Madison offers us something to drink but my mother politely declines and we start heading down the street.
"Wait!" Clyde chases after us.
He hands me a piece of paper.
"That's my phone number, text me when you can and we can talk," he smiles.
I nod, "I will, thanks," I can tell my face is red as I blush.
Clyde nods then turns and runs back to his house.
We keep walking and stop at the next house, my father taking the lead to the door this time. He knocks on the door and instantly it is opened by a short brown haired woman.
"Francine Halbert," the woman extends her hand to my fathers and shakes it as vigorously as Daisy when she plays with ropes.
"Jeffrey Flame," My father chuckles for a moment, though I can tell he tried to hold it back, "this is my wife Monica and our daughters Lana, Becca, and Kelly."
"Nice to meet you!" She shakes each of our hands, "you can call me Francine."
"Mom, where's the Twenty One Piolets CD!?" Someone calls from inside the house.
"Come here!" Francine yells back.
A tall boy comes to the door and stands behind her. He must get everything from his father. He's tall, blonde, and darker skinned, probably not just from the sun.
"This is my son Gale," Francine pushes her son in front of her, "Gale, this is Jeffrey, Monica, Lana, Kelly, and Becca."
I wave shyly, just as the oldest daughter had at the previous house.
"Gale is 19, moving out soon," Francine says, "how old are you Lana?"
My eyes grow wide, I imagine myself looking like a scared deer, too afraid to move.
"Uh- I'm sixteen," I finally say.
"Gale went to Katella High School, I'm sure that's where you'll be attending this year," Francine smiles, a big wolf smile, like she wants to pick our brains for everything we know.
I nod, "I'll be a Junior."
"What'd you think of the Travis' next door? I think they're very nice. That boy of theirs is your age," Francine says.
"Clyde? Yeah-" I smile sheepishly, imagining Francine as the Gossiper that knows everything that happens in the area.
She probably watches the window and social media instead of the news. Scratch that. She probably watches the news too. She'll know everything before anyone else does, and she'll be sure of that.
"Well we've best get going, we've got two more houses on this end of the street to visit and three on the other side of our house," My mother says, seemingly also uncomfortable in this woman's presence.
"Ok, have fun!" Francine waves to us as we walk towards the next house.
She stands on her steps watching us go.
I glance up and down the street as we walk down the sidewalk. The street is one of those ones where at the end- by our house- it curves, and the road goes back the way it came from.
My father knocks on the door to the next house and a few moments later a tall man opens the door, midway through combing back his dark hair. I think of the time Zack combed his hair by his locker and Ash stole his comb then handed it to me so I could hide it. I didn't take it far, Zack was chasing me the whole way and eventually pryed it out of my hand. I shake away the memory and bring myself back to the present.
"Joshua Klanter," the man shakes my fathers hand.
"Jeffrey Flame," My father introduces the rest of us just as before.
"You're the new folks?" Joshua asks.
"Yes we are," my mother smiles.
"Francine called me when she saw you going towards the Travis' house," Joshua explained, "be careful of her, she knows everything, secrets are hard to keep safe around her."
"She seemed like the neighborhood gossiper," I laugh sheepishly, glancing toward her porch to check if she's still there, which she isn't.
"You are correct, she is indeed," Joshua says, "I would introduce you to Ashley, my wife, but she's at work right now."
"Thats alright, I'm sure we'll have the opportunity to meet her soon," My mother says.
I pull out my phone and peek at it, I have 23 messages.
My mother tugs my arm as we walk towards the next house.
"You can check your phone afterwards," she whispers.
I nod, "ok," and slide my phone back into my pocket slowly.

We go from house to house meeting all of the neighbors; the Petersons, the Winchesters, the Andrews, and Mrs. Alissa Carpel, a sad woman who lives alone with her cats.
I pull out my phone after letting Daisy off her leash in the house. I glance at the time as I wait for my messages to load. It's 6:03

Ash: Lana
Ash: LANA IM FREAKING OUT
Ash: COME HOME
Ash: PLEASE
Ash: COME HOME NOW
Ash: I NEED YOU
Ash: P•L•E•A•S•E
Ash: COME BACK
Me: Yes, what's going on, I wish, I want to, I could if I would, what's up? I wish, I wish

I check my other messages as I wait for her response.

Zack: Hey
Zack: What're you doing?
Zack: Its been an hour
Zack: I feel ignored
Me: I wasn't ignoring you, I was meeting the neighbors
Zack: Cool, how'd that go?
Me: Eh. There was a boy that gave me his #
Zack: He cute? 😂
Me: 🤷‍♂️😂
Zack: Wdym?
Me: I mean I wasn't thinking about that

I set my phone down to breathe. I had someone else on my mind. Him. Zack.

I shut my bedroom door behind me as I enter the room. I head straight to my bed.
I lay down on my bed, its 6:08 now and I'm getting a bit tired from walking around meeting all these new people, even though it is still bright outside.
I remember Clyde's phone number in my pocket and enter it into my phone

Me: Hey, this is Lana from next door

I turn off my phone and wait a few minutes until my phone buzzes with a response.

Clyde: Hey Lana
Me: Here's a selfie for a contact pic

I take a few pictures of myself and choose the best one to send.

Clyde: Cool, here's one of me

He sends a picture of himself.

Me: So, you're 16?
Clyde: Yeah, February 3rd, you?
Me: I'm 16, June 6th
Clyde: Cool, I'm older than you
Me: Only by a few months!
Clyde: But still!
Me: 😂

My phone buzzes and I finally receive a response from Ash.

Ash: hiiiiii
Me: What's up?
Ash: just a minor break down, I'm fine
Me: aw, I'm sorry
Ash: nah, I'm fine
Me: wanna talk about it?

My phone buzzes again, a message from Clyde.

Clyde: What school are you going to go to?
Me: Katella High School
Clyde: That's where I go. Clarissa does too, she's a senior. She's 18 already but she was held back in fourth grade
Me: Cool, I'll know someone at our school when I start. Also, oof to Clarissa getting held back
Clyde: Yeah

The conversation comes to a screeching halt and I take a moment to check the time. Its already 6:48.

Ash: I just miss you and schools gonna start soon and you're not here
Me: I miss you too
Me: I am NOT excited to start at a new school
Me: but my neighbor gave me his number and he goes to the same school I'm starting at, so that's something
Ash: Oooooo
Me: yeah lmao

Me: What's your favorite color?
Clyde: Teal, why?
Me: Just wondering. Mine is pink
Clyde: Cool
Me: Ye

After a while of bouncing between conversations, even receiving a couple messages from my cousin Ella, my phone finally stops buzzing.
I go to exit the messages app and see that Zack is active and my heart flutters

Me: Hey, why are you still up?

I look at the time on my phone. 11:10. I stare at it until it turns to 11:11 and I close my eyes and make a wish.
I wish I could go home I open my eyes.

Zack: Just thinking
Me: Ah
About what?

I hope he says me. I play a scenario in my head while I wait:
Zack: You
Me: Me?
Zack: I uh
Zack: I like you
Me: I like you too

He responds and my dreams are crushed. They were unrealistic anyways.

Zack: Just a book I finished reading today
Me: What's it about?
Zack: Its a murder mystery
Me: Ooooo Cool
Zack: I should probably try to sleep
Me: But- but- but- awwwwww... Fine.
Zack: Its 1am 😂
Me: oh yeah 😳
Zack: Goodnight 😂
Me: Goodnight 😅

I blink my eyes, suddenly a wave of tiredness hits me. I turn off my phone and close my eyes to let sleep takeover.