One Shot - Short Story Collection / Audiobook (Audio + Reads)

2: A Million Likes - #ValentinesContest2020 - Cupid Top 5

As soon as I saw Troy, I knew he was the one. His perfect boyish looks with his lean body, tousled hair and long lashes, but barely a hint of facial hair, made him the ideal partner, exactly what I needed to grow my Instagram account. Together we could be an irresistible couple.

I've been building up my Instagram account for three years now, since I was fourteen, and this was the year I wanted to hit a million likes!

With Troy beside me, I believed I could do it.

The problem was Troy wasn't interested in Instagram. He didn't care about my 10K followers.

"You don't even know ninety per cent of them," he said. "They are just random strangers, probably old men pretending to be teenage girls."

He has no idea how competitive my Tumblr niche on Instagram is. Everyday, I put up three carefully chosen and accessorised outfits and my followers choose which one they like best, a, b or c. By adding Troy to the pictures, I'd gain huge advantage, but he won't do it. He doesn't like dressing up he says. He doesn't want to spend the hours we have together being staged for the camera.

At first, I tried getting him to take some pictures of me. I thought that might get him into it, but it was too frustrating, especially since I've perfected the selfie, and Troy had no idea what he was doing. We'd argue about the best photos to post. I mean, I know my niche, but he'd say things like, "I like this one, you look really natural in it."

Instagram is not about looking natural, but Troy doesn't get it.

So why is he still around?

The thing is, he genuinely likes me.

He actually means it when he says he prefers me to look natural, when he tells me I don't need make-up, when he says I'm beautiful the way I am, when he says I don't need to impress all those people I don't even know. Just because he can throw on a t-shirt and jeans and look good, he thinks it's the same for me.

"You need to be more spontaneous," he laughs and pulls at my shirt. "TikTok is better than all these staged stills. It's funny, fast, active, there's always something going on. You can be yourself."

Sometimes I wonder if he's right? If I should just relax and worry less... would the world really fall apart?

But that's what I like about Instagram, it's so hard to explain to someone who doesn't understand. I can re-create myself and I'm in control of the image I portray.

I like that.

I love that.

I mean I love Troy too, but unfortunately I can't control Troy.

It doesn't stop me trying though. If I could get him to agree to do the Valentine's Day shoot with me, I think we'd do it. We'd be the perfect grunge couple and I think we'd hit the million. I've never done it before. My most popular post to date is 657K but....

"This is what you really want, isn't it?" Troy says. His voice is soft but there is an edge in it. "You need to be like, I dunno, Billie Eilish to get a million likes."

He really is clueless. Billie Eilish can easily get ten million likes.

"Yes," I say, pleased he finally gets it.

"Well then, let's do it." He wraps me in a hug.

"Yay!" I can't believe it.

It's the best Christmas present he could give me and I immediately start planning our shoot. Maybe four outfits, instead of the usual three, an extra one to make the Valentine's Day post really special, but that might push Troy too far...