A Penny's Worth Of Diamonds.

Welcome Wagon

Continued...

The sound of knuckles rapping on my front door woke me up. I looked at the time on my phone. 10am. I hadn't had my beauty sleep yet and I could feel my head pounding a little from the slight hangover I had. Grudgingly, I got out of bed. Some point after I got home, I had changed into my nightclothes which consisted of an ankle length caramel brown bathrobe only. It'd have to do I thought to myself and slipped into my white bunny bedroom slippers.

I opened the door just a crack. The bright lights outside assaulted my eyes before someone blocked my vision. I looked at the person and it was Brandie the bartender. She still had her silver grey hair up in a tight looking high ponytail that fell just under her armpit. This time she wore a colourful orange and white striped long-sleeved tee with light grey slacks and red court shoes. I stepped out of the house to say hello to her when I saw another person behind her. She looked to be in her twenties. She wore a simple royal purple top and slightly fitted yellow jeans. Her brown hair was tied up in pig tails with an olive green plaid beret. In her right hand she balanced a dish. Fruit cake. Ugh.

"Hi, I'm Brandie. We met at the Blue Velvet nightclub last night" She said, introducing her self. 'Met' isn't the word I'd use.

"I'm Liberty. I'm your neighbour. A couple of us thought we'd come by and welcome you into the neighbourhood" The other person said.

"We came by yesterday but you weren't in so we came again today" Brandie chipped in "Can we come in?" She asked with a friendly smile.

"Oh...err. Yea sure." My manners kicked in. I stood aside for them to pass by me and was about to follow when two others walked straight by me and entered without saying a word to me. I figured they were also part of the welcome wagon so let them through.

"Hi" I said to the female who entered last. She had platinum blonde hair, beautiful brilliant blue eyes and pale creamy skin giving her the barbie look. Her hair was elegantly styled into a single French braid falling down her back below her shoulder blades. Her outfit was similar to my day ensemble except her boobs filled the tee better than mine did, her skirt was a cobalt blue as opposed to my pastel blue and she wore blue sneakers.

"Hi, I'm Summer. Summer Holiday. I live a couple of houses down from you with this hunk over here" She said piping up. That was a...unique name.

I got a call on my phone from Bella. Strange. When did we exchange numbers.

"Hey, I'd like to come over to hang out. Is that okay" She asked.

Frankly speaking, it was not okay. I was tired and I needed some sleep but my front room and adjoining kitchen were filled with a bunch of strangers. One familiar face wouldn't hurt.

"Ok" I replied. She hung up the phone

Turning to Liberty, I tried to make conversation but she gave me a bored look and settled in my two seat sofa with Hunk. I guess she didn't really like me then.

"So, where do you work, Summer?" I asked.

"I'm a Culinary at Make A Dish" She replied after making herself comfortable on my dining chair. Bella entered the house unannounced and sat down to Summers' left.

"I think I'm sick" Brandie said out of the blue.

"I'm Travis, in case you were wondering" Hunk said from the sofa simultaneously.

"Thanks for coming" I thanked him.

"I'm glad we had the chance to chat!" He said before returning to his conversation with Liberty.

Bella was radiating tension. I guess she hadn't realised I was having my welcome today so I decided talk to her.

"Where do you work?" I asked.

"Im a secret agent at S.I.M.S" She replied nonchalantly.

Summer cracked a joke which I barely heard shocked Bella had so blatantly said in front of everyone she was a secret agent but I had a feeling everyone knew so I shrugged it off and my odd self found me asking her to take a photo which she didn't object to and we hugged after. We were officially friends now. Travis occupied the chair Bella was sitting in and started talking to Brandie who had finished her portion of Liberty's Gourmet Fruitcake. Summer joined Liberty on the sofa and the two of them listened in on Travis and Brandie's conversation.

I joined in talking about my favourite authors. Liberty came to sit in the chair right by me. The one Summer occupied previously and I decided to engage in conversation with her to try to mend our friendship. She responded without the negativity and said said she had to leave. Summer had returned to the dining area as well and was involved in animated discussion with Travis and Brandie about the neighbourhood changes and things I didn't know about so I stuck to talking with Bella but our conversations merged together once in a while and I found out that Brandie is a mixologist. That I already knew but she was a bookworm as well. We discussed the book I read the day before. She sided with Gina and I chose not to argue with her on the point but she also recommended other books which I was certainly going to read. Travis was a Tech Guru at Rainy Day Entertainment .

Liberty was a mean girl but she certainly knew how to cook. This food was actually dee-licious! It would have been a truly fruity delicacy if there were any fruits in it but it didn't matter.

"Well, I think it's time to be going. See you around! Thanks for hosting!" Brandie shouted from my bedroom. I had no idea how she wound up in there.

"I should really get going now. Thanks for hanging out with me. See you later" She said again after she hadn't moved for five minutes. Summer, Travis and Bella also said their thanks and goodbyes then left right after Brandie had found her way out.

It was 4pm when they all finally left and I felt physically drained. All my plans for today had been thwarted by the welcome wagon. I'd have to job hunt tomorrow then. I decided to sleep for a couple of hours then check out the gym when I woke up.

THE END

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Would you like to see this as a story on its own? I stopped playing this save after they left. Was tired of shifting screens.