suburban legends - chris sturniolo

chapter 1

blake's pov ☆

the car is sweltering and i pull at the collar of my shirt, hoping for some relief. 

my sister margo leans forward in the drivers seat to get a better view of the left hand turn were about to make. on the corner two younger girls stand frozen, staring at us. one girl pulls out her phone and the other begins to yell margo's name. 

i slide down deeper in the tan leather seat and pull my sunglasses down from my head. margo isn't even phased by the attention. either that or she didn't notice at all (i wouldn't be surprised, she lives in her own little world.)

spring weather in malibu is never gentle, and the way the sun feels as its beating down on the open car is anything but comfortable. unfortunately, the breeze backs off as we pull into our neighborhood, and sweat beads on my face.

camera crew vans block the driveway so we leave the car on the street and make our way inside. filming days are never my favorite, but it's an excuse to see my sisters, so i try not to think about the specifics and focus on family time. 

i can hear rowans voice echoing in the foyer and margo begins peaking around, trying to find our sister. a man's voice can be heard, asking asinine questions. 

when i reach the kitchen dallas and jade are gathered around the counter, giggling about something in a whisper. i catch dallas' eye and she almost squeals when she sees me, a normal reaction for her excitable self. shhh's come from the living room, which is now in view. rowan sits under countless bright lights, and there are a few production people silently running around behind the camera.

"long time no see, americas next top model," jade grins.

"how was it?" dallas asks, giving me a hug. 

its been a two weeks since i've seen my sisters. partially because they're the busiest people in the world, and partially because i had work in miami. the "work" was a cover shoot for vogue. they're running an article on influencers under 21 and they asked me to do an editorial shoot for them.

 this was no small deal. in fact, thats an understatement. it was the most amazing  thing i've ever done in my life. i try to play it cool in front of my older sisters, though. i get so embarrassed when they make a big deal out of stuff. 

"good," i sing, tilting my head and reaching for a strawberry off the fruit display laid out on the kitchen island.

"those tiktok dances paid off, huh?" jade says. 

"god, you sound so old," margo reappears, striding into the room. 

i'm 20, margo is 23, and the rest of my sisters (dallas, rowan, and jade) are all in their 40s. it would be a lot to ask of them to try to understand tiktok, so i don't even bother correcting jade. 

for the record, though, i hardly ever do dances. 

i grew up in the spotlight of my families reality show. all my sister's made something off it. businesses, acting, fashion. they are all decidedly extremely successful public figures.

i, on the other hand, only have social media. this random strike of fame only happened in the last year, and my sisters all consider it my "path." as silly as it sounds, they're proud of me. i developed a "fanbase" of sorts independently of the show, which is something none of them have done. i don't see it as my path at all though. i have dreams of being a singer, but i find it to be the most embarrassing dream in the world, and unlikely to work out, so i keep that close to my chest. 

"alright, i'm tapping out!" rowan approaches us. jade is called over by the producers and disappears into the living room. 

"what are you guys doing tonight?" dallas asks, tapping away on her phone. "i want to try that new mediterranean place."