Page 37 of Someone Just Followed You

God, I want to run into Maple’s bedroom this second and shut it down. But I know how that will look, how it will draw more attention, not less. I need to wait this out.

But why on God’s Earth is my daughter risking her career, her whole life, for a girl from Texas who has got nothing – nothing – to do with her?

Even if it does sound a bit suspect. Which of course it does. I remember at the time being surprised that Ella had been accepted into the Royal Ballet School – TikTok is one thing, but Swan Lake is something else. And her not posting for eighteen months does make you think. But she’s their problem – Selena and Bodi Hart’s – not Maple’s.

Why didn’t I interrogate Maple more about the show? I just took her words at face value, jumped to the conclusion that everything I’ve taught her over the last fourteen years was finally paying off. When did I become so gullible?

The live stream finally finishes, and I stare at the thumbnail – Maple holding a photo of Ella – with YouTube’s familiar promise underneath, that the video is processing. In minutes it will be uploaded. Available for anyone to watch, forever. A video of my daughter saying it makes sense that Ella ran away from home, comparing the Harts’ channel to a car crash, and calling Selena Hart a liar. It will ruin us, for sure. After everything I’ve done.

A jet of rage floods through my veins. I spin off the barstool, storm upstairs and push open Maple’s door. It slams against the plasterboard, and I just know the handle will have left a dent, which only enrages me more.

‘Mom?’ Maple is sat on her bed now. She pushes up against the headboard, like she’s scared, which gives me a tiny jolt of satisfaction.

‘What have you done?’ I ask, trying to sound more betrayed than furious. ‘Do you realize how much damage you will have caused?’

‘The Maple and Dylan thing?’ Her voice is high and timid. ‘Are you mad because we said we’re not dating?’

‘No, Maple,’ I say, gritting my teeth. ‘I’m mad because you blindsided me. Made out like it was going to be some cute chat show, then went all Nancy Drew on me!’

‘I’m looking out for another influencer,’ she mumbles. ‘And you’re always saying that mutuals are the best relationships to build.’

I tut so hard it feels like the roof of my mouth comes loose. ‘Honey, Selena Hart is the absolute queen of influencing, and you called her a liar. And made out that she doesn’t care about her daughter’s welfare. Do you really think someone like her, who has built her entire multimillion-dollar brand around being the perfect mother, is going to accept that without a fight?’

‘But if the whole perfect family thing is fake …’

‘No one cares! Practically everything we watch on social media is fake. That doesn’t stop us enjoying it, does it? Post and let post, Maple; that’s always been our motto. We create content and let others – the less talented – make their snidey comments about it.’ I inhale, then release a long sigh. ‘Look, if you take the video down now, maybe it’ll be okay. It was your first live, and you’ve only got a few hundred subscribers, so if you remove the channel, I’m sure people will forget about it pretty quickly.’

Then a new thought comes to me. I drop into her desk chair and snap my fingers. ‘Or better yet, film a different kind of video with you and Dylan to replace it with, one where I write the script. I promise, no one will be thinking about Ella Hart after that.’ I look at her curled on the bed, mute, her lips pressed together. ‘Maple, come on! This requires some urgent damage control, and that’s a good idea, isn’t it? A great one maybe?’

‘No.’

‘Sorry, what did you say?’

Chapter 45

Maple

@BrookebabeNYC, TikTok

So, guys, I have got something JUICY for y’all today. I just watched this YouTube Live with those kids Dylan Dope and Maybe Maple talking about Ella Hart. I’m gonna put a longer post out soon, but some TikTokers are already saying that they know Ella is DEAD. Fuckkkkkk! – I’ve put a link to their live in my bio. Thank me later #findElla

‘I said no, I’m not taking it down.’ I try to sound confident, even though Mom looks like a vampire craving blood. ‘We’ve already had heaps of new comments about Ella. How everyone is worried about her, and that they’re grateful we’re doing this. We can’t stop now.’

I shuffle along my bed until I’m facing Mom, then risk making eye contact, reminding myself that Dylan is probably facing worse from his dad right now. ‘Look, I get why you’re freaking out,’ I say. ‘It is different to my usual stuff. But you’ve always said that success comes from getting noticed. Well, this will get me noticed, and maybe, hopefully, do some good alongside it too.’

‘Not when you’re being noticed by Selena Hart, or Maddie, or that skinny Azione woman with her colossal budget, or that modeling agent Blake, or any of the other brand managers we’ve been working with.’

‘They’ll be proud of me for helping out another influencer.’ I try to sound convincing, but I’m pretty sure I don’t.

‘What? When you compared one of the most-watched kidfluencer channels on YouTube to a car crash?’

‘That wasn’t me; I just …’

‘And said that it made sense to you that Ella ran away?’

‘I don’t think I said …’

‘Brands choose to work with you because you’re so good at making our lifestyle look amazing,’ Mom interrupts again. ‘They slot into the nirvana we create, and suddenly they’re perfect too. So what do you think happens when you rip away that filter?’