His last video was posted three weeks ago. He swung from the rafters of a bridge in Thailand, threw five flips and five twists—a quint-quint (his words, not mine)—before a parachute opened up, dropping him into the water below. Speedboats holding his crew immediately zoomed in, making sure he was okay. Other crew members filmed the stunt from different angles—on top of the bridge, from the ground, from the river. It was an elaborate affair.
Before that, he BASE jumped off the side of a cliff, using a trampoline to get extra air. It would’ve been too easy to just jump. His body flipped and twisted as he fell, looking like some kind of Olympic diver.
He’s incredible.
And a pretty big deal if you consider sixty-two million YouTube subscribers a pretty big deal.
How did I not know this?
Justin always acted like his twin brother was a joke, like he was barely getting by with his recklesshobby.But this is way more than a hobby. This is a multimillion-dollar business. Caleb has merch, diehard fans, and loyal followers who want to know everything about his life. He’s created a brand centered around him.
I click through video after video, watching as he preps his tricks, analyzes the risks, tests the safety of his equipment, and—my favorite part—smiles at the cameras. So much of his carefree personality comes through in each video. I can see why people adore him. He’s charismatic, exciting, surprising, and charming. No wonder he wanted me to look him up. He wanted me to see him in his element. Ever since he arrived in Telluride, I’ve been comparing him to Justin. But on his channel, he’s himself—larger than life.
My eyes glance at the clock on my nightstand. It’s almost midnight. I’ve been at this Google search for a while. But even though it’s late, I open my phone to Caleb’s name, happy that we decided to exchange numbers last night after my family party.
Summer:62 million followers.
I hold my phone in my hand, hoping it’s not too late for him to respond. My lips spread into a smile the moment his text comes through.
Caleb:They’re called subscribers.
Summer:Same thing.
Caleb:Not really.
Summer:I’m embarrassed that I called myself a pro at ice climbing today when the real pro was my guide. From the looks of things, you didn’t even need to use ropes to climb that waterfall.
Caleb:Sounds like somebody finally watched my YouTube channel.
Summer:I glanced through it.
Caleb:And?
And everything I thought I knew about Caleb has been flipped upside down. He’s not reckless and immature. He’s daring andwildlyattractive.
Summer:And I’m impressed.
Caleb:Good.
I can picture his smile right now—smug and full of charming swagger.
Caleb:What do we have planned for tomorrow?
Summer:Nothing. Some of us have to go back to work. We don’t have 62 million followers, which makes it possible for us to take a break during the holidays.
Caleb:Subscribers.
Summer:Same thing.
Caleb:Not really.
I bite the side of my cheek, but the action does nothing to suppress my smile.
Summer:The next activity on the calendar is Wednesday. Noel Night with my family for the tree lighting and ice skating. Come prepared to be my fake boyfriend.
Caleb:Looking forward to it.
What’s he looking forward to? The entire night as a whole, or being my fake boyfriend? I’m dying to know, but at the same time, I’m happy for my ignorance.
