ON HOLD
marching off down the sand, hazel finds herself growing angrier by the minute. she spins back on her heels and turns to look at him "why? why did you come back".
conrad's face drops, this was his opportunity to tell her how he felt.
he take...
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day one of summer. the streets of cousins piling with rv's, tourists and fourth of july decorations. hazel's favourite holiday. fireworks, cocktails, cake.
sitting in the greenhouse of her beach home, hazel runs the tips of finger through the vogue magazine. harry styles is the cover page, speaking of gender norms by wearing a dress.
a smile creeps its way onto her face, taylor swift playing in the background as usual. hazel had every swift album on record, she never listened to it on her phone. always record.
a cold sea breeze nips it self against her skin, goosebumps riding up her body. hazel had been stuck in the house all day, her instructing school was closed today due to it being the first day of summer.
a loud knock on the glass door rattles through the greenhouse, hazels eyes meeting with her mother bonnies.
bonnie stands at the entry of the outhouse, a tray of cocktails resting on her hand. walking into join her daughter, bonnie sits beside hazel. playing with the loose strands of hair behind her ear, her mother gives her daughter a drink "we have guests come on".
hazel forces a smile before taking off behind her mother into the house. the smell of pumpkin pie and roast infiltrates her nose as she enters the kitchen.
a squeal interrupts her thoughts as she notices her best friend behind the counter. pushing past everyone, hazel runs towards belly, embracing her into a hug. the two girls screams bounce around the room, bursting everyones ear drums.
pulling apart from the hug, hazel runs to laurel. her second mother since she was ten. laurel greets the girl with a hug, breathing in the calvin klein perfume hazel had applied early that morning.
"so what? i get no hug" another voice shows up behind the clarke girl. steven walking into the clarke home, hands full of bags he smiles "hey haze". launching into the conklin boys arms, hazel suddenly feels at home. her whole family is home, well everyone except...
as if her mother could read her mind, bonnie announces to the whole room "susannah and her boys will be here shortly. just in time for dinner" she holds her hands next her chest with a smile. with a slight shortness of breathe, hazel feels her heart strings tugging "im going to help belly settle in" she says before bolting upstairs.
a blend of tropical wax melts and sandalwood roam through hazels room, picture beyond pictures covering her walls. photos of every summer she's spent here, mainly consisting of belly and conrad.
stepping up to her balcony door, hazel watches as the tourists pile down the beach. beach chairs and towels, they spread out over the beach of cousins.
unknowingly playing with her necklace, hazel feels two hands reach over her neck. belly hanging her arms over her shoulders, she whispers into hazels ear "have you spoken to him since?" she asks.
nodding her head promptly, hazel spins around in her heels "nope". she walks toward her desk, moving her bouquet of flowers an inch to the left.
"don't you think you should?" the conklin girl asks her best friend once again, earning no response, she gets the idea.
hazel was an extrovert, with very few words. able to speak her mind and truth, she refused to speak of her feelings. the only person she was able to confide in was conrad, and now she had lost him too.
clearing her throat, she sits on her bed, organising her vinyls.
"so how are you and jeremiah" hazels changes the conversation, belly staying silent she shrugs her shoulders "we're good".
knowing her best friend, hazel moves her things to the side "whats going on?" she asks. belly shrugs her shoulders again "we've been together for two months haze, and he hasn't even asked me to be his girlfriend".
a loud sigh slips out from hazels mouth as she comforts her best friend "boys are just stupid, tell him how you feel" belly interrupts her hazel with a laugh "especially the fisher boys".
hazel repeats her with a roll of the eye and a smile "especially the fisher boys. but seriously, it's jeremiah. he's still your best friend".
shaking her head, isabel agrees "your right. where's marissa by the way? i miss her". hazel shakes her head with a laugh "she's helping her family get ready for the fourth".
hazel and marissa taylor had been best friends since birth, bonnie and marissas mother were also best friends. until florence died in a car crash when the girls were 7.
since then, bonnie took in marissa.
a knock on the door startles the girls, both them look over there shoulders to find steven in the door way "there here". watching belly sprint of out her room, hazel cant move. her mind isn't connecting with her body. frozen.
walking to his best friends side, steven runs his hand over her shoulder "it'll be fine. don't talk to him if you don't want".
"what happened to team honrad?" hazel giggles under her very few tears, a snicker comes from steven as he shrugs his shoulder "still am but he's an ass".
silence corrupted the room. and just as she went to get up, she felt a presence.
