Page 36 of Someone Just Followed You

Maple: Yeah, someone who actually knew Ella and her family, that the whole ballet story is fake news. And that the truth is Ella had a big fight with her mom in early January last year and ran away. But Selena Hart, her mom, didn’t want to admit that, so she made up a bullshit narrative about ballet to cover up why Ella stopped posting on social media. And no one has seen Ella since. Which we think is very sus.

Dylan: But we don’t know any of this for sure. I mean, they could have had a fight, and Ella still made it to London. Or there’s a chance our source could be wrong. But if she did take off by herself, where is she now? That was eighteen months ago. It’s one thing to want a break from social media, but who stays offline for that long?

Maple: And so we’ve started this channel to find Ella in case she’s in trouble. And we need your help.

Dylan: Yeah, we want this to be a community thing. So if you know where Ella is, or have something you want to say, jump into the Live Chat and we’ll talk about it. Also, if you are Ella, and you want us to quit looking for you, just tell us and we’re gone.

Maple: But for all the rest of you, in case you can’t remember what she looks like, we’re showing some pictures of her now.

Dylan: Okay, guys, we’re loving the chat, but remember this is about finding Ella, not about whether Maple and I are dating, which we’re not, by the way.

Maple: No. Definitely not. Okay, anyway, hey look Dylan, LoobyTrue101 has said something interesting. She met the whole Hart family at a YouTube meet-and-greet event in the summer before Ella disappeared. She says they all seemed super nice, but Ella had some bruises on her arm, like someone had gripped her really hard.

Dylan: Bruises? Wow, that’s not cool. AngelicaTombes11 has commented too. She says her cousin went to elementary school with Maia, one of Ella’s younger sisters, and that her aunt didn’t like Selena at all. Apparently, she’d invite Angelica’s cousin for playdates, then feature her on their channel without asking her mom’s permission.

Maple: Permission to be filmed? I mean, that’s overkill, isn’t it?

Dylan: Not to Angelica’s aunt, I guess. Anyway, it seems a lot of you noticed how Ella’s vibe changed in the year or so before she left. We picked up on that too and have been wondering why that was. Does anyone watching today know Ella directly? Could you give us any insight into what was going on with her?

Maple: It looks like lots of you have opinions, and we’re grateful that you’re engaging with this. But NachosandCheese99, do you have any proof that Ella was taking drugs? And Hideout482, I think abortions are against the law in Texas now, so don’t say stuff that could get Ella into trouble unless you’re really sure, okay?

Dylan: Look, LucyStarkBalletDancer has got involved. She says she’s studying at the Houston Ballet School, and she doesn’t think Ella would get into the Royal Ballet School in England. She thinks Ella’s a great dancer but isn’t committed enough to ballet. Jealous maybe?

Maple: Or the best evidence so far that Selena Hart lied. Oh wow, look. Ruby Marshall is watching us from London. She says that she follows a few Royal Ballet dancers on Instagram, and they post content all the time. So why hasn’t Ella?

Dylan: You know, my gut is telling me that she’s still here, in America. And your comments back that up, I think.

Maple: Which means her mom totally lied about her own daughter.

Dylan: So much for being the perfect family.

Maple: You know, to me, it makes sense that Ella would want to get away; having eight million subscribers watch your whole life playing out must be intense. But why hasn’t she shown up anywhere else? We’ve had over three hundred comments, and no one says they’ve seen her, or know anyone who has.

Dylan: No one’s got anything good to say about her parents either. It’s funny. None of you seem to like Selena and Bodi Hart, or how they raise their kids, or how they post so much content about their family life. But millions of people watch their channel every day. Go figure.

Maple: I reckon DaisyfromSeattle has got it right. She says it’s the same reason why everyone slows down for a car crash.

Dylan: They want to watch the trail of destruction.

Maple: But has Ella’s life been destroyed, or has she escaped destruction? That’s the question we want to answer. We really hope that she’s safe and living her best off-grid life. But we’re worried she isn’t. That she’s in trouble, or worse. We think she was struggling with something before she disappeared, and she hasn’t been online since, or been spotted in the real world. Worse than that, her parents seem to have put their own reputation before Ella’s wellbeing, which says a lot about what kind of parents they are.

Dylan: So we are going to continue reaching out to people who know Ella, and we’ll post on our socials when the next live Maple & Dylan show will broadcast, so make sure you’re following us both, and subscribing to our channel.

Maple: And get in touch using the hashtag ‘Find Ella’. Thanks, guys.

Chapter 44

Kirsten

What the actual fuck?

No, no, no, this can’t be happening.

I push my laptop away, as though that might stop the live stream, then pull it back in case I miss something. What the hell is Maple doing? She told me this new channel was just her and Dylan hanging out, talking about stuff that interests them both. I thought she meant skateboarding, or music, or cool clothing brands, while keeping the romance drama on a simmer. Not this. Not making accusations about one of America’s most-loved influencer families.

I mean, I know true crime is popular, but there are other YouTubers who focus on it. The ones with nose piercings who wear black and aren’t blessed with Maple’s looks or talent. Maybe this kind of content will get her some new followers in the short term – everyone loves a missing girl, especially a famous one – but it will also make her a target, divide opinion, scare brands away. And what then?

She’ll fade away. Become just another shouty TikToker that people will grow bored of. And the effect on her earning potential will be devastating. Maddie is probably having a heart attack right now, and then she’ll recover just enough to fire us from her hospital bed.