The Boy Next Door

the surprise

"What?" I ask. They all exchanged excited glances.

"You know what VidCon is?" Asks Caleb. VidCon is when a bunch of YouTubers and subscribers go to Southern California and meet up. I've always wanted to go, but I've been living in England, so...

"Yeah..."

"Well, you're coming with us to vidcon... On Monday!"

"Oh my God! Oh my GOD! WHAT? REALLY?"

"Really!"

"OH MY GOD!!!! WAIT, DID YOU ASK MY MUM?"

"Yes, we asked your Mum."

"Wait, wait, so I'M going to VidCon?!"

"YES!" Yells Annie.

"Is my family coming also?"

"No, my dad was gonna come, but then something came up. But we bought tickets for the plane and to VidCon that we can't refund, and we weren't sure what to do with the last one. Then you came to mind, and everyone agreed, so my Mom called yours and she said you could come with us!" Caleb explains.

"THANK YOU SO, SO MUCH! I'M SO EXCITED!"

"US TOO!" Yells Hayley.

Once we get home to their house, we eat lunch and then Caleb, Annie, Hayley, and I all play Heads Up, but I can tell Caleb's really tired. He denies it, but then falls asleep on the couch. I decide I should go home and let him get some well deserved sleep. The LeBlancs are all going to some water park upstate over the weekend and I won't see them until Sunday night, when I'll sleep over at their house to catch the flight at 4:30 in the morning. We'll need to get up at 2:00. I hug everyone goodbye and thank them again.

When I get home, it's 2:30. I thank my mom over and over again, and then go to my room and watch Glee until dinner. Mum makes homemade pizza. It's really good. I go to my room and FaceTime Caleb until 8:00. He says he'll FaceTime me when he gets to the hotel tommorow. Once we hang up, I watch the Bratayley video that was uploaded tonight. It's called 'Guess Who's Coming to VidCon With Us!' And the cover picture is of Hayley and I, because we were sitting beside each other in the car. My heart skips a beat, it's really exciting to see yourself on the cover of something like this. I read a chapter of Girl Online and then go to sleep.

Over the weekend, Mum, Joey, and I explore our little town, Severna Park. There's a few cute little shops. We buy handmade pillows and coasters.I think it's a really nice place to live, very quiet and adorable, it's perfect. For the rest of the weekend, I watch a lot of Glee, and finish Girl Online. I need to buy the next book, Girl Online: On Tour. It sounds like it's going to be really good. I FaceTime Caleb a few times, and it seems like they're having a lot of fun. We can't really talk about anything personal though, because he's sharing a room with his family. I watch the Bratayley videos that come out over the weekend and my assumptions were correct, they're having a great time.

Soon enough, Sunday night comes. I'm going over to the LeBlanc's at 8:00, so I have an hour to pack. We're going to Anaheim, which is a city in southern California, and we're staying for three days. I pack my maroon high waisted shorts, my jean high waisted shorts, and my cut offs. Then I pack my white flowy tank top, my mint crop top with the heart face emoji, and my black crop top with the white arrow on it. I know there's a teen dance, so I pack my rose patterned low-high flowy dress and gray wedges. Then I pack my converse, and black flats. I pack my battered up copy of The Hunger Games, I must have read it fifteen times, it's definitely an oldie but a goodie. I pack my flat iron, makeup, hair products, and obviously I need my laptop. I change into my pajamas, Brighton Middle School Track sweatpants and a cozy maroon long sleeve shirt that used to belong to an older cousin of mine. I hug Mum, Dad, and Joey goodbye and head over to the LeBlanc's house.

Caleb opens the door, he's wearing flannel pajamas and a tee shirt from a camp. "Hey Eb," he says, hugging me. "I've missed you so much! Come in. We're watching Modern Family in the living room if you wanna join us. Oh, you'll be sleeping in Annie's room upstairs. He takes my suitcase and lifts it easily. I follow him upstairs, only carrying my small white leather rucksack. He puts my stuff on Annie's bed and we go downstairs.

"HEY EBONY!" Annie and Hayley shout.

"Hey guys! Did you have a good time at the water park?"

"Yeah!" Says Annie.

"It was awesome!" Says Hayley.

"Hello!" I say, turning to Katie and Billy.

"Hey Ebony," says Billy.

"Hey Ebony! Do you like Modern Family?" Asks Katie.

"I've never watched it, actually." I say.

"Well you're in for a treat!" Says Caleb. We sit in the same position we always sit in, my head on his chest. Modern Family ends up being really funny, and I'm doubled over with laughter a few times. We all go to bed relatively early, because we'll need to wake up at two in the morning. I fall asleep slowly, my head swimming with excited thoughts about VidCon.