The Boy Next Door (R5 fanfic)

Chapter 5

The next morning I wake up feeling better than I have in months.  Finally, everything is going perfectly in my life.  Last night was the most fun I have had in a long time.  We all ate Mary’s delicious meal, joking and laughing between bites.  Then we talked the night away.  Stormie and Mark talked with Rachel in the kitchen while they washed the dishes.  The rest of us made a big circle in the backyard with lawn chairs around the empty fire pit.  Ross sat very close to me and continued to whisper in my ear the comments he was not willing to make in front of his siblings.  I kept catching Ryland looking at Mary while Mary was focused on Rocky.  Nicole, who adores Ross as much as I do, sat between Riker and Rydel and I could not help but feel a little bad that Ross seemed to be interested in me instead of her.  The Lynch’s returned to their home a couple of hours later, promising to hang out with us girls again sometime soon. 

I made my way to the kitchen and saw Nicole already awake, sitting at the island with a bowl of cereal in front of her.

“Good morning”, I smile, grabbing an orange from the fridge.  Nicole just nods in acknowledgement.  “Did you have fun last night?”

 “Yeah”, Nicole replies, with a tone that does not sound very genuine. 

“I’m sorry.  About last night and Ross talking to me.  I know that you like him too so if you want, I can back off or something”, I say, not wanting her to hate me for the summer but also hoping she will not mind if Ross does like me.

“No, it’s okay.  Really.  I’m happy for you.  I mean, yeah, I’m a little bummed that he didn’t seem all that interested in me, at least not in the way I was hoping, but if the roles were reversed I would want you to be okay with it so I am too.  Besides, even though Riker is a few years older than me, he’s still a hottie.  A single hottie no less”, Nicole laughs.

“Good!  I’m glad that’s all settled then”, I say, coming up behind her and giving her a hug while whispering a simple thank you. 

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For the rest of the week we roamed the city.  With the help of our neighbors we were able to avoid the locations that were over-packed with tourists.  Rydel took us to the beach one day and explored the piers with us.  Another day we went out to dinner with the Lynch’s and got the chance to meet Ellington who is just as funny as he is on the many videos scattered across YouTube.  Unfortunately, Ross and I have not yet had the chance to hang out, just the two of us.  He has been busy filming for his television show, Austin & Ally, a set he promises to bring me to one day. 

After being in Los Angeles for only a week, I feel like I have had the chance to explore everything worth exploring.  Rydel and I have become so close, having similar tastes in fashion and movies and TV shows and food, especially food.  Mary and Rydel trade recipes of their  favorite desserts resulting in a lot of cookies and brownies and cakes for me to try.  Rydel has even taken Nicole to a dance studio and taught her a few new moves. 

I lie in bed that night, just staring up at the ceiling, feeling so grateful that I decided to come out to LA.  I have gotten the chance to see this huge city and also have been graced with the possibility of falling in love.  Best decision ever I think to myself as I doze off.