Isabelle’s Vlogging Dilemma

“Hi, girls, Sleeping Beauty here!” I grinned into the phone that I’d borrowed from Tracy. (Well, maybe “borrowed” isn’t the best word for it. My older sister didn’t really know that I was using her phone.) I was making a video for my YouTube channel. “Before we get started with today’s video, just look at these cute boots! I got them for Christmas.” I titled the iPhone so that the camera was aimed at my feet. The boots were tan with fringes, and there was a strip of Aztec patterned fabric around the top.

“Anyway, I want you guys to meet my family. So let me just find someone to talk to . . .” I spun in a circle, looking around for one of my sisters.

Nevaeh was walking down the hall. Her Siamese cat, Lyric, rubbed against her legs and purred. I angled the camera at Nevaeh and waved. “Hey, T Swift!” To the camera, I said, “This is one of my sisters, she’s twelve, and totally amaze at playing the guitar. T Swift, would you play a song on your guitar for me? I’m trying to make a video for my YouTube channel.”

Nevaeh snorted in disbelief. “Iz –“

“Sleeping Beauty!” I interjected. “That’s my, um, screen name.”

She rolled her eyes. “Right, Sleeping Beauty. You have a YouTube channel?” Nevaeh scooped up her cat and cuddled her in her arms.

I nodded happily. “Yep! I post, like, makeup tutorials, dance routines, fashion help, Saigie guest stars sometimes . . .”

Nevaeh continued down the hallway. “Well, sorry, but I’m helping Poison Ivy.” She seemed to have caught onto my nicknames-as-screen names idea. “She wants to take pictures of Lyric. I said I’d help her.” Nevaeh stroked her cat’s head and brushed past me.

“Oh, that’s OK!” I trotted down the hall after her. “I’ll just wait for you to finish. Ooh, and I can ask Poison Ivy to give my viewers some tips on photography!”

Nevaeh sighed heavily. “Uh, I don’t think that’s a good idea. Poison Ivy just wants some pictures. She’s not prepared to give a lecture on photography . . .”

The front door creaked open. Eve had left the house to go adventuring several hours ago; she must have returned. Nevaeh let go of Lyric and raced toward the door.

Eve was standing beside it, taking off her coat. Nevaeh rushed up to her and pleaded in a whisper, “Please get me out of here!”

Though she was trying to speak softly, I still heard her.

Eve clearly had no idea what was going on, and why Nevaeh was desperate to get away from me (I really didn’t know, either). But she took Nevaeh’s side and announced loudly, “Oh, no — I think I left my watch in the forest! Nevaeh, would you help me find it?”

Before they could scamper out the door, I pointed at Eve’s wrist. “Um, your watch is right there, Cricket.”

She smacked her forehead gently. “Wow, would you look at that! So it is. I can be so stupid . . .”

Eve turned to Nevaeh. “Hey, want to go watch a movie? Finding Dory is playing today.”

Nevaeh smiled and let out a relieved sigh. She grabbed her purse from a hook on the wall while Eve shrugged into her denim coat. “That sounds great,” she said.

Finding Dory? I’d been waiting for that movie to come out for years! “Awesome!” I exclaimed. “I’ll come with you; I can buy the popcorn. And after the movie, you guys can help me vlog a review!”

From the collection of purses hanging on the wall, I picked a handmade leather one. To the camera on Tracy’s phone, I explained, “I can’t seem to find my favorite gold purse, so this leather one will have to do instead. It’s still pretty cute!”

Before I could follow Nevaeh and Eve to the movie theater, they slipped out the door and closed it behind them.

“Sorry!” came Nevaeh’s voice from outside. “But this a sister bonding thing.”

Then they were gone.

I slumped against the door and fought back tears. Why did no one want to be with me? I was just trying to make one stinking YouTube video.

“So here I am, without a good vlog, alone,” I muttered dejectedly to the camera. I blew a halfhearted kiss, the way I ended all of my videos. “Sleeping Beauty out.”

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SIBLINGS ARE ANNOYING. THAT’S WHAT THIS PHOTOSTORY IS ABOUT.

Also, probably, how annoyed my family and friends get when I shout “I’m going to blog about this!” whenever something cool happens.

-Loren