kate

I groggily wake up, not to my alarm at the orphanage, but to Tucker screaming, "Katie! Wake the fuck up!"

I groan, "Don't call me that!" I shout.

I get up from bed and get dressed into dark blue skinny jeans and a simple black hoodie. I pull my hair back into a ponytail, and blow air out of my mouth.

It was still difficult to process that this--living with two semi-popular YouTubers--was life for me now. I put on a pair of socks and pull on my white Nike shoes. I walk downstairs to be met with Sonja and Tucker.

Sonja raises an eyebrow at my outfit, "Kate, it's literally midsummer, how are you wearing a hoodie?"

I shrug, "It's comfy..." I say as a weak attempt to defend myself. 

In reality, I didn't own many outfits. I owned maybe seven or eight different tops and three pair of jeans. I didn't want to tell that to them, though: I didn't feel the need to give them my sob story of living at the orphanage and only being allowed hand-me-downs after fourteen year old me grew out of the clothes I came with.

"So," Tucker says, "we're going to look at the house in an hour. Let's go get breakfast?" he asks.

Sonja smiles, "You up for it, Kate?" she asks.

"Yes ma'am!" I exclaim, smiling. 

And so, we all pile into Tucker's car. We drive for awhile, until he parks at a restaurant. Just as I was about to leave the car, my phone buzzes in my pocket. I jump, and unlock it, to see a text from Tom.

Tom: Good morning :)

I smile at this, and type:

Me: Good morning! 

Tom: How did you sleep?

Me: The best I ever have! What about you?

Tom: Alright, I guess. 

Tom: Are you coming with us to look at the house?

Me: Yeah!! Tucker showed me the pictures, it looks huuuge!! 

Tom: No kidding! I lived in a studio flat by myself in the U.K.

Me: Wellll, I think I've got you beat, bud. 

Tom: Fair enough, see you soon? 

Me: Yeah!! See you soon :)

I put my phone away, only to notice my body must've been on autopilot, because I was sat opposite of Sonja and Tucker in a booth seat. We ordered our food, ate quickly, and conversed among ourselves. 

"So, Kate..." Tucker starts.

I was taking a drink. I swallow, and ask, "Hm?"

"How are you liking the phone? I see Jordan went pretty extra with it," he says with a laugh.

I laugh, "It's nice!" 

Sonja then asks, "Have you figured out social media yet?"

I raise an eyebrow, "What do you mean?" 

She sighs, "Oh boy..." 

"Twitter, Instagram? Any of that?" Tucker asks.

I try to think, then remembered that some YouTubers would mention these in their videos, "No, I have no idea. What are those?"

Sonja couldn't help but laugh. "I'm gonna set you up some accounts, here, let me see your phone," she says, holding out her hand. 

I unlock it and hand it to her. She then proceeds to tap away at my phone, to which I shrug off and finish eating. 

Tucker then pulls out his wallet and leaves a tip of five dollars, then stands up, "We should get going," he says. Sonja nods, standing up as well, leaving the booth. I follow behind them.

Once we get in the car, Sonja still having my phone, she turns to me while in the passenger seat. "So, I made you an email, so I could make you a Twitter and Insta," she explains, "I wasn't too sure of what to make your usernames, so don't be mad at me!" she says, handing me my phone. 

I look to my screen, seeing my username on both the camera and blue bird apps were "kaateeelyyynnnn", causing me to laugh. "You know what, it works! Thank you so much, Sonja!" I exclaim.

She smiles, "No problem!" she says, then my phone buzzes. I look down to see they were notifications from both Instagram and Twitter--"omgitsfirefoxx started following you!" they read.

I smiled, and then my phone buzzed again. 

Tom: Jordan and I are on our way to the house. You guys better be too!

Me: Don't worry!! We are, we're almost there!

Tom: Great!! Can't wait to see you :)

I raise an eyebrow at this, feeling like it meant a little more than shown. I shrug it off, as Tucker parks the car in front of a beautiful house. 

Soon, a car pulls up and parks in front of Tucker's. We all exit our cars, only to see Jordan and Tom exit the one in front of us. Tom looks to me directly and smiles. What? I think to myself.

I shrug it off again, as we walk into the house together. Tucker and Jordan were at the very front of our group while being given the tour by the realtor. I wasn't too focused--it seemed like Tucker was deadset on this house the minute he set eyes on it. 

It was a really nice house, but I was still moreso lost in my thoughts than anything else. It felt like the world I was living in wasn't real. Like, at all.

The next thing I knew, Tucker and Jordan were signing for the house.

"When are we good to move in?" Jordan asks.

"Well, today's the ninth... so... the sixteenth?" the realtor answers.

"Great! Thank you so much!" Sonja exclaims, smiling.

Tom and I look to each other. There's no way this is real, I think to myself. No fucking way.

• • •

i was listening to pokimane asmr the entire time i was writing this W