Jennifer looked at Lucas with a mix of concern and admiration. "I've never had stalkers before - and I certainly don't want any," she said.
Lucas chuckled, "Aye, I doubt you'll avoid it forever. Maybe you'll get one in the future."
She nudged him playfully, "Are you wishing stalkers on me now?"
He shrugged, a mischievous glint in his eye. "I shouldn't be the only one suffering, right?"
"You're so bad!" Jennifer exclaimed, laughing.
Lucas grinned wolfishly, "I've been bad for a long time."
"No way, back then you were a sheep!"
"Because I'm a sheep in wolf's clothing - wait, it's the other way around," Lucas scratched the back of his head while Jennifer laughed softly.
As they enjoyed their time together, taking pictures, Lucas surprised Jennifer by approaching a nearby paparazzi. "You guys have a copy of our photo together? Can I have one for free?"
The paparazzi were dumbfounded. They exchanged glances before one handed Lucas a printed photo. "Here, man."
"Thanks," Lucas said, grabbing the photo and rejoining an amused Jennifer.
As the couple walked away, the paparazzi couldn't believe what had just happened.
"Goddamn, I didn't expect Lucas Knight to ask us for a photo."
"This is definitely going in my notes - the world needs to know this."
"Ha! Who would believe it?"
"Nobody, except I've got video proof. I could sell this for a nice sum-"
"Really? Please send me the video, bro!"
"No way, this is all mine."
Their banter faded as Lucas and Jennifer continued their walk, leaving behind a group of very confused but excited paparazzi.
***
Back at the apartment, Lucas filled Jennifer in on his recent activities, particularly his involvement with Netflix.
Jennifer leaned forward, intrigued. "So you've been investing a lot of money in this project called 'Stranger Things'?"
Lucas nodded, his eyes lighting up. "Yeah, it's this really interesting project. It's set in the 80s, about a group of kids who encounter supernatural forces and secret government experiments. There's this girl with psychokinetic abilities, and a boy who goes missing..."
As Lucas described the story, Jennifer's interest grew. "Sounds trippy. Like 'Stand By Me' on acid or something?"
Lucas chuckled. "Kind of. Think more 'E.T.' meets 'The X-Files', but with mullets."
Jennifer snorted. "God, the 80s were weird. But hey, people eat that nostalgia stuff up." She paused, then grinned. "Just tell me there's at least one girl who isn't just there to scream and look pretty."
"Oh, trust me," Lucas smirked, "the girls in this show could kick both our asses."
"Good," Jennifer nodded, tossing a piece of popcorn at him. "Cause if I hear about another boys' club show, I'm gonna lose it."
They laughed as time wore on. Lucas even invited Jennifer to join the casting for "Stranger Things" when the time came, and she agreed without hesitation.
They settled into a comfortable silence, watching a movie together. Suddenly, Lucas piped up, phone in hand, "Hey, look. That 'Shallow' song I did with Taylor is blowing up on Vine."
Jennifer, lounging on the sofa with her popcorn, glanced at the phone. She saw Vine users belting out "Shallow" and rolled her eyes. "Ugh. Now I'm remembering your little duet with Taylor."
Lucas chuckled, noting her obvious jealousy. Then an idea struck him. "Hey, why don't we do a slow dance Vine video to 'Shallow'?"
"You'll post it on social media?" Jennifer asked, eyebrow raised.
"Yeah, on Vine."
"Ugh, I don't wanna," she groaned, sinking deeper into the couch.
"Come on, it'll be fun," Lucas prodded, grinning.
Jennifer yawned dramatically. "Tomorrow. I'm beat right now."
"You said it," Lucas replied, a mischievous glint in his eye. "No takebacks."
Jennifer threw a piece of popcorn at him, laughing. "Fine, fine. But if I look like a dork, I'm blaming you."
The night flew by, and they woke up tangled in sheets. After a lazy breakfast, Jennifer thought she was in the clear, relief washing over her as Lucas seemed to have forgotten about the Vine video.
But just as she was about to suggest a movie marathon, Lucas piped up, "So, about that dance video..."
Jennifer let out a dramatic groan. "Oh god, you actually remembered."
"A deal's a deal," Lucas grinned, looking far too chipper for Jennifer's liking.
She sighed, admitting defeat. "Fine, fine. But let me do my makeup first. If my manager sees me looking like a troll on camera, she'll have my head."
Lucas chuckled, "Go on, princess. I'll be here, warming up my killer dance moves."
"Don't you dare start without me," Jennifer called over her shoulder as she headed to the bathroom. "And if you make me look stupid, I'm posting all those dorky high school photos of you I found."
Lucas froze for a moment, the original Lucas's memories suddenly flooding back. His eyes widened as he gasped, "Wait, you have those... those photos?"
Jennifer's laughter echoed from the bathroom. "Got curious about baby Lucas. Did some digging in my free time. You were quite the dork, weren't you?"
"You wouldn't dare post those," Lucas said, his voice a mix of horror and disbelief.
"Try me, Knight!" Jennifer's playful threat rang out.
Lucas could only throw his hands up in defeat. "Okay, okay, I'll wait. No funny business, I swear."
"That's what I thought," Jennifer replied, smugness dripping from her voice as she disappeared into the room to change and do her makeup.
Left alone, Lucas couldn't help but chuckle at the situation. It was strange how these memories from the original Lucas could still catch him off guard sometimes.
But as he settled in to wait, he found himself grateful for these moments of normalcy, of being just another guy dreading the exposure of his embarrassing high school photos.
Lucas drummed his fingers on the armrest, wondering if Jennifer was remodeling the entire bathroom. Finally, she emerged, looking like she was ready for a red carpet event.
"Jeez, are you accepting an Oscar or something?" Lucas quipped.
Jennifer raised an eyebrow, eyeing his rumpled t-shirt and bed hair. "Says the guy who looks like he just rolled out of a dumpster. You sure you want to go viral looking like that?"
Lucas shrugged. "I washed my face."
"Oh honey, no," Jennifer shook her head, grabbing his arm. "Come on, Swamp Thing. Let's make you presentable."
Before Lucas could protest, he found himself being pushed into the bedroom. Fifteen minutes of Jennifer's fussing later, they both looked ready to walk a movie premiere.
"Nice," Jennifer nodded approvingly. "Now let's do this Vine video."
Lucas stood there, speechless, wondering how he'd gone from 'quick dance video' to 'Hollywood glamour shoot'.
"What?" Jennifer grinned, noticing his expression. "If we're going viral, we're doing it right. Now, where's that phone?"
Lucas could only shake his head and laugh. This was definitely not what he'd had in mind, but he had to admit, they looked good.
Lucas fiddled with his phone, setting up the Vine recording. The app's interface was eerily similar to TikTok from his previous life, complete with filters and familiar mechanics. He'd intentionally designed it that way, knowing how popular TikTok would become. As phones got more powerful, he planned to add even more filter effects to Vine.
He hit the timer and jogged back to Jennifer, who looked a bit nervous.
"How are we doing this?" she whispered. "We didn't practice or anything."
Lucas chuckled and said, "Let's just do that waltz we did at the Oscar after-party."
Jennifer's eyes lit up with recognition. "Oh, that one. Okay, I think I remember."
The opening notes of "Shallow" filled the room, and they began to dance.
***
Meanwhile, as soon as the video of Lucas and Jennifer slow dancing to "Shallow" hit Vine, it quickly caught fire.
Within minutes, the video racked up ten thousand likes. The newly added like button on Vine was getting a serious workout.
The comments section exploded:
"Damn, 'Shallow' is such a banger!"
"It'd be better if Lucas was dancing with Taylor. She's way hotter than Jennifer."
This last comment immediately sparked a fierce debate:
"Are you blind? Lucas and Jennifer are perfect together! #LuciferForever"
"Taylor who? Jennifer's the real deal. Back off, Swifties!"
As the hours ticked by, the video's popularity skyrocketed. Soon, it wasn't just a viral video - it was a full-blown trend. Vine users everywhere were posting their own versions of the dance, all set to "Shallow."
Some were genuinely romantic, others hilariously awkward, but all of them traced back to Lucas and Jennifer's impromptu performance.
The trend exploded when Taylor Swift herself dropped a comment on Lucas and Jennifer's Vine:
"You guys are adorable! 😍 But Lucas, your rhythm's a bit off. Need some dance lessons? 😉"
This surprise appearance sent shockwaves through social media. People were stunned because, until now, Lucas had been the only A-list celebrity actively using Vine. In fact, besides Lucas, the platform had been devoid of any notable A-list or even B-list stars.
Taylor's sudden presence on Vine triggered a chain reaction. It was as if she had given the app her seal of approval, making it "safe" for other celebrities to join. The floodgates opened almost immediately.
Within hours, Vine saw an unprecedented surge in high-profile sign-ups. A-listers who had previously ignored the platform were now scrambling to create accounts. The app stores could barely keep up with the demand as both fans and celebrities rushed to download Vine.
Justin Timberlake posted a video of himself doing an over-the-top solo interpretation of the dance, complete with dramatic hair flips and exaggerated facial expressions. His caption read: "Who needs a partner when you've got these moves? 🕺 #ShallowSolo"
Meanwhile, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds shared a hilarious attempt at the dance, with Ryan consistently stepping on Blake's toes. Their video ended with Blake playfully shoving Ryan out of frame.
Even Beyoncé and Jay-Z got in on the action, posting a surprisingly sweet and intimate version of the dance that had fans swooning.
As more celebrities joined in, Vine became the hottest social media platform overnight.
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