Neighbors- Rachel Ballinger

4-Taylor

I knocked carefully on the door.
"Hey Taylor!" Colleen opened the door. "Nice sweatshirt!"
"Hi Colleen! Thanks!" I said.
"Come on in, I made more of those ice cream cone cupcakes!" She said excitedly.
"Oh cool!" I walked in.
There were less people there.
Rachel
Colleen
Josh
Matt
Gwen
Trent
Tim
I was still a little overwhelmed.
"Don't stress," Rachel whispered in my ear, "We are going outside soon."
I smiled. "Rachel, when you get a second can I talk to you about something kind of important?"
"Yeah, I have to help my dad start the bonfire, and once everyone else goes outside you and I can sit in here and talk. How does that sound?" She asked.
"Sounds good," I smiled.
Rachel walked outside.
"Hey Taylor!" Matt (Rachel's boyfriend) came over.
"Hi Matt!" I said. "What's up?"
"Not much. You?" He wasn't one to talk much. He never wanted to be on camera. He was the kind to work his magic off-screen.
"Same," I tried not to pressure him into a long conversation.
"We are going to play football later, if you want to join," he offered.
"Yeah sure!" I said.
He smiled and walked away.
"Okay, Taylor, I'm back!" Rachel came back over.
"Hi!" I said like I just met her.
She smiled and sat down next to me.
Everyone else started heading out to the bonfire.
"So what's up?" Rachel asked once we were alone.
"Ummm a lot I guess," I was more nervous than I thought I'd be. "I guess I just feel kind of useless in this world. I don't have any friends and I spend most of my time watching YouTube or playing basketball with myself. I also have really bad anxiety and don't have anyone I can talk to when I'm having a hard time."
"Wow, you know I would've never guessed, because when I met you, you seemed like the happiest person," Rachel said. "I know I live in LA, but I will be that person. You can call or text me anytime. How about that?"
"Really?" I said.
"Of course, and when I visit you and I will hang out ok?" She asked.
"Yes! Thank you Rachel!!" I smiled.
We stood up and she hugged me. It was the best hug I'd ever received.
We walked outside and joined the festivities.
There were s'mores! I grabbed a marshmallow and a stick and got to work. My dad taught me how to make the perfect s'more.
1. Attach a marshmallow to a stick
2. Put it right by the coals of the fire and slowly rotate it until it is golden brown all the way around.
3. Take 2 squares of Hershey's chocolate
4. Put it on a graham cracker
5. Set the marshmallow on top of that
6. Take as second graham cracker and slowly squish them together
7. ENJOY!
Everyone watched me as I made it, which for once didn't make me nervous.
"I just burn the heck out of mine!" Rachel said.
"I used to until my dad taught me this way. It is so good!" I said.
Colleen pulled out her Vloggie. "Hey guys! Sorry I haven't been blogging lately. I've been busy! I'm here in Sant Barbra with the fam! My parents just got new neighbors so we came down to meet them! Now we're just chilling around a bonfire, learning how to make the perfect s'more. Apparently if you don't burn the heck out of it, it is better! Who knew?"
"Hey Colleen why don't you introduce our new friend!" Rachel said winking at me.
"This is Taylor! She's one of the new neighbors!" Colleen said.
I waved and smiled.
Turn the camera off please, I don't want to be in the video! I don't want people at school to know!
Colleen turned off the camera like she was reading my mind. "Should've asked before I turned it on, sorry just a habit."
"Don't worry! I've secretly always wanted to be in one of your videos," I said not sure if it was the truth or I was lying.
"Really?" She asked.
"Yeah!" Still wasn't sure if I was telling the truth.
The bonfire went on without incident.
At 11:30 my mom texted me and told me to come home.
"Sorry to leave, but mom is calling me home," I said sadly.
"Aww," everyone said.
Colleen, Rachel, Josh, Gwen, and even Matt hugged me before I left.
Rachel, Colleen, and Josh even gave me their phone numbers!
I didn't rush home. I walked down the sidewalk and up our driveway, in no hurry, just trying to absorb everything that had happened.
"You took twenty minutes to walk home!" Mom yelled the second I walked through the door.
"Sorry, I was sidetracked. Everyone has to say goodbye," I said walking past her and heading up to my room.
I put on some pajamas and went to bed. I didn't watch YouTube because I didn't need to catch up, I had talked to them in person.
Tonight was absolutely amazing. I can't imagine a better time! I opened up to Rachel and she told me she would be there for me! I got Colleen and Joshua Evans' phone numbers!!!! I was in Colleen's volg! Tonight couldn't have gotten any better. I made at least 3 friends! I don't even care that they are older than me. Tonight was the best night of my life without a doubt. I wish I could've had a friend my age to experience it with me.... I wish I could've had someone who I could tell ALL about last night, someone who didn't experience, someone who wasn't there.
I stopped wishing for things I never thought I would get and half cried, half smiled till I fell asleep.
My dreams were a confusing mix of emotions and I didn't know how to react when I woke up and remembered every detail of everyone. I grabbed a price of paper and wrote them all down, so that I could look back at them later and not have to try to remember them.
"Taylor! Downstairs! Now!" Dad called.
I raced down. "OH MY GOD!"