My Neighbor Rusty

Chapter 3

Later that night I stood in my room staring at the three outfits Harmony had picked out for me to wear for my brothers party. Autumn, Jonah and Kane had gone back to their house after agreeing to come to the party. Whilst, Tucker and Jasper went back to his room and Harmony and I went back to mine. Apparently, Tucker needed us to get ready and help him decorate. "Harmony, I don't understand why I can't just wear what I have on." I complained. Harmony crossed her arms. "Isla, sweetheart, you have obviously never been to a beach party. You can not, I repeat CAN NOT wear sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt. Just pick an outfit or I will have to pick for you." Harmony said. I groaned and sat down in my black trampoline chair. "Go ahead then, since you seem to know everything about beach parties." I said. Harmony huffed and rolled her eyes then proceeded to decide what I should wear. I pulled my legs up to my chest and rested my head on my knees, watching Harmony mumble to herself over the clothes. I had a feeling this was going to take a while so I began thinking about what had happened while we were surfing. Not much really happened, but it turns out Jonah really sucks at surfing and he kept falling into us knocking us all off our boards to the point where we all decided to just stop and get ready for Tucker's party which they all seemed excited for. "AHA! I've got it!" Harmony exclaimed. She held up a sundress with a white top and a pink skirt with white floral designs on it. "It's a beach party, not a wedding." I said. Harmony threw the dress at me. "Just go put it on." Harmony said and I did. When I came back in the room Harmony grinned like an idiot. "Don't you look dashing." She said. I rolled my eyes at her and closed my door to see myself in the full length mirror I had hung on the back of it. It was cute but it was missing something. I walked over to my closet and opened the door searching hanger after hanger until I found my favorite half sleeve creme cardigan, I slipped it on and grabbed my gold sandals as well. I sat down on the edge of my bed and put on the shoes. I stood up and looked over at Harmony. She clapped. "Beautiful, but you have to fix your hair." She said. I walked over to my mirror again and grabbed my brush off of my nightstand. I brushed my hair into a high ponytail and secured it with an elastic. "Great, I'm done, Now come on let's go help my brother and not-so-secret admirer set up." I said. Harmony stood up and followed me into the kitchen where Tucker and Jasper were attempting to make cookies. I exchanged glances with Harmony and we both cracked up. "You guys are doing that so wrong." I said rushing over to help them. I took the egg out of Jasper's hand and cracked it on the side of the counter before dropping the insides into the bowl of batter. "Oh that's how you crack an egg." Jasper said sarcastically. "It's not that hard. Here you try." I said handing him the third and final egg. He took it slowly and did the same as I did only he dropped a bit of shell into the batter. "Very good." I said picking out the shells and threw them in the garbage can. I heard laughing and I looked over at the island. Autumn, Jonah, Kane and a girl I didn't know sat there on the chairs. "Oh hey guys." I said. They all waved. Harmony went over and sat next to Autumn. "Oh by the way, Harmony, Isla, this is my cousin and these twos triplet, Alice." Autumn said gesturing to the girl next to Kane. "Hello." Harmony said. I just waved and pulled myself up on the counter. "So I'm guessing you're the pretty girl Rusty was telling me about." Alice said watching me carefully. I blushed. "Me? I doubt it. Harmony's the pretty one." I said.

"But he didn't meet Harmony. I was standing there the whole time, Isla." Autumn said. I blushed a deeper red. I heard them all laughing at me but I didn't care. Did he really call me beautiful? No one besides my parents have ever called me beautiful especially not a guy. I had stopped paying attention to their conversations and I didn't hear the question they asked me. The next thing I knew something sticky was thrown at my face. "AHH! Tucker, what in the world was that for?!" I yelled at my brother wiping the cookie dough off my face with a dish towel that Jasper handed me.

"We asked you a question and you didn't respond."

"So you throw cookie dough at me?"

"Yep."