My mother decides that since its now our third day here we need to go out and try to meet the neighbors.
I look down at my outfit, now black jeans with black convers and my Hades shirt from when I saw a Hercules adaptation. Hades is my favorite Greek god of all times.
If I go out looking like this I'll probably be called a goth freak or something I decided.
"I'm going to go change!" I call while walking to my room.
"Well hurry up, we're leaving as soon as your father gets out of the shower!" Mother calls after me.
I don't understand my father's obsession with the shower here, this is our third day here and his third shower since we got here. Back at the apartment he would've taken one every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. We had to have a schedule due to lack of bathrooms. Here theres two bathrooms so really we can shower whenever we want.
I open the box of my clothes. I haven't bothered to put anything into the closet yet because I'm waiting to get a dresser so I can put everything away at once. I pick up my "No makeup still perfect" shirt and look at it. Paired with my camouflage jeans this would look good, add my combat boots and its golden.
I put on the outfit and admire it in the mirror. It looks great, just as expected, but it should be on someone other than me. My red hair does not compliment this look all that well. But for a girl my age there's surprisingly not a large amount of acme so that's a plus.
I rub at a spot on my cheek but then realize its a pimple and I'm not very smart.
I take a few selfies, pic the best, and send it in my group chat of friends after captioning it 'I'm a rat regardless of how good my clothes look'.

Zack: 🤦‍♂️
Jake: You look nice
Ash: Awww
Katy: This girl is on fire!! 🔥🔥🔥
Me: Haha, thx, I am a rat though

I turn off my phone and head out to the living room.
"While this is a step up, it makes you look like we moved here from a military base," my mother jokes.
"Oh please," I scoff, "I don't look like-"
"Look who just stepped out of the war zone," my father says, stepping into the living room rubbing a towel on his still wet hair.
I huff, "fine, but remember that I could've made our neighbors think they have a scary goth girl next door and that this is the improvement."
Father chuckles while he walks back down the hallway.
"Now come on, we have to prepare ourselves," mother says, patting a hand on the couch for me to come sit with her.
"Prepare ourselves for what? We're meeting our neighbors, not the President," I say, walking around the arm of the couch to sit.
"We want to make a good impression," mother says.
"We could also be ourselves, prepare them for the inevitable truth; we're not from around here," I sigh, thinking of home. We didn't have to introduce ourselves to neighbors there.
"Fine. Just make sure you don't say anything embarrassing or weird," Mother sighs as she gives in and stands up to leave the room, "if you ruin this, its your fault the neighbors hate us."
"Fine by me, I only have to be here until I graduate," I whisper to myself.
"Hm?" My mother turns to look at me.
"Nothing," I sigh, letting myself tip over and take up the couch then pull out my phone.

Zack: You're not a rat
Ash: Aw
Zack: Hm?
Ash: Oh nothing

Ash knows how I feel about Zack. She knows that I wish I could be home, be with them. For a while I thought maybe, just maybe, Zack liked me too but any hope of that ever happening has left me. My feelings for him however won't leave so easily.

Katy: Ur no rat
Me: I am thoughhhhh

I didn't really think I was a rat, I just like saying it. I don't think I look all that good, but I don't look awful so I'm happy with myself.

Katy: Noooooo
Ella: This is a rat
Ella sends a picture of her rat, Pepper, a ragged gray beast. Cute though.

I snap a picture of myself and send it along with the picture of Ella's rat.

Me: Identical, see?
Jake: Absolutely not.
Zack: ya the rat is cuter
Me: hey!
Zack: ur more of a cat
Me: True

"Come on, put the phone away, we're going now," Father steps into the room, Mother just behind him.
Kelly and Becca weave their way around them, presenting themselves to me.
I look them both up and down. They're wearing similar outfits; Kelly has a blue hoodie and black jeans with boots, Becca has a purple hoodie with black jeans and tennis shoes.
"You both look great," I compliment them.
"And warm," my mother examines them, "take the sweatshirts off."
The twins groan and take off their sweatshirts, revealing the grey tank top Becca has on and the white t-shirt Kelly is wearing.
I stand up and face my parents, waiting for them to lead the way.
Mother steps in front of Father and walks to the front door before stopping.
"Does everyone have everything they need?" She asks.
"I have water bottles," Father holds up a plastic bag in his hand.
"We have our cameras, in case we see anything cool," Kelly says.
"I heard someones dog barking, maybe I could take a picture of it," Becca smiles hopefully.
"We could bring Daisy with us, she could get done exercise and she needs to meet the neighbors too," I suggest.
"Good idea," Father says.
I grab Daisy's leash off of the counter, "Daisy!" I call.
Daisy scampers in from the left hallway.
"Do you want to go on a walk with us and meet the neighbors?" I fake excitement and Daisy wags her tail.
Getting to bring Daisy was a highlight.
I attach her leash and walk her to the door where everyone is waiting.
Mother opens the door and steps out, "and we're off."
We begin walking down the street and stop at the first house to the right. This one shares a fence with ours.
This house looks about the same as ours; same size and colors but the garden and yard are different. I'm sure my father is fantasizing about having a garden like this one.
Mother leads the way to knock on the front door right as a tall woman walks from around the house, wiping sweat from her forehead and taking a yellow sunhat off to reveal a mat of black hair. She slides flower patterned gloves off as she reaches for my mothers hand.
"Madison Travis," she says, dipping her head to my father, "you can call me Madison. You must be the new neighbors."
"Monica Flame," My mother says.
My father extends his hand, "Jeffrey Flame."
My mother pushes me, Becca, and Kelly forwards, presenting us like a new couch.
"These are our children; Lana," My mother pauses so I can shake the neighbors hand, "and the twins Becca and Kelly," she motions to each one, "oh!" She glances to Daisy, "and our dog, Daisy."
"How old are you?" Madison asks me, still smiling at Diasy for a moment.
"Sixteen, Kelly and Becca are eight," I say.
"I have three children as well," Madison says, now trying to make eye contact with me, "one is your age, one is older, and one is the twin's age. Let me go get them, wait here."
Madison walks past us and goes into the house.
We wait a few minutes before Madison comes back, pushing two girls and a boy ahead of her.
She lines them up, I'm assuming by age.
"This is Clarissa," Madison motions to the older girl as she waves shyly, "Clyde," she motions to the boy in the middle and he reaches his hand for mine to shake my hand, his soft, dove grey eyes meeting mine, "and Chloe," the little girl scoots closer to her brother and hides behind him.
The whole family has a Sunkist complexion and faint freckles scattered over faces and shoulders.
"My husband, Evan, is at work at the moment," Madison explains.
"And your name is?" The boy nods to me.
"Lana," I smile, "and this is Becca and Kelly."
I feel something when I look at him. I know that he's going to be a good friend.