and spun around fast enough to make the camera wobble.
"Don't do that!"
She turned back toward the camera with the nearest bottle clutched in one hand.
"Oh my God, you guys, I hate you so much!"
She looked down and realized what she'd grabbed.
The bottle in her hand wasn't the bottle she'd picked up a second ago.
Her eyes widened.
"I almost threw the toner-"
She barely finished the sentence before another serum bottle tipped over.
Zoey's hand shot out.
She caught it mid-air.
Her mouth fell open.
For once, she actually looked impressed with herself.
"I'm..."
She carefully put the bottle back on the table.
"...a professional."
CHAT:
sure
ACE REFLEXES OUT OF FEAR
does she even know what a toner is?
Zoey ignored them and gave the setup one final inspection before sitting down.
"Okay."
She nodded to herself.
"Everything looks good."
She checked herself in the camera.
"I look fine."
A second nod, apparently more for her own benefit than anyone else's.
"You guys are calm."
She pointed at herself.
"I'm calm."
Then at the chat.
"We're all calm."
Zoey finally let out the breath she'd been holding and settled back into her chair.
The doorbell rang.
Her eyes went wide.
"Oh my God!"
She practically jumped out of her chair.
"Okay, SHH."
She looked toward the door.
"She's here."
Her hand reached for the controls.
"She's actually here."
Zoey switched the stream to her Be Right Back screen and bolted from the room.
Something crashed off-camera almost immediately.
The chat went wild.
CHAT:
NO WAY
IT'S HAPPENING
ZOEY DON'T EMBARRASS US
TOO LATE
LMAOOOOOO